This picks up exactly where the last chapter ended. Thanks for the reviews follows, kudos, ect ect... it makes me ridiculously happy that people are still reading this. Game of Thrones is almost here! Bring on the tears and hot men. Now on with my ramblings.

Chapter 14

Mollen looked straight at him when she spoke. "That is the truth. Unbound magic is dangerous."

"Your magic is bound?" Jon asked hoping.

"No" Mollen said simply.

"How do you bind it?" Rob asked growing curious apparently his brother was a believer now.

"I do not know even as a child my magic was strong. I had to learn ways to control it so I did not hurt anyone. It grows stronger still." It amazed him how Mollen could stand in a room with the two most powerful men in Westeros and answer questions that could get her killed without flinching.

"Drawing" He answered quietly putting together pieces.

"Yes and sparring."

King Robert laughed. "Women sparring now that would be a thing to see." Mollen did not give Robert a second glance and ignored the barb.

"We have much to discuss. I thank you for your words Mollen." Ned dismissed Mollen; he wished to follow but he also wanted to hear about the plans for Winterfell. "Benjen you know the wildlings the best. How will they attack?"

"Organized chaos, Mance Rayder is their king but the free folk do as they wish. It will vary from group to group."

Jon thought over the day to day goings on in Winterfell. The men went outside the walls for various reasons everyday. "We should vary our hunting and scouting parties so we are not so easy a target." He said aloud before thinking.

"Aye that is good Jon. The Lords from the North are most likely on their way here so we will know more on what is going on outside our gates. Still I want Robb to take a group of men and ride out. See if you can spot any camps." His father slipped so easily into the role of King in the North. "Benjen the Night's Watch is yours to command and the black brothers will always be welcome in Winterfell." He bit his tongue thinking that there was not Night's Watch anymore. Even his dreams had crashed around him. "Jon I want you to secure our walls make sure we are ready for an attack." Jon nodded at the command even thought he wanted to be scouting beyond the walls of Winterfell with his brother. "Robert I do not know what your plans are."

"I'm staying Ned." Robert cut Ned off.

"Surely you would want to get your family back to King's Landing."

"I'll send Cersei and the other ladies back with my boys as soon as it's safe enough. Gendry will stay here and smith for you until you find another one." Ned gave a few parting orders and dismissed everyone except Robert. The other king refused to look at or acknowledge him but there hadn't been another attempt on his life.

Securing the walls of Winterfell would be easy enough; they had been secure for thousands of years. His father, he would never be able to thing of him anything else, was keeping him close. It irritated him that Robb was free to command men and he was to make sure that there were plenty of arrows on the wall. Gendry stepped out behind him. "How is Arya?" Jon stopped walking for a few moments. He had not really checked on his sister since the attack.

"I do not know. Shall we check on her?"

"I have finished her blade. We can grab it on our way." They walked in silence. Each of them going over the days events in their heads. He had lost people today. Mikken who made his first blade, Rodrick who taught him how to use it; Harwin was there when he had too much to drink for the first time and many more. All of them gone so quickly. Gendry grabbed Arya's sword and they crossed the hallways to the Maiden's Corner as Theon so often called it. The door was ajar when he reached Arya's chamber; he could hear her voice on the other side of the door.

"It was just so easy. The sword slid right through him." Jon stopped in his tracks when he realized that Arya was speaking about the men she killed.

"The act is easy when you life is in danger. The dead will haunt you for a short time but remember that you live Arya." Mollen's quiet voice filled the room. Jon reached out and knocked on the door. There was some scrambling on the other side of the door. Arya peeked out before opening the door and pulling him inside. Gendry followed quickly behind him.

"It's just Jon you can come out Mollen." Arya said as she sat down on her bed. Mollen stepped out from behind a dark dressing screen and joined Arya.

"Mollen" Jon nodded. Gendry had still yet to say one word.

"Shh… Mother told me to stay away from her. What do you want?" Arya glanced at Gendry who stood stock still behind him. "If you are here to lecture me about fighting you are too late mother has already been here."

"No, I heard you fought well." Jon watched Mollen who said she would tell him what happened later. "I actually wanted to give you something." Gendry handed him the little blade and he bulled it out of its cover. For the first time in his life Arya was without words. She gently ran her fingertips over the direwolf etchings before slowly wrapping her slender fingers around the hilt and picking it up. Arya stared in awe for quite so time.

"This is mine?" She whispered.

"Yes little sister." He smiled and reached out to muss up her hair only to have his hand swatted away with a scowl. Jon laughed at her as she set her sword down and jumped up for a hug. Arya had grown but so had he. He would always be able to hug her like she was a child. Arya still hung around his neck. "You should thank Gendry too. He made it." Arya fell to the floor and looked over at his friend. He could have sworn he saw Arya blush before she turned back to Mollen. "It should have a name. All the best blades have names."

Arya turned back to him and Gendry. "Sansa can keep her sewing needles. I have one of my own." Gendry smiled briefly before Arya walked towards his friend. "You made this?"

"Yes mi… Arya." It was a little too amusing watching Gendry stumble over his words. Only his sister made Gendry nervous. Arya jumped up and clung to Gendry's neck. "It's beautiful." She said as Gendry turned red and looked unsure where to put his hands. He was in shock. Arya had never been one for courtesies but this was far from appropriate.

"Arya" he said firmly making Arya drop to the floor once again and look awkwardly towards Gendry.

"My apologies." Arya mumbled. Gendry didn't speak; he just shifted uncomfortably. Arya went back to her bed and touched her new sword.

"Gendry, could you escort Mollen to her room. I'd like to speak with my sister." Mollen stood and walked to the door.

Gendry nodded his consent. "Be careful milady it's sharp." Arya glared at Gendry until he stepped outside of the room. Arya turned her new blade over memorizing every detail.

"Do you like it?" He asked teasingly.

"I love it." Arya said placing the blade back on her bed.

"You need to keep it hidden."

"Mother will hate it." Arya said glancing at Needle. He knew that Queen Stark wouldn't approve of his gift but Arya deserved some happiness.

"Are you doing well?" In such a short time things had changed. Not only had he and his brother killed men; his sister had as well.

"It is strange." Jon nodded as Arya tried to put her feelings into words. It was hard for him to do as well. "The men were coming. I did not know what else to do. Mollen handed me a blade and I was dancing, but they are dead Jon." Arya had always been strong but he knew she was struggling with what she had done and even more so with sharing what she had done. Jon wrapped his sister in a hug.

"You did what you had to do to survive. Those men were attacking us."

"I know it's just… Mother." Jon took a heavy breath and released Arya from the hug. "She is very angry. She said that no Lord would ever want a wild princess and that I will be a burden to our house." In all his time living with Queen Catelyn he had never been so angry at her. She could be as cruel as she wanted to him but to make Arya hurt was too much.

"Arya that is simply not true. If you never marry Robb would be happy to have you here at Winterfell and Queen Stark does not know the minds of men. Lords may have proper ladies as wives because that is what is expected of them, but any man would love you. You are different Arya and that is special."

Arya smiled up at him. "Is that why you like Mollen, because she is different."

Jon pulled away from his sister and looked at her unsure of how to answer. "Where did you hear that?"

Arya stood up and walked around the room. "From the stable boys, they say she is the only one you would visit."

"What else have you heard?"

"That she can do magic. Can she?" Arya asked as if she were asking if he wanted water.

"She can and I visited the tents for wine and stories not women." Arya watched him for a few moments taking in his words.

"I'm tired and want to sleep." Arya was dismissing him which meant she didn't believe what he said. "Thank you for Needle. I will love it always."

"Good night Arya." He said before Arya kissed his cheek stunning him momentarily. It was very un-Arya like.

Jon left his sister feeling thoroughly questioned and as if he failed some task. Mollen was not in her chambers which she shared with the remaining women from the tents. There were not many left only four and Mollen. Unable to find her Jon walked quickly to the walls to determine what he needed to do to secure the outer walls. After his first round he ordered barrels of rocks to be hauled up and outer edge of the walls waiting for water to be dumped inside of the barrels. He also had the younger men stuffing old shirts with straw so they would be ready to be propped up at night so their numbers seemed larger. Thousands upon thousands of arrows were now being packed to the locations the best archers would be placed. The first wave of his preparations was complete. The rest depended on how and when the wildings attacked. Jon paced the length of the west wall of the castle. There were many men on lookout and it wasn't necessary for him to be up there but he didn't know where else to be. Jon leaned out on one of the walkways looking below. "You have done much work." The voice made him jump. There was no one around moments before. Mollen stood before him in her leather clothes with no cloak.

"Are you not cold?" He asked in disbelief. Mollen's shoulders were bare; she only smiled.

"Not yet, my magic still warms me." She could control fire so it shouldn't surprise him that she was able to warm herself but it did. All of the talk of magic still surprised him.

"Thank you for speaking with my father. I know that was not easy for you." They had talked about so much in her tent and knew how much she disliked talking about her magic. The last time they were together alone he had just barely managed to convince her that he had been trying to keep her from getting in trouble when he paid for the kiss. However, she was more distant now; he hadn't been able to try and kiss her again. He really wanted to kiss her again. Not that it mattered anymore. Her world had been shattered during the attack. Part of him was grateful for that because she wouldn't be leaving soon which made him feel guilty. Jon walked with Mollen as they wandered the wall. He noticed that her had would trail into the water filled barrels. Every time the liquid would turn to ice. "Mollen you do not have to do that. The water will be frozen soon enough."

Mollen just continued to walk ignoring his complaint so he followed. "They came quickly. The women were sleeping for the day. I heard the first scream then the guards fighting. I changed quickly and found my weapons. I was not supposed to keep them but I could not get rid of them. There were so many when I came out. Some women were being dragged off and some killed. I helped the ones I could. The girls could not climb the walls as I do so I fought and we waited. When the gates opened I hoped that help would come but men just went in none came out." Mollen was lost in the past as he watched her speak. "I fought through the men who came near us. I thought that the stones walls of the castle would be safe so that is where I took us. The large doors were already broken when we got there. The white knight was dying on the floor as the men worked on the smaller doors in the back. They shattered and I heard the screams. That was where I went. Men followed me as took my girls to the ladies of the castle. Arya said she could fight so I gave her my second blade. We fought the men that got through. That is what happened Jon." Mollen finished speaking when she touched the last barrel.

"I am sorry about your friends." Jon laid his hand on hers making her look at him.

"Some were friends others were not." Mollen looked at the bleeding star in the sky and smiled softly. He briefly wondered what it meant to her people.

He knew that she had no love for the man that owned her and wasn't sorry to see him dead. "What will you do now?" He wasn't sure he wanted the answer.

"I will stay North even if I cannot stay here. The old ones will take us all. I will do what I can."

Jon felt a chill run down his spine. "How do we stop it?"

"I do not know Jon. I wish I did. Magic is not as strong as it was and mine is not enough." They had started walking back towards their rooms. He wasn't sure what to say to her. That was how it was with them. They would speak of many things and when they ran out it was just quiet. Her room was packed with the women she managed to save. There was barely room to sit down.

Jon glanced in the room and back to Mollen. "You could stay with me?" It was not proper but Mollen viewed things differently and he wanted her to be comfortable.

"That is nice of you but they need me. Good night Jon Snow." Mollen smiled as she shut the door.