Jon

With the ship being crewed by the Ironborn, the travel to the Neck had gone faster than they had planned. Jon expected them to arrive in a week, yet they would there in five days. Theon's Ship, Iron Wind, went much faster than the ship Jon was given by Lord Manderly at White Harbor.

Surprisingly, during the sailing, a raven from Greywater Watch found them in the middle of the ocean. When they received it, the raven acted peculiar around them. Jon wouldn't have been able to guess if he hadn't seen the eyes of the raven turn pure white for a moment and its behavior seemed like a normal bird as it flew away. A warg had sent the scroll to them. When he read the scroll, he was surprised to see who sent it.

-King Jon Snow

I have sent crannogmen to the docks at the Kingsroad to meet you and do as you instructed and I have sent another group of them to Flint's Finger to scout ahead. A word of warning though, it would be wise not to mention the company you have. Both Theon Greyjoy, the Ironborn, and Jorah Mormont are still very much hated by the men of the North. The crannogmen will bring them no harm on my orders, but I cannot say the same about anyone who might recognize them.

-Lord Howland Reed of Greywater Watch

Jon hadn't expected Lord Reed to return to his keep, but some of the other Northern Lords had been required to do so to prepare their armies and other necessities for the war. Jon couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement. They wouldn't be at the Greywater Watch for long, but long enough for Jon to finally hear something he has been waiting for twenty-two years to hear.

Though now that he thought on it, he wasn't sure if he was really ready. He dreamed of his mother once when he was struck with fever as a child. They shared the same color of hair and eyes. Her face was pretty and he fell in love with her. But what if the rumors about her were true? What if she really was just a tavern whore or a fisherman's daughter he deflowered?

No, he wouldn't dwindle on that. He wanted to know. He had to know. No matter who she was, he would accept it.

As the mainland came into view, Jon had gathered Ser Jorah and Theon at the helm of the ship. "To avoid any situations with anyone, especially you," He gestured to Theon, "go by different names when your around anyone who isn't sworn to House Reed."

Theon seemed to nod nervously. "Whatever you say." This was the first time he spoke directly to him ever since he returned from the attack on Yara's fleet. He kept his distance from Jon as often as he could.

Jon let them be after that and grabbed his possessions as they got closer to the docks. It wasn't an hour later when they finally anchored and began to disembark that a group of men who carried a banner with the sigil of House Reed approached them. Leading them, to Jon's surprise was Howland Reed himself.

"Lord Reed," Jon greeted as he stepped onto the wooden floors of the docks. There were only a few fishermen and their small boats at the docks. None of them paid heed.

"Your grace," Lord Reed bowed with his men, "I'm glad I was able to find you at sea." He told him.

"That was you, warging into the raven?" Jon asked.

"Aye, it was. Wargs are not uncommon to the crannogmen, just as they aren't uncommon to the Wildlings." Lord Reed walked with Jon as his men followed and a group of crannogmen boarded the ship, getting ready to sail it to White Harbor. "We have horses waiting up ahead and we'll ride immediately for the swamps. When we get there, we'll have to switch to river boats. Once we settle at the Watch, we'll have that talk I promised."

Jon couldn't help but grin. "I hope it's not too much to ask, but could you tell me how my dragons are doing when you saw them last?"

"Not at all. They were much larger when I saw them last compared to when I first laid eyes on them. I wouldn't be amazed if they could be ridden before the Night King arrives. Although I must say, they seemed to have grown a bit wilder. As far as I know, they haven't harmed anyone. They've taken to your brother and sister rather well since their arrival."

Jon smiled at that when they reached the horses that were at the stables of an inn right next to the docks. "I'm glad Sansa and Rickon have grown used to them."

"I wasn't talking about them." Lord Reed corrected. Jon froze and looked at Howland. "Lord Brandon and my daughter returned from the Wall a few days after you left. A week later, your sister Arya came home."

Jon's eyes widened and he almost lost his breath. He thought both of them were dead. He thought he'd never see them again like Robb and his father. Now, he knew that they were waiting for him back home.

"Bran's alive?" Theon asked.

Jon and Howland turned and saw Theon looking worried and hopeful. For Jon, this was a look he'd never seen from a Greyjoy before. "Aye." Jon nodded.

Theon tried to smile, but he looked just about ready to cry instead.

For once, Jon's anger at him subsided. This Theon truly wasn't the same snickering idiot who betrayed Robb and sacked Winterfell. This was just a shell of a man looking for forgiveness.

Jon looked back to Lord Howland. "Thank you for telling me, my lord. Now I have more reason to return home in one piece." They both chuckled together.

As Jon untied the reigns to his horse and mounted it, Lord Howland and the others did the same. Jon let the crannogmen take the lead as he and the others followed closely behind. With time limited, they were all galloping along the roads. The snow wasn't very dense as it was at Winterfell, in fact it was a thin crust that was melting in the heat of the sun.

They took a path away from the hard road into a field of snow. The trees and air were starting to become thicker as the went deeper into the neck. Eventually, they came to a small collection of log cabins built near a dock filled with dozens of riverboats.

There was a lone man sitting underneath a tree. When he saw the King's company approaching, he whistled incredible loud before he rose to his feet to greet them. "Welcome back, Lord Reed. The boats are ready and waiting." After that, some men from inside the cabins came out.

Everyone dismounted and gave their horses over before piling into the boats. This would be a first for Jon. A riverboat wasn't like the ones used to travel from ship to shore. It was more narrow and longer. Instead of multiple oars, there was one that went deep into the water from the back.

Lord Reed was their gondolier and led them through the swamps of the Neck.

The air of the swamps was just as cold as the lands beyond the Wall. Jon couldn't understand how the people or the horses could survive it. Not even the Northern cloaks they all wore kept them warm. But as the trees got thicker around them, it started to feel like a blanket was pulled over them. It was still chilly, but not freezing.

As they all went deeper, it wasn't just the trees that got thicker but all types of life. The tops of trees acted as a roof and that protected the moss that covered them. There were lily pads covered in light layers of frost and there were flowers encased in ice making them look like crystal. Despite the putrid feel of the lands around Moat Cailin, the real swamp did have a great amount of beauty to it.

By nightfall, the castle Greywater Watch finally came into view. Jon heard stories that the castle floated and no one who had seen it once saw it in the same place a month later. The castle was significantly larger than expected. It was a single keep and had two tall towers on each side that stood just above the trees surrounding them. A third tower stood twice as high as the others from the back. The plant life of the swamp seemed to grow over the stone of the castle, giving it a green color that eventually faded to grey as the stone stacked higher.

Jon wasn't the only one marveled at how the entire castle stood perfectly on a large crannog.

"What my father would have done to find this place," Theon said. "It's larger than I thought it to be. How hasn't it sunk into the swamp ever?"

Howland smirk with pride as he looked at his home. "Long ago, in the Age of Heros, the First Men attempted twice to conquer the Neck from the Children of the Forest. The first castle built sank deep into the swamp. The second one burned, crumbled, and then sank into the swamp again. But after the Long Night was fought and won, the Children helped build a third and to this day it still stands unconquered."

The boats docked on the land itself and everyone emptied as the crannogmen tied their transport down.

They all entered into the main keep and gathered at a great fire burning in a large hearth. The interior was bigger than it appeared on the outside and was decorated with as much life as there was on the outside of the castle. Lord Reed turned to face all of them. "I welcome you to the Greywater. Food will be brought to all of you shortly, tonight you shall rest easy."

After Jon seemed to finally stop shivering, he was able to give his thanks. "You honor us, Lord Reed."

Howland nodded. "I believe it's time we finally had that chat."

Jon looked over to Theon and Ser Jorah. "You two should get something to eat. I'll be back."

They both agreed as soon as some servants entered and placed bowls of steaming soup on the tables that surrounded the hearth. The Ironborn immediately sat down and began to viciously consume their food as Theon and Ser Jorah joined them.

Jon followed Lord Reed through a corridor and up a flight of stairs. They were heading up the larger tower and finally made it into Lord Reed's personal chambers. Inside reminded Jon of the great hall. The bed seemed to be what amazed him the most when it looked as if the legs seemed to grow from the stone floor itself.

Lord Reed sat down in a chair at a large desk and invited Jon to sit in front of him. He grabbed a clay container and two mugs from the top of the desk and began to pour ale into them.

After twenty two years of wondering and a few months of waiting, he finally asked Lord Reed. "Who is my mother?"

Lord Reed took a drink of the ale he poured and set his mug on his desk. "Your mother is Lyanna Stark."

Jon froze. Whatever joy and anticipation he felt was replaced by pure shock. His eyes seemed to dart from side to side and they slowly fell to the ground. He couldn't seem to form any words, so Lord Reed formed them for him.

"Ned Stark isn't your real father." Jon looked back up to Lord Reed who looked at him with what appeared to be sorrow. "Ned took you in as his own in order to protect you from the fate that fell upon your half siblings, Aegon and Rhaenys. Your blood father is Rhaegar Targaryen."

Jon felt like he couldn't breath and he felt sick to his stomach. "No this… that can't true."

"I was there at Dorne when I saw Ned come out of that tower with you in his arms. I went up and saw your mother in a bed of blood and roses."

He felt the urge to vomit rising in him and Lord Reed seemed to see it too. Jon was handed a bucket and poured out everything he could into it. He couldn't even think, his thoughts were going back and forth, one thing after another. After what felt like a lifetime. Lord Reed took the bucket from Jon and placed it off to the side of his room. He gave Jon a cloth to wipe his mouth clean and spit into.

Jon, feeling somewhat better, finally managed to get some words out. "Ever since I knew that my dragons chose me, I've had a feeling that my mother may have been of Valyrian blood somehow, or a descendant of some kind. But instead I learn it's my father whose blood I inherited that made them choose me. My mother…" Jon couldn't help but feel tears well up in his eyes. "All I ever wanted was to belong somewhere. I didn't belong in Winterfell growing up, not at the Wall where I was betrayed, and now not even the North where a Targaryen bastard is the King."

"Fuck off," Lord Reed told him. Jon looked up at him, startled. He felt so weak, but those two words seemed to crack the trance he was in. "You're speaking as if you're not a Stark at all. Rhaegar is your blood, yes, but Ned Stark was the one who raised you, not him. He is your father as much as he could be. He taught you honor when Rhaegar couldn't. He gave you a home when Rhaegar couldn't. He loved you as his own son when Rhaegar couldn't. You're a Northerner, Jon Snow. A greater Northerner than many of the Lords who declared you their King. You fought for Winterfell when they cowered. You saved the lives of the Wildlings because it was the right thing to do, and that was all the reason you needed, right? You went to Dragonstone to make allies with the daughter of an old enemy to save the North. So don't sit there thinking you don't belong anywhere. You're the King in the North, all the living North. You're a Stark and a Targaryen."

Jon didn't know what to feel after Lord Reed said his words, but he could feel himself becoming calm. After a moment to recover himself, Jon sat up straight, wiping his eyes. "Did… did she love me at all?"

Howland smiled gently. "From what Ned told me, more than anything in the world both known and unknown. She was smiling when died because the last thing she saw was you."

Despite the sadness of it all, knowing that made Jon feel like a great weight was lifted from him. "I suppose I'm actually a Sand then."

"No, you're Jon Snow. It's the only name I ever heard Ned call you. When I asked if you were Lyanna and Rhaeger's son, he looked at me and just said 'he's my bastard, Jon Snow.'"

Jon didn't see this as he thought he would. His whole life he had been Jon Snow, but now he could be someone else. But after what Lord Reed just said to him, it didn't matter to him as much anymore. "Does anyone else know?"

"Your siblings and my daughter, Meera. But she was told by Bran while they were North of the Wall."

"How did Bran know?"

"He has an ability called the greensight, but his is far stronger than any other. He learned how to see better from another greenseer called the Three-Eyed Raven north of the Wall. Now that he has perished, the gift has been passed onto Bran, and now he can see everything, everywhere, at all times, even things of the past."

Jon was amazed. For a moment, he felt like bursting into a great laughter, but he somehow couldn't. he just smiled instead. "How did Arya take the news?"

"When Bran mentioned that you are technically a Sand, she objected and demanded that your name is Snow. When the question of calling you cousin was asked, she looked ready to kill anyone who didn't call you their brother."

This finally gave Jon the push to send him into laughter. He was still confused, but he felt whole. He already knew much about his mother Lyanna and only a bit about Rhaegar, but he felt better. He felt free of all things.

"You should join the others for some food, my King. You'll need as much strength as you can get for the ride to the Finger. You have a beauty to save after all."

Jon felt slightly uncomfortable when he said that. Daenerys was now his aunt, but he still felt something inside him growing for her. "Thank you, Howland." Jon stood up and left the room returning to the great hall. When he got there, the Ironborn were gone, most likely retired for the night, but Ser Jorah and Theon were still there.

"Is everything alright?" Ser Jorah asked.

Jon revealed a friendly grin to both of them. "Never better."

The morning that followed was a quick one. Everything outside was covered in a thick frost and the mud was nearly ice. The sun had finished rising as soon as the rescue party had departed the castle on their way to the Finger. Unfortunately, their pace was slowed as they went further west due to the waters being frozen over with ice.

"I heard that you sing a song to your dragons." Lord Reed inquired as he waited on the boat while his men worked to break the ice and clear a path for them all.

"Aye, I do. They taught it to me in a dream."

"Could you tell me what this dream was about?"

Jon described how he turned into Ghost, or rather was looking through his direwolf's eyes, and was atop a mountain howling and listening for anyone to say anything to him, but instead he heard the singing.

"Amazing. Do you know understand what that dream was?"

Based on his experience beyond the Wall with Orell and the eagle, he had a strong feeling he knew. "I can only imagine that I must've warged into Ghost in my sleep."

"Aye, that you did. The Starks of old were known to possess the gift as well. You have the potential to become better."

"I've tried to do it on occasions, but I never seem to be able to."

"The second time is always the hardest. You can't just force your way back to what your body felt when it did the first time, you just have to let it happen."

Jon looked at Howland like he would look at Sam when he was explaining something he read in a book no one else did. "Let it happen?"

Howland rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Warging begins as a dream. You have a powerful connection with your wolf. But a part of you is still fighting from strengthening that bond. For most, it's the fear of rejection or doubt of skill. If you can free yourself from those, you will unlock that power. And If you're bond with your dragons is as great as your wolf… then you have the potential to be one of the greatest wargs ever."

The thought never crossed Jon's mind before. Warging a dragon, could it be done? He remembered having a dream about Ygris once. No, not about her, he was her. He had already warged into her once.

"But I don't understand what's keeping me from doing it. I'm not afraid of this."

"Sometimes it's not fear of the ability, but something else in your life, something causing great turmoil and unresolve. I imagine that our discussion may have added to that."

Jon silently agreed as the crannogmen finally broke through the ice and the path was clear for them. They pressed on through the swamps.

The trees soon became thinner and the air less humid. Patches of solid land were appearing more frequently. They were getting closer to the forest that was between them and Flint's finger.

Around midday, they all stopped on a small crannog to rest and stretch from the cramped space of the boats. Jon was looking out west when Ser Jorah came up to him. "I heard my cousin was the one to declare you King in the North" The bear knight said.

"She was" Jon confirmed. "My brother Rickon was heir to Winterfell and she named me all the same."

"I've never had the opportunity to meet her. Can't imagine what else she's like if she did something like that."

"She fiercer than any warrior I've met."

Ser Jorah seemed astonished "Is she?"

"When I first spoke to her to ask for aid, I was barely able to hold my ground if not for Ser Davos. And when we had the parley with Ramsay Bolton, she threatened to rip his cock off and feed it to his dogs."

Ser Jorah looked absolutely frightened for a moment. "I'm glad she doesn't know I'm here then."

They shared a laugh together, but it ended as they heard the crannogmen packing up. "We should talk more when this is over."

"We should, but until then let's focus on saving the queen."