Valyrian Steel

Chapter 12

Lord Commander

Jon looked around confused with his surroundings, a moment ago Meera Reed had been feeding him red Sap while he lay in bed trying to sleep. Now he was standing in the center of a forest of wierwoods with a fog that kept him from seeing more that a couple of feet in front of him. The girl angered him through no fault of her own, the fault was his, he was disappointed that he had let himself get his hopes up. A girl with brown hair arrived riding a dire wolf, who else could it have been besides Arya? Yet when the girl looked up from her bowl and her eyes were forest green Jon could barely suppress his rage. Three false Arya's, it was like the gods were mocking him.

Someone emerged from the fog, Robb standing tall and strong.

"Robb?" Jon said with a hesitant step towards his brother.

"A different brother, Bran" he said with a sad smile.

Jon rushed towards him, gave him a strong hug and lifted him up in the air with a laugh. "How is this possible?! You can walk?"

Bran returned the embrace then motioned for Jon to let him down. "This is a dream, the land in between, my body may be broken but my mind is still strong."

Jon frowned, for a moment he had hoped the children had cured Bran, but then he smiled. "You look like Robb when he was younger, a little thinner and taller, I missed you."

"I missed you too." Bran said gently "I've been watching over you, green seeing your past, present and future. You heard me call you from the darkness back to your body, I would have shown you then but the Red Witch and her fiery god were watching."

"Shown me what?" Jon asked confused

"Your mother, your father, and the duty that comes from both." Bran said as he began to climb a nearby wierwood.

"I left that mystery behind," Jon called out as he watched his brother hop onto a higher branch. He started to follow Bran up the tree, "my duty is to the Watch and the end of The Others."

Suddenly a cacophony of voices sounded around them and Jon heard the vow.

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come" Jon heard Grenn, Pyp, Noye, Mormont Aemon and Benjen, the voices of thousands more past and present Black Brothers joined in a roar until at the end they receded in a whisper.

"'It shall not end until my death." Bran repeated "You have died. Your vow has been fulfilled. And the duty of the father must now pass onto the son." He sat on a branch that seemed to thin to hold his weight and swung his legs, looking down at him.

"What do you wish to see." Bran asked, betraying no emotion.

"Arya," Jon said quickly "Rickon and Sansa."

"You may not like what they have become." Bran stood plucked the tallest leaf from the tree and let the wind take it away.

)O(

Sansa sat in the center of a large room, knights were guarding the door and she was embroidering a cloak with Stark colors, a wedding dress was beside her still in the process of being made. She hummed quietly while a small man with a beard placed his hand on her shoulder. She stilled and the soft smile on her lips dissipated momentarily into a cold expression. Sansa smiled at him and he kissed her gruffly, satisfied for the moment he left and she dumped her precious work on the ground and spat in disgust. Her hands were clenched into fists until a Raven flew down picking up her needle from floor and offering it to her. She stared at it in surprise and thanked it before it flew away.

"I try to help when I can." Bran murmured. "That man is one of the most dangerous men in Westeros, his schemes have managed to lead to war and the deaths of thousands, and no one seems to know."

The scene changed, crows were perched on a wierwood and entrails were hanging from the branches. A prisoner was shivering underneath tied up while men and women stood around him. A black dire wolf appeared with Rickon at his side and a woman clad in furs and leathers followed closely behind. A burly man stepped forward and addressed everyone.

"We gather here today to witness Rickon Stark ascend from boy to man. This piece of filth was caught spying for Bolton. This is your fight boy, you want him dead you kill him yourself."

He cut the spy loose and held out a sword for him, "You fight the boy, if you win you go free."

The spy snatched the sword away and stood on shaky legs. Rickon stepped forward with Shaggy dog but the burly man from earlier stopped him.

"Just you. No warging"

Rickon and his wolf bristled but he complied. He grabbed two axes and stepped forward. The spy was a large man and while Rickon was tall for his age he was still just a ten year old boy. Jon tried to reach out for him but only the wind blew in Rickons hair. The wild child grinned and waited for the spy to attack. The Bolton man charged and Rickon rolled away and slashed at the spy's back. Jon's brother dodged away as his enemy turned and slashed at him. Rickon grunted in pain, his enemy had cut him across the shoulder. The spy lifted his blade and brought it down but Rickon caught it with both axes, but the spy was stronger Rickon was being forced down when he kicked out and caught him in groin. The Lannister spy cried out in pain and lifted his blade once more. Jon saw blood gush from the spy's groin, Rickon had spiked shoes for the ice. Rickon slashed upwards and cut the spy from groin to neck. The man collapsed onto the ground with a groan, the light in his eyes flickered away and Rickon stood over him. Suddenly his eyes went white and Shaggydog stepped forwards and began to eat the away at the steaming copse.

"Leave some for the gods" the burly man from before said as he clapped Rickon on the shoulder with pride.

Rickon returned to his body and picked at the corpse hanging entrails over the tree and painting his face with the blood. The rest of the Skaggosi stepped forward and painted their face with Rickon's kill. They began to sing and Shaggy joined Rickon with a howl.

"He was always wild," Bran said sadly

"He's only ten!" Jon said angrily

"Arya was nine when she took her first life, and she's killed more people than you. We were forged in pain, and blood, we are stronger for it. For Arya and Rickon the pain came too early. They are steel, Valyrian, they will stay strong, their edge will never dull and neither will their anger. "

Jon looked at Bran "Rickon was a baby when I left, Arya was a child, I can't believe that they became this."

"Children grow up, and you should know that they are still good people. Or at least I like to think they are." Bran said as the scene changed.

They were on the crows nest of the ship and a very pretty brown haired girl,..woman, was sitting on the sail watching dragons dive into the water. Jon peered closely at her, she was thin but looked healthy, small for her age she leaned back and the wind blow her hair. Oddly she was dressed in linen trousers cut below the knee with a blue shirt of cotton and a leather jerkin. There was nothing feminine about her clothes, her hair was done in a messy braid that fell just below her shoulders. One of the dragons rose out of the water with a spin and sprayed her with water. She let out a surprised delighted laugh and stood. Jon looked into the steel grey eyes of his little sister and felt overwhelming joy. Finally the right Arya.

"Cat!" Jon looked down and saw a beautiful woman with braided silver blonde hair and violet eyes peered up at Arya, Daenerys Targaryen Jon decided. "Please join us for a moment."

Arya's face changed from relaxed contentment to something different. Her features became sharper and Jon saw something dangerous. She deftly climbed down and joined the Queen with a predatory grin.

"The captain just informed me that we will be arriving in Dragonstone tomorrow. I need Lya and Missandei to prepare for my arrival while I hunt with my children. I need you to watch everyone, Aegon, the Griffin, his men the Dornish and especially the Sand Snakes. I need to have the upper hand when I arrive. I've had several letters written to be taken to the lord of the Riverlands, the North and the Vale. It will be a few weeks before they or their representatives arrive, you'll have that time to ferret out what secrets you can and reunite with your wolf. Do you wish to add anything."

Arya leaned against the mast and bit her lip, "I could do away with some of them to cripple Aegon and make him more dependent on your power. If you want me to kill Aegon I will but you'll lose any respect you could gain with my people or yours by sending an assassin to kill him before you meet him." Jon felt a chill, he's seen Sam list off his dinner preference with more emotion than this.

"I don't want to kill him, after all he may be my kin. If the Sand Snakes intend to endanger my life or the lives of my people, kill them. Assassins killing assassins should not insult the Westerosi." Daenerys said contemplatively.

"It's all the same to me, I just want to make sure you remember your promise to me. The Boltons, and the Freys are mine to kill. I'll let my cousin and her mother Roslin live, but the rest die. There are a few other people I want dead, you won't get in my way.

"Agreed, I get my army, you get your vengeance and we all go home." Daenerys said as she watched her children. "What were they like?"

Arya fixed her with a questioning gaze.

"I never asked before, I hated your family for what they took from me, but I see it could all be blamed on my father's madness. I didn't want to see it before, but now I do. Tell me about them."

Arya stared out at the water. "Everyone is dead, what does it matter?"

"You have a sister, a brother." Daenerys said encouragingly and Jon was grateful.

"A sister who hasn't been seen in years and Jon….he would not like what I've become. I've killed men women and on occasion children. I'm not the little girl he knew with twigs in her hair and mud on her knees. I'm a killer, and at best I feel nothing when I kill, at worst I feel good."

"Children?" Daenerys asked with an edge to her voice

"They were in pain, their lives were a burden, sickness, starvation, abuse, it was a gift. I helped them drink when they could not. They thanked me."

Daenerys sighed. "My brother was mad, cruel, capricious, but I still loved him. He was all I had. By all accounts your family was loving and kind, I would have liked to have grown up like that. But I was not so lucky, so tell me about what it was like to be so loved." Daenerys said with a gentle smile.

Arya smiled back, it wasn't the predatory grin from before, or the careless smile on the mast, this was a broken smile, filled with pain and grief.

Fog filled Jon's vision and he saw a tall silver haired man with deep purple eyes standing on a balcony looking East. A large scruffy red haired man slapped him on the back with a good natured smile, "Avoiding your dearly beloved cousin Aegon?"

"Everyone really" Aegon said with a wry smile, "Jon kept a secret from me, Lemore, Wylla, whatever her name is just told me that I have a brother. Jon knew, and he said it didn't matter, that he could only hurt me. I have a brother Duck, and he doesn't even know."

Duck leaned forward and looked east, "What are you going to do?"

Aegon stood straight and glared foward, "I am going to tame a dragon. I am going to be the king. I will stop leaning on Connington, and I will find my brother."

Jon looked at Bran with fear and confusion. "Why are you showing me this?"

Bran looked away, "How would you like to hear a story?"

)O(

Three apparent squires were beating a small thin young man. "Come on Frog boy, can't you fight back?!" one with a large nose and puckish face said with a laugh, he had the sigil of house Frey stitched to his sleeve.

The others landed a few more blows with a laugh, Jon clenched his hands into a fist and glared at them, unable to do a thing when a rock hit one of the squires on his head.

"That is my father's man, get away from him!" A small woman with grey eyes and dark brown hair stood holding a rock. For a moment Jon saw Arya, but the dress and long curls threw him. She looked furious and beautiful as she tossed rock after rock at the squires, and they approached menacingly. She stood tall and defiant, "That's my father's man you're kicking!" Three men joined her, all looked like Starks and the youngest looked no older than thirteen.

The Frey boy advanced with a scowl, "Keep to your place woman."

The tallest of the Stark boys reached for his blade but his sister stopped him and held out her hand to her younger brother. "Give me your blade Benjen!"

Benjen grinned and handed her a blunted tourney blade. Jon tried to take in every line and contour of their faces. His father was there, younger and brighter than he ever remembered him. Jon marveled at how young Eddard looked, Jon was probably older than him now. Brandon was taller, handsome and had a sharp look in his eye while Bejen seemed like a boy who laughed at the world. Ned ran his hand through his hair and the barest hint of a smile played across his face. "Father won't be pleased about this.,"

Brandon laughed, "He won't find out, even Benjen could trounce this lot with one hand."

"They'll be too embarrassed to say that they were defeated by a pretty lady in a dress." Benjen said as he sat on the ground and leaned forward to take in the show.

"Draw your blades, all of you!" Lyanna called out. The squires looked nervously at each other.

"You can either face her or me." Brandon said with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"I'd rather face you." Benjen teased. Brandon kicked dirt at him while Ned laughed.

The squires advanced and Lyanna took a stance, they attacked with great force but she was fast. She dodged their attacks and brought the flat of her blade against the back of their necks and knees. Eventually all three ran away abandoning their weapons and honor.

Brandon and Benjen were laughing and shouting expletives and the retreating squires while Ned checked on his sister who looked triumphant. She and Ned helped the young man up.

"You're a Reed right?" Lyanna asked with interest as they helped him to their tent.

"Howland, my name is Howland Reed. Thank you my lady Stark."

"Call my Lyanna, Howland," She said with an open smile.

When they entered the Blue Grey tent with the Stark sigil stitched on the sides Lyanna started cursing the squires.

"Honestly it's ridiculous how they shamed their houses, I expected as much from a Frey though. And really teasing you over your house when your lands are greater than theirs…. Fucking honorless thugs."

Brandon laughed while Ned admonished her and Benjen grabbed some bandages.

"And the knights they serve aren't even that distinguished, they're getting all high and mighty for no reason."

"Not to mention they were defeated by a woman." Brandon said with a smile

Lyanna grabbed a nearby boot and tossed it at his head.

"Shut up Stupid!" Her brothers laughed and she helped tend Howland's wounds with a pout.

"You think you could beat the knights?" Benjen said with a wicked grin that Lyanna answered with one of her own. "I could best them all."

Ned rose and started to walk out the tent.

"Scared Ned?" Lyanna teased.

"No, Just thirsty. Robert invited us for drinks, remember? Besides what we don't know we can't stop. By the way, I think I remember seeing some spare armor and weapons laying around by Mikkens cot."

Ned pushed his brother out and Benjen turned on Lyanna with a grin. "What's the Plan?"

Bran and Jon followed their father out, "We're not going to watch the plan?" Jon asked

"I know the endgame, it doesn't matter, I just want to spend more time with father."

Jon smiled and followed their father.

"If we're not watching through the trees what are we watching through?" Jon looked around, he could see smell and feel everything as if it were real.

Bran pointed at the Ravens scattered throughout the keep. "Eyes, nose and ears, your mind fills in the rest of the blanks."

"Ned, you glum bastard how are you?!" Robert called out. He had a pretty girl in one arm and a goblet in another.

Brandon's eyes narrowed and he glared at the girl next to Robert. "We're fine, so is Lyanna. You remember her, your betrothed." The girl seemed to wilter under Brandons and Ned's gaze and exscused herself.

"Damnit Bran I'm not married yet, I meant no offense. You know I love Lyanna."

Both Starks managed to calm down while Robert poured them a drink and told a rather raunchy joke that had the three of them splitting sides. The insult was forgotten and they were friends again. Robert told stories about Ned at the Eerie and some misfortune with a donkey that had even Jon and Bran laughing.

"Don't forget that I have some choice stories about you Robert, by the way Lyanna heard about Mya, she was not pleased."

"Seven Hells Ned, did you tell her!" Robert said getting red faced.

"No, though I never agreed to keep that secret, serving girls gossip." Ned said as he watched for Brandons reaction.

"Damnit, I'll have to find a jeweler her, maybe a wolf pendant." Robert stroked his beard and thought on how to escape his predicament.

"Our sister can't be distracted by a shiny bauble like some magpie, you'll have to recompense some other way, try to behave." Brandon said as he scanned the courtyard.

"Arrg, dour faced icicled wolf shits, the lot of you!"

Jon watched his father and uncle a little longer until Bran drew him away.

)O(

Later they all sat in a great hall, the Stark children sat with the Baratheons and Howland Reed. Jon watched and was reminded slightly of the kings visit at the Winterfell all those years ago. But this was a completely different affair. Minstrels, bards and jesters were scattered around the dining hall waiting for their turn to perform while serving girls, cupbearers and kitchen staff made their way around the room. Lyanna had a wreath of winter flowers in her hair with blue ribbons and a silver wolf pendant around her neck, both seemed to be gifts from Robert.

He tried chatting with her amicably but other than smiling at some of his jokes she seemed more interested in asking Howland about how the fog warriors fight.

Suddenly the hall hushed and Prince Rhaegar stood holding his lyre. He reached the center of the room and began to sing.

It was a tune that Jon could barely remember, in the beginning it was a happy story about a prince meeting a girl in the woods, he promised her gown and crowns of gold while the wood lass laughed and danced away saying she would dress in leaves and bind her hair with grass and flowers. The happy jaunty tune about love continued until the tune slowed into something sadder and the prince's voice shifted. They had married, he set aside his crown and she her freedom, and the fires consumed them all, she dances and sings only to ghosts now.

A few of the ladies of the court were crying and some men were discretely rubbing their eyes. Lyanna was weeping Benjen started to tease her, she blushed and dumped a goblet of wine on him, "Shut up Stupid!"

All eyes turned toward the Starks and laughter burst through the room, even the prince laughed and watched as Lyanna walked out the room with Benjen trailing behind her offering a kerchief for her tears. Ned followed trying to chastise them both in between laughs.

"It's shocking how much of Arya I see in her." Jon said with a smile.

"I know, but I think Arya's harsher, deadlier, and I can't see her crying over a song."

Jon chuckled, "True, but how many times did she call you stupid like this."

Bran smiled and the scene shifted. Lyanna was dismounting a horse and let out a victorious cry. She was clad in mismatched armor with a laughing wierwood painted across her chest plate and shield. They were surrounded by wierwoods and Jon could only assume they were in the isle of faces. She ginned and started removing her armor, her chest plate fell and she bent over, reaching for a sack she had stuck in the hollow of a laughing wierwood. She stroked the bark and looked up at the leaves, "Thank you for the luck, old friends."

She started removing the greaves on her leg when a voice startled her.

"So that's the secret to the knight of the laughing tree." Rhaegar said leaning against a tree with a smile. "My father sends me to find a knight, instead I find a wild she wolf." He continued as Lyanna backed away.

"She wolf or not I can still bite," Lyanna drew her blade and readied herself.

"How did you get a horse on this island?" he asked as he reached out to her horse and fed it a few mint leaves.

"That's your only question?"

"The squires misbehaved, you put on armor and taught them the error of their ways. I don't think I need to question you." He removed his sword and dropped it o the ground approaching slowly. Lyanna held her grown and kept her sword raised. "They should write songs about you, though I think I'll keep your secret. Father thought you were Jaime, or the doom of Valyria. Some other addled nonsense or other. I don't think it would be wise for me to turn you over to him and watch him start a rebellion in the North by lopping your pretty head off."

"Is he that far gone" She asked finally lowering her blade.

"The smallfolk call him the Mad King, he's earned that name. I'm glad you liked my song."

Lyanna blushed and threw her helmet at him "Shut up stupid!"

Aegon laughed and sat down by the tree. "Tell me about your old gods, I've studied them but you probably know them better." Lyanna smiled and sat down next to him.

Their voices faded and the scene changed yet again.

Lyanna stood by the laughing tree and Rhaegar embraced her from behind, she pushed him away and glared at him.

"Do you really wan't to belong to him." He asked as he reached for her hand.

"Better you?" she asked sarcastically.

"I love the wild girl, he loves the beauty, which do you love?" Rhaegar reached up and caught a blood red leaf that had started to drift to the ground.

"Your both fools! If I go with you Brandon and my father will never forgive me, my mother will roll in her grave and I will be ruined."Lyanna stomped towards the wierwood and leaned against her old friend. Bran was climbing the tree and Jon followed.

"What about you? If you stay you will never forgive yourself. The brute will chip away at everything that makes you exceptional. I need you, not just for love, Elia is ill. The maesters say she will not survive another pregnancy. I love her, not the same way but still. I don't want her to die. There's a prophecy, there must be three."

Lyanna looked up at the blood red leaves and touched the smooth white bark of the wierwood.

"My men and I can take you back to Winterfell, or you can go South with me. It's your choice, if you want I can take the choice from you."

Lyanna closed her eyes, the wind blew through her hair and blood red leaves carried down to her, Bran whispered "Go"

Jon shoved his brother and tried to stop her but she wasn't there anymore.

"Why did you tell her to go?! You know what happens, all those people die!"

Bran smiled sadly "Yes, and you are born, and me, Arya, Sansa, Rickon, Robb. If she had not left we would never have been born. Brandon would marry mother and we would never have existed. We are all needed."

They were in a bedroom with a sickly looking Dornish woman and Rhaegar holding a fair haired babe.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this, I told Pycelle to give you moon tea. They knew you could have died."

Elia smiled, "It's always worth it to see them healthy and squaling. Besides, I think your father had something to do with this."

Rhaegar clenched his fist and gently set the child down with one hand. "Mad meddlesome fool."

"Shh, darling the walls have ears." Elia murmured.

A little girl walked in with a black kitten, "Is Mama better."

"Yes my little princess," Elia said with a tired smile. "Would you like to hold him? You have to be gentle, like with Balerion when we first found him." Rhaenys sat next to her parent and they lay her brother on her lap. She frowned.

"He hurt you, are you ok?"

"Of course." Elia smiled and and kissed Rhaenys. "It was worth it just as it was worth it for you. And, I will be fine. The Maesters are optimistic."

Rhaenys continued to pout. "I wanted a sister."

Rhaegar laughed, "Maybe Lyanna will give you one."

)O(

A plump bald man was holding Elia's hand, "You need to do this my princess."

Elia clutched his arm, "But Rhaenys, you must take her too, she's just a child. Varys Please!"

"Everyone in Kings Landing knows her face, every member of court and all the servants. The child I acquired, he could pass for Aegon. Not many have seen your boy."

"She'll die!" Elia cried out

"Perhaps not. Rhaenys had the good fortune of being born a girl. The rest of the kingdom will not accept a woman as leader so she can not inherit. They are not as evolved as the Dornish. Robert has a younger brother, by all accounts a sweet child. Jon Arryn is a wise noble man, he will see the benefit in letting Rhaenys live and marrying her to Renly Baratheon. There is no need to kill her or you, but Aegon bears the misfortune of being borne a man. No amount of political machinations or manipulation will save him. I have to ferret him away. I promise I will see to his future, his education, his safety. But I cannot take Rhaenys and risk them both."

Elia buried her face in her hands and let out a small sob. Varys comforted her till she calmed down. "Do you promise you'll do what you can for all of us."

"I promise."

)O(

Rhaenys was hiding under the bed clutching a red cloak with a black dragon stitched onto it. Jon could hear shouts throughout the castle. Rhaenys reached out to him, Jon was surprised when he realized he wasn't in his own body. He was in a kittens body, black small pressed against her chest as she sobbed.

"We'll be ok Balerion, we'll be ok." She whispered through her tears. "Be a dragon, please be a dragon. Please Balerion."

Jon didn't know what to do, the little girl cried as quietly as she could praying for him to turn into a dragon, for her father to come home, that she could sprout wings.

The shouts and sounds of fighting were closer, as if a roar of a monster of rage and metal had invaded. Jon heard Elia cry out and he and Rhaenys were dragged out from under the bed. Rhaenys kicked and he clawed. A knight tossed him against the wall and stabbed her and the last thing Jon saw was princess Rhaenys die savagely at the hands of a knight and the heart wrenching wails of Elia Martell.

)O(

Jon collapsed onto the grown and yelled in anguish, "Why did you show me that?" he cried and Bran stood over him. Bran knelt down and looked him in the eyes. "To die alone, without a friendly face or someone to mourn you is a terrible fate. You had to know her and mourn her."

)O(

Lyanna, heavily pregnant and sweating was packing a chest with clothes while another woman tried to stop her. A dark haired handsome woman who looked to be a wet nurse followed her with a worried expression.

"My lady you are to close, you know you must stay to your bed."

"No Wylla we have to run, as far as possible. He killed them, Robert killed them. Elia, little Rhaenys, even the poor baby. He won't stop till all the Targaryens are dead. Robert will cut this babe from my belly. I won't let him have my child." She said with a steely look in her eyes.

"If you move to much you and the baby will die, wait it will come and then we can run." Wylla begged and cajoled until Lyanna finally sat down.

"If I don't have him soon, we all die." Lyanna looked at her determined.

)O(

The next thing Jon saw was Ned burst through the door with Howland Reed in tow. They were bloodied and tired and Ned rushed towards Lyanna who was laying on bloody sheets holding her child in one arm and wearing a wilted crown of winter roses.

"Ned, I missed you" Lyanna said with a tired broken smile.

Ned rushed towards her and held her hand, he turned towards Hoster."Find a maester!"

"No Ned, I'm done. I asked them to cut him out. Arthur Dayne was supposed to take him away, to Dorne. Hide him from Robert, from the Lannisters. I need you to hide him, I need you to lie to your friend and king. He's not my son, he can't be. If he's mine Robert and the Lannisters will kill him. He's your son, he has to be yours. Love him, take him home, take me home. Promise me Ned. Promise me."

Jon's father was crying, "I promise Lyanna. I promise."

Lyanna smiled, "I think you should name him, your son."

Ned looked at the bundle and stroked his cheek, "Jon, Jon is a good name"

Lyanna laughed "Jon, it's a good name"

"Take me home Ned, I want to be with father and our brother. Take us home Ned."

"Of course Lyanna."

"You promise you'll love him, he'll be your son. Promise me"

"Yes." Ned said tears rolling down his eyes as he stroked her hair. "I promise."

)O(

Jon woke up with a gasp and cried, for his sister, his mother, fathers, uncle, for everyone and everything he had ever seen. Meera stood over him holding a Valyrian steel blade.

"You are fire and blood, Ice and Iron, the third head of the dragon. Take your place, and end this darkness."