chapter 52: The Return of the Wolf – Part 1

The Return of the Wolf – Part 1

It had been ten days since I, Jon Snow, returned to Winterfell.

After all these years, stepping through those familiar gates felt like waking from a long, cold dream. The towering walls, the scent of pine and smoke, the soft crunch of snow underfoot — it was all as I remembered, yet different. Time had passed. People had grown. The keep had changed, and so had I.

I was certainly enjoying my time with my family after such a long absence. Their laughter, their warmth — things I hadn't felt in years. It was strange to be surrounded by it again, yet comforting. Everyone knew I left Winterfell when I was only seven. But what they didn't know — what nobody knew — was where I had gone, what I had done, and how I came back looking like a hardened warrior, though I was still just fourteen.

The Stark family had been curious, I could tell. Their eyes held questions, their silences brimming with unspoken wonder. But none had asked — not yet. Perhaps they were waiting for the right moment, giving me space to breathe, to settle in.

That moment came one evening over dinner.

All of us were gathered at the long wooden table, feasting under candlelight. Laughter echoed in the hall, and the air was rich with roasted meats, fresh bread, and warmth. The cold outside seemed like a distant world. For a time, we were just a family — the Starks, together again.

I could stay here forever, I thought. After all, my kingdom was safe. Hundreds of my clones were still operating in their assigned regions, handling matters with precision and discipline. I had no worries, no urgent tasks calling me away. I could live here, among those I loved, for as long as I wished.

Arya, of course, was the most excited to have me back. She hadn't left my side since I arrived. Full of energy and curiosity, she'd been jumping around, bombarding me with questions about my adventures.

"And then what happened?" she would ask again and again, her eyes wide with wonder.

I'd grin and humor her, telling her stories — some real, some exaggerated for her amusement. She believed every word, her imagination painting vivid pictures from my tales.

But that night, it was Father — Lord Eddard Stark — who finally broke the silence the rest of the family had maintained.

"Jon," he said, putting down his goblet and turning to me with a curious look. "Tell us of your adventures. What have you done since you left Winterfell? Where have you been all these years? And why do you already look like a seasoned warrior, though you're only fourteen?"

His voice was calm but commanding, and as he spoke, the hall fell quiet. All eyes turned to me. Robb, Sansa, Bran, even little Rickon — they were all staring, curiosity dancing in their eyes.

I smiled. I'd expected this moment, but it still made my heart race.

"Well…" I began, leaning back in my chair, my voice calm. "The day I left Winterfell, I had no destination. I didn't know where I was going. But deep inside, I felt something — a pull, a calling. I couldn't explain it, but I followed that feeling. It led me north."

I paused, letting the words sink in.

"To the Wall."

The reactions were instant. Eyes widened, and eyebrows rose. The Wall — that massive icy barrier between the known world and the wild unknown — was the stuff of stories and nightmares.

"You went to the Wall?" Ned asked, sitting up straight. "What did you do there?"

I chuckled. "I was going to explain, Father. But you interrupted."

He smirked slightly, and the tension eased for a moment.

"I reached the Wall, but the feeling — the one calling me — wasn't coming from the Wall itself. It was beyond. From the lands past the Wall. I couldn't ignore it. I didn't hesitate. I wanted a challenge."

A collective silence swept over the table. My siblings looked at me, their expressions frozen.

"I climbed the Wall," I continued. "Alone. With nothing but a few tools and my determination, I scaled that monstrous ice barrier, leaving the safety of Castle Black behind."

Ned shot to his feet. "What?! You climbed the Wall with your bare hands?! That's madness! You could've been killed, Jon!"

I laughed, a deep sound that echoed off the stone walls. "Father, I'm sitting right here, aren't I? I survived."

He sat down slowly, his face pale, processing what I had said.

"Why not use the gate?" he muttered, half to himself.

"I could have," I replied. "But you know they wouldn't have let a boy through, especially not one alone. Even Uncle Benjen would have stopped me. So I had no choice. I climbed."

There was a pause as they all took it in.

"Beyond the Wall," I went on, "was a world of endless white. Snow blanketed everything — the trees, the ground, the mountains. It was colder than I'd ever imagined. Brutal. Harsh. Survival was no joke."

Arya leaned in, eyes bright. "What did you do then?"

"I kept going," I said. "I walked for days. The cold bit into my skin, but I didn't stop. And then… the feeling vanished. Just like that. Gone. But I didn't turn back. I had already committed."

Their faces were rapt with attention.

"I began to hunt for food. At first, rabbits and foxes. Then bigger game. Fierce, wild bears. Beasts strong enough to tear a man apart. I fought them. I killed them. And with every battle, I grew stronger — my swordsmanship, my instincts, my speed… everything sharpened."

Robb spoke at last, breaking the silence. "You… fought bears? Alone?"

"Yes," I said. "More than once."

There was disbelief in their eyes, even in Robb's. But not Arya. She believed without question, her faith in me unwavering.

Sansa's eyes flickered with doubt. Theon, sitting near Robb, snorted softly. "That's hard to believe."

I didn't argue. I didn't need to.

Ned, however, looked thoughtful. He remembered the day I left. Remembered our sparring session before I vanished. I had defeated him in combat that day — a boy besting the Lord of Winterfell.

He nodded slowly. "There was always something different about you, Jon. Even back then."

"To the people of Winterfell," I said softly, "I was the boy blessed by the gods."

(Of course I will tell bullshit, to everyone because I will not tell that I have a system, I will tell a story where I am blessed. Hahahahah. I laughed in my mind)

To be continued...