Chapter 57 - Dreams That Give Him Skills? 

[Chapter Size: 2700 Words.] 

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Third Person POV 

Harrenhal, 101 AC. 

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Jon's fun didn't last very long during the early hours of the morning. 

Obviously, the guards noticed the two creatures running through the camp with a child riding on top of one of them, laughing loudly in the middle of the night. 

Everyone immediately became nervous at the sight. Not knowing what to do, they went straight to Lord Stark and woke him up. 

Which irritated him to some extent, having to leave his wife's embrace in the tent to speak with the men calling for him. 

"My lord... Jon..." the guard said cautiously. 

"Don't tell me he ran off again and got drunk." That was the first thing that came to his mind, but things were even worse. 

"He let the tiger out of its cage. It seems you didn't hide the keys very well." A voice echoed beside Lord Stark, and he saw his mother approaching, wearing a coat over the clothes she had been sleeping in, while her son widened his eyes. 

"He didn't do that..." He was left speechless. 

"Well, we'll see when we get there. The guards woke me up as well, claiming that boy was running around behind the camp riding the tiger, with Ghost by his side..." she said, seeming not particularly impressed by those facts. 

When they arrived, they heard loud laughter in the middle of the night as they watched the two white creatures, which stood out against the darkness more than any other color, racing across the campgrounds. 

The guards merely exchanged glances while Lord Stark approached beside his mother. 

At that moment, Lord Stark froze. 

"How can he do that, my lord?" someone asked. 

Lord Stark looked at one of the guards from Winterfell. He didn't know his name, but he recognized him. He was certain he was related to Beric. He was a man who had served both his father and him, and over the past few years had managed to get his nephew into the service of House Stark as well. Lord Stark was sure it was that man because he looked remarkably like Beric. 

Unfortunately, Lord Stark had no way of knowing the names of everyone who served or lived in Winterfell, as there were hundreds of them. Even so, he could recognize them by their rank and, above all, by their loyalty. To him, that was enough. 

But the guard's question was perfectly valid. Everyone's attention was focused on a child who was simply playing while riding a wild creature he had just bought. 

"What do you think, Benim?" Lord Stark's mother asked, echoing the man's question. 

Lord Stark couldn't help but think that only his mother knew every guard in Winterfell by name, something he himself couldn't do. It was a little embarrassing, but he turned his attention back to the two animals. 

"My lady, the boy is blessed by the Old Gods. The gods of nature, animals, and the wilderness... just as the ancient tales say." 

"Are you saying he's a skinchanger?" Lyarra asked once again. 

"I believe so, my lady," the guard said after a brief hesitation. 

Lord Stark couldn't help but think about the conversations he had already had with his mother about it. Jon being a skinchanger had been a topic between them for years, and the answer seemed obvious: yes. 

Jon had been with his direwolf for about eight years, and considering everything they had been through together and the loyalty the wolf showed him, it was already possible to understand that the boy possessed those abilities spoken of only in the legends of the North. 

They said that the Starks had killed all the male members of the Warg King's family and taken his daughters as wives so that their descendants would inherit those abilities. 

Perhaps the Stark blood truly possessed that magical power, because the other half of Jon's blood came from the Targaryens, and they certainly were not skinchangers. 1

Perhaps that power had always lain dormant in his blood, but a boy from a cadet branch of the family had managed to awaken it. Perhaps the gods had always been by the boy's side. Lord Stark no longer had any doubts about that, not when the greatest proof was a heart tree, considering none had grown in the last eight thousand years, and one had sprouted behind the boy's farmhouse. And then there were his strange dreams. 

At the same time, he wondered whether a skinchanger could simply look at a tiger and form a bond with it like that. Not even the ancient legends, when they spoke of the Stark skinchangers, mentioned anything like it. They said they had only one wolf and that it took moons or even years to develop that bond, and always with only one animal, never more than that... 

Yet Jon seemed to have several. 

Everyone could see how animals gathered around him. He had possessed that innate gift since he was little. He had always gotten along well with wild animals, whether wolves, rabbits, squirrels, or any other creature he might find in the forest. They seemed to come to him whenever he called. 

His mother also seemed to possess that same ability, making it clear that it came from his maternal bloodline. But at the same time, Jon had been born with an even greater talent. 

He collected animals the way a merchant collected coins or a bard collected songs. 

So they stood there watching as the two white creatures ran back and forth, playing with the boy, who laughed as though nothing else in the world mattered but that moment. 

"You're right, Benim," Lady Stark said. "The boy is special. He always has been. I wonder what kind of future he will bring to all Seven Kingdoms." She spoke with a maternal smile that Lord Stark had only ever seen her give to Jon and her other grandchildren. She had always considered him part of the family. 

Lord Stark couldn't deny the affection he felt for the child either. 

"But, my lady. The boy is only..." the guard tried to say, but couldn't finish before being interrupted. 

The woman merely laughed. It certainly caught even Jon's attention, and he stopped to look at them from a distance. It was immediately possible to see the frightened look on the boy's face. 

It seemed the fun was over. 

Even so, Lord Stark paid no attention to Jon. He simply turned his attention back to his mother, who was still laughing, before looking once more at the guard, who certainly still did not understand the true extent of what Jon had already set in motion, despite his humble origins. 

The guard probably knew nothing beyond the rumors that Stark blood ran through Jon's veins. But surely, by the end of the Great Council, all the guards, servants, and common folk would hear the truth as well, given how the nobles spoke among themselves and the questions they asked. After all, why was a child with no name, lands, or wealth attracting so much of the king's attention, to the point of spending hours talking with him alone? 

"The boy has important blood, Benim. And it is blood far more important than what runs through the veins of most lords and ladies..." she said simply. 

Lord Stark had to agree. A boy descended from the Stark line, as well as carrying Targaryen blood. A boy favored by the gods, displaying abilities completely abnormal for his age. 

Even Lord Stark sometimes found himself amazed by most of the things Jon had mastered, but he also felt somewhat foolish when he realized the political awareness that ten-name-day-old boy possessed. On many occasions, he had to rethink his own conclusions after discussing a matter with Jon. 

It was embarrassing, but it no longer surprised him as it had in the beginning. He had simply accepted it. 

And what was even more frightening was that those were not even the boy's greatest talents. As astonishing as it was for everyone to see him win an archery tournament, Lord Stark considered that to be only one among Jon's many qualities. 

"He does, my lady?" the man murmured as Lyarra Stark nodded. 

"Of course he does. Have you ever seen a child win a tournament against grown men at ten name days old?" she said as she watched Jon approach them, looking concerned. 

"Well... everyone in Winterfell has always thought the boy was special. I never imagined that you also had so much faith in him," the guard said. 

Even so, he still seemed somewhat skeptical that the boy could truly accomplish so much. Perhaps that was why he would always remain just a guard. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but he simply could not comprehend everything happening around him. Lord Stark seemed to overestimate Benim's intelligence even more when he realized the man did not even reason through those possibilities. 

Jon approached the group riding atop his tiger, looking at the guards with some caution. They all kept their hands on the hilts of their swords, visibly nervous, while Jon stopped about three meters away so as not to frighten them even further. 

"Hi..." Jon said awkwardly. 

He certainly knew he had been caught after taking the key Lord Stark had left in the tent. Without a doubt, he was about to receive a thorough scolding and would probably be grounded because of it. 

Even so, it was impossible not to admire the tiger's behavior. The animal remained calm, waiting for any command from Jon while, at the same time, staying alert to any possible danger. 

"I thought that was a wild animal, Jon. Why were you so reckless?" Lyarra said in a serious tone. 

Jon immediately turned his attention to her, his eyes widening slightly before he seemed to think of an answer. 

"He was gentler than he looked. I could feel it. Would you believe me if I told you what I felt?" Jon asked at once, forcing a small smile. 

That would certainly soften whatever punishment Lord Stark had intended to give the boy. Not that the lord himself felt much desire to punish him after witnessing that scene. 

"Jon, that was dangerous," Lord Stark finally said. 

"Sapphire isn't a tiger that would attack everyone. I swear he knows how to behave, even outside the cage," Jon replied immediately, stroking the striped fur of the white tiger. It truly was a one-of-a-kind beauty. 

"Jon, we'll talk about this later. But I want you to put the tiger back in the cage. You know no man will be at ease or able to sleep knowing there's a tiger roaming freely through the camp. Not even the lords. It's for his safety as well..." Lord Stark said in the end. 

Jon looked at him for a few moments before nodding. "All right." He knew he was in trouble, but he accepted it. 

Lord Stark merely sighed as he watched the boy obey. Everyone watched Jon calmly lead Sapphire back to the cage. Before closing the door, he stopped to exchange a few words with the tiger, making Lord Stark wonder whether he was actually talking to the animal. 

Perhaps it was a foolish question, because the answer seemed quite obvious. The boy had some ability to communicate with animals, a power far greater than what an ordinary skinchanger should possess. After all, it was clear how every animal looked at Jon expectantly. 

Surely, the rumors of that night would spread and reach the ears of many camps. Once again, Jon would become the center of attention for many men. 

A boy capable of taming a beast that could easily devour a man would certainly spark the curiosity and interest of many southern snakes. Although, he was certain it would inspire more fear than anything else. 

Lord Stark merely sighed. Jon returned with them to his tent before saying goodbye. 

Lord Stark and his mother finally left the area. Along the way, she briefly commented on the conversation she had had with Rhaenys Targaryen, since they had not yet had the chance to discuss it. 

Lord Stark was no fool. Neither was his mother. Rhaenys was trying to win over the North through Lyarra, since she would be a constant whisper in her own son's ear. 

They would certainly have much to discuss the following morning. For now, however, everyone returned to sleep. Soon, the camp fell silent once again. 

The following morning, there was an invitation from the king, as always, summoning Jon to a private meeting. 

It was no longer enough that he had openly favored him the day before. The king liked Jon. Lord Stark had heard from Jon that King Jaehaerys enjoyed listening to him sing, hearing him tell his stories, and listening to the details of how he had become such a young champion. The man did little besides appreciate him and ask questions about his life and all manner of things. 

No one still understood why the king was so obsessed with the boy. Not even members of the royal family received that much attention. 

Lord Stark certainly did not like it, but there was nothing he could do. Jon continued his meeting with the king while he took care of the men of the North in the camp. 

His mother met with Rhaenys once again that day. The vote, however, would remain the same, going to Viserys. Lord Stark knew his mother would stand against even a dragon if necessary. 

He had never shown any fondness for dragons. In truth, he had always openly hated them. He merely maintained the courtesy demanded by his position. Even so, his vote would go to Viserys, just like that of the entire North. It did not matter what Rhaenys offered. 

The proposal the princess made to Lord Stark's mother was simply to expand trade with the North. The Velaryons controlled a large number of merchant ships and could deliver food at a lower price than the Reach usually charged whenever the North needed to buy supplies to survive the winter. 

But that was not enough. 

In any case, Jon arrived some time later, looking quite excited when he found Lord Stark. 

The lord approached him immediately. "So, Jon? How did it go?" he asked. 

Jon greeted him properly, as always. "Lord Stark, the king asked me to sing again. He also asked me to talk about the tournament, giving more details about how I had learned to shoot. And... without meaning to... I ended up telling him about my dream," Jon said with an apologetic expression a moment later. 

That meant only one thing. Jon had revealed one of his dreams. 

Even so, Lord Stark was curious. "What do you mean? What did you dream about, Jon?" he asked. 

Jon answered somewhat awkwardly. "I dreamed that I was hitting targets at impossible distances with a special bow. After hitting targets so far away that an ordinary man wouldn't even be able to see them, I don't know what happened... but after that, an understanding came to me. Then I used that in the tournament, and somehow, I won." 

Lord Stark grew concerned upon hearing that. "Are you saying you learned to become an archer because of a dream?" 

Jon merely nodded, looking a little embarrassed. Lord Stark had already been greatly surprised by Jon winning the tournament, displaying far more skill than any child would normally possess. He had imagined the boy was hiding something and had not yet had the opportunity to speak with him about it. 

But hearing that it had all come from a dream was simply unbelievable. 

"All right... It seems we have a lot to talk about," Lord Stark said. 

It was one thing for Jon to dream about strange events, something that was already unsettling because of how vivid those dreams were. 

It was something entirely different to say that he had learned a skill through them. 

Learning to become the greatest archer in Westeros at ten name days old simply because he had dreamed he already was the greatest archer... 

Those dreams were full of mysteries. But an even greater thought arose in Lord Stark's mind. 

If Jon dreamed that he was a great swordsman... would that mean he could become the greatest swordsman in Westeros overnight? 1

How was that even possible? 

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