Chapter 5: First Quest for the Wolf Knight
The legend of a hero is a grueling process which only the most tenacious of people can weather. For heroes and legends are not born but are forged through the fires of hardship and tragedy. Overcoming the obstacles set out against them can lead to them becoming immortalized in the human psyche, for as long as the tales of their deeds are still told, they will never truly die. Some heroes perform deeds for glory and fame, yet most perform deeds as their characters are honorable and just. And our tale begins with a quest given to a wolf from a village in need.
The journey towards the central building filled Jon with a sense of puzzlement. It was nothing like what he had experienced during his time living in Winterfell or his time exploring Wintertown with his siblings. The smallfolk of Cregneash greeted him warmly as he was another villager who had spent years tilling the same land as them. It was a surreal experience for him, as Ghost and himself trailed behind Bederick and Roger. The people came to them and greeted them heartily with the return of food and skins for the village. While the villagers would greet Jon and Ghost warmly it would seem there attention was more on the goods for his companions hunt.
Villagers would come up to the pair of hunters and greet them as if they had been long gone, yet would leave with a smile upon their face of the hunters would hand out chunks of preserved meat for them. Some tanners had come up to them as well and asked about the skins, and would leave with less coin, but new skins to work with. Jon and even Ghost could only look on these interactions with interest as their journey drew to a close. It warmed Jon's heart to know everyone in the village depended on one another and seemed even more open with themselves. The people of Cregneash seemed to act like Northmen as there seemed to be not a sly bone in their demeanors.
The interactions between his companions and the villagers also reminded Jon of when winter would blow its cold winds. When white snow would fall it would have everyone come together to face its wrath. Jon had learned at a young age that when the cold winds blew, and the snow fell that no matter if you were highborn or smallfolk it would not discriminate. Everyone would see to the survival of themselves and their neighbors, though it would also be a time of mourning. His thoughts soon turned back to what his father had imparted into all those who shared Stark blood, 'When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives'.
Jon was interrupted from his thoughts by a quick lick from Ghost's wet tongue. He stared into the crimson eyes of his direwolf and could see them filled with curiosity. It would seem that he would need to get used to his direwolf sensing when he was lost in thought. Even stranger it would take time for him to get used to the shared bond he now shared with Ghost. He had been told tales from Old Nan about wargs and skinchangers and even in those tales they spoke of the bonds between the human and bonded animal. He reached out to the bond between them and felt Ghost's curiosity bloom at his touch, with amusement filling him he sent a feeling of happiness into it. He could see Ghost look into his eyes and with a wolfish smile upon his face he knew Ghost had felt it.
"Oye Jon we have reached the village head. Get your mind out of the clouds", said Roger snarkily.
It would seem his companions had been waiting for him to notice, yet he had been too absorbed in his bond with Ghost. With a smile blooming onto his face, he addressed the shorter hunter, "Aye I can see that my friend. I hope you did not lose any sense gazing upon my stunning visage", joked Jon.
A loud guffaw left Bederick's mouth as he looked upon the stunned face of Roger. Jon had mostly remained silent deep in his thoughts, though he had grown to interact more with the pair of hunters. It seemed this his quipping tongue would be something they needed to get used too.
It amused Jon greatly to interact with his new friends so freely, though his attention was brought towards the building in front of him. It was one of the larger wooden houses in the village, he could assume it was the house of the village leader. With a wave from Bederick Ghost and Jon soon fell into line with Bederick and Roger as they entered the building.
Jon and his companions entered the village leaders house. It seemed spacious as it seemed to be all one room. It seemed to be more of a gathering place rather than the abode of a leader. As the group of men and beast entered there before them was the leader of the village.
The man before them was an older man one whom seemed to have been older than any greybeard Jon had ever seen. The man was lean and small. He just reached about Jon's chest in height alone. The hair on his head was a striking white and seemed to be receding. His eyes were glassy as if he was just losing his sight. The skin was leathery in texture and clung to the man's bones gauntly. His face was full of scars whether from a hard life or from battle Jon did not know. The elder stood up and soon greeted the group before him.
"It is good to see you both have returned unharmed. And it seems you've brought two new additions to our humble village", said the village elder, "It is nice to meet you laddie I am Elder Tomas".
"Aye our new friend goes by Jon Snow and his beastie goes my Ghost Elder Tomas", said Bederick.
"It is always nice to see a new face friend, though I wish it was under better circumstances", said Elder Tomas with a slight sneer, "We have been plagued by a pack of Demon Boars recently these past few moons".
"I am not so knowledgeable as my fellows here Elder. What are these Demon Boars", questioned Jon.
"The Demon Boars are a common phantasmal beast that plagues not just the Isle of Mann, but al of the Isles laddie. They are able to eat through armor into the flesh of a man. Usually they rarely bother us, but they have grown too numerous for us to ignore", said Elder Tomas sadly, "We have already lost some younglings to them".
"They have plagued us too long Jon. Not many people even go out to hunt. It was a miracle Ghost, and you stumble upon our camp", said Bederick.
"Aye and bless the gods for yer beastie. With him in the camp I bet he scared them away", said Roger.
"Is there anything I can do to help Elder. I may not be a knight, but I have been trained in arms and have led men in the past", said Jon. As soon as those words left Jon's mouth even Ghost let out a low huff as if agreeing with him.
"I'll stand with him too Elder. My bow will strike those boars true", stated Bederick confidently.
"Aye me too. I can't let these two get all the glory", said Roger.
"Hmmm if you are as good with your sword as you say then you may be just what we need laddie", said Elder Tom, "You boys get a fresh meal and prepare yourselves for the boars. I'll see about rounding up what volunteers I can to aid you".
The Elder soon left the three of them to their own devices as he had begun to look for an able-bodied volunteer. As the three saw him leave, they soon began to search for a meal to calm their growling stomachs. For they would need as much nourishment as they could get before the call to battle.
Jon and his party had gathered some food that was prepared for them by some of the village elders servants. It was a grey colored gruel with some bits of meat in it. Jon did not complain as they had worse meals at the Wall once the Others stirred. He would take it over any scraps they had tried to scrouge up during the Mance Rayder's siege of the Wall. Jon dug in gustily as much as Ghost devoured the jerky and other meat before him.
"I have been meaning to ask you Jon, but are you of nobility", questioned Bederick in between bites.
"I am not, though I have noble parents. I am a bastard as my father and mother did not marry, while I was conceived", said Jon proudly. It would have once annoyed him at being a bastard, though now he held himself proudly. For he knew of his fathers and mothers love. In another life he would have been the heir of Winterfell, though he would gladly bear the name Snow instead.
"I was curious as well since you have that fancy sword with you", said Roger as he finished his gruel.
"This sword was a gift from a man I followed", said Jon sadly.
The reminder of his late Lord Commander brought a sense of loss into Jons heart. It still hurt to think of the man that had placed his trust in him. Jeor Mormont was one of the most honorable men Jon had ever known. After his son had committed the crime of slavery. He had pledged himself to the Wall and the defense of men. He had served the Night's Watch honorable, and it had seen him betrayed and murdered by his own men. Jon thought of the similarities between himself and his mentor. It left a bad taste in his mouth as he had suffered the same fate as his mentor.
"He died betrayed by men that had once served under him. He was one of the most honorable men I had ever known. I was entrusted with the sword Longclaw with his passing", said Jon sadly, "It is made of valyrian steel and one of my most prized possessions".
"I am sorry for your loss friend. These are dark times, and it is always awful when those who are honorable are slain", said Bederick in a comforting tone.
"I am sorry as well for your loss. If he was as honorable as you've said it would have been a pleasure meeting such a man", said Roger.
Jon felt a small smile come to his face. It had been so long since he had felt the kindness of strangers or those of his family. Bedrick and Rogers kind words helped soothe the aching of his heart.
"If it is alright to ask, but what s valyrian steel", questioned Roger.
"Valyrian steel is steel made of dragon fire and magics of a long dead empire", said Jon, "The knowledge of its creation was lost though there my be some people out there that can reforge it".
"Do you mean the Roman Empire? If the Romans had such weapons we have never seen them before", said Roger curiously.
"I do not know of this Roman Empire as it was created by the Valyrians. They were dragon riders who once conquered most of the known world", said Jon.
"I have never heard of these dragon riders or long dead empires. Where exactly are you from Jon?", questioned Bederick.
"I am from a land called Westeros. It is a land spanning from the cold of the Far North to the deserts of Dorne. It is made up of the Seven Kingdoms and ruled from the Iron Throne. I lived in the Kingdom of the North. My family ruled there for over 8000 thousand years", said Jon as his confusion grew.
"We never heard of this Westeros nor Kingdom of the North Jon. Are you sure you haven't hit your head or something", joked Roger as he let out a laugh. Soon Bedrick joined in as Jon's confusion reached a crescendo.
He did not know the meaning of the words of his companions. He had previously held off on asking as he had tried to think where this Isle of Mann was. It grew even more confounding as he learned more of this land. They had dangers of phantasmal creatures, and the land seemed a lot different even if it held similarities of the home he once knew. It would seem he would need to find out more about this strange place. For now, he would need to figure out where he was without drawing suspicion to himself.
"I did not friends though please enjoy yourself at my expense", said Jon as calmy as he could muster.
The conversation soon changed to that of his companions. Jon wished to know as much as he could, and Ghost seemed to be relaxing from the lazy wave of his tail as he seemed to have fallen asleep. Jon learned much about his companions of their families, the situation Cregneash was facing, and even some of the history of this place. It confused Jon and it seemed may haps this was not a dream but another world. It did not calm Jon's nerves as he did not know what to make of his situation. The talk continued on for what felt like hours till the door of the village elders house was swung open.
Jon could see part of the sky as it seemed to have drifted closer to sunset. He could make out the evening glow of the sun as it kissed the tops of the trees. It's light seemed to be fading as the sky had darkened as well. Soon the village head stood in front of the hunters and Jon.
"I have gathered around thirty able volunteers lads", said Elder Tomas.
Jon and his companions roused themselves from their sitting positions as Ghost was stirred awake. The gathered party of four soon followed the leader outside where the gathered men were. They were all in the rough spun linen of the smallfolk and held a variety of weapons. Some were archers, while others carried either swords, spears, or even the odd farming tool. Jon could only hope these men were enough for the coming battle.
The men gathered together and soon planned out for the coming battle between man and demonic beast. Jon would lead the melee fighters as he had the most experience leading men. It had not taken too much convincing as he carried himself with the bearing of nobility. Bederick and Roger would lead the archers as they were the most experienced using bows. A rough plan was formed to have the melee fighters around twenty of them hold the line to draw the attention of the Demon Boars. While that would be going on the archer under both Bederick and Roger would fire from atop the height of some of the houses. It was known that around ten Demon Boars were apart of the pack. Jon did not put much faith in the fighting abilities of the farmers though he had thought the same of some of the Night's Watch brothers before. Jon had instructed the men under him to try and fight two to three men to a boar as it would be easier to fit them off his numbers than individual fighters. Though Jon wished there was more time to have the villagers practice their effectiveness would have to be tested tonight as it was known the Demon Boars would attack either at twilight or nighttime.
The sky had dimmed only slightly when the first squeal of a boar was heard. The men under Jon's command were split off in groups of 4 to cover the expanse of the fields. They had decided to meet the oncoming pack by the fields of the village. Jon could hear the increase of breathing around him, as the men under his command grew nervous. Once Jon and Ghost would have grown nervous in battle, yet what he faced and seen him shed such nervousness. He was now a battletested warrior who had faced off the enemies of humanity. These boars would be no different once they tasted the bite of his smoky, grey blade. He could feel the tension building in Ghost's powerful limbs as he too grew ready for battle.
On either side of the center formation Bederick and Roger led the left and right wings of five archers a piece. It would be their duty to see to the wounding or even slaying of the boars before they could meet the center in battle. As the archer grew ready everyone's attention was drawn to the squealing war cries of the beasts coming towards them. Jon had never seen animals such as these before. Each boar was bigger than a normal wild one. They stood at around five feet tall and three feet wide. The ten boars each had a similar coat of black fur with red mixed in. Each boar had two ivory-colored tusks as they made their way towards the gathered warriors. Jon could practically smell the vile musk of death and rot on them as they trodden the fields under their hooves.
With a loud cry Jon spoke to embolden the warriors around him, "Seek strength in the men to your right and left warriors. For you do not fight alone. Be it man or beast we will slay those who seek destruction upon Cregneash. Bear your weapons proudly for these foul denizens of the dark will taste the steel and retribution of man. For we fear nothing, For we stand against evil, For we fight for survival of all tonight", yelled Jon strongly as the men around him yelled back. While he was never the most charismatic, that would be Robb, he knew what to say to embolden the men under his command.
The beasts straight out of the seven hells were around thirty paces from the gathered villagers turned warriors and did not seem shaken from the loud war cries of the men. Yet unbeknownst to the beasts they would soon face the sting of people they had terrorized. With a loud "Loose" from two voices spoken in unison a dozen arrows soon struck the hide of the Demon Boars.
A loud crescendo of confused squealing came from the demon boar pack throats as they were peppered by the arrows of the archers upon high. While most phantasmal beasts were unharmed by most weapons made by man it seemed the boars were susceptible to most manmade weaponry. Though while their hides were peppered with arrows they were still dangerous as they could bite and tear through most armor. The archers continued to fire a few more volleys into the beasts till they were soon in front of the center.
The men held firm as the beasts were soon upon them. Jon sprang into action with Ghost at his side. Jon gripped the handle of his bastard sword as he slashed he beast in front of him across the snout. It roared in irritation as the men around Jon soon struck out with their swords, spears, and farming tools into the hides of the pack of boars. He could see blood pooling around each beast from the wounds given to them, yet the beasts would not go down easy.
The boars bucked, kicked, and even began to bite some of the warriors with much gusto. It seemed they wished to deliver as much damage they had received back onto the men they faced. It soon devolved into a bloody affair as men were separated from each other due to the erratic movements of the boars. Though prior to the manic behavior of the boars, at least two of the demon span had succumbed to their wounds, as their unmoving bodies fell upon the waving stalks of grain.
Some of the gathered warriors soon tried to strike the beasts though it left some with either missing limbs or if they were lucky with a kick that propelled them backward. Jon alongside Ghost rushed the nearest boar which was preoccupied as three villagers tried to stab it with their spears. Unknown that its life was ending the beast did not acknowledge man nor direwolf. It soon would as Ghost jumped onto the back of the beast. Ghost's powerful jaws soon clamped down around its neck as his claws from his front paws dug into its side. Caught off guard the beast soon fell to the ground on its side as Ghost clawed and bite the beast. Relieved looks graced the dirt covered faces of the villagers as Ghost thrashed the boar around.
"Move forward men do not let the beasts frighten you. We have slain some yet more remain. Never waver and we shall win the day", said Jon as he moved past the spear-wielding farmers. Roused by his speech the men soon followed Jon as he moved to slain another boar. The boar in front of Jon had already made work of the men before him as he could see the still bodies of the men. Its lumbering head soon turned to Jon as it munched on an arm of one of the deceased warriors.
A war cry left Jon's lips as he rushed the beast. He could feel his wolfsblood within him warm as battle soon commenced. His blood demanded him to tear and kill the demon boar before him. The grace he had honed from battles against the undead allowed him to dodge the charge of the beast before him. With a quick pivot of his feet Jon slashed the side of the boar. It let out a wounded squeal as he renewed his offensive. Jon slashed and dodged as the beast tried to gore him with its tusk. With an unnatural grace Jon would always pivot and slash out with his sword. The blade of Longclaw was covered in the thick, red blood of the beast. The boar soon grew less offensive as its lifeblood bathed the field underneath. As it panted and groaned in pain Jon saw his opportunity. He lunged forwards as the beast tried to back away and with him holding the initiation he buried Longclaw up to the hilt into the beasts skull. Jon could see the life bleeding out of its eyes as he withdrew his sword. The beast fell upon the ground with a thud, and once again he charged into battle.
The men seeing the feats of both Ghost and himself encouraged the remaining men even those wounded to try and strike the remaining six beasts. Upon the roofs the archers had also resumed firing what arrows they could when the beasts would back away from the men. The battle waged upon the fields of Cregneash seemed to last forever though it was much less time than many would think. It waged on till all that remained was the head of the pack itself. While indistinguishable from the rest of the demon boars this one bore more scars than others. All that remained to stand up t the beast were ten men under Jon and the archers though few arrows remained.
The beast snorted out a challenge to those who remained. It would seem this beast would not keel over without a fight. Jon soon stepped forward with Ghost to answer the demon boars challenge. Jon was breathing heavily, due to the extent of combat, yet he would not be done till this beast hit the earth beneath them. A warrior would face this threat head on, showing no hesitation even when facing off against the bloodthirsty beast before him.
So confident was Jon with his trusty partner and blade that he stared into the beady black eyes of the demon boar unafraid. He aligned Longclaw with the beasts heart and soon both he and ghost were upon it. Ghost quick and silent as his namesake sped past Jon to distract the beast. His ever-loyal direwolf was quick as it swiped at the hide of the boar with its front limbs. The boar roared in irritation at each time Ghost evaded its blood-soaked tusks. With each swipe of Ghost's claws, the beasts lifeblood fell upon the soil. It painted the ground it stood on a dark, crimson red. The demon boar was too distracted by the snowy, white direwolf that it did not notice the approaching man to its other side. As the beast once again tried to gore Ghost with its tusk, that is when Jon made his move, he drove the valyrian steel blade through the chest of the boar till it cut through the heart. The beast jerked one last time before it collapsed under its own weight.
The last demon boar had been slain, the plague which festered and hurt the village of Cregneash was finally overcome. Unbeknownst to the warriors the villagers had come out of the safety of their homes to witness the ending of the demon boars. Soon cheers erupted from them as they witnessed the end of their adversaries. So elated were Jon, Ghost, and the other warriors that their own cheers soon joined those of the gathered villagers. The mood of the village was ecstatic as they were finally free of the demon boars.
The village elder soon moved his way through the cheering crowd till he stood in front of Jon and the remaining warriors. Tomas had tears in his eyes as his village was finally safe. He soon turned to Jon and said, "Thank you Sir Jon. You have helped us in our greatest time of need".
The villagers cheer for Jon, Ghost, and the remaining warriors as they gather closer to their defenders. Tomas in between wiping tears which flooded down his age worn face once again spoke up, "We are in your debt Sir Jon, for you have slain the demonic beasts which have plagued us. Now we can safely hunt again and farm our fields".
Jon grew elated as this was the thanks he had only received from the Free Folk when he had vowed to see them safely from Hardhome. It was the thanks he had received when he had let the remaining Free Folk move safely behind the protection of the Wall. He had known that what he did was the right thing to do and had chosen to undertake such decisions because his honor saw him to see them to safety. Looking upon the similar faces of the villagers of Cregneash warmed his heart as he had once again helped people.
"It was an honor to aid the village of Cregneash. You have shown me much needed hospitality and I would do what we did here today anytime. For no man should be forced to live in fear while beasts like that roam the land", said Jon.
The villagers once again erupted in cheers as they had found themselves a hero. The deed he performed helped rouse the men of the village to defend their home and triumph. Jon Snow had taken his first step to becoming a hero along with his faithful direwolf Ghost. This was the first step of his long journey in this new world. For he would face many other challenges ahead though that would be for the future.
Demon Boars: Demon Boars are a common phantasmal beast. They are one known to be in many heroic legends and stories. The beasts were known to inhabit many places throughout the world and were spread throughout the Isles. It is known that Scáthach would test many of her students against them. Demon Boars are described to be monsters capable of eating through armor and runes. They are dangerous as they can even go after unaware humans. Though they are also surprisingly edible.
Longclaw: The valyrian steel sword of Jon Snow. It was forged by dragon-fire and magics of Old Valyria. The sword would become tied to his legend as news of his feats became more widespread throughout the Isles.
Valyrian steel: A steel forged by dragon fire and the magics of Old Valyria. Not much is known about its forging process as all knowledge was lost in the Doom. Swords and other weapons of this metal will never dull nor rust. They are sharper than any weapon as it could cleave through regular metal like butter. Though knowledge of its creation are lost it is still known how to reforge valyrian steel by Qohirik smiths.
Jebest4781: I plan for Jon to meet Arturia in a few chapters. Currently the story is taking place prior to her taking the sword out of the stone. I plan to have the next few chapters establishing Jon as a knight in his own right before he meets Arturia and the rest of the Knights of the Round Table. For his heroes journey has just begun.
tsougrhs.59: I do plan on starting to pump out some more chapters. Though with how much free time I have at the moment I think I can try to get maybe one or two done a week. Just got to get used to being back in school and get used to my new job first. I plan on picking up the pace with the next chapter. I just wanted to try and establish Jon first though the story will be picking up soon.
Author's Note: This is the longest chapter I have written for this story, and I plan on writing more each time. I hope everyone likes this as I am trying to pick up the pace with this story. I also wanted to thank everyone who's left a review, favorited, or followed this story. This crossover I did not think would get a lot of traction, yet it is something that I am really proud of. It is the second most viewed story of mine and the one that is the closest to both a hundred favs and follows. That is really a huge accomplishment for me since I had just started to write back in May. And again, I just want to thank everyone who's following this story and the people who have helped me out with some ideas I have for the story.