Authors Note: Since I've received more than a few comments about it, I felt I should clarify something. The "Ice" that Jon is thinking about here is NOT the Valyrian Steel greatsword that we are familiar with. Ice was also the name of a much older sword that was once carried by House Stark during the Age of Heroes. The current Ice was named for that sword.

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The Night's Blade. He still couldn't believe that it was real. The legends that surrounded it were, well, legendary. It and Ice had been wielded by Starks for centuries. No one really knew which sword came first. Some said that Ice had been carried by Brandon the Builder's ancestors. Others said that he himself forged Ice. Regardless, no one knew what had happened to either blade. They simply disappeared from the histories and faded into the mists of time.

But now one had reemerged from the shrouded past. It was fitting that the Night's Blade ended up in the lands controlled by the Night's Watch. Jon wondered if perhaps there had been some link between their names. He doubted he would ever learn for certain, but he was inclined to think that there was.

Of course, the blade wasn't the only thing that he had found in the vault buried in the crypt. There were chests full of silver as well. And judging by the age of the chests, and how long the vault had likely lain abandoned and forgotten about, they were likely full of Silver Wolves, the ancient coin of the North before the coming of the Targayens. He knew that the coins had existed, but beyond that, he had no idea how much they were worth. Regardless, they would help him rebuild his home and prepare for the winter that was surely coming.

The rest of the undercroft was just what he had expected, a place for storage. The cavernous chambers were empty and bereft of anything of value. In time, he would fill them with his harvests and the fruits of his lands and his people's labors. But for now they stood silent and empty, waiting for their lord to put them to use once again.

While they climbed back towards the strongroom at the entrance to his home, Jon was already thinking of how best to utilize the undercroft. The quality of the construction was excellent, such that even after all the time that had elapsed since the castle was first built, the vaults and crypt were still dry. While they climbed the stairs, Jon asked, "So, Lord Tyrion. What do make of the undercroft?"

Tyrion appeared to think for a moment and then replied, "Your ancestors were quite the skilled builders, My Lord. The vaults below your tower are quite substantial and can hold a great deal of supplies to see you and yours through the winter. Even during the summer months, I noticed something about them. The vaults are quite cool. As such, they would be ideal for storing fruits and vegetables along with dried meats and cheeses. Your castle was quite well designed and built."

Jon nodded his head in acknowledgment and said, "Uncle Benjen? What do you think?"

"Not much to add, Jon. Lord Tyrion has the right of it. You have plenty of room to store your harvests here. When the winter storms come and the snows fall for weeks on end, you and your household will be able to survive quite comfortably."

"That matches what I was thinking as well. Uncle Benjen, how bad will the winters be here compared to Winterfell?"

His uncle looked at him with a measuring expression on his face and said, "They'll be cold, Jon. You don't have hot springs under you sending heated water through your walls. You'll need to lay in a larger supply of wood to keep yourselves warm. The snows will fall more often here, but they won't be as deep as they get at Winterfell. The wind off the mountains will sweep much of the snow away. But it will be cold, Jon. Bitter cold. Make sure your people are ready for it, or be prepared to bury a lot of them come spring."

Jon solemnly nodded his head as his uncle had yet again hammered home to him his awesome responsibility. He hoped to have enough time to gather at least two or three harvests before winter arrived, but he had to plan in case he did not. The silver he had found and that his father had gifted him could find a use there. He would have to send letters to some of the Southron Houses to try and purchase grain for the winter. That is something he could work on tonight in his tent. For now, he had to focus on inspecting the rest of the tower.

Once he reached the strongroom however, it was time to clear his mind of those concerns and focus on what was above. First, he had to take a look at the strongroom. He had really only glanced at it when they first entered the tower. Beyond noticing it's defensive features, he hadn't really paid that much attention to it. But looking about now, he could see that, beyond the strongroom, there was another small room that could perhaps serve as a barracks room for at least some of his guards. The room had a small hearth in it and a few niches built into the wall that looked like they were meant to hold candles. The room, like the undercroft, was empty. Whatever had been in the room, and any evidence of what it had been used for previously, was long gone. In a way, Jon was grateful for that. He had a blank slate to work with. He could make Queenscrown whatever he desired. And beyond the worry and the weight of his responsibilities that he keenly felt, Jon was excited at that possibility.

As he left the small room, Jon looked towards the curling stairs that led to the upper floors. The stairs that led to the upper levels were behind yet another locked gate. And just like they had done to the one that barred the way down to the undercroft, the iron bar was brought out to be used again to force the lock open and clear the way for them to ascend to the upper floors. Similarly to the gate that led downward, this gate too needed to be oiled and greased.

After the gate had been forced, the stairs mounted and the second floor reached, Jon looked about and saw that this floor was a veritable warren of small cells. On the walls he could see niches for candles and rings to hold torches. Speaking to his uncle and Tyrion who were still beside him he said, "Most likely this is where the Lord's Household and most of his guards lived. Though mayhaps a few cells were used as storerooms."

Tyrion replied, "That does seem likely. Though if I may, Lord Wolff? I should like to draw your attention to the walls of your new home. I can see quite a few cracks in the mortar. You should have your builders begin repairing them right away."

Torrhen, Winterfell's chief builder, had accompanied them to Queenscrown in order to ensure that Lord Stark's son was well settled on his new lands. He had also joined them to inspect the tower. He overheard Lord Tyrion's comment and spoke up, saying, "He's right, M'lord. We need to begin repairing the cracks as soon as we can. The longer they remain open, the more water will seep into the mortar and the worse they'll get. If we fix them quick now, they'll be less to fix later. And the keep will stay a sight warmer during the winter if you don't have the wind knifing through your walls."

Jon nodded his head and said, "Very well, Torrhen. Make a note of the repairs that are needed and start gathering the materials you need. I still want to get a start on the village and the wall around it first, but have your men ready to work on the tower as soon they are no longer needed for the work in the village."

"Yes, M'lord," the builder responded.

"While you're at it, check the murder hole. The grate over it looked to be quite rusted."

Torrhen nodded his head and walked over to inspect it while the rest of the party continued to inspect the various cells and rooms. Without warning, a loud clang sounded from the direction Torrhen had gone. Jon's head snapped up and he quickly looked in the direction of the builder only to find a small cloud of dust and rust and the builder cursing under his breath. Torrhen, who was trying to knock some of the rust off of the leather apron he wore, looked up and said, "I'll add a new grate for the murder hole to the list, My Lord."

Jon laughed. He had too. The look of indignation on Torrhen's face was just too much. When he could finally catch his breath, he said, "Come, my friends. Let us continue the climb. I wish to see the rest of my home."

On the third floor, the rooms were larger and better lit. The arrow slits in the wall let in a deal more light. Their torches were still needed, though not as badly needed as they had been on the lower floors. One room held the remains of a kitchen. Jon could see where some of the tables and counters had been. There were even a few cracked and broken stone ovens. The hearth held the remains of a roasting spit, now rusted away to almost nothing. Another room, even after all these years, still smelled faintly of herbs and old parchment, of raven shit and tallow. The Maester's chamber in all likelihood, Jon thought. A third room, smaller than the others, held few clues as to what it could have been. There was a hearth in the room along with an arrowslit to let in light, but little else beyond some furniture that had been broken into so many pieces it was no longer possible to tell what it had been. The fourth room, if such it could be called, was the landing where the stairs climbed to the floors above and fell away to the ones bellow. But the area was still large and well lit with arrowslits about it.

When Jon reached the fourth floor, the torches were no longer needed, for this floor had windows that let the light stream in. Unlike the floor below, this floor had naught but three rooms in it. Each room had a window and a hearth. Jon asked, "Chambers for the Lord's family and his solar, perhaps?"

Uncle Benjen replied, "Aye, Jon. That sounds reasonable. It's what I would use them for at any rate."

Jon nodded his slightly as he looked about him. The room on the south side of the tower held the ruins of a broken desk and looked out towards the mountains in the distance. Yes, this is the room that he would make his solar. Perhaps that is what this had once been in ages long past? He could imagine Starks of old sitting here, seeing to the administration of their lands. His desk would be positioned there so he could look out towards those mountains made blue with distance. A sideboard could be built along that wall opposite the hearth. He could have a small bookcase built to hold the few books his father had given him. A small smile played on his face as he dreamed of how not just this one room, but the entire keep would look once life had been breathed back into it.

From the doorway, he heard a throat being cleared and turned to see Tyrion standing in the door with an eyebrow raised. Jon laughed and said, "Lets go to the next floor. I believe that is the last one other than the roof."

The fifth floor was indeed the last in the tower. Unlike the floors below it, this floor was one large room. Instead of windows or arrowslits, this room had arched doorways leading out to balconies on three sides. The fourth side had a small privy. It was instantly clear to Jon what this room was. It had been the Lord's Chamber Two hearths in the room would provide heat in the winter. Small rusted iron hooks that had been hammered into the stone of the walls showed where tapestries had been hung.

The stairs however, continued on to a small doorway built into the roof of the tower. From there, in the old days, guardsmen would stand their watches and look for wildlings. If any were seen, horns would blow and a great signal fire would be lit to warn those further afield. Queenscrown had been vital the defense of the North in days gone by. Under his rule, it would be again.

"Well, Jon? What do you think of your new home," asked Uncle Benjen?

Jon gave his uncle a satisfied smile and told him, "I'm more than pleased with it, Nuncle. Queenscrown is not Winterfell. But it is home. And I will make it more than it has ever been before."

"I have no doubt of that Jon. So lets get you about it, eh?"

"Aye, lets."

That night, Jon spend hours in his tent, writing out the letters that needed to be sent to secure the purchase of grain. There were grain merchants a plenty in the south. They could be found throughout places like Maidenpool and Saltpans, Gulltown, Oldtown and Lannisport. His Lord father had purchasing agents in all those places. For a fee, they would negotiate on his behalf to buy whatever it is he wanted, and that he had the coin for. Jon would send letters to them all. His father had shown him what Winterfell paid for grain to build their stocks, so he had at least a rough idea of how much he could purchase.

He needed livestock too. His father had given him some, to help him get established. And Lord Manderly would be supplying more as part of his granddaughter's dowry. But Jon felt that he needed more to ensure his people's survival. The winter would be cold and long, and his people would need meat to see them through. Though when he looked at his account books and subtracted what he needed for the grain, he wasn't sure he would actually be able to afford any more livestock. At least there was game aplenty in his lands. Already they had taken several deer, a black bear, a boar, some rabbits and he had even seen a handful of aurochs grazing in the high meadows. For now, that would have to do.

As dawn broke over Queenscrown in the morning, Jon was already up and moving about the camp. Like most of his people, he had broken his fast on bread and pottage that had remained from the night before. It was a simple meal, but it gave him what he needed to survive. The work of rebuilding the village would begin in earnest today, so Jon had ordered his cooks to prepare a hearty meal for everyone. He would feed his people out of his own stocks and from his own larder today. His people deserved that much at least from him.

The sounds of axes and saws could be throughout the camp. Trees were being felled and sorted under the direction of Shadd. Those that would be used to build with were hauled to one area, while those that were destined to be burned were brought to another. All had their limbs cut off, with many of them set aside to be used in the construction of their daub and wattle buildings.

Other men, those perhaps less skilled with an axe, were armed with shovels, pickaxes and hoes. They were digging two trenches about four feet deep and nearly three feet apart. The dirt from both trenches was being piled between them. Those trenches would be the beginning of their walls. Once they were dug, the trees that were being felled would be lifted into it to stand on end. The tall oak trees that surrounded the lake would be used to build the wall, and when it was done, it would stand some twenty feet tall. Before the wall, a moat would also be dug. It would be ten feet deep and ten feet across. Like the trenches, the dirt from the moat would be packed in between their wooden walls. Once the wall was finished, it would be coated with plaster and then whitewashed to give it the appearance of stone. His people and his village would be well protected. Of that, he was sure.

Still other men, along with some of the older children, led wayns and carts to the nearby claypit. Those men and boys would load up the ways with clay to bring back to the village. This evening, some of the men and women would start building their homes and shops in the village.

While the men labored to fell the trees and rebuild the village, the women and remaining children had another task. Several of the horses had been hitched to their handful of plows and they were now turning the land to begin planting their first crops. Wheat, barley, oats and corn would all be planted in the fields around them. In smaller garden patches, pumpkins, squash, peas and beans would be grown. For now, the people of Queenscrown would have a fairly plain, but filling, diet.

Jon looked with pride at his people, at how they all worked together. Jon himself had joined the men early this morning felling trees, he joined them digging the ditches for the wall, he joined the women in helping them to turn the soil for their crops. After the noon meal, he would ride to the claypits to lend a hand there. He made sure his people saw him working alongside them. They would know that he was willing to do everything that he had asked them to. Jon wanted the loyalty of his people, and this was fast way to earn it.

Tomorrow, he would ride out with Ser Alyn and some of the guards to scout the lands around them and see if they found any sign of the wildlings. If none was found, they would try to take a boar or an elk on their way back to the castle. The fresh game would be much appreciated by everyone. But for now, Jon bent his back, and got back to work.