Westeros: Winterfell
"Wait... We waited for years, Lord Stark. I hoped to apologize to my son. I hoped to tell him the truth... for so long... And you tell me he disappeared?"
The King of the Seven Kingdoms narrowed his eyes dangerously. He was sitting across from Eddard Stark, inside the manor at Winterfell. Beside him, his two wives sat, one more worried than the other.
Elia had a frown on her face. She felt that if it had been years ago, she wouldn't care at all about the topic being discussed. She suffered during the rebellion, especially near the end, when the Mountain, Gregor Clegane, tried to kill and rape her. If it hadn't been for Jaime Lannister, then things would have turned out the worst. And for that reason, the first two years after that, she felt angry at Rhaegar and Lyanna. While she was preoccupied in King's Landing, her husband was off with another woman than his wife. Things had been truly worrying after the rebellion ended, as bonds had to be reformed, both in love and marriage.
And while that was happening, the Faith was taking it upon themselves to butt into a marriage with two wives. It was extremely infuriating. Annoying. Almost to the point where she was starting to hate.
It was a good thing that Lyanna Stark had been so... stubborn, to put it one way. The Stark woman had apologized for being partly responsible for the decisions Rhaegar made. And she really tried her best to bond with Elia.
For that reason and more, right now, she really felt worried. The years had made her form bonds with the northern woman. They were friends who cared for each other. They were wives who cared for their families.
As for Lyanna Stark, sitting on the other side of her husband, she growled angrily when she heard her brother's words. He almost looked like a real wolf for a few moments.
"I should hit you right now, brother," she snapped angrily. "How could you have missed it?! You're supposed to know everything that goes on in this place!"
Ned ran his hands over his face. His expression really showed his tiredness and concern.
"Do you think I wanted this, Lyanna? I raised Jon as my own. I provided him with everything he needed to live: training, studies, food, clothing. Everything I could while trying to maintain his false status as a bastard. He is my family."
Maester Luwin, who was part of the plan since Jon arrived, intervened at that moment. He hoped to quell things a bit.
"Your Grace, we've checked everything, even under the rocks. Please believe me when I say there is no sign of an escape, or any kind of struggle. Not a single horse was missing. The guards saw no movement at the doors. And inside Jon's room, everything is still."
"Do you really think he just disappeared out of nowhere?!" Rhaegar raised his voice.
Luwin slowly shook his head.
"Your Grace, what else can we say? Jon would have been noticed if he had escaped. And something would have been heard if he had been kidnapped. This is just too… weird."
Lyanna let out another groan before standing up. She walked out of the solar, ignoring the calls from her husband and brother. Even for her, it was too much what was happening. She had waited over twelve years to be able to see her son. She only knew about him from the few letters Ned had delivered. And she had to wait years for each one. After all, those letters couldn't be delivered by raven. It took special, very trustworthy people to get to her.
And now… now, when she had been able to see her son and tell him the whole truth, he was gone. He had disappeared without a trace behind. She ran, ran hard, tears threatening to appear in her eyes. She went down the stairs, through the hallways, and up another staircase, until she reached the room that was supposed to be Jon's. The same room she used when she lived in Winterfell.
When she opened the door, she found the room. It was a place she had forgotten, and now she couldn't remember, as things were in a different place. The smell wasn't the same. Even the atmosphere felt different.
She closed the door and walked over to the bed, where she sat down to look more closely. There was a small table and a chair near the fireplace. A wardrobe was attached to the wall on the other side. Lyanna turned her head to the right, just to see Jon's nightstand, her son's. There, was a wooden figure of a wolf. It wasn't very well made, but you could see the clear shape of a wolf. She reached out her hand and gently took the figure.
"Did he make it himself?" Lyanna thought, feeling like crying. Her lips trembled and she brought the small wooden wolf closer to her chest. She closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears contained in her eyes from falling.
But, at that moment, something surprising happened. Lyanna felt the darkness that came with closing her eyes suddenly change. Colors filled her vision. Huge trees and wet earth. The sunlight passing through the leaves. Thick branches and roots. And then, she saw him. It was a young man with dark, messy, and slightly dirty hair. He was wearing light brown clothes with straps and small leather bags on his waist. Around him, there were beasts she didn't know, but they certainly looked dangerous.
Lyanna tried to shout a warning when one of those two-legged beasts jumped at the young man. But, to her surprise, he moved his shield, blocking the dangerous teeth that waited to devour her head. And almost immediately, he moved his sword to cut off the beast's head.
She watched as he fought fiercely. She saw how those things could jump and run at high speed. And in two blows, one from each beast that surrounded him, they destroyed his shield. Lyanna was frightened for a moment, until the relief filled her being when, in a skillful and fast movement, the young man cut off another head, to turn and create a cut that drove away the last of the living beasts.
It had been fast. A speed that seemed impossible for a human being.
When he was left alone, with no danger in sight, Lyanna's vision receded. She blinked, realizing she was staring at the floor of the room.
It didn't take two seconds. She ran out with the wooden wolf in her hands.
. . .
"How are you, Luwin?" Ned asked skeptically. Lyanna had returned in no time, shouting that she had seen Jon in a vision. Everyone inside the manor looked at her in bewilderment. Luwin even with a little sorrow, thinking that the loss of his son had affected her too much.
Lyanna had insisted angrily and asked Luwin to hold the wooden wolf.
The Maester opened his eyes, his face a little pale. He swallowed hard and left the wolf on Ned's desk.
"It's... true. That wolf... that thing, it showed me a vision. And yes, it was Jon. Unfortunately, I can't place where it is."
Rhaegar immediately grabbed it, surprising everyone. He let it go only a few seconds later.
"Gods..." he muttered, completely dumbfounded. He couldn't believe that a mere timber wolf had the ability to show visions. It was similar to how glass candles were described in their use.
"Where did that come from?" Rhaegar asked after a few moments.
"I've seen Jon carving the wolf a couple of times. However, having the ability to see visions? That's something out of a fairy tale."
"And yet, we're experiencing it now," Luwin muttered.
"He was struggling!" Lyanna exclaimed worriedly.
"Struggling?" Rhaegar and Ned asked.
"I saw him holding a sword," Luwin commented. "But he wasn't fighting. He was walking through what looked like a forest full of huge trees."
"They were... they were... like lizards," Lyanna said, frowning a little. "I've never seen things like what I saw. They stood on two legs, with sharp teeth in their mouths. The claws on their feet were large and curved, like scythes."
Luwin's eyes widened in understanding. But then, his face turned into a confused one.
"Is... it true? What you described, is it true?"
"Yes. I saw it!"
"Then I understand less of what has happened," Luwin stated.
"What do you mean?" Elia asked. "If you recognize those animals, we might know where Jaehaerys is."
"That is the thing, your grace. The description of the animal does not belong to one that exists in Westeros, and neither does it exist in Essos. In fact, no one has given it a name. In the citadel, there are only descriptions similar to the one Your Grace named. Descriptions from ancient writings that belong to Sothoryos."
Everyone's eyes widened when they heard that.
"Are you kidding me?!" Rhaegar asked out loud.
"No. Sadly, a two-legged lizard with scythe-like claws and sharp teeth, corresponds to the little there is and that I have read about Sothoryos. In fact, I understand my vision better now. Trees so tall that they let rays of light through their leaves, a seemingly humid environment. The beasts that His Grace has described... everything seems to indicate that Jon is in Sothoryos..."
The solar fell completely silent for a moment. Ned was the one who interrupted that, sighing tiredly.
"How did such a thing happen? I mean, Sothoryos? There is no way he could have traveled and arrived in such a short time."
"I think...", Luwin said, before he stopped, savoring the words that were about to come out of his mouth. But, at the same time, a little unsure and afraid. "... there could be certain more... mystical things going on."
"You mean... magic?", Rhaegar asked carefully, receiving a slow nod from Luwin.
"Perhaps... just perhaps... something or someone, moved Jon to Sothoryos."
"For what purpose would something like that be done?" Elia asked.
"Unfortunately, I cannot give you an answer, Your Grace."
Everyone fell silent again. Everyone looked at the timber wolf.
Lyanna was the one who decided to speak.
"At least... at least, we can see what is happening with him."
Rhaegar nodded.
"Maester, you seem to know more about Sothoryos than we do. Do you think it is possible to send men to go find my son?"
Luwin was silent for a few moments, until he let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry, Your Grace, but I don't think it would be a good idea."
"Why?!" Lyanna asked forcefully.
"Because it would be dangerous. Very dangerous," Luwin said, frowning slightly. "I cannot know which part of Sothoryos Jon is in. And the dangers are only in the known parts of that place, they are surrounded by danger. Fish capable of devouring a man in a matter of minutes, creatures similar to lion lizards, bats capable of sucking a man's blood in minutes. And let's not even talk about the multiple diseases."
"It is said that Queen Nymeria went through hell when she tried to settle in Sothoryos. And so, she sailed further west. These are unexplored lands, and from what little we know, it has already been described as a green hell."
"The men who would go, could end up dead, with no chance of returning."
Rhaegar gritted his teeth, feeling a great helplessness. He had been through many, as had his wives. And not just the rebellion. The almost broken kingdoms he had to rule afterward were a real problem. He had to give out punishments and rewards. He had to make things right with all the kingdoms. He had to rule over people who thought he could go mad at any moment.
And when everything had started to go well. When things had become calm, this happened.
How much more did his family have to suffer? How much more did he have to endure in order to be happy with his whole family? Rhegar felt angry as these things ran through his mind.
"I need to take a break from all this," he muttered under his breath.
Everyone listened to him and felt the same way.
"We can talk tomorrow, Your Grace," Eddard said carefully.
"Yes... Yes, you're right. And by the way, you really weren't to blame for anything. Apparently."
Ned shrugged slightly.
"His reaction was normal. Something to be expected. It's a part of his family."
Rhaegar nodded.
"We'll talk tomorrow. Right now, I need to rest and eat something. Honestly, we haven't eaten anything since we got here."
Everyone nodded immediately, though they were still just as worried. But, looking on the bright side, they now had something to watch Jon with.
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