They walk for a few hours in the night and finally around dawn they see the tents of the army camp in the distance.
It takes them another half an hour until they reach the camp and a few soldiers stop us from getting any closer when they spot us after they see Fenrir and I facepalm cause Jon had gotten so comfortable around Fenrir that I forgot other people would freak out if they saw a Direwolf as big as Fenrir, especially a fully armed army on their way back home.
So I tells Fenrir to sit down and I sit down with him while using him as back support and I tell Skitter to fly high so that she couldn't be spotted, the soldiers look like they couldn't process what they were seeing and Jon goes up to the few soldiers he recognised to explain the situation before any misunderstanding could happen.
Jon approaches the soldiers, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and anxiety. "Jory it's me Jon" he says, trying to keep his voice steady.
One of the soldiers, a tall man with a thick beard, looks at him in surprise. "Jon? What are you doing out here? And who's that with the direwolf?".
"I wanted to see the army coming home and meet my father," Jon explains. "I got lost on my way back and they saved me from some bandits."
The soldier looks at him in disbelief, "I'll take you to Lord Stark right away. Tell your friends to wait where they are until Lord Stark decides how to proceed"
Jon nods, relieved. "Thank you," he says, and tells El to wait there before following the soldier into the camp.
Seeing Jon go into the camp I continue to rest on Fenrir without any care for the increasing number of soldiers coming to gawk at us, and think of one of the problems that I had been putting off until now.
I touch the grass under my feet and try to use my powers and I scan it. I get the information about its cells immediately but frustratingly I also learn that trying to change anything even small in the grass would leave me exhausted immediately almost as if it resisted my powers to an extreme degree. It was something that puzzled me but I wasn't in any immediate rush to figure it out.
----------------------
Jon followed Jory into the tent and saw his father, Eddard Stark, sitting at a table writing some letters. Ned's eyes widened in surprise as he looked up at his son.
"Jon, what are you doing here? Did something happen at Winterfell?" Ned asked, concern etched on his face.
Jon's stomach twisted with guilt as he explained what had happened. He told his father how he had foolishly wandered out of Winterfell to see the army and meet him, only to get lost and nearly be killed by bandits.
Ned's expression turned from concern to anger as he listened to Jon's tale. "You foolish boy! What were you thinking? You could have been killed!" he exclaimed.
Jon hung his head, ashamed of his actions.
"And what of this mage you mentioned? The one with the direwolf?" Ned asked, his voice calmer but still filled with anger and suspicion.
"He's waiting outside the camp, Father. The soldiers were frightened by the direwolf," Jon replied.
Ned let out a sigh and shook his head. "I'll send for him and we'll hear his story. But you, Jon, I'll decide your punishment after we return to Winterfell."
Jon nodded, knowing his father was right. He had acted foolishly and was lucky to be alive. He vowed to be more careful in the future and to listen to the advice of those wiser than himself and not let what others call him affect him.
--------------
After a few minutes, one of the soldiers slowly approaches me and says, "Follow me."
"Can I bring Fenrir with me?" I ask, gesturing towards the large direwolf by my side.
The soldier hesitates for a moment before asking, "Are you sure he's not going to attack anyone?"
I nod confidently, "As you can see, he hasn't done anything yet and he won't do anything unless someone comes at us with a sword or something."
The soldier nods, "Alright, you can bring the wolf."
"What's your name?" I ask while following him, trying to make small talk.
"William," the soldier replies without saying anything else and just leads the way.
The soldiers create a path, and I confidently walk behind William, my heart beating with excitement. They reach what looked to be the main tent, and Jon and Eddard Stark walk out. Eddard looks as surprised as everyone when he sees me and Fenrir.
"Father, this is El and Fenrir. They saved me from the bandits! Fenrir fought off the bandits, and El healed me after I was shot with an arrow in my chest!" Jon said, trying to hide his nervousness as he introduced us.
Eddard Stark looked exactly as I had imagined, down to the smallest detail, especially his expression. He looked at me and Fenrir, and then lingered on my direwolf for a few moments.
Finally turning back to me, he asked, "El, do you not have a last name? Where are you from?"
"I'm just an orphan, not from any particular place," I answered, shrugging carelessly as I improvised a generic backstory.
"And you just happened upon some bandits trying to kill my son?" He asked me suspiciously.
"I was on my way to Winterfell and had decided to make camp in the forest after dusk when I heard all the commotion. The bandits were not trying to be stealthy," I explained.
"And what were you planning to do in Winterfell?" He asked.
"Nothing much, really. I've heard a lot about the amazing castle and wanted to see it for myself. After that, I was planning to head further north to see the Wall. I've heard it's quite the sight. Maybe I can offer my healing services in exchange for coin along the way," I replied.
Stark continued to look at me, searching for any signs of deception on my face, but I was quite skilled at playing poker, so he wouldn't find anything.
Finally, he stopped looking and said, "You saved my son's life, El. House Stark owes you a debt of gratitude. I invite you to rest at Winterfell until you are ready to move on."
I slightly bowed my head in response, and saw Jon smiling at me from the side. "Your offer is much appreciated, my Lord," I said.
He nodded before continuing, "You mentioned that you have the ability to heal. Would you be willing to heal some of my men in the camp?"
My lips curled upwards. "Certainly, Lord Stark. I am happy to assist."
'Showtime,' I thought to myself.
----------
Eddard Stark had seen a lot of things in his life, but what he was witnessing at the moment was not something he had ever seen before. He would happily admit that when Jon first told him of the boy who said he was ten and five name days old, had healed his chest, which had an arrow going through it, he was skeptical. But witnessing the boy heal about fifty of his soldiers, with various wounds varying from cuts, stabs, and broken limbs, with just a touch, was not something he would ever forget. Looking at the expressions on his soldiers' faces he was not alone in that regard.
Eddard Stark looks at the boy, El, with a mix of amazement and confusion. He had heard stories of sorcerers and magic in the world, but he always dismissed them as stories. But here he was, standing before a boy who could heal anyone with just a touch. He couldn't deny the evidence in front of him.
He decides to deal with it later, now that there were no more injured in the army; he could march at full sprint to winterfell and reach it by sundown. So he gives the order.
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The army packs up the camp and sets off.
Lord Stark had apologized for not having a horse for me to ride and offered to have me ride on one of the wagons. I decline and just ride on top of Fenrir instead.
As the evening approached, the magnificent castle of Winterfell came into view. It was a sight to behold and beyond what I had imagined. I had seen the castle shown in the show but comparing it to what was in front of me would be an insult. The fortress was far more awe-inspiring.
The first thing that struck me was the two sets of walls that protected the inner city. The outer wall was made of gray granite and was estimated to reach a height of nearly 80 feet. The inner wall was even taller. I noticed that the only entry point was a massive gatehouse on the northern side of the fortress, which was guarded by a real moat, 'I wonder if it has crocodiles in it'.
As I followed Lord Stark through the gatehouse and into the inner workings of Winterfell, I couldn't help but whisper "Awesome." The inner courtyard was expansive and surrounded by numerous structures that made up the bustling heart of the castle.
I was completely in awe of the grandeur of Winterfell and couldn't wait to explore more.
As we entered the courtyard, directly across from us was what could only be the primary keep within Winterfell. The keep stood twice as tall as any of the other buildings in the immediate vicinity.
Finished with my sightseeing, I straightened myself as the horses I was riding beside began to slow to a stop. As I start paying attention, I become aware of the group of people standing just before the entrance to the main keep.
At the front of the group he saw the rest of the Starks. He saw Catlyn Stark holding a baby he assumed was Bran along with Robb, Sansa, and Arya.
I kept myself concealed among the horses, observing Eddard Stark and his family as he dismounted with Jon and approached them. Catelyn greeted her husband warmly and affectionately, but her expression changed to anger when she saw Jon. The younger children ran up to hug their father, while Robb whispered with Jon after giving his father a quick hug. It appeared that the younger children were unaware of Jon's recent disappearance.
There was another boy who I noticed for the first time and I heard Lord Stark introduce him as Theon Greyjoy. 'I had completely forgotten about him'.
"We stumbled upon Jon this morning," Lord Stark spoke to someone wearing chains, who I assumed was Maester Luwin. "He would have died if not for the intervention of his newest friend."
That was my queue "I was just at the right place at the right time my Lord" I respond respectfully
It was then that almost everyone noticed me sitting on a giant direwolf and freaked out as expected until Lord Stark calmed them down again and assured everyone that the wolf was tame.
He then proceeded to introduce me to his family. "El, this is my wife Lady Catelyn Stark of House Tully."
"A pleasure, my Lady." I reply, bowing slightly.
"These are my children; my eldest and heir, Robb Stark. And my daughters, Sansa and Arya." Lord Stark continued.
"It is an honor to meet all of you," I greet them kindly.
Robb, Sansa and Arya however both merely stared at Fenrir in wonder and said wolf seemed to be enjoying the attention 'Is he striking a pose??'.
It was Arya who asked the most obvious question. "Can I touch him?"
"Arya!" Lady Stark snapped, turning sharply towards her youngest child.
Chuckling, I reached up and started petting Fenrir.
"You can go ahead," I said, smiling at the young girl. "Fenrir won't hurt you. He's very friendly."
Arya tentatively reached out her hand and stroked the wolf's fur. She looked up at me with a wide-eyed expression of wonder. "He's so soft," she said.
Lady Stark looked at me with suspicion. "Where did you come by this creature? And how did you tame him?" she asked.
"I found him wounded in the forest my Lady, I healed him and he's been with me ever since," I replied, still petting Fenrir.
She didn't look like she believed me but didn't want to create a scene in front of everyone so she just decided to leave with the children "Come, children, It is late, and you need your rest. You can speak to your father again tomorrow."
Lord Stark sighed, bearing a look of resignation, at his wife's behavior.
He then calls for one of the servants and says "See to it that El here is assigned a room in the guest quarters for the time being."
"Of course, my Lord." the servant says, bowing slightly before holding a hand towards the side building next to the keep. "If you will please follow me, I will show you to your room"
I gave Lord Stark one last nod and turned to follow the servant towards what he could only assume were the guest quarters. 'This is going to be fun.'