A/N: Standard disclaimer here. I don't own ASOIAF and only write for fun.

Jon

Jon sighed, his voice dry and body tired, but his mind was fully awake. If everything went right, by the same time the next night, they would have the Kingslayer in chains, but, just like the night before the Mountain fell, he couldn't sleep. He was restless. So he did what helped him before. He found a hidden spot, told Ghost to stand guard, and took out a rag to polish Dark Sister while the egg he found sat in his lap, warm as the day Ghost found it.

He had been thinking about a lot lately. About Arya and Sansa, who he thanked the old gods and new for them being safe back home. Robb told him they were safe before they left the Twins, and he couldn't have been happier. They would be safe there, no one could touch them…. But he also thought of others. Of Aegon and Rhaeny's. Ser Arthur told him he had an uncle Viserys and an aunt Daenerys who were stranded in Essos. He couldn't help but feel bad for them, how unfortunate it must be to live a life on the run, all because a man hated another over a woman that didn't love him. It was a tragedy.

He didn't think often of his parents… not his real ones at least. He would not tell anyone, especially not Ser Arthur, but he couldn't help but blame them. How could he not, they were so stupid all they had to do is say something. Sure Robert would still likely have been upset, but they might still be alive. His sister, his brother might still be alive. He knew the love he held for Robb and Arya, and it easy to imagine that it would have been the same for Aegon and Rhaenys, and even Daenerys and Viserys too. They wouldn't have had to run away.

"You're my blood, that is all that matters," he could hear his father's voice in his head. Jon couldn't deny that. He knew how to be a Stark of Winterfell, was being a dragon all that different? He sighed again. He knew that when this got out, his great secret, people would expect him to behave a certain way, but he was of the North. That would not be forgotten.

Ghost rose from his position in the grass, and that quickly got his attention. When they both saw the pair of yellow eyes poking out from beyond the bush, Ghost settled back down and Grey Wind joined him.

"Please tell me that I have not disturbed your peace," Robb rushed from the bushes with a slight bow but Jon could see the grin on his face.

Jon played along and sighed, "I could have you executed for this slight against me you know."

Robb laughed and sat down next to him. "What are you doing up this late?"

"I can't sleep."

"Aye," Robb responded with a sigh of his own. "Neither can I." He paused for a moment. "I went to your tent to find you, but you weren't there so Grey Wind led the way."

"Smart, aren't they?" Jon responded, scratching Ghost between his ears.

"It's scary sometimes," Robb responded. "Was that you across the riverbank before the Twins?"

"Aye," Jon responded.

Robb nodded. "I thought so, I couldn't be sure, but I just had this feeling... Can you control it?"

"No," Jon said. "It's just random dreams here and there. I think father might have known about it though. Since they arrived in Wintefell, he has always told us to stay close and listen to them, that they would be our greatest assets."

"He wasn't wrong," Robb said. "I was talking to one of the Free Folk, Orell I think his name was, he was telling me about how he could see through the eyes of his eagle. There are a couple of them that can just do it freely. I wanted one of them to come with us, but uncle Benjen said he would need them to face Lord Tywin Lannister. I had hoped they could teach us."

"There is still time," Jon responded, letting hope feel his voice.

Robb nodded again, and for a moment, it was nice to sit side by side, brother by brother and look up at the stars. Robb broke the silence again, pointing to Dark Sister. "Have you gotten to use it yet?"

"Not in real battle, no," Jon responded. "Ser Arthur got me a longsword similar in length, but way heavier. When I am alone at night like this, where I can swing freely with it, my movement just feels so quick."

"I know the feeling," Robb said. "Remember when we were younger and father let us pick up Ice? We both thought it would be so heavy, that we wouldn't be able to life it so we tried it together?"

Jon laughed. He remembered it well. They both took hold the hilt, hands overlapping each other, and gave the greatest heave they could. They lifted it easily well above there little heads, and then dropped it in shock when it lifted so easily. Their father laughed.

"Valyrian Steel," their father said. "The leather of the sheath weighs more because of how big it is but the steel itself? Light like a snow shrike feather."

"Although," Robb said, again bringing him back to the present. "I never got to use Ice at the twins either. By the time I got there, the battle had been won. The giants and free folk captured the Twins."

Jon smiled, "But it is the Young Wolf who the realm will sing songs about."

Robb laughed. "Aye. Hopefully they don't sound too bad."

Jon sighed again, looking to the stars again. "You ever wonder why they call you the Young Wolf? Why am I the White Wolf? Why are we the lucky ones?"

"Lucky?" Robb questioned. "Father would call it a responsibility. Not everybody is responsible enough to wield the name Stark, or Lannister, Baratheon, Tyrell, Martell, even Targaryen. History tells us that."

Jon groaned. "Now you're even starting to sound like him."

Robb made a serious face and deepened his voice. "The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die."

Jon grinned first and Robb started to laugh. He laughed with him. It was nice sitting up late at night talking to his brother again. It almost felt like when they were younger and would sneak in to each others rooms. Jon yawned deep and loudly and it shocked him. When had he gotten so tired?

"Tired?" Robb asked.

Jon nodded. "What about you?"

Robb shook his head and sighed. "Tomorrow weighs too heavy on my mind. What is something goes wrong? What if someone we are close to dies. I know she has just wants to protect us but I would rather it not be so many. How can I look Lord Karstark or the Greatjon in the eyes if one of their sons dies giving thier life for mine? What does it look like to the reach if that Tarly boy takes an arrow met for me?"

"I had similar thoughts the night before we captured the Mountain," Jon said quietly, before pausing. "What is it you said again? Not all men are responsible enough to wield our names? That is why instead of sleep we sit here and think of every outcome, of every man that we could lose. Your bannermen, they are family. It's why it is hard to think of losing even just one."

"Look who sounds like father now," Robb responded, a soft smile on his lips before taking a moment to be serious again. "But you are right. Every man who refuses to throw down their sword, who refuses to yield would just as easily slit our throats as we would them."

Jon nodded, and Robb continued. "I have given orders though. We will not kill any man that yields. We will treat them fairly in hopes that if any one of our men are captured they would be give they same courtesy."

"We are our father's children," Jon replied.

"Brothers," Robb said.

"Always."

The woods were full of whispers. Moonlight crept through the trees, where there warhorses pawed at the moist, leafy ground, while the men around them tried to calm theme selves with nervous jest in hushed voices. He was on the western ridge with Robb, Ghost, Grey Wind, and Lyarra, waiting for the signal that the Kingslayer would fall into their trap.

Torrhen Karstark and his brother Eddard were among the thirty men that formed Robb's battle guard, although, oddly enough, Ser Arthur had tried to talk Lord Rickard Karstark out of letting them join. "Where better for you sons to be than riding with their father to battle?" Ser Arthur tried. It was odd, but Jon didn't think much of it after Lord Karstark insisted his boys go with Robb,

The rest were made of of other sons of the north and riverlands, with the odd one from somewhere else. Patrek Mallister had joined them as they raced past Seagard, and if the Karstarks had a son protecting Robb then so would the Umbers. Thoros of Myr, Sam Tarly, Grenn and Pyp had also chosen to ride close to them and of course Ser Arthur was never far. It was a strong group, in Jon's opinion, and now all they had to do was wait for the sounds of battle.

Robb had picked an excellent spot for ambush. It was all moonlight and shadows, a thick carpet of dead leaves, the wooded ridged slipping gently enough so that their horses could ride easily down to the stream bed and attack their enemies.

Across the ridge he could see Lady Catelyn staring their way, worry drawn upon her face. "You are important too," she had pulled him aside quietly after Robb's guard had been decided. "You should have a guard too."

"I will guard my brother, and they will guard us. I promise to bring him back to you, my lady," he told her and turned to walk away. She grabbed his shoulder gently, and smiled softly at him.

"Promise that you will both ride back to me."

Robb lifted his sword then, it looked like he saw his mother looking and wanted to give her hope that they would be okay, but by the time he had lowered it, the call of Maege Mormont's warhorn ripped through the night, a long low blast.

Grey Wind and Lyarra, they threw their heads back and howled, loud and vengefully. Ghost threw his head back too, but he was as silent as he always was.

He could hear the answer from the other horns, one from the far ridge, one from the Mailisters who had rode with them, another from the North where the Karstark men laid in wait, all adding to a deep, powerful sound.

"He is no man for stting in a tent while his carpenters build siege towers," Ser Brynden had promised. "He has ridden out with his knights thrice already, to chase down raiders or storm a stubborn holdfast."

In the short time he had know Lady Stark's uncle, he hadn't found him ever to be wrong. Here he was right again. Jamie had fallen right into the trap Robb had set.

The last notes of a trembling horn faded, and quickly were replaced with the sounds of battle. He could hear the wind move with arrows as the archers hidden in the trees let loose at Lannister men. He could hear the sound of horses dying, and men shouting as arrows ambushed them, and their bodies crashed to the dead leaves with loud thuds.

"Winterfell!" Robb shouted, and it was immediately answered back. They were charging down the ridge them, their direwolves out pacing them all, while Robb held Ice and Jon wielded his regular steel sword. Lannister horses were sppoked at the mere sigh of the three direwolves, raccing down the ridge, bucking men from their saddles, leaving them to be trampled and stomped on.

Grey Wind was the fastest wolf and he leap when he was close enough, taking a man off his horse by his throat before he landed and took out the legs of some poor horse that happened to be in the way. By then, Ghost and Lyarra had joined the fray as well, the mere sigh of them ripping into flesh causing some men to immediately beg for mercy. Jon's steel sword sliced through his first man that day right after he watched Ghost easily rip a man's arm off, the speed of his horse pushing the sword easily through a man's chest. He quickly pulled it back and cut down another, and then another.

All around him, he could hear the sounds of battle. The crack of a broken lance, the clash of steel on steel, the cries of Lannister, and Winferfell and Tully and Riverrun. He killed a man to his left and turned in time to see Robb take some poor souls head off with Ice. It was like slicing through bread. He wondered if that is what it would feel like to wield Dark Sister.

He stabbed another man, who fell from his horse and immediately began asking for mercy and his mother. Jon would not kill such a man so he left him be, and immediately sent his horse sprinting for his brother's voice when her heard it shout "To me! To me!"

His brother had been unhorsed, but his guard had quickly reached him in time to form a cirlce around him to protect him. Jon cut down another man trying to get close, and looked up to see Jamie Lannister charging at them, his sword lifted high, cutting down man after man, determined to reach Robb,

Daryn Hornwood, as brave as he boasted to be, reacted first and rode out to try to stop him, Ser Jamie easily parried his attempts to strike and would have cracked young Daryn's skull if Dawn didn't reach out to stop it and Jamie Lannister crumbled under the pressure of the Sword of the Morning.

Before they had known what happened, Jamie Lannister was flat on his back with Dawn pointing at his throat. "This battle is over Kingslayer," Ser Arthur spat. "Tell your men to yield."

"You're hurt," Lady Catelyn said to Robb when they rode back to her. Robb did so on a different horse. Her face was still full of worry, but she had tears of joy in her eyes as soon as she saw them come over the ridge. She must of saw the blood.

Robb lifted his hand, opened, and closed his fingers. "No," he said. "This is… Torrhen's blood perhaps, or…" he shook his head. "I do not know."

Jon lowered his head and sighed. "The two Karstark boys were wounded in battle. Daryn Hornwood would be dead had not Ser Arthur intervened. They should recover, but it shall take a wile."

Jon could hear the sound of hooves approaching and knew that Robb's men were not far behind. The Greatjon and Lord Rickard lead them and between them they dragged the Kingslayer and threw him down in fron of Lady Stark's horse. "The Kingslayer," Hal announced, unnecessarily.

Lannister raised his head. "Lady Stark," he said, he knees sinking into the muddy dirt. "I would offer you my sword, but I seem to have mislaid it."

Jon ignored him them, and once he and the rest of the prisoners were locked up. He quickly found his tent, and fell into a blissful sleep.

He was hungry. He hadn't eaten for hours and the taste of horse flesh was still fresh on his tongue, teasing his stomach. He tried to wake his brother, but he was fast asleep, too tired to hunt with him so he would be alone that night. Well not completely.

He moved quickly and silently through the camp, picking up the scent of a familiar man and following it. The white claw was what he smelled, the one they called Arthur. The man would always feed him scraps and bits of meat, and he hoped that tonight would be the same.

He walked through the camp for a little while longer following the scent the whole way. It led him some thick bushes. He peaked through the bushes, and saw that he did Arthur but he was with another man. The man was in bonds and tied together, trapped by rope and wood.

"It's funny how idols become your rivals," the man, his hair yellow mixed with dirt. "You make friends with Ser Arthur Dayne, but have to try to kill him for your survival."

Arthur, the one with the white claw, didn't seem to like that. "Spare me your useless japes and false courage Jamie. I know you, or I thought I did."

"Embarrassed of me now Ser Arthur? Am I just a Kingslayer to you?"

"Kinglsayer?" Arthur said. "You think I care that you killed that man? I don't care that you killed the man. He was no king to me, not at that point… but Aegon? Rhaenys? Where were you when your father's men butchered them? Where were you when the Mountain bashed Aegon's head against a wall and forced his mother to watch before he raped and killed her? What about when little Rhaeny's was stabbed half a hundred times? Where were you?"

"Where was I?" the one called Jamie responded, his voice raw. "Where were you! I'm the one who sat outside his door and had to listen as he raped the Queen while I was helpless to do nothing. I watched as he burned and killed person after person, based on his own sick whim. I can still smell the burnt flesh! I can still hear the screams! They haunt me and they will forever. Where was I? Ser Arhur Day

ne, where were you?"

"I was following my King's orders," Arthur responded, his cold and so low that he had to lift his ears to hear it.

"The same King who kidnapped and raped the Stark girl?" Jamie responded, just as cold. "The realm claims that you are the one with honor, yet you let your King kidnap and rape some poor innocent girl. I bet you stood there and listened. I grew tired of the madness and did something about it. You stood there and let it happen. You let the realm go to war. We are not the same. You don't get to sit here and pretend that you are any better than me."

Arthur glared at Jamie, studying him for a moment before he sighed and turned to walk away. Jamie wasn't done. "Only that is not how it happened. That fool Eddard Stark would not allow you to serve his house if you sat back and allowed his sister to be treated in such a way. He would have killed you. I would have done the same."

"Lord Stark defeated me," Arthur spoke, his voice still cold but neutral.

"That is the story you tell," the one called Jamie said. "When I was charging at the Stark boy, I noticed something. It is the same thing I noticed in Winterfell. You didn't guard Lord Stark then just as you didn't guard his son today. It wasn't Robb Stark you rose so quickly to defend. You thought the bastard was in danger."

"You know why." It wasn't a question.

"I thought I did. There was rumor that Ned Stark fell in love with your sister at Harrenhall but I only know that because Elia spoke about it. So when you went North with Lord Stark after the war I thought it was because he was your sister's son. That he was your nephew and I thought that until I saw you both in Winterfell. You confirmed it for me today."

Arthur let out a huff and again began to walk away again. Still Jamie was not done and he stood then, his hands bonded behind his back but he managed to struggle to his feet. "You won't say it but I know the truth now. I watched how you protected Rhaegar, how you would get in position when you thought there was a threat. I don't need you to confirm it for me."

"Good night Jamie," Arthur said not bothering to turn around.

"Where was I?" Jamie ignored him and kept talking. "Once King Aery's found out my father had entered the city with his army, he ordered Lord Rossart to ignite the wildfire caches he had spread through the city to burn it down. I killed them both. I was so ashamed that I broke my oath that I didn't think. Before I knew it, Ned Stark had entered the throne room. By the time I got my wits back and thought of the children it was too late."

Ser Arthur turned around and stared at Jamie again, marching back toward him until he was inches from his face. If words could kill. "That's your great excuse? You lost your wits. You should have killed him but then instead of remembering that promise you made to Rhaegar to protect his family, you let them die. On your watch! Aegon and Rhaenys are dead because of your inaction, and that's the best you can give me? You lost your wits?"

Arthur turned again, this time stomping away quickly through the bush.

Jamie Lannister shouted back at him. "You don't think I know that! My mistakes haunt my dream until this day! I was there!" Ser Arthur did not turn back to him again, but Jamie kept yelling. "Who are you to judge me! I was there! Who are you?" his shouts turned to muffled cries and before he knew it, the knight he was shouting at the air.

He couldn't help but feel bad for him. He stared at the man for a long time, and after a while Jamie noticed him staring at him and jumped. He didn't understand why some men jumped when he saw him. He turned and walked away from Jamie then. He was still hungry and he needed to find food.

A/N: Another one!

I told you guys that Riverun would be included in this, but this felt like such a natural ending that I cut it off. Still this is pretty long by my standards hahaha.

Not much to say about this one.

Let me know what you think!

Untill next time!