My Audio Books Chapter 1348 Xx

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The Ink Is Dry by prettylittlepetticoats

Books » A song of Ice and Fire Rated: T, English, Adventure & Angst, Jon S., Words: 134k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Sep 20, 2017 Updated: Sep 221,079Chapter 6: Routine

authorsnotes: edited 02/07/2020, further edits 16/05/2022.

god I am terrible at updating, don't hate me! fortunately take a hint that I've been spending since this update (so just shy of 2 months) editing this fic, a new chapter is coming asap! this is still the hardest story I've written but damn if lockdown is good for one thing it's that I'm cranking out the fanfic updates.

enjoy, lemme know if you do, fav/follow for updates.

songrecs: Flight of Dragons - GOT Season 8 Soundtrack

'There is only one god and his name is death. And there is only one thing we say to death: Not today'

- Syrio Forel

-x-

A tour. Jon new it was a little bit impulsive, a little crazy and he was jumping at a chance to explore areas he hadn't seen in this lifetime or the last. He was racing ahead when he should have been focused at home, and yet only part of him felt that way, the other overwhelming part felt that this was a good thing, a very good thing, considering what was to come.

He sat down at his desk then, checked the drawer for the sigils (still there of course), and placed the book on his desktop. He knew a tour may not be the wisest of options and yet as he sat, pulled out a piece of paper, he wrote the reasoning down. This was something he'd often done as Lord Commander; physically writing down tactics, plans and strategies allowed him to look for holes in his plans or problems. And so, he picked up his quill and wrote down his plans.

Tour:

Will give Uncle a reason to stay in Winterfell/turn down Hand of the King (will need to convince him of this, Robb is not in Winterfell).

Can find new quests/new advantages, will need these against the Others/Lannister's.

Could be dangerous but will be good to get experience, and for Robb to get experience.

May come across Dragon Queen, can talk to her.

May get to visit Old Valyria, The Doom? Quest.

Once he looked down at the list Jon gave a little nod to himself, his reasoning seemed solid, but he knew it all hinged on one thing. For the moment, the Others were not an imminent threat, it was the southerners that were the nearest threat, and to stop any interaction with their schemes he needed to convince his uncle to stay in the North.

That would give Jon time to level up, complete quests and be in a good position to take on the Others. That was his best path to success, Jon knew it and nodded to himself as he placed the paper in his draw with the sigils. This was the best way forward; he was sure of it.

But how could he convince his uncle?

He hoped his uncle would at least refuse to go South until Robb was back to represent Winterfell, and then Jon could come up with something else, for now he hoped that his uncle wanting to stay in Winterfell until his heir was back would be enough, as he had little else to go on.

Jon also wasn't above using his newly known heritage to keep his uncle here, perhaps throw in a little guilt. Jon knew his uncle was an honourable man, and Jon had always tried to emulate that, but sometimes it simply wasn't viable. Sometimes one had to set aside their personal honour to achieve something important. Jon remembered sending Gilly's baby to the Red woman, saving Mance's heir. That decision had haunted him for weeks, but it had been what needed to be done.

What Needs to Be Done (Perk!)

You have gained a new attribute.

You have shown you are willing to do what needs to be done, sometimes at a cost to your personal honour. You have added +5 to Bravery and +10 to Lying.

Remember, some perks are extremely powerful, and others have only moderate effects, but they will all come in use!

The book glowed once again, and Jon found he was used to it at this point. It was odd, it had only been a week and yet the book already felt like part of him, an extension to him like Longclaw had been. He let out a small sigh at that, it was no secret to himself he missed his old sword. How many men had he killed with it? How many times had it defended him and his brothers? He missed it, and again he had to resist the urge to focus on the valyrian streel quest. He knew it would be important to get valyrian steel at some point, as it was his primary weapon and something, he took to like nothing else, but for now that could not be his priority.

With a small sigh he noted it was approaching supper time, the day had gone by slowly, and it was only just dark. He knew for the moment it was summer even in the North, and the days were longer. He remembered the Wall, how sun had been so rare and daylight a treat that was often only a few hours long. Jon preferred the cold in truth, but he liked a bit of sun, a bit warmth in his bones that he was not used to after so long shivering on the Wall. Scooping up his book he placed it in his inside pocket and pulled on his fur and weapons belt. With a whistle to Ghost and they set off down the corridors to the main hall for dinner. Jon planned to tackle the minor quest of reading up on the Targaryen's after dinner, but for now he could relax and eat with his family. There was much to come ahead, and he felt it was important to steal moments like this where he could.

And so, he wondered into the hall, made his way to the top table and sat himself down next to Arya and opposite Robb. He nodded at his Uncle, managed to simply sweep his gaze past Lady Caitlyn (who could barely look at him), smiled at Bran, Sansa and Rickon before ruffling Arya's hair (he ignored her protest), before turning to look across at Robb. He couldn't see the relationship levels over their heads to which he raised an eyebrow, but a quick flash of light and a scrawled script in front of him read:

'To make things less distracting you will now only see relationship changes rather than a constant status, stay focused!'

He supposed that made sense and nodded to himself.

"How fares sparing today brother?" He asked, wincing a little as he knew they weren't technically brothers, though to Jon they would always be brothers if not in blood, he hoped Robb felt the same.

"It went well, shame you were too scared to make it" Robb taunted and Jon felt a grin slash across his face as Arya made a little 'Ooo' noise to which he rolled his eyes and took a gulp of his ale before responding.

"Wasn't so scared when I knocked you on your arse the other day were you?" He said with a smirk and he saw his Uncle roll his eyes whilst his cousins laughed, except for Robb who mumbled something about a rematch before laughing himself.

"What about you Arya?" Jon asked, "Hit the target today?" He asked and Arya grinned before Caitlyn lifted her gaze to glare at him.

"Arya needs to focus on her lessons with Septa Mordain" Caitlyn said with pursed lips.

"No harm in knowing how to defend yourself" Jon countered and he saw Sansa gasp a little, it wasn't normal for Jon to stand up against his Uncle's wife, and yet Jon was not the same man he had been, and his dynamic with Lady Stark had certainly shifted, he ignored Robb's kick under the table. "The women of Bear Island are some of the fiercest warriors I kno.. have heard of" Jon caught himself then, "Perhaps we should be doing the same"

"Perhaps" His Uncle said with a raised eyebrow, "Or perhaps Jon you should focus on your own studies" He said, and Jon resisted the urge to argue back, aware that most people were listening in. Instead he nodded and dipped his gaze back to his plate. He heard Robb hiss at him, asking what he was playing at, but he ignored it, kicking him back before falling silent to tuck into his meal.

It was odd and in truth difficult to be treated like a child again. In his previous life he had been in command, and even when he hadn't been in charge, he had still been an adult, capable of making his own decisions and unafraid to stand up to people. It was strange to have to do as he was told, and in truth he did not like it. He liked being in charge of his own decisions. Perhaps it was odd as well because of how different it was from the Wall? At the Wall things were less formal than here, less hierarchal (sure there was the Lord Commander, but they were all brothers with a vote and a voice). Jon knew he had to put up with it, but as Lady Stark glared at him again, he had to resist the urge to glare back.

Dinner soon finished and he sat back, at least the food here was better than it had been on the Wall, that was for sure. He stood as his cousins did and made his way to the doors, planning to head back to his room to do some reading, but Robb caught up with him first.

"I don't know where your brain has gone brother, but it is nice to see you no longer scared of my Mother" Robb said with a roll of his eyes, Jon knew it was difficult for Robb, he loved his Mother but had always completely disapproved of the way she treated Jon.

"Hmm" Jon replied, but elaborated as Robb gave him a look to not bother trying to fall him, "I simply had a chat with Father the other day, and he had a word with Lady Stark" That seemed to satisfy Robb and he nodded before walking alongside him as Jon made his way to the library.

As Robb noted where they were going, he spoke, "Reading again brother? Hmm, standing up to my Mother, reading lots, what have you done with Jon?"

Jon laughed at that, for more reasons than one and rolled his eyes, "Maester Luwin seems to think I have been focusing too much on the sword and not on the mind" In truth the good Master had said that to him once and Robb seemed to buy that easily before Jon decided to steer the conversation away. He knew things were a bit weird with Robb at the moment as Jon was acting differently, even if he tried not to be too different. And so, he decided some good news would ease things between them.

"So, I spoke to Father this morning" Jon said as they rounded to the library, "And he is sending us on tour"

At that Robb looked shocked for a moment before letting out a cheer and pulling him into a hug. Jon accepted it with a grin, slapping his brother on the back with a nod. "He said he thinks it will be good for us"

"Damn right it will!" Robb responded with a grin, "Father mentioned a tour to me in the past, but I didn't think it would happen! This is fantastic"

"Aye" Jon said with a smile, "I've got a dreary book of Targaryen history to read, but Father mentioned us touring the Free Cities, you care to start there?" Robb nodded in response and the two grabbed their books before parting ways. Robb was grinning from ear to ear as they parted, and Jon knew he was too. This, this was important too. Not just saving the family for the future but living with them now.

Dreary had been the right word.

He had pulled down three books about Targaryen history: The Rise and Fall of the Targaryen History by Maester Ebrose, Targaryen Madness by Explorer Samuel Highmore and The Targaryen Dynasty by Maester Ronan. He honestly had not looked at what he was pulling down too closely and was now regretting that lack of thought.

The first by Maester Ebrose was so dull that Jon felt his eyes drifting and his focus gone after ten minutes, it was only after a 5 minute daydream did he jolt back to reality, snap that dusty tome shut and move onto Explorer Highmore's book. That one was much less dull, but almost too exciting. He was pretty sure Aegon Targaryen had 2 wives rather than 6, and he was also pretty sure that Targaryen's (beyond perhaps the Mad King, his grandfather now Jon thought about it and quickly tried to forget), did not ingest dragon blood to try and breath fire. And so he snapped that one shut, one too dull, one too sensationalised, perhaps Maester Ronan's would be right.

And it was. It was still a tad dull but was factual and told the story of the Targaryen dynasty, right from Aegon landing at Dragonstone to the fall of the Mad King. Jon found himself grabbing some parchment to take notes, mapping out a family tree of sorts, adding himself onto the end. Hours passed as Jon absorbed everything. When he realised this wasn't just history, but rather the history of his ancestors it was much more interesting. When he realised their blood ran through his veins, that he was a continuation of that line he was much more detailed in his notes and the facts seemed to stick with him better. This was his family history after all.

It was soon past midnight and Jon had a good leaf of parchment in his drawer and the more important points memorised. This information may not be important now, but it was important to him, to know his heritage, to understand his ancestors, and he was sure it would come in use in the future, perhaps soon on the tour. It was then the book glowed again, and he grinned as the writing showed up.

Quest Completed!

The Blood of the Dragons

Reward: 200XP, +1 INT.

Current XP: Level 3: 300/2000. INT: +1 = 11

He was pleased with that and soon he washed himself and climbed into bed, tomorrow he would perhaps read some more, train in the yard and try to discuss the tour with Robb. Tomorrow he would carry on, it was becoming easier now, to follow a routine of improving himself, he was sure that was what the book wanted, that was his best way forward, and with his plan clear he nodded off to sleep.

'The Ink is Dry Jon Snow!'

Again, he tossed and turned, that voice shouted in his dreams, as images raced through his head, the Wall, the Others, his brothers, Aemon, Ygritte, the Red Woman. They flashed across his mind, reaching for him, calling to him, and their words struck across his mind.

'It is not those foes who cure you to your face you must fear, but those who smile when you are looking and sharpen their knives when you turn your back. You would do well to keep your wolf close beside you. Ice. I see, and daggers in the dark. Blood frozen red and hard, and naked steel. It was very cold'

'Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born'

'You have more of the north in you than your brothers'

'I see what you are Snow. Half a wolf and half a wildling'

'Never forget what you are'

'You know nothing Jon Snow'

And then he felt it, felt the daggers in his side, stomach and finally his heart. He felt each blow again, and then the cold at his back, so very cold as his blood ran red…

He awoke the next morning with a gasp and he knew his dreams had troubled him again. He wondered if these were the prophetic dreams one of his perks spoke of, but no they weren't prophetic but reminders of his past. Perhaps they related to the perk that meant he could look into the past? But then he wasn't doing it intentionally. Another mystery.

Because as much as this book was helping him it had also brought with it a whole host of questions and confusions. For everything it revealed Jon had more questions. He supposed he just had to trust that things would be revealed as he went, and to keep moving forwards. Part of him wanted to look into his dreams, to look into the past, but he was wary, wary of getting lost in it. He was needed here and now, here to ensure the Stark pack survived. The allure of the past was strong, but it would not help him, not yet.

And so he forced himself to go about his day, washed thoroughly to get the sweat off his skin, trimmed his hair a little but left his beard, it was growing slowly, oh so slowly but he missed it and wouldn't be cutting it as he had when he was younger. He dressed quickly and scooped up his book before planning to head out, until the book glowed again and he opened it to see it was simply the daily quests refreshing.

Quest Alert!

New Quest: Bullseye!

Help your cousin Bran get a bullseye with his arrow.

Reward: 100XP, +5 Bow and Arrow

Failure: -100XP, -5 with Bran.

Hmm, that seemed simple enough, he could probably get that done today before he started his own training, and he hadn't had much a chance to see Bran since he had come back.

Quest Alert!

New Quest: Wayward Sister.

Help Arya hide from Septa Mordain

Reward: 100XP, +5 Stealth

Failure: -100XP, -5 with Arya

Again, simple enough, and he could get that done today. He knew he needed to be completing these quests daily to ensure he got new ones the next day, to maximise his XP count quickly.

Quest Alert!

New Quest: Fours a Crowd.

Win a duel against 3 opponents.

Reward: 200XP and 10 Silver Stags

Failure: -300XP and -5 to Hand to Hand Combat

Ouch, the penalties were hard for that one, but it seemed easy enough, he was experienced in combat now far surpassing what he was being taught. He still didn't quite have the strength required but that would just take time and discipline. The difficulty with this quest would be in ensuring he didn't look too advanced, that would be difficult to explain.

With a snap he shut his ever-present book, motioned to Ghost and exited. Time for breakfast, and then the training yard, he could help Bran, win his fight and then try to find Arya. He would devote the afternoon to some study and then the evening for dinner he'd discuss the tour with Robb. That was a plan, a good plan to the day. He had to be diligent in how he used his time.

Breakfast passed quickly, only his Uncle and Robb were present for it was earlier than normal and often the girls and children slept in on the weekends. He ate the food silently, as did the rest of the table, though after a strong cup of tea Robb spoke up.

"Father, Jon told me about the tour" He had a cheeky grin on his face and Jon rolled his eyes before reaching for his own tea.

"Aye of course he did" His uncle said with a shake of his head, "I planned to announce it at dinner tonight, but aye Robb I think it will be good for both of you" He seemed to look at them more seriously then and Jon found himself sitting up, he noticed Robb did the same. Jon may feel like a man grown but he still had a tremendous amount of respect for his uncle, "This will be a good experience for you both but I expect you to be careful, to take care of one another, do you understand?" He said and they both nodded, solemn now, until his Uncle cracked a smile. "You can be excited though"

Jon laughed at that as did Robb before Jon turned back to his breakfast. He listened intently as Robb began to talk about the reading he had done on Bravos, and his uncle agreed that should be their first stop. When his uncle had made the practical arrangements, they would need to discuss but they had three months to decide all of this, and it was a while away yet.

Breakfast finished Jon strode out to the yard with Robb, only stopping off at his room to drop his fur and weapons belt. It felt weird not carrying it around, but he'd be using blunt steel in the training yard. He was quick to jog back to the yard and soon lined up next to Robb for morning drills.

Push ups, sit ups, crunches, jogging on the spot that was all a good challenge and Jon pushed himself. It was harder than he had anticipated, he really needed to build his strength and endurance back up, but it felt good to exert himself and after an hour he was sweating but feeling good, adrenaline spiking through his body as they moved onto drills with sword position and feet placement.

That part Jon soon calmed down at, as he went through the motions. He knew all of this but of course Master Rodrick and Robb didn't know that. Soon Theon joined them, and Jon ignored him lest he get angry at the mere sight of the traitor. Instead Jon simply ran through everything with ease. Rodrick complimented him on his technique, and he nodded. As they paused Jon glanced over at Robb and Theon talking and noted script over Theon's head. Of course.

Player!

Theon Greyjoy.

Heir to the Iron Islands

Level:?

Relationship: -70/100

Well that was to be expected, especially as when Theon caught him looking, he sneered at Jon and mouthed bastard. At that Jon simply rolled his eyes (he noted he was doing that a lot of recent) before turning to the archery section. Bran was now there, and Jon took this as a much more pleasant opportunity to complete the quest, whilst Theon and Robb faced off against one another. He did not want to face off against Theon, he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't flip.

"Bran" Jon said with a smile as he dodged an arrow that sailed far left to the target, he laughed as Bran gasped and apologised before shaking his head and picking up the arrows that littered the floor (few near the target).

"Sorry Jon" Bran said with a small sigh and Jon shook his head before moving to stand behind him. "I just can't seem to get it"

"Yes, you can" Jon said simply, and as Bran moved to notch an arrow Jon immediately noticed some problems. Jon was no greater archer, always better with a sword in hand. Pyp had been the stronger archer at Castle Black. Jon could shoot a box when need be, but he had no flare for it. Still, he knew he could get Bran hitting that bullseye.

Immediately he went to encouraging Bran to widen his stance, tilt his feet properly and adjust his grip. "Look if you don't hold tight enough then you don't have enough control over the bow"

"That makes sense" Bran replied, and his next arrow hit the target, far to the left but still it hit the board. Jon grinned as Bran squealed in delight before moving back to offering some tips.

"Okay next you want to make sure you follow your breath as you release. Inhale and exhale, follow your breath and you will find it much easier" Bran nodded, and botched the first go by puffing his cheeks out, which had Jon laughing a little, Bran glared at him and Jon raised his hands in surrender before Bran took another go, breathing more naturally now. The arrow hit the centre of the target, but a few inches shy of the bullseye. Bran let out a stamp of frustration, but Jon continued. Arrow after arrow, and 40 minutes later finally Bran let lose the arrow that hit the eye.

"Jon!" Bran called out happily jumping into his brother's arms to which Jon laughed and hugged him back, ruffling his hair in congratulations. He realised they'd been watched, and everyone was applauding a delighted Bran before he was swept inside for a nap, still grinning to himself, as the book warmed and showed the results of the quest. To Jon he had forgotten about the rewards, and it had simply felt good to help Bran, still he looked as the writing appeared in front of him, the cherry on the cake.

Quest Completed!

Bullseye.

Reward: 100XP, +5 Bow and Arrow

Current XP: Level 3: 400/2000. Bow and Arrow +5 = 45

He smiled to himself then before heading back to the main area of the courtyard for training. Robb and Theon were taking a break and Robb stood to clap him on the shoulder in glee. "Well done brother, Bran will be ecstatic for days for making that shot"

Jon nodded with a smile before of course Theon cut in to ruin the moment.

"Don't know why you were giving him tips bastard" Theon said with a nasty curl to his lip, "Isn't being a wet mop your strong suit?" He said laughing cruelly, to which Jon glared and stepped forward.

"Call me that again Theon" Jon knew this was a bad idea, a really bad idea but he felt annoyed, not just at Theon's remarks, they barely bothered him now, but at Theon himself. His wrong doings had reached the Wall, his betrayal, and Jon was struggling not to punch him when he didn't speak, it was only amplified as he taunted him.

"What? Bastard?" Theon said laughing once more.

At that Jon stepped forward, a hard shove saw Theon hit the ground and he swore before scrambling to his feet. Robb however interjected before Jon could shove him again, placing a hand on his brothers' chest. Rodrick soon noticed as well and walked over.

"What is going on boys? Decided we don't want to learn? Want to get straight to fighting?" He said with a shake of his head, "Fine, well Jon since you pushed you can start us" Rodrick motioned then, which Jon immediately was reminded of Ser Allister, on the first day Sam had come to Castle Black. "Theon, Robb and hell why not Jory?" He said, calling his own son over, "You don't want to learn? Fine, then show us why you don't need to learn" He said with a nod, "You three against Snow, loser or losers do 10 laps around the castle"

Well that was enough motivation, 10 laps would easily take at least 2 hours, maybe more, it was a large keep after all. And Jon was thinking now of the quest, the rewards were decent but the penalties harsh, he needed to win this. And yet, he wasn't so confident as this morning. He knew he could take Robb, and Theon but Jory was a skilled fighter, and Jon was operating at diminished strength. He'd need to be cunning.

He took a step back as Rodrick handed him a blunted sword and squared off against his three opponents. He had fought more than three opponents at once before, he had more experience in battle now than all of them, perhaps the same as Jory. He could do this. He took a deep breath, centred himself, twirled the sword in his hands, and waited, waited. Making the first move was always the mistake.

And he didn't need to.

Theon hurled himself forward first and with a dodge to the side and a sharp kick to the kidneys (slightly harder than necessary) he went down. Once he was on his knees Jon knocked him back with a small slash of the sword before he felt a smack on his shoulder from Robb's sword and he just dodged a blow from Jory. Huh, he'd let his anger get the best of him and had spent too much time on Theon. But now the Ironborn was moaning on the ground clutching his side, now he could focus on winning this.

He dodged the next blow from Robb, parried his sword strike and went forward with three blows. The first Robb dodged, the second he parried but stumbled and the third knocked him on his ass. He managed to get to his feet, but Jon managed to block a strike from Jory before driving a shoulder into Robb's middle, sending him straight to the ground with a hard thud that left him there. He took another smack to the ribs that had him groan as Jory caught him before he parried a second blow and turned to his final opponent. Theon was still holding his side, Robb was thoroughly winded, so only Jory to go.

He did note as he did a quick glance that everyone was watching. His Uncle and Lady Stark stood on the walkway over them watching, Bran was watching from the sheltered area next to archery, Arya next to him, both gave him a thumbs up as he glanced at them. Even little Rickon was sat with Maester Luwin by the stables. Everyone was out to watch. Jon needed to win but he needed to be careful.

Jory went for him again and Jon dodged two blows before following with a flurry of his own. Five blows he struck, and Jory grunted under the strain but held his own. Jon narrowly dodged a slash to the ribs before he was struck by a kick to the knee. He almost faltered and fell before he leaned into the injury, distributing his weight to that leg which allowed him to strike out with his own kick that landed square on Jory's stomach.

Jory did not fall but Jon had the advantage. Ignoring the pain in his knee he swept forwards with four more strikes, two of which he slashed out with. It was too much for Jory, and finally Jon used the hilt of his sword to smack into his chin, which sent him sprawling backwards as Jon finally sent a punch to his middle to send him down. There was a trickle of blood on his chin, but he seemed okay as he hit the ground, tapped out and Jon had won.

The courtyard erupted in applause and Jon shook his head humbly before turning to Master Rodrick who was actually smiling and conceded that perhaps Jon had been listening.

"A fine win" His Uncle called out with a grin before everyone began to head back inside. Jon was smiling. It had been a hard effort, which was good as it hadn't shown that Jon was miles ahead. His technique had been good, but he had let his anger at Theon get the best of him, and his strength wasn't where it was to knock people out with only one or two blows. That was what he needed to work on.

Jon helped Robb up with a tug, and then Jory, but ignored Theon who had stumbled to his feet without help. "You alright?" He asked the two and they shrugged it off, congratulating him before letting out a groan at the prospect of a 2-3 hour run.

"I'll buy your debt if you like" Jon said cheekily, "5 silver stags each" He said, and Rodrick just laughed and nodded. Jory and Robb were quick to agree but Theon simply sneered.

"You won't have my money Snow" He spat out and Jon nodded, took a step forward and noted as Theon flinched.

"Not a problem" Jon said with a smile, "Enjoy your run"

And at that he nodded at Robb, promising to see him at dinner before turning out of the courtyard. That had been a good morning, two quests down and it had been a good morning in terms of enjoyment. Helping Bran, spending time with Robb, knocking Theon down. It was good and as he made his way back to his rooms the book glowed again.

Quest Completed!

Fours a Crowd.

Reward: 200XP and 10 Silver Stags

Current XP: Level 3: 600/2000. +10 Silver Stags

Smiling to himself he carried on, he needed to wash before lunch and then it was time to track down Arya.

sooo thoughts?

I hope you enjoyed this! this chapter is a little shorter than others, that will happen sometimes as the chapter comes to a natural end, whereas some chapters will be behemoths.

lemme know your thoughts, fav/follow for updates

speak soon

(I promise!)

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The Ink Is Dry by prettylittlepetticoats

Books » A song of Ice and Fire Rated: T, English, Adventure & Angst, Jon S., Words: 134k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Sep 20, 2017 Updated: Sep 221,079Chapter 7: See

authorsnote: here we gooo. I still love the reactions to this fic and the encouraging words from people thank you! I wanted to get this out asap but I also had a long list of fics to update inbetween! but here we are, I have also edited the previous chapters, improved the layout/grammar fixes, no story changes just made it prettier and nicer to read!

I do hope you enjoy and please let me know if you do! ahh I loved writing this chapter, the ending made me squeal as I was writing it!

songrecs: The Last of the Starks - GOT Season 8 Soundtrack

'They say you forget. When the man's flesh dies, his spirit lives on inside the beast, but every day his memory fades, and the beast becomes a little less a warg, a little more a wolf, until nothing of the man is left and only the beast remains'

- Haggon to Varamyr

-x-

Once he was washed and had placed his money down, he began to think about money. His uncle would give he and his brother an allowance when they travelled to the East, but Jon would likely need more. He would need to buy items that would aid him going forwards, and currently his own monetary reserves were not in great shape. It was something to think on, but he had other priorities at the moment.

He quickly dressed again before heading back out, his fur and weapons belt on this time as he was done training for the day. Now it was time to find Arya before doing some more research this afternoon. He had already read up on Targaryen history and this afternoon he planned to look into Stark history. He had to remind himself that even though he had a new heritage, he was still a Stark. Eddard Stark was still his Uncle, his Mother Lyanna Stark, he was still of the North and he wouldn't ignore that part of his heritage in favour of his newly discovered side. And so, some Northern reading this afternoon seemed like a good idea.

But first, Arya.

He wanted to complete this quest today as he wanted to maximise what he could gain from quests. If he could have new quests each day, he could level up quicker. He was keen to get to Level 5, to see where he stacked up compared to others. They didn't have books, so he was hoping the levelling process of other people was explained when he reached Level 5, to clear up some confusion and let him know how he was doing against people his age, his peers, and people older and more experienced than him. He expected to be above Robb, due to his life experience, but it would be nice to know.

And yet at the moment he was only level 3, he had ways to go, hence the importance of completing quests constantly to level up quickly.

Thus, he made his way outside, fur on his shoulders, weapons at his hips, Ghost trotting alongside him as always. It was important for him to keep Ghost close, and he would encourage Robb to do the same with Greywind. Their companions weren't just wolves, they were something else, they were powerful, strong and a symbol of their house. Jon would ensure Ghost was always close, close by his side to protect one another. There was also stuff about warging in the book that he needed to look further into. He had always had dreams of Ghost through the years, dreams of running, hunting, eating, dreams that felt so very real …

'Ghost is more alive than I am'

He remembered thinking that, thinking that when he dreamt Ghost was as real as anything, realer than him. And yet, in this time he hadn't had any of those dreams, perhaps because of the dreams of his past taking up that space? He wasn't sure, but he needed to look into warging and connecting closer with Ghost, not only would it be useful, but it felt right, like it was something he was meant to do.

He shouldn't have been surprised when he felt the tell-tale glow of the book, but he was all the same as the script appeared in front of him.

Quest Alert!

In his Eyes

Warg with Ghost whilst awake.

Reward: 100XP, +20 Warging, +5 Relationship with Ghost.

Failure: -10 Relationship with Ghost, -10 Warging.

Now that seemed like a difficult quest, and the penalties were once again harsh. He wondered if as he levelled up the rewards and failures would become higher and the quests harder, that seemed to make sense. In common card games as you got better the game got harder, so perhaps it would be the same here. He nodded to himself, he would do that quest soon, perhaps later that night, but first it was time to help Arya.

It wasn't hard to find her as he tracked the corridors of Winterfell, Ghost silent at his side. He found no luck in the courtyard or in the main hall, but as he wondered past Septa Mordane's domain (trying and likely failing to seem innocent), he caught a glance in the room and saw Sansa but a distinct lack of Arya. He smirked at that before quickly ducking out the way as the Septa turned her head. Once he was sure she was looking away he glanced back into the room, only for him to catch Sansa's gaze this time, luckily, she was shaking her head and smiling. He could see she was trying to say something, and it took him three goes to read her lips.

"Arya went to the stables" He smiled then and gave her a thumbs up to which she rolled her eyes but smiled fondly before he dipped away as he noticed the Septa standing to her feet to make her way outside.

He managed to dive behind the nearby turn and hide behind the wall as he saw her storm outside, mumbling to herself. "Insolent girl, always running away and acting like a barbarian, I'll find her though" She mumbled, and Jon grimaced before running in the opposite direction to the Septa in the direction of the stables.

Once he reached the stables it wasn't hard to find his wayward little sister … though she was his cousin now, as with Robb he would always think of Arya as a sibling.

He could see Septa Mordaine across the courtyard, red in the face talking to one of the guards who had it right to be intimidated by the old Septa. Jon had certainly shrunk under her steely gaze more than once and he pitied the poor lad as the Septa berated him furiously over the location of her ward.

But then Arya had always been good at hiding, not quite from him though, as he spotted her crouched behind the horse water trough.

Deciding a good scare would make her jump and then laugh Jon was silent as he took the back route around the stables, slipping behind the wooden back to sneak up on Arya. Jon had a light tread, always had to avoid being noticed, it had only gotten better during his time with the Watch and the wildlings.

Ahh the wildlings, another future likely lost to him … not just Ygritte, but everything that came with being a wildling. He had climbed the wall, sat with Mance Rayder, walked with wargs … things he wouldn't experience again. Or would he?

The more he thought about it the more he knew he would end up at the Wall again at some point, how could he not with the Others marching closer to home each day? Sure, first he had to look after the Stark pack, go on his tour, defeat the Lannister's (ugh that alone gave him a headache), but then with the War for the Dawn he would need to be at the Wall fighting, helping the Nights Watch, an institute he had once been part of.

Would he see the wildlings again? He knew to have any chance against the Others they'd need to recruit the wildlings as he had done. Would Mance be leading them again? Would he see Tormund, Lord of Bones … Ygritte?

A neigh of a horse broke him from his thoughts and he quickly turned back to the task at hand. Arya remained crouched, smiling to herself at her hiding place, as he rounded the corner and crouched behind her, he was smiling too.

"Boo!"

Of course, his little sister jumped, but whereas Sansa would have squealed and scolded him, Bran would have jumped and laughed, Arya whirled around, teeth bared, ready to fight before laughing when she realised it was Jon.

"Stupid" She said with a roll of her eyes, but she grinned at him as he laughed. It felt good to laugh with her, to be back with Arya. In the future lost to him he had planned to march for her, to save her from the clutches of a monster, but now? Now she was here, safe still … for now.

He had a lot of work to do to protect the Stark's, almost too much, an inconceivable amount for someone with as little power as him, but he had the book, more knowledge now and he would do it, he would protect the pack.

"Hiding little sister?" He enquired and she shot him a cheeky grin.

"Lessons with the Septa are dumb" She often complained about the lessons. Whereas Sansa could sew, dance, and play the harp like a proper Lady, Arya would never be that, didn't want to be. Jon could see why, being a Lady sounded awfully time consuming and dull.

"Aye" He agreed, he found a lot of his lessons dull, especially now, most of what Maester Luwin taught him he already knew. They'd had a lesson on the structure of the Night's Watch the day before and he felt he could teach that class, he'd been Lord Commander once! Of course, now he had to sit through as the old Maester taught them about the Wall and the positions of the Night's Watch, so he could feel Arya's pain. "But your mother won't let you out of them"

"And that's why I escape" She grinned, impishly and he laughed before ruffling her hair, which she ducked with an annoyed groan, she had always hated when he did that.

"Jon you're okay right?" She asked then, for the side of Arya that was cheeky and completely unladylike, there was also a side that always had concern for those she loved, especially Jon, and that made him smile.

"Of course, I am" He said with a nod, but Arya did not seem reassured.

"You're sure? Robb and father were worried you ran away the other day" She was biting her lip now, fiddling with her hands, which he knew meant she was worried. With a small sigh he went to his knee, to be at her height and offered her a smile of reassurance.

"Father and Robb got it wrong" He said with a nod, "I'm fine Arya, I promise" Not technically a lie, he was fine, even with the shipload of pressure on his shoulders, the worries and the dreams of a past life. He was back with his family, he was okay.

At least Arya seemed convinced and she grinned and nodded her head, "Practice archery with me?" She asked, "Behind the feed sheds?" He laughed then, a popular spot for his little sister to hide and practice, one he'd discovered immediately after she did, and he remembered, sneaking off with her to practice, never caught.

Before he could agree, as he always would, he indulged Arya more often than not he heard something akin to a screech.

"ARYA!" The Septa screamed and Jon realised they'd been spotted, fuck.

He shared a quick glance with Arya, and he knew they were both panicked. Man, he was but the Septa was still scary as he remembered.

"Run!" He called and Arya took off, Arya Underfoot indeed, always fast. She dashed out of the courtyard and he followed.

He was faster now too but clumsier in this body. Still he was quick, and just behind Arya as they wove through the castle, the Septa soon long behind them. Jon laughed when Arya dashed past Robb who looked extremely confused, and a touch suspicious.

"Jon? Arya?" He called and Jon just waved his brother off before following Arya further into the castle, no time to stop.

It was only five minutes later when they were hiding in the empty kitchen storeroom did, they come to a halt, catch their breath, and sit down with a laugh.

"We'll be in trouble when we go back" He said as Arya grabbed a mug of water from the side and gulped it down, uncaring that it spilt on her clothes.

"Nah" She said with that grin again, "I'll just hide till dinner and then go to father, he'll be mad but as long as I apologise he won't mind" Aye she had the right of it, as mischievous as Arya could be she was also damnably cute and few could resist her puppy dog eyes when given the full blast, father just about could but he would make sure she didn't get in any real trouble.

"Going to hang out here?" He asked and as she nodded Jon wanted to stay with her, to catch up some more with her but Jon knew he couldn't. He had much to do, but Arya didn't seem miffed as he said so, just shrugged in understanding.

"It's okay, I'll nap" He laughed again as she curled into some sacks of flour, ready to do just that. He managed to catch her with a ruffle of her hair then to which she complained before he held his hands up in defeat as she held a small bag of sugar up to throw at him. Hands up in defeat he left the room laughing, leaving Arya to her nap.

As he left the storage room, he anticipated the book heating up and writing it's script before he did, and then the words appeared.

Quest Completed!

Wayward Sister.

Reward: 100XP, +5 Stealth.

Current XP: Level 3: 700/2000. Stealth +5 = 15

Well that was good, and he'd completed three quests in one day! He had quest, warging into Ghost but he felt it best to leave that for the moment, he'd done plenty today, and his reading could come tomorrow, and he was ready for some food.

"Come on boy" He encouraged Ghost who'd rejoined him now, having decided against a mad chase through the Castle and instead opting to simply trot after him at a glacial pace. "Food time" That made his companion perk up and he laughed as he made his way to the great hall.

Days passed and Jon continued to move forward. Sure, the quests weren't coming in as fast and Jon realised completing multiple daily quests and others given to him would not be sustainable day to day. The book wasn't offering additional quests at the same rapid pace as those that reset every day, and the daily quests weren't always easy to complete.

Not just that but Jon realised, as eager as he was to level up, particularly to level 5 he also had other things going on. Lessons, combat training, spending time with his family. He knew it was important to follow the book, hell it had guided him from the start! But he had to make sure not to just focus on the book, his training, learning, all of that was important to.

Since coming back, he had been hyper focused on the book, on it guiding him, and though he still intended to follow it he knew he had to make sure not to forget other things. Sure, levelling up his strength to get better at combat was good, but he also needed to train to develop his strength too, not just one or other.

His book was an aid, one he intended to always utilise, but it was not the only thing he needed to focus on.

He needed to find a good balance between working on the book, whilst also making sure he didn't slack with day to day activities. He also needed to make sure his family didn't get suspicious; he could hardly shirk off lessons without raised eyebrows.

So as three days went by, he trained in the yard, attended lessons with Robb and completed a few daily quests. It was good, a good balance, and that was what he needed.

The few quests he did had small rewards, but good ones. Not all quests would offer large secrets, valyrian steel or the Iron Throne! But he had come to realise all were important, especially as he had this new perspective on dual focus. Everything he was doing was important for the future. He knew the way to go was complete as many daily quests as possible and then the bigger quests would be tackled as and when they came.

A balance, that was what he needed.

Two minor quests had already added to his stats, and they had been fairly simple.

Quest Completed!

Fix It Up.

Help Jory fix his broken greaves.

Reward: 50XP, +5 Smithing, +5 Relationship with Jory.

Current XP: Level 3: 750/2000. Smithing +5 = 5. Relationship with Jory +5 = 35.

Quest Completed!

The Family Line.

Research the Stark family tree.

Reward: 100XP.

Current XP: Level 3: 850/2000.

Relatively easy stuff that had helped, he had noticed the XP rewards becoming smaller though, which he supposed made sense, the higher he levelled the harder it would be to level up.

With a sigh he pushed himself off the bed and made his way to the bathroom. It was the weeks end but any lazy mornings he had indulged in as a child were gone now. He knew the other Stark children would be sleeping, a lazy morning in, but not him. He had too much to do to indulge in that sort of thing now.

Besides, as a man of the Night's Watch there had been little time to idle. He had got used to rising early, going to bed late, getting by on little sleep. In fact, now he woke up naturally earlier than he used to, earlier than his cousins, and could not get back to sleep if he tried. It was the way about him now, it was just coming to dawn as he started to get ready for the day.

As he came back from the bathroom and walked over to his desk, he pulled the book out of the drawer that had started to fill, with the two sigils, various notes on his heritage, plans and tactics. He picked up the topmost that he had written just the day before when he had gone through his mother's heritage page and taken copious notes, not just for research but to know more about the mother he had been unable to meet.

'Lyanna Stark, 267 AC – 283 AC (16 namedays).

Father: Rickard Stark, Mother: Lyarra Stark (my grandparents).

Brown hair, grey eyes, 'A winter rose'.

Knight of the Laughing Tree. Fierce, loyal, wilful and just

Married to Rhaegar Targaryen 283 AC, gave birth to son, Jon Targaryen, 283 AC'

He had stopped there, for other than some details on his mother's personality which he had absorbed in awe, tears trickling down his cheeks as he head of her skill with a horse and her kindness, simple things that had made her wish he knew her, he hadn't wanted to note those things down, he didn't want to use them for anything, just remember them.

With a smile he placed the notes on her back in, he knew his father's heritage page was locked, for it was after his mother's and displayed his name, followed by the words 'LOCKED'. He would have to see about unlocking that at some point, would he do so in the same way as his mother's perhaps? With a quest? He would need to keep an eye out.

He dressed quickly and efficiently then, it was snowing today and so he made sure to bundle up, fastening his cloak across his chest to ensure it did not drift. He wondered what quests would be thrown at him today, but he had found them impossible to predict, he would simply wait and do what came up.

He also planned to meet Robb today, after lunch to discuss their tour, with Lord Stark moving forward with preparations they needed to as well, plan where they would head. Jon already knew where he wanted to go, but he would need to get Robb to agree and get his take, it was a 6 month trip they had time to see a few different places and Jon knew both he and Robb wanted to see as much as possible.

For now he'd go to break his fast and start the day, lessons wouldn't start for a while and he didn't want to train just after eating and so he'd perhaps head to the library, go through his book some more (he hadn't checked his stats in a few days), and perhaps do some reading. It hadn't been his usual thing, learning so much, but he knew it was necessary now.

And he'd always been good at strategy and tactics, he was just brushing up on those, and as dull as it was history was certainly a good way of improving one's strategy.

He then felt the familiar warmth in his inner pocket and near rolled his eyes, often when he was thinking of what to do this book would give him a little prompt, it was helpful if not slightly annoying.

Quest Alert!

Where to Go?

Prepare for your Tour by researching Old Valyria.

Rewards: +5 to High Valyrian Reading, 50XP.

Failure: -5 to High Valyrian Talking, -100XP

Again, it had fairly minor rewards, but it certainly told him where the book wanted him to go on the tour, now it was just a matter of convincing Robb …

As he broke his fast, alone in the great hall Jon figured he'd head straight for the library, lessons didn't happen at weeks end and so he'd train in the main hall, spend some time with the family at lunch and then plan the tour with Robb. It was a solid planned day, and he'd knock off his quest first thing and complete any others as they came.

He remembered then he still had one from earlier in the week he hadn't completed, mainly because it seemed like a big undertaking … but then he had a light day today, bar his plans with Robb later, was it worth doing the harder quest now when he had a more relaxed day?

With a small groan to himself he finished his food, decision made, and as no one was around he opened his book and had a look at said quest, the rewards were good, but he knew it would be hard.

Quest Alert!

In His Eyes

Warg with Ghost whilst awake.

Reward: 100XP, +20 Warging, +5 Relationship with Ghost.

Failure: -10 Relationship with Ghost, -10 Warging.

He had heard of warging of course, had even experienced dreams of Ghost which in hindsight might have been a passive kind of warging. He knew he could do it, for he had learned the book did not throw him impossible tasks, he just knew it would be hard and tiring.

But then so was the journey ahead. Resolved and ready Jon made his way back to his room, Ghost was there slumbering, perhaps that would make it easier? No, he'd wake his direwolf up, he didn't want to scare his loyal companion.

Jon thought of the dreams he'd had as he made his way back to his room. He thought of the wolf dreams he had dismissed, too busy to entertain them. He thought of padding through the forest as Ghost, understanding his thoughts, his feelings. Perhaps this wouldn't be too hard if he had done it before.

'A white wolf in a white wood, silent as a shadow'

He opened the door to his quarters and Ghost was awake already, sat on his bed, staring at him as he opened the door, expecting him it seemed. Jon smiled, stepped forward and ran his hand over his fur.

"This might be new for both of us boy, but I won't hurt you" He was more talking to himself than his direwolf, but Ghost cocked his head and he hoped that meant he understood … well perhaps soon he would know. With a nod to himself he pulled off his weapons belt, shucked off his cloak and made his way to his bed.

He had little experience of this, but he remembered Orell, remembered the man who had been so apart of the animals he knew. Jon took a seat on the bed, crossed his legs, and tried to focus – he had no idea what he was doing, he just hoped it came naturally.

Several minutes passed, Jon took deep breaths in and out, but nothing happened. Ghost sat, expectant but nothing came. More minutes passed and at the 10-minute mark Jon let out a sigh of frustration and flopped back onto his pillows.

He had no idea what he was doing.

"Come on" He spoke to himself then, and looked as Ghost stood up, and just looked at him, waiting. It was odd, but it felt like Ghost was showing faith in him, like he was ready for Jon to do it. That made Jon smile and he took another deep breath before closing his eyes.

As soon as they shut, he knew it worked, as his mind raced across the room, as everything blurred and shifted, as everything changed. "Ghost" He spoke as his breath left his lips, as his mind left him for something else, as everything warped and changed.

His eyes opened but not through his body, now he looked through the eyes of Ghost. It felt comfortable, accepting and he knew Ghost had accepted him, he could feel it, feel the acceptance, the feeling of 'pack' and that reassured it more than anything. This was meant to be, meant to happen, and this could only be a strength going forward he was sure. Ghost felt like one with him, occupying his mind together, in concert, comfortable and natural.

This was natural, he could feel it, feel the blood of the First Men in his veins that allowed him to do this, to be one with his wolf, as so many had before him.

It only lasted a minute or so and he didn't move, just glanced through the eyes of his direwolf, around the room, the colours a little different, his senses keener, everything a little stranger but something he was sure he could get used to. It wasn't nearly as strange as it could have been, and Jon knew with practice he would be out running and hunting as he had in his dreams. After a minute or so it ended, he wasn't forced out, but naturally slipped out, out of his companions mind and back to his own.

A gasp left his lips as he woke, it was an odd sensation, like waking but more urgent, and Ghost yipped at him before going to his bed. His direwolf looked a little tired, and Jon felt it too. How could a minute inside his wolfs head have made him feel like he trained for an hour? And yet he felt exhilarated too, adrenaline pumping through his veins, a complete rush in his blood. He quickly got to his feet and washed his face in the bathroom which helped, the cold water helping him to come back, to feel a little less of that rush. He knew he was shaking, both from the rush and the little bit of fear that he had done it!

He had! He had warged into Ghost, to his direwolf. It was a shock to him, and yet it had felt right, it had felt natural. That was the biggest shock of all, that though he did feel exhausted, it had felt so natural, almost easy outside of the tiredness.

The book glowed then, but he ignored it to first go to Ghost, to pat him on the back, "Good boy" He said, and Ghost licked him with affection before settling down. He was pleased his direwolf was okay, he would never want to hurt him, and it meant he could try it again, soon he would, and hopefully the more he did it the better he would get, the easier it would become.

The book continued to glow until he crossed the room and opened it, sat at his desk, and looked over the script.

Quest Completed!

In His Eyes

Reward: 100XP, +20 Warging, +5 relationship with Ghost.

Current XP: Level 3: 950/2000, Warging +20 = 50, +5 relationship with Ghost = 85.

He smiled then, things were looking good, and the rush of warging, of doing it whilst awake was amazing. He was still shaking, grinning even, this was a skill he both needed to work on and wanted to, it had felt so strange and yet so right, like it was innate within him.

And wasn't it?

Stories of the First Men called them Wargs, said that they were one with the animals, with direwolf's and wolf's and fought with them in battle. Wasn't it in his blood? Part of his heritage through his mother? Through the Stark line? He had the blood of the First Men in his veins and was proud to have it, especially now.

He glanced down at the book then, knowing it would show him something, knowing it had to, and he wasn't disappointed.

Warg (Perk!)

You have gained a new attribute.

You have shown you are a Warg! This allows you to be one with animal companions, currently you have 1 companion, your direwolf Ghost. You may have up to 3 (in certain circumstances more can be gained, but only through special quests), and some companions will be more difficult than others! The more you warg the better you will get but it will be hard at first!

+1 Perception, +1 Agility.

Warging allows the unlocking of the Perk Skinchanging, though this requires additional circumstances that are locked to you at the moment.

A bigger grin split across his face then, and he looked back over at Ghost who was now napping happily. Jon was still shaking, elated, and yet he too felt tired. He could see what the book meant about warging being difficult, he felt drained, and though he knew he could traipse to the weirwood he didn't feel tired enough to justify that. Well, he supposed a nap wouldn't hurt, just for an hour or so before he got back to his plan for the day.

And so, he climbed back onto his bed, a smile on his face, and when he fell asleep, he dreamt of running in the forest Beyond the Wall, in the white wood, with four legs, in the snow.

sooo thoughts?

I do hope you enjoyed! what did you think of the ending? Jon being a warg will be a biggg part of this story so I hope you liked! also I loved the chapters where Jon had his 'wolf dreams' part of the reason this will be such a large plot point!

some quick things to address:

- pacing, some people have been concerned that this is paced rather slow but it is necessary! we need to set up a lot before Jon heads out! there will be time skips (or this story would be like 800 chapters), but I'm not a huge fan of those so they will be limited!

- age wise Jon is 17 here, aged up a smidge, I will state the ages of others when relevant.

- pairings, still not going to be revealed, but potential love interests will be revealed throughout, pairing will come eventually!

pls fav/follow for updates, and lemme know your thoughts!

speak soon

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