AVATAR: SONG OF ICE AND FIRE
BOOK ONE: WESTEROS
Jon Frost, her husband's bastard from war times, is a non bender.
In three years, ever since his birth, he has yet to show any abilities. While it's not impossible for a bender to manifest their powers late, it's highly unlikely. Everyone, including Ned, has declared him a non bender, and even the boy seems to accept he won't be like his half-brother.
It makes her wonder about the boy's mother more often than she should. Most rumours around Winterfell claim it's the late Ashara Dayne, who committed suicide shortly after the war ended. She tries to remember whether Ashara was a bender or not; most Daynes were lavabenders, after all.
By all accounts, Jon should be a bender, of either lava or ice—like his father. Robb is a waterbender like her, having shown his abilities two days after birth. Ned's bastard is so fascinated by his half-brother's powers, she can't help but put them to play together, partly because she wants the poor kid minimally entertained, partly due to pride for her son.
Perhaps Jon's mother is not Ashara, but a non bender. Men's love—lust—rarely makes the distinction between benders and non benders, so she wouldn't rule out the possibility that her husband laid down with a commoner with no abilities.
Regardless, she tries to give the boy some love. Jon is a sweet baby of three, and, rationally, she knows he is not at fault for his father's mistake. However, she has yet to succeed at her efforts, and always ends up treating him rather coldly. She has prayed to the Mother about it more than once.
Oh, well. A bastard is a bastard, and perhaps she is not fit to love a reminder of Ned's betrayal. At least Robb gives him brotherly love.
Speaking of which, the boys at Winterfell's solar, with her and Eddard nearby. From the corner of her eye, she watches Robb levitating a small portion of water, which Jon is trying to catch. At one moment, he sneezes. And Robb screams.
She stands up and runs to her son. Soon Ned is at her side. Jon apologizes nonstop, which confuses her—how can he be at fault?
Then she sees it. A burn mark on Robb's right arm, the one that was closest to Jon when he sneezed.
"Oh, no", Ned whispers.
She raises her head at him, reaching the same conclusion. "Jon is a firebender, isn't he?"
"It seems so, yes", he replies, and turns to Jon. "Is this the first time?"
Jon shakes his head; tears fall from his eyes. "Last night I burned my sheets when I saw a raven flying inside my room. I'm so sorry!"
Acting on instinct—Jon is a child, after all—she comforts him. "It was beyond your control, Jon. Robb has little control of his bending too, yours is just different." She turns to her son and, taking water from the air around her, motions around his burn to heal it.
"I don't like it,'' Jon says in response. "I don't like hurting people."
It's Ned's turn to speak. "With proper training, you won't hurt a fly", he says softly, though he is unable to mask the fear in his eyes. It can't be fear out of Jon's powers; he isn't lying when he tells Jon he can go on with his life without hurting anyone if he is well-trained. The only plausible explanation for her husband's fear is if Jon's powers reveal a parentage that shouldn't come to light.
Jon can only be a firebender if his mother was one, or descended from one. But Jon's mother can't be any firebender if her identity is meant to be a secret. Firebending used to be exclusive of Valyrians; after the Doom, only their descendants showed such powers. In Westeros, the only known firebenders were Targaryens, with the eventual Velaryon firebender showing up. Essosi firebenders could be found mostly in Lys, if her memory served her right. But if Jon's mother was a common lyseni, Ned has no reason to fear his firebending. Perhaps she was a noble…
But this isn't compatible with the timeline of Jon's conception, she realizes. As far as she knows, there were no important lyseni in Westeros during the war. There were no important Essosi there, leaving only Houses Targaryen and Velaryon as suspects. There hasn't been a firebender in House Velaryon for decades, and the last one had been a man. That leaves only House Targaryen, but who? The last firebenders were Queen Rhaella and Prince Rhaegar.
Realization dawns on her. Ned's story regarding Jon suddenly doesn't add up. What does he hide, and how does Jon's newfound abilities threaten this secret?
She reflects on all of this as she heals Robb's wound. It's a small burn, and it takes no time to scar. Then Ned calls for a servant to take the boys out of the solar. Soon they are alone, and they are so by his hand. It can only mean one thing: he intends to tell her truth now.
Well, then, why delay a second further? She starts, "I was told once, by you, that Jon was your blood, and that was all I needed to know. I suppose this is not the case anymore, is it?"
Ned sighs, and gestures for them to sit down. This clearly is hard on him; the only question is why. "I had hoped Jon would stay as a non bender", he begins, "or at least develop into an icebender like me. That way I'd be able to… keep my promise."
She frowns. He's not making any sense, not with the little she knows. Then again, it seems that all she knows are lies. "Promise to whom?"
Instead of answering, he asks her a question. "Tell me, Catelyn, who are—or were—the firebenders of Westeros?"
That is easy. She had just recollected that information moments ago. "Queen Rhaella and Prince Rhaegar. Both are gone."
He nods. "Correct. So, if Jon is a firebender…"
"... he could be born out of either of them", she concludes. And then, "Queen Rhaella died in childbirth."
He shakes his head. "It is true, but the child she gave birth to fled to Essos with Prince Viserys, and they have yet to be found by Robert. Besides, the kid was born after the war, not during it."
She blinks, realizing he's right. But… "That only leaves Prince Rhaegar", she says, "and Jon has the Stark loo—oh." She takes a sharp breath as all the puzzle pieces come together to form the big picture. "Jon is your nephew."
She remembers so vividly, the news of her former betrothed's death. It was how she got married to Ned in the first place. Brandon had gone to King's Landing to demand his sister Lyanna back—the girl had suddenly disappeared, and then Prince Rhaegar was gone, and everyone linked the two events and concluded he had kidnapped her. A year later, Ned found her, but she died soon after, and her bones now rest in the crypts. Her husband even commissioned a statue for her, an honor only lords of Winterfell received.
Ned closes his eyes and nods. She opens her mouth to ask for the full story, but soon finds out she doesn't have to prompt him. "I found Lyanna covered in blood, lying on a bed", he starts. "She was so weak, she couldn't even try to heal herself. I tried—oh, I tried—but I wasn't a master back then, not to mention my lack of skills in healing arts, and the Dornish air was so dry, I couldn't draw enough water for even the weakest attempt."
He inhales, and she reaches one of his hands. He finally opens his eyes, which look into hers. "She was holding a baby", he goes on. "A baby boy. I think she was trying to feed him, but if that was the case, she was failing miserably. She was feverish, panting heavily, and I knew, deep down, she wasn't going to last.
"As soon as I kneeled beside her, she turned to me and gave me her baby. 'Promise me, Ned', she said. 'Promise you'll protect him.' I think she knew Rhaegar died, and figured Robert wouldn't let a Targaryen heir live. She died before I could ask for details, though. Her last breath happened shortly after her hurried plea."
He pauses, and she knows it's more for his own sake than hers. She has always known he witnessed his sister's death, and that her memory was so sad he had trouble talking about her, but now his grief is brought under a whole new light. He has to look at a direct reminder of his loss every day, and, for two years, has lied to everyone about it to spare his nephew of his best friend's wrath.
"Does anyone else know?", she asks, hoping she's not the first.
"The Daynes know the baby is not Ashara's, contrary to popular belief." So he knows about the rumors. "But nothing more. For all they know, Jon is mine."
"Ned", she said softly, "why didn't you tell me? I could have kept the secret, and you wouldn't have to bear this burden alone."
He shakes his head. "I couldn't risk it. We barely knew each other back then. How could I know whether it would change your treatment of him? As much as it hurts me, it wouldn't be wise to have you treat Jon any differently than what it would be expected of you. I needed you to believe he was my bastard to assure you'd act accordingly."
It saddens her, and her chest is filled with shame, but he's right. If she saw Jon as what he truly is—her nephew—it would be hard for her to treat him as coldly as she does today, believing him to be Ned's son with another woman. It breaks her heart that her husband deemed her mistreatment of him necessary to keep him alive, and it angers her to realize it's the truth.
"But now it can no longer be a secret", he says, sighing. "Firebending is not something you can exactly hide, and since the last generation of firebenders consisted of two people only, it won't be long before rumours begin, rumours that will draw Robert's attention…"
She stands up. "We need to find a new place for Jon to hide", she says abruptly. "Somewhere he can firebend without drawing attention from important nobles who could tell the king about him. Winterfell is too dangerous. The only question now is where." She paces around. "A place farther north is preferrable. News from there takes longer to spread, when they do, and your bannermen are usually loyal…" She freezes in place. "Howland Reed", she whispers, turning to him.
He raises his eyes to her. "What about him?"
"He was with you when you rescued Lyanna, wasn't he?" He nods. "So he knows about Jon."
He blinks. Did he forget about Lord Reed? "It's true, he does. If we are talking strictly about hiding Jon, he'd be an excellent option. But this is not the case. We need to get Jon trained, otherwise all efforts will be for nothing. No hideout will be good enough if he accidentally sets the place on fire."
It's her turn to blink. "Then, where? Essos?" She has trouble imagining Ned sending Jon so far from Winterfell. Not to mention the Free Cities are far from a safe haven; if the truth about Jon reaches the wrong man, he might use it to his advantage somehow—and she doesn't want to imagine the poor boy falling into hands of schemers.
"I was thinking of trying the Wall first", he says, waking her from her reverie. "The Night's Watch has members from all over Westeros, and it's not far-fetched to think there might be a firebender there. If not, we may ask their maester to send a raven to the Citadel asking for firebending scrolls. I have no reason to ask for them as an icebender and Lord of Winterfell, but it would not be suspicious for the Night's Watch to make such a request."
She nods in agreement. The Wall is close to Winterfell, which enables frequent visits. Also, Benjen is a black brother, meaning Jon will be with someone they trust. There is only one flaw in Ned's plan, though. "How will he be raised in the Wall? There are no women there, and the men are not exactly trained to fatherhood."
"I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we get to it", he replies instantly, and she doesn't disagree. Instead, she suggests they get both boys and start packing as soon as possible.
And pack they do. For a moment, she panics, wondering whether Jon firebent in front of servants, but the boy is frightened enough by his abilities that he is as keen as hiding them as they are, which is a temporary relief—he'll have to overcome his fears sooner or later, but for now they are a lesser evil. Ned announces the family will travel to the Wall, and does not explain himself further. People send questioning looks, but no one dares ask to his face—or hers. Only Robb and Jon do, and they are satisfied when they reply it's a surprise.
They leave two days after that fateful revelation, with a small party consisting of the four of them, one of her maids and two of her husband's guardsmen, Alyn and Harwin. The small party allows for faster travel, and they soon reach the Wall.
She has never been there before, and can't help but stare at the building in awe. They can see it hours before they actually arrive at the place, and it shines with the little sunlight it gets. She remembers hearing from Maester Luwin—who has yet to be informed of recent events—that the Wall is almost entirely built on ice.
"It is said to have been built by Bran the Builder, the greatest icebender who ever lived", he told her. "Of course, he couldn't have built it all by himself, for there are foundations that would have required at least one metalbender to help. Regardless, it was built by icebenders and metalbenders alike, and the Night's Watch still asks for the former category to keep it standing strong." That was one of the reasons why Benjen took the black shortly after the war. He was no master back then—she doesn't know if he qualifies as one now—but skilled enough to be useful as builder.
She tries the air around them by condensing it into droplets of water. Such an ability required years of training, and the fact she had it was one of the main factors behind Lord Rickard's choice of her as Brandon's bride. For reasons even her husband is unable to pinpoint, Rickard had 'southron ambitions' that differed widely from Starks' usual behavior regarding marriage and alliances. It was as if he wanted to add other kinds of benders into the Stark bloodline; for what reason, everyone speculates, but no one really knows.
All that was known was that, after sending Ned to be fostered by Jon Arryn—an airbender—Rickard arranged a marriage between his only daughter and Ned's friend from fostering times, Robert Baratheon—an earthbender. According to her husband, Lyanna's dissatisfaction with that betrothal was likely a factor behind her disappearance with Rhaegar. He told her while in bed that he doubted his sister was abducted by the late prince; even though she didn't say much, he could see she cared for Jon's father. Of course, he never had the time to figure out the extent of her affections for him.
As they get closer to the Wall, the air gets somewhat thicker, and it's harder for her to condense it. Ned has a little less trouble with the task, which is a given considering he's the icebender of the couple, but he still struggles as they approach the place.
Finally, they are welcomed by Benjen, who hugs his brother tightly, greets her with the courtesy she's used to from him, and ruffles both Jon's and Robb's hair. "Follow me", he says. "I have my own chambers since my roommate passed away; we can talk privately there."
It occurs to her that Ned might have sent some raven ahead of them. It'd be a wise choice, even with the risk of the letter falling into wrong hands. She follows him silently, holding the boys' hands as they look around in unashamed awe.
Benjen's chambers are way upstairs, and she's having trouble breathing when they finally reach it. He motions for them to sit as he closes the door behind him. "So, brother", he begins, "you told me in your letter you had urgent and private matters to discuss. What is it that is so important that you came here, leaving Winterfell with no Starks?"
'There always must be a Stark in Winterfell', it's an old saying, one her good family takes rather seriously. However, she is sure the matter of Jon is worth breaking traditions. "I will be rather blunt with you, brother", Ned replies, "for there is no easy way to say this. Jon just showed firebending powers."
Silence falls among them. Benjen glances at Jon, who looks down in shame. She ruffles his hair in an attempt to soothe him. Eventually, her good brother asks, "What's the true story behind it, Ned?"
He tells the whole tale he told her two days ago, using softer words in respect of the kids in the room. Jon and Robb still understand, though, and, in the end, Robb asks if that means Jon is not his brother anymore. "He's your natural cousin, my darling", she replies in a low voice, "but he can still be your brother if you so desire."
Her son looks at Jon, who is still looking down. "I like being Jon's brother", he decides. "I don't want that to change."
"Then it won't", Ned says, in a tone that sounds final for all of them. Jon raises his head, and she can see his eyes watering.
Meanwhile, Benjen has stood up and gone to the small window. "You came to ask us to hide and train him, right?" They both nod, and he sighs. "It will be no easy feat. There are no women here, as you know, and most of us never knew fatherhood. However, I can speak to our Lord Commander. He'll need to know the truth, though, otherwise he'll fail to see why a child should be hidden here of all places, but he has been a father, so there is hope."
"What about his training?", she asks. "Is there any firebender in the Night's Watch who could teach Jon to control his powers?"
Benjen grins. "It seems you have all forgotten. Our maester is a Targaryen. Aemon, brother of King Aegon V. He may be almost ninety years old, and essentially blind, but his mind is sharp and he's a firebending master."
So Jon is not the last firebender in Westeros, she thinks, relieved. Those must have been lonely years for Aemon Targaryen, though. She had trouble adjusting to being the only waterbender upon moving to Winterfell, and was relieved when Robb showed to have taken after her instead of Ned; she can't imagine how it must have been for the maester, especially in his first years at the Night's Watch.
Benjen takes Ned to the Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont, and then leads her and the boys to Maester Aemon's chambers. She is greeted by the sight of an old, bald man, with eyes as white as milk, sitting by the window while staring at seemingly nothing. He barely turns to their direction as Benjen closes the door. "Maester", he calls, "I've brought visitors. This is Catelyn Stark, my good sister, and these are my nephews, Robb Stark and Jon... Frost."
The builder's hesitation is understable; she doesn't know how to properly refer to Jon now. Sure, he can still be a Frost due to his mother, but bastards are usually named under their father's powers—by that rule, her nephew should be called Jon Fyre now.
Regardless, Jon Frost is how he knows himself, and it seems that Benjen reached the same conclusion. Aemon nods politely. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you", he says. "What brings the Starks to the Wall?"
She clears her throat and answers, "Jon has revealed himself to be a firebender. He… he's Rhaegar Targaryen's son with my deceased good sister, Lyanna Stark. He has been named Jon Frost because my husband tried to pose him as his own bastard, but now we can longer keep this facade."
The maester's serene expression breaks into a smile. "Another firebender. It's delightful to know I am not alone in this realm. Little Jon, come here." The boy approaches him rather shyly—Jon has always been shy and reserved, but now even more so. "What have you done with your bending so far?"
Jon's voice cracks as he answers, "I… I burned my bed sheets. And Robb's arm. N-not on purpose."
Aemon chuckles. "No, I suppose not. When I was your age, I once burned my baby brother's shoulder. Egg carried the scar even after he was crowned and could find the best healers in the realm to get rid of it. Of course, nowadays I don't burn people anymore."
"What do you do?"
The maester's smile widens. He truly seems happy to have another firebender nearby. "I bring heat to the castle, my boy. I lit fireplaces, candles and lanterns. My fire lasts longer than ordinary flames, which makes me a very valuable asset in the Night's Watch. Besides, my flames are the only ones that can make me see a little bit nowadays. I lit some with my fingers", he snaps his right hands' fingers, and a small flame erupts from them, "and bring them closer to my eyes." He does as he says. "You are a tall boy, it seems. How old are you?"
"Three", Jon replies in a low voice, distracted by the controlled flames in the maester's fingers. Aemon opens his hand, and the fire is gone. "You can put out the fire too?"
He nods. "The beauty of our element, Jon, is that we can create and erase it from existence. Water, air, earth… all other elements have to draw from pre-existent matter. But firebenders… we are creators."
Jon's shining eyes are visible from across the room, and she smiles. Silently, she prays Lord Commander Mormont allows him to stay at the Wall; she doubts he will be as comfortable as he is now elsewhere. Suddenly, Maester Aemon raises his head away from Jon. "Benjen", he calls, "would you escort our little firebender and his cousin to the training yard? I am sure they will love it there."
Her good brother nods. It's obvious he wants to talk to her in private. As they leave, she closes the door and approaches him. "I'm all ears, Maester Aemon."
He turns his eyes to the window, as if watching whatever is happening outside; from her place, she can see nothing but snow. "He is Rhaegar's son, you say?" She replies 'yes'. He sighs. "He wrote to me rather often when he was younger. He had found out about the prophecies regarding the Avatar, and was certain they would be reborn through his seed. He took great measures to assure as many prophecies as possible would fall in place." He turns in her direction. "Do you know any of them?"
She frowns, trying to remember what her septa used to say. "The Faith of the Seven claims the Warrior is the Avatar."
"And the Warrior is a firebender. Interesting." He hums. "There are many other prophecies, from across the world. It's too soon to say anything, of course, but we should all keep an eye on Jon. He fits too many of them."
She feels something rising in her throat. "The Avatar is a legend", she manages to say. "One of the most detailed legends from the Age of Heroes, but a legend nonetheless. Maesters usually dismiss them."
He chuckles. "When you spend almost your entire life so near the end of the world, you start to believe in some of those legends, my lady. Magic exists, after all. We are all proof of it, with our bending. I believe in the Avatar, and I believe he may return someday."
"And you believe Jon is the Avatar?"
"I believe he is a strong candidate", he replies slowly. "But so was Rhaegar in his childhood years. He fit many aspects of the 'prince that was promised' prophecy, but that was all. Besides… are you familiar with the Avatar cycle?", she shakes her head, then replies 'no'. "According to the so-called legends, the Avatars obeyed a cycle. One generation would have their Avatar born from airbenders, the next from waterbenders, next from earthbenders, then from firebenders, and back to airbenders. Specialties varied, but the cycle was always obeyed." He blinks. "The last known Avatar, the one who reportedly died in the Battle of the Dawn, was an earthbender. That's why it's widely believed an eventual new Avatar will be reborn from firebenders."
It could be an Essosi, she thinks. It might not even be reborn now, she hopes. The rebirth of the Avatar may be a much awaited event for many, but its meaning does not sit well with her. What could possibly be happening for the world to need the Avatar again?
Maester Aemon's voice brings her back to reality. "Of course, I'll train him regardless of his future. No firebender should be left unsupervised." He chuckles. "If Mormont doesn't agree with taking him outright, I'll talk to him. Don't worry, my lady, Jon will stay here with me."
She sighs in relief and smiles. "Thank you, Maester Aemon. We won't forget your kindness."
When she reunites with Ned, he tells her Lord Commander Mormont accepted to have Jon raised at the Wall. "He might have to take the black when he is of age", he explains, "but otherwise there was no trouble in convincing him."
If Maester Aemon truly believes Jon to be the Avatar, he might not take the black, she thinks, but decides against telling him. There is no point dwelling on such a remote possibility, especially not now, when she has to focus on their goodbyes to Jon. He cries, Robb cries, a tear falls from her face, but they promise to visit regularly, and her nephew is excited to be trained by Maester Aemon, so it's alright.
Jon is a firebender, and that is all. He will take the black, and he won't face any worldly threats as the Avatar reborn. Perhaps, if she prays to the old gods and the new both, someone will listen.