Beginning the Journey
Disclaimer- Game of Thrones and Campione do not belong to me. I am just borrowing them. English is not my first or second language so please be gentle with me.
"Normal Talk"
'Thoughts/internal monologue'
"Telepathic conversation"
"Gods/Goddesses Talking"
"Shouting"
'Chant'
Enjoy
Jon was sitting on a log watching fire silently. It had been a sennight since he had left Winterfell. Words may be winds but they still hurt. He had to admit that he handled the situation poorly. He left Winterfell without looking back, without saying goodbye to Robb, Sansa, Bran and Arya. By the time he had cooled down enough to think properly, he was already outside the town. As much as he wanted to at least say goodbye, he was too prideful to go back. While he wanted to leave Winterfell, it was never his intention to hurt anyone especially his siblings.
Pine sat beside him, giving him silent company. They had not spoken about anything significant since Jon had left. She was giving him space to sort out his thoughts and Jon was thankful for it. But he was nearing Neck and he need some sort of plan for his journey before going through it. When he had shown interest in visiting the lands beyond the wall Pine had almost begged him to reconsider. He did not know what prompted such reaction out of her but he could only guess that there was another god up in the north that he was not ready to face.
His other options was South of the neck or Essos. But for the first time in his life he was not sure. On one hand Westeros was his home and he was always fascinated by the tales of the knights. He wanted to see Harrenhal, Isle of faces, Citadel. He wanted to see all that this world had to offer.
On the other hand, his maternal family originated from Essos and his last remaining cousins were there. He also knew that sooner or later he had to make his way there because Pine had mentioned about the myths of people like to him, Campione, hailing from Valyria. He turned towards Pine who was tending the fire.
"What do you think I should do?" Pine knew what he was asking.
"I hope you are not thinking about going beyond the wall." She said lightly. Jon weakly chuckled at that.
"That is in opposite direction. I still don't know why you are so against of me going there. If it's about a god then you are sitting with a godslayer. That should count for something." Jon said jokingly to alleviate the mood but it fell short. Pine's face grew thoughtful at that.
"I cannot give you a valid reason to not go, only that it is not the time. The three-eyed raven that you saw that night can see the past present and the future. Only he knows the true reason but he insists that it is not yet time. He asked me to tell you that one cannot counter an enemy without learning about themselves. We know to trust his words." She could feel the intensity of his stare. As much as Jon respected their friendship, he had been on edge since the revelation of three-eyed crow, Pine keeping it a secret from him and his voluntary exile from his home. But he had learned that he could not let anger control his actions. He kept silent for a long moment and Pine looked at him resigned.
"What do you want me to say Jon?"
"You have been with me for a long time Pine. You are closer to me than Sansa. I always had you and my family. With both of you I knew that I would never be steered wrong. But now only you remain and I find myself directionless. I now realize that there are many things that you have kept hidden. You must have a very good reason but it does not change the fact that you hid things from me, important things." Pine could concur to that point. Still that did not solve their dilemma.
"It is not that I do not want to divulge the reasons. Before you revitalized us we have been pretty cut off from the lands south of the wall, the Great War took a lot from us. We were just fading away, waiting just to be devoured." Jon could hear the pain in her voice and almost regretted his words but then his mind registered the last line.
"What do you mean devoured?" Pine noticed her slip and became silent.
"Pine you know you can trust me." Jon pled her.
"It is not about trust Jon, you have to promise me not to go beyond the wall before we call for you."
"Pine-"
"You are reckless Jon! Your sense of mortality had left you. But if you know the truth then I will tell you the truth.
"All the tales of the long night are true, the White Walkers, wights everything. But there is more. The war was fought through proxy. The enemy was never truly defeated, only his agents. We managed to kill the white walkers and their army but we never truly defeated them. They tried again after the Wall was built but we succeeded in driving them back. But they succeeded in one thing. They managed to get the thirteenth lord commander of the Night's Watch to betray.
"Under his leadership, for the last six thousand years they are bidding their time, gaining strength, waiting. When the realm will be at its weakest, when the lords will forget their vows, when the guest right will be broken, when the man's world will be at their worst that will be when they will strike. We are the first line of defence and the truth is we could only delay them. We will be the first ones to fall.
"Last time it took the unison of all the tribes of men to counter them. The last hero Azor Ahai, Hrykoon the hero, Yin Tar and many more banded together to just stop the world from being engulfed in the eternal night. Granted you are stronger than all of them combined but it does not mean that the enemy is not stronger. It is not something you can rush to." Jon was frustrated with the answer. Why would he go frolicking around when she had just revealed that the ancient enemy of humanity was not dead and just bidding his time? Pine took his hands into her own, Jon looked down at it then at her face. Although the children were rather blunt and somewhat cold, he could see concern in her eyes.
"Running towards the enemy is never the smart move Jon. You would be fighting them regardless, it was your fate. You were the answer to prayer of eons ago." Jon wanted to argue but instead he listened to her carefully.
"You said 'was'. What did you mean by that? Am I somehow no longer eligible for that?"
"Your ascension Jon, it has changed the rules. Every vision, every prophecy that lead to you did not account for the direct involvement of the gods. We pray to them, offer them sacrifices but never had there been a clear invitation to the gods to get involved in mortal affairs. Gods complicate matters, they tend to flaunt the rules of the natural order."
"Does that mean that the prophecy is invalid?"
Pine shook her head, "No, it just means that your part has become harder than ever."
Jon looked somewhat satisfied by her answer and gained an air of determination around him. The world of man had already forgotten about them, painting them as nothing more than myths of the forgotten era. Jon Snow was the answer to their prayers.
"If you want advice we can go to the Greenseers on the Isle of Faces. They can help you." Jon has forgotten about them. Pine had said that they would need allies and Greenmen can help him find them.
"I guess we have our next destination." Jon tone was lighter than it had been in the last sennight. At least he would get to see Harrenhal.
-Time-skip-
The journey through the neck made him appreciate Pine more. He was sure that that point his father must have sent ravens to all the castles and holdfasts of the north and beyond to be on a lookout for him. Pine had helped him cross the Neck undetected. He had avoided all the holdfasts and villages in case there were men looking for him though he might have been acting paranoid. Given that he had escaped the North faster than anyone could have done on horseback. He was thankful that he had never demonstrated his speed to anyone, it gave him more time to explore.
He was truly in wonder as he came down the Neck. The weather was warm, the skies clear. Snow which had been a prominent part of northern landscape was absent. For a boy who had only seen snow most of his life it was a novel experience.
He had seen Trident, the place where the Targaryen dynasty fell. He had, in a bit of childish curiosity, searched for the rubies that have been said to have felled from the Targaryen Prince's armor.
He could see why the north was dependent on south for grains. Farms dominated most of the land and he could see farmers harvesting their corps to sell. He sometimes helped them for food and a place to stay at night. While he was comfortable sleeping in the forest or out in the open, he did not know these lands. Pine had spent most parts of her life in the north and the terrain had changed a lot in the last thousand years and the lack of weirwood trees had limited her senses. His hosts provided him with directions and sometimes advice on areas to avoid.
He was near the Harrenhal as he could see the towers in the distance. It was truly a majestic structure. He had read about it, how Harren Hoar had beggared the riverlands in construction of this castle, how Aegon Targaryen had burned this castle to warn the lords of Westeros that that they were not safe in their castles. He asked Pine apprehensively if the stories about ghosts in Harrenhal were true. She said it would be best if they did not disturb them. Jon hoped that it was a jape.
"You fight gods but you are afraid of ghosts?" she asked incredulously after looking at his expression.
"I am not afraid of them, they just make me uncomfortable." Pine face told him that she did not believe him and he changed the topic. Jon remembered his dreams where he was lost in the crypts and the shadows of Starks of old kept repeating that he did not belong there.
"Do you reckon that we might have to swim to the Isle?"
Pine stood beside him, they both wore cloaks to hide themselves. He did not know how far his father had sent ravens but he was not going to risk it. They were at Gods Eye standing on the coast and but he could not see any boats on the banks.
"I believe that we are expected." Pine said pointing towards the boat that was coming towards them from the direction of the Isle. The boat did not have any oarsman and looked ancient but sturdy. The design suggested that the boat was grown out of a tree.
They climbed inside and the boat lurched towards the Isle without any command. After a brief period of time they came across the fog covered shore of the Isle and noticed that they were really expected.
"Song of the ice and fire, the campione of the north and Pine of the . We, the Greenmen welcome you on the Isle of Faces. We offer you bread and salt and our hospitality. We hope to aid you in finding your path." The tall Greenman in front of the small crowd of people greeted him. Jon suspected he was the same man who had met him years ago in the wolfswood. He was presented with bread and salt to accept the guest rights.
Jon accepted the rights before jumping off the boat, Pine followed right behind him. Jon tried to see if there were any Children in the crowd. The tall greenman noticed his gaze.
"You will find no Singers south of the wall. Your friend is the sole exception."
"Singers?"
"You call them Children of the forest, we call them Earth-Singers. The Wall in the north contains the magic and stops it from flowing south. The singers are creature of magic and without it they would not survive. If not for you then the singers were fated to be perished beyond the wall as first casualties of the next Great War." Jon was shocked by the news. He turned towards Pine who looked nonplussed by the information. Though if he thinks back it was not so different from her personality. The children were always all about their duty. But Jon could see that his gaze was affecting Pine so he decided to confront her about it later. He turned his attention towards the Greenman.
"And what do I call you? You never introduced yourself." Jon asked him, he did not want to call him tall Greenman all the time.
"I did not, did I? The truth is, when one becomes a greenman they sacrifice their old life. But if you must call me something then call me Duncan."
They came to a stop under a giant Weirwood Tree, bigger than even the one in Winterfell who was touted as being the largest one. The face on the tree looked livelier and dare he say looked like it was at peace. He looked in wonderment at the Godtree knowing in his very being that he was in the presence of an Old God.
Jon had to tightly control his instincts that roared at him to summon his authorities. Though he did not let it be seen on his face, the tall greenman, Duncan looked at him knowingly. Jon knew he could not spend a long period of time near it unless he wanted to cause an incident. Being in the presence of a true Godtree brought forth the same feeling as the one in Bolton lands.
"You may rest ease young Campione. We have offered guest rights and no attack shall fall on your or your companions."
"Did not stop the attack in the Bolton lands." Maybe he was still bitter about the incident. Duncan did not show any outward emotion towards the accusation, instead he motioned him towards the stump on the ground for him to sit.
"The incident of the dreadfort was beyond anyone's control. We recognize that the first attack was done by the flayed god and thus absolve you of breaching the promise of non-aggression. You were even helped by the three-eyed raven in destroying it.
I hope that is proof enough of our part of promise." Jon conceded to that. He had feared that there would be some friction seeing that he had slain one of the very gods that they worshipped, granted he was attacked first but one can never be sure.
"Now that we have moved past the pleasantries, how can we help you Campione?" Jon looked towards Pine who nodded her head.
"Everything."
"Everything?" Duncan asked puzzled.
"Yes, Pine told me about the great war, about the great enemy. I know that I would have to fight them someday. I want to go beyond the wall and fight them before they have the opportunity to attack but Pine told me that I am not ready. What do you think I should do?" Duncan nodded his head. He motioned one of the cloaked figure to bring something.
"We have suspected such. You have to understand that even before you became campione it was your destiny to fight in the second Great War. You are the song of Ice and Fire, destined to defeat the long night." The cloaked figure who had left earlier returned with a cup. Duncan took the cup and peeled small bark from the godtree.
"Millennia ago when the first war was at its peak, the first men and children knew that winning the war was not possible for them. They sealed the enemy and erected the wall. But they knew that it would not stop the enemy. They searched to the end of the worlds for a weapon to defeat the enemy.
They came across the prophecy, about the song of Ice and Fire. About the song that would signal the end of war. About you, the promised prince, that would bring the dawn." Jon felt heavy. Pine had spoken about it but the way Duncan said it, it suddenly became more real.
Duncan, meanwhile was grinding the bark of the tree into a paste. He then mixed the paste with the contents of the cup making a greenish yellow solution. He presented the cup to Jon.
"Your journey begins at your origin. You, who had destiny thrust upon even before your birth, should know about your origin. It was denied to you till now but no more. Drink this." The cup was thrust into his hands.
Jon took the cup and looked towards Pine. "It is up to you Jon. This will help show you the truth of the events that follows your birth. You may not like what you find but it will be truth all the same."
Jon contemplated for a moment but decided to follow the instruction. He drank the liquid in one gulp, it was bitter tasting and Jon soon found himself becoming lethargic. He fought the sensation to stay awake. He felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned towards the hand and saw Pine leaning towards him.
"Don't fight the magic Jon. Surrender your mind to the flow." Jon trusted Pine. She had hid many things from him but Jon trusted Pine. He let his eyes drift shut and felt himself being swept in an unknown force.
-Scene Shift-
Jon found himself standing on the edge of a tourney ground in the middle of a crowd. A knight in mismatched armor was standing in front of royal pavilion, at least he guessed it was royal given its opulence.
Jon looked around and saw the banners of various houses including all of the lord paramounts. He was somehow inside the Harrenhal castle during a tourney. He focused on the royal pavilion but he was shocked to see the King.
He had read about them, dreamt about them after the revelation of his ancestors. Sitting on a throne was the Targaryen King. He never thought he would see such a moment. He focused on the pavilion and noticed others too.
A Targaryen monarchy was sitting in front of him, in front of all of the lords of Westeros. He could see the three headed dragon sigil in all its glory. It was a surreal situation. The Targaryen were the most hated family that he knew of. He could not imagine the situation that he found himself in.
Jon felt someone standing beside him and turned his head towards the presence. Duncan was standing beside him, looking at the Targaryen monarchy forlornly.
"What is happening?" He asked Duncan.
"We are about to witness the beginning of a song, your song." Jon was confused and again turned towards the pavilion when he heard a commotion.
The knight galloped away from the pavilion and Jon could see the king ordering kingsguard to capture the knight.
"The knight was fighting for Justice of their father's bannerman. Alas the king gripped in madness saw this only as a plot against himself. He sent his son to bring the knight in custody." Duncan then gripped his shoulders and they were suddenly in the godswood.
In front of them a girl not older than Jon was shedding the mismatched armor. It was clear to him that this girl was the mysterious knight and kingsguard were looking for her. The girl had Stark features so much so that it was what Jon figured what Arya would grow up to be like. Jon heard a snap and saw silver haired person entering the clearing, the girl saw that too. She suddenly had a sword in her hands pointing towards the person.
"My lady, I do not mean you any harm." The man spoke, he had in hands in the air in a placating manner.
"What business does the prince of the realm has with the mysterious knight?" Jon knew that the man could be none other than the Targaryen royalty because of his feature but was still astonished to learn that it was the prince of the realm.
Suddenly a picture began forming one which Jon did not like. This was his aunt Lyanna and this was her encounter with the crown prince. Jon lunged towards the prince but completely passed him.
"We are but observers of the series of events young Campione. The past is already written and the ink is dry." Duncan was watching silently at the scene.
"But this is where the rebellion began. The prince kidnapped my aunt. If we can stop it from happening then the Westeros would not burn."
"One cannot influence the events of past not even you. Even gods cannot do so without paying a heavy price." Jon was helpless as he watched the interaction. He could not believe that such a simple interaction would lead to war that would topple the dynasty. The prince, Rhaegar was a charismatic man. If Jon did not know any better than he would have believed that the prince's inquiry were genuine.
He witnessed the feast where the prince sang, his aunt ensnared by the vile prince's duplicity. He saw his father dancing with a beautiful lady who could be no one else than Ashara Dayne. He heard about their story and sometimes wondered if she was his mother.
The scene changed again and Jon saw the prince crowning his aunt as the queen of love and beauty in front of all of the realm. Jon could not contemplate why a man, much less a prince, would crown another woman in front of their own wife, one had to be truly mad to do so.
He witnessed various secret interactions between the prince and his aunt. There were moments that he wanted to rage and lash out. His naïve aunt was ensnared by the vile prince and Jon could only watch. The only reason he kept his temper under control was because Duncan had promised him his origin.
Jon watched as the relation developed between his aunt and the married prince. His aunt shared her fears of being another conquest for Robert Baratheon and prince shared his fears of a deranged father and the burden of a prophecy. To an outsider it would look like one of Sansa's love story.
Jon looked in frustration towards Duncan who was watching the events with an unreadable face.
"Why are you showing me this?"
"I did tell you, it is your story Jon." Jon felt as if Duncan had ulterior motive behind showing him the events unfolding after all how it be his story.
The scene changed again Jon found himself in between another interaction of his aunt and the prince. There was something different this time. He noticed the presence of three kingsguard.
In all the interactions he witnessed, he only saw Arthur Dayne (for who else would be the wielder of Dawn) guarding the prince but this time there were three and all of them looked ready for something. With a jolt Jon realised that this was the moment his aunt was kidnapped.
He lunged again at the prince, tried to stop his aunt but nothing worked.
"My father is losing his mind more than ever as of late. If we do not leave right now then I fear that this will be the last time we will meet my lady." This was it, this was the moment when the prince kidnapped his aunt. It was quite different from what he imagined. His aunt seemed ready to ride in travel cloak.
"I am ready, I have already written a letter to my father to explain him the situation. Are you sure princess Elia would not mind?" This was mad! It sounded like aunt Lyanna was running away with the prince!
"You have read her letters, did it sound like she was against the idea?" Lyanna got a resolute look on her face.
"We should hurry then. Brandon will be back from his hunt soon." The prince nodded in assent and one of the kingsguard brought forth a horse for her. They soon rode out and Jon was left standing there, trying to wrap his mind around the incident.
"This is mad, it cannot be true. My aunt was kidnapped by the prince. Everyone in the realm knows that." Jon was shaking his head in denial.
"Truth is not always what it seems. Sometimes when enough people tell a lie it becomes more believable than the truth." Jon has forgotten about Duncan in his dilemma. He turned his attention towards Duncan who did not look at all surprised by the scene.
"Tell me the truth Duncan, was my aunt really kidnapped? I want to hear you say it." Duncan waved his hands and they were suddenly in a groove. Some distance away prince Rhaegar and aunt Lyanna were standing in front of a septon. They were saying marriage vows!
"Lyanna was betrothed to Robert Baratheon. She did not love the man, in fact she hated him. When she met Rhaegar at Harrenhal, she found someone with whom she could open her heart to. Same with Rhaegar, they found love along the way."
"But Rhaegar was already a married man."
"Yes, Rhaegar was already married to Elia Martell but his dynasty was not secure. He had a daughter and a son with her. But the son was sickly and Elia was not able to bear him any more children. Lyanna Stark was the answer to them and Lyanna found her way out of an unwanted marriage. They did not account for their bond to develop in love." Jon watched as the septon pronounced them man and wife. Nothing was making sense anymore. Robert Baratheon loved his aunt and when the prince kidnapped her, he raised his banner in rebellion. That was the truth or at least he thought it was.
"Robert's Rebellion was based on a lie?"
"The rebellion was brewing beneath the surface for a long time. The mad king was just that, mad. Rhaegar was in talks with various lords to dispose his father. No, someone lighted the wilfire intentionally. There were several players that benefited from the rebellion and they conspired to make sure that the dice rolled in their favour."
The scene shifted again and Jon was in front of a tower. He saw the three kingsguard guarding the tower. Soon his father came riding along with his companions. This was the scene of the tower of Joy, this was the place where his father defeated Ser Arthur to rescue his aunt! He was about to watch the legendary duel. Of all his father's companions, only lord Howland managed to return alive.
*"I looked for you on the trident." His father said to the Kinsguard.
"We were not there," Ser Gerold answered.
"Woe to the Usurper if we had been," said Ser Oswell.
"When King's Landing fell, Ser Jaime slew your king with a golden sword, and I wondered where you were."
"Far away," Ser Gerold said, "or Aerys would yet sit the Iron Throne, and our false brother would burn in seven hells."
"I came down on Storm's End to lift the siege," his father told them, "and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dipped their banners, and all their knights bent the knee to pledge us fealty. I was certain you would be among them."
"Our knees do not bend easily," said Ser Arthur Dayne.
"Ser Willem Darry is fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him."
"Ser Willem is a good man and true," said Ser Oswell.
"But not of the Kingsguard," Ser Gerold pointed out. "The Kingsguard does not flee."
"Then or now," said Ser Arthur. He donned his helm.
"We swore a vow," explained old Ser Gerold.
"Our Prince wanted us here, doing our duty." His father brought out his sword at Ser Arthur's final words.
His father's companions moved beside him. They were seven against three.
"And now it begins," said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milk, shining in the sun.
"No," his father said with sadness in his voice. "Now it ends."*
The fight began. He had never seen such a beautiful and gruesome sight. He had seen Ser Rodrik and Ser Jory practice in the yard but he could clearly see that the Kingsguard were on different level. Ser Arthur was dancing with his blade and Jon was sure most people would not be able to follow him.
But still it was seven against three and numbers did matter. The kingsguard were on defensive and one of the kingsguard was wounded. Suddenly Ser Arthur shifted his stance, he lifted one of his hands from dawn and pulled out another sword from his belt.
He was dual wielding! Jon had heard tales, despite being on the other side of the rebellion nobody would dare dismiss his mastery over the two sword. And that was why his father's victory over him weighed so much. Jon was witnessing something that very few people alive knew about.
The tide of the fight quickly turned but his father and his companions kept the knights under pressure. Jon saw as one by one all of his father's companions were cut down as were the kingsguards. Only his father and Ser Arthur remained standing but it did not look like his father could fight much longer. Another overhead strike and suddenly his father was on his knees, his sword lying in the sand.
What?!
His father had defeated Ser Arthur, everyone knew so. But reality was completely different. It looked like Ser Arthur was about to deliver a death blow but they were distracted by the screams coming from the tower. Suddenly lord Howland leapt and stabbed Ser Arthur in the back.
Ser Arthur was felled by an attack on the back, by a coward move!
What was even happening? Was there any shred truth in any of the tales of the rebellion?!
His father delivered the killing blow when another scream tore through the air. Jon was not given any time to organise his thoughts. His father ran towards the tower and Jon followed him.
They entered the room and Jon found his aunt lying in bed of blood. She was breathing albeit weakly. This was not what he had expected. When he saw that his aunt had ran away with the prince instead of being kidnapped, he did not expect this end for her. He numbly wondered if the world will ever make sense to him ever again and if anything he knew was truth at all.
"Ned is that you?" She asked weakly.
His father dropped his sword on the floor and ran towards her bed. He knelt besides her taking her hands in his.
"I am here sister." His sound was wobbly. Every one present there knew that Lyanna Stark was not for long in this world. Jon knew this was where his aunt had died though he did not know what his aunt had died of. Maybe someone had attacked and wounded her but he could not think of who. Both sides wanted his aunt alive and maybe someone attacked her to pin the blame on the other faction. It was a tactic not unheard of and Duncan had already said that some benefitted from the rebellion.
"Father, Brandon…."
"Shh... save your strength. We will get you out of here."
"I wrote a letter Ned, I never wanted all this to happen. I never loved Robert." Her voice was growing weak.
"Get me a healer!" Tears were breaking down from his father's face. He looked around the room but the maids were silent. Jon eyes focused on the bundle in one of the maid's hand. He could not look away and for him the room ceased to exist. They were still talking but Jon could not care for any of that. His sole focus was on the babe.
He moved towards the maid and took a closer look at the bundle in her hands. It was a babe and it bore Stark features, strangely similar to his own. He did not know why but suddenly he felt faint. His ears were ringing and he desperately wanted to look away but could not. He was brought out to the reality when the maid handed over the babe to his father.
"I heard what happened in the capital. You have to promise me Ned." His aunt's voice was hysterical despite losing its strength.
"Robert would never…"
"He is the rightful King Ned. He will never be safe. You have to promise me Ned."
"Lyanna…"
"Promise me!"
"I promise, I shall protect your son." Lyanna gave a tired smile at that and leaned back.
"Thank you. His name is Aemon Targaryen." And just like that Jon's world darkened.
'All of this? Nothing…? What…? No-no-no-no.'
Jon's thoughts were a jumbled mess. He did not know where to begin. He had become numb. Ever since he had drank the concoction, the world stopped making sense to him.
His life was a lie.
Duncan looked at him worriedly. He had expected the reaction. He spread his arms around and the world started to fade away. Jon did not notice any of this, his world was already fading away.
Jon opened his eyes, he did not remember closing them. He was in a groove of weirwood with only Duncan to give him company quietly. He did not say anything and neither did Jon.
"You could have just told me the truth." Jon whispered after sometime.
"I could have. But you and the whole of Westeros had already formed an opinion on the prince. Can you say confidently that you would have trusted anyone's word about you, given the truth? At most you would have believed that you were a child of rape."
"And showing me was better?"
"Was it not? You saw the love between your father and your mother. You saw your true father, the prince. Did it match your expectations? The prince was famous for his generosity and his kind hearted nature. He liked to sing more than he liked to fight. He liked quill rather than the sword. Would you expect that kind of person to kidnap someone?
"If I just revealed the truth about your parentage without the events leading to it than you would have still believed yourself to be a bastard, worse a bastard born out of rape." Jon did not say anything to that, he could not. As much as he did not want to believe that, Robb and Pine always pointed out to him about his habit of self-condemnation. Pine had almost broken him out of this habit but she insisted that he still has its moments.
The most important question began forming in his head. What did he want to do with this knowledge?
"Why tell me this? What do I do with this knowledge?" Jon asked Duncan.
"Whatever you want. I revealed your origins just so you can go forward, you needed to understand the stakes and responsibilities. You are the true and uncrowned king of Westeros. The people of Westeros, be they of North or South, be they the worshippers of old or new gods are your responsibility.
"…That is if you choose to accept them."
Jon did not know the meaning of responsibility. Until recently he just wanted to live his life freely without the stain of his bastard birth hounding him and he did have power to do so. But the revealed truths painted a different picture.
"You want me to go for the crown." It would be one way to look at things.
"The only thing that I want from you is for you to fight for us, for the living. You cannot do so wholeheartedly unless you accept your responsibilities of a King. Right now you only want to fight them to protect the children of the forest."
"But I am not the King."
"You were born a King and again when the gods tried to snuff you out, you pushed back and said no. You were crowned King twice. Some people choose greatness but rarely greatness chooses them. The current King rules not for the sake of ruling but for the sake of gluttony. The realm may seem stable but it is barely held together by a seam. As soon as Robert Baratheon dies, the whole realm will come apart."
"You never know." Jon knew he was grasping straws. He wanted to be free and only wanted to fight for the sake of his friends. But Duncan was trying to convince him to take the responsibility of the whole of Westeros.
"Does it matter young Aemon? You saw how Eddard Stark rejected your truth, do you truly believe that the lords will ready to fight it before the fight lands on their head? They are but children playing at being the Kingmakers while the honourable ones are playing to maintain the status quo.
Jon shook his head. "But I am not." This was going in circle.
"Do you require a crown and a throne to validate your claim? Are you anything less than a King?"
Jon knew that. Jon knew from experience that nobody could stop him if he wanted to do something, no one was physically able to do so. Many would say that the Iron throne is the symbol of power but what was that in the face of overwhelming strength? But it would not be right. If he did that he would not be better than a tyrant.
Duncan could almost guess his thoughts. Aemon was raised by Eddard Stark to be Jon Snow. The boy believed in honour, blindingly.
"I know what you are thinking Aemon. But you must also think about this carefully. Do you think the Starks ruled the north for thousands of years through honor? Did the Targaryen forged the seven Kingdoms with honor? The current monarch ascended the throne on the bodies of last two Targaryen children, their killer is a lord paramount.
But I will not ask you to press your claim for the throne. No, all I am asking you is to take the responsibilities of a King. Kill the boy Jon Snow and let Aemon Targaryen be born." Jon was surprised by this. He had figured that after all this conversation Duncan will try to make him go for the throne.
Duncan knew that Aemon will not go for the throne, not now. He was far too impulsive and honourable for that. But he knew that power attracts power to fight for dominance and Aemon was not likely going to lose.
The power of crown was going to come to him whether he liked it or not and only then he could reunite the realm to prepare for the Great War.
"You came to us to know where to begin your journey. I showed you your origins so that you may begin your path with a clear mind otherwise the truth about your birth would have always hung upon your head like an axe." Jon gave a tired sigh before nodding his head.
"You are right. Even if the knowledge is heavy my mind is surprisingly free. I now know that I am not the stain on Eddard Stark's honor and its freeing." Jon was being completely truthful, for the first time in his life he truly felt that he could do anything without the fear of smearing Eddard Stark's name. While he did not want to think about his relationship with him and how he lied to him his whole life, he felt if he wanted to he could leave him behind.
"You can start your journey same place where the journey of man began. Your allies, your challenges and the truth about Campione will be waiting for you in Essos." Jon gained a resolute look on his face. It looked like his time in Westeros had come to an end for now. There was another thing that niggled in the back of his mind.
"You said that the rebellion was orchestrated by people in the shadows. Do you believe that these people will prove to be hurdle when the time for the war comes?" Duncan nodded his head in answer.
"Who are these people?"
"We are not all seeing Aemon. We can only decipher the signs shown to us by the old gods. Beware of the grey rats, mocking bird, spider and the snakes for they are the ones to tread in shadows. Everyone else will fight you in the light, be they lion, flower or spear. Be on the lookout for the ascended for they will make or break the alliance." Jon figured it would be far too easy if he got all his answers here.
"I saw my… mother" Jon was still reeling with this information, "running away with Rhaegar but someone informed my uncle Brandon that she was kidnapped. Do you know who told my uncle that?" Because his uncle had stormed the Red-Keep thus getting himself captured. Robert Baratheon may have started the rebellion because of Lyanna Stark but the other lords participated because one of the lord paramount and his heir were unjustly executed.
"That would be Lysa Arryn, lady of house Arryn of Vale, daughter of Hoster Tully." Their surroundings shifted and Jon found himself standing in front of a castle, which he could guess was Riverrun.
He saw a girl hysterically telling a young man how she saw prince Rhaegar kidnapping Lyanna. This must be Lysa Arryn and the man must be his lord Brandon.
Jon could immediately tell that the girl was lying. She could have heard the rumour but she was swearing to Brandon that she saw the incident with her own eyes.
"Where is she right now?" As much as Duncan did not want him to do anything impulsive right now, Aemon had gone through a life changing experience and needed to vent.
Jon had to make a decision here. He had strived for his mother's name his whole life. It was the part of his identity that was missing for his whole life. He now learned that his whole life had been a lie. It was too much for him to ignore. The fire was smouldering beneath his skin and he needed to vent a bit.
"I think I will head towards King's landing to catch a ship." Duncan just nodded his head silently.
-Time-Skip-
Jon and Pine ended up staying on the Isle for the sennight. Jon had spent the first few days coming to terms with his parentage and the lies by Eddard Stark.
He had always felt inferior and Eddard Stark never helped the matters. In fact, now that he thinks about it lord Stark's first response after hearing that Jon knew about his Targaryen blood was to make him swear not to press for his claim. He wondered if his Targaryen blood was the reason why Lord Stark never believed his claims of slaying a god, maybe he thought his Targaryen madness was acting up.
One part of his mind wanted to defend Eddard Stark's decisions. The man was pushed into the role of a lord paramount, forced to leave the woman he loved and lost all of his family except his brother in the short span. He had to make do with what he had.
The other part of his mind wanted to rage against him. He had raised Jon to be an honourable boy, he knew what kind of boy Jon grown up to be and still did not trust him. Moreover he had betrayed his trust when he refused to divulge his mother's name after his promise.
It was like the two parts of him, the Stark and the Targaryen were at war at each other. His head hurt to think about it. The only way to settle the matter would be to talk it out with Lord Stark but until then Jon decided to bury his feeling deep in his heart.
Jon had asked Duncan why he insisted on calling him Aemon. Duncan told him that it was his identity that was hidden from him, Jon Snow was a façade. It would be only after accepting his heritage that he would be able to move forward.
Duncan did not let him wallow in melancholy, he insisted on imparting the lessons on various topics not limited to the various pacts and myths of the old gods and most important of all 'Elder Laws'.
'Elder Laws' were a set of rules which dictated the nature of gods in the higher and lower realms. No one knew who had first created those laws or what enforced them. The legends were lost in time just like the names of the old gods.
Jon was surprised to learn that the unnamed gods of the north once had names. They were so old that not even the Singers knew their name. He asked why that was the case. As far as he knew the Greenmen were the worshippers of the old gods and the Singers were the caretakers. Jon only learned about the name of the Flayed God after he killed him and he was sure that Greenmen and Singers would not want him to use the method to learn the name of the others.
Turns out that the connection to old gods was almost lost during the 'War of the Dawn'. All the Singers that knew the name died in that war. The current generation of Singers that were born during the War of the Dawn never had been in the presence of the old gods. The only connection that the Greenmen and Singers enjoyed was the slight nudges they felt when asked for directions.
The god that Jon fought on Bolton lands was the first one ever in eight thousand years. For the first time the Greenmen and Singers had truly felt the presence of an old god.
…And it terrified them. For years the order of Greenmen worshipped the old gods, believing them to be the benevolent gods but the awakening of the god of Bolton land had put crack in their faith. Many began to question the order. It was when the Three-eyed raven had made its presence known that the dissenters in the order settled.
Jon did not know any details of the talk nor were there any offered but the end result was that the order was preparing for their eventual revelation to the Westeros. Jon had his reservations (given what he learned about the Andal invasion, it would lead to another holy war if not handled carefully) but still promised protection when the time came.
Jon asked Pine if she recognized any of the symbols that Duncan had warned him about. She told him she only recognized one of them, the grey rats. The maester's of Citadel were often referred as the grey rats. The order was tasked to maintain the history and advancement of the entirety of Westeros. It was one of the most important pillars in Westeros along with the faith and the Iron-throne.
It was only natural for a big order to have some sort of shady dealings. But Duncan's vision painted them to be an active threat against him.
Other than that he asked for help to learn more about the authority that he usurped from the Flayed God.
-Scene Shift-
For Jon the journey from the God's eye to King's Landing was different from the one from Winterfell to Riverlands. It could be reasoned that when Jon travelled to the God's eye, he did so as a bastard. But now he was looking at the lands of his ancestors and in the deep dark corner of his mind, he was looking at the land that should have belonged to him.
Jon had to concede that knowing the truth changed his outlook. He needed to look at the events of the rebellion with a different perspective and for that he needed someone from the loyalist faction. The problem was he did not know how to go around that. He was famous for being the sole bastard of honourable Eddard Stark and no loyalist would speak their mind in his presence.
On the note of companion his thoughts turned towards Pine. He was saddened to learn that their companionship would only last till they reached King's Landing. She would not be following him to Essos, she could not. The children were bound to the magic of the old gods of Westeros and would not survive outside of it. Of course Jon could bind her to his magic but Pine asked him not to. She had spent her whole life bound to the old gods and accepting Jon's magic would be like rejecting old gods.
Jon reluctantly accepted it but that did not mean it was easy. She had been as much of his life as Robb, Sansa, Arya and Bran were. But he respected her decision all the same. She had in her possession letters for his siblings and one specifically for Eddard Stark.
He felt he was near King's landing before he saw it. The stench was stronger than advertised. How could anyone live here? He looked towards Pine and saw she was faring little better than him. The soon reached the Gates of the Gods. He laughed at the name, there was certain irony in him entering through that gate.
He was shocked to learn that the entrance fees was ten silver stags each. He had learned while travelling that an average meal cost around twenty to thirty pennies, the price for entrance was quite steep. Still he did pay for his and Pine's entrance as he was trying to be discreet.
Pine was a great lookout as she helped him sneak into the Red Keep. They easily walked into the castle courtyard. It was laughably easy to get inside and roam. He remained inconspicuous as possible and waited in the shadows. In that time he eavesdropped the servants and found the tentative location of Lysa's chambers. By nightfall he had sneaked into her chambers and waited for her there. There was no plan aside from confronting her and he would have to go from there.
-POV Shift-
Lysa was frustrated. The day was longer than expected and the only thing to make her keep going was the goal of a better future. She had begged Petyr to visit her chambers but he declined her stating that it was quite dangerous.
She scoffed at that. The queen was fucking her brother and nobody said anything. If someone were to talk Petyr could easily get rid of them as the Queen had of various servants. She closed the doors of the chambers behind her. Sweet Robin was acting fussy and did not want to take his medicines but lastly she managed to coax him to take his medications and he was soundly asleep in his bed. She just prayed that her husband did not decide to join her bed.
Suddenly she was yanked away from the door and the heavy dressing table was pushed towards the door blocking the entrance. She tried to scream but the hand held her mouth stopped her from opening her mouth. A knife poked her chin and she stopped struggling.
"Do not try to scream if you want to survive." She silently nodded and the intruder lifted his hand and stepped into her line of vision.
She studied the man, if he could be called that. His face was covered with only his eyes being visible but the man could not be older than ten and eight namedays, if that. He was covered in cloak but she could make out fur beneath the cloak. The intruder held a curved knife in his hand and no other weapon was visible on his person. She did not have any illusion that she could overpower him or call for help before he attacked her. So she decided to cooperate for the time being.
"You are going to answer some of my questions. I will know if you lie so do not try." She nodded her head again fearfully.
She felt someone else shift in the shadows and turned her head slightly to look at the direction. Standing in the shadows was another intruder which was clearly a child. The man pushed her towards her bed and she moved without any protest.
"You told Brandon Stark that you saw Rhaegar kidnap Lyanna Stark. Who told you that?" Lysa was confused. It was not a matter that she often thought about but it was still one of the most brilliant works of Petyr. With just one lie he managed to plunge Westeros in war. But now this man came searching for answers and it was not good.
"I don't know what you are talking about?" She cried out in pain as the knife cut into the side of her neck and drew blood.
"Want to try again?" Lysa became fearful. The intruder was not playing around.
"It was true, I saw Rhaegar kidnap Lyanna just outside Riverrun. It is the truth, I saw it my own eyes." She cried desperately raising her voice. By now someone must have picked up her cries of pain and alerted the guards. She would have to endure for little longer, for Petyr, for Robin and for a better future.
The intruder shook his head and whispered something. Something pierced her left arm and unimaginable pain shot through her. It felt as if liquid fire was poured through her veins and she could not control her screams. Then before her disbelieving eyes she saw her left arm was pierced by fleshy appendage and it looked like it was sucking something out of her arm. She tried to shake it off, tried her other hand to dislodge the tentacle but to no avail. She watched helplessly, screaming in pain as her arm dried out like that of a corpse but the pain did not lessen. After an eternity the flesh appendage left her hand and she felt her hand go numb. She could not feel her left arm and all she could see was a dried out husk. She could not believe what she saw and experienced. She felt an iron grip tightened around her throat and she focused on the unnamed assailant. Through her tear filled eyes she saw his eyes glowing in the dark with anger and she gave a weak whimper. He brought her closer to him and whispered in her ears.
"I can do that few more times. You should ask yourself if you could survive anymore. Think that before you speak."
She did not want to speak to this demon. She would not betray her Petyr but she knew she could not handle paintack like that. She had to get away from this demon. The grip on her throat tightened and the flow of air halted, she could not breathe. She weakly tried to free herself from his grasp. The grip lessened after a moment and she sucked air greedily.
The grip tightened slightly in warning when she did not speak.
"Yes! I li-lied! Pl-please no more." She cried hoarsely.
"I know you lied. I want to know why." She shook her head. The demon looked at her coldly and another appendage rose lazily from the ground and slowly wrapped itself around her right arm. The pointed head stroked her cheeks harshly. She whimpered and closed her eyes.
"Why did you do it? Do you realize what you caused? Your lie burned the Westeros."
"Why do you care?" She had to stall, she was sure her cries should have attracted the guards by now.
"I care because your lies destroyed the life of my father and mother. It was because of your lie that I did not get to know my family. It was because of your lie that I grew up to be a bastard." Hearing the declaration Lysa looked at the demon again carefully for any identifying marks. The rebellion resulted in death of thousands but the quality of cloak and the knife suggested that the intruder was related to a landed knight or maybe even a noble family. Even if the face was covered she could still see the eyes. The glowing grey eyes looked back at her. If she looked carefully and ignore the glow, she could almost see the Stark grey.
"I did not knew about that. I lied to Brandon because he had hurt my Petyr and I wanted him to suffer. I just wanted to get him arrested for attacking the Red Keep." She confessed, at least partially. She would not betray Petyr. The answer did not get her any reprieve. The grip around her throat tightened slightly.
Her assailant brought her closer to him so that they were looking eye to eye. "You are still hiding something."
"N-no, I to-told you everything."
"Perhaps you need a reminder of the pain." The fleshy appendage uncurled and moved to pierce her other arm.
"WAI-WAI-WAIT! IT WAS PETYR'S IDEA!" The tentacles stopped just short of piercing her skin. Her assailant did not say anything and she knew he was waiting for her to explain. She took a deep breath. She was going to betray her love but she was no ready to experience the pain again.
"Lyanna was going to run away with the Prince. She left me a letter to deliver it to her father. I read the letter and in it she explained that she did not want to marry Robert and was running away with the Prince to marry him. I showed the letter to Petyr. Brandon had previously fought with Petyr and he wanted revenge. He asked me to hide the letter and lie to Brandon. Petyr expected that Brandon would be arrested, we never thought that the Mad King would kill him or it would lead to rebellion. We did not know. You have to believe me." By now her voice was becoming hoarse. She needed water otherwise she would not be able to stay awake for long.
Just then someone tried to force the doors of the chambers to open. Lysa felt her hopes rise, soon she will be free from this monster. She could not let him escape, he knew too much. The demon did not looked phased by that. He turned to look at his companion but said nothing. He then turned to face her.
"We have little time but I have one last question so you better answer it quickly." She laughed weakly at that.
"You are caught. The guards are already outside, you cannot escape. The truth shall die with you. Hehehe hahaha." She laughed weakly.
"Where is the letter that Lyanna Stark left?"
Before she could answer, the door of her chamber broke open and a contingent of guards rushed inside. They soon surrounded him and the captain of the guards levelled his sword at him.
"Step away from Lady Arryn, cur." Lysa cried in relief. There was no way that the demon could get away.
"Kill him captain! Do not let him escape!" Lysa cried gleefully.
-POV Shift-
Jon was feeling angry. No, he was not angry. He was furious.
He had thought that he had his temper under his control but seeing and talking to one of the perpetuators of the war brought forth the anger on the surface like an open wound. He did not believe himself to be capable of torturing someone but he had used his latest authority without any second thought or remorse. He should be feeling disgusted and sick to even think about using this ability if he was not blinded by anger.
When this woman had confessed to her crime Jon had to do everything in his power to not gut the woman right there but it was a close thing. It was a very close thing.
The authority that he usurped from the flayed god was very volatile and very difficult to control. If there was any power that embodied hunger and savagery then it would be this authority. The slightest slip would reduce the Red-Keep into the same state as the Bolton Castle. It was a mistake to unleash it here but as Eddard Stark used to say 'the ink is dry'.
He focused on the task at hand. He needed the letter, if only to have something of his mother. Aside from that, it would be a tangible proof that his mother voluntarily ran away with his father and he was not the product of rape.
He had already handicapped her from her left arm, another one would not make much a difference. But first he had to deal with the minor inconveniences who had dared to interfere. With a slight mental command the fleshy roots spawned from the floor and wrapped themselves around the soldiers before they could react.
He may be furious but not so far gone to slaughter these soldiers. Though he may rough them up a little. The roots tights wound around the soldiers and they cried out as the roots twisted their arms and torso. Some felt their wrists break and more roots gagged their mouth to prevent them from calling for help. Though it would be a temporary measure as he could tell other guards would be coming soon and he did want to fight more than he would have to. He blocked the entrance with the bound soldiers. They were looking at him with fearful eyes. He ignored them and turned towards Lysa Arryn. She was looking at the spectacle open-mouthed.
"I will not wait long for your answer Lady Arryn. Where is the letter? Either you answer me voluntarily or I will smash open your head and pick the information from there." He threatened with a growl. Lysa did not know if he could do that or not but with all the powers the demon had shown it was not out of the realm of possibilities.
"I gave the letter to Petyr!"She said in fear. She hoped that it would be enough. She did not want to die or go through the pain again.
Just then another contingent of guards rushed towards the room. They began to hack the roots that blocked the door, though they were careful not to cut the guards bound in them.
Jon had not thought this through. He could take on all the guards that the castle had to offer and them some easily but he wanted to keep his visit a secret. Clearly he had failed in that objective, the most now he could do is to hide his identity. It would not do to fight all of the guards after all not many could boast being able to fight that many soldiers unscathed. So for better or worse he had get away from there. He saw Pine already going out the window and that was a signal for him too.
"Tell your Petyr to keep the letter safe. I will be coming for it." With his last piece said he jumped out the window.
He found Pine waiting for him on the ground. She climbed his shoulder and together they ran towards the godswood of the castle. By now he could hear the whole castle in uproar. It would seem that he would have to ultimately fight his way out of the castle.
"I am going to open a path for you through the Weirwood but you have to direct where it's going to end."* Pine nodded.
"Try not to use swordplay to get out of here. No need to reveal your identity unnecessarily." Jon nodded his head in consent. He could not follow her through the Weirwood. The magic that allowed it to happen did not work on him. This was goodbye for now. They did not need to say that.
A guard saw them running towards the godswood and shouted to alert others. Jon quickly jumped over his head without breaking his stride. Jon increased his pace and soon they were in front of the dead weirwood tree that served as the castle's godtree. He placed his hand on the tree and concentrated his connection that he got from the flayed god. The trunk looked like it had gained some life and a small crevice opened.
Just before Pine could place her hand on the trunk to set her destination an arrow struck her on her right shoulder. She cried out in pain and fell on the ground. Jon saw that some guards had found them. Pine's cry had removed the lid from his anger and he called forth his powers to attack.
Suddenly fleshy tentacles began spawning from the ground. The guards were looking at it suspiciously, one of them poked it with his spear when the tentacles pierced him. Within moments the guard was sucked dry and his lifeless husk was thrown to the side. Other guards were looking fearful now. It was either fight or run.
But they did not know if they could fight it. Jon made the decision for them and his tentacles attacked the remaining guards.
Jon looked down at Pine. She was bleeding but not heavily. He sighed in relief when he confirmed that it not a life threatening wound. He knew not to pull out the arrow but now it presented a different issue, with Pine out of commission he needed to set the destination for her. This was dangerous because if it were Pine or any other Children then the pathway just would not open up it made a mistake. If he were to slip even a little bit then he could destroy the entire network.
At first he thought about the Isle of Faces but he was not sure if she could find and aid there. Duncan had told him that she was the first singer south of the wall since its creation. So maybe the Isle was not an option. The only place where he was sure that she could get aid was with other Children, beyond the wall.
He concentrated to find any Weirwood pathway that matched the description. After a bit of searching his probe encountered something cold in the path and assumed it to be the Wall. He was probably on the right path but now he had to be careful. He would have to fight the magic of the Wall and it would take some time, not to mention he could damage the Wall. He searched around for the edge and carefully pushed around it. He just needed a small opening for Pine. After some struggle he felt a part of the edge gave way. He concentrated on that part and suddenly he felt a cold chill. He theorized that he was successful in opening the path beyond the Wall now he had to find the largest Godtree.
Pine weakly got up on her knees and saw what he was doing.
"What did you do?" She asked hoarsely. Before Jon could answer he felt the presence of soldiers increase. They were probably encircling them now, they would have to move before they make the spectacle bigger than it already was.
"We do not have much time. The guards are probably going to set fire on the entire place. Help me find your home." She looked at him open-mouthed. But Jon was looking at her desperately for an answer. She shook her head and got up slowly. She stumbled towards him and with a weak shove put her lips on his in a kiss.
Jon was surprised by this. He struggled to not open his mouse. Pine was not ugly, if he were to describe her he would call her exotic. But he never thought about her that way. She was his friend, maybe more than that. She knew about his dreams, his feelings and most of his secrets. She was his constant companion but he never thought about it more than that.
Would that be so bad?
A small voice on the back of his mind whispered. But he was frozen solid and did not do anything else. Pine moved her lips away from him and looked him in the eyes.
"Open your mouth Jon." Then she dived again. Pine shoved her tongue against his lips, asking for entrance. Jon opened his mouth without any second thought. The first thought that burst into his mind was 'soft'.
It may have lasted for minutes or maybe moments but for Jon it lasted for a lifetime. This was his first kiss and he did not have anything else to compare it with. The taste was different but he was unsure if he liked it. One thing he knew for sure, it was a good feeling. He began to actively kiss he back. He did not know anything about it so he just allowed Pine to take the lead. He swirled his tongue around hers and tried to copy her movements. He wanted to move his hands when it happened.
Suddenly his mind was filled with images of a giant Wierwood tree, far north. He saw other Children, he saw Leaf and he saw the maze like caverns beneath the tree. His mind quickly pinned the location roughly east from the Fist of the First Man. He did not even know where that was but he somehow knew the exact location of her home.
Pine pulled away from him and he could do nothing else aside from looking at her curiously. "Do not think about it much Jon, it was the fastest way to transfer the knowledge. Nothing more." Jon wanted to say more but he she put her hands on his shoulders.
"Life has too much to offer Jon. I know you have taken the burden but do not let the obligations bind you, learn to live a little. Have fun in your Journey Jon." With her last piece said Pine stumbled towards the opening. Jon quickly connected the portal to the Weirwood that was the home of the last bastion of the Children. He silently watched her as she was swallowed by the tree. He was still connected to the network and waited for her to exit it on the other side before closing it.
He wanted to think about the kiss but decided against it. He had to think about his next move. Clearly he had failed in his stealth so now he was going to follow her advice.
"Have fun, huh?" Yeah it would be fun getting out of here.
To be continued
Sorry for the long wait. I have no other excuse other than I was lost in the road of life and it was a b!tch.
(*) This part was directly copied with minor changes.
So how did you like it? I am trying to transition Jon's character closer to the book. Please tell me your thoughts on that.
Now onwards to most of your reactions to Eddard Stark.
Wow, you guys hate his guts. It was never my intention to portray him negatively. If you think about it then his reaction to Jon was rational. If you have little kids then you know that they say most outrageous things and most of the time we humor them. But what if they say that something blasphemous that goes against your religious beliefs? You try to talk them down first but if they persist then some form of punishment.
Now we have Jon who is talking about killing gods and Eddard could not enforce punishment on him. Jon roams the north without any restrictions and one of the castles was destroyed and he was found near it. No one knows what happened but they look up on Eddard Stark for answer and protection.
Imagine the neighbourhood you live in. One of the kids burned down one of the houses with everyone inside dead because he said that there were face-huggers inside. Your first response would be to question the leader and the parents of the kid. After all that kid blew up one house, what guarantee is there that your house is not next? Get that kid locked up before he burns another house down and after that look for face-huggers.
Now Eddard could have handled it better. (If I wanted him to)
My second point is to ask for help.
I tried many things but I could not come up with the name of the authority of the Flayed God and even his name. I would really appreciate it if you could help me with that.
Lastly I cannot provide a definite schedule but I will be updating it regularly. I will see you guys soon with new update.
Bye for now.