Chapter Text
Brother,
It has been 8 years since you were last home. Robb's Nameday is coming up in a few months. You should come; everyone misses you, and Rickon is so adorable, loving to hear the stories from your letters. Bring Serana. I really want to meet a true warrior woman.
Arya
_____
Jon reclines after reading the short letter from his sister, folded inside his father's much longer one. With a sigh, he acknowledges Arya's invitation and realizes this may be his last chance to visit home before heading to King's Landing.
He calls out to Serana from his seat, "Serana, want to go see the castle I grew up in?"
Serana steps out of the workshop, her hands stained with soot. "Why are you asking?" she says. The beautiful vampiric woman looks curious.
Jon grins at Serana, noticing her excitement about meeting his family. "My littlest sister invited us to my oldest brother's nameday. If we don’t go, you’ll probably end up High Queen by the end of the year." Serana had always been curious about his siblings.
Serana tilts her head, smiling, her eyes glowing with excitement. He feels his heart flutter at the expression. "Well, if you put it that way, we should definitely go. Are we bringing anyone else?" she asks.
"If we want to make it in time, we'll have to fly on Odahaviing, but besides that, Mom will probably show up at some point. She has been pushing me to return for years," Jon says with a groan.
Serana sits next to him, propping her feet in his lap for a rub. "She just wants to expand her influence. So, when do we leave?"
"Three days. Pack for a long trip—anything could happen with us," Jon says, rubbing her feet. "We can't arrive in Winterfell on dragonback, and I hope to catch the Mormounts on their way to the castle."
Moaning at Jon's menstruation and giving a pleased smile. “Why?”
"Why what? The dragon?" Jon asks. When she doesn't respond, he tries again: "Or the Mormounts?" She grunts in affirmation. He grins. "So Lady Stark cannot ignore us."
A grin spreads across Serana’s face, mirroring Jon's.
A voice calls as a portal appears behind the couple. "Jon? Did I hear you're going back to Westeros?"
_________
“OD-HA-VIING!” Jon shouts up, getting a roar in response. A ruby red dragon with a blue underside bursts from the clouds around the Throat of the World, flying toward Jon, Serana, and Lydia, all standing together on a hill outside Whiterun.
Jon hands Lydia a small stack of letters. "Do you understand what we want you to do?" he asks.
Lydia rolls her eyes, clearly annoyed after hearing Jon's instructions multiple times in their two days in the city. "Keep the jarls off your backs while you go off to only the nine know where, all to avoid getting crowned for another year," she says, exasperated.
“Thank you for your help,” Jon says as he shrugs a modified saddle off his shoulder. He had made it months prior as proof of concept.
“Please be safe, my thane.” She says with a look of contemplation before turning and walking back to Whiterun.
Jon turns to the dragon and makes his way over to its neck.
“Thuri, must you humiliate me with this animal hide?” Odahviing complains, clearly displeased with the thought of having a saddle put on him.
After securing the saddle to the dragon's neck, he moves to stand where the dragon can see him clearly. “I am sorry, old friend, but it is a 7-day flight with our last stop being in Akavir, 4 days from now. You will thank me later.” Jon says before turning to Serana, who hands him his bottomless satchel. “Ready to go, My Dear?”
Rolling her eyes at the term of endearment. “Yes, let's go.”
______
The ride to Westeros is mostly uneventful, with only a small hiccup in Akavir. Most of the trip is spent giving Serana a crash course in Westerosi customs and courtesies, until the coast of Westeros comes into sight.
Their joy at seeing land after 3 days is cut short when Jon spots a small trading vessel making its way north at best speed, doggedly pursued by an ironborn longship.
“Jon, no,” Serana says, putting her mouth close to his ear so she doesn't have to be loud. “You explained to me why people knowing a dragon is in Westeros is a bad thing.” Knowing her argument will fall on deaf ears.
“Serana, we have to help. I would rather hear good rumors than fearful ones.” Jon says, mostly trying to make an excuse to interfere.
Knowing she can't stop him. “Ok, this is going to cause us problems, and you know it.” She says as she pulls her hood up and places the mask of mortakai on, magically sealing it to her face. Jon, at the same time, pulls the hood over his head, pulls the mask over his nose, and applies the magic to turn his eyes black, leaving only his glowing white pupils.
Leaning forward. “Odahviing, combat drop on fleeing vessels. You have freedom to destroy the longship, but limit yourself to yol,” he speaks into the dragon's ear.
“Yes, Thuri.” The dragon responds by quickly dropping into a steep dive, leveling out just above the wave tops. Now closing rapidly, Jon and Serana prepare to disembark. Serana casts Stoneskin and unclips herself while Jon casts illusions over the symbols on his armor.
After a quick maneuver, the two slip off the dragon and land on the deck of the ship. Regaining their footing, they find themselves surrounded by the surprised crew, several of whom reach for their weapons. Jon quickly says, “We are not your enemies; we bring an offer of medical aid.”
A woman steps out of the small crowd. Clearly annoyed with the intrusion onto her ship. “Medical aid is great and all, but you could have attempted to take out the real problem with your dragon.”
There is a roar behind Jon and Serana, gaining everyone's attention.
Out of the sparse cloud layer, a red blur appears, diving towards the longship with a shout of “YOL-TOL-SHUL.” Extending his back legs, Odahviing slams into the longship and, in a massive gout of flame, wood, water, and red dragon, the ship disappears.
“I stand corrected,” the captain says, turning back to the duo on her ship. “Now, you said you had medical aid?”
______
After an hour of healing magic, the ship's crew is in a better state than before they left port. And Jon and Serana are back on Odahviing, heading inland. Jon believes they are somewhere in the northern stony shore, so he has them turn slightly north. Quickly coming upon the Wolfswood, Jon spots a grouping of red leaves. Calling out to the dragon. “Odahviing, can you land there?” He pointed and stuck his hand out far enough for the dragon to see it in his peripheral vision.
“Yes, Thuri.”
As the three come in for a landing, the branches seem to move aside to allow for an easier descent. The humans quickly get to work setting up camp. After a few hours, as the sun starts to set, they build a fire and erect a tent under the largest weirwood tree.
Odahviing has left to hunt, and Jon and Serana are left alone.
A branch snaps in the forest, grabbing their attention. Not noticing anything, they turn back to the fire to find a new figure sitting across from them.
Both are suddenly on their feet. Jon summons a long sword from oblivion, and Serana prepares Life Drain and Ice Spike.
Studying this new being. It is small, maxing out at 4 feet tall with antlers adding at least another foot. Proportions to match its height, green bark-like skin, and antlers that look like branches.
Jon dismisses his sword and bows, surprising Serana. The figure begins to speak in a quiet tone. “There is no reason to bow, Shadowwolf. You have done more for the world than the children ever have.” Jon stands before the child, who continues. “When I was told to return to this old sanctuary, I was never expecting to find a Dovah, a vampire, and the returning son of The Starks.” The being moved around the fire towards Jon. “I believe this is meant for you.” Extending a hand with a white nut inside. “When you are ready to put down true roots. Know the old gods will always watch over your family.”
Taking the nut. “One day soon, hopefully,” Jon says. “Thank you.”
The being moves to enter the forest but calls just before the treeline.”Farewell, Jon Shadowwolf. May your travel be fruitful.” Before disappearing into the trees.
Serana finally releases the built-up mana in her hands. “What was that, Jon?” she asks, turning to him. Looking over, she sees him staring wide-eyed at the nut in his hand and puts a hand on his upper arm, breaking his stupor.
“A Child of the Forest, one that has not been seen since the Andals conquered the south.”
“What is it that it gave you?” She says, putting out her hand.
Jon quickly drops the nut into her hand before explaining. “A weirwood tree nut. It was a myth that The Children would give them to people who would become lords. Most castles are built around the trees that grew from these nuts.”
“Is Winterfell like that?” Serana asks.
“It is believed to be the first as House Stark is one of, if not the oldest, houses in Westeros. My house can be traced back to the long night 8000 years ago, when even then they were considered an old house.”
“That must be why your blood tastes so dusty.” She responds jokingly before adding. “We should probably get some sleep so we can find the nearest road in the morning.”
Jon, yawning, quickly agrees.
______
The next morning, after a short flight to the nearest road, Jon and Serana, on the back of Shadowmere, slowly make their way towards Winterfell.
Serana is enjoying the ride by cataloging the new sounds of birds and other animals and using telekinesis to bring new plants that catch her eye to her.
Jon, meanwhile, is trying to more precisely pinpoint where they are in the North. Focusing on his wish to meet up with the Mormounts party, he casts clairvoyance. A blue smoke trail leads behind them, but it feels much closer than expected and closes fairly quickly. He quickly remembers something.
“Serana.” She squeaks in surprise. This almost made Jon break out laughing.
She hits him. “Shut up.”
“Yes, dear,” Jon responds, using the term of endearment that he knows she gets annoyed with him using, but secretly loves.
“What did you want?” She asks with a half-hearted glare.
“I may have forgotten to tell my family something.” Her glare became much more real.
“Jon, what did you forget to mention?” She asks harshly.
“I may in all my loving, deserved and truthful praise of your many and beautiful-”
“Jon.” She glares harsher, knowing his flattery to be a delay tactic.
Quietly, he continues. “Forgot to mention we were married.”
She shocks him. “Fuck!” He swears.
“Whatever honorable thing you are about to ask me to do, I don't care. You are correcting that mistake when we get there.” She shocks him again. Knowing he is going to try to be “honorable”.
He tries to squeak out a response. “But I don't wa-” she shocks him for a third time. “Yes, my lady.”
“Good. Now I hear horse hooves behind us.” Serana turns to look over her shoulder before asking. “Mormounts have a bear as their symbol, right?”
“They do.” He turns to see the rider she is looking at.
“Well, it looks like the Mormounts have found us.” She says.
Jon pulls Shadowmere to a stop before guiding her into a turn. Just as the Mormounts scout calls out to them. “Who goes there?”
Jon quickly responds. “Jon Shadowwolf, formerly Snow, Thane of the 9 holds of Skyrim, and Serana Shadowwolf, nee Volhikar, my wife.”
The scout comes to a stop a short distance from them. “Jon Snow, I heard you disappeared 8 years ago?”
“I have a letter from my lord father and younger sister confirming my identity if needed,” Jon says, fishing into his satchel. The scout approaches carefully, reaching out. Handing the letters to the scout who checks the seal and handwriting.
“Everything seems to be in order. I must continue ahead, take this. The main party is around 2 hours behind me.” Handing over a small wooden token with a bear on it. “This will tell Lady Mormount you are who you say you are at first glance.”
“Thank you,” Jon responds before the scout continues on his way. Pocketing the token. Before dismounting and helping Serana down.