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Ch 26 Letters Part 2
🕑 Added 2023-06-16 16:29:15 +0000 UTCAfter a gruelling training session in the yard, Jon wearily pushed open the door to his room. Instantly, his fatigued expression transformed into one of delight as his gaze fell upon a magnificent snow eagle perched on his window sill, delicately preening her feathers. With a few quick strides, Jon crossed the room and greeted the majestic bird with a warm smile. "Hey there, girl. Do you have a letter for me?"
The snow eagle nodded, gracefully extending her talons to reveal a tied scroll. Jon deftly untied it and placed a small bowl of water before the bird, who gratefully began drinking. Finally, Jon turned his attention to the letter in his hands.
It was a substantial missive, consisting of multiple pages. The first one bore his father's distinctive handwriting, replying and giving him permission to negotiate any deal in the Reach that he felt would be beneficial to the North. He was particularly forceful in telling him to be careful of Olenna Tyrell. He even urged him not to go in front of her at all if he could help it as he felt that she was too astute and cunning and if she somehow managed to find out about his parentage then it would be a disaster.
Eddard had revealed Jon's parentage during one of his previous visits to Winterfell when he realised and saw Jon doing things that would leave most of the adults in the North stumped. So when Jon asked him for his Mother's identity nonchalantly one day, Eddard felt secure enough to tell him about it as he judged that Jon knew the danger associated with it and that he wouldn't blurt it out the next person in a fit of rage or excitement to prove that he wasn't a bastard.
The subsequent letters came from Robb, updating Jon on the happenings around Winterfell. Robb mentioned the progress of the factory, his improvement in the training yard, and his lessons with Emily, who was teaching him the art of warging in Jon's absence. Robb concluded the letter with a playful challenge, inviting Jon to visit soon so that he could finally beat him in the yard.
The following letters carried a similar tone, each written by Sansa, Arya, and Emily. Sansa expressed her gratitude in an elegant script for the silk dress Jon had sent her from Lannisport. Arya's note, though shorter and messier, implored Jon to bring her an assortment of sweets, swords, and perhaps even a unicorn— but he couldn't be too sure as the word were too crooked.
Emily's had been about how she was coming along and how she was having trouble keeping Becca and Arya in line and how Old Mark was doing as well as how little Tom had finally managed to warg into a small tomcat.
As the snow eagle soared back toward Winterfell, Jon reread the letters with a contented smile. His reverie was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jon placed the letters safely in his desk drawer and invited the visitor inside. "Come in."
Tara the maid from Reach entered the room, gracefully bowing before meeting Jon's gaze and presenting him with another letter. "I finished writing the letter, Jon, just as you asked."
"Ah... Thank you for that," Jon replied, accepting the letter. He could see that it was addressed to the Tyrells in Highgarden, located in the Reach.
They would be leaving for the trip to Reach in a few days so Jon had asked her to write a letter to Lady Alerie or Olenna or whoever was in charge of her so that she could explain the circumstances in which he had found them so they wouldn't be too worried or surprised when he showed up on their shore with the two people who had probably been missing for a while now.
Tara lingered for a moment, her curiosity getting the better of her. Observing Jon placing the letter on his desk, she hesitated before inquiring, "But Jon... How do you plan to send that letter? I wasn't aware that anyone on this side of the North had a raven from the Reach available on hand,"
Jon's lips curled into a mysterious smile as he responded, "Oh, don't worry about that. I have my ways."
Tara left the room at that with one more puzzle in her mind about the Bastard of Winterfell who was like an onion, with too many layers and secrets.
...
A few days passed, and Jon found himself seated on his bed, his luggage neatly packed beside him. The preparations for their journey were underway, and their ships for the trip were being loaded at that very moment, and Jon was supposed to be there to supervise it but he had left the work midway to hurry back to his room.
Once safely inside, he sat on the edge of his bed and closed his eyes to warg inside Frost with the full focus of his mind for the first time in a while because he needed to do something special this time.
When Jon finally opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a picturesque view of clear blue skies, lush greenery, fertile crop fields, and meandering rivers—the stunning landscape of the Reach. Frost soared above the clouds, following the path of the Mander River. It didn't take long for the magnificent and captivating Highgarden to come into view.
Perched on a broad, verdant hill overlooking the River Mander, Highgarden boasted three concentric rings of white stone walls. The crenellated curtain walls increased in height as one ventured further inward. Nestled between the outer and middle walls was the renowned briar labyrinth, which served as entertainment for House Tyrell in this age but was probably made by the House Gardeners to slow down invaders.
Jon didn't immediately fly into the castle with his message as Frost's size and uniqueness would probably give some poor maid or Maester a heart attack, instead, he wandered through the surrounding trees until he discovered a suitable raven perched among the branches.
Silently and skillfully, Jon guided Frost to land on the crown of the tree without disturbing a single leaf. After they were close enough Jon focused with all his might and tried the relatively new skill that he had figured out a few months ago and only practised a few times.
He sent a weak mental wave using Frost as the tower towards the Raven, it took him a few tries but eventually, he managed to find the small consciousness of the Raven. The Raven in question was immediately startled by the intrusion and squawked and flitted about on the branch with its gaze darting anxiously. Fortunately, Jon swiftly used his mental influence to calm the raven, sending reassuring thoughts that settled the bird within seconds.
'Oh... It worked,' Jon thought with relief when his new skill which he called 3G warging worked as he didn't have that much confidence in it.
With newfound confidence, he had Frost glide over to the branch where the raven perched. Placing the letter carefully in the raven's claws, Jon then took the raven for a brief trial flight. After a few initial hiccups, the bird obediently followed Jon's instructions, soaring smoothly through the air. With the letter secure, Jon had the new messenger immediately fly towards the castle's rookery.
At that moment, Jon found himself engaged in a delicate form of multitasking. His mind was divided into three unequal parts: the largest portion remained within his physical body, dormant; the second largest resided within Frost's mind, coexisting with the majestic creature; and the faintest connection lingered within the raven. The strain on Jon's mind was immense, making it impossible to sustain for an extended period.
Warging into an unfamiliar raven felt distinctly different from his experiences with Frost, Pegasus, or Tiger. When he connected with those familiar companions, it felt as though their minds had developed a comfortable space to accommodate him over the years. It was akin to slipping into a cosy pair of shoes. However, with this raven, it felt as though he was attempting to squeeze his foot into the shoe of a three-year-old—only managing to fit in a single toe and having to awkwardly walk with that. Despite the limitations, he could still issue simple commands, such as "fly left," "fly right," "land," or "grab that." Fortunately, for the task at hand, these instructions proved sufficient.
Within a short time, the raven arrived at the castle's rookery—a significantly larger one compared to Winterfell's, but then again it was probably because the Southerners were a lot more talkative and gossipy than the Northerners.
Inside, Jon spotted a lone figure, dressed in the attire of an acolyte, diligently copying a book.
Directing the raven toward the acolyte's desk, Jon had the bird promptly drop the letter in front of him. Startled by the sudden appearance of the raven, the acolyte exclaimed, "Wah... Where did you come from— Wait! Don't run away!"
The acolyte made a swift motion, attempting to capture the raven, but the bird effortlessly evaded his grasp, flying toward the window after successfully delivering the letter. Perplexed, the acolyte muttered, "What a stupid raven," before refocusing his attention on the letter. Recognizing the sender's name as the missing maid atop the parchment, he immediately dashed out of the room, shouting, "Maester!"
