WARNING in this chapter there is some gore and description of torture, if you have a problem with that i recommend that you skip the Jon pov chapter, but as always thank you all for your comments, i always appreciate them :D

EDDARD

Ned stared at the journal that was resting peacefully on his desk as he pondered on his foster father´s question. Why did the spider send him this journal? He looked it over without opening it, and he couldn't find anything that gave him a hint what lord Varys had thinking. It looked like he would have to open it to find out, but that would have to wait.

"I don't know why lord Varys is sending me this, but that is not the most pressing matter right now." Ned opened a drawer on his desk and put the journal in.

He would let Jon and Sansa see it, as they could guess his motives better than Ned did. They had worked with him in their last life, and Jon had told him how lord Varys had tried to put Jon on the throne, but Jon had resisted.

Ned had worked with lord Varys in his last life as well, but he didn't know the man like Sansa and Jon, and if Ned was being fair, he was not a good player in the game of throne, like Sansa, nor was he the rightful king, like Jon who had to know these things.

Ned knew that he had to know these things too, but he had a feeling that he would never be good enough at the great game.

As he pondered on Varys and his motives, Ned realized that every time that Ned spoke with Jon about their past lives, it seemed that Jon always had that haunted look in his eyes. It was clear to Ned that Jon regretted many things that he had done before he was sent back.

"You are right." Jon Arryn said as he rubbed his weary brow. "I was wondering how to tell you this, but I suppose that there is no way to say this easily." Ned could feel the dread creep into his stomach as he listened to his foster father, what on earth had happened now?

"As you know, after Littlefinger was arrested the crown needed another master of coin." Jon adjusted in his chair and fixed his eyes on Ned. "I suggested lord Manderly for the job, but the only supporter in the small council was lord Varys, all the other lords didn't want to hear of it and Robert agreed with them." Ned could feel a cold fury rise in his belly, lord Manderly was a good man who had fought on the banks of the Trident in the rebellion.

And now Robert didn't want to consider him for a job that he would be well suited for. Ned remembered many a night where those two had feasted and drunk together in the rebellion, Ned would have thought that Robert would have been eager to have lord Manderly on the small council because of that alone.

"The queen tried to push the king into granting the honor to Ser Jaime, but that suggestion was quickly denied." Ned had to hold in a snort of laughter. The Kingslayer, the master of coin? That was a horrible idea if there ever was one.

"Then who did the small council settle for?" Ned asked his foster father with humor in his voice, he was sure that whoever it was, he wouldn't like it. It would most likely be the court fool that Robert wanted for the position, Ned thought to himself and tried not to grin.

Ned wasn't disappointed. "It is Mace Tyrell." That was worse that the court fool. Ned slumped in his chair as Jon said those words. He almost couldn't believe what he had heard the older man say.

"You are telling me," Ned began with disbelieve in his tone. "that Robert didn't want to have a man, that fought for him in the rebellion, on the small council. But he would rather have a man that sat outside the wall of Storm´s End and feasted with his lords, while Robert´s own brother starved inside the castle walls?"

Jon opened his mouth so say something, but Ned wasn't done. "Lord Manderly has greatly improved the economy of White Harbor and his lands in the years since he became the lord of New castle, but he was looked over for a job that he could have done with his eyes closed, for a man that was on the opposite side of the war and has done nothing in the time he has been the lord of Highgarden?"

Jon sighed and nodded his head in resigned silence. Ned didn't know how long they sat there as Ned just stared at his foster father. How could Robert be this stupid?

"But that is not all." Ned looked slowly up from the table, as he waited for Jon to continue. What more could his former friend do to anger him and his people?

"Robert wants to raise taxes on all the seven kingdoms." Ned closed his eyes in irritation, so that he wouldn't take out his anger at his former friend on Jon. The lord of the Eyrie didn't deserve his anger after trying to put lord Manderly in the position of master of coin.

"Ned, I know yo-." Jon started but Ned interrupted him.

"No."

That word was followed by silence, as Jon blinked at his onetime ward.

"Ned what do you mean? No?" Jon asked, and Ned could feel the suspicion in his voice.

"In the rebellion, Robert took the first chance he got to make it known that he would be declaring himself king. He profited greatly on my families suffering and my sisters body was barely cold when he agreed to marry the Lannister woman at your urging, and now he denies us the help we need to protect ourselves, disregards one our lords who would do a great job as the master of coin and now he wants to tax us more so he can whore himself to an early grave."

Jon stared at Ned the entire time as his voice started to rise higher in his anger at Robert Baratheon. Ned had never been as sure of his decision of placing his nephew on the iron throne.

"So, no Jon. We will not be paying him more taxes, in fact from this day until such a time as the reconstruction of the castles on the wall is complete, the north will not be paying the crown more taxes."

The older man just kept on staring at Ned like he had grown an extra head, but after a while, he sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "I agree with you Ned."

At those words, all the anger in Ned fled in surprise, of all the things that the lord of Winterfell expected to hear, this was not one of them.

"I think that we made a mistake." Ned could hear his foster fathers heart break in his tone as he whispered those words.

"What do you mean?" The lord of Winterfell asked the older man.

Jon stayed quiet for a while before he shook his head. "It´s nothing Ned, forget it." He tried to smile, but it was forced and was more like a grimace than a smile. Ned knew something was on his mind, that much was obvious. But he seemed like he couldn't bring himself to say what was wrong.

"I will of course help you with dealing with Robert, and I will try to get him to see reason, and maybe I can get some of the lords of the Vale to help the nights watch as well." Jon looked a little pensive for a moment before he added.

"I know that lord Royce will most likely what to help, he is a friend of the watch." Ned smiled at that, yes lord Royce had been a friend to the watch, and like the Starks, the Royce´s considered it an honorable pursuit to join the watch.

"And maybe," Jon added. "I can give the lords that help the watch, some tax breaks if the small council can dissuade Robert in increasing the taxes, for I think that the members of the council will try to do so, they don´t like higher taxes any more than we do."

Ned nodded. "That would go a long way in helping us, and if tax breaks are involved, a lot of the lords would most likely help, making the process much quicker."

Jon looked over the plans once again. "Do you think I could get copies of the plans? I know that it would be easier to persuade the lords if they see that their money isn't being wasted."

Ned nodded. "Of course, I will ask Jon to draw up copies for you."

ROBB

The courtyard of Winterfell was filled with people bustling about, as they were getting ready to leave for the Dreadfort. Robb was standing by his own horse, a handsome grey gelding that had strong legs, a sturdy back and a gleaming coat that shone in the sun.

His father had given him the horse for his last name day, and he and been so happy getting this horse and it was now his pride and joy.

He had been so surprised when his father had told him that he and Jon would be accompanying the lords of the north and the lord hand to the Dreadfort.

From there they would be traveling to Castle Black to talk to lord commander Jeor Mormont, who was lady Mormonts brother.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could spot the maester of the Dreadfort, who had been ready to testify against the lord of the Dreadfort. He would be going with them to the Dreadfort to see if he could be of any help.

Robb was trying his hardest to contain his excitement at traveling with the grownups, but he was having a hard time of it. This was the first time Robb was traveling so far away from Winterfell, and he had to act like a future lord, so the lords of the north could see that he would be a worthy lord of Winterfell and the warden of the north.

He was trying his best at imitating his father´s stony expression, but he wasn't as good as Jon was at it.

It was strange how good Jon was at being a grown up. It seemed to come naturally to him as swordplay and appearing serious. It made Robb a little jealous to be perfectly honest.

Robb would one day be the lord of Winterfell, but here was his bastard brother doing a much better job of being just like their father than Robb could ever hope to be.

But the jealously turned quickly into guilt as he watched his brother limp his way to Robb. "Are you ready Stark?" Jon asked him as he leaned on his cane, and not for the first time, Jon looked a lot older than her really was.

"Of course, I am Snow." Robb tried his best to look taller and more grown up, but he was sure that he failed. Robb wasn't good at pretending, as he had always proved in their childhood games, and he felt guilt flood his mind yet again.

The stable boy, Hodor came walking with a bay gelding who was older than Robb´s own grey mount, and handed Jon the reins, as he said his own name happily over and over again. Jon thanked his with a kind smile.

Robb looked around for his uncle Benjen to ask him more about the watch, but then he remembered that uncle Benjen had left the day before to castle black to talk with the lord Commander of the watch about the restorations that Robb´s father wanted to help them make on the wall.

Robb could see that that the lords were getting ready to leave, as his father walked out of the castle beside Jon Arryn. The lord hand was leaving his wife and her son, Robb´s cousin, in Winterfell while they traveled to the Dreadfort and then to Castle Black, much to Robb´s happiness, as he didn't like his aunt Lysa.

He didn't like how she was looking down her nose at everything about the north and his family, and if she wasn't doing that, she was always making mean comments about how Sansa was learning how to use weapons, and how wild Arya was, and the looks she sent Jon were not kind either.

Robb´s lady mother and his siblings followed the lord Eddard Stark out of the castle. Sansa seemed torn between wanting to go with them and wanting to stay behind.

The reason she like to go with them, was most like because of their aunt. Sansa seemed to detest their aunt and Robb had a feeling that it wasn't because of how Lysa Arryn had been unfaithful to her husband. Most likely it was because how mean aunt Lysa was to her and Arya for learning how to handle weapons. Robb could feel guilt creep up on him again, as he hadn't been kind to Sansa when she had started either.

Arya was very jealous that Robb and Jon were going, and she wasn't allowed to go, and she made no attempt to hide it. But her anger at being left behind was lessened by the fact that lady Mormont and Robb´s father had agreed that Jorelle Mormont would be fostered in Winterfell until she became of age.

Robb watched along with Jon as their father said goodbye to those who would be staying. After saying goodbye to Sansa, Arya and Bran, those three rushed over to Robb and Jon to say their final goodbyes, as they wouldn't be seeing them for at least two and half months.

Arya hugged Robb and as she clung to his neck and Bran clung to his leg, he could spy Sansa holding onto Jon and whispering in his ear. Arya released him and threw herself at Jon with little Bran following in her footsteps, Sansa then came to Robb and hugged him close. "Be careful, Robb and watch out of Jon, he is still healing."

Robb nodded with a smile. "Of course, I will wrap him in wool and never let him out of my sight." Sansa rolled her eyes at him. She was another person that was better than him at being a grown up, and she was even younger than him.

He glanced over her shoulder and he could see the cold goodbye their father was getting from his wife. They had fought again when he had told them that he would be taking Robb with him to the Dreadfort.

She didn't think that he was big enough to see what they could find what was lurking in the dungeons of the keep of the Red kings.

Robb was soon going to be eleven years old, practically a man grown, and he couldn't be hiding behind his mother's skirts forever.

His lady mother called her younger three children back, and they reluctantly went back to her. Lord Eddard came up to them after his cold goodbye to his wife. "Are the two of you ready?" He asked them with concern in his grey eyes.

Robb put on his serious face and nodded, trying his hardest to show his father that he was not making a mistake in bringing him along with the men.

"Alright then, mount your horses." Robb mounted his tall horse with a little difficulty but when he was mounted, he felt just like a man grown. He glanced at Jon and he could see that he was have some difficulty with getting on the horse. He had tied the cane to his saddle and was now pulling himself up.

Robb was going to dismount to help him, but Jon managed somehow to drag himself into the saddle. All the time when Jon had been getting on the horse, the bay gelding had stood perfectly still like a statue, which Robb couldn't help but to think was odd.

He had never seen a horse so still before. It was like he knew that it was best for Jon if he stood so still while he was making the climb.

When Jon was in the saddle, Robb could see that Jon was in pain.

"Having trouble mounting Snow." Theon Greyjoy came up to them already mounted, and he had a nasty grin on his face. Ever since Jon had been allowed to train with the older men, Theon had been growing more and more awful to Jon.

It was really getting on Robb´s nerves, in fact Robb had stopped spending time with the iron born because he was so nasty.

Robb frowned at Theon. "You would have trouble mounting a horse if you had been injured like Jon was." Jon said nothing as Robb defended him to Theon, and just stared stonily at the Greyjoy heir.

Theon snorted. "I wouldn't have gotten injured in the first place." The iron born made his horse walked forward and as he passed them, Jon´s horse bit the iron born in the calf making him yell out with pain. At Theon´s yell, his horse bolted out of the castle courtyard, with Theon still yelling and cursing in the saddle, trying to keep the horse under control.

Everyone stared after the iron born, but soon the lords of the north started to laugh at Theon´s plight.

"What happened?" Their father came up to Jon and Robb, and he was already mounted on his light grey destrier who´s hindquarters were covered with the heraldry of house Stark.

Robb opened his mouth to speak but he was beaten to it by the Greatjon. "Harhar, come of its Ned. Ser Jon´s horse just bit the boy a little, making his horse started as young Greyjoy squealed like a little girl." This was followed by more laughter from the lords of the North.

Robb could see that when the Greatjon called him Ser, Jon had turned a little red. Robb just smirked at his brother, Jon always had a hard time when someone complemented him, so of course he would have to take some time to get used to his new title.

Their father gave the two boys a look that said, behave or I will leave you here. Then the lord of Winterfell nodded, and they were on their way to the Dreadfort that had once served as the stronghold of the Boltons.

JON

He watched the Dreadfort rise high on the banks of the upper Weeping water. The seat of the Red kings truly lived up to its name. It had high dark walls and triangular merlons that looked like teeth, and there was an air of dread that seemed to emanate of the tall stone castle.

Jon glanced at his uncle, the closer they rode to the Dreadfort, the graver and more serious he became, which was an achievement of its own.

Ned Stark had told him that Robert wanted to increase taxes on all the lords of Westeros, but Jon Arryn was sure that the small council would try to talk him out of it, as they wouldn't like paying the high taxes either.

But his uncle´s mood had improved when Jon showed him the journal that he had found in the library of Winterfell. Ned had been greatly impressed with this mysterious M.F. They all wanted to start immediately on increasing the herds of Goats they had on Stark land, and getting started on establishing sheep herds, as both these creatures did well when they could roam around on such vast lands as they had in the north.

Ned had also discussed with the leaders of the mountain clans about buying wooly cattle from them. The leaders of the mountain clans had of course accepted and had sent some men to start leading some of their herds to the Stark lands.

Sansa would also start making plans for them so that they could start growing wheat, rye and barley, while they were away, which they could make into food and with the instructions from the journal, they could start experimenting on making alcohol from these plants.

Jon´s uncle had wanted to use all the ideas in the journal, but they had decided to start with these ideas, and see how they would work out and then they would start on the other plans.

His uncle had reminded Jon of a little boy when they talked about the improvements they could make for the people of the north; Ned Stark was so excited to help his people and he seemed to think of little else in the last few months.

Not that Jon and Sansa were any less excided than Ned Stark. It was a shared dream between the three of them, to help the north grow into the powerhouse they knew that it could be.

Before the conquest the north had been strong, but it was like after his Targaryen ancestors had taken over, the inhabitants had just let it wither over the centuries.

The three of them were determined to stop that decline and start to build something stronger than before, something that they would be proud to leave behind.

They rode up to the castle and the large, thick portcullis was draw up to let them in. As they rode through, Jon glanced up at the highest point of the gate, and the iron points didn't go all the way up, making the gate look like a cruel mouth of a monster and they the willing meal, traveling into its mouth.

The courtyard was large, but not as large as the one in Winterfell, and not nearly as warm. Jon could see the grim faced captain of the Dreadfort guard come and talk to his uncle, but Jon wasn't listening, he was too busy pondering on the riddle the Stanger had given him.

Go to the belly of the beast, travel deep into its bowels and find a flayed man, bathed in darkness, and then he would know he was in the right place.

Jon was sure that the beast was the Dreadfort itself, it had to be. Where else could the Boltons have hidden a torture chamber for all this time. And it must be in a place that was hard to find but easily accessible to the Boltons.

The obvious place to look was the dungeons, but if Jon was hiding a torture chamber, he wouldn't have the entrance there. But where to look?

It was then he noticed that everyone was dismounting, and he did his best to follow suit. It had been getting easier and easier, but it was still a little painful.

Jon petted the bay gelding; he had grown to like the horse since he had bitten Greyjoy. The lords of the north were still laughing at Theon for his yelling as his horse had bolted.

Jon took his cane and walked closer to Lord Stark as he was starting to coordinate the search of the Dreadfort. He seemed to be focusing on the dungeons, but Jon had a feeling that they wouldn't find anything there. Maybe it would be a good idea to look through the lords solar and see if they could find a hint there.

He watched as the people started to take their leave and start their search, then he approached his uncle, who was talking with lord Arryn and the Greatjon. Robb was standing with his father and listening intently to what he was saying.

Uncle Ned waived him over, when he spotted him. "Jon, I think that it is best that you and Robb follow me." Robb nodded eagerly, but Jon had a different idea.

"Lord Stark if I may," Jon began and leaned a little on his cane. "I would like to see the lord´s solar, maybe maester Wolkan can show it to me?" Jon turned to the maester who was standing a few feet away and had a striking resemblance to a frightened mouse.

Uncle Ned looked at the maester for a few moments before he nodded. "Alright but take Jory and Ser Allyn with you."

Jon nodded his consent at taking the two men with him and the maester to the solar. He went past his uncle and Robb, and as he limped passed them, Robb gave him a strange look. Robb would never admit to it, but he really wanted to be the one to find the secret chamber of the Boltons.

Robb thought it was an adventure they were on, but he was only a boy of eleven, who had never traveled this far from his home before. "Jon," Robb whispered before they could get past him. "Don't you what to help with the search?"

Jon smiled at him. "I don't think that with this limp, I can be of much help." As Jon replied, Robb turned embarrassed about it when Jon mention the limp. Robb was clearly still feeling guilty about not having been with Jon when he had been hit with the arrows.

They entered the castle, and as they walked through the halls, Jon felt the oppressive atmosphere was trying to smother him and even though the torches that were gripped with skeletal human hands, were lit, it still felt dark somehow.

"Is it always this creepy?" Jory asked the maester, and it was clear that he didn't want to be in here.

"Yes." Answered the maester with a shaking voice and they traveled to the solar. The solar of the lord of the Dreadfort was just like the rest of the castle, dark and oppressive.

Ser Allyn and Jory started to look around in the bookcases that were all around the room, pulling out book and scrolls and looking them over then returning them to their proper place. But Jon looked around as he stood there in the middle of the room. The room was circular, and the walls were lined with old bookcases that were filled with books and scrolls, but between every bookcase there was one of the skeletal hands that were holding lit torches.

All except one.

It was just like the others, and it was on the right side of the room if you were sitting behind the desk. Jon stared at it for a moment. The same feeling of this being important, rose again in his belly.

"Maester," Jon spoke. "Why isn't this touch lit like the others?" The maester, who had served Sansa in their last life after they had taken Winterfell, looked at the torch.

"I don't know, it had never been lit since I got here."

Jon made his decision and limped over to the skeletal hand and the unlit torch. There was nothing special about hand or the torch, but it was what was underneath it that almost made him gasp.

There in under the hand, covered in darkness was the sigil of house Bolton, a flayed man on a cross.

A flayed man bathed in darkness, he thought to himself. So, he was in the right place. "Jon, what are you doing?" Jory asked but Jon didn't pay him any attention.

The legends about the Nightfort on the wall, were filled with stories about hidden doors that were activated by pulling on something like this torch.

Jon took a closer look and he could see if this was a hint if this was one of those torches. He could see light scratching marks on the wall, as something had rubbed up against it over and over again over the centuries, and there was a slight draft that blew form the bookcase beside the torch, which explained why the torch wasn't lit.

Jon reached out and turned the skeletal hand in the direction of the scratch marks. The effects were instantaneous.

The bookcase beside him made a clicking sound, just like a door had been unlocked. Jon pulled it out and it swung open like a door. Jon looked to his companions, and they were looking very surprised at the hidden door.

"Hand me one of those torches." Jon asked the maester, maester Wolkan hurried and handed him a lit torch.

Jon started to the doorway and he could see that it was a round staircase that lead down deep into the dark. "Wait, Ser Jon." He turned and looked at Ser Allyn who had spoken. "We should wait for lord Stark."

Jon looked at him for a moment, and he could see that Ser Allyn really didn't want to go down there, but he didn't want to admit it. Jon couldn't blame him, but he had to go, he had to see what was down there.

"Ser Allyn, go and find lord Stark and tell him we found something and bring him here." Then he turned back around and started down into the darkness. He could hear Jory and the maester hurry after him, by the sounds of the heavy boots that Jory always wore and the maester chain that Wolkan had around his neck.

They walked in silence for some time, and it seemed like the stairs had no end, they walked for so long that Jon was sure that they were close to the levels of the dungeons. They finally arrived at the bottom of the stairs and they could see a door that was flanked by two more of the skeletal torch holders. Jon reached out and lit them with his own.

The door was made of iron and had the sigil of house Bolton embedded into it. Jon walked up to it and pulled on it, and to his surprise it was unlocked. It was clear that late Roose Bolton didn't think anyone would find this place.

"Wait," Jon turned around to look at Jory. "I should go first; we don't know what is in there." The captain of Winterfell´s guard had a serious look on his face, and Jon decided to let him go first.

Jory drew his sword from its sheath and entered first, followed closely by Jon and the maester. As they walked through the door, they were assaulted by the worst smell Jon had ever felt, and that was counting when he had fought the undead and half rotted corpses of the army of the dead.

But this smell was so much worse, and it made his eyes water. They walked around the room and lit the torches so they could see what was in this fowl smelling chamber.

The room was damp, and it was filled with all manners of torture devices with people still strapped to them, but it was clear that they were all dead. Jon also noticed that most of the people in the room were young women.

Closest to him was a girl of around thirteen years of age, naked and strapped to table, she had clearly been flayed in a couple of places. Jon walked closer to her, like he was in a trance and he couldn't take his eyes of the horror in front of him.

"Jon, Jon common let's go, I don't think that you are old enough to see this." Jon could hear Jory call out to him, and it was clear to Jon that the man wanted to vomit, but he ignored him.

As he reached her, he could see that someone had bitten her thighs so hard that he had left deep marks on her skin. Her light-colored eyes were bloodshot and staring blankly up at the celling, and she was missing three fingers on both her hands. Jon also noted that there were bruises around her neck, like she had been strangled to death.

Jon looked away from the poor girl, was this what the Stranger had wanted him to see?

He looked around the room, it was a large chamber that had no decorations other than the tools made for torture that were hanging on the walls, and on his right, there were small cells that still held dead bodies of the people that Roose Bolton had been torturing.

Jon could see another door at the other end of the room, Jon limped to the other door and tried to open it, but this one was locked. He could hear retching, and he glanced behind him and he could see that Jory had vomited on one of the corners of the room, and the maester was looking like he wanted to find his own corner.

He could feel numbness settle over him, as he looked over the horror in the room. Then he could hear the sound of footsteps come down the steps, and he knew that his uncle was on his way here.

He was trying his best to keep from vomiting, as he leaned on his cane. He closed his eyes and tried to think about something else to keep from retching. Jon could hear his uncle talk to the maester and Jory, but he tuned it out.

He didn't know how long he stood there until someone touching his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw his uncle, looking down at him with concern in his eyes. "Jon are you all right?" Jon nodded at the man.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the lords of the north and lord Arryn try to keep the vomit down, but some, like lord Galbart Glover, lord Hornwood and Ser Wylis Manderly failed and tried to find a corner before they started to spew on the other lords.

Jon could see that Ned was looking a little green himself. "Where is Robb?" Jon asked as he looked around the room and couldn't see his cousin anywhere.

"In the courtyard, with Theon and most of the men. I didn't want Robb to see this. He is too young." Ned looked him over. "You shouldn't have seen this either." The lord of Winterfell said, looking graver than Jon had ever seen him.

But Jon shook his head. "I needed to see this." He stated quietly so only his uncle could hear him. His uncle sent him a concerned look.

"Why did you need to see this Jon?" Ned whispered back with bewilderment in his voice.

"The Stranger told me I needed to see this." Jon replied just as quietly, as he glanced back at the young girl on the table, drawing his uncle´s attention to her.

Ned Stark looked at her for a moment before he slowly closed his eyes in horror at the sight before him.

Then his uncle turned to his captain of the guard, who had finally stopped retching out his stomach. "Jory, take Jon back upstairs into the courtyard." Jory nodded, still looking green as he led Jon to the door, as Jon thought that they couldn't get out of this room fast enough.