Chapter 7: War Pigs

Robb

Sometimes at night he could still here the shouts, "King in the North!" his men had cried, in their haste and their fear to avoid bending to a southerner. There had been no King in the North for three hundred years, not since Torrhen Stark had bent the knee to Aegon the Dragon. And now, here he was Robb Stark not yet a man in age, but having fought two battles and won them both, he was the successor to Torrhen Stark, lord of Winterfell and King in the North. It was a daunting prospect, especially if he thought about what the news might mean for Sansa and Arya, he knew what Joffrey was like, had watched him when the royals had come to Winterfell. The boy was cruel and snarky, he still remembered the comments he had made to Jeyne, and how Jon had beaten him black and blue. That was why he had brought Ser Cleos Frey out from the cells in Riverrun and had given him terms, because he knew that his lords would crucify him alive if he tried to trade the Kingslayer for Sansa and Arya, no matter how much it pained him to admit it, he knew he could not do that and still expect his men to follow him.

So he had sent Ser Cleos off to King's Landing with his terms, hoping and praying to both the old gods and the new that the Lannister Queen would be able to talk sense into her son. Should that not work though, he knew that the Westerlands were largely undefended, what with the kingslayer's army either dead or scattered, Tywin Lannister and his forces camped in Harrenhal, the West was ripe for the taking. Casterly Rock was ripe for the taking. The north did not have a fleet, and wouldn't be able to have a sufficiently big enough fleet for some time, and so Robb knew that the Ironborn would be invaluable for the attack on the West. From speaking to Theon he had gathered that it was likely that his father might try and crown himself king and so Robb had sent Theon off with a proposal for an alliance. Ironborn raids of the West with the northmen raids, if Casterly Rock fell they would share the plunder, and the west could become Balon Greyjoy's. Theon assured him that he would get his father to listen, and so he had sent his friend off despite his mother's protests and reservations.

Robb knew that he couldn't just stay in Riverrun now though, not after having won two battles. His men would get restless and the Lannisters would think he had gone soft or scared. He could not have that, he needed to march, and he needed to march west. He still needed to secure the Riverlands though, for they were a part of his kingdom, and so he had given the Riverlords leave to return to and secure their lands. So far they had been largely successful, Lord Blackwood had fought a fierce battle outside the castle of Raventree Hall and had won his castle back, the same could be said for Lord Bracken at Stone Hedge. Darry men had regained their castle for their liege lord- a boy no older than Bran- and Lords Vance and Piper were making progress harrying Lannister supply lines going to Harrenhal.

All of this boded well for Robb and the northern cause, and yet he knew that should he try and take King's Landing to free his sisters, he would need more than just the northmen and the Riverlords. He needed more alliances, what with both Renly and Stannis Baratheon having laid claim to their deceased brother's crown, Robb knew that though Stannis might have the more legitimate claim to the throne, Renly had the greater numbers and was more likely to be accepting of northern independence. This was why he had sent his mother off to treat with him in the Reach. Despite his mother's protests that she would be better served here in Riverrun, he knew that only she had a true grasp of these games the southerners played, and he intended to make full use of her skills and knowledge.

Throughout all of this, Robb had worked under the assumption that Alys would be staying in Riverrun, where she would be safe and protected. But alas no, just like she had argued about coming south with him, so too had she argued about riding into the Westerlands with him. He had tried to argue that she needed to stay in Riverrun, if not for her own safety, than for the child she carried. He had also tried to argue that her father had lost two of his sons and the third was a Lannister prisoner, he had argued that Lord Rickard would not be very thankful if his daughter got into harm's way. When that had not worked he had told her that he would not be able to live with himself if something happened to her, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. Her expression had softened at that and Robb had thought that perhaps she might be about to relent and agree to stay in Riverrun, but no she had only stated that she would be riding west with him, if he worried about her safety during battle then he could give her guards, but she would ride west. Once more he had relented, and now that he had he was absurdly glad that he had done so. There was something soothing about his wife's presence beside him as they rode west, and in their tent at night, something that calmed his nerves and made him more able to relax.

Greywind had found a hidden passage way to the side of the Golden Tooth, a passageway that would allow the northern army to go undetected as it marched. The passageway was narrow and could only be marched through in single file, but it allowed them the chance to find the Lannister army of Stafford Lannister camped at Oxcross. They saw the outskirts of the camp the night they arrived, and knowing that secrecy would be the key to winning here, Robb sent his uncle the Blackfish out with two thousand men in the vanguard to kill the few sentries the man had posted. Once that was done, Robb led the main body of the army into the camp, catching Stafford Lannister and his men with his pants down.

It was less of a battle and more of a rout, Robb would think later. Because of the late hour and the fact that the Lannister soldiers had received no warning, they were completely unprepared for what hit them. It was evident, Robb thought, Lannister men were still in their sleeping clothes as the attack began, and some were still rubbing sleep from their eyes as they fumbled for weapons or were killed. Robb himself did much killing, hacking and slashing with his longsword till both it and the ground were stained red. He kept on hacking and slashing at the Lannister men he came across, bleeding them dry. A slash there took a man's hand off, a hack there lopped off a man's head, a cut there pierced a man's chest and killed him. Yes, it was truly a rout. Beside him he could feel and hear Greywind tearing into the throats of those soldiers that Robb either had not come across yet or had not had the chance to kill yet.

He could hear the cries of the enemy soldiers as they were cut down around him, could hear their screams for mercy and how they begged to be spared. But what they didn't know was that, their liege lord had not spared Robb's father, King Joffrey had had Lord Eddard beheaded and had his head mounted on a spike in King's Landing, and for that Robb would make the Westerlands bleed before he killed Joffrey himself. He continued hacking and slashing, as around him those Lannister soldiers that were not already dead or dying, were trampled on or fled, or were killed trying to flee. Stafford Lannister was slain running after his horse by Robb's good father, a small act of revenge on Lord Rickard's part Robb suspects. The battle itself finishes when Lords Crakehall and Jast are captured, both men having received serious wounds in the battle, surrender, and with them so do the 2000 men left with them. Other notable Lannister prisoners include Ser Lymond Vikary and Kevan Lannister's son Martyn Lannister.

With that battle done, the northern lords began preparing their next move, Casterly Rock was a few days march away, but it was likely that the men who had fled would join up with Devan Lannister at Lannisport and as such it would not be a good idea to strike out of the Rock just yet, not until they knew for certain that the Ironborn would help them. As of yet there had been no word from Theon, no letter of acceptance of the alliance from Pyke. Robb was not too concerned for he knew what Theon was like, and was certain that his friend would deliver on his word. Instead it was decided that the northern force would split, Lords Glover and Karstark would go pillaging round Nunn's Deep and the Golden Tooth with 500 men, Lord Umber would raid the gold mines of Castamere and Lady Mormont was to take any livestock she found and drive them back to the Riverlands. Robb would take the rest of the northern strength and march on Ashemark.

The battle of Ashemark itself was a rather bloodless affair for the northern army, Robb would later reflect. The castle itself was held by a garrison of only 200 men, led by Lord Damon Marbrand himself. Lord Damon was an old man nearing his late fifties, he was no longer the strongest of men as he had been in his youth, and the battle for his castle took a few hours. They attacked just as the sun was beginning to rise and as the Blackfish blew his war horn, and Greywind gave an answering howl, Robb felt a chill go up his back, one step closer to justice. He drew his longsword and the charged, the castle gates fell after three ramming, the battle inside the castle was quick, the Marbrand men were overwhelmed by the sheer number of northmen attacking them. Robb hacked and slashed a bloody path through the garrison still mounted on a black warhorse, Greywind next to him, tearing and biting his way through the enemy.

Soon Robb found himself face to face with old Lord Damon Marbrand. The man still looked imposing even if he was not the warrior he had once been. They exchanged blows, slashing and cutting and parrying at each other. Denting the other's armour and drawing blood. Where Lord Damon was experience, Robb was quick, where Damon was cautious, Robb was daring. Eventually Robb's daring paid off, he feinted to his left, drawing the old lord with him and then quickly thrust his sword deep into Lord Damon's chest, piercing through the old lord's armour and into his skin, when Robb pulled out his sword it was coated in blood and old Damon Marbrand had blood spurting from the wound Robb had given him.

The garrison of Ashemark was either dead or wounded. The castle's grizzled old maester- who reminded Robb of the Greatjon's uncle Whorsebane- was the man who surrendered the castle to Robb. The northmen suffered very few losses, perhaps as many as 100. They spent some time in Ashemark, waiting for the rest of the northern force to come to them, four days after the castle had surrendered to them, Lord Umber came to Ashemark and with him came the 100 men he had taken as well as all the gold and plunder from Castamere. Five days after Lord Umber's arrival, Lords Glover and Karstark arrived with their men, and the plunder they had brought from Nunn's Deep, as well as Alysanne Lefford, heir to the Golden Tooth. Three days after Lords Glover and Karstark's arrival word came from Riverrun, writ in his mother's hand. Renly Baratheon was dead, rumoured to have been killed by his brother Stannis, Storm's End had fallen to Stannis Baratheon, and Tywin Lannister's forces had been seen marching from Harrenhal.

News of Renly Baratheon's death had shocked Robb and the northern lords, that he had been killed with the strength of the reach behind him only further served to increase their shock. News of Tywin Lannister's march from Harrenhal, stirred the hopes of the northern lords, if the man was marching west then their plan was working, and they would be able to trap him from both east and west, he only hoped that his uncle Edmure would understand what needed to be done. He worried that perhaps he had not been explicit enough in his instructions to his uncle, when he had told him to hold Riverrun. His doubts grew and so he sent a raven to Riverrun instructing his uncle to allow the old lion through, and then attack from the rear, his only hope as he prepared to ride to the Crag was that his uncle would get the letter in time.

The reason Robb was marching for the Crag was that he had received a raven from the Iron Islands informing him that they would accept his alliance, if he allowed Theon to be freed from the terms of hostage that he had been placed under during the Greyjoy Rebellion, Robb wrote back agreeing to this and therefore when told that an Ironborn fleet under Theon would be sailing from Pyke for the Crag, Robb mustered his men and marched from Ashemark for the old castle.

As they got nearer to the castle outskirts, Robb's suspicions began to grow, as far as he could see there were no ships docked in close to the castle or the grounds, no signs of a struggle in the castle- though it was already a ruin, so it would be hard to tell- "Tell Smalljon and Black Walder that its time." Robb said, Owen Norrey nodded and hastened to obey.

Soon out the corner of his eye he saw the two men in question, scaling the wall. "Ready the ram," he said his heart beginning to pound with nervousness. "Make sure Alys is well protected." He said to faithful Ned Wull who nodded and moved his horse back to ensure Alys's safety.

He watched ram being brought forward and dismounted from his horse and moved toward the ram. Once he had a solid grip on the ram he nodded and the battering of the castle gates began. He felt the vibrations in his shoulders as the ram struck the gate; he heard the startled shouts of the guards on the walls. He felt the vibrations once more as the ram hit the gates once again, this time the startled shouts of the men on the walls turned into curses and screams, the Smalljon and Black Walder had clearly made it over the wall.

As the ram hit the gate for the third time, Robb felt an arrow pierce his armour, he cursed as he felt blood begin to pour out of the wound created. But he could not think for too long on it, for the gate had been broken down. The force of the blow to the gate had carried the ram and those who held it through and allowed them to knock down several members of the Westerling Garrison.

Dropping the ram, the men and Robb drew forth their swords and began the attack. They were met with little to no resistance, many of the men who formed the castle's garrison had likely been killed by Smalljon, Black Walder and the archers Robb had had stationed round the castle. Still there was some fierce fighting, Robb hacked and slashed his way through, but every time he took a blow to the chest he felt his wound begin to worsen, it pained like the seven hells. He just about managed to stay conscious through the pain to have the Westerlings surrender before he passed out.

When he finally came to, he was in a strange room, in a strange bed and it took him a moment to remember where he was and what had happened. And then it all came back to him and he jerked suddenly as the door to the room opened and he cursed as a jolt of pain shot through him.

"Now, now husband, we can't have you doing that now can we?" Alys chided.

Robb chuckled, though he winced when the action caused even more pain to flare in his chest. "What happened?" he asked.

"Well you took the Crag my love, though you received a injury to your chest from an arrow. I've been nursing you back to health with help from Lady Jeyne here," she nodded to a girl who had just followed her into the room, she had chestnut curls and a pretty face, and she kept blushing every time Robb looked at her.

"You have my thanks." Robb said both to his wife and to Lady Jeyne.

Alys smiled and then nodded for Jeyne to leave. She sat down on the bed beside him and took hold of one of his hands, squeezing it tightly. "I thought something bad would happen to you Robb. You were ill with the wound for three days before now. I knew you'd make it through though. You always do." She gave him a watery smile.

Robb squeezed her hand then. "Well we Starks are hard to kill, you know. Now tell me what else has been happening since I've been knocked out?"

Alys chuckled then, though her eyes were still watery. "Well since the Crag fell, your lords have been arguing over what to do next. Some argue that it would still be prudent to march on Casterly Rock now whilst Ser Devan struggles to raise another host. We had word from Riverrun as well, your uncle Edmure fought a host led by Ser Armory Loch at the Fords. Loch and the Lannister men there were defeated, Loch was killed."

Robb nodded, and then asked. "No sign of Tywin Lannister?"

At that Alys shifted uncomfortably and said. "Your uncle wrote that one of the men they captured told them that the force under Loch was a diversion, a plot to get Edmure out of the castle and make him think Tywin was marching west. The old Lannister received word from the Tyrells about Stannis marching to King's Landing, whilst he was still in Harrenhal, he sent Loch and some men out to the west, and marched his strength south to join with the Tyrells west of King's Landing in the Kingswood. They took Stannis in the rear after wildfire did in for his ships."

Robb felt his heart beginning to sink, his plan had not worked. Alys went on. "We had word from the north as well." Robb looked up then. "The Ironborn have invaded and taken Deepwood Motte and Moat Cailin, that letter you received was a ruse."

Robb had had barely anytime to process what had been said before the Greatjon knocked on the door and entered. "Pardons your graces, but we have just received this letter from Riverrun." He handed the letter to Alys who brought down for them both to read.

As he read what was written in his mother's formal hand he felt his heart break into millions of tiny pieces. Winterfell had been sacked and burned, by Theon, his friend, a man he considered a brother, Theon had killed Bran and Rickon when they had tried to flee, had mounted their heads on spikes on the walls of Winterfell. Robb felt tears begin to fall from his eyes, and soon he was wrapped up in Alys's firm embrace as she mumbled comforting words into his chest, all he could think about was revenge and justice. He would make Theon Greyjoy pay; he would make them all pay.

Theon

He had been so proud when Robb had chosen to send him to the Iron Islands. He had known that Lady Catelyn had protested against sending him, because she no doubt feared that he would betray her son when he returned back to Pyke. But of course he had had no such thoughts, he saw Robb as his brother- more of a brother than Maron and Rodrik had ever been to him- and he had sworn himself to Robb and recognised Robb as his king, he also had promised to convince his father to join forces with Robb and help him attack the Westerlands. He had been convinced that his lord father would have been so happy to see his only surviving son return home to Pyke at last that he would gladly agree to anything that Robb had to offer.

He was wrong. By the time he had left Seagard and sailed for Pyke, his father had already called his banners, and had been preparing for war for some time. Theon had expected to be received on the shores of Pyke with some ceremony and some pomp, after all he was Balon Greyjoy's only surviving son and therefore his heir, he had fought beside the Young Wolf, as people were beginning to call Robb, and had the King's ear, he could bring riches to the Iron Islands, in essence Theon had believed himself to be the prodigal son come home. His father thought not. He was not greeted by his father, but rather by some serving wench- who had turned out to be his sister- she had flirted with him and toyed with him, and then when she had brought him before his father, she had laughed at him, as had his father and his uncles.

His father had accused him of haven forgotten his roots, of having become soft in his time in the green lands. Theon argued that he had not become soft; he argued that his time with the Starks had been good as it had given him a better sense of how the green landers operated, of how they thought and fought. He argued that his time in Winterfell had given his father several advantages that he could use to press home. He argued that because Robb saw him as a brother, Robb would be willing to share even more of the spoils of war with them. His father had snapped then. Theon remembered Balon Greyjoy as being a very proud man with a prickly temper, and the years had done nothing to ease that. He had yelled at Theon, telling him never to claim Robb Stark as his brother, not when it had been the Starks who were responsible for Rodrik and Maron's deaths. Theon had wanted to point out that it was not the Starks who were responsible for his brothers' deaths, but rather Jason Mallister had killed Rodrik and Maron had been killed by the wreckage in Pyke, but he said none of that.

His father had stopped his ranting to ask Theon what this plan was that he and Robb had concocted, and so he told him of how Robb would be marching into the Westerlands to draw Tywin Lannister away from King's Landing in the south, and how at Theon's suggestion would strike at Casterly Rock and Lannisport with Ironborn aid, and how once the Rock was taken, the Ironborn would have the Westerlands as part of their kingdom. Balon Greyjoy had laughed then, had said that he would not follow the beck and call of a pup. No his father said, bold as brass. He meant to take what was his with sword and fire, by the old way. He meant to take the North. Theon had felt some sort of disappointment well up inside of him when he heard that. He knew then that he would never be able to leave and join up with Robb again, not without being seen as a traitor to his family, or a failure to Robb, and both were options that he was not willing to consider.

So he listened as his father gave tasks to his uncle Victarion and his sister Asha, and then he began formulating another plan, one that could still allow him to indirectly help Robb. He asked his father what he was to do to help with the invasion of the north. His father had looked at him with barely concealed disdain, and told him that he would be going with his uncle the Damphair to raid fishing villages along the Stony Shore. That had angered him, deeply. He had fought alongside Robb at the Whispering Wood, at the Battle of the Camps, he had clashed blades with experience warriors, and his father was sending him off to raid fishing villages, something that boys who had just learnt that their cock was not just for pissing did. It angered him deeply, he was his father's true heir and yet his father had just made it clear to him who he truly thought was his heir.

His pride stung, Theon had taken command over the ship the Sea Bitch and had several other smaller vessels with him and sailed for the north with his uncle the Damphair and the man he considered his uncle Dagmer Cleftjaw. Before he left thought his father told him to send a raven to Robb and to tell him that he would meet him at the Crag, and reluctantly he did so, all the while fighting an inner battle with himself over whether or not he should just write to Robb and tell him the truth, tell him his father's plans and forewarn him. But like a coward he did not write to Robb, he burnt the letter that he had started writing and boarded his ship the next day.

The raiding of the villages around the Stony Shore were easy, they snuck up on the unsuspected villagers and killed those they found and took their women as salt wives, and took whatever plunder they could find. Benfred Tallhart and his Wild Hares had come down from Torrhen's Square looking for them, expecting no trouble though they talked and sang loudly, allowing for Theon and his men to sneak upon them in the dark. Theon and his men had butchered the Wild Hares, killing them in hand to hand combat. Benfred was taken hostage and questioned, when he refused to speak and constantly called Theon an oathbreaker, and then insulted the Drowned God, Theon had him put to death. He felt no remorse for the deaths of the Wild Hares or Benfred Tallhart; to him they were one less bothersome obstacle in his path to proving himself to his father.

The killing of the Wild Hares had allowed the true scope of the Ironborn invasion to go unrecognised from Winterfell and had therefore allowed Theon's sister Asha to take Deepwood Motte. When news arrived that Moat Cailin had fallen, he had begun plotting with Dagmer Cleftjaw to take Winterfell. He knew that if he took Winterfell, his father would have to recognise him as his heir, and perhaps might even feel proud of him. The Damphair had been against the plan, stating that was not what his father had wanted him to do, Theon had paid him no mind and had not been sorry to see his uncle go, his uncle had changed since Theon had last known him and not in a good way.

Theon knew that if he wanted to take Winterfell without too many losses he would need to have a distraction to draw out the garrison. So he instructed the Cleftjaw to lay siege to Torrhen's Square, and as the man did so and Theon received word that Ser Rodrik Cassel was marching to relieve the siege, he took twenty of his best men and took a left turn into the Wolfswood and from there had his men swim under the moat and scale the walls.

Winterfell was lightly garrisoned with Ser Rodrik away trying to lift the siege of Torrhen's Square and so Theon and his men had taken the castle with minimal casualties, with twenty men in fact. He had declared himself Prince of Winterfell, and had brought Bran, Rickon, two Walders, and the Reed children brought toward him as hostages. Bran had surrendered the castle, albeit reluctantly and the wildling woman Osha had found herself in his service, though Theon did doubt that she was truly loyal to his cause, but it made no matter. So long as he held Bran and Rickon, the castlefolk, would not dare rise up against him. But then Bran and Rickon had escaped and despite leading a search party, Theon had been unable to find them.

To hide the embarrassment he had Reek kill two miller's boys and had their heads tarred and mounted on spikes on Winterfell's walls, and told the castlefolk that their Starks were dead. That earnt him their hatred, and there were more and more Ironborn deaths as the days went on, his sister came down from Deepwood Motte and begged him to come back with her, telling him that Winterfell was too far from the sea, and that he would never be able to hold it. Like a fool he had refused, his pride had gotten in the way of rational judgement and he had refused, he had asked Asha to leave him some men, expecting that she would leave him more than a hundred, she left him ten and fled back to Deepwood Motte once word reached them that Ser Rodrik was marching with force to Winterfell.

Those ten soon fled as well, back to the Stony Shore with their tails between their legs. Theon was left alone in Winterfell with an ever decreasing number of men, and a looming threat of northmen. Maester Luwin urged him to surrender and take the black, a man's sins were forgiven and forgotten when he took the black, but once more in his arrogance and blinded by pride he refused to give up, he had paid the iron price for Winterfell, and if the northmen wanted it back they would have to pay the iron price to get it. Like a fool he listened to Reek and allowed the man to leave through the gates to get men he said would help him, he sat and waited, and waited, and watched as more of his men began to trickle away, till finally Ser Rodrik came knocking on the door with some 900 men and with Theon only having some seven men to hold Winterfell.

Attempts at a parley failed, Theon threatened the life of Ser Rodrik's daughter Beth, if he did not surrender. Ser Rodrik was paralysed with fear then, but then Bolton men came and Theon felt his heart sink, he thought he was done for. Then he watched amazed as the leader of the Bolton men cut off Ser Rodrik's arm and then proceeded to lead his men as they cut down the men led by Ser Rodrik. He watched transfixed as Ser Rodrik had a sword thrust through his chest by the man leading the Boltons who Theon belatedly realised was the Bastard of Bolton himself. He was rooted to the spot as he saw Cley Cerwyn, a boy he had seen grow up; die from an arrow to the eye. The fighting broke out into the streets of the winter town, and by the end of the fighting there, Theon opened the gates to his saviour.

He had heard many rumours about the bastard of Bolton, some said he was the devil in human form, some said he was a White Walker, but all agreed that he was bad news. In that moment Theon hadn't cared, Ramsay Snow had saved him from an inglorious end. He greeted the man like a long lost friend, only to be paid back with more treachery as the Bolton men soon began killing the Ironborn still left with Theon as well as some of the men still left in Winterfell. Theon watched horrified as the Bolton men burnt the Maester's Tower and the Bell Tower, broke down a side of the First Keep and killed Maester Luwin.

Theon tried to flee, but Ramsay caught up with him and knocked him out. He woke up a few days later unsure of where he was or how he had gotten there, to find Ramsay Snow standing in front of him, a knife in his hands, his eyes glistening with barely concealed malice and madness.

"Ah so the Prince is awake eh? Tell me my prince, do you know where you are?"

Theon turned his head and found that he was tied to a rack, a torture rack. He remained silent. Bolton's bastard laughed. "Oh come now my prince, don't play silent with me. I remember your boasts in Winterfell. Well let us see if you're boasts contained a word of truth shall we?" He had put the knife to Theon's skin and began dragging it down in slow movements, the cold of the knife forced Theon to gasp with shock, and then when the knife drew blood, he cried out.

Ramsay Snow laughed maliciously. "Ah but that's not the worst of it is it now? No killing those innocent little boys, such a poor idea my prince."

"That was your idea." Theon gasped as he felt the knife edge further downwards.

Ramsay was not laughing now, in fact he seemed angry. "Lying won't save you now. I lost my pet when I was captured. But I think you'll make a fine replacement don't you?"

"Piss on you" Theon replied.

Snow's eyes darkened then. "Enough. You shall become my pet, Reek." And with that he dragged the knife down in one fluid motion, and Theon Greyjoy screamed into the darkness

Jon

It still made him feel like a traitor whenever he thought about that night when he learnt that his uncle had been arrested. He had been so tempted to flee, he had yet to say his vows, it would not be shameful, he would not be an oathbreaker, and yet he had stayed his hand. It might not be shameful but he had promised his uncle Ned he would man the Wall as penance for what he had done to Prince Joffrey, and so he had stayed. He had sworn his vows in front of the weirwood tree and had prayed for guidance from the Old Gods. Instead of guidance they tested him once more, when news of his father's execution reached him. He had fled from Castle Black late that night, leaving Winter's Fury behind, and he had ridden hard and had hidden in the woods, he wouldn't have been found had it not been for Ghost, startling his horse.

Grenn, Pyp and Halder had found him then, and had shamed him into returning back to Castle Black before the morning light had come. He had gone to the Lord Commander's rooms the next day, feeling ashamed and angry. Ashamed that he had almost fled when he had sworn a vow, and angry because his friends could have been caught trying to stop him from fleeing. He had been deeply surprised when the Old Bear asked him how his evening ride had been, and even more surprised when he was told that people had been watching him throughout the day. The Lord Commander had asked him then to truthfully say whether or not he would try and flee south again. Jon already ashamed by what he had attempted promised that he wouldn't. His answer seemed to please the Old Bear as the old man gave him back Winter's Fury and told him to be ready to move out at first light the next day, for that was when they had left for the great ranging. But before then, Jon had found himself summoned to Maester Aemon's room, where the old maester talked to him about several issues relating to the Night's Watch and family, culminating in the old maester revealing that he was a Targaryen, one of only three left alive in the world.

Jon had told the Lord Commander that news the same day as he was helping the Old Bear prepare for the voyage north. Mormont had sighed then and had gone on to tell Jon the story of Maester Aemon. Of how he had being the third son of a fourth son been sent to the Citadel and earnt his chain, of how he had declined to become king when the Great Council was called and how to avoid being used in plots against his brother Aegon the Unlikely, he had ridden north with a former lord commander Brynden Rivers and taken the black, in the same year his brother was crowned king. Mormont told Jon of how Aemon was respected and revered amongst the older members of the watch, as whenever tragedy had struck his family, be it at Summerhall or during Robert's Rebellion, he had never once faltered in his vows to the Watch, he had always remained loyal to the Watch and to what it stood for, something that had earnt him even the grudging respect of Ser Allister Thorne. Jon had been ashamed then, and had sworn to himself that he would try and follow Maester Aemon's example and remain faithful to the Watch no matter what happened south of Castle Black.

The next day they had ridden out from Castle Black in great force, the biggest ranging in living memory, with two sole purposes: to discover what had become of Jon's uncle Benjen and the rangers he himself had been looking for, and to discover what was happening north of the wall with regards to Mance Rayder, the wildlings and the wights. They had marched in force and arrived soaking wet and tired to their bones at Craster's Keep. Jon had heard many things about Craster the wildling, and not many of them were good. Whilst all said that he was a friend to the Watch in that he allowed them to share his meat and roof, he was a sister fucker, a daughter fucker and worshipped the White Walkers. Jon knew not what to believe and therefore decided to give the man a chance.

It soon became apparent that Craster was a man who was impatient and quick to anger, and never truly forgot a slight be it real or imagined. He also had many wives and daughters, Jon was confused as to which was which, but he knew that they were not meant to have any contact- or atleast no more than strictly necessary- with either Craster's daughters or his wives. That seemed to be going just fine for Jon, until Sam tried to convince him to bring back one of Craster's daughters who was also his wife, she was named Gilly and was pregnant, Sam- bless him- wanted to save her from the same fate as her fellow wives and sisters and wanted to bring her back to Castle Black, why though Jon knew not nor did he know how Sam would do that, and he told him as such and told Gilly that they could not take her with them, though he felt something inside him revolt at the thought of leaving such an innocent girl with such a horrid man as Craster. And then that night, as everyone else was settling down to rest, Jon was struggling to sleep, and he saw Craster walking out with a bundle in his arms and out into the Haunted Forest. Curious Jon followed him, keeping a few paces behind the man so he could have a chance to hide if the man turned around. What he saw disturbed and scared him beyond comprehension, Craster was carrying a baby in his arms and when he laid the bundle down in between two trees, he waited for a moment and then said something in the Old Tongue before walking away, Jon had hidden behind a tree when the man had passed by, and then when he was sure that Craster had gone he looked back to see a hooded figure bend down and take the child, Jon did not see what the figure looked like he only knew that he had felt so very, very cold when it was there.

He had returned to the keep shaken and disturbed, and the next day had had a whispered conversation with the Old Bear about what he had seen. He had been deeply surprised when the Old Bear admitted to knowing about what Craster did, and when he had said that many of the rangers who stopped at Craster's Keep knew of what the man did, Jon had felt revolted. He had asked the Old Bear how they could let such a man carry on living for doing something so despicable, and the Old Bear had turned to look at Jon then, his eyes looked so sad and so worn, that Jon regretted speaking of what he had seen in the first place. The Old Bear had said that whilst what Craster did deeply disturbed and disgusted him, it was neither his place nor the place of any in the Night's Watch to question him, for the man no matter what he might be, did provide shelter for them and provide them with information, though he did concede that it was a bitter pill to have to swallow.

One such useful piece of information had them heading to the Fist of the First Men, where Old Commander Mormont had decreed that they would set up shop and try and hold back any advances from further north be they from Wildlings or White Walkers. Of course they still needed information, and so the Old Bear had begun devising which groups of Black Brothers to send out on rangings to find out what they could, that was then Qhorin Halfhand had arrived. The Halfhand was a legend in the Watch, a skilled ranger and fighter, Jon had heard about the man from tales his uncle Benjen had often spoke of when he had come to visit in Winterfell. When the Old Bear decreed that the Halfhand would lead a ranging, Jon had immediately volunteered himself to go with the Halfhand. He still secretly harboured ambitions about being a ranger and so wished to learn all he could, and besides he had told himself the Old Bear wouldn't have need of him at the Fist; no he would just get in the way. Perhaps he could help the Halfhand find out more with the help of Ghost.

The Old Bear had agreed to let him go with the Halfhand, and so they had left that same day to go further north of the wall to find out what they could about the Wildlings and the White Walkers. They walked many a mile through the barren lands, and found many a wildling village empty, thus confirming the rumours they had heard first in Craster's Keep, it did seem that the Wildlings were gathering in the Frostfangs. It was in one of those deserted villages that Jon stumbled upon three wildlings sleeping by a fire, two males and a female with auburn hair. He killed the two men, but could not bring himself to kill the female, and instead allowed her to go. Though later he took her as a prisoner when he and the Halfhand stumbled upon her once more, though she had led them into a trap, for they found themselves surrounded by wildlings that it appeared were led by a fierce one known as Rattleshirt, though the man himself was not present.

The Halfhand had told Jon before they had gone to follow the wildling woman- who Jon now knew was called Ygritte- that he must do anything that was asked of him by the Wildlings, the Halfhand told Jon that he needed to get their trust, he needed to find out what they were planning and when he next had the chance he had to return to the Fist to alert the Old Bear. So when the wildlings told him to fight the Halfhand to prove that he wanted to join them, he did. He fought the Halfhand and because of Ghost managed to kill him, he felt something inside of him break then, he was breaking his vows. Though when he was brought before the wildling king Mance Rayder, he continued to follow the act that the Halfhand had told him to follow.

He swore that he had abandoned the Watch and was only looking for somewhere to call home. Mance accepted and welcomed him in, and then as they continued their march further south, Jon learnt more about what the Wildlings were planning and why they had amassed themselves in such large numbers. They were fleeing south from the White Walkers and the wights that had stalked them from the Lands of Always Winter. Jon tried to keep any inhibitions he had about what he was doing to a minimum, he kept repeating the words that the Halfhand had told him, do what they tell you to, build their trust, learn their secrets, and do it for the Watch. However, it got increasingly harder to keep to those words with Ygritte always following him about and trying to sneak into his furs at night. He had broken his vows in one way; he had been determined not to break them in another.

That hadn't worked. Ygritte's persistence had eventually worn him down, and one day when they stopped and wandered around a cave where Gendel's Children were supposedly buried they made love, and every night since then they had slept together, and though Jon kept trying to tell himself what he was doing was wrong, he couldn't help it. He was scared that he was beginning to fall in love with Ygritte, the more he got to know her, the fonder he grew of her.

Then they had come to the Fist, and Jon had been expecting to see the might of the Watch there ready and waiting, and instead what he found was corpses, the corpses of the men he had ridden with as the ranging began. He had been forced to cough up what he knew of the ranging then. He had told Mance what he knew, though he minced the information together so that neither Mance nor any of the either wildlings had any true idea of the strength of the Watch. Mance had sent Jon to scale the Wall with Ygritte and several other wildlings, and so scale it they did. They came up several miles east of Castle Black, perhaps even several miles east of Eastwatch and they kept going south, further and further south, until they got to Queenscrown

By then Jon had become more and wearier of what he was doing. Ygritte was in love with him and therefore didn't pick up on his suspicions, but the Magnar Styr did. The man watched Jon with eagle eyes, both literally and figuratively. Jon could feel the tension beginning to build within him the closer they got to Castle Black. The final straw had been when they had stopped at a nearby village where an old man was staying. The Magnar demanded that Jon kill the old man to prove his loyalty to the wildling cause, and Jon hesitated but then Ygritte came and killed the man. Jon tried to leave but the Magnar refused to let him go, they broke out into a sword fight, which ended with Bran's direwolf- Jon was certain of it- came leaping out of nowhere to kill two of the wildlings that were trying to attack Jon.

Jon took advantage of that and got onto the horse that the old man had left behind, he could hear Ygritte screaming his name, but he kicked his feet into the horse's sides and spurred it on, but before he got very far he felt an arrow pierce his leg. He rode hard ignoring the growing pain in his leg because of the arrow stuck there, until he got to Castle Black's gates and passed out in front of them. When he woke he was in Maester Aemon's room being tended to, his leg throbbed with pain. He tried to speak but he was given milk of the poppy and told to rest.

When he did finally manage to wake long enough to speak coherently he told Maester Aemon and Donal Noye of the looming wildling threat, and told them of how the Halfhand had instructed him to do whatever it took to learn more information, and that the Lord Commander would need to be notified, as would Winterfell.

Maester Aemon looked at him with sadness in his eyes. "Jon," he said not unkindly. "Lord Commander Mormont was killed by traitors on the march back from the First Men."

Jon swallowed. Aemon went on. "Theon Greyjoy took Winterfell by deceit and treachery, and put your cousins to the sword, and mounted their heads above the walls of Winterfell. It has fallen." Jon stared at Maester Aemon not wanting to believe the words he spoke, but knowing deep down that they were true, he felt his heart break into a million tiny pieces, and felt it clench painfully when Maester Aemon went on and said. "There was also a letter from Starfall for you. It's about your sister."