Disclaimer: I do not own Elder Scrolls or A Song of Ice and Fire. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 8

Ocean Road 297 A.C

Humfrey Hightower's eyes began to move as he felt the rays of the sun on them. Slowly, the last male son of the Lord of Oldtown tried to get up, but as he did, he felt several stabs of pain in different parts of his body.

"Aghh…" the knight groaned, clenching his teeth in pain.

"I recommend you don't move too much, Ser." said a nearby voice.

Humfrey turned his head towards the voice and saw a young man of about fourteen or fifteen years old watching him with slight concern.

"I need you to stay still. With the movement you made, I fear you might have broken some of the stitches." the young man continued, approaching him.

"Where am I?" Humfrey asked as he lay back down, grimacing in discomfort.

"You are a few meters from where you were attacked, Ser." the young man replied while carefully checking the stitches. "It seems none of them have come loose."

Humfrey nodded, relieved, and then remembered his guards. "What about my guards?"

"I regret to inform you that you are the only survivor of that attack, Ser."

"I see…" Humfrey murmured, sadness in his voice. He had known those men, had hunted and trained with them, and felt a bond with them. Despite the sorrow that engulfed him, he did not allow himself to cry; it was not something a knight like him should do. Turning his gaze back to the young man, he decided to speak again. "It seems I owe you my life, young man. May I know the name of the one who saved me?"

The young man shook his head but answered nonetheless.

"My name is Jon." he said as he stood up. "Don't worry, Ser. In a few days, you'll be as good as new."

With those words, Jon left, leaving Humfrey to continue resting.

Jon left the tent where he had left Humfrey Hightower recovering. He knew who the knight was because he had read his memory using mind magic. Unfortunately, he wasn't as skilled as his master in that magic, so he had only managed to capture a few memories, but they were enough to know the knight's name, his family, and, as a bonus, learn some things about the known world: various places and the houses that ruled them.

'It seems this encounter has already been fruitful.' Jon thought as he walked towards where his companions were resting.

They had set up camp about two kilometers from where the ambush had occurred. Jon had brought Ser Humfrey while his companions set up the camp. They then traveled south for a few hours and camped by a river, where they waited until the knight could ride again.

'According to my estimates, he'll be able to ride again tomorrow. So, tomorrow we'll continue our journey to Oldtown. While it would have been easier to leave him at an inn to be taken care of, accompanying him to his home will earn us some points with his family.' Jon reflected as he approached his companions.

"Has the knight woken up?" Grenn asked, stirring a spoon in a pot where he was cooking a rabbit stew with onions and radishes.

"Yes, but he's still groggy from the medicine I gave him." Jon replied, sitting down next to them.

"When can we continue the journey?" Pyp asked while breaking loaves of bread.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Great… we'll have to ride until our asses are chafed again." Edd said with a sarcastic smile, taking several clay bottles containing Northern beer.

Everyone laughed at Edd's comment. When they calmed down, they continued chatting.

"And Jon, what's the plan when we get to Oldtown?" Pyp asked, looking at their group leader.

Jon put a hand to his chin, thoughtful, and after a few seconds, replied, "The first thing will be to find a way to get information from the Citadel."

"Are you talking about the place where the maesters study?" Edd asked, recalling the few times he had seen one. His family branch was so poor they couldn't afford to have their own maester.

"Yes. The information I need might be there. Luckily, the knight is the son of the Lord of Oldtown, so if I play my cards right, we'll be able to access the records I'm interested in."

The three young men looked at each other before Grenn asked, "What information are you looking for there?"

"I need information about a certain type of stone." Jon replied, observing his companions.

"This whole trip to look for stones?" Pyp asked, incredulous.

"No, the stones are just a clue to what I really need to find." Jon explained. "Once I locate the places where that type of stone is found, I'll know where we need to go."

"I see… We're looking for stones and then whatever Edzard asked you to find, right?" Edd asked, in one of his rare moments of seriousness.

"That's right. I know you're curious, but I'll tell you everything when we find the last bearer of those necklaces."

The answer didn't completely satisfy the boys, but they accepted it anyway. After the brief conversation, each returned to their respective tasks.

Oldtown 297 A.C

The hooves of five horses echoed along the road leading to the city of Oldtown. Mounted on them were Jon, Grenn, Pyp, Edd, and Ser Humfrey. It had been more than a week since the last son of Lord Leyton had awakened. The young knight had been astonished to see how quickly his wounds had healed; just a day after speaking with Jon, he was already well enough to ride. So, feeling better, he began traveling with the young men who had saved him from death.

Initially, despite the life debt he owed them, Humfrey was not so naive as to trust them immediately. They could be deserters from the bandits who had attacked him. However, his distrust began to fade when he saw the wolf accompanying Jon. One look was enough to understand that it was not an ordinary wolf, but a direwolf. Realizing this, the words of his sister Malora, known as «The Mad Maid», came back to him. She used to have visions of what might happen, which led their father to lock himself in the family's ancestral lighthouse, reading prophecies and books of magic.

'I still remember how Jon Snow reacted when I discovered his identity.' Humfrey thought, recalling how it all happened.

Flashback

Ser Humfrey Hightower finished putting on his armor with some difficulty. He had no servants to help him at that moment, but it was not entirely strange to him, as he had never had a squire and knew how to dress himself. What made the task more difficult were his wounds, which, although they had healed surprisingly quickly, still caused him some pain. Limping a bit, he left his tent and saw Jon and his companions gathered.

The other three wore full chainmail armor, with greaves, gorgets, shoulder pads, and steel bracers. Additionally, two of them wore scale armor, while the third, like Jon, wore a brigandine.

Seeing those armors, Humfrey's mind went back to the bandits who had ambushed him, and a disturbing idea formed in his head.

'What if they are deserters from that group?' he thought, looking suspiciously at the four. 'Yes, that must be it. They surely plan to capture me and demand a ransom…'

His thoughts were interrupted by something brushing against his leg. Looking down, his eyes widened, and he jumped back upon seeing a wolf next to him. He barely retreated a meter, and, while reaching for the hilt of his sword, he remembered his sister Malora's words:

"Brother, you will be on the brink of death soon, but your end will not come, for you will be saved by a white wolf."

Humfrey observed the wolf more closely. It was as white as snow, and its red eyes shone like two rubies. Examining it more closely, he realized it was much larger than normal for a wolf of its age.

'Wolves that big… Only direwolves are that size, according to the legends!' Humfrey thought, but his thoughts were interrupted when Jon spoke.

"Ghost, with me!"

Humfrey's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw the wolf obey Jon and approach him. He was in shock, but when he overcame it, he looked at Jon more closely. He observed him attentively and noticed his features more clearly.

'Violet eyes that almost seem to shine like stars, an elongated face, and brown hair… And now he has a direwolf! By the seven hells! That boy is Lord Stark's bastard!'

Humfrey remembered that name well. The Warden of the North had sent a raven to King Robert requesting help to find his bastard son, Jon Snow. Robert, in response, sent ravens to the lords of the Seven Kingdoms asking for information if they saw him. Humfrey's father, Lord Leyton, also received that raven, but like many other lords, he dismissed the request. After all, who cared about the fate of a northern bastard? If it had been the legitimate son of the Lord of Winterfell, things would have been different.

Having discovered the identity of his savior, Humfrey decided to confront him to understand why he was so far from his home and family.

End flashback

After confronting Jon about his identity, the young bastard was surprised to learn that his father had been looking for him. After telling him this, Humfrey saw Jon give a sad smile before asking for a few minutes. Jon approached his companions, and although Humfrey only heard some shouts of surprise and curses, everything soon calmed down.

'He told me the commotion was because he had just revealed his true identity to them.' Humfrey recalled. After that incident, he decided to trust them; after all, any son of the Warden of the North had to be as honorable as his father. Since then, he had been thinking about how to reward Jon and his companions for saving his life.

'My initial idea was to knight them all and give them some land, but after seeing them train, I realized that, at least for now, the three who accompany Jon do not have the martial skills necessary to be knights. However, Jon does deserve it. Knighthood would be an excellent reward, as the title of Ser would open many doors for him.' Humfrey thought, just before Pyp interrupted him with a question.

"Ser Humfrey, how far are we from Oldtown?"

"Not far, really. We will be able to see the city when we cross the hill in front of us." Humfrey replied, pointing to the mentioned hill.

Pyp, Grenn, and Edd smiled, and spurring their horses, they galloped at full speed towards the hill, eager to see the city. For two of them, it was a new experience, but for Pyp, it was something he had already seen. However, the excitement of seeing that huge and beautiful city again did not diminish.

"It seems your friends are quite excited." Humfrey commented with a smile.

"Yes, but I suppose their real joy is that they will soon be able to go to a brothel and have a good night." Jon replied, also smiling.

Humfrey looked at Jon for a moment and then let out an amused laugh, which was joined by Jon's.

"Jon, come quickly!" Pyp shouted from the top of the hill.

Hearing the call, Jon spurred his horse and galloped to the top. When he arrived, his eyes filled with wonder at the sight before him.

The great city of Oldtown was entirely made of stone, from the houses to the roads and bridges. It was protected by high and thick walls of solid rock, and from a distance, its intricate streets could be seen forming a sort of labyrinth of alleys, winding and narrow, filled with markets. Several islands were scattered throughout the city while a river, whose mouth formed part of the port, divided Oldtown in two. As Jon scanned the city, he finally fixed his gaze on the imposing lighthouse that was the fortress of House Hightower. Ironically named Hightower, the castle was a huge stepped tower, at the top of which a great flame burned, also serving as a lighthouse.

'That tower looks as tall as the Wall.' Jon thought, shifting his gaze to the road they would follow. Thanks to that, he saw several merchant caravans entering through one of the main gates.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Humfrey asked as he reached Jon's side.

"Yes. It doesn't seem as big as King's Landing, but it smells better. Just for that, it's already much better than that city." Jon replied with a smile, relieved that Oldtown did not share the stench of the capital. Seeing that this was not a problem here, he felt he could enjoy the city.

After that brief exchange, the group of five riders, plus the direwolf, continued on the road towards the city entrance.

In the middle of a large stone hall, decorated with silver chandeliers, tapestries from Myr and Volantis, and other valuable decorations from the Free Cities of Essos, stood a majestic oak throne, beautifully carved. Sitting on it was Baelor Hightower.

Baelor, heir to Lord Leyton, had assumed the governance of Oldtown since his father secluded himself in the lighthouse with his sister Malora. He was about forty years old, and although some gray hairs were beginning to show, his hair was still mostly black. His face was clean-shaven, showing slight wrinkles, but he was still an attractive man. He wore a gray doublet, black trousers, and boots of the same color.

The heir of Oldtown was deeply worried, and for good reason. Days after a tournament was announced in Oldtown, he had received a raven from his younger brother, announcing his return to participate. However, his brother was already several days late, which only increased his anxiety. But that was not the only thing troubling him. Until a few hours ago, two more people had been in that same room. Bringing a hand to his temple, Baelor recalled the tense conversation he had had with them.

Flashback

"Ahhh… I knew this would come sooner or later." sighed Baelor Hightower as he looked at the woman in front of him.

The woman was older, short in stature, with gray hair and a face lined with wrinkles. Her gaze was serious and annoyed as she looked at both Baelor and the rest of the service members. She wore a chainmail armor patched in several places, clearly used in battle. That woman was none other than Maege Mormont, the aunt of Baelor's good brother and the current Lady of Bear Island, a remote island in the Bay of Ice, ancestral home of the Mormonts.

"I already told you, Lady Maege, my sister is not here." said Baelor, trying to remain calm as he addressed the lady of the North.

"I don't care where your sister is, Lord Hightower. I just want to know if you have any idea of the whereabouts of my stupid nephew." Maege replied, looking at him coldly.

Baelor shook his head. He had no idea where Ser Jorah Mormont was.

Ser Jorah, Baelor's good brother, was married to his younger sister, Lynesse. Their marriage had been allowed by his father after the Greyjoy Rebellion, and she had moved to the North with her new husband. But that had not gone well. Lynesse had always been a spoiled girl, obsessed with luxuries. Although House Hightower was wealthy, Baelor and some of his siblings were more moderate, but Lynesse was different. She could spend fifty gold dragons on a single whim without a second thought. As a result, Jorah, lord of such a remote and austere place, quickly ran out of funds, which led him to make a grave mistake: selling poachers as slaves.

When news of his crime reached Baelor, the heir of Oldtown became worried. He feared that his sister and Jorah would end up fleeing south, seeking refuge in their home, which could bring problems to Oldtown. Although that did not happen, the scandal had destroyed the Mormont's reputation and affected the North's relationship with the houses of the Reach. If the northerners stopped buying grain from the south, many lords would lose significant income.

"Lady Mormont." said Garth Hightower, Baelor's brother. "I know you may think that our house's word is compromised by our kinship with your nephew's wife, but although Lynesse is our sister, she is also the wife of a criminal. Her actions may have tarnished the honor of our house, but we swear by the Seven that they are not here."

Garth Hightower was the second son of Lord Leyton, a respected knight in the region. He was a burly man with black hair and dark eyes. He was clean-shaven and always wore plate armor, as he was the master-at-arms of House Hightower and one of the generals who would lead the city's armies if necessary.

Although Garth addressed Maege, it was the young woman beside her who responded. The girl, just over twenty years old, had black hair and wore leather armor. At her belt, she carried a morning star. She was tall, easily reaching six feet.

"It seems you do not understand the gravity, Ser." said the young woman, looking at the knight. "It is not just the honor of your house that has been stained. At this moment, House Mormont is viewed unfavorably in the North. Many of House Stark's vassals murmur about us in low voices-"

"Dacey, be quiet." interrupted Maege, annoyed, looking at her daughter.

The young woman nodded and fell silent.

End flashback

Baelor Hightower's thoughts were interrupted when a guard came running into the hall.

"Ser Baelor!" shouted the guard as he passed by the two northern ladies. Upon reaching his lord, he knelt before speaking again. "Ser Baelor, your brother Ser Humfrey has returned, but he has done so without his escort."

The guard's words worried Baelor. Something serious must have happened for his brother to return alone. Rising from the oak throne from which he observed, Baelor approached the guard to ask for more details. However, he had not taken ten steps when, suddenly, a white wolf crossed the door.

Baelor stopped dead in his tracks. The beast was enormous.

'That wolf… is gigantic… (gulp) damn it, how did they let such a creature in?' Baelor thought, instinctively stepping back, aware that he was not wearing armor, only light clothing.

Seeing that their lord might be in danger, the guards in the hall drew their swords and quickly formed a defensive perimeter around him, adopting combat positions. Surprisingly, the wolf stopped in the center of the hall.

'What is it doing? Why isn't it advancing?' Baelor thought, observing the animal more closely. 'How in the Seven Hells did a direwolf get so far south?'

He had heard rumors about Lord Eddard Stark's children and their direwolves, but he never imagined encountering one in person. Fortunately, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of metallic footsteps echoing in the hall.

Everyone present turned their gaze towards the source of the sound. Baelor saw his younger brother enter limping, followed by four armed people. Humfrey's armor was damaged, with several visible holes.

"Humfrey!" exclaimed Baelor, relieved to see his brother.

"Brother!" replied Humfrey with a tired smile.

Seeing him limp, Baelor broke through the perimeter of his guards and quickly approached. When he was just a few meters away, he hugged him tightly.

"By the Seven, when you were delayed, we were all worried. And when they told me you had arrived without your escort, I feared the worst." said Baelor with a frown as he separated from his brother.

Humfrey smiled and replied, "Your fears were not unfounded. I am injured, and if it weren't for these people, I would probably be dead."

Baelor's eyes widened upon hearing those words, observing the strangers accompanying his brother.

"What do you mean by that, Humfrey?"

"You see, brother, I fell into an ambush by some bandits, but curiously, they were very well-armed."

Humfrey's words made Baelor look at him gravely, seeking confirmation in his gesture. Humfrey nodded, causing Baelor to let out a growl of anger. Someone had tried to kill his brother.

"It seems our house owes them a debt, larger than we imagined." said Baelor, turning his attention to the young men before him. "Humfrey, who are they?"

"The one with brown hair and a thick neck is named Grenn; the one with big ears is Pypar; and the one with gray hair is Eddison, from a lesser branch of House Tollet of Grey Glen in the Vale." Humfrey replied, leaving Jon's name for last. This piqued Baelor's curiosity.

"And… who is the last one?" Baelor asked, looking at Jon.

"He is Jon Snow, the bastard son of Lord Stark." Humfrey replied with an ironic smile.

Upon hearing Jon's name, Baelor took a step back, surprised. He immediately remembered the letter sent by King Robert to all the castles of Westeros. Like many other lords of the Reach, he had not actively searched for the boy, although he had posted some notices to comply with the king's order. However, it seemed that fate had unexpected ironies, as the young man they had not sought had saved his brother's life.

Moving away from his brother, the heir of Oldtown was about to speak with him, but was interrupted when a servant arrived. The servant, after bowing, spoke.

"Ser Baelor, Ser Humfrey. Your father requests your presence along with the wolf's owner in the library, urgently."

The servant's words caught Jon's attention, who, turning, saw that his traveling companions were also surprised. To give them something to do while he attended the call, he reached into his bag, took out nine gold dragons, and gave three to each of them.

"Guys, take this and go have fun until I'm done. See you at the inn we passed on the way here."

After that, Jon said goodbye and began to follow the Hightower brothers, who guided him through the fortress.

The group of six people walked through hallways and stairs until they reached the place where the lord of Oldtown awaited them. Upon arriving at the library doors, they entered and saw those who were waiting for them.

Sitting at a table was an old man. He had long, snow-white hair and a thick, equally white and well-groomed beard. His eyes were a light brown, and he wore an elegant white doublet, accompanied by brown linen trousers and black boots. The clothes were exquisitely embroidered with gold threads.

"Father." Baelor and Humfrey said in unison, looking at the old man.

The man stood up from his chair and approached his younger son. Placing his hands on his shoulders, he gave him a strong hug. Then, he approached Jon, looked him in the eyes, and spoke.

"Thank you for saving my son's life, Jon Snow." said the lord of Oldtown.

Jon's eyes widened. He did not expect the old man to discover his identity so quickly.

"It seems you are surprised how I know who you are, right?"

Jon nodded.

"It's simple. You may not remember, but I met you when you were a baby. I saw you when I was in King's Landing for King Robert's marriage to Queen Cersei." Leyton explained, observing Jon from head to toe. "Besides, you resemble your uncle quite a bit. Not in the face, as there you resemble your father more, but the eyes and the way you walk remind me of Ser Arthur. That makes me pity the fools who face you in combat."

After those words, the old man sat down again and indicated for everyone to take a seat. When they did, he looked at Jon and then at his sons, asking them to recount what had happened.

Humfrey was the first to speak, recounting what had happened until he fell from the crossbow attack. Then, Jon continued the story, mentioning the details of the confrontation and how they managed to defeat the bandits. Of course, he omitted the part about his magical abilities, not wanting to be labeled as crazy. When he finished, he handed over the note he found in the bandit leader's pocket.

Leyton read the note and let out a tired sigh.

"It seems the original target was Lord Mace Tyrell." he commented, dropping the note on the table.

The old man's words worried Baelor, who feared for his sister's safety, but before he could move, Humfrey reassured him.

"Brother, I know you and father are worried, but the threat no longer exists. Jon and his companions eliminated all the bandits."

"Really?" Baelor asked, looking at Jon.

"That's right, my lords. After the attack, my companions and I stripped the bandits of their valuables. When we saw that your son was safe, we tracked the area and found a cave they used as a hideout. Fortunately, there weren't many more, and we managed to finish them off."

"I see. It seems our house owes you a greater debt than we thought." said Leyton, looking more closely at Jon. "Is there anything else you can tell us about the attack?"

"I don't think so, my lord. Apart from the armor and some belongings of the bandits, we found nothing that could clarify who hired them." Jon replied.

"Very well…" Leyton sighed. "Then you may leave, young man. I need to speak with my sons, but don't worry, we will call you later to give you a reward for saving my son."

Jon nodded, stood up, bowed, and left the library, leaving the Hightowers alone.

When Jon left, the three Hightowers looked at each other with frowns.

"They are damned! How dare those miserable Florents try to kill my brother?!" shouted Baelor, pounding the table with his fist.

Leyton and Humfrey gritted their teeth, filled with anger.

"Those idiots always boast that they should have Highgarden, not the Tyrells." said Humfrey bitterly, with clenched fists. "We will have to give them a response for such a dishonorable act."

"We will do no such thing." said Leyton, looking at his sons.

"But, father!" exclaimed Humfrey, standing up.

"Sit down, Humfrey." Leyton ordered firmly.

The young knight looked at his father for a few seconds and then sat back down.

"The Florents may be behind this, but we have no proof. This paper has no symbol confirming their involvement in the attack, son. We cannot accuse another house of murder without evidence; this could trigger a civil war in the Reach, and that would be disastrous for trade."

"Then what will we do, father?" asked Baelor, holding back his fury.

"We will continue with the plans we had. The tournament will take place as planned." said Leyton, pouring himself a glass of wine and drinking. "Now, let's talk about the reward for young Jon Snow and his companions."

After those words, Baelor and Leyton looked at Humfrey.

"Do you have any suggestions, son?" asked Leyton.

"I've thought of several things, but I think I know what we could give him."

"Go on."

"A bit of gold wouldn't hurt for the four of them. But I also think we could grant Jon Snow the title of knight." proposed Humfrey.

"That's a good reward, but… why only Jon and not the four of them?" asked Baelor.

"It's simple. Of the four, Jon is the best swordsman. The others are good, but they still need to improve. Besides, if we knight Jon, he can knight his friends when he deems them ready."

"That makes sense." Leyton nodded, while calling a servant and ordering him to inform Jon that they expected him in the hall that night, where they would hold a small celebration in his and his friends' honor.

Jon walked through the streets of Oldtown, heading to the Citadel. His steps were calm, as he had time before the small party in his and his companions' honor. After learning about the evening event, he decided to take advantage of the day and leave the fortress for the city.

'It seems I have good luck.' he thought with a smile as he walked through the narrow streets towards the place where the maesters acquired their knowledge. He had asked Lord Leyton for permission to consult a maester on certain topics, specifically myths, legends, and the supernatural. When he mentioned the matter, he expected the old lord to laugh, but to his surprise, Leyton wrote him a letter and handed it to him.

'I just had to give it to an acolyte.' Jon recalled as he walked. His steps stopped at the entrance of the Citadel, flanked by two strange creatures: winged lions with human faces, one male and one female.

'What strange creatures.' he thought as he crossed the gates.

The interior of the Citadel was like a small city within another. Stalls and small buildings surrounded an imposing central structure.

"I suppose that's my destination." Jon murmured as he walked towards the large building. However, something caught his attention before he arrived: several stalls were selling books and maps. Feeling curious and eager to increase his map collection, he approached one of the stalls where several maps were hanging in view.

A lanky young man, wearing a brown tunic and a small gold link hanging from his neck, attended to him.

"Good day, Ser." greeted the young man in a tired voice. "What can I do for you?"

"How much are your maps?" Jon asked, pointing to the ones on display.

The boy looked him up and down before answering, "It depends on the map. Those of any region of the Seven Kingdoms cost two gold dragons each. Those of Essos, four. Nautical charts are three dragons and a hundred silver stags."

Jon took a map and examined it closely. The details were impressive, justifying the price. Taking out several gold dragons, he bought fifteen maps and twenty nautical charts. Then, in a discreet place, he stored them in his magic bag. He was about to leave when something froze him: at a book stall, he saw a young man with a necklace that had a pendant similar to those of Grenn, Pyp, and Edd.

'It can't be… it seems I've found the last member of my crew.' he thought with a satisfied smile.

He walked towards the young man, ready to greet him, but as soon as he saw him, the boy ran off. Surprised, Jon followed him, trying not to draw attention as he crossed the crowd. When the young man entered a dead-end alley, Jon changed his strategy and started running, a wolfish smile forming on his face.

Upon reaching the alley, he saw the boy cornered, trembling with fear.

"P-please, don't hurt me!" the young man shouted, desperate to find a way out.

Jon watched him in surprise, noticing how his legs trembled.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you." Jon said, approaching slowly to get a better look at him. The young man seemed to be his age but was burly. His hair was dark, his eyes clear, and his face had a rounded, almost lunar shape. He wore a gray tunic and, besides the pendant Jon recognized, he noticed that the necklace had three links: one of gold, another of copper, and a third with strange wavy patterns.

"R-really?" asked the young man, gradually stopping his trembling.

"That's right. I just want to ask you a question." Jon replied, showing his own necklace.

The young man's eyes widened at the sight of Jon's necklace, and instinctively he brought a hand to his own.

"Do you know a place where we can talk in peace?" Jon asked.

The young man nodded quickly and began to guide him to a place where they could converse without being interrupted.

Jon and the young man who possessed the last necklace, named Samwell, were sitting near the Honeywine River. The place was completely deserted, so they began to talk without interruptions.

"So you want to speak with a maester?" asked Samwell, looking at Jon in astonishment. Never in his life had he imagined meeting the lost son of Lord Stark.

"That's right. Lord Hightower gave me this letter to deliver to an acolyte of the Citadel." Jon replied, showing the letter. Samwell quickly took it, surprising him. Jon was about to ask for it back, but Samwell's words stopped him.

"It seems you're in luck, as I am an acolyte." said Samwell with a smile as he read the contents of the letter. After finishing, he looked at Jon and spoke again: "It seems Lord Leyton wanted you to meet with Archmaester Marwyn."

"Archmaester?" Jon asked, confused. He had no idea what that term meant.

Upon hearing the question, Samwell explained the hierarchy of the maesters. He told him how each link of the chain represented mastery in a subject. He also spoke about the archmaesters, who were experts in a specific discipline and were distinguished by wearing a mask, a rod, and a ring made of a metal related to their area of study. Samwell mentioned that the gold link symbolized knowledge in finance and accounting, the copper one represented history, and the strange link he possessed, made of Valyrian steel, indicated the study of magic or "the higher mysteries."

"I see… So, I suppose this Marwyn is an expert in a particular subject." Jon commented.

"That's right. He is the archmaester who wears a mask, a rod, and a ring of Valyrian steel, which makes him the Archmaester of the Higher Mysteries." Samwell explained.

Upon hearing that the man he would meet was a scholar of magic, Jon got excited at the possibility of having an interesting conversation. However, that hope faded with Samwell's next words.

"Unfortunately, Archmaester Marwyn is not at the Citadel."

"What?" Jon exclaimed, bewildered. "Where is he?"

"The Archmaester is traveling and won't return for a few weeks."

Jon felt that news hit him like a bucket of cold water.

"Damn." he muttered, clenching his fists.

"B-but if what you're looking for is information about the higher mysteries, I can help you." Samwell offered.

Jon blinked, looking at the young acolyte.

"Are you sure?"

"That's right. Although I'm not at the level of the Archmaester, I have knowledge about the higher mysteries." Samwell assured.

"I see. If that's true, then I can ask you some questions." Jon said.

"Fine. I suppose those questions are related to what Edzard asked you, right?" added Samwell.

"That's right." Jon replied, as he told him about the black stones he was looking for.

Samwell listened attentively to Jon's explanation and, when he finished, told him that he knew something about those stones. He began to tell him the known places where that type of material was found. After concluding, he told Jon that he would need a map to point out the approximate location. Upon hearing that, Jon took out the maps he had bought and spread them out in front of Samwell. The young acolyte, surprised by the quantity and quality of the maps, began to show Jon the places where those black stones were known to be found.

A light mist covered the port of Oldtown, and there, anchored at one of the many docks, Jon's ship could be seen. Although small compared to the large vessels surrounding it, its modest size did not diminish its power; in fact, it was the most formidable of all those docked.

"Ahhhh… Hey, Jon, when do you think that guy will show up?" Grenn asked from the deck, looking at the plank connecting the ship to the port.

"Soon." Jon replied, also observing the hustle and bustle of the port. "I told Sam we would leave this morning, and if he wants to join, he should arrive before we set sail."

"Do you really think he'll come?" Pyp asked, peeling an apple with a dagger. "I mean, he himself told you he's a coward and gets seasick. Why do you think he would agree?"

"To escape his father." Jon answered bluntly.

The response made everyone on board sigh with frustration and anger. Jon had shared Samwell's story, and the cruelty of his father enraged everyone, from Grenn to Pyp. They couldn't conceive that someone would try to kill their own son.

Samwell Tarly was not just any lowborn, but the son of Lord Randyll Tarly, and once his heir. When Jon heard his story, he felt deep anger towards the lord of Horn Hill. Samwell had confessed that, to his father, he had always been a disappointment. Randyll wanted a warrior, but Samwell was a coward unable to bear the sight of blood. Although he dreamed of being a wizard or a maester, his father had chained him in a dark place, squeezing his neck with a chain until he nearly suffocated, preventing him from eating and breathing.

Just remembering that torture made Samwell's body tremble. His story worsened: his father had organized a hunt, and the guards, under orders, tried to kill him. Miraculously, Samwell managed to escape.

After wandering aimlessly, he found the necklace he now wore, and was found by Archmaester Marwin, who took pity on him and brought him to the Citadel, where he entered as a novice under the name Samwell Flowers.

"Well, I suppose our great leader, now a knight, is right." Edd commented with a note of sarcasm in his voice.

His words reminded everyone how, during a small celebration for saving Humfrey, the Lord of Oldtown's own son had knighted Jon. Grenn, Pyp, and Edd hoped to receive the same honor, but only got a good payment in gold coins. Although the lack of the title initially depressed them, Jon promised to knight them when they were stronger.

"So our first destination is to go to the Stepstones, right?" Grenn asked, looking at the clear sky.

"Yes. Lord Leyton informed us that the pirates in that area have become bolder, attacking ships, especially those from Braavos. The Sea Lord has ordered an offensive against them."

"How long do you think we'll be there?" Edd asked.

"Not long. The Sea Lord doesn't seek to conquer, just to clean the area. I'd say a month or a month and a half." Jon explained.

Pyp, still at the port, spotted a silhouette approaching the ship. Seeing the familiar face, he sighed with relief and smiled. "Looks like Jon was right. He came."

After his words, everyone turned towards Samwell, who was walking unsteadily towards the ship. Upon reaching the deck, Jon greeted him.

"Looks like you've accepted."

"Y-y-yes." Samwell stammered shyly.

"Good, then, welcome to the group." Jon said with a smile.

After the introductions, Jon gave orders for everyone to take their positions on board. Grenn and Edd took care of raising the anchor, while Pyp climbed to the «Crow's Nest» to act as a lookout. Samwell would help Jon keep the course.

With the anchor raised, Jon nodded, and his companions unfurled the white sails. At the same time, Pyp hoisted the flag Jon had chosen as his heraldry: a black triangular flag with a white direwolf running after a star.

With everything ready, Jon took the helm, guiding the ship out of the port, heading towards their first battle.

Author's Note:

To those who have made it this far, thank you for reading. To be honest, my English writing skills are not strong, and I'm relying on Google Translate and the dictionaries that come with Office 2019.

And we continue with the translation, and finally we have the entire ship's crew, ready to sail to… the Stepstones XD

Heh, I'll just say this: don't expect a long series of battle chapters in the Stepstones, as what's happening there will be even faster than what happened during the war between Daemon Targaryen and the Triarchy… it's just Braavos against pirates LOL

Also, Jon is finally a knight, a somewhat quick achievement but understandable, we're talking about someone who can literally kill several warriors in combat at the same time without using magic, so if we look at it from a martial standpoint, Jon is more than deserving, and on the political front, a bastard son of Ned Stark, Lord of the North… a region with which the Hightowers have issues thanks to the Jorah Mormont affair...

I apologize for any spelling errors. Please don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or if there's something that needs improvement, or if you have any questions about the story. Any constructive advice is welcome. With nothing more to say, see you in the next chapter.