Chapter 3: The Snow In Winterfell

Jon watched the royal procession leave with a heavy heart, to him it felt like the King had come to Winterfell and had taken half of his person, for father, Arya and Sansa would no longer be walking the halls of home with Jon, Jon knew that perhaps he was being overly sentimental, but he couldn't help it. He felt that perhaps Sansa's parting gift to him had probably heightened his sense of loss, after her betrothal to the prince had been announced that was all she would speak about, all she ever talked about was how great the prince was and how she was going to give him lots of children and how she was going to be queen. Frankly Jon thought the Prince was a right royal prick, his demeanour throughout the royal stay in Winterfell showed how little he actually thought of the North and its people, something that was further proven when he tried to taunt Robb into fighting him with live steel, and of course because Robb was heir to Winterfell and Jon was merely the bastard, Jon had accepted his challenge and had been looking forward to showing the little prick what was what, but of course Ser Rodrik had put a stop to that and so Jon would never truly know just how good the prince actually was.

Sansa's parting gift to him had been a cloth which had had a white direwolf on a grey field sewed onto it, and she had said that it was meant to be Ghost and then she'd given him a hug that seemed to last longer than perhaps was necessary but it warmed Jon's heart to think that even though she was so caught up in her betrothal she still had feelings for him, though what exactly they were he knew not, but it didn't matter so long as he still held a place in her heart he would be happy.

He was brought back to reality by the sound of his brother sighing, turning round he saw Robb had a rather glumy expression on his face, Jon raised an eyebrow in question and Robb said "Mother's gone back to Bran's room. I don't know what she expects to happen, Maester Luwin has said that the worst has passed so its up to the gods now. But he will live I know he will. Its Rickon I'm worried about he doesn't understand whats happening or why everyone's going away." All Jon could do was merely nod in understanding and promise to look after Rickon until Lady Catelyn came back to them.

The next few days passed by extremely quickly, Jon was kept busy trying to help Robb run Winterfell, normally the lady of the house would help oversee the accounts all the more nitty gritty details of running a castle such as Winterfell, but as Lady Catelyn was still sitting watch over Bran, it fell to Robb and then when it became apparent that Robb didn't have a head for figures, Jon to ensure that there was enough money coming into Winterfell's coffers. Jon also spent a great deal of time when he was not looking at the accounts with Rickon, playing with him and generally trying to make sure that he didn't become to rowdy or moody without his mother there. Though there were times when Jon wished that Lady Catelyn would just move from her vigil for though Jon bore the name Snow, she had never tried to make him feel unwelcome and had in fact treated him with the same love and respect that she treated all of her trueborn children with, and she had always been ready to give him advice, something that he felt he surely needed now more than ever.

Jon was also spending a great deal of time in the library much to Robb's annoyance, the reason being that since they had found the direwolves south of the wall, Jon had been innately curious as to what exactly made Direwolves tick. Of course considering that the direwolves that the Stark children had were the first to be seen south of the wall in a round three hundred years did make it harder for the maester's to specifically state what was what with regards to their habits and their growth, for Ghost, Greywind, Shaggydog and even Bran's unnamed direwolf had grown to be the size of some of the larger hunting dogs in Winterfell. Jon was reading through a book called The Mysteries of Wolves by some unknown author when he found a letter stowed away into one of the pages of the book, curious he picked the letter up from the page, and saw that it only contained one word on the front of the envelope Winter Rose, Jon turned the envelope over and saw much to his surprise the sigil of House Targaryen stamped into the back of it. He smelt something that seemed oddly like smoke wafting through the room but thought nothing of it, someone must have left a candle on for too long and it had probably burnt out.

So he turned his attention back to the letter currently in his hand and broke the seal and read what was inside:

My lady,

I know what I ask of you is a heavy thing to pay, knowing that you are betrothed and that I have my own problems. But I cannot spent a day without thinking of you and knowing that you too think of me every day I can't bear to be without you. Look for me when the moon is full in a week's time, look for me in the godswood and come alone.

Yours forever

The Silver Prince

The letter made no sense to Jon, he knew neither of any Winter Rose nor of any silver prince but decided that he'd pocket the letter and show it to Maester Luwin later on. The smell of smoke was getting stronger now; worried Jon stood up and walked toward the door to see if something was amiss. Before he could get to the door however, he was knocked back by a sudden blast of wind, no not wind fire. Where had the fire come from? It was getting harder to breathe now, the smoke was filling his lungs and the orange flames were dancing in front of his eyes, thank gods Ghost was out hunting. He tried to walk toward the door but another blast of wind or was it fire, knocked back to the ground and then when he next looked up fire was engulfing the whole room and smoke was filling his lungs, he tried weakly to call for help but there was no one else in the tower except for him. He tried one last time to crawl toward the door, but the smoke and the heat of the fire was too much for him and he passed out half way between the table he had been sat at and the door.

There was fire everywhere, but the boy soul mate was trapped, and the boy's brother was yelling for help and for water, that would take too long, the boy soul mate would be dead by the time they put out the fire, he knew it and he could not allow it. So he ran through the flames unflinchingly and ran up one flight of stairs to where he knew the boy soul mate was, and charged through the open door, ignoring the flames and the burnt books that were strewn across the floor, he saw his soul mate lying unmoving on the floor. Whining he nudged his head against the soul mate's shoulder when that got no response he tried nudging his head against the chest but nothing happened and so , he grabbed his soul mate by the scruff of the neck and dragged him out of the room, and down the stairs trying to make the journey as painless as possible though not likely succeeding, and then when he saw the light at the entrance to the tower he removed his teeth from his soul mate's neck and barked for the soul mate's brother to hear as well as the pack brother, when they heard they walked toward the entrance and helped drag – carry the soul mate out onto the cold hard ground away from the tower which the white wolf saw was now burning down to ruin.

But it mattered not for the soul mate was alive, and the attempt on the pack brother had failed.

Jon awoke some days later, at first he was confused as to where he was, still expecting to be in the library tower, but when he looked toward the foot of the bed and saw Ghost curled up protectively he realised that he was in his room.

"You're awake." Jon tuned round to see Robb looking at him from a chair next to his bed, with what looked like a relieved smile on his face.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jon asked puzzled.

"Well when we saw the fire in the library tower it was already pretty big and we feared that it had already engulfed the room you were in." Robb explained.

"Fire?! There was a fire in the library tower? What? How?" Jon asked worried.

At this Robb's face twisted in anger and he said "An assassin was sent to kill Bran and mother, they were killed by Bran's direwolf. They set the fire as a distraction most likely hoping to draw mother out of Bran's room and do the deed whilst no one was there."

Jon was shocked "Are Bran and mother ok? Did they get hurt? Do you know who sent the assassin?"

Robb was silent for a moment and then said "We have reason to believe that it was the work of the Lannisters. The dagger that the assassin had was of Valyrian steel, too good a dagger for a common vagabond to have. Mother believes that Bran must have seen something he wasn't supposed to and now the Lannisters are trying to silence him."

"How does mother know that it was the Lannisters and not someone else? That is a pretty big accusation to make Robb, they are the most powerful family in Westeros!" Jon said

Robb was silent once more before replying "What I am about tell you must remain between the two of us, only myself, father and Maester Luwin actually know this. " Jon nodded his head of course he would not tell anyone anything if it concerned his family. Robb continued "When the royal family were still here, mother received a letter from Aunt Lysa, pinning the blame for Jon Arryn's death on the Lannisters and warning mother to be wary of them."

Jon was worried now "So you're telling me that mother's sister blames the Lannisters for murdering the last hand of the king and father and the girls are in King's Landing surrounded by Lannisters! Robb we have to warn father, we can't just let them take him from us or the girls!"

Robb nodded and said "Mother's gone south to King's Landing to warn father and to tell him what she suspects, she says she has a friend in the capital who could help us find out the truth."

Jon nodded in response still not entirely convinced that what his step mother had decided was the wisest of ideas but still it was better than not doing anything. To take his mind of off that though he asked the other question that had been nagging away at him "How's Bran is he doing any better?"

At that Robb's face broke out into a huge grin and he replied "He's doing much better in fact he's awake!"

Jon couldn't believe his ears and said "He's awake are you sure?!"

Robb replied "Of course I'm sure, he woke up when I was sitting with him, he even came to visit you once or twice whilst you were still asleep!"

Jon hesitated to ask the next thing that was on his mind "How did he get here Robb if he can't walk?"

Robb's faced dropped momentarily before he said "Hodor carried him in. I've sent word to father and the girls in the capital about Bran waking up. There's something else you need to know Jon."

"Oh?" Jon didn't like the sound of that.

"Father sent word whilst you were still abed. There was trouble on the King's Road and Father had to kill Lady. Something about the Prince being attacked by a direwolf." Robb said barely able to keep the scorn out of his voice.

Jon was silent before saying "How did Sansa take the news?"

Robb looked grim when he said "Not well she blames Arya for Lady's death, but I also think she's less enraptured by the prince as well which is good."

The days that followed this conversation Jon spent with Robb overseeing the running of Winterfell, sparring in the training yard with Theon and Robb when he could spare sometime and keeping an eye on Bran and Rickon making sure they didn't get in to too much trouble. The letter he had found in the library was completely forgotten about at least it was until Tyrion Lannister stopped at Winterfell on his way back from the Wall.

Given their suspicions it was hardly surprising Jon thought that Tyrion was greeted less warmly that he had been when he had been riding with the King's party, though he did not help himself when he said " Any man of the Night's Watch but not me, do I take your meaning, boy?"

Jon could see how aggravated that made Robb by the way he stood up and pointed his sword at Tyrion and said "I am the lord here while my mother and father are away, Lannister. I am not your boy."

The imp further served to fan the flames of tension in the room by saying "If you are a lord, you might learn a lord's courtesy."

Tyrion then noticed that Bran was in the hall being carried by Hodor, and said "So its true the boy lives. I could scarce believe it. You Starks are hard to kill."

To which Robb replied "You Lannisters had best remember that." He then gestured for Hodor to bring Bran next him, and said "You wished to speak to Bran well here he is, say what you have to say Lannister."

Tyrion turned his mismatched eyes onto Bran then and seemed to be looking into the very depths of his soul and what he said next gave Jon chills "I am told you were quite the climber Bran, tell me how is it you happened to fall that day?"

"I never," Bran insisted and Jon knew that it was something that still hurt Bran to think about for Jon knew that Bran never ever fell.

"The child does not remember anything of the fall, or the climb that came before it." Maester Luwin said gently.

"Curious," Said Tyrion.

"My brother is not here to answer your questions Lannister," Robb said curtly. "Do your business and be on your way."

"I have a gift for you," the dwarf said to Bran. "Do you like to ride boy?"

Maester Luwin came forward "My lord the child has lost the use of his legs. He cannot sit a horse."

"Nonsense," said Lannister. "With the right horse and the right saddle, even a cripple can ride."

Jon winced at Tyrion's words he could see the hurt on Bran's face when he said "I'm not a cripple!"

"Then I am not a dwarf," Tyrion said with a twist of his mouth "My father shall rejoice to hear it."

Jon heard Theon snort at that, but then heard Maester Luwin say "What do you have in mind my Lord?"

Tyrion looked at Luwin then at Bran and said "A smart horse, for the boy cannot use his legs to command the animal, so you must tailor the horse to the rider. I would start with an unbroken yearling with no old training to be unlearnt."Taking a piece of paper from out of his sleeve he handed it to Maester Luwin and said "Give this to your saddler he should be able to make sense of it."

Luwin handed the paper to Robb who looked at it and then said in a voice mixed with confusion and suspicion "Is this some sort of trap Lannister? Why are you being so kind to me brother?"

To which Lannister gave another one of his slight grins and said "I have a fondness for cripples, bastards and broken things. Anyway I believe I may have overstayed my welcome."

Robb seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying "Wait, you have done my brother a kindness Lord Tyrion, the hospitality of Winterfell is yours if you wish it."

Tyrion looked at Robb and said "Spare me your false courtesies; I believe that we shall both sleep easier if I was not staying in your halls tonight. There was a brothel I saw a few miles from here I shall spend the evening there and head out in the morning." And with that he nodded at Robb, Bran, Jon and Maester Luwin then walked out of the hall, leaving Jon and Robb to discuss what it was exactly that had just happened.

A few days later and they still couldn't make sense of why Tyrion would be so kind to Bran if he was in on the plot to kill him. Of course for just now their concerns were put aside as they watched Bran riding around on his horse on his newly made saddle delight written all over his face. It made Jon smile to see his little brother so happy, and as they were riding through the godswood he thought nothing of it when Bran went riding a little faster than the rest of them.

It was only when he didn't return that he began to worry, looking at Robb and Theon all three of them spurred their mounts on faster and what they saw scared them all in equal measure, Bran was being held by the scruff of his neck with a knife held against his throat by a wildling whilst the wildling's three companions looked at what they could steal.

Robb said in his lord's voice though Jon could hear the tremor in what he said "Release my brother this instant and I may let you live."

The wildling who held the knife to Bran's throat snorted and said "What are you going to do green boy, piss your breeches on me. No allow my companions and I to take what we want from you and your friends here, or your brother gets it."

Jon could see Bran struggling against the man holding him captive, and could also see Ghost and Greywind coming out of the trees behind the wildlings, making his decision he spurred his horse forward just a little bit more and said "Let my brother go wildling." When the man did not seem willing to Jon drew his sword from its sheath and slowly advanced closer toward the man's companion and then in one swift motion had his sword inches from the woman's throat and nodded to Robb who said "Let my brother go, or your companion gets it."

To which the man replied "Let her go or the boy gets it in the neck."

Jon could see the hesitancy in Robb's eyes but could also see that Ghost and Greywind were coming ever closer to the wildlings, and it looked at least from the snarl on Ghost's lips that the wildlings would most certainly be the ones getting it. But before anything else could happen an arrow whipped past Robb and buried itself deep into the man holding Bran's neck, causing the man to let go of Bran and drop to the ground dead. Turning to see that it was Theon who shot the arrow, Jon could not form a response for the wildling woman he was holding tried to break free but his grip on her was too strong and so he quickly slashed his sword against her throat causing her to fall down dead, and then Ghost and Greywind pounced on the other wildling man who was trying to advance on Bran.

Eventually there was just one person left a woman who got down on her knees and said to Robb "Please my lord, spare me and I'll serve you however, you see fit, please my lord."

Jon saw Robb look at the woman for a long moment before he eventually said "Very well then Jon make sure that she doesn't try and escape, Bran come with me. Theon keep an eye on her as well." And with that they rode back to the castle.

Jon found himself reading yet another letter he had found buried in his room from this silver prince when Theon came to his room and said "Robb wants to see you. He's in the Lord's solar."

Wondering if he had had anymore news about King's Landing since they had learnt of the Kingslayer's attack on their father in retaliation for Lady Catelyn taking Tyrion to the Vale, Jon put the letter in his pocket and followed Theon to his father's solar.

Upon entering Jon found himself looking at a rather grim looking Robb, and scared looking Bran, wondering what could be the cause of such a scene Jon asked "You called and I have come, what's the matter Robb."

Robb wordlessly handed Jon a letter, which upon reading it he recognised as coming from the capital and in Sansa's hand. He could not believe what it said though, their father was being accused of plotting to overthrow the King, Joffrey Baratheon and had been therefore arrested for treason, and Robb was being summoned to King's Landing to pledge fealty to Joffrey. Of Arya there was no mention.

Jon looked at Robb and said "You don't believe this do you?" To which Robb shook his head. "What are you going to do?"

Robb said in an iron voice "Joffrey has arrested my father and has killed men from Winterfell, he has threatened the safety of our sisters, and he wants his arsed kissed. What do you think I'm going to do?"

To which Jon said "Fight." Robb nodded and said "I'll go to King's Landing, but I won't go alone. Maester Luwin send the letters out and call the banners it's time to see how loyal my father's bannermen truly are."