I created this after reading something in the wikia of asoiaf, hope you enjoy it!
"I can´t… Varamir…"
"Seems you have problems, do you need help?" asked Benjen. Haggon opened his eyes to look at the ranger. His dealings with the Night´s Watch were far and few, as their kind was not very cherished even in the True North, but he knew the man. He was a good man… and honourable almost to a fault. And since he now was dying from an abdominal wound courtesy of his protegee Varamir, his greatest ally. "Answer me, do you have one?"
"Yes" the warg said, coughing a bit. "My pupil Varamir stole my wolf and cut me, I have no animal to live a second life and no men who will car for my fate, as he stole their loyalty too. I… I will do whatever you ask, but I… I want to… live until I could repay him…"
"Then be assured, because I have some use for you" the watchman pointed at him, commanding his men. "You already heard him, we are taking him back to the Wall with us. Make sure he is alive when we arrive. It´s unlikely that he will survive, but who knows? Let´s see if maester Aemon can do something for him"
"Benjen…"
"Simply do it, don´t ask" the ranger said, turning around to bark more orders at his men. The other shrugged and lifted Haggon from the snow, taking him with them back to Castle Black. There was a commotion when they arrived, a still stubbornly alive injured warg with them, but it was forgotten while the wildling was taken to maester Aemon´s quarters to be healed. The old man didn´t have much of a hope for his patient, but he underestimated Haggon´s will to live. Way too much.
"It´s almost a miracle" the ancient Targaryen said while his steward changed the dressings of his wounds with a scowl of disgust. "You will make a full recovery in a few days. The First Ranger is going to be so happy when I inform him."
"I don´t care what you crows say, once I´m recovered, I´m out of here."
"I wouldn´t advice that" Benjen Stark´s voice form the door stopped him. the wildling lifted his head to see him, tall and dark, on his doorstep. "Right now, only my protection keeps you alive in this place. Try to run and half a dozen brothers will spring at the opportunity to kill a warg. And yes, they know what you are." He approached. "It would be an inconvenience, as I need your services."
"For what? None of you southerners really believe in what I am."
"Now, but I have been beyond the wall and seen things that make me rethink in everything I believe" he sighed before joining his hands. "So I will be clear. I have reasons to believe one of my nephews could be like you. My payment for saving your life is that you come with me to Winterfell to evaluate him. If I´m wrong, you are free to return to your home, if not, you are to stay with him until he has learned to control it."
"You are joking, right?" Haggon said. "A warg, born south of the Wall? That´s impossible!"
"So are many things of your world, Haggon, remember that" Benjen lifted himself. "We will leave for Winterfell as soon as you are recovered enough, I don´t want to lose more time."
"It really had to be a beloved nephew if you are willing to risk so much for him. Or is it son, crow?" the ranger stopped and turned around, his eyes clear from anger. "What? Did I strike a nerve? A maiden challenged your vows, crow?"
"He is the last part of someone dearly beloved that left us before time" was the only answer the man got before the watchman left. A few days passed and, right when Haggon was starting to grew confident in his escape plans, he came back to drag him to that Winterfell place he talked about. Particularly, the experienced warg was sceptic about a warg born south of the wall, but if that freed him from Benjen Stark…
"Once you arrive, you are to keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking until I have convinced my brother to let you examine the boy" explained the ranger as they rode to the south. They kept to themselves the rest of the trip, as the two didn´t have anything to say to one another. Finally, they reached Winterfell, where they were met by the Magnar… well, Lord Stark, as the crow´s icy faced brother called himself, his equally icy cunt of a wife near him.
"Are you out of your mind?" Eddard said at his brother, barely controlling himself. It was the middle of the night when they arrived, so the servants were asleep and the guards more attentive to what was out of the walls than Benjen´s visit. "To bring a wildling here, of all the places…"
"It´s the only way to know for sure, Ned" there was a bit of hostility in the man´s eyes as he stared at the lord, practically about to pounce on him. "You should be grateful I brought a warg from beyond the Wall specially for…"
"A WARG?!" the redheaded woman shrieked in such a way that he thought she would wake up the whole castle. Gods, how could someone scream in such a way? And now she was staring at him as if he was a demon out of hell. "You bring such a horrible creature to our home and claim my lord husband should be grateful?! The Seven condemn them as demons! I should have it put down immediately!"
"Heh, and I thought you southerners didn´t believe in wargs"
"Shut up, demon! Don´t take a step more towards my home! Me and my children are protected by the Light of the Seven, who will…"
"Seven? Who are this Seven you are talking about? Are they the southern gods of the Andals none in my side of the Wall really respect?" Catelyn was livid. To know there was a place where her gods were a joke…
"Let´s calm down and do what we are here to do" Benjen finally put himself between his goodsister and the wildling, hoping to end the yelling already. "Ned, you know this is not something that would just go away. He is the only one I know who could tell us" the man didn´t move, frozen on his spot. "Eddard, answer me a question: do you love that boy?"
"What?!" Ned sounded hurt right now. And angry. As if his brother was accusing him of not loving his son because of his birth. "Of course I love him! I have since the moment that child was placed in my arms" Catelyn twisted her expression with every word, as if they were knives piercing her skin. Her husband put an expression full of regret when he saw her, but was unmoving. "You know I do, even if you try to deny it."
"Then prove me wrong" the ranger pushed his brother out and got in, being followed by the wildling, who wanted to finish what he had started and get out of there. Being around kneelers was… it was not his style. Unfortunately, the lord and lady of the Keep decided to follow, both of them with a scold.
They wandered through the corridors, where Haggon couldn´t help but admire the work of the Starks of old. This was nothing like he imagined a southern keep, being more build to withstand adversity and less for the superfluxes the southerners were known for in the True North. Anyway, they reached the family wing pretty fast. And there, in the first room, slept a boy of no more than ten namedays. The warg approached, feeling something weird in the air. Or not weird for him, who was used to the presence of others with his same power. Just to be sure, he opened the boy´s eye, finding a white layer covering his iris.
"I´m still not sure if this is a good idea" interjected the boy´s father.
"Well, it´s the only one I have" Benjen retorted, feed up with his brother´s attitude. The boy has been having strange dreams since almost a year ago, something that worried him. Because… he heard some troubling stories about untrained wargs beyond the Wall and he would do anything to spare his sister´s son that fate, even go against his brother. Besides, he thought Lyanna´s boy deserved better than what Eddard deign himself to give him.
"You shouldn´t have brought that monster in here, where my children are" Catelyn get into the conversation too, glaring at her goodbrother. "You don´t have a right…"
"Be grateful he did, this boy is indeed a warg. And a powerful one, if I have to tell. The first one to be born" the whole three adults froze when Haggon talked, finally finishing his inspection. "This is the first manifestation of his gift, entering an animal in his dreams" he rubbed his chins. "Do you happen to know what kind of animal it is?"
"No, I… I don´t usually heard… what he is talking about… about dreams" Ned confessed, gaining another glare from his brother. His wife just stayed there, looking at Jon as if he suddenly turned into a monster that would attack at any second. "Robb could know, I will ask in the morning."
"Nah, it´s not use. If he is specially bonded with a particular animal, it will follow" the warg approached the sleeping boy. "Anyway, this is no place for a warg. I will take him to his own kind."
"What?!" Benjen asked, raising his voice. This was not part of the plan. The Tully woman, for her part, was now looking better, even hopefully. Could the wildling´s visit be a blessing in disguise? Could it be that he was there to take the bastard away from her family, not to be seen again?
"Beyond the Wall, when a child proves himself or herself a warg, the parents take him or her to a forest and abandon them there to their own kind… other wargs. We live in a village, apart from the other people" he shook his head, advancing towards the boy before Benjen put himself between the man and the child as fast as a lightning. "It´s the tradition of the Free Folk and for the better."
"He isn´t going anywhere" said the ranger, showing his teeth.
"Yes, he isn´t" Ned joined his brother. The Lady of Winterfell frowned when her husband said those words. Why couldn´t he just accepts that the bastard didn´t belong there? He should be glad there was someone willing to take him in! And out of their hands, of Winterfell, where he could usurp her trueborn children!
"Ned, perhaps we should hear what he said" Catelyn tried to make him see reason. If she played well her words, then the bastard would finally end up where he couldn´t harm anyone in her family. And she wouldn´t even have to harm him. "Wargs are dangerous monsters, there is a reason they live beyond the Wall and, even there, far away from normal people."
"I won´t send my son away for nothing! He is a Stark, if not in name, then in blood. He is staying and that´s final" Ned said, very firmly, making the redhead clench his fist. First he refuses to send away the bastard when there was a golden opportunity to do so, then he calls him a Stark when he had no right to have the name and third… he was refusing to send away a monster! And putting her children in danger!
"Even the wildlings are civilised enough to know wargs doesn´t belong with normal people!" screamed Lady Stark before grabbing her skirts and storming out of the place. Ned sighed before turning to Jon. It was a miracle that the child continued to sleep, but who knew where his mind was, running around inside an animal. The man questioned himself about what he was about to do. By his side, Benjen was looking at him, asking that same question in his slightly less icy grey eyes.
"Ben… what do you think we should do?" Haggon stared at both brothers, interested in what they would decide. Personally, he wasn´t sure it was in the boy´s best interest to remain between southerners, but it was not his decision to make. Not with the Starks practically holding his life in their hands.
"I have already made a deal with Haggon here, so he would train Jon to control his abilities while staying in Winterfell, until he has control over them" the ranger explained. "How to explain his presence and put Jon under his protection is completely on you."
"I… I guess I can say he is a new servant. He will have to do a few chores in the castle, but otherwise…" answered Eddard, while looking at his sister´s child, who was still dreaming. He caressed his hair. "They can have their classes in the Godswood."
"Sounds fine" the three of them looked at the young boy, whose mind was floating far away from there. More specifically, in a cave full of lava and dragonglass, looking through a barely open eye. Jon felt the heat in his breath, the fire in his veins, the… the magic… The beast went down to sleep soon enough, so the boy followed it into it´s dreams of flying in the skies again, above everything, untouchable, unreachable... the King of the World.
-The next day-
Jon Snow woke up early for a child of a great Lord, but not for a bastard like himself. Or he hoped so. Anyway, he had to break his fast and if he did so before Lady Catelyn reaches the Main Hall, then would have to go through half his lessons without any food in his stomach. It had happened before, it was not pretty, especially since he ended up being beaten in the yard by that fool Theon Greyjoy.
"Good morning, Jon" a maid said when he finally reached the Main Hall, putting his daily cup of milk in front of him. the boy thanked her and drank, eager to get out of there before the Lady of the Keep appeared in there. He was about to serve himself a plate of porridge when his father walked up to him, surprisingly, without his lady.
"Oh, there you are, Jon" Lord Stark addressed him directly. A wild looking man was following him, catching the boy´s attention, as he seemed to be anything but a servant of the castle. "This is Haggon" the lord presented the man. "He is going to be serving here in Winterfell from now on and I want you to help him acclimate. And with some chores."
"Yes, father" the boy answered, nodding at the wilding. This one stared back. He was still unsure if training a warg among southerners, but the great Lord wasn´t going to allow him to leave with one of his precious brood, no matter how much it would help the boy to live between his kind. Well, beggars can´t be choosers.
"Great" Eddard continued, forcing a smile for the sake of his nephew. "I know you have a few free hours later, after training in the yard. How about meeting then?" the boy simply nodded, not sure what else to do. He had to help a new servant? Was this some kind of punishment? What has he done now to bring the anger of Lady Catelyn over him? "Ummm, what´s the matter?"
"Whatever I have done to anger Lady Catelyn…"
"Oh, my boy, Catelyn doesn´t have anything to do with this. It´s only that… I believe that you will be more comfortable a few more hours out of her view. You see, she has been having a few rough first months of pregnancy and I don´t want you to be at the brunt of her anger" the Lord explained, trying to calm the child. Particularly, Haggon believed the harpy had far much more than a bad start of a pregnancy, but if the Lord wanted to delude himself…
A few hours later, man and child found themselves in the Godswood. Jon was surprised by the choosing of the place, as he couldn´t point a chore any servant had to do in that particular location. The older warg just nodded and walked deeper and deeper into the woods, to a place where no one can see them. It would be a problem if someone saw them doing what they were doing, as southerners were not particularly fond of skinchangers. Hell, not even the wildlings were very fond of them.
"What are we doing here?" Jon finally asked, looking around himself. "My father wouldn´t be pleased to know we are losing time in the Godswood…"
"We are not losing time, we are here on his orders. And I am here because he and your uncle were concerned about your abilities… abilities I share" he sighed. He was not very good at explaining this, as he normally didn´t have to do this, but… hell, he had to try. "I was brought to this horrible place to teach you to control them."
"Abilities? What abilities? What are you talking about?" the boy took a step back. He didn´t have any particular ability besides the sword and that he hid because if the Lady were to find out he was better than Robb in the training yard… Haggon´s eyes then turned completely white and an eagle descended from the sky, positioning itself in front of Jon and extending a claw towards him. the boy looked with curiosity at the bird. "Haggon?"
"Dammit, this lasted less than I would have wanted" the wilding cursed as he got up from the snow his body felt into, the bird escaping into the sky. "Anyway, can you see what I have done? What am I?"
"You…" Jon took a step back from the warg, because he was now sure the man was that. Wargs were fearful… wait, was Haggon implying that Jon was a warg like him? "What… what are you talking…"
"You have had the dream, no? Dreams where you infiltrate an animal´s mind?" the boy couldn´t deny this. He had indeed been having strange dreams, ones he couldn´t explain. "Yes, it´s exactly as you think. The ability begins like that" he advanced towards the child, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don´t fear, I´m here to teach you how to control it" Jon looked at him with tears in his eyes. "It´s a hard, I will not lie. You have to understand this art is old as the weirwoods themselves. Our gift came from the Old Gods themselves, we are blessed with this power, which is an art in itself."
"But Old Nan says…"
"Yes, southerners mostly paint us as monsters. But answer me, do you think me a monster? And are you a monster?" the child didn´t know what to answer. The wildling groaned. "Well, the first lesson you are going to learn is that we are not monsters. We are wargs and this is your first lesson. Better pay attention, because I don´t like to explain things twice."
-Years later-
"Thank you, Ghost" Jon said, scratching his wolf´s head after returning to his body. He was feelings a little bit bored, being confined in a tiny castle in an island without the usual stuff to do, so he practised his warging and ran down the black beaches of Dragonstone inside of his direwolf.
The history of how he ended up in Dragonstone was funny. Initially, he was supposed to join the Night´s Watch, something that his uncle Benjen and Haggon were against. Jon… he heard only good things about the Black Brothers from his father, as if the man was trying to make him to join them, but the first ranger said that the order he was part of was not what it used to be, that the Seven Kingdoms threated it like a penal colony and that he was too young to join; while his wildling teacher told him the crows were lying creatures that would stab their own at the first chance. In any case, he said he would go to the Wall, just to get his father and Lady Catelyn off his back. In reality, he was making plans to go to live with Haggon in the warg village to continue his training, but then the King´s visit happened and the man opened his mouth to say the Wall was no place for a boy, less for his best friend´s son. So, instead of beyond the Wall, he ended up being sent to Lord Stannis Baratheon as a ward… to insult him subtly, apparently, because Robert said something about wanting to see his brother´s face when he arrived. He didn't even have to say that the Baratheon Lord was not amused. His Lady less. They met him with a scold, searching for a way to get rid of him without failing in their duty. Finally, they decided that, as the Velaryons have spent years insulting them, they could bear the insult. So he ended up staying in Driftmark, as ward of Lord Velaryon. Haggon, who was worried about his pupil, accompanied him as his sworn sword.
"Jon" the wildling entered his room, interrupting his train of thoughts. He wore a face of ice so unusual in the man that his student knew something was wrong. "You need to come, something has happened."
"What?" the older warg didn´t answer, just guide him to Lord Velaryon, who in turn handed him a letter. After reading it, the boy did it again and again… he wasn´t sure he was understanding the message. There has definitely to be some mistake. He dropped the paper on the table. "The Queen arrested my father for treason? Really? Are they really accusing my father of wanting to steal the Throne?" Monford and Aurane didn´t answer, which made his anger explode. "My Father is the most Honest man in the World! I know him, he is incapable of that! He is practically incapable of lying!"
"It might be, but…"
"No! No buts! They are falsely accusing my father because he knew something about the Lannisters that no one else does! I know because I heard Lady Catelyn whispering against them in Winterfell!" Ghost licked him once, trying to calm him down, but it didn´t have the desired effect. "I don´t know exactly what it is, but… but…"
"Jon, calm down"
"NO! I´M NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN! THEY WANT TO MURDER MY FATHER AND I´M TRAPPED HERE IN THIS ISLAND, INCAPABLE OF HELPING!" the boy screamed in frustration, his head hurting like a bitch. And that sensation… it was like when he was about to warg into his wolf, but there was something different. As if the creature on the other end wanted to pull him towards it. As if they had a connection despite not having seen each other in their lives.
"Jon?" Haggon asked just before his pupil felt to the ground, completely out. He called for the boy desperately, but Jon´s mind was not there. once again, it found itself inside a body as hot as fire, who slept in a deep cavern. But something has changed. He could feel it now, even better than before. The liquid fire through his veins and his breath as hot as the volcano, his closed eyes and wings in his back… his desire to fly.
"Burn them" the words exited Jon´s mouth as the Dragonmount exploded, shaking the ground. Everybody in the room screamed, Aurane being the first to recover enough to run towards the window.
"Dragon!" the silver haired bastard screamed as the gigantic figure of the beast exited the devastated volcano, taking it´s first fly in years. Direct to King´s Landing.
"So, it was a dragon" the wildling muttered as he stared at the boy in his arms, who had warged into that great beast. It seemed impossible, those beasts obey no one else but the Targaryens… but then again, there has always been something Lord Stark was hiding about his bastard. His brother too. Every time he was called son or Eddard´s son, there was guilt accompanying the phrase. Like when a child said a lie. Haggon always wondered what the lie was. He could answer now. And so did the Velaryons, by how they were whispering between them. The wildling couldn´t help but wonder if they have suddenly entered the most dangerous game in the world against their wills. "Damn, kid, you surely know how to complicate things"
-King´s Landing-
"Ser Illyn, bring me his head!" Joffrey ordered despite having promised that he would let Lord Eddard join the Night´s Watch. Sansa started screaming, fighting the Kingsguard to get to her father as Cersei tried to reason with her son. In the crowd, Arya gripped Needle, trying to decide if she should try and fight the multitude to get to her father. Ned just prayed. He had failed in the Game of Thrones, so he was going to die, there was nothing left more than to pray for the people he was going to leave behind.
"Father!" he heard Sansa scream as the King´s Justice raised his sword, only to get it down again as the sun was blocked.
"DRAGON!" someone screamed, pointing to the sky as the great beast roared and blasted fire over the city. Joffrey ordered his knights to bring down the animal, but they just abandoned him, running. Sansa was thrown to the side as they did so, which woke up Eddard. He took his opportunity to push Ser Illyn out of balance, using Ice to cut his ties and recovering the sword. The Lord then went for his daughter, to which the boy king answered with live steel bared. Ned didn´t want to kill a child, but the dragon didn´t have the same reservations. It spat fire over the blond kid, then proceeded to eat him and then made a face that clearly said he was sorry.
"Don´t be!" someone said. Arya appeared in that moment, climbing the steps towards her family. In the background, Cersei screamed like crazy while being dragged away by the Kingsguard. Ned stared at the eyes of the dragon, who blinked guiltily, making him sure Jon was the one in control of it. Without losing a second, he dragged his daughters to the animal, helping them climb on it´s back. Jon surely felt uncomfortable now, but it didn´t matter. Not now.
"Sorry" he muttered as he climbed behind the girls. "Fly now, NOW!"
Jon opened his wings and took fly, directing himself towards Dragonstone. He was not sure if it was safe, but it had to be better than King´s Landing. And he managed to charm the Velaryons, so it was possible that Aurane could take them home. Ned, for his part, was practising what he was going to say to Jon when he reached their destination. Damn, he was going to have much to explain when they arrived.
Meanwhile, Haggon was trying to shake Jon awake, as the boy has been warging for too long to be considered safe. The lad finally opened his eyes a few seconds later, making a disgusted expression. Quickly, a hand flew to his mouth.
"Haggon" he said, trying to contain his retching, despite the vomit ascending through his throat. "I think I ate a king."
How are you? I hope that you and your families are okay. Mine is okay, thank God, so I want to desire the best for you all too. This history... I enjoyed writting it, mainly because I gave Joffrey a fitting end and, at the same time, put Eddard in a situation where he has to explain Jon everything he has done surrounded by Targaryen loyalists, with a much less dependant Jon that is not probably going to accept whatever shit explanation he has. Dear old Ned is in troubles now.
Anyway, thank you for your reviews last chapter too, they have been a source of inspiration for me. I´m thinking of writting continuations for some of the one shots, beginning perhaps with the one with Bloodraven... I don´t know, which one you think? And one of the guests mentioned fics where Daenerys wins and Jon is submitted to her... which are the titles? Can you tell me, because I want to read them too? Thank you for everything and until next! Review!