Chương 22: The Bastard

Jon Snow's POV I trudged through the snow-dusted Wolfswood, the trees looming tall and bare around me, branches stark against the grey sky. The only sound to interrupt the serene silence was the occasional rustle of a bird, or the snap of a twig underfoot. A bow was slung over my shoulder, though hunting wasn't my purpose today. I needed solitude — a chance to think, to process the changes that had swept through my life this past year and a half. The catalyst for all of it had been Robb.

It had been around eighteen months since the day I feared I might lose my brother and best friend forever. The memory still haunted me — Robb crumpled on the ground, blood glistening faintly on his forehead, his spirit seeming to fade as Maester Luwin muttered grimly while we carried him inside. I couldn't bear to stay by his bedside, not with Catelyn Stark hovering so close.

Instead, I took to whispering prayers to the Old Gods, unsure if they'd listen or ignore me the way they had when I'd once prayed for my mother. But I'd seen my father doing the same in the godswood, and prayed anyway, fervently hoping they'd hear my pleas this time — not just for me, but for Robb. It seemed to have worked. Robb healed entirely. But since then, he'd transformed into someone I could hardly recognize had done things that if I was not with him myself believe.

Robb had grown taller, his frame filling out with muscle until he resembled a warrior of legend rather than the brother I used to spar with in the yard. His auburn hair fell to his shoulders, shaved close on the sides, and his eyes carried a familiar, knowing glint I'd only ever seen before in the older men around Winterfell — Maester Luwin, Jory, my own father. It wasn't just his appearance that had changed. Robb's mind had sharpened, his decisions quickened, his presence grown more commanding.

He'd always acted the leader, even with Theon, but now he'd truly become one — a figure the whole household looked to with confidence, certain he'd help them. It lit a fervor in the servants and guards I'd never seen before, one that surpassed even their admiration for our father, born simply of the dedication Robb poured into everything he did, and the same he expected of everyone around him. I paused by a frozen stream, crouching to scoop a handful of snow and rub it between my palms.

I remembered the day Robb fought the leader of the Thenns and spoke with the giants — a day I'd always cherish, like a dream pulled straight from the Age of Heroes, the kind of story Old Nan used to tell. I remembered our journey home, when Robb led them into the clearing near Winterfell to swear their vows before Father. I'd been there, watching the awe on the faces of the guards and men who'd traveled with Father, as the massive figures of fur and muscle knelt before him, Robb at his side.

The Thenns, with their bronze weapons and fierce pride, had sworn fealty, their voices echoing through the air. Robb had done most of the work alongside our father, uniting peoples who'd been foes for centuries, bringing giants back to settle in the North, all with a calm assurance that made it seem inevitable. It was inspiring that my brother possessed such will — and even with his schedule as full as it was, he still made time to help me with my meditations.

"Jon!" a voice broke into my thoughts, and I straightened to see Robb approaching through the trees, Hedwig gliding silently overhead. His cloak was dusted with snow, though neither his cheeks nor the rest of him seemed bothered by it. There was a belief around the household that Robb's very presence could warm the air near him.

"I thought I'd find you here," he said, flashing a grin as he tossed a piece of meat up for Hedwig to catch.

"Hiding from Dacey again? Or would you rather Arya wasn't around when it's just the two of you?" I chuckled, brushing snow off my gloves. Robb had been trying to draw me closer to Dacey for some time now, and it was true — ever since Arya had met her, she'd followed Dacey everywhere. I enjoyed Arya's company well enough, but I'd also grown closer to Dacey myself without quite being ready to face those feelings yet, especially after she'd joked about the fact bears do not mate for life.

"I just needed some quiet. You're the one pressed for time these days, what with teaching, studying, and overseeing every project under the sun." Robb laughed, the sound echoing through the woods.

"Fair enough. Would you like some company, though?"

"Always," I said, and I meant it. We fell into step together, walking deeper into the forest. I glanced at Robb, noting the ease of his movements, the confidence in his stride. Hedwig landed on a nearby branch, watching us, and I felt a pang of wonder — Robb's warging was no secret to me, but seeing it in action, witnessing the bond firsthand, was always astonishing.

Once Manny was fully grown, I'd pity any lord who found himself on Robb's bad side, though I couldn't imagine anyone in the North willingly crossing him at all.

"I've also been meaning to ask how you're progressing with your own warging," Robb said, curiosity plain in his voice.

"Have you managed to connect with any of Luwin's ravens?" At first I'd doubted I could possess such a gift at all, but Robb refused to let me give up, always certain I could manage it. I thought back to the day we'd spent hours together in the godswood, Robb guiding me through his meditations, teaching me to quiet my mind. It had been frustrating at first, my thoughts racing, doubts clawing at me. But Robb never wavered, offering tips on shutting off the noise, as he liked to call it.

"Try consciously relaxing your muscles," he'd told me then, pausing beside the stream.

"Start at your face and work down to your feet. While you're at it, focus on taking deep breaths. You're close to finding your calm — I know it." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. I sighed, turning his words over. It had been a long day, and at first I hadn't understood his advice at all. But with his guidance, and his tips for finding that thread of connection, I'd eventually discovered what he meant over the months that followed.

"So, did you?" Robb asked now, pulling me from the memory.

"I think so," I said.

"Just for a moment — I managed to bond with one of Luwin's older ravens in the tower, though it didn't feel as deep as the bond you've described having with Hedwig." Robb's grin went wide and bright.

"I knew you were close, Jon. I told you — all Starks have the gift. Don't worry. Once we find you a proper companion, keeping and deepening that connection will come naturally." I shook my head, gratitude swelling in my chest.

"Only because of your help, Robb. Your teaching's been invaluable, especially at the start." Robb shrugged, warmth in his eyes.

"I'm just doing what I should. What kind of heir and brother wouldn't help his own blood? Besides — I know you'd have done the same for me." I felt a lump rise in my throat. Robb had always been my brother, my rival, my friend. Now he was also a mentor, a guide, a leader I'd follow anywhere. I saw how he'd changed — taller, stronger, wiser almost by the day — and I respected him all the more for it.

Everyone at Winterfell saw it, and with Robb and Father having brought the giants back, the rest of the North would soon hear of what Robb was truly capable of. He was becoming someone great, and I was proud to stand beside him. He'd never liked my old idea of taking the black, of trying to cleanse whatever reputation he thought Father had lost by my birth. Robb had put that notion to rest over a year ago now; even Benjen understood. I was content now to serve my family, and my brother, however they needed me.

Even with Catelyn Stark's coolness toward me, I knew neither Robb nor Theon would let me go to the Wall now — both had already offered me a place in their households, whatever came later I would have a place of my own. Robb spoke again.

"I know I helped, maybe just a little," he said, with a slight nudge.

"But you put the effort in yourself. I can't teach talent — you know that. I've a feeling I'll need your abilities here, before long. Change is coming to Westeros, Jon. I can feel it. I can't quite explain what it feels like, but I know you'll understand in time. I trust you to have my back when I need you. You're part of my pack, Jon, and I know I say that often, but it's because I mean it. No matter what Mother says, you're a Stark by blood, and that's something to take pride in."

He finished it with another nudge to my shoulder. We spent a few more hours wandering the familiar woods before heading back in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company. Making our way back along the freshly worked roads into Winter Town, I found myself reflecting on yet another of Robb's projects that had left its mark. He'd been helping Vayon Poole draw up and carry out plans to improve life in Winter Town, all of it simple, and cheap besides.

It had begun a full year ago now, with the construction of noticeably better roads — Robb adding sawdust and packed stone to the work, along with trenches along the roadsides to act as drains, which Luwin said would prove both easier to maintain and more durable against the weather. Alongside that, a new home, a style that had emerged from Robb and Luwin's brainstorming for the residents' homes and huts — designs built for warmth and insulation, so families could stay comfortable even through the harshest months.

Changes had been made too to the buildings owned by the town and by Winterfell itself, overseen by either Robb or Vayon, freeing up space for wider roads and more homes, even more beds within the castle for the guards, growing their numbers besides.

These improvements didn't just serve practical needs — they'd noticeably improved the town's look too, giving it an organized feel Luwin called the results of city mapping, or urban planning, something he said was usually reserved for bigger towns and cities, though there was no reason it couldn't work here as well. Robb had led the first round of guards and men-at-arms who took part in building the new dugouts or pit houses he called them, and roads themselves.

The hands-on work had strengthened their skills and forged a tighter sense of community between soldiers and townsfolk both, not to mention the small garden to the Old Gods he'd placed at the center of the project — a single great stone carved with old runes, along with a few stone benches around a small garden center with winter roses around a Weirwood sapling.

He'd also begun an earthen fortification around Winter Town, calling it a kind of endurance and strength training, meaning to turn the town into a settlement that could withstand real threats. Jory and Smalljon had taken it upon themselves to oversee this "training," promising not to let Robb down. After a little over a year, nearly every resident of Winter Town and Winterfell had a proper home.

I often heard them talking about the advantages — how warm the houses were, how well insulated against the biting cold, half-sunk into the ground as they were. With wider streets and sturdier walls, the town had become more than just a place to live; it had become a real community.

Visitors from other settlements, from White Harbor and Barrowton, and well-traveled guards besides, often remarked that Winter Town was one of the most charming, well-built towns they'd ever seen and with a redirected small stream from one of the hot springs in the castle it was one of the better smelling towns so jory said as Robb had started to ask people to do their human nature down stream or out of the town in what he called out houses.

Vayon Poole was especially pleased with how the project had turned out, and how little it had cost, singing Robb's praises whenever the subject came up — his gift for public works, his dutiful nature. I found it hard to disagree with myself. I'd likely never fully grasp every detail of town planning, but I could see plainly enough the benefit of better roads and buildings — easier movement for merchants, a stronger presence for our guards.

The logic of it all became clearer still after one of Luwin's lessons, where he explained how well-organized spaces led to greater efficiency, and more growth. Despite whatever uncertainties Robb spoke of regarding the future, one thing was clear to me: he would lead, and help Father with whatever came, and if he ever faltered or needed help, I'd be right there beside him.