AN: Again, thank you to Reviewer543 for your input on the story. You add the shine, friend. Also thanks to all who have reviewed, followed and favorited. If I don't respond to your review directly, I definitely try to take any suggestions that make the story into account when writing new chapters. Read and review then make another account and review again. Enjoy!

The figure rising from the water appeared to stand on two legs, though Jon could not yet see its feet. Instead of hair, a dome like shell spanned over its head and shoulders. It had no neck, red eyes and a vertical slit for a mouth with sharp teeth lining the sides with no nose.

It was deeply wrinkled with a fleshy, pink substance connecting its gruesome face directly to its chest. The monster's chest was similar to the underside of a crab with a tough looking exoskeleton that tapered down to a small waist and a pointed tail which submerged into the water. Unlike its crustacean brethren, its shoulders and upper arms resembled those of a man save for the greyish-brown shell covering that protected all but a small area where the bicep connected to the shoulder and at the elbow.

As if the fanged mouth and the exoskeleton were not enough, the monster also had huge pincers that extended from the elbow that were large enough to easily fit a man's neck with room to spare, at least until they clamped shut.

The creature raised its arms, snapping it's pincers with sharp clicks while bellowing a warbling call. One of the brothers of the Nights Watch screamed in terror, causing the beast to turn its body to the sound before setting off at a speed that belied its size. In five steps, spanning almost twenty yards, the beast closed the distance between him and the man, revealing similarly armored legs and two-pronged appendages in place of feet.

Based on the man's height, Jon estimated that it must stand at least nine feet tall. The creature bellowed again and struck out with one of its pincers before the man could reach its body with his sword. The pincer closed around the man's throat in an instant and proceeded to cut through the man's spine, not showing the slightest sight of slowing due to resistance.

The creature bellowed another roar in challenge to those that had dared trespass on its domain. Though the men were clearly shaken, their training and experience showed as they seemed to regroup following their comrades death as they formed up and faced the monster as a group. The creature charged at them, Jon set off in chase and the men shouted in defiance as they launched themselves at the creature that had killed one of their own.

The creature's bulk and momentum was enough to break the makeshift ranks that the brothers had formed but they had managed to evade the charge without suffering damage. Swords were slashing but they were not able to penetrate the beast's exoskeleton. Swinging one of its arms, the creature was able to throw back Alyn, Rolf and another man leaving only Warne, Nelsor and Ronas on their own to defend against the onslaught.

Ronas was able to block the incoming strike from a pincer with his sword which was ripped from his grasp and discarded before a kick from one of the creature's pronged feet caused him to soar backward through the air almost three yards before he landed heavily in a heap upon the ground. While this was happening Warne slashed at the creature's other arm and managed to lodge his sword between the plates on the creature's shoulder and the plate covering its bicep which caused it to bellow in rage before swatting Warne away with its injured arm, leaving only Nelsor standing between the creature and his fallen brothers.

Nelsor braced himself to make a stand just as Jon made it into range to launch an attack. I've seen enough attacks fail to damage the creature due to its thick hide. The only attack that seemed to cause it any harm was when Warne managed to strike an area that was not protected by the thick exoskeleton. If I want to make it out of here with my life, I'll need to find a way to get my sword into those sections of its body.

Jon swung his sword with a mighty two-handed blow at the fleshy gap that presented itself at the intersection of the monster's hip and leg. Though the creature's lunge at Nelsor closed the gap that Jon was aiming for, it opened a new gap in the exoskeleton on the other side of the joint only a couple inches down from Jon's initial target. Though Jon was able to cut into the vulnerable flesh while pulling his sword back from his initial slash, the wound that he caused was far from debilitating.

Again, the creature bellowed in rage as it quickly turned from Nelsor and attempted to backhand Jon as it had done with Warne only moments before. Fortunately, Jon had anticipated this response and he was able to dodge the incoming blow. As Jon dodged the blow, Nelsor learned from his example and lashed out against the two vulnerable points at the juncture of the creature's legs.

Just as Jon had done before, Nelsor was able to land a strike against the creature's exposed flesh causing it to bellow and lash out against him with a massive backhand swing of its pincer. While Jon did not hear anything to make him think that the blow had landed, he did not have time to focus on Nelsor's actions. Instead, Jon raised his sword above his head with both hands before chopping down with his sword and causing it to lodge in the fleshy area between the bottom of the ball-like joint and the exoskeleton covering of its left thigh.

While the creature again bellowed in pain, this time its movements were slightly slowed allowing Jon to easily dodge the backhand swing that came his way in response. However, the ease of the dodge left Jon open to the mighty kick that crashed into his chest.

It was like all of the air was pressed from his body as Jon flew backward before landing in a heap on the ground. While reeling from the force of the blow, Jon noted that the creature had started to advance upon him before letting out another enraged roar when Nelsor duplicated Jon's feat. Even though his body protested, Jon pushed his body from the ground and regained his footing as he recognized that letting any of these men face this beast alone would surely result in their deaths.

Not ready for man's life to weigh on his conscience, Jon took a deep breath and rallied himself to fight again. Fortifying himself for the battle's continuation, Jon moved as stealthily as he could to put himself in position behind the beast as it towered over Nelsor.

With all the force that he could muster, Jon launched his sword in a two-handed slash at the creature's knee while channeling lightning through his blade. The attack struck true and Jon's sword cut cleanly through the joint, causing the creature to topple to its side. Down, but far from out, the creature roared and tried to strike Jon on its way to the ground. Expecting the blow and confident that the creature would not be able to follow up with only one leg, Jon ducked the blow while stepping back to observe his downed opponent.

Though its maneuverability was severely diminished with the removal of the limb, Jon refused to make the mistake of considering the threat to have been neutralized. Instead, he circled around the creature quickly and brought his sword down on the fleshy joint of the other knee that was fully exposed as the creature attempted to prop itself up on its remaining limbs. The creature seemed to realize what Jon was attempting to do as it raised its tail parallel to the ground while thrusting backwards violently.

Jon was narrowly able to avoid the pointed tip of the thrusted tail by throwing himself to the side and rolling back to his feet. After regaining his footing, Jon took stock of the situation. With its pincers in the dirt its attack options seem to be limited to its tail. If I can avoid the tail until I can take out the arms and other leg then I should be able to put this monster down.

Again, Jon lined up behind the creature, intent upon taking out its remaining leg. This time, he was prepared for the thrust of its tail and deflected with a mighty upswing of his sword. The deflection caused the creature to pause momentarily which gave Jon the time he needed to swing his blade, which had been strengthened by the magical properties of lightning, through the creature's remaining knee with a mighty two-handed swing.

The creature collapsed to the ground with a thud and Jon backed away several steps to make sure that he was no at risk from the still very dangerous claws. Chancing a look at the downed members of the Nights Watch, Jon saw several pairs of glassy eyes looking at him in disbelief.

Not wanting to give the creature ay chance to regain the initiative in its injured state, Jon ignored the men who were either unable or unwilling to come to his aid and turned his attention back to the downed beast.

Now that it has to drag its body through the soil with its pincers, the creature has no way to attack with its tail and any attempts to strike with those pincers would be easily detected and evaded. Jon thought while maneuvering himself to stand in front of the beast.

After losing the use of its legs, the creature was left in a prone position with its pincers in the dirt in order to support its heavy torso. Jon inched forward with the intention to dismember the creature further by removing its pincers but he was forced to jump backwards when it suddenly pushed against the ground to propel its body forward while throwing its claws in Jon's direction in an attempt to subdue the enemy that had caused so much damage to its body.

Although Jon was able to avoid the attack, he was once again out of range to attack the wounded creature. Sweeping around the creature, Jon positioned himself on the creature's right side and raised his sword again before leaping forward, channeling electricity and bringing his sword down on the exposed joint that connected the remainder of the creature's right leg to its body.

The creature did not have the maneuverability at that point to evade the blow and Jon's aim was true as he severed the remaining portion of its right leg. The creature bellowed impotently but Jon was already moving again. He was sure to keep out of range of the tail, in case the creature threw its body backwards in an attempt to impale him with its tail. In seconds, he was on the creature's left side as he repeated the electrified two-handed strike to remove the remaining portion of its left leg.

Again the creature roared in pain and rage but its roar did nothing to take Jon's attention off of the pincers which were still more than capable of putting an end to his existence if he let his guard down in a careless attack. Focused on not giving it such an opportunity, Jon once again moved to face the creature just outside of what expected to be its attack range based on its previous lunge.

This time, Jon decided to try a different tactic. He inched forward in an attempt to god the creature to attack. Like a fish from the water it had come from, the creature took the bait and sprang forward in an attempt to sink its pincers into its adversary. Jon stepped to the right, allowing the attack to pass by harmlessly while raising his sword and cleaving down in another electrified, two-handed slash.

Smirking with satisfaction, Jon removed the creature's left pincer causing it to crash into the ground. Seizing the initiative, Jon Jon slashed out at the joint of the creature's remaining limb but his attack bounced off the thick armor as it began to thrash and inch towards the water.

Though Jon was fairly certain that it would not gain an advantage if it was able to reach the water, he was not willing to take the risk. Again and again, he hacked at the pincer until one of his strikes found its target. The creature's remaining pincer fell to the ground causing it to thrash madly in a desperate attempt to traverse the distance to the water. Jon moved to its side and used the momentum from its thrashing to kick it over so it was lying on its back with a look of pure rage in its eyes.

Jon put one foot on the creature's chest to still the shaking beast before raising his sword in both hands and channeling enough of the electric magic to cause sparks to dance across the blade before slamming it down and piercing the beast's mouth. For a long minute, the creature continued to thrash but those movements became further and further apart until, finally, it was still.

Quest Complete!
Mollifying the mudcrabs. Defeat the highly territorial amphibious creatures that would expel you from their lands.
Rewards for completion: Gain an ally amongst the Nights Watch.50,000 Experience.

Two-Handed +4,700
Evasion +2,100
Light Armor +500
Stealth +500
Destruction: Sparks +6,000
Blocking +500

Jon took knee next to the creature and tried to be discreet as he checked for loot he was please to find that accessing the inventory of the Mirelurk seemed to give him access to the inventories of the mudcrabs that the group had managed to take down earlier.

Gold (50)
Mirelurk shield: +35 Defense, +20% resistance to physical damage
Mirelurk Chiton: Very rare, seen as a collector's item by those who know what a formidable enemy a mirelurk is to those who venture into their domain (2)
Mudcrab chiton: Common item for those who travel the wetlands of Westeros. (20)

The afternoon found the Warden of the North, Eddard Stark, in his solar responding to a letter that had arrived from King Robert Baratheon. In the letter the king had plainly stated that his party had been delayed when they were feasting at the Twins when a young lad, no older than Robb, presented himself, claiming that he could do magic.

Ned shook his head at the thought but he remembered whispers of magic about the Targaryans he had heard in his youth that told of their arcane abilities. Surely, taming dragons and having the ability to resist, and sometimes even control, fire had their roots in the arcane arts that had allowed the smiths of Valyria to form Valyrian before the doom took Valyria.

Ned's hand absently moved to rest on the pommel of Ice on his hip as he stood from his desk and walked out of the chamber. Still musing over thoughts of magic, Ned's feet took him through the corridors of Winterfell at a brisk pace. While he was sure to acknowledge the courtesies of the staff, he did not allow himself stray from the path he had inadvertently set for himself.

His path had led him to stand in front of an old and heavy ironwood door that would open to reveal one of the places that Ned truly felt he could contemplate his circumstances without the weight of all those who depended on him for their livelihoods. Step by step, Ned made his way down the narrow and winding spiral stone staircase that would take him to the Crypt of Winterfell.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Ned walked through the line of granite pillars that were set in pairs to direct visitors to the first section of the crypt where his ancestors for thousands of years had been put to rest. The oldest tombs were the first that he encountered as the crypt forced any who dared to enter to pay their respects to the most ancient of the Starks before reaching the tombs of the more recent ancestors.

The air in the crypt seemed to have been chilled by the solemn presence of the ancient Kings of Winter that had ruled over the entirety of the North from their seat at Winterfell. Ned gazed upon his ancestors with reverence as he continued through the crypt to his destination. The large stone direwolves curled at the feet of the Kings of Winter shifted Ned's thoughts from magic to thoughts of the children and their direwolves.

As Ned reached the bust of Lyanna Stark, his thoughts had turned to Jon.

"I've kept my promise, Lyanna," Ned started. "Our home has been livelier all these years because of that promise. Even though things did not quite go the way that I expected at first, I think you would have approved of recent developments. The ruby held its power even after its fire was extinguished and it seems to be every bit as potent as it was when it glowed red and stole your attention from your intended."

Ned fell silent as his thoughts drifted back to the Tower of Joy. He thought of the men that had died there. He thought of the men he had killed there. He thought of Ser Arthur Dayne and Howland Reed. He thought of the last time he saw his sister and the words they exchanged.

"Jon is gone. He disappeared two days ago when a flash of light swept through Winterfell. He has become strong enough to fend for himself but I will do everything in my power to see him safely returned home," Ned muttered. "If Robert's recent letter is to be believed the he has encountered a lad who claims to be able to do magic after the pulse took Jon from Winterfell. If Robert's words are true then I believe magic to be the reason that Jon is no longer here with us at Winterfell. If he keeps growing, as he has over the last two months then I may be able to tell him…"

Ned's voice died in his throat when he heard the unmistakable sound of feet scuffling along the twin pillar path that would bring the visitor to the bust of Lyanna Stark, and her big brother Ned.

"Lord Stark," the wheezy voice of Maester Luwin asked. "There's been a raven from the Shadow Tower. Ser Denys Mallister reports that Jon was brought before him by one of his men at midday yesterday and is riding south with some of the men of the Watch."

"Ser Denys Mallister has not contacted us in all of the years that he has had command of the Shower Tower. If he says that Jon was at the Shadow Tower and is riding south then we will send riders north at once to bring him back to Winterfell," Ned declared resolutely. "A Stark's place is always at Winterfell. Jon is no exception."

"As you wish my lord," the maester agreed. "I will make your command known."

"No. If not for King Robert's imminent arrival, I would go myself to retrieve Jon," Ned reasoned. "With the pending arrival of the king, I will have to select the group to fetch Jon from the Wall."

-16-16-16-

After the battle with the Mirelurk half of the men had turned back to the Shadow Tower either out of necessity or with the goal of protecting their injured brothers. Jon was left with Alyn, Nelsor, the young and observant Rolf Stone, one-eyed Ronas Payne and beady eyed Warne Stally when the others departed.

The now diminished party was able to make good time to the village with the reduced numbers despite the generally low morale caused by over half of their party making a hasty retreat to the Shadow Tower. The village was much smaller from Wintertown from what Jon saw. As the town was coming into view, Jon saw four structures. To the left was a large wooden building that looked to have survived many harsh winters.

Immediately to its left was another wooden building that was smaller but had a large staircase that would allow access to a large number of people to the second floor without having to enter the first floor. The third structure was largest of all, though it still paled in comparison to Winterfell, with a flag that waved a four-pointed star that would not have been out of place pointing the four cardinal directions on a map. The last of the four in the foreground was separated from the other three by almost forty yards, by Jon's estimation, and it was another cottage-like dwelling.

Through the gap in the structures, Jon could see seven of the smaller wooden cabins forming a semicircle on the east side of a body of water that the village seemed to be built around with a small dock and a boat resting on the quiet water. Though it was still relatively early in the afternoon, there was none of the hustle and bustle that Jon had come to expect of towns from his, admittedly limited, experiences in Wintertown after dark.

The sight of the village would have been reassuring for Jon had it not been for the fires that were burning and the men and women who were running through the town, attacking men who held shields bearing the same four-pointed star symbol that Jon saw on the flag waving above the largest of the village's buildings.

Jon and the remaining men of the Nights Watch drew their swords and urged their horses to go faster. While Jon was intent on pushing his horse to go faster to help the villagers fend off their attackers, he could not help but notice the quest alert when it appeared.

Quest Alert!
Village Vigilante: Defend the village of Dawnstar against the Wildling invaders that seek to enslave the men and do worse to the women.
Rewards for completion: Fealty of Dawnstar, information about ? and 100,000 Experience.
Penalty for failure: Fall of Dawnstar and failure of Return to Winterfell Quest.

Jon shook his head with a grim expression on his face as he accepted the quest and drew his sword. As he rode through the large gap between the third and fourth buildings that were closest to him, Jon cut a bloody path through the men and women who were laying siege to the village.

By his count, Jon's sword slashed thirteen times while he held the reins in his other hand to keep control of his horse. Though every strike did not immediately result in death, the men who were following behind him were quick to take advantage of their downed enemies. As Jon and the brothers of the Nights Watch made their way through the enemies on the outskirts of the village, they drew the attention of those that were attacking the cabins that overlooked the water.

One of them threw a spear at Jon's horse that fell short by mere inches before embedding in the ground, causing his horse to rear up and throw it from its back and making him fall hard to his back on the ground. The impact forced the air from his lungs but on was not willing to succumb to the darkness that threatened to take his vision. Instead, Jon grit his teeth and charged at the enemy on foot.

As he charged, he was met by a man who swung an axe with the intent to remove Jon's head from his shoulders. Jon ducked under the sweeping blow and stabbed his sword into the man with his right hand as he grabbed hold of the axe with his left hand. Wielding both weapons, Jon didn't stop at the first man. He pushed forward and found himself surrounded by a group of Wildlings who looked like they would enjoy nothing more than cutting Jon down where he stood.

In seconds, Jon's world became a flurry of weapons. He blocked and dodged incoming attacks while finding gaps in his enemies' defenses to launch his own attacks with both of his weapons. The strength of the Wildlings was on another level compared to the recruits that Jon usually trained with but, by reinforcing his weapons with the Magic Ward, he was able to cut his way through the throng of enemies to stand alone, facing down a large man with a huge beard who was unnecessarily shirtless in the northern climate and brandishing the largest axe that Jon had ever seen.

While Jon was reluctant to face such a foe, he knew that, with the powers granted to him by the Stargaryan Ring, he was better suited to meet such a challenge than the brothers that he was traveling with. He would try his best and hope that the others would reach him soon to provide additional support.

The brute heaved his axe above his head before slamming it toward the ground in an attempt to bisect Jon. Though the sight was intimidating, Jon was not paralyzed with fear. He side stepped neatly before stabbing with his sword and slashing with the axe that he had acquired.

One-Handed +3,300
Evasion +3,900
Blocking +1,400
Restoration: Magic Ward +1,400

Robb and Theon were in the training yard practicing at swords under Ser Rodrik Cassels watchful eye when their spar was interrupted by the appearance of the Lord of Winterfell.

"Ser Rodrik, We must have words," Robb's father declared in a tone that left no room for argument. "We have received word of Jon."

"I'm at you service, Lord Stark," Ser Rodrik vowed. "If there has been word of Jon then I would volunteer myself to assist in his retrieval."

"You have my thanks, Ser Rodrik. Gather twenty of the finest men in the guard and take the surest horses in the stable and bring Jon home from the Shadow Tower."

"How the bloody hell did Jon make it all the way to the Wall?" Ser Rodrik's face displayed his incredulity. "It has only been two days since he was last in Winterfell."

"I have my suspicions," the Lord of Winterfell mused. "Though I can't begin to imagine how it would have been possible. Those thoughts can wait until Jon has been safely returned to Winterfell, will you ride?"

"At once my Lord," Ser Rodrik stated as he turned and began to walk to the barracks. "We'll bring Jon home."

"Robb," Ned shifted his focus and addressed his son. "Go tell your brothers and sisters that Jon has been found and will be coming home soon."

"The bastard finally found his place in the world," Theon mused. "We'd be doing everyone a favor if we left him to it and moved on."

"I'll thank you to keep your opinion on the matter to yourself, Theon. Yes, father," Robb answered with a quick glare at his father's ward from the Iron Islands before returning his wooden training sword to the rack and leaving the training area. "Greywind, come let's go find the others."

Robb's direwolf perked up at the sound of his master calling his name and the two of them left the training ground with Greywind's nose to the ground as he tried to pick up a trail of scent that would lead them to their siblings. His tail started to wag and he shot forward when he found what he was looking for causing Robb to have to run to keep up.

Robb had to shake his head and smile at what he saw when Greywind stop at the base of the Broken Tower. Bran's direwolf, which he still had not named, was sitting dutifully with his head raised and his gaze firmly fixed on a figure that has about halfway up the side of the structure.

"Bran," Robb called out. "Get down from there. They found Jon."

"They found Jon?" Bran asked as his progress stopped and he began to descend rapidly. "Where is he? Is he here at Winterfell?"

Robb chose to wait for Bran to reach the ground so he did not have to shout his answer. After a minute of waiting, Bran made it to the ground and joined his brother and their direwolves. "From what father told Ser Rodrik, Jon was at the Shadow Tower. He's sending Ser Rodrik and twenty of the men to bring Jon home."

The joy on Bran's face caused by the notion of Jon coming home was quickly replaced with a look of confusion. "Isn't the Shadow Tower one of the castles on the Wall? How could Jon have gotten to the Wall?"

Robb turned his head to look at the direwolves who had started to playfully wrestle on the ground. "The Shadow Tower is one of castles of the Nights Watch along the Wall. The Wall is too far from Winterfell for Jon to have got there since we last saw him. It doesn't make sense."

Bran frowned at Robb's statement. "What if it had something to do with that light that came through Winterfell? No one wants to talk about it but what if that's the reason that Jon isn't here?"

"I think the light definitely had something to do with Jon disappearing…" Robb trailed off. "Either way, we should let the others know that Jon will be coming home soon. Do you know where the girls are?"

"While I was on the way out, I passed Arya who looked unhappy to have to go do needlework with Septa Mordane and Sansa," Bran answered. "Do you think the Septa will let the girls out so we can tell them about Jon?"

"The Septa serves our Lady mother and, through her, the Lord of Winterfell, if we let her know that we were instructed by father to get the girls then I don't think that there is much she can do besides either appealing to father directly or requesting that mother intervene on her behalf."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Bran asked as he started back towards the castle. "We have to let them know that Jon is ok."

Robb smiled at Bran's enthusiasm. "Right you are. Let's go tell the girls the good news."

The two of them walked in a companionable silence to the castle. The castle grounds were almost completely silent save for the occasional yip rom the direwolves who continued their games under the beaming sun of the north.

When they entered the castle, they moved to the side to allow a group of serving girls with their arms full of fresh linens to pass. After they had allowed the girls to pass, they continued to their destination. When they reached the door to the room that Robb knew Arya despised more than any other in the entirety of Winterfell, Robb raised his hand and knocked sharply three times before he proceeded to open the door.

"Robb!" Arya shouted, her delight at the interruption evident. "Is that Bran with you? Why are you guys here?"

"Arya Stark, behave yourself," the septa scolded. "Lord Robb, please do explain why you have interrupted your sisters' lesson."

"Yes, Septa." Robb remembered the courtesies that the woman had drilled into him over the years. "We were sent by father to get the girls. There has been news of Jon."

"Very well, Lord Robb" the Septa acknowledged. "Girls, you may go."

"Thank you, Septa," Sansa replied while neatly packing away her needle, thread and the fabric that she was sewing into a bag.

Arya was not as careful with her packing efforts. She threw everything in her bag and rushed from her position to stand with her brothers as they waited on Sansa. The eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark made her way to her siblings with grace befitting her stature. Following their masters, Lady and Nymeria also picked themselves off the floor and made to leave the room.

"Is it true," she asked timidly. "Have they found Jon?"

"Where is he?" Arya asked. "Is he here?"

"Aye, they've found Jon." Robb answered. "Let's get Rickon before we go into any more detail. I don't want him to feel left out."

"Rickon could be anywhere," Arya complained. "We can tell him later."

"You know that's not what father would want," Robb countered as he began to walk towards the kitchen. "Come on, Rickon loves watching the cooks work. Unless he's with mother, he is probably there."

Arya looked disappointed but did not try to argue the point with Robb. Instead, she followed mutely with a slightly disgruntled look on her face. Sansa also followed but she did not seem quite as put out by Robb's decision to find Rickon before discussing the matter in more detail.

Fortune smiled upon the Stark children when they entered the kitchen. Sitting on the floor, happily eating a buttered roll as his direwolf laid behind him chewing on a bone was their youngest brother Rickon Stark. Upon seeing all his siblings gathered in the kitchen, Rickon squealed in delight as he dropped the roll and launched himself towards Sansa, wrapping his arms around her leg in a hug.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Rickon," Sansa laughed. "Come with us, we have something important to discuss."

"Alright," Rickon chirped happily while taking her hand. "Let's go."

With Rickon in tow, the group made their way to Robb's chambers in an unspoken agreement. Upon reaching his quarters, Robb opened the door and gestured for his siblings and their direwolves to enter the room. Once Shaggydog and Bran's unnamed direwolf had entered into the room while playfully nipping at each other, everyone was inside so Robb closed the door.

As the others took a seat on his bed, Robb moved to stand in front of him. "Father wanted me to tell all of you that Jon has been found at the Shadow tower. Ser Rodrik and twenty of the guard have been tasked with bringing him back to Winterfell."

"We think it was the light that took Jon to the Wall. There has to be a reason that people only talk about what happened in whispers," Bran added. "It's too far for him to have gotten there by horseback otherwise."

"You knew," Arya asked accusingly. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Easy now, Arya," Robb tried to reassure his younger sister. "We told you as soon as we could have. It would not have been right for us to speculate about such things in front of Septa Mordane."

"If Jon is at the Wall does that mean he's ok?" Sansa asked with a bit of trepidation. "I've heard that recently more and more of the new members of the Nights Watch are criminals that want to escape punishment."

Rob considered her words for a moment before responding. "That may be true but the Nights Watch would never do anything to harm a Stark."

"I just want Jon home," Rickon whined as he threw his arms around Sansa and nuzzled into her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Rickon," Robb said as he moved to put a hand on his brother's head. "Ser Rodrik and the men will not fail in their task. Jon will be back before you know it."

"I hope you're right," Arya stated while rubbing the bicep of her left arm with her right hand. "Winterfell isn't the same without Jon here."

"You've got that right," Robb agreed readily. "Jon has been making a name for himself over the last two months on the training grounds. With him gone, some of the others actually have a chance of winning."

"When Jon gets back, do you think he would teach me how to be a swordsman like him?" Bran asked. "I want to be able to take on two opponents at the same time like he can!"

"I can teach you how to wield a sword if you'd like," Robb offered hoping to get his brother's mind off of Jon's precarious location. "How about we go to the training grounds and get you started this afternoon?"

Bran looked to be considering Robb's words. "I want to train with Jon but I guess you'll do since he isn't here right now."

Robb laughed at Bran's words. "Well I'm glad that I can be of service until Jon gets back and I'm out of the job."

At Robb's unexpected goofiness, the other Stark children burst into laughter with Sansa hiding her amusement behind proper, ladylike giggles. Their mood was optimistic with news that Jon had been found and the he would be coming home soon.

While Jon succeeded in drawing blood with his attack, it was nowhere near enough to put the brute down. If anything, it seemed that the attack only made him angrier as he hefted his mighty axe and swung repeatedly at Jon, causing him to dip, duck, dive and dodge for his life. As he avoided the attacks, Jon began to notice a pattern in the brute's attack.

Horizontal slash across his body, from left to right. That was followed by the brute raising the axe raised above the head and slamming it down in a mighty vertical slash to cut his foe in half. While he recovered his axe with his right hand, he launched a haymaker that would surely have Jon seeing stars with his left hand before he roared and regrouped.

Jon weaved through the series of attacks before launching his counterattack. His sword struck true and he landed a significant gash on the brute's arm causing the man to bellow in rage before redoubling his efforts to take Jon down. In a battle of pure force, Jon knew that he would not stand a chance against the man but, luckily for him, swords was not all about pure force. Sure, how hard one could swing his sword played a large part in determining who would walk away from a battle but more important was the ability to land strikes against your opponent. This was something that Jon had done successfully twice while his opponent had failed to land any of his mighty blows. Dodging the next series of blows, Jon decided to try a different tactic and channeled frost magic into his blade just before the blow landed on his opponent.

The brute was never fast, by Jon's standard, but the frost-laced attack seemed to make the ma move just a little bit slower. This small advantage was enough to allow Jon to land several more glancing blows against the man and cut his speed by almost a quarter.

The man did not seem to notice the reduction to his speed but he did notice the arrival of the brothers of the Nights Watch.

"Alyn," his deep voice boomed through the chaos of battle. "You have betrayed us and you and your crows will pay!"

Evasion +1,500
One Handed +3,000
Destruction: Frost +2,500

Upon being relieved of her charges, the Septa did the first thing that any self-respecting woman of the faith would do in her position, pray to the Seven that Arya Stark would accept the Mother's embrace and behave herself like a proper lady should. After her quick prayer, she made her way through the corridors of Winterfell looking for the Lady of the castle.

She went through the Great Keep of Winterfell to Lady Catelyn's chambers but did not find her Lady therein. So she went down to the Great Hall and kitchen in succession, continuing her search to no avail. Those were the three most likely places to find the Lady during the day without leaving the Great Keep.

The next most likely places to find her lady were across the courtyard, in the library, in the Glass Garden along the north wall, in the Sept, that Lord Eddard Stark had built when his Lady wife came to Winterfell all those years ago or, though it was less likely, in the Godswood with her Lord husband. Trusting in the power of the Seven, the Septa made her way to Winterfell's Sept.

Her usually stern face broke into a small smile as she found the Lady of Winterfell kneeling in the Sept with her hands clasped and her eyes closed in prayer. Having risen to become a Septa, Mordane knew better than to interrupt someone who was so clearly involved in praying. Instead she chose to wait the few minutes until the Lady had the opportunity to communicate with the Seven and unclasped her hands, beginning to stand, before approaching the Lady of Winterfell.

"Lady Stark," the Septa curtsied while alerting her Lady to her presence. "There has been news of Jon Snow."

"Thank you for coming to me with this, Septa Mordane" Lady Catelyn acknowledged the courtesy with a slow nod of her head. "Please tell me the news."

"I do not have all of the details," the Septa prefaced her words. "However, Lords Robb and Bran were sent by Lord Stark to collect Ladies Sansa and Arya since a raven has arrived with news that Jon Snow had arrived at the Shadow Tower."

"So the bastard has finally realized that he won't gain any favors by staying at Winterfell and threatening my children's succession?" Catelyn mused with a smirk. "Very good. In that case, his decision to take the Black has my full support."

"Pardon me, my Lady," the Septa wished that Lady Catelyn's prayers had been answered so she could more fully embrace the teachings of the Mother. "It seems that Jon Snow was brought there against his will and that Lord Stark will be sending men to retrieve him."

Lady Catelyn's face grew stony at the mention that Jon was to be retrieved. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Septa. I believe that it would be best for me to speak more of this directly with my husband."

"As you will, my Lady," the Septa agreed while curtseying again. "No matter what Lord Stark may say, remember that the Seven are always listening to the prayers of the devout."

While all the brothers looked towards Alyn at the brute's declaration, only Rolf seemed to be confused by the words.

"Alyn, how does he know you?" Rolf asked. "What have you done?"

Though Jon was just as intrigued by the brute's words, he knew better than to take his eyes off of his opponent during a fight. Instead of letting himself be distracted by the situation that seemed to be brewing amongst the brothers of the Watch. Jon launched himself at his slowed opponent and attacked with renewed vigor.

Each of his weapons seemed to emit a soft blue glow in the seconds before the blue gave way to red as they were coated in the blood of his adversary. As the blows continued to land, the man's flesh started to become blackened as the telltale signs of hypothermia set into his body. Jon's combo continued until the brute of a man was essentially standing still which is when Jon lashed out with a kick to put him on his back.

Jon took advantage of his downed opponent and leapt forward, burying the head of his axe in the man's jaw and his sword in the man's gut. At this, the rising and falling of the man's chest stilled as the Stranger took another from the land of the living in his sweet embrace.

With his opponent dispatched, Jon ventured a glance at Rolf. The bastard of the Vale had his sword drawn but he was outnumbered and quickly losing ground as Alyn and the other men of the Watch were attacking him in an attempt to take him down.

"What's the meaning of this?" Jon asked attempting the voice that he had heard his father address quarreling lords. "Explain yourself."

"We don't have to explain shit to you, boy," Warne sneered as he broke off from the group engaging Rolf and moved to challenge Jon. "You're nothing to us and your death by Wildlings may be noticed but we won't be giving the executioner our boots for it today."

"Why would you do this?" Jon asked, his voice trembling with fury. "I've done nothing to you. I'm sure that Rolf hasn't done anything to you. Why would you betray one of your own?"

Warne smirked at Jon's questions. "This ain't our first dance with the Wildlings, boy. When you are forced to take the black then you do your best to get by however you can. If that means selling the people of a village that no one has ever heard of to the Wildlings then so be it."

"The sentence for a man who betrays the Nights Watch is death." Jon responded in a way that had been ingrained into his being since he first saw Lord Eddard Stark remove the head of a deserter. "In the name of my father, Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell and King Robert Baratheon, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, I, Jon Snow, sentence you to death.

One-Handed +8,800
Destruction: Frost +7,800

Lady Catelyn sincerely appreciated the Septa bringing the news to her. Though she would have preferred to be notified immediately by her husband before he sent a party to retrieve the bastard, she also understood that it was a subject that he would not be persuaded against. Even though the boy was a slight against her honor with every breath that he drew and he was a very real threat to the succession of the true-born Stark children, nothing that she could say would convince her Lord husband from his attempt to retrieve the bastard.

Knowing her husband, there was only one place that he would be after receiving such news. She left the Great Keep and made her way across the courtyard passed the guest house and armory into Winterfell's Godswood. Sure enough, the Lord of Winterfell was reclined against a large rock near the Weirwood tree in the center of the Godswood, overlooking the hot spring that warmed the castle.

"My Lord," Lady Catelyn started diplomatically. "Is it true?"

"My Lady," her husband answered with a far off look on his face. "Indeed it is. To think that, of all the places that Jon would be found, he had somehow made it to the Wall."

"Indeed," Lady Catelyn said pertly. "Might it not be best to let him stay at the Wall? If he has run away then there could scarcely be a more fitting place for him. It is said that on the Wall that a bastard can rise as high as any man."

"Be that as it may," Lord Stark slid the whetstone down the length of House Stark's ancestral sword Ice. "If he chooses that path, then I will give him my blessings. Until he chooses to renounce the Stark family for the brothers of the Nights Watch, then I would have him here where he is safe."

"I know that you are fond of the boy, Ned," she attempted to placate her husband. "Is it right to bring him back to Winterfell when he will never be its lord?"

Her husband laughed at the question causing her face to fall into a frown. "Cat, if not becoming the Lord was that important to the people who call Winterfell home then the only people who would do so would be the two of us and our sons."

"I think you would agree that the circumstances that allow the boy to call Winterfell home are vastly different than the smallfolk who attend to Winterfell's needs," she implored her husband see her reasoning. "The cooks in the kitchen would have no reason to try to steal the lordship. The men of the Winterfell guard know their place in this castle."

"Aye, and Jon Snow knows his place too," he promised. "Jon has been a brother to our children. Despite the recent improvements that Ser Rodrik and Maester Luwin have been raving about, Jon has never done anything to suggest that he would threaten the others."

"Isn't that how it starts though?" she queried. "He distinguishes himself and raises himself above Robb in his mind then he starts to resent Robb's position?"

"You are seeing things that aren't there," he promised. "Jon's path will most certainly take him from Winterfell. Though I'm sure that he would be more than happy to take over for Ser Rodrik when the time comes, so he could teach Robb's sons at swords, it seems more and more likely to me that Jon will ask for permission to leave on the journey to become the man I know he can be in the near future."

"Wouldn't it be safer to have him at the Wall with your brother Benjen?" Cat questioned, trying not to make it seem that she was asking more for the guaranteed succession of her son than as a genuine curiosity. "After all, there has been Stark blood manning the Wall and protecting the realms of men for generations. Benjen would be an old man before any of Robb's sons could possibly decide to take the black."

"You do Jon a disservice with your words, Catelyn," he admonished, his tone notably cooler than it had been so far in the conversation. "Any journey that Jon takes would not be an attempt to gain strength to usurp Robb's position. He's a good lad and there are many things in this world that remain to be seen. Prior to this unexpected journey, the boy had never been further from Winterfell than the Wolfswood. There's the rest of the Seven Kingdoms for him to explore and a whole continent of adventure across the Narrow Sea."

Cat's expression leveled from a frown to a stony line as she considered the bastard crossing the Narrow Sea, never to darken her hearth again. Even though the conversation left much to be desired she put her faith in the words of her husband, at least for now.

AN: There you have it. With this chapter we cross the 100k word mark and have a glimpse of what is going on at Winterfell. Please let me know what you thought of the POV shifts, especially if it is something that you would like to see more of in the future.