Northern Conqueror

Chapter 29: Brewing Doubts

Chapter 29: Brewing Doubts

Sansa heard the crowd first, the grunts coming when she made her way toward the yard and found a large crowd had gathered. Making her way through them to stand with Melisandre and Rickon she found the crowd had formed to watch their king spar. Only unlike most others, he was fending off three men with his sword and shield.

Laul and Rila moved to stand beside Sansa, who gave each a small nod. "How long has this been going on?"

"Only a minute or two," answered Rila.

Sansa looked back to the yard where Jon's face was caked in dirt and sweat as he parried a strike and threw aside another with his shield before catching the third in the cross guard of his sword. He seemed to almost throw it aside just to move forward and bring his training sword across the attacker's chest, continuing his swing into the arm of the man on Jon's right and turning to catch another strike on his shield as he turned and thrust his sword into the chest of the one on his left.

All three backed away, their chests heaving as they struggled to catch their breath while Jon stalked around the yard, his head down in thought.

"They look exhausted for only a minute of fighting," Sansa noted.

"No, that match was a minute," said Laul. "They've been fighting for about an hour."

Sansa's brow rose. "All of them? Against Jon?"

"He fought them off for almost ten minutes before anyone hit him," Rickon said grinning with pride at his brother's skill.

"Our king is an excellent fighter," said Melisandre. "Though it seems this is more an exercise to exhaust himself."

Jon looked to the men and walked over, patting one of their shoulders. "Thank you for the match," he said to each, the men bowing their heads and thanking him. Once they left Jon looked through the crowd before pointing to a spot left of Sansa's group. "Arya, Brienne. I'm intruding on your match."

Sansa looked to the women, both of whom seemed surprised as the crowd broke into murmurs. After a quick glance between them, Brienne shook her head. "Your grace, I-"

"That's an order," he said firmly. His lips shifted to a smirk when he added, "Arya."

Sansa groaned as Arya threw herself over the fence. "Don't think just because you're king you can order me around."

"But I can order Brienne to stop training with you," he said with a grin. "How can I risk her harming a princess?"

Arya's hand clenched. "Point or yield?"

Jon walked over to grab a sword for Arya while Brienne had already gotten one herself. "Yield."

He tossed it across to Arya, who caught it by the hilt and spun it while moving to Brienne's side. "Are you certain, your grace?" The knight asked. "You've surely exhausted yourself."

"This is my cool down," he assured. "Now come."

"It seems he wants a beating," Laul said with a laugh.

Sansa frowned, clutching her skirt as she watched Arya dash forward, eyes narrowed as she took a curving path toward Jon's left side. At the same time Brienne rushed forward, positioned for a strike at his right. He could have backed away but instead he let them box him in, letting his sword catch Brienne's, sliding toward Arya and raising his shield to catch her strike at his side.

His shield rose, letting Arya's sword push off it, passing his head while his sword scraped Brienne's and his body turned. Brienne went for another swing at his shoulder, but he managed to spin to Arya's right, his own sword swinging toward the back of her legs. For a moment it seemed like Arya would be caught between both strikes until she flipped, Jon's sword passing under her while Brienne's passed above.