MAESTER LUWIN

Maesters are well educated and trained men in the art of medicine, healing, poisons, history, math, art, poetry, chemistry, agriculture, astrology and politics. When they complete their training the Maesters are assigned to the different Houses throughout Westeros. Maester Luwin had been serving House Stark for the past forty years. It was his job to council, heal, advise, and teach. Whatever his Lord and the members of his family needed Maester Luwin to be he was. He had grown very close to Lady Catelyn when she came to Winterfell and help deliver all her children with the exception of Robb who was born at Riverrun.

Maester Luwin is in the library one of the largest libraries in Westeros second only to the one at the Citadel. Some things he had copied and sent to the Citadel with Lord Stark's permission of course. "Maester…" Jon Snow calls entering the library.

Luwin is on a ladder organizing the library and cataloging everything. It had taken him years to get to the letter H in his alphabetizing the Library. "Yes Jon what is it?"

"I need to speak with you..."

Jon holds the ladder as he climbs down, "Thank you lad, now what can I do for you?" He asks after they sit at the long table.

"I had a dream..."

"Oh really...It has been a while since I interpreted a Dream tell me..."

"I am asleep in my dream...Then I hear a woman calling my name...I also hear a wolf howling somewhere...I sit up in bed and the door opens. This hooded woman enters my room and tells me that she is my mother. I ask her name and who she is...When she lowers her hood a Wolf is underneath...She drops her robe and goes down on all fours...She leaps at me and I roll out of bed. Then she chases me through the castle. No matter how fast I run she always cuts me off. Finally I end up in my father's Solar. There is a hooded man waiting for me...He says that he is my father and not Lord Stark...When he takes down his hood a three headed Dragon is beneath the hood...The middle head speaks and tells me to wake the Dragon...Then all three heads spew fire on me and I awaken..."

"Interesting dream..."

"Aye, but what does it mean?"

Maester Luwin thinks about it in silence. He shakes his head, "It has been a while since I interpreted a dream...Give me a week then come back and see me..." As Jon gets up to leave Maester Luwin's smile vanishes. "No he whispers..." Then he gets two books. One on the Great Houses of Westeros, the second on dreams. The next day it snows confining the younger children inside as Lady Catelyn doesn't want the children to get sick. Snows during the long Summer is not unheard of, but the snowing only lasts a week. During this time Maester Luwin wrestles with the interpretation of the dream Jon told him about.

He shakes his head, "It can't be...But it is the only thing that makes sense..." He says to himself. His thoughts are interrupted by Jon entering the library.

"It has been a week Maester...Do you have an answer for me?"

"I do...You have always wanted to be a Stark haven't you?"

Jon frowns, "Yes..."

"Well there you go...The Wolf in your dream is your desire to become a Stark...When she was hooded...It represented your desires to know who your real mother is..."

"And the three headed Dragon?"

"You were born out of war...Lord Eddard Stark betrayed his vows...The Dragon represents all those things..." He can tell Jon does not accept his interpretation of the dream. But Maester Luwin had to lie, as he slowly put together the truth. After days of internal strife with himself Maester Luwin decides to confront Lord Eddard Stark with his theory.

Ned is returning from a hunt with Robb, Theon, and Jon. Maester Luwin is in the courtyard waiting beside Lady Catelyn Stark. "My Lord welcome back...When you get a moment may I speak with you..."

"Of course Old Friend..."

They meet in his solar, "How long have I known you My Lord?"

Eddard smiles, "All my life...Except when I left to go Ward with Jon Arryn..."

"Yes, Maester Walton and Lord Arryn wrote often of your progress...Over a week ago Jon Snow came to me about a dream he had..."

"Oh what did he dream..." Maester Luwin explains the dream and as he does he watches Lord Stark's reactions. "Interesting dream what did you tell him..." He asks with a shaky voice.

Maester Luwin stares at Ned before answering, "You are the most honorable man I know...I didn't think it was possible, but you are even more honorable than your father...So after some deep thought I came to the conclusion that Jon Snow is not your son..."

There is silence and he can see the wheels turning in Ned's head, "Why...How could you say such a thing...Because of a dream Jon had?"

"I know the old legends of the North as well any Northerner born here...That wasn't just a dream...Jon had. Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna Stark and a war was started because of it..."

"It wasn't just Lyanna's kidnapping...Aerys killed my father and brother..."

"Forgive me then part of the reason. But I am telling the truth aren't I...Jon is not yours..."

Ned lowers his head, running both hands through his hair and when he looks up tears are streaming down his face, "I wish to the gods Jon had come to me with this dream...You my friend are too smart for your own good..." Ned sighs, "Jon is my nephew by Lyanna...Rhaegar didn't kidnap her...They fell in love at the tourney of Harrenhal...They married in secret."

"What about Princess Elia?"

Ned explains that Elia and Lyanna became good friends during the tourney and that she encouraged Lyanna to marry Rhaegar and was a witness at their wedding. "So why not tell your Lady wife the truth my Lord or Jon? He at least deserves to know the truth..."

Ned sighs, "A wise man once told me that the fewer people who know a secret the better chance of that secret remaining hidden..."

Maester Luwin smiles, "My own words come back to haunt me...But still Lady Catelyn is your wife..."

"I barely knew her...I decided to tell her the child is mine...It was my burden to bare alone and I made a promise to Lyanna...If Robert found out..."

Luwin nods, "Do you really think Robert would have killed your nephew..."

"I don't know my friend and it was a chance I was not willing to take...Robert changed...He loved Lyanna with all his heart...You know the saying gods help the man who makes Robert Baratheon an enemy...All Targaryens earned his wrath that day. The Lannisters sacked the city and Gregor Clegane...He killed Rhaegar's children by Elia then he raped her. A knight of the Realm and Robert did nothing."

"I am sorry you had to bare this burden alone my Lord, but you may wish to tell Jon the truth...The boy is very intelligent and I am not sure he believed my interpretation of his dream..."

"What did you tell him?"

Maester Luwin tells Ned what he said to Jon about the Dream. Then there is a knock at the door.