Hello !

Here comes the eighth chapter of the story!

Guest: The powers of the dragons are still unknown in Westeros. The story picks up after season 6 so Robert is already dead! But if he were alive, that would probably be his reaction!

PyreElegy: Thank you for your review. Indeed, I didn't looked close enough at the maps. Eragon left at the East so he should be coming West.

Jctherebel: Thanks for your kind words!

Jetstream Blair: Yeah, Sansa is still a spoiled child and will probably annoy Eragon a bit. Thank you for your message and I hope you will enjoy this chapter!

Obviously, I own a computer, some books and even a cat. However, I own nothing in the Inheritance Cycle and Game of Thrones franchise. They do belong to Christopher Paolini and G.R.R Martin.

Without further ado, here comes the chapter !

The rest of the day was spent with Saphira. In the great hall, he found a few slices of bread with some cheese. While not particularly tasty, it would fill his stomach for the afternoon. Saphira had managed to create a small shelter near the woods to be protected from the snow. It was fairly easy to spot with the large spaces of melted snow and the big traces left by Saphira.

He also noticed that people were watching him. Wherever he walked, he could feel their suspicious eyes drilled into his back. A few soldiers were following him to protect him, according to them. Eragon decided not to protest too loudly against Lady Stark's decisions as long as the soldiers weren't too noisy. He simply wanted to spend some time with his dragon and as long as they remained at a safe distance, it didn't bother him.

Their paces started to get slower as they got closer to Saphira, who was looking intensely in their direction. Finally, they deemed the situation safe and stopped

"Hello little one" said Saphira as a greeting

"Hello Saphira! How's my favourite dragon today?" asked Eragon

"I'm your only dragon! And it's cold there. At least at the Wall, I was protected against the wind the trees here don't cover much. But I'll manage don't worry. This is not ideal but dragons are meant to stay outside, not circled by packs of stone." came her answer

"You're right, but it doesn't mean I can't try to help you" argued Eragon

"It's ok Eragon, I'm not a hatchling. You're sweet little one but you would know how to make a nest for dragon just as well as I would know how to make one of your silly wooden nests." chuckled Saphira

Finally, they feel into a relaxing pattern, with Eragon sitting close to her belly and absently stoking her scales. Eldunaris would sometimes comment on the recent events but for the moment, they were left alone. Eragon cherished those quiet times, as it allowed him to simply enjoy the presence of his chosen one peacefully. They had had to grow quickly, too quickly sometimes, but now, they just wanted to make up for the lost time before the next storm could reach them. While Eragon was getting worried about this long night, Saphira only wanted to meet Daenerys Targaryen and her three dragons. The rest mattered little for her at this point.

But too soon, it was time to leave his partner and to regain the castle. The night fell quickly in Westeros and he didn't fancy sleeping outside. He could already picture the lords, thinking he was saddling Saphira to destroy Winterfell. And so, he quickly jogged back to the castle, passing in front of the two guards who had followed him and who had troubles keeping up with his slow rhythm.

After a few hours of rest inside the castle, Eragon decided he wanted to explore Winterfell. There was no meeting planned so he wouldn't be pressed by time. The days before, he only had had a few moments to look at the castle, too focused on Jon and his companions to care about the architecture. But now, he was able to truly observe it and see how much he had underestimated its defences. It was an ancient and a powerful stronghold with very thick walls. That Bolton had been a fool to leave the protection offered by the castle.

The whole town was surrounded by strong and thick walls, reinforced several times. They were large enough for Saphira to stand on them and some parts were at least fifty feet high. Several small turrets had also been built along the walls to reinforce and make it completely impenetrable.

The main structure, where lived Jon, Sansa and most of the lords stood in the middle and was part of a complex structure made of several circular turrets. While the banner of the Starks -some kind of wolf- were raised, there were still marks of the previous occupations. Stains of fire and blood still tainted parts of the grey walls and had yet to be erased. In the market, people only bought the strict necessary, not that there was much more on the displays.

The people were also wary of them and Saphira's outburst had added more fuel to the fire. It felt strange for Eragon. For the past years, he had been seen as a saviour. Cries of Shadeslayer, Kingslayer or even Argetlam had followed his steps for the past few years, often filled with wonder and admiration. But now, he was a stranger, someone eyed with suspicion and it bothered him more than what he had expected. It seemed that no guards would follow him as long as he remained in plain sight, inside the walls of the castle.

Finally, after his tour of the castle, he decided to go towards the small wood he had spotted before. The Eldunaris had noted a small disturbance and were curious about it. Maudria and Gaerdin had gone outside the boundaries of the castle the day before but hadn't talked about this place. From what they had told him, the trees and wildlife were roughly the same as the Spine.

Being alone would help him. It had been a long time since he had time for himself or just with Saphira. Travelling on boat hadn't offered a lot of privacy. He now understood Oromis' desire to live apart from Ellesméra.

There was an eerie atmosphere in this place. He was surrounded by trees there but they had all lost their leaves. The whole place was covered in snow. Eragon walked absently between the trees. The sound of his boots against the snow resonated in the white forest. There was no other noise. The trees were completely isolating Eragon from all the activities happening a few feet behind him. He didn't have any goal in mind when he entered this place but now, he felt something unique, ancient. This was what had attracted the attention of the dragons in their scrying.

He just followed his instinct and went deeper into the wood. He could hear the soft sound made by his boots on the snow. He was completely alone and the silence around him was total.

A few moments later, Eragon stood, mouth agape, in front of the most unique and unusual tree he had even seen, and he counted the Menoa Tree with this! But while his eyes saw an impressive tree, his mind was seeing an entirely different thing. He could feel the power behind this tree. The same power he had felt on the Wall. This tree was a source of power, ready to be used.

The tree in front of him stood in contrast to all the others he had seen today. It was as large as the old trees of Du Weldenvaden. Its leaves, red as blood, were still attached to the branches. But the most impressive feature was the carvings done on its white bark. He could see outline's of someone face, in great pain, crying. The eyes were leaking a strange red sap. He wanted to touch it, feel this physical materialisation of pain. He felt moved by what he saw and the talent used there.

Eragon felt a sense of curiosity coming from Valdr. A succession of images went though his mind. He saw the rows of stoned Kings situated in Tronjheim, the loss of loved ones and the growth of a small snake.

But as always with Valdr, Eragon felt more confused than before. But it seems others understood the meaning behind his thoughts.

"This is not a human carving, the face is part of tree itself" whispered Glaedr "Look at the carvings, they're not carved like a human would, it looks more like the singing from elves!"

Intrigued by his mentor's advices, Eragon took a few steps towards the tree. Indeed, on a closer look, Eragon could see that the carving was part of the bark. But it only served to confuse him more. Who had done this?

He stayed a long time like this, close to the tree. He had touched the tree but nothing had come of it.

After a few moments, he heard some noise behind him and turned to face Jon Snow. He had sensed his arrival but had decided to remain here. Jon seemed surprised to find Eragon here.

"My father used to come here whenever he wanted some peace and when he had to take some decisions." Offered Jon as an explanation of his presence here.

Eragon didn't know what to say. He had learnt about Eddard Stark's demise, a few years ago. Instead, he pointed to the great three behind him "What is this tree? I've never seen anything like it"

"You are in the Godswood of Winterfell. This is a Weirwood, where people pray the Old Gods."

"Old? So, there are new gods too?" asked Eragon with a laugh

But Jon smiled before answering by the positive and starting to explain the several religions and their importance in Westeros. He remembered Cotter Pyke's comment about the Drowned God, which now made sense. After his explanation, Eragon decided to take his leave, to let Jon have the privacy he needed. He would try to see Saphira before the night instead.

Eragon had barely left the place when he heard shouts coming from where he had just left. Rushing back to the Weirwood, what he saw made him freeze for a second. Jon Snow was laying in the snow and seemed to have troubles breathing. The one who had done this was long gone and if Eragon wanted to save the man, there was no time to lose. He turned to Jon to find his wound. Jon, managed to chock something that sounded close to "neck". He quickly spotted the red spot on the back of his neck where blood was leaking. A small dart lay next to him

He had been poisoned and if he didn't react quickly, Jon would probably die. He had no way of knowing the exact poison used given that he was in a completely new region without any knowledge on their poison. Trying to heal him without knowing which plant had been used could do more wrong than good to Jon. But Jon had already troubles breathing.

"Eragon, I can see the one who did this, he's escaping" told Saphira

"Try to stop him but don't take any risk, he's skilled If he managed to overtake Jon"

"Don't worry little one, save him and I'll stop the one who did this. The elves are already on their way"

Reassured, Eragon continued to help Jon. He was singing to liberate his lungs. It seems it had some effect and Jon started to breathe more easily, but his state was still critical.

Without losing a second, he grabbed him and ran in the direction of the castle, to find the Maester. Within five minutes, he had reached the great hall. People screamed on his way when they saw who was on his back and Sansa lost all countenance when she saw Jon on his back.

"You did this?" she yelled

"He needs help. I didn't do this! I tried to help him but I don't know what poison was used. Help me save your brother now" answered Eragon dangerously

His tone seemed to frighten her but he had made his point. A Maester quickly found its way to the table where Jon was laying. He was barely conscious and was starting to have already more troubles breathing.

Without losing a second, Eragon told him about Jon's symptoms and showed him the spot on his back which had significantly darkened.

The Maester's face fell "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do. The poison used here is very rare and while a cure exists, I don't have it"

Sansa was now crying but Eragon was having none of it. Jon's eyes were shut but his face betrayed the pain and trouble he was facing. The man seemed to be in a lot of pain.

"The cure, what is it?"

"Well, you would need Edelweiss leaves, Cobalt and a fresh rumen from a cow, of which we have none. I'm sorry, I can't do anything. It's a miracle he survived up to now." answered the Maester with some sadness. The cries were getting louder around him but Eragon wasn't listening. If indeed the flora and fauna were roughly the same, the symptoms and the antidote pointed to one specific poison, which was …

"The Shadow's bliss" said Umaroth. "You remember how to treat it Eragon?"

He quickly reviewed the words with the dragon and started his work. Jon was starting to shake and his face was now complete white and his breathing more and more erratic.

They quickly removed Jon's armor and corset. It would ease his breathing and remove some pressure on his chest. As he did this, he noticed the end of a few scars ending close to Jon's heart. His curiosity was piqued but he couldn't forget his first objectif.

Eragon started the slow incantation. His voice seemed to silence everyone in the room. He felt their gaze lingering on his back but he couldn't care less. They couldn't let Jon die now. In the few days he had spent here, Eragon had understood that Jon was probably the most suited to united wildlings and northerners and fight the dead. He imagined little Ismira, Arya, Orik or Murthag fighting against these monsters, years later in Alagaësia because Westeros couldn't fight them. He refused to let this happen.

Outside, people were panicking and screaming. Saphira, with the two elves, had landed in the middle of the courtyard. He hadn't felt any pain or anger from her in the past minutes and deducted she had found the man.

"I'm here little one, we found the man. Save the wolf companion, I'll protect you"

And he continued, slowly, carefully not to make any mistake. Once again, the task ahead of him was delicate. He needed to extract all the poison diluted in his blood without damaging Jon's blood vessels.

He didn't know what his companions had said or done but the silence had now reached the courtyard. The only sound he could hear was his own voice, singing the spell under Umaroth and Glaedr' careful guidance. After nearly ten minutes, he could see some small progress: Jon's breathing had evened and he wasn't as feverish. But if he wanted to save him, he had to extract all the poison, otherwise all his work would have been naught.

Finally, they could see the poison starting to leave Jon's body. Small yellowish droplets were leaking out of his wound. The process was slow but they couldn't rush it. Eragon continued his spell until he was sure all the poison had been purged and that his lungs were back to normal. Finally, ten minutes after the last droplet had been seen, Eragon stopped singing. His mouth was dry from the hour-long effort.

The master stood shocked close to him "I've never seen anything like this"

Stretching his legs, he looked at his surroundings. Everyone was standing and looking at Jon who seemed to have fallen asleep during the process. Tears had dried on some and worry was plastered on many faces.

"He needs some rest. The poised has been drained but he must be tired." announced Eragon

Jon was unconscious at the moment but they needed to move him to a proper bed if they wanted him to rest properly. Two men slowly lifted his body and lifted him on a stretcher which had been brought. Sansa made the move to follow them but before she could take more than a few steps, Eragon caught her by the arm. He noticed the flinch she made at his contact

"If his state worsens, call me, don't hesitate, alright?" urged Eragon. Seeing her node, he offered her a soft smile and noticing his outstretched arm, released her from his grip.

With a thank you, Sansa left to catch up with the men who were bringing Jon to his chamber.

Finally, Eragon sat, letting go of all the tension accumulated in the previous hours. The spell hadn't been that draining but had required precision and dexterity, which he lacked in experience.

"You did well Eragon" said Saphira

"Thank you" was his short reply

Eragon decided he wanted to see the assassin. He grabbed his cloak, which was resting on a bench, and took the direction of the massive doors. As he opened the door, many took a step back from they saw. Saphira stood in the middle of the courtyard and was assisted by Maudria and Gaerdin. The assassin laid at their feet, bound tightly. The crowd had gathered and created a circle around them. They had to be curious, after seeing Eragon run dragging the body of their King half dead followed a dragon bringing a tied man.

He must have been twenty-five at most. He had been placed close to Saphira's front left leg, gagged and bound and under the surveillance of the two elves.

He didn't look afraid or angered. In fact, his eyes didn't betray much of what he was feeling; He simply laid there, still as a statue. Through his mind, Eragon asked the elves about his capture.

"That one is strange Shadeslayer. We were unable to stop him by magic, his mind was heavily protected. We took him by force but he was also quite skilled." said Maudria.

"I believe this is out of our hands now, they will probably want to judge him themselves after what he's done. "answered Eragon. "But keep on eye on him, there's too much going on at the moment and I don't like it" did he add

He received the equivalent of a mental node and made his way towards Ser Davos. "He's the one who poisoned King Jon" said Eragon. Immediately, whispers broke off in the crowd. Facing them, he continued "He has been saved and is currently recovering in his rooms"

This seemed to trigger the first reaction of the assassin, who looked surprised at the news. It seems he hadn't expected Jon to survive. Now that the crowd was busy chatting about the assassination attempt, he whispered to Ser Davos "You should keep him locked until Jon recovers" to which the sailor quickly agreed. "My friends will help to guard him should the need arise"

After barking a few orders, two men quickly took the man away, to a cell guessed Eragon. Swiftly, his two friends started to follow them silently.

This is the end of the chapter! I hope you've enjoyed it!

As always, reviews and critics are appreciated! A good incentive to publish faster! Critics help me a lot to improve and adapt!

Thank you all and stay safe!