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Chapter 18

To the North

298 AL

Jon POV

It was the start of a new year. I, as always, was training with the master-at-arms while ser Patrek was gone somewhere, gods know where. It was hard to hate ser Patrek, even if there were many reasons why I would. I got an opportunity to squire for the heir of Seagard, and ser Patrek didn't begrudge me for being a bastard. But in the last five years, I could count on my fingers how many times he taught me something.

It was Lord Jason Mallister who took me under his care while his son was gone. I will be eternally grateful for him for what he had done. Lord Jason was similar to my father and held honor high, but he was more flexible about its meaning. He taught me a lot, from being an excellent knight to managing lands and other lords. Saying that if his son doesn't listen to him, then at least he will have someone else to teach.

"There you are, boy," Ser Patrek comes to me, out of nowhere. "I have good news for you. We are going to the north."

"We are?" I asked.

"Aye. Lord Tully asked for me to bring the convicts to the Wall," Ser Patrek answers. "We leave in few days and stay in the Winterfell for some time to gather other convicts from the North, and then we will escort them to the Wall."

And with these words, he was gone. Winterfell, it was a long time since I have last seen my brothers. Robb has written me about the newest member of the family, Rickon. Bran and Arya probably will not even remember me. It will be nice to meet them again.

…

We left after the criminals and volunteers bound to the Wall had arrived. There were about a hundred men in total. Another hundred will come from the north if what ser Patrek says is true. It was ser Edmure Tully's idea to send unwanted and for nowhere to go to the Wall. Now every year couple hundred men would be escorted to the Wall.

It is said that the Wall is in a better position than it was in the last three hundred years. With more than three thousand men standing vigil over the Wall. And it seems to be a good time for it, as the news of the new King beyond the Wall spread. If rumors are to be believed, there are about one hundred thousand wildlings under the King-Beyond-the-Wall.

We arrived at the Western Tower village soon enough. The roads were well maintained, and nobody would harras this big of a procession. The village wasn't vast, with a Stronghouse by the bridge and few streets along with it.

The Eastern Tower village was of the same size as her twin. Now ruled by Lord Cleos Frey. This village is all that was left for the Freys after their demise. A little tower and few farms. Nowadays, it was taught to children what happens when men have too much greed in their hearts.

Afterward, we reach the Kingsroad that will bring us through Moat Cailin to Winterfell. The Neck was swampy land, to say at least. Even going through the Kingsroad, I felt the wet air and saw many toads and other swamp animals. If you went out of the road, your boots would get wet in no time. It was impossible to know where the ground was hard and where it was a slump.

"It is good that this road is alleviated from the ground. Otherwise, I don't want to know how it could be possible to travel on it," Ser Patrek comments after looking around.

"The Crannogmen live in these swamps. If it isn't wildlife that kills you, it would be them," I tell him.

"The Crannogmen are the Wildlife there, boy," Ser Patrek replies.

"I will be five and ten soon, so you could practice not calling me a boy now," I tell him.

"Who else I call a boy, if not you," He responds with a laugh.

"I wonder what your wife would say if I told her that you slept in a house of a young farmer girl?" I ask with a smirk.

"Cheeky bastard, fine, I will try to not call you a boy anymore, bastard," He says to me.

Well, what did I expect? There is no winning against him with words.

…

The Moat Cailin stood imposingly, even if there was no way to repair all the towers that stood in this castle once a long time ago. Three fully restored towers were enough to put fear in any army, which would march north. It will belong to Bran once he is of the age. Now its castellan is Robett Glover.

We were welcomed warmly to the keep, with a great feast and warm beds awaiting us. Lord Robett Glover was too prideful for my liking. But ser Patrek had taught me that no matter how much I don't like someone, I should always be pleasant and courteous. Well, I am a bastard, so I learned how to be humble a long time ago.

We didn't stay long here and left for Winterfell the following day. Borrowlands were long plains filled with livestock. Hundreds of shepherds could be seen herding sheep and other animals. It's said that more than half of meat comes from these animals. And almost two-thirds of horses are bred here.

Cerwyn was the last stop before Winterfell. It was only a day away from it. I could not help but feel anxious about meeting my family again. Even if Robb would write almost every month to me, I felt nervous. What if they don't even remember him? What if They don't want to see me? Ser Patrek said that my father would ask about me every day if he could. But what if he was glad to get rid of me and now would not want to see me. Lady Stark is the only person that I know will behave the same with me.

Well, tomorrow I will find out there is no running from it.

…

I wish that tomorrow hadn't come so fast. Now that I could see the walls of Winterfell, I felt more anxious than I ever did. With every step my horse took, I wanted to turn around and ride back. But I didn't. The part of me that wanted to see Robb, little Arya, and even ladylike Sansa won over.

The convicts were taken by Winterfell's guard to the Winter town. The rest of us were led to Winterfell, where we were greeted by the whole Stark family. After ser Patrek greeted them, father didn't waste any more time and hugged me. He looked over me while holding my shoulders.

"Gods, you have grown so much," My father says.

"It was a long time, brother," Robb was next, who hugged me and greeted me.

Robb was becoming even taller than my father. His hands were strong, and he had a big smile on his face. Arya ran into my arms afterward. It seems I worried over nothing with her. Sansa was more reserved and only greeted me politely. Bran didn't know how to act around me, and little Rickon asked if I was his uncle. Lady Stark, just look at me.

"Come, the food should be prepared any moment, and your old room is available for you," My father tells me.

At the dining hall, I listened to Robb and Arya. Telling me what I missed, how wild Rickon is, and how Sansa becomes more of a Lady every day. And, of course, complains about Septa Mordane.

I slept warmly that night.

…

It will take up to a month to gather all the men from the North bound to the Wall. The supplies are getting late, too, as summer snows fell on the eastern coastline. Even with the well-maintained roads, it was still hard to travel in the North.

It has been almost a week since we come to Winterfell. I got up at the knocking on the door. My head hurts like seven hells. Why I had to accompany ser Patrek to Winter town? Of course, he was looking for a place to get drunk.

"Jon, be prepared. Father has told me that the bandits from the Long Lake will be executed by him," Robb tells me after I opened the door.

"Bandits from Long Lake?" I asked.

"Aye, they were notorious, led by someone name Ramsay Snow. They managed to always escape before, but now it seems the justice will be served to them," Robb explains. "Father will take bran too, to witness the execution."

"I see. I will go prepare," I reply to Robb and leave to get dressed.

The execution site was a bit north of Winterfell. When we arrived, we saw five men kneeling, awaiting their death. One of them had a look of hatred and resentful. My father asked for their last words after Theon brought him his Valyrian greatsword.

There were pleading for mercy, but the most memorable was one man who just spat at the boots of my father. Father had not even flinched and acted like he didn't notice it. The man became even more furious when he saw how his executioner conducted himself.

"Ramsay Snow, for your crimes. In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, I do sentence you to die." Father says before he lifted the greatsword above his head.

"Don't look away. Father will know if you do," I tell Bran and hold his shoulder.

The sword fell, and blood sprayed on the light snow. Four more times, it was repeated, and the ground was red as summerwine. I felt Bran's shoulder tremble, but he didn't flinch away and watch it from beginning to the end.

On the way home, Robb suggested a race I agreed readily. The track was known to me, even if I had not seen it in five years. Slowing down by the bridge to not fall, I saw a beast on the ground. And so Robb saw it too. It had grey fur, looked like a wolf, but no wolf is so big.

"It's direwolf," Robb says with an astonishing in his voice.

Father and others soon catch up to us. Most men had their grips on the swords when they saw the beast. Robb got closer to it, not listening to any warnings. He picks something from underneath the beast. It was a pup, Bran with exited eyes, ran to it, and Robb handed it to him. There were five pups in total.

"We should put them down now. Without the mother, they will starve to death," Father tells us, and Theon was about to cut one.

"No," Bran cried out with tears gathering in his eyes.

"Lord Stark," It felt weird to call him by title. "There are five pups, and there are five stark children. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord."

Father took a long look at me. It was hard to understand what he was thinking at that moment. But his eyes were sad. After looking at me, father looked at Robb and Bran. Telling them that they will have to take care of them by themselves, and if they die, they will bury the pup themselves. Bran cried out that they won't die, ever.

After the ordeal, we spurred our horses back to Winterfell. As I was at the end of the Bridge, I heard a winning sound. I didn't know why I have stopped and turned around. It felt like my body move by itself. Father notice me stopping and asked what it was.

"Can't you hear it?" I asked as I hear the sound again.

Hopping off the horse. I went under the bridge. There was a white snow pup laying. If not for its red eyes watching me, I would not have noticed it. The pup didn't let any sound as I approached and kept quiet when I lifted it.

"Another one," Father remarked, seeing me with the pup.

"This one is mine," I tell him.