John sighed as he climbed down from his horse and picked up his trunk looking at the scout "Where should I put this sir?" the man was a bit put off by the abruptness of what had just happened, but he led the boy to a smaller tent where a young girl of an age with John was sharpening a battle axe that seemed to be made for a ten-year-old.

The girl looked at him with a curious gaze "You're John Storm? You look more like a breeze not a storm."

This caused him to frown as he looked at her "And you're a Mormont? You don't look like a bear you look like a doll." This caused the girl to charge him leaving her battle axe where it was. John threw his trunk to the side and met her head on not backing down from the fight. She grabbed him and threw him to the ground only to have her legs kicked out from under her, and as she hit the ground he was on top of her pinning her down. The two continued to wrestle and trade positions until a loud unintelligible shout stopped them both dead. In the doorway was a burly woman who was as big as any man and was dressed as one. She looked at the girl then John in turn "So a baby Giant, and a bear cub tussling? Well you had both better knock it off as you will be spending a lot more time with each other. John this is my adopted daughter the "Snow-Bear" of house Mormont; Mara. Mara this is John Storm grandson of the Great Jon Umber."

Mara scoffed as she looked at him "He is a midget not a giant."

John glared at her "And you're a fish not a bear!" With that she let her fist fly and caught him in the cheek full strike. John stumbled, but when he recovered he punched her in the chest. Now the two were trading blows instead of just wrestling. The woman sighed and ripped them both apart slamming them onto the ground holding them there "I said enough!" the volume and tone of her voice might have well belonged to a real she-bear.

When she was sure that they were both going to behave she let them go "Very good. Now my name is Alysane Mormont, you may know me as 'The young she-bear'. it is I who you are going to squire for. When you are ready you will be able to choose your own destiny. You will be ready when you are worthy of your mother's sigil. So that is the goal you're trying to get to. You and Mara will be living together and training together to keep you both up to my standards. Now you can both get along or get bloody the choice is yours." John looked at Mara with a scornful gaze "I am sorry." he said a bit stiffly.

Mara joined him in the reluctance "Yeah, I'm sorry to."

Alysane nodded her head once "Good now get some rest we are going to be heading back for Bear Island at first light. With a short stop at Winterfell to greet the newest and First She-wolf of the Stark clan. Now get some sleep; for fighting after I said stop you get no supper." with that she left the two alone.

Mara sat down on her bed as she returned to sharpening her battle axe "What do you know about house Mormont?"

John got up and put his trunk next to the empty bed that was to be his "Next to nothing. I've heard it said that the house of the bear are all skinchangers and raiders worse than any of the Ironborn."

Mara smiled at this the first smile that John had seen "Well you aren't wrong. On Bear Island, there is a saying 'Beware ye fishing bears for if ye aren't a Kraken will drag you under.' We are taught at a young age to hate, and fear the Ironborn, and likewise of the crimes they committed against us. So, we trained to fight back to keep ourselves from suffering more loses. Now one on one we can beat their long ships with ease, but with them being 8 armed bastards they rarely fight like that. Also, we are the only house that has women leaders who are equal to the men. Every woman on the island is a bear and all bears are warriors. Just you keep that in mind." Finally, as she finished sharpening her axe she put it down and looked to John who seemed to be committing this to memory. She then asked, "So you're really a noble's bastard huh?"

John looked at her suddenly becoming angry "Yeah so? That doesn't mean that you are better than me."

She rolled her eyes lightly "That isn't what I meant. I just meant that I have never met a Storm or any other bastard really. You see until my mother claimed me and made me a Mormont, I was a bastard as well. I was a snow at one pint so I am familiar with the status, but the north and south are very different so I was curious what it was like for you, in the Stormlands where Robert Baratheon hails from."

This caused John to roll his eyes lightly "He may have won his rebellion and become king, but his lands are under the rule of the seven. This makes them see bastards like me in an accursed light. So being a bastard there was hell. So that's my answer never be a bastard in any kingdom in the south at all."

Mara seemed to really listen to this she then smirked at him "Well all those southerners can keep their seven gods and die for all I care."

He nodded his head in as he laid down on his bed "Others take the stormlands and House Swann."