NOTE - Back to the Wall, and some deep talking. More action-packed chapters coming, I promise. Enjoy.
Jon
The trip back to Castle Black had been difficult for Jon, not killing Theon had been a real challenge. In the end, Jon had just ignored him. Turncloak had tried to talk to him once or twice, but Jon had turned away, not trusting himself not to attack him. But they were back now, and with any luck as soon as he had done his basic training he would be sent to Eastwatch or the Shadow Tower.
Three days they had been back, and seen Theon do exactly what he had done when he arrived, flatten every other recruit with ease. He was watching him now from the Old Bear's balcony. Whatever else Theon was, he was good with a sword. Not as good as Jon was though, if only he could give him a good thrashing, he might feel so much better.
"You really want to kill him don't you Snow?" He hadn't heard Mormont come up behind him, and jerked his head round.
"Yes my lord. He betrayed my family and took their home."
"If Benjen were here he'd probably have killed the lad already. I can't have you killing your brothers, and we leave our allegiance behind when we join the Watch. Yet, the loyalty of men is not so easily cast aside. The number of times I've had to keep Ser Alliser and Donal Noye apart in the common hall."
"Why those two, my lord?"
"Noye was a Baratheon man in the Rebellion, while Alliser fought for the Mad King."
For some reason Jon was not surprised at that. "What about your loyalty my lord?"
"Is to the Watch. But I am a Mormont, I fought at the Trident with Ned Stark on one side and the Greatjon on the other, and because of that I will always have some loyalty to the Starks. Benjen was a great friend to me also. So, in view of old loyalties, I imagine you'd relish the chance to give Greyjoy a thrashing on the training yard?"
"I would indeed my lord."
The Old Bear took a deep breath in and bellowed at the man filling in as master-at-arms. "Huwin! This is hardly fair, Greyjoy had castle training. Put him against someone from a similar background, really test him!"
Huwin was a northerner himself, grasped the plan quickly enough, and grinned wickedly. "Lord Snow! Get your noble arse down here!"
As he hefted the practice blade, Jon examined Theon closely. He appeared to be favouring his left leg, possibly a wound from Winterfell. He lunged with a snarl.
"Jon, please." Theon begged as he parried desperately. He had the same training as Jon, but lacked the absolute fury. "I had to, my father, he -"
"Shut up! They raised you and you..turned..on..them." He punctuated each word with a shattering blow to Theon's shield.
By now he was on the floor, arms raised, "I yield. Yield!"
Jon turned away, "Get up! We'll go again."
"No. My crimes are forgotten when I join the Watch, you have no reason for this. I did what I was commanded by my father, would you have done differently?"
"Yes. I would not betray the ones who raised me, cared for me. My father raised you as his own."
"Did he? I was a hostage, taken when I was a boy, and when I went home, to my real home, my father turned me away and sent me to die on a stupid raiding mission. His own boy. His last son. You may be a bastard, but at least your father accepted you into his home and cared about you. Mine sold me to his enemies and then rejected me when I came home."
Jon felt a moment of pity for Theon, but it was gone as soon as he noticed it. "I have duties to attend, don't be too harsh on the others Turncloak."
He was summoned by Maester Aemon not two hours later.
"You wanted to see me maester?"
"Yes Jon. I understand what you're going through, I do. These things happen to test our vows. You are lucky, your test came when you were young."
"What do you know about it?"
"The Gods were cruel when they tested me. They waited until I was old and blind. But when they told me of the death of my brother's grandson, and his son, and even the little children, I wanted to go south, to bring fire and blood down on them who called themselves liberators. I bore witness to the downfall of my family, and could do nothing. I understand Jon Snow, better than you."
"Who are you?"
"My father was Maekar, my brothers were Brightflame and the Unlikely. I was offered the throne, but refused it, having already forged my chain. I came to the Wall so no-one could use me to plot against my little brother Egg."
"You're Aemon Targaryen?"
"Yes, Jon, that's who I was. I am Aemon, a maester of the Citadel, bound in service to Castle Black and the Night's Watch. I have been tempted Jon, but I kept my vows. Will you?"
Jon stood and left.
He was in the Lord Commander's solar when Jeor entered.
"Snow, good. Got news for you, from Winterfell."
"What news?"
"Ser Alliser that Roose Bolton has returned to the North, under the banner of King Joffrey. He marches on Winterfell. He has the backing of the Dustins, Ryswells, Hornwoods and now the Karstarks."
"Bastard. What will happen now? What about Bran?"
"Ser Rodrik and Mors Umber have pulled back to Winterfell to gather what men they can. They've sent south for Robb to return, but that will take too long. They're gathering what men they can to fight, but most are in the south with Robb. Bolton has thousands of battle-hardened men, they'll be hard pushed to stop him."
"What about Bran?"
"You're brother has been sent North to Last Hearth with a guard of loyal men. Alliser says that they wanted to send him here, but he refused."
"The prick! We must write to Last Hearth and offer Bran safety here."
"We must do nothing, we take no part."
"But my lord -"
"Enough Snow! We take no part. Yet I will write to Whoresbane Umber, offering the Wall to Bran should Last Hearth be attacked."
"Thank you my lord."
"I saw you destroy Greyjoy in the training yard. Go easy on him, you don't need another one round here with a vendetta against you. On the subject of vendettas, Janos Slynt is bound for Castle Black."
"Who?"
"Former commander of the Gold Cloaks of King's Landing, and a puffed up dogshit by all accounts. He betrayed your father to Cersei Lannister. You will do him no harm, not even the humiliation you gave Theon. Whatever else he is, the man is an experienced commander of men, if only we had some men for him to command."
"Have there been no replies?"
"Lord Stark said we could have any and all non-ransomable prisoners taken by his forces, but that won't be for a long time yet. Ser Alliser says he's bringing maybe another twenty from Torrhen's Square. But the rest..."
"My lord, have you considered recruiting from Mole's Town?"
"Might be worth a shot, they do live on Watch land. Good idea Snow. That reminds me, I have this for you." He held out a longsword, with a wolfs head pommel. "Had the pommel altered a bit, a wolf suits you a bit better than a bear I think."
"My lord, it's Valyrian steel." He gasped as he drew it, the blade shining.
"Longclaw, the ancestral blade of my House. I know Aemon spoke to you about being tested. He has been, your uncle was, I have been, we all will be."
"You were my lord?"
"I was. I judged my son ready to rule our home, so I took the black, as is our family tradition. Jorah was a good man, I was never more proud than when he was knighted after the Siege of Pyke. He told me later that the King went on so much about knights and killing that he must have been the only man who was knighted while needing a piss, but I was so proud of my boy. Then he married the Hightower slut, spent our family wealth, such as it was, on her southern fancies, and eventually sold poachers to slavers to pay his debts. When Ned Stark came for his head, he had just enough decency to leave the sword. So yes, my vows were tested too. I saw my people leaderless and bankrupt because of my son's stupid love for a southern slut, how could I not go home? But I didn't. Neither should you. Take the sword Snow, and promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"No my lord, thank you my lord. What happened to Jorah?"
"They say he joined a sellsword company, but couldn't pay his debts, so lost his wife. She's some Lyseni whore now, I've no idea where Jorah is though, or if he's even still alive."