Game of Thrones: King of Magic

Chapter 27

Jon Snow. Near the Wall.

Night had fallen, and so we decided to organize a break in a small cave. Our group was already relatively close to the Wall, or rather to the western part of it, where the Northern Mountains ended.

The snow, undisturbed by the blizzard, was slowly settling to the ground, covering our tracks into the cave. The howls of wolves and the sounds of night birds could be heard in the distance, and the light of the moon illuminated the surroundings with a bright glow that made the treetops visible even at this time of day.

I sat quietly by the crackling fire, stroking Ghost at my side at the same time. Sid sat across from me, examining his bow, while Mara lay on the other side of the fire with a hand on her head, thinking about something.

When I'd left Winterfell, it hadn't occurred to me that I'd be in a group with the Free Folk and none of them would try to kill me. Perhaps I would meet up with someone from the Night's Watch and he would escort me to the Wall. Though given what my father said about this place and its current state, I don't even know what exactly would have happened.

Remembering my father, home, Winterfell, came into my thoughts. I wonder how they are doing? Lord Stark is probably holed up in his study again, Lady Stark is spending time with the younger children, Robb is practicing on the playground under Ser Rodrik's supervision, Sansa and Lady Kinvara are chatting about this and that, and Arya is tormenting Foe when she finds him.

A smile appeared on my face by itself, remembering my time in the castle.

It was rather... uncomfortable at first, considering Lady Stark's past attitude towards me. I am a bastard and I was well aware that I had no claim to anything. All I wanted was family and recognition. And I got it all when Lord Solomon arrived at the castle. Lady Stark, instead of outright hatred, had been indifferent or ignoring me. Now she turns a blind eye to her children spending time with me. And not just her children, but Lord Stark's as well. Before, I couldn't just walk into his office and just talk. And that really brought me joy.

And now I have what I wanted. But now I have another goal. Two, actually. Listening to Lord Solomon's stories made me want to see the world. To explore it, and its mysteries.

Magic.

A great power that ignited in me a passion to explore. How many secrets and mysteries does this world hold? I wanted to know them all. And one of them was my sword.

I slowly pulled out the scabbard that held Durandal and exposed the blade, placing it in front of my eyes.

Cid and Mara didn't pay much attention to it, as they realized I wasn't pointing it at them. And besides, I did it quite often. The ghost, sensing that my hand was no longer stroking its fur, stood up and walked toward Mara, then settled near her head. The free woman grinned and took over stroking him, giving me a snide look. But I wasn't distracted.

I was interested in the stains on the blade. No matter how much I rubbed, I couldn't get rid of them. It was as if they were part of the sword, something I just couldn't understand. Even my Origin was unable to give me answers. All I recognized was the name of the sword and that it was imbued with magic. Anything beyond that was sort of hidden.

I could find out what any other sword was made of, who it was forged by, or even its history, but not Durandal. "Understanding" gives me the ability to not just "understand" but to "study" and "notice". And my Origin tells me that I cannot get more information about the sword, not because Lord Solomon wished it so, but Durandal himself.

This one is like a door and a lock. It is the lock that will not allow the door to be opened, not the one who created it.

Hopefully, when Lord Solomon fulfills his promise and sees us, I can find out why he gave this particular sword and not something else. Speaking of promise...