NOTE - Sorry it's been a while. Even my own brother has started bugging me to write another one so here it is. Enjoy.

Jon

He continued his duties with the Old Bear as usual, and tried to ignore Theon when he had to be near him. Unluckily, they had pulled the same watch on one night, Jon suspected that Mormont had something to do with that and was trying to get the two of them to get on. Theon had tried to speak to him a few times when on watch, but Jon ignored him. Then the Lord Commander called him to his chambers, and Theon was already there.

"Right, now Snow is here, we can get on. You two have prior experience of castle living and defence. You are going to the Nightfort with eight others. You will inspect the castle, and determine how much needs to be done in terms of repairs, and then, should you manage this properly without fighting, you will command there both during the rebuilding and after."

"We're to command a garrison of ten men my lord?"

"No Snow don't be stupid, I'll give you one hundred from Castle Black once you've reported. Jon, you are in command, Theon you are his second. You will both report back to me, separately, upon your return. The command will be your reward, Snow, if you manage this."

"Yes, my lord. One question, can I have a different second?"

"No. This rivalry must be put behind you, Theon's sins have been wiped clean, he has sworn his vows."

Then Theon spoke, "My lord, who else will be coming?"

"Ulmer, who commanded your escort back from Winterfell, Chett will have your ravens, Grenn, Pyp, Jarmen Buckwell, Rugen, Stoney Halder and First Builder Yarwyck."

This surprised Jon, "Surely he will want the command my lord? He is the First Builder."

"I have spoken to him and he will be going in two capacities, to assess the state of the Nightfort, and to assess you. Go and prepare to leave, Edd will take up your duties Snow, dismissed."

As they left, Theon tried to speak to him again, "Jon, I need to tell you -"

"No. You do not need to speak to me, you will not speak to me. My brother hasn't been heard of since you took Winterfell, though the story is you killed him."

"That's just it, Jon. I didn't, just a farmboy. Your brother escaped."

"You liar. You expect me to believe that? You disgust me."


It did not take long to reach the Nightfort. As soon as he saw it, he understood the rumours. The buildings were ancient, layered with ice over the black stone. As his party rode in, he immediately began to issue orders.

"Theon, take Rugen and Halder and go and see what state the stairs to the top of the Wall are in."

"Yes Lord Snow."

"First Builder, with me." As Yarwyck fell in with him, he said, "I know you're reporting to the Old Bear on me."

"I am, Lord Snow, but I am also here to inspect the fort."

"And what is your estimation so far?"

"It'll take work, a lot of work, and for a long time. The barracks will need sorting first, I'll have a look at them later. The defences atop the Wall will need work too, so will the commander's tower and the common hall. Also the forge, kitchen, ravenry tower and training grounds, and that's just what I can think of off the top of my head."

"How long?"

"No idea, I'd need to examine it all closer, but my conservative estimate is at least a year on a garrison of one hundred."

"So long?"

"Yes, it's a big castle Lord Snow, and you wouldn't be able to have all one hundred on the building at once, you need some on watch, some cooking, cleaning and the rest. If the Lord Commander gives it the go ahead, I'll give you one of my top men to oversee, and Bowen Marsh'll do the same."

"Did he mention any numbers?"

"You'll have twenty rangers, under Jarmen Buckwell."

"That's not many."

"You're here to rebuild, not kill the wildlings. You'll also have twenty stewards and sixty builders. One word of advice Lord Snow, the Old Bear likes you, sees promise in you, so do I. But you need to leave the boy behind, become a man."

"I'm past the age of manhood."

"It''s not about your age lad. Up here it's about your ability to command, but also to obey. Do exactly as you're told, and you might keep your command." Yarwyck walked away, leaving Jon behind, a little stunned by all he had been told.

"Lord Snow!" Stoney Halder ran up to him, "Lord Greyjoy sent me to bring you." Lord Greyjoy? Jon did not like that, but supposed he actually had more claim to the title than he did himself, so let it go. Following the young builder, he came to the foot of the stair. It was sheet ice, smooth as if there had never been a stai there at all.

"It'll all need carving back out" Theon was saying, "And the rail replacing."

"I can see. How long Halder?"

"That depends, my lord, how many men we got? What else we gotta build?"


Othell Yarwyck left two days later, his inspection complete. He had refused to tell Jon what his personal report would say, and he had taken Jon and Theon's written reports with him. Jarmen, Rugen and Ulmer left with him. Hopefully, Jarmen would return with the hundred men of his garrison, but Jon wasn't going to wait for word before beginning the work. As their only builder was a relatively fresh recruit, they couldn't attempt any major building works, but they did what they could. Jon kept his remaining men hard at it, joining them himself, clearing ice and rubble from the common hall and they had moved onto the barracks when Grenn ran up to him.

"Lord Snow!" In his new command, all of them called him that, even his friends, "A party of seven coming out the woods, mounted, don't look heavily armed, though one looks to be a knight, and another of 'ems huge, with a sword to match."

"Get your swords, men." He snapped the command, and led his men to the main entrance of the Nightfort.

They stood and watched as the group approached, they were a strange mixture. The leader was obviously a knight, there was a woman, a huge man and four children, then he recognised the woman.

"Osha!" He waved at them and called them, "Here! It's Jon! Jon Snow!"

The horses broke into a run, and though Grenn and Pyp reached for their swords, Jon held out his arm to stop them drawing.

It was indeed Osha, and Hodor, and there at the back, Bran. Jon ran forwards and practically tackled his little brother off his horse.

"What are you doing here Bran?"

"The Karstarks attacked Last Hearth, and Hother Whoresbane told us to go to Castle Black."

"You're a long way from Castle Black."

"We know. We're not going to Castle Black, we're going beyond the Wall."

"What? Why on earth? There's a wildling army out there!"

The small boy at the back of the group answered him, "Bran must go beyond the Wall to find the three-eyed raven."

"It's as Jojen says Jon, I can't tell you why, but I must go."

"No Bran. I am the commander here, and you will stay here. It is not safe beyond the wall."

The big knight placed his hand on his sword, "My lord Stark, I can make him let us through."

"No Harrion. He will let us through."

Jon remained adamant, "Even if I would, which I won't, there is no way through the wall here, it has been sealed for centuries."

The small boy spoke again, "No Jon Snow, there is a way. Beneath the wall we must go, to the weirwood face from my dreams."

"Your dreams? You're following dreams?"

"Jojen has the greensight, his dreams brought him to us, and he knows the way under the Wall."

"Did he say the weirwood face?" Grenn asked, "There's one of them in the kitchens."

"Quiet Grenn!" Jon snapped, "Bran, I'm not sending my little brother beyond the wall, and that is final."


He couldn't believe it, he was about to send his little brother beyond the wall. He wasn't even sure how Bran had convinced him, but here they were, Bran's companions and Jon himself, before the weirwood face. According to Jojen, it was a gate, which could only be opened by a black brother.

"How does it open?" Ser Harrion asked.

"He must speak to it," the Reed boy answered. "Lord Snow." Jon had decided he didn't like Jojen, he was leading Bran to his death. This three-eyed raven he spoke of sounded wrong, twisted, and Jon didn't like it.

"What must I say?"

"I don't know, but approach it."

He did as instructed. Why am I doing this? This isn't right, what would father think? The face's eyes opened, white and unseeing, blind with age. Then it spoke.

"Who are you?"

"Jon Snow, bastard of Winterfell, Commander of The Nightfort."

"Who are you?"

Then it came to him, "I am a member of the Night's Watch. I am the watcher on the walls, I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers. I am the shield that guards the realms of men."

"Then pass."

The face's mouth opened wide, wide enough for two men to walk abreast, tall enough for even Hodor to walk upright. Ghost and Summer plunged down into the darkened depths, and Jon, hand on sword followed. The tunnel was cold, freezing, and pitch black. The ice crunched under his feet as he walked onwards. He could hear the others follow him through, Osha muttered of the Old Gods, while Ser Harrion gasped at the 'witchcraft' of the face. Of course he would, he was a knight, one of the few in the North who actually followed the Seven. Jon smiled, he was well out of his depth.

When they emerged on the other side it was snowing gently. Jon stood watching the two direwolves tumble and wrestle with each other until, hearing Bran's voice, he turned.

"You've been inside his head haven't you?"

"How did you know that?"

"Because I've been inside Summer's. We're wargs Jon, embrace it, but don't spend too long with him, or you'll lose yourself." He sounded older and wiser than he was.

"How do you know this?"

"Do you not remember Maester Luwin's teachings or Old Nan's stories? Jojen says they're true, all of them."

"But that's not possible."

"It is Jon, but we must go, already winter is coming."

"Very well, goodbye little brother." The embrace was awkward, as Bran was in is harness on Hodor's back, but it was sufficient. As Bran and Hodor moved off, Jon turned to the knight and the wildling woman.

"Keep him safe, and know that if he dies, I will haunt you both."

They nodded and followed. As he turned back to the tunnel, Jon considered sending Ghost after them, but dismissed the thought. That is Bran's mission, and I wish him well. But I have my own mission now.