Author's Note: English is not my natural language, so I'm sorry for any grammatical mistake you may find.

CHAPTER SIX

"Your mother is here." He told him, in a dutiful tone. "She wants to see you."

Jon sighed. If there was a man for each time they were interrupted like that Tywin Lannister would surely pay him for joining his army and attack Westeros. Robb looked at him apologetically. So much for their first meeting after what happened at The Wall and it's seemed like they would have to keep waiting again for a proper talk. But Jon understood, nonetheless. He knew Robb also wanted to see Lady Catelyn, despite what he said earlier. At least he would, if he were him.

"It's okay. You should go." He said convincingly.

"I'm sorry." Robb apologized again. "I'll talk with you later, okay?"

He ducked out of the tent and left after Theon. Jon stood there alone, watching their shadows drifting away in the tent wall. His eyes came to rest on the pommel of Longclaw. He knew the blade needed polishing and a slight memory of his Father with Ice in the Godswood captured his eyes again like so many times. Coming the night, it always looked just like the silvery surface of the pool.

Whenever Ice was now, he was sure its new owner wouldn't waste a single thought in it, not like his father had. He almost could picture it, the dark metal chained under a heavy coat of red. Or maybe, they hadn't even found a purpose for it and laid dark and dusty in an old armory. Jon could laugh at how ironic it sounded. They were in need of everything they could to protect The Wall, now more than ever since Sam and the others had gone Beyond The Wall, and The King only was using it to collect dust in King's Landing. With heavy eyes, he went outside so he could find a place where he could be alone but Harrion jogged to his side the moment he saw him.

"That's a fine Valyrian sword you have there." He praised, breathlessly. "No wonder Lord Commander wants Ice so badly. But why did he give it to you?"

"I saved his life." From a White Walker. He wanted to add but stopped himself.

"Well, we can hope to see you fighting with it." Harrion commented. "Maybe now you can come up with a decent round after last time."

"Last time I blackened your eye, if I remember correctly." Jon laughed.

"I was partnered with Eddard, what did you expect?" Harrion protested eagerly. "A straw man fights better I think. And you had Robb besides."

"Yeah. He tripped though. And disarmed your brother with his foot."

"He hasn't got any better since."He sighed hopelessly. "Maybe now that you're here you can teach him a thing or two. For the honor of our house."

"He was named after my father. I think he understands of honor." Jon grinned faintly.

Both walked through a multitude of northerners and their fires, which were attacking the air with seldom plumes of smoke. The sky was turning into the color of a dark bruise above them, but ribbons of light were still dimly visible between tent roofs and steelpoints of spikes. Over the distance, the three towers were a set of monstrous dark clouds looking down on them as a man would look down on an insect but The Children's Tower revetment was the exception. The entire Karstark's campsite, the largest amongst Robb's bannermen, was spread widely under its vigilant and unanimated walls. Lord Karstark had taken quarters inside the tower but his three sons had decided to camp outside in the open, apparently they rather had dirt sticking to their boots than their own Father. Jon couldn't blame them.

By the time they arrived, the mood was overly festive. Karstark men-at-arms were so numerous than most of them elbowed each other in their hurried ways between tents alleys and the cookfires were partially obscured by thousands of shoulders, armored arms and helms. The white sun banner was flapping and fluttering over their heads proudly, only interrupted by regular bursts of cheers and laugher. They had even built a barricade of sharpened stakes, for fighting purposes. Harrion fasted his pace and Jon tiptoed to see what was going on inside. He spotted Eddard Karstark, Lord Rickard's second son, standing with a sword in his hand and throwing blows carelessly against one of his father's man. It's seemed like the boy was waiting for an invisible push to guide the weight of his sword for him, because none of his were doing any justice.

"Stop shaming our house, little brother!" Harrion shouted, rocking his upper body between the stakes. "You know you can't blame the wine this time."

Eddard fumed at him when he was given a short lapse. Too short because the sword found him again and the floor replaced the sky. His way of fighting reminded Jon of Grenn back when he first met him in Castle Black, they were no more than recruits by then. He knew the second of the Karstark's children was better with a lance than a sword, as he had proven in several opportunities, he was slow and methodic but he was no Sam still.

"Thanks for the support, brother." Eddard wailed. He approached with his face soaked in sweat. "Where is Robb? I thought he was coming for the fight too."

"He's busy." Jon explained shortly. "What? You think I'm not much of a challenge?"

"We'll see Snow. Don't cry when I break that wolf toy of yours."

Harrion barked out a laugh and Jon jumped inside the pit. He could see Eddard picking up a great wood-and-leather shield blazoned with the white sun to match his longsword. More curious faces were attracted to the duel with each minute, even from other houses. He unsheathed and his steps took him warily away from Eddard, prowling around him. Soon Lord Karstark's son mimicked him, but on each turn his eyes were shouting to the world his next move so his sword arm never found Jon in the place supposed to. His thrust came too late and heavy, leaving open gaps everywhere so Jon could parry the blows easily, and all of the Kingsguard's together if they were all that similar. He blocked a downcut right on time, Longclaw taking the place of his body and slammed a counterstroke that drove back his opponent loudly.

"I'm impressed." Eddard smirked, confidently. "Is this how they teach you to fight in the Night's Watch?"

Jon let the fight came to him. He had missed all those training sessions he used to have with Grenn and the others, but apparently his body had more memory than his mind did. Eddard charged again, his longsword accelerating the air around him and throwing cuts to break Jon's defense right and left, but always missed. Cursing, he took the hilt of his sword with two hands and tried an upswing to Jon's throat but it never came. Jon twisted his body away and his two arms immobilized the shortest attack in history, nothing could be done when a sidestroke caught the other boy's low waist. Then, Jon slammed a mailed forearm into his chest and sent him falling backwards ostentatiously. Panting, he breathed an icy smile and took Eddard's hand to help him on his feet.

"Come. Try it again." He told him. "But get your shield up…"

"…or he'll ring your head like a bell." A third voice finished for him.

Jon raised his head and found Robb, leaning against the edge of the fighting pit with his hands crossed in front of him. He was with Harrion and Theon, each on one side. Apparently they had arrived some minutes after the fight started, but it wasn't till now Jon had any notion of it. Cold strings of wind blew from the east, shaking lightly the rickety stakes and entwining with their locks of hair neatly. Only after that, Robb smiled. Eddard looked positively sick.

"Stop looking like that, Edd." Harrion said, with a hint of humor. "You're not taking on these two by yourself. I'll help you."

Robb asked Jon with his eyes if it was okay to join him. Harrion had run to his brother's side briskly and now was whispering something in his ear, probably how to make the best of the fight without embarrassing themselves too much. He turned to Robb after and granted an overconfident smile.

"Are you going to stand there all day, Stark?"

Reluctantly, Robb leapt over the stakes and walked to his brother with a cautious look. Jon oddly did not respond, only acknowledged his presence like he used to do sometimes with the other recruits at Castle Black. They had done that so many times in the past, since they were big enough to walk, since they used to shout names of knights and heroes at each other in Winterfell, that sometimes talk was just secondary. This kind of talk, though. The one they liked best was the talk of swords and that lasted forever. Yet, when Robb came shoulder to shoulder with him, Jon gave him a nudge with his.

"Don't fall this time."

Robb twitched his mouth. And waited. The Karstark's brothers both sped up at the same time and pressed the attack together, Harrion against Robb and Eddard against Jon. Both mirrored the other with the same angle in their shield arms and blocked, the combined clash of steel enveloped long miles around them and animals burst from their underground burrows noisily. Jon took the fight several meters away, mostly retreating from Eddard's restless sword and matching with his when he saw the young boy's distracted eyes. He tried a slash to his head but only found a corporeal shield instead of skin, and smiled knowing Eddard had listened to his counsel. He drove Longclaw down when Eddard swung his blade at his own ribs and kicked it to disengage both swiftly.

Looking from the corner of his eye, he found Robb behind a cloud of dust and Harrion swinging his blade so fast that the fighting pit was shrinking underneath them. He had him cornered and Jon swore for a moment one of two locks of auburn hair had been severed from his head. But Robb let him come and lastly caged the blade between his arm and ribs. The counterattack came so fast that Harrion saw grey and next tasted only dirt and mud in his mouth. Jon was thrown out off-balance for a bit. The last time Robb had done that, it was to a white and blue corpse and didn't end up that well.

"He's yours Robb!" Theon yelled at his right.

"We're only practicing Theon." Robb said, taking Harrion's hand to help him on his feet.

Even from this distance, Jon could see Theon sneering. He wiped out a sheen of sweat with his forearm and turned back to the fight. More and more onlookers started gathering around the edges like nocturne creatures in the night, most of them were drunken Umber men shouting words of encouragement to the Young Wolf against the Kingslayer. When the fight resumed, a vast majority had to step back when the clash of steel rang too close to their faces. The force and speed was thrice their first round and their muscles started to numb underneath leather, like a bunch of shafts snaking one by one from the tip of their fingers. One second they were left and the next right, then it started all over again.

Jon found himself with Eddard's arm locked around his neck. He had his both hands wrestling to break free until Eddard jolted with pain and lost balance. Jon seized the moment and spun readily so Longclaw could take his place. Seeing Eddard again in the ground was now nothing new, yet this time he had measured the force so he wouldn't feel so sore after. Harrion's sword fell very close to him too, so the other fight hadn't gone differently but Robb's face was all damp and covered in mud. A weary smile crossed Jon's face, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight but this was the kind of feeling he enjoyed most after a good training. That joy ended crushingly.

"I hope Bran never learns anything from you because you're a disgrace to your family." He heard Theon's poisonous voice.

His eyes flared up with rage and his fingers locked around the hilt unconsciously. If he had been less angry he would've probably noticed the missing "Snow" or "bastard" there but at that point he no longer cared about anything. He darted his eyes to the crowd convinced to force Theon into a challenge whether he wanted or not, but stopped bluntly when he realized Theon wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Robb.

"Your father would be better if he never gets out so he doesn't have to see your pathetic face again, Stark."

Everyone had gone deadly silent. Heads started turning in confusion, almost like being slapped one by one. The only thing speaking loud enough were Theon's blazing eyes in the night, burning with such severity they almost opened holes inside someone's stomach. Harrion and Eddard turned to each other confusingly, wondering if he had gone crazy. And Robb only stared at him, pale-faced.

"What? You're going to stop fighting for that too? Is that an excuse?" Theon shouted again. Dreadfully. Full of hate.

"Theon, wai-" Harrion tried to say.

"No." Robb commanded icily. "Let him speak."

"I grew up with you Robb. I've watched you all my life since you were a baby, since you were no capable of holding a sword or riding a horse. But I always knew someday you'll do both better than anyone else inside those walls. Winterfell was to be yours before you even had notion of it. I've decided I wanted to follow you wherever you go, because I wanted to see that day. The day came but your sword arm never touched the sky no more than when you were ten. How do you expect to win this war if you can't fight without fearing to hurt or kill your opponents? Do you think the Lannisters are going to show the same mercy as you now? Do you think they are all like your father? Honorable? Loyal? Forgiving? We are at war. You lose your men and kill your enemies. Isn't an insult to House Stark that I know that better than you? I wanted to see a Lord, we all wanted that but instead all I see is a boy who doesn't want to fight his own battles."

The well in their feet was growing deeper and deeper. Theon's words were stabbing more than swords and rivers of acid. Even when he wasn't saying anything, his echo still lingered heavily in everyone's ears. Their faces were stunned to no end.

"Harrion didn't even feel your blows. You let him win twice or thrice, you let him win so many times I lost count. You fight like those knights Sansa used to like so much, never a stain of blood in neither your armor nor your blade. But you don't fight like you truly mean it. You don't fight the real war. Is this the side you want us to see when the battle starts? Is this what they deserve after all they've done to you? After they took away your Father and sisters? After they pushed your brother from a window? Your Father took me as his ward when Robert Baratheon won his crown. I was raised with the Stark children, but none of them felt more like my brother than you. You know why? I used to see my older brothers whenever I looked at you. Rodrik and Maron. Now, all I see is the ship that took them down."

"Stop Theon!" Jon snapped angrily.

Blood was falling from Robb's fist, soaking the hilt and all the way down to the tip of the blade. His eyes were hidden but the aura around him was agonizing. Even fallen leaves were crushed when they came near.

"And now you feel bad because you sent two thousand men with Lord Bolton to die for you. Is that it? Let me tell you something, you're not going to lose two thousand men. You'll lose hundred thousand men here. But you still don't see it, do you? Why are you fighting for, Robb? Tell me. Do you want to win this war? Do you want to save your father? Or you just want to take his place in the black cells under King's Landing and rot in there like your wolf's dying mother in the snow."

The sound of paws against the mud cut the air sharply. Growls stronger by the second. And then, Grey Wind emerged from the shadows, with his eyes liquid gold and teeth bared at them ferociously and Jon felt a drop of sweat falling from his temple. Then it hit him. He dropped the blade and ran to his brother, taking him by the shoulders but all he saw were two white eyeballs, distant and gone.

"Robb!" He shook him. He's not here. "Damn. Robb!"

The direwolf lurked forward, meters only separating them. And he wanted nothing else but Theon's blood. "Maybe I should let him." Jon thought, for an instant. "I can't believe I'm saving this idiot's life."

"What? You're hiding behind your bastard brother now?" Theon kept going, still unaware.

"Lord Umber!" Jon called with a stern voice. "Please, take Theon away from here."

The Greatjon's grey-haired head moved between the crowd and his enormous hand fell heavily in the younger boy's shoulder.

"I'm not done with him, Snow!" He screamed.

"You are done." Jon stabbed him with a fierce look. "Get him out of my sight before I kill him."

"I should have you skinned for this, boy." The Greatjon threatened, dragging him away. "Out! All of ya'!"

With Theon gone, Jon turned to Robb. His breath was more laboured now and Grey Wind had stopped in midway, sniffing everything with his wet nose. Robb's bluish shade was returning to his vacant eyes slowly.

When midnight came, the moon crept slowly across the black sky and bathed the hillside with tints of bone and silver blindingly. The camp laid sleep like a big dragon with outstretched wings, except for some oil lamps dancing in its back like little dots of light. Jon found Robb sitting in the grass, looking down on them with Grey Wind at his side. He had his arm around the direwolf's neck and was stroking his fur with a lost expression in his face. He never met his eyes, but Jon was fully aware his brother had noticed him coming from behind.

"You know…" He said only.

"Yeah…" Jon whispered. He sat next to him and felt the cold night air across his cheeks. "Just like you know about me."

"Actually I don't." Robb chuckled, softly. "I don't know if you found a girl you like better than your own hair."

Jon laughed. He thought Robb would be extremely uncomfortable after the fight with Theon but his mood was light and relaxed. Maybe it was the effect of having Grey Wind next to him. Yet he knew deep inside he was still wounded.

"I didn't." He confessed, after a silence. "But I found out I'm a warg. And apparently my brother is one too."

"That explains the girl thing."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to tell you." Robb opposed. "I tried many times. I know it was you who followed me when I left the Wall. I felt you. But it's not the same as me. I…"

"You what?"

"I can't control it like you." He confessed. "If you hadn't stopped me, I probably would've killed him."

"But you didn't." Jon remarked. "Do you remember what you said the day we found the six pups in the snow?"

"I won't let them die." Robb repeated, inwardly.

"Well, you kept your word so far. And they did too. Summer saved Bran. Grey Wind and Ghost both you and me when we were at the Wall. Sam and the others still can't stop talking about that day." Jon paused and searched for his eyes. "I know you can control it Robb, but first there shouldn't be secrets between us. I mean, there never were before."

"You're right." Robb's voice trailed off, kind of embarrassed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you this sooner."

"We have so many enemies now and last time I checked there's only two of us. We need to trust each other. I trust you're gonna keep your word, no matter what."

"You know I will." He said, in a whisper.

"Good. At least, now we can both agree in something. Because I was there just as much as you and I can't believe you're feeling guilty about someone like Theon Greyjoy."

"I probably deserved most of it. We've been having this kind of discussions since we left Winterfell, about everything I think. The north, the banners, Bran, my father and…"

"Me?"

"Uhm, yeah. But he's questioning my authority most of the time really, says what I should or shouldn't do even when I'm being counseled by the entire North. He looks like a complete different Theon since Father is not with us."

"He doesn't look that much different to me."

"I suppose now I know how it's been like for you all those years in Winterfell." He struggled.

"What are you going to do with him?"

"Nothing. For now. I can't send him away."

"Do you think he'll…?"

"Betray me? No, I don't. He wants this war probably even more than me."

"And after that?"

He was even afraid to ask. Robb did not respond but his lips were a thin line and his eyes blackened with dangerous pools of dark blue. Jon was sure he still hadn't come up with a straight answer to that, at least no one in his place would. But Robb's voice caught him off guard.

"Jon…" He whispered, somber. "When you go to sleep tonight, please keep you sword close. I will too."

A/N: Thanks for reading. A special thanks to the readers who left reviews, the ones who followed this story and the ones who added it to their Favourites list.