Chapter 14: White Raven

Rickon had wrapped his arms around Jon, who had an arm around him while Ramsay's body and head were taken away. Sansa fought off tears, sharing a smile with Jon before he looked down to rub Rickon's back. After a few moments Rickon pulled himself away from Jon, sniffling and wiping his nose, backing toward Sansa, who held his shoulders.

"Lord Jon," a man called out to him, drawing the attention of the yard.

Sansa gasped as she watched a soldier step into the courtyard with a gaunt, broken Theon Greyjoy. The soldier held Theon with an arm around his shoulder to keep him from collapsing as Theon's feet dragged behind him. He was conscious, staring at Jon, Rickon and Sansa, but frozen in terror so severe he couldn't make himself move.

"Theon?" Sansa asked in disbelief, anger laced in her voice. Rickon sneered at him while Jon's glare was relatively less severe.

"Theon died," he said weekly, dragged before them but unable to meet their eyes. "I'm Reek."

"Reek?" Jon asked.

"Poor fool," Barbrey Dustin said coming to a stop beside the Starks, looking Theon over. "I can't believe he made another one of you."

"Another one?" asked Sansa.

"Roose had this awful soldier who stunk endlessly, so he gave him to Ramsay's mother to help raise him. Bethany, my sister, said him and the man they called Reek were inseparable, training together and going on their hunts together… He was dead a month after Ramsay poisoned Domeric." The often bitter Lady Dustin seemed to pity Theon. "He's tried making others, but they always just killed themselves or went mad, if they even made it through the dungeons."

Jon looked from her to Theon, his jaw shifting as he looked to the men holding him. "Lock him in a cell," he ordered before looking to Sansa. "We'll decide what to do with him tomorrow."

She nodded, watching as Theon quietly followed the soldier toward a cell.

"We need to gather the bodies and burn them," Jon told the lords and captains gathered around them. "Strip what we can, keep anything useful. Armor, clothes, anything…" When he noticed a few of them looking confused, he clarified, "We'll need to the arm the Free Folk and resupply ourselves before our next fight, and the rest can go to the Wall. We can't waste supplies just because they belonged to the enemy."

"Our next fight?" asked Daryn Hornwood.

"The Night King is still coming. I'd rather us be ready when he does."

The yard began to empty, the men returning to the field to help gather the dead while the lords prepared letters.

Maester Wolkan collapsed into a chair when he saw Jon Snow enter his room. "Oh thank the gods," Wolkan sighed. Looking to Jon he asked, "I pray he's dead?" Once he nodded, Wolkan rose and hurried over to grasp Jon's hand. "Thank you, my lord. Thank you."

"I take it you're not loyal to the Boltons?"

"As loyal as a frightened man can be," Wolkan frowned.

Jon nodded, wondering just how many Bolton men died on the field out of fear for what might happen if they turned and Ramsay won. Looking around the room, Jon asked, "Have you maintained the rookery? We'll need ravens."

Wolkan smiled weakly. "I have, my lord. I am at your command."

A dozen ravens left Winterfell while piles of bodies burned in the Wolf's Field and their camp was moved to the fields around Winterfell. Bolton banners fell and Stark ones raised, men came to and from, clearing out as much as they could from the Boltons.

"What should we do with the Dreadfort?" Davos asked as they gathered, watching men ignite the pile of Bolton banners.

"Burn it," spat Barbrey Dustin.

"We can't afford to loose it," said Jon. "We could clear it out, leave it for someone else to take once things have settled."

Exchanging looks with the other lords, Lady Dustin turned to Jon. "It should be yours."

"What?" Jon furrowed his brow. "I can't-"

"You slew Ramsay," said Rodrik Ryswell. "You brought us together. You led us to victory. You deserve it."

Barbrey looked from her father to Jon, nodding in agreement. "Besides, it'd make him even angrier if he knew you took claim of the home he always wanted."

Jon glanced at Davos, who gave him an encouraging smile. With a sigh he looked to the lords and nodded. "We can make a final decision once we've all gathered, but I thank you all for the offer."

They all ate whenever they could, too busy to gather everyone at once. Sansa finally managed to get Rickon to stop wearing Jon's sallet when she saw him struggling to stay awake and took him to their old rooms. Ghost had been following them after cleaning himself somehow and Rickon called for him to join them on her bed. Watching him clutch Ghost's paw, she knew he'd have to live with the same little hole in his heart she had since Lady died, but at least they'd have each other.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

She woke when dawn came, but Rickon stirred only after she slipped out of bed and Ghost turned over. After a moment he shot up with a gasp, looking around panicked before settling on Sansa and nearly falling over Ghost as he climbed out of bed and hurried to her. "Sansa!"

Wrapping her arms around him, Sansa rubbed his back. "Shh, shh, shh. It's okay, sweetling. You're safe now."

"I thought it was a dream," he sniffed, leaning his head back to look at her. "Jon's really here too?"

"He is," Sansa nodded, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Do you want to find him?"

Rickon nodded furiously, clutching her hand as Ghost followed them out of the room. Walking toward the courtyard they noticed the maester, who turned to them and bowed his head with a smile. Spotting Ghost, he looked worried, but steeled himself.

"My lady," Wolkan said with a nod.

"Maester," she nodded, still unsure his name.

"Wolkan, my lady," he smiled kindly.

Sansa nodded. "Thank you. Do you know where Jon Snow slept?"

Wolkan frowned. "I don't believe he has, my lady, but last I saw him he was on the western wall."

Sansa squeezed Rickon's shoulder, biting back questions about why Jon hadn't slept. "Thank you."

"Pardon, my lady," he said hesitantly, holding out a small rolled scroll. "I just received this for him. It seems it was delivered to White Harbor, and they sent it here with our returning raven." When she took the letter he added, "I thought you should know, there was also a white raven from the Citadel."

Rickon perked up, looking to Sansa with a solemn smile. "Winter, right?"

Sansa nodded. "Thank you, Maester Wolkan."

"My lady," he bowed and left her to continue toward the courtyard.

Sansa and Rickon found Jon looking onto the fields where Melisandre watched over mounds of burning corpses. Hearing them, he turned and flashed a quick smile. Rickon dashed over to Jon, who turned and moved his arms to accept the incoming hug. After a few firm pats on the back, Rickon stepped away while Sansa stood a meter away and turned to watch Melisandre. Rickon looked from one to the other before looking to the fires.

"I'm having the Lord's chamber prepared for you," he said with a glance toward Sansa.

"Mother and father's room?" asked Sansa.

"And Robb's old room for you," he said with a smile to Rickon.

"You should take the lord's chamber."

"I'm not a Stark," Jon said with a shrug.

Sansa looked to him while Rickon turned shaking his head. "You are to me!"

Jon gave Rickon a thankful smile, then turned to Sansa. "You're the Lady of Winterfell for now. You deserve it. We're standing here because of you. They may have followed me on the field, but they never would have met me if you weren't at my side."

Sansa rolled the letter in her fingers, holding him up to him. "This came for you. It was sent to White Harbor first but arrived this morning alongside a raven from the Citadel. A white raven." She smiled solemnly. "Winter is here."

Jon laughed, taking the offered letter. "Well, father always promised, didn't he?"

Sansa smiled from memories of her father as much as in relief hearing Jon refer to him as that.

Watching him unroll the letter she slid her arms around Rickon's shoulders, smiling at the crown of his head as she hugged him from behind. He leaned his head back, holding her forearms since he couldn't return the hug fully.

"He found it," Jon said looking to Sansa, pulling their eyes to him.

"Who found what?" asked Sansa.

A flash of guilt came to Jon's face, remembering he'd never told Sansa or anyone else what he'd done. "I sent a raven to Sam at the Citadel and asked him to look for proof. He couldn't find anything about dragonglass or valyrian steel yet because it's all locked away, but the High Septon's records aren't so he went through them all and found it." Jon looked at the letter and laughed. "I'll need to send someone to retrieve it."

Rickon looked up, confused as Sansa slipped her arms from him. "What are you talking about?"

Both looked to Rickon, their smiles fading. "Rickon…"

"Rickon," Jon said firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I found out who my mother was."

"She was different from mine, right? I forgot why everyone treated you differently, but Osha told me it was because you had a different mother."

Jon nodded. "She was. But it turns out father lied to us about me."

Rickon frowned. "Father lied?"

"To protect me from someone who wanted to kill me when I was baby," Jon added quickly.

"Why would they want to kill you?"

"Because of who my father really was."

"You remember when you were little and mother and I would tell you stories about the Targaryens, the dragon knights and old kings?" Sansa asked with a smile while Rickon nodded. "His father wasn't the same as ours. He was a Targaryen."

Rickon looked heartbroken as he looked between them. "Jon's not our family?"

"He is," she quickly assured, "just not our brother. His mother was our father's sister, Lyanna. So he's not our brother but he's still our cousin by blood."

Rickon looked from Sansa to Jon. "And you want proof of that?"

Jon nodded. "I need it to help us."

Rickon looked to the floor. "I'd rather you be my brother."

Sansa clenched her hand hearing his heart broken voice, watching Jon quickly kneel and place a hand on Rickon's shoulder to make him look at Jon. "I'd gladly be your brother by choice. Whoever gave birth to me, I was still raised by your father, and I'd still be your brother if you'll have me."

A smile stretched across Rickon's face as he shifted and gave a large nod. "You promise?"

"I promise."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Reek sat in a cell staring at the wall until he heard the doors open and quiet voices speaking with the guard. A moment later a familiar man and woman stood by the bars looking in on him, but he couldn't bring himself to look their way.

"Theon."

Reek stilled, digging his fingers into his legs hard enough that they might have hurt, if he could still feel it. If it wasn't barely existent when compared to the things the Master had made him feel.

The man sighed. "Reek."

He turned and saw Jon Snow and Sansa Stark watching him. He heard them say Jon Snow had killed his master. Did that make him Reeks master now? Not wanting to risk upsetting his potential master, Reek got to his feet and hurried closer, standing with his head lowered, unable to stop himself from trembling.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Obviously, we know you didn't kill Bran and Rickon." Again Reek froze at Jon Snow's words. "You betrayed Robb and killed everyone loyal to him at Winterfell. You still killed two boys."

Sansa saw the trembling man who had once been her brother's crude, foolish friend. "What did he do to you?"

When he remained silent, his shoulder slumping forward, Jon slammed a hand into the bars. "Tell us!"

His demanding yell made Reek wince, so he told. He told them of everything he did to them. Every hope stolen from him. Every piece of him peeled and cut away. Tearing him piece from piece until Theon Greyjoy was gone and Reek remained.

Jon kept a stern face as Reek spoke, but Sansa went from holding a hand over her mouth in surprise to gripping Jon's wrist.

"When you were on the field," Jon said once Reek had stopped speaking, "I saw what you did. What you tried to do."

Reek turned his head, ashamed that he'd dared to hurt his master. He closed his eyes awaiting his new masters' demand he should die.

"I died at Castle Black," Jon said firmly, making Reek look up in shock. "I died and I saw nothing. Endless nothing. I'm sure what you went through was painful… but you should be thankful for it. Because it means you're still alive. You can spend the rest of your life trying to make up for it, even if you never can."

Reek's eyes burned with tears that sank across his cheeks as he watched Jon place a key into the cell lock, opening it but leaving the door closed.

"I can't forgive everything you've done, but if you promise to do what's right, to protect the family that raised you, then I'll forgive what I can."

Reek's eyes shifted to Sansa, who gave him a nod that made it clear she agreed with him.

At that, Theon sobbed.

Notes:

The first section of this chapter was originally the second half of one with the Winterfell section of the Battle of the Bastards. It's not as smooth a combination as I'd like, but I think it was worth it to keep the battle as one chapter and it gets the job done for now.