Jon, Ser Davos, Ghost and around 20 northerners departed Winterfell as they started their journey to Dragonstone. They were making surprisingly quick progress even though winter was upon them. Jon had been lost in his thoughts for the majority of the ride to White Harbor. He was thinking over all the things Bran told him and it was giving him a bit of a headache. The evenings were enjoyable and when Jon was in his element because he asked some of the men he brought to spar with him.
Dark Sister was perfect for him. It felt completely natural for him to use. The sword felt like an extension of his arm and a part of his body. Arya would be so jealous if she saw I have Dark Sister. He smirked at that thought but his face regained its neutral expression as he remembered no-one has heard anything about his little sister in years.
Jon was surrounded by 4 of his men as he withdrew Longclaw and Dark Sister. He knew they didn't want to accidentally hurt their King but Jon ordered them to go all out. The sound of clashing steel reverberated around their camp and there were small sparks as Jon deflected the blades of all of the other men. He was finding it difficult to keep up and use two swords at once. He was holding on for the time being but he knew if it were a real fight to the death, he wouldn't survive if it continued as it was currently.
Jon swerved out of the way of a sword but didn't see the man behind him. It was too late for him to bring his sword up to deflect the attack and therefore the attack disarmed of Longclaw as it fell to the ground.
Jon took a deep breath as he stood in the centre with 4 men circling him. He felt instantly better with only Dark Sister in his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the men make a movement towards him. The man swung his sword down in Jon's direction but Jon was more agile and stepped away. Using the skills he had learned throughout his life, he disarmed the man with Dark Sister leaving just 3 men left.
Jon expertly deflected the attacks of all 3 men simultaneously whilst patiently waiting for an opening. They were beginning to tire whilst Jon still felt energetic. One of the northern men did a wild slash of his blade which Jon ducked underneath of. It allowed him to bring Dark Sister to the man heart as he was crouching. 'Dead' Jon said, leaving two remaining.
The two remaining men looked quite terrified to fight with their King, who had a legendary reputation after the Battle of Castle Black, Hardhome and the Battle of the Bastards, but they still gave it their all. Jon gave them a small smirk before engaging them in combat. He brought up his sword to protect himself and saw a small opening to capitalise on. Whilst he was blocking strikes from his opponent's swords, he used his free hand to punch one across the face causing him to collapse onto the floor. He quickly finished off the final man in a matter of seconds in single combat rendering that final man also on the floor.
Ser Davos walked up to Jon and noticed he hadn't even worked up a sweat. He really is one of the best swordsmen in the realm but only if he fights with one sword. 'If you don't mind me saying, Your Grace but I would not recommend you fight with two swords'.
Jon grinned at the older man, happy that he spoke his mind to Jon unlike others. 'Aye, I've realised it doesn't suit me. Bran told me to try it but I don't feel comfortable' Jon responded.
'Which sword will you use, your grace?' Davos asked.
Jon felt like he should think about it because both Longclaw and Dark Sister were amazing Valyrian steel swords. Lord Commander Mormont gave him Longclaw and he has felt proud to honour his Lord Commander every time he used it. However, he felt a connection to Dark Sister that he didn't feel with Longclaw. It's truly not a hard decision. I feel more comfortable with Dark Sister and I'm a better fighter with it. 'Dark Sister is my ancestral blade, Ser Davos. It's the sword that I shall use and the one I like the most'.
'And what will you do with the other sword, your grace?' Davos probed.
'When we return to the North, I will return Longclaw to Lady Mormont because it is rightfully hers' Jon responded.
One of the men cautiously approached Jon due to the presence of the huge direwolf by his side. 'Your grace, I observed your sparring match with the other men and I think the reason you struggled with two swords is because one is a bastard sword whilst the other is a longsword. The weight and balance might have caused to make some errors'.
Jon thought about it and the middle-aged man had a point. However, for now I'll stick with Dark Sister.
They arrived at White Harbor in the evening and they spent the night there. They were given fine accommodation for the evening by Lord Manderly. By morning, Lord Manderly had the White Wolf added to the hilt of a dagger Jon carrier which pleased Jon immensely as he still had the white wolf on one of his blades.
They departed White Harbor for the final part of their journey to Dragonstone. Jon had a mixture of fear and excitement for the upcoming meeting with Daenerys Targaryen. The only family on the Targaryen side of his family. How will she react once she knows I am Rhaegar's son?
Ghost didn't enjoy being on a ship and quite quickly became restless. Only the presence of his master stopped Ghost from ripping out the throats of all those on the ship. The people on the ship did their best to avoid Ghost but it wasn't easy if they needed to talk to the King as Ghost was always by his side.
Jon unsheathed Dark Sister from across his back. He decided to put strap the sword holder across his back for the slightly smaller sword. He looked at the sword in his hand and was mesmerised by its beauty. His fingers ghosted over the intricate detail of the Valyrian steel. He knew from his sparring sessions with his men it would be deadly in a real battle. With the sword still in his hands, he thought about those who had wielded the blade. He knew that Aemon the Dragonknight had wielded the blade but its most famous owner was Visenya Targaryen. He thought about what his ancestors would think of him wielding Dark Sister. I hope I can make you proud. Especially you Visenya, for my sister Arya.
As they saw Dragonstone begin to appear in the distance, they heard a loud screech before a large green dragon flew right over the ship. Everyone ducked in fear apart from Jon. Truthfully, Jon did fear the dragon but he couldn't let his people know he too was scared. His appearance remained calm as he looked at the dragon whilst he petted Ghost. The dragon flew into the distance and Jon presumed it went back to its mother.
Daenerys watched as the ship with a Stark sigil got closer to the island of Dragonstone. She was quite intrigued by this Jon Snow. The things Varys said seemed farfetched but she would like to hear the words from the man himself. And if he doesn't bend the knee, my dragons would be happy to eat him for dinner.
Dany stood upon the cliff and saw Jon Snow step onto the beach of Dragonstone. She could tell which one he was by the way he carried himself and she could clearly see he had an aura of confidence surrounding him. It was too far away for her to clearly see his face but she saw him shake hands with Tyrion. Drogon flew down and stood next to her, intently watching the newcomers. He lowered his head and turned to Dany, who petted him. Drogon took one last look at the northerners below him before he huffed out a bit of smoke and flying off.
A few minutes of what Dany presumed was small talk occurred until Rhaegal flew down and landed right in front of Jon Snow. Dany immediately panicked. What if Rhaegal burns Jon Snow and all the northerners he brought?! I can't afford to make enemies with the North and fight Cersei too. Rhaegal may not be as aggressive as Drogon but he is far more aggressive than Viserion. He will burn anyone he wants to alive. Dany's thoughts were premature as Rhaegal lowered his head to Jon and bent down just like Drogon did when Dany rides him. What is going on? Dany thought. How does a stranger suddenly have the affection of one my children?
Jon got out of the boat and stepped onto Dragonstone. He looked up to the sky and saw Daenerys' three dragons flying around the castle.
'The Bastard of Winterfell' Tyrion announced joyfully.
'The Imp of Casterly Rock' Jon said managing a small smile. He walked up to Tyrion and shook his hand. 'It's a been a while. Hand of the Queen? You've done quite well for yourself, old friend'
Tyrion snorted at Jon's comment. 'Me? You should hear some of the stories surrounding you'. Tyrion noticed a flicker of something in his eyes but before he could figure out what it was, it disappeared. 'Come, I'll take you to the Queen'.
'If you would kindly hand over your weapons then we shall take you to the Queen' Missandei said pointedly.
'What's your name, my lady?' Jon asked politely, knowing Sansa would be angry if he didn't remember his manners.
'Missandei, Lord Snow. I am the Queen's translator' she responded.
'And her closest friend' Tyrion added.
Jon nodded and was about to speak but Ser Davos spoke first. 'Apologies, my lady but Jon Snow is a King, not a lord' Davos said but got a stern look from Jon.
'It's nice to meet you, Missandei but as Tyrion is well aware, my family doesn't tend to do well when they are summoned by House Targaryen. I will not hand over any of my weapons' he said coldly. Tyrion winced slightly but nodded to Missandei to indicate it's fine.
They were about to continue to walk when some of the Dothraki stepped back in fear. Missandei screamed which caused Jon to turn around. Ghost had decided to step out into the open instead of being surrounded by Jon's men. 'Calm down, my lady. It's just my wolf' Jon said reassuringly, hoping to calm Missandei down.
'That's…That is no wolf! That is a beast!' Missandei said in fear.
'He's a dire wolf and he won't hurt anyone unless I tell him or he feels threatened' Jon told her. 'Ghost, to me'. The massive dire wolf walked up to Jon and bent his head down to lick Jon's hand. Ghost's head reached Jon's stomach and was still growing. He kneeled down and put his arm around Ghost and whispered into his ear.
Ghost padded up to Missandei which increased her fear. Some of the Dothraki, who even though they were scared, moved towards the dire wolf with their weapons. However, Ghost unexpectedly lowered his head. 'I told him to let you pet him' Jon said.
Missandei looked at the white fur of Ghost and slowly lowered her hand onto it. She was cautious at first but when Ghost licked her hand she felt safe. 'An interesting beast you have, Lord Snow' she commented.
'I wouldn't call him a beast just like I'm sure your Queen doesn't call her dragons beasts' Jon shot back.
'I'm sorry, I meant no offense' Missandei said apologetically.
Jon smiled at the young woman and said, 'No apology necessary, my lady'.
Missandei smiled back at him. He is nothing like how Queen Daenerys described northerners. 'If you don't mind me asking, how old are you, Lord Snow?'
'22' he replied. The same age as our Queen she thought and a small grin found its way onto her face.
Suddenly, there was a large gust of wind and Rhaegal descended on them. He stood in front of Jon with Tyrion, Missandei and the Dothraki by his side. Jon turned around and saw the fear in Ser Davos and the rest of his men. He then looked at Ghost and the dire wolf's red eyes looked eerily calm.
Jon stepped forward slowly in order to not startle the dragon and become ashes. The dragon just stared at Jon, not making any movements. Once Jon got close enough, he slowly reached for the dragon. Rhaegal breathed out a bit of smoke but it didn't disconcert Jon. He placed his hand on Rhaegal's snout and visibly relaxed when the dragon didn't burn him to a crisp.
Everyone was shocked when Rhaegal bent down and looked to indicate that Jon was his rider. They had seen this with Daenerys and Drogon, so it was a shock that a northern king had this connection with Rhaegal.
Jon had small smirk as everyone looked at him in shock. 'What is his name?' Jon asked.
'Rha…Rhaegal' Missandei said, who in shock at what she was witnessing.
Jon masked his emotions in order to not give anything away but internally, he was grinning. So, this dragon is named after my father. He noticed that Rhaegal was still bowing his head to Jon. He looked off into the distance and saw a small figure watching them on the cliffs.
He turned back to Rhaegal and hoped he had some sort of mental connection with the dragon. He knew dragons were extremely intelligent creatures from the books he read as a child. Rhaegal, go play with your brothers. The dragon screeched in response and Jon somehow understood what he was saying. Be patient. I have to talk to your mother. Soon I'll be a dragon rider and you will be my dragon. He didn't say that it depends if Daenerys likes him or not but he would like to think his connection with Rhaegal indicates he is not a threat to her. Go play with your brothers.
The dragon flew away and the northerners exhaled a sigh of relief whilst Tyrion and Missandei were still shocked. Jon walked up to Tyrion and Missandei with his brooding face replacing the happy one he had a moment ago. 'I think it's time I met Daenerys Targaryen'.