As if coming from the void, a dream appeared before him. A massive black dragon with red flecks which resembled rubies and silver whorls that also ran along the spines on its back. The dragon was perched atop what appeared to be Dragonstone and looked out at the setting sun. The dragon sang a sad song, or more accurately half of one. While Jon had never devoted much time to the study of music so as to not anger Lady Catelyn, he had always found he had an ear and voice for it. Thus, Jon could tell this song was intended as a duet. Even as half a song, Jon felt a fire build inside of him as he heard that song. The vision shifted and now he saw a she-wolf in a forest stream in the winter, which Jon instantly recognized as a section of the Wolfswood near Winterfell. The inverse happened, a feeling of chill rose in his chest. The She-Wolf sang her own song just as sad and just as lonely as the dragon's.

The vision shifted again and he saw the dragon and she-wolf now meeting before a great lake. They were instantly taken with each other and now sang their song together as they danced and played. The song was more beautiful than anything Jon had ever heard before. Then they seemed to merge together like a whirlpool made of fire and ice. The vision shifted for another time. Now he was at Weirwoods beyond the Wall where he had swore his vows, and saw a massive creature with the features of a Dragon and Wolf fighting the Legions of th Dead with flame, claws, and fangs.

Jon awoke with a pounding headache as if he had just woken up after a monstrous night of drinking. Like the night his Lord Father feasted King Robert at Winterfell. A sad smile fell across his face as he remembered his family who were now all lost to him save Rickon and Sansa.

He thought about the vision, was it a sign from the old gods that he should marry Daenaerys? No, Jon thought. If it had been, the Wolf would have been male and white not Stark gray. Dragons were harder to tell but he felt that the dragon was male. Though according to Septon Barth, a dragon's sex was as ever changing as the flames.

Jon heard a knocking on the door and then a voice, "Your Grace, the dwarf sent a message asking you to break your fast with him".

Jon smiled, Dryn was a quick study but he kept to his Free Folk ways. Jon said, "Tell the messenger that I accept, and I shall join him soon".

Jon still preferred to dress himself though some court clothes did involve a second pair of hands for which he required Devan. Dryn was eager to learn and a quick student when it came to the study of war and even history, but he had no taste for the aspects of court and learned them begrudgingly. Devan meanwhile was all a knight, lord, or even king could require of a squire. Devan was cut from the same mold as his father and Stannis showed his favor by holding his followers to a high standard, which came with an unbreakable trust.

The meal was adequate as was the company and conversation, nothing as ostentatious as one would expect of a Lannister, even an attainted Lannister. Danaerys was not there, but Tyrion had told him that she was accepting fealty from some minor lords and the Golden Company. Quite interesting news, if truth be told. Jon saw that the meal was planned with the care of a friend. It seemed as though Tyrion remembered his friendship with him as well. Which mayhaps make an unpleasant conservation go easier.

But before Jon could speak, Tyrion said, "Jon, I would like to speak to you about two matters which I consider quite important. One, in the execution of my duties as the Queen's Hand and the other as your friend. First, I would like to extend an invitation for you to join our war council in a few hours. I am sure our new ally would prefer to attend our war council and perhaps provide some counsel and insight. I would also like your support for my plan, a renowned warrior like yourself would do much to convince her grace and the others to support my plan".

Jon said, "I am honored. While we have not hammered out the finer details, I would be happy to offer my counsel and end this petty war for the Iron Throne and head North to where the real enemy is marching down on us. If your plan has merit I shall support you. You know I need this war in the South finished as soon as possible. The real war is in the North, but I cannot fight it with enemies to my south as well".

Tyrion replied, "You know I don't believe in the tales of Grumps, Snarks, giants, should, Wights, and White Walkers. Tell me true, as a friend not a Queen's Hand and the rightful lord of Casterly Rock".

Jon sighed, "I have never seen a Snark or Grumpkin, but I have seen giants by the hundreds. Over two hundred have sworn themselves to me. I have slain hundreds of wights from Castle Black to Hardhome. I have even slain an other, it was a queer thing. It looked more like the fine crystal used by Septons for their sermons or the crystal decanters that highborn use for their wine or spirits. Its eyes were blue stars. When I slew it, pale blue blood spouted from where Longclaw made its cut. When the halves of its corpse hit the frozen earth it shattered into countless pieces. Almost in shock I looked up and saw on the cliffs above, there were a dozen more and I saw that they were far stronger than the one who I had faced and who had slain a dozen Free Folk Chieftains and renowned raiders before I faced it. The one in the foreground of the cliff, and whom I would later see raise my dead brothers and freefolks alike as his thralls, was stronger than I was.

Tyrion stood silent, "I sense no hint of deception in you Jon. I will believe you. You have too much of your father in you to lie".

Jon said, "Thank you. Now back to the war counsel. What was the plan you had in mind"?

Tyrion, "I'll spare you most of the details for now, but it is to bring red ruin to my sister, treacherous kin, and all those that betrayed me. I want to see everything crumble around my sister and brother before they are finally destroyed".

Jon said, "Are you familiar with the difference between direwolves and normal wolves during a hunt".

Tyrion replied, "No, I am not".

Jon said, "The distinction has influenced Northern strategy for thousands of years. Even my brother has used it in his campaign. A common wolf hunts by choosing the weakest or younges of the herd and separates it. Taking small bites along its haunches and running it till it becomes too weak from blood loss and running that it can no longer fight or run. This was Robb's strategy in a way. Avoiding direct combat with your lord father's host and destroying the smaller forces and harassing his supply train until the main host could no longer fight. While direwolves can hunt like their smaller cousins, they prefer their hunts to be quicker and kill the beasts faster. A direwolf will go for the throat as soon as it can and tear out the prey's windpipe and veins, often by letting the beast charge it and overextend itself. Your siblings have done this with the destruction of the Great Sept, and the murder of many nobles and those sworn to the Faith. I have no love for King Baelor, in the North we call him Baelor the Tyrant, Baelor Oathbreaker, and Baelor the kinslayer. Many of those people did nothing as your sister paraded my father to be murdered on those steps or when my sister was beaten and a prisoner and given my father's head after she was given enough milk of the poppy to put a grown man in his grave. But this war needs to come to an end, soon. I will bring death and destruction to your kin, but I have a duty to my own people that transcends the thirst for vengeance. I will take your sister and brother's head myself. Tommen, I will send to the Wall, to take the Black. Even should we prevail against the Others, the Wall has a need for those who can read and write. But I will not draw out the war. A just lord or King passes his judgment down swiftly and without excess cruelty".

Tyrion's face grew red and angry before he spoke, "You would betray my friendship by refusing to support my plan!?"

Jon said coldly, "A betrayal of our friendship was not my intention, but I know someone dear to me who would say you betrayed our friendship first. My sister Sansa".

That took Tyrion aback. Tyrion replied, "I did not think that was a betrayal".

Jon shouted as he stood up, "She was my sister and as far you knew, my only living sibling left! You married her against her will trying to claim my home! You groped her"!

Jon took a deep breath before speaking again, "The only reason why I do not include you in those whose head I will take is because of our friendship and that Sansa said the marriage was never consummated and you protected her from Joffrey the very moment you arrived in the Red Keep".

Tyrion said, "I only married her because there was no other choice. I was to be denied my rightful inheritance of Casterly Rock, and It would save her from being married to any one of my cousins? Would have you preferred that she wed my cousin Daven, a young and virile knight who was chosen to lay siege to her uncle's seat? I admit I was drunk when I took… what you may call unseemly liberties. Being publicly drunk was the only way I could take some measure of revenge against my father at the time and it helped soothe the insult your sister paid me in the sept. But if you think I overstepped the bounds of our friendship, I apologize, but then you would surely take more offense in one of my cousins putting a babe in her"?

Jon said, "I do not care about your inheritance; only my sister. But I will grant you that I prefer her unharmed and essentially untouched than her having to live with any of your kin's spawn," Jon paused before continuing, "I thank you for the kindness you showed and the protection you gave her. But if that second subject you had to discuss was asking to confirm your marriage to her then I know you already know my answer".

Tyrion sighed and said, "Yes. I now know it. If not me then who"?

Now it was Jon's turn to sigh before he spoke, "Truthfully I do not know. I will not force her to wed against her will. She had too much of that already. If you were to ask who I would prefer her wed to for the sake of the needs of state, then perhaps Harrion Karstark, Lord of the Karhold, it would heal the rift between our houses. Though I would need to free him from your sister's captivity first. His sister, one of my first supporters, has already been pushing for it. A Blackwood of Raventree Hall would be a fine choice as well. I have been told they were the last holdouts of my brother's bannermen in the South. I have asked Sansa who she would choose if she had a choice, she had only one, but she would not be willing to leave Winterfell anytime soon".

Tyrion curiously asked, "Whom might that be"?

Jon replied, "A Tyrell by the name of Wilas. I am told he was the heir to Highgarden".

Tyrion laughed and replied, "She might have some competition on that matter, Daenaerys was entertaining a suit from him as he is now coming to his lordship after the death of his father and younger siblings".

Jon shrugged and said, "As I said it was not my first choice. Too far away in my opinion, but it would have kept her safe and fed during the upcoming Long Night. In the end I grant her the freedom to choose her own husband. So long as he is kind, chivalrous, and strong enough to protect her; I have no qualms".

Tyrion said, "She need some more kindness in her life. Gods know she has had little of it in the past few years," Tyrion paused before continuing, "I will still present my plan, as it still has merit even if the does not aline with your goals, but I will not begrudge you on your lack of support. Perhaps I can even convince her grace to grant you a company of Sellswords and ships to escort you to Maidenpool so you can begin freeing the Riverlords, as I assume you were planning by mentioning a betrothal to the heir of Raventree".

Jon smiled, "You are correct. I have about half the Vale lords and and assortment of Northmen marching south to free the Northerner lords taken after the Red Wedding and during the war, free the Riverlands from Lannister & Freys, and commence another Hour of the Wolf on House Frey. Those whose heads I don't take, will be sent to the Wall. I mean to end House Frey once and for all".

Tyrion smirked, "We all have our own bloody coin that we must repay".