The wolf and the lioness - Ancient Nord Arts (Patreon)

Eddard Stark, Winterfell

Like every night, Lord Stark walked through the forgotten underground passages of Winterfell, his face impassive, his gaze cold...

That look he had had since Jon disappeared, more than a year ago

The corridor seemed eternal, but he did not dislike it, it gave him a chance to think clearly, he had walked these walls for entire moons, where the only clue to what happened to his son was located, away from the prying eyes of the fortress

Arriving at the room in question, Eddard nodded to the pair of guards, both veterans, both of whom were extremely trustworthy

Both more than capable of keeping silent

Upon entering he found Luwin and Rodrick, as usual, the maester analyzed the armor of the strange beings, muttering to himself, while Rodrick looked at the weapons, all placed on huge stone tables

“Any news?” Eddard asked as he does every week, more out of habit than waiting for a real answer

And as usual, Luwin's answer disappointed

"Nothing my lord, the metal is unknown, as is the method of manufacture, there is no shield, there are no words that denote any clue to who forged them, it is extremely strange, as if they had appeared out of nowhere," said Luwin, looking at the imposing armor, repeating the same words for a year

Eddard just nodded, same routine

Not a fucking clue about Jon's whereabouts

The Lord of Winterfell stared at the demonic armor, the technique was impeccable, better than anything Mikken could build, only Ice was still superior in his opinion

The strange bodies had long since rotted, but Eddard remembered them easily, thin and tall, stylized, even feminine features, a stark contrast to the imposing armor they wore

Jon's disappearance had been... Difficult for everyone

Well, almost everyone, Eddard thought to himself, remembering his wife's satisfied face, Catelyn was happy with Jon's disappearance, of course, she tried to hide for the rest of her children, but she did a terrible job

 "I found something, my Lord," said Rodrick, in a peculiar tone of voice, staring at one of the swords of the strange warriors

Those words roused Ned from his lethargy and he glanced quickly over to the shelf where Rodrick was inspecting a particular weapon

It was a sword, beautiful and lethal, made in a dark steel with exquisite details

A work of art

"I found these engravings, they were hidden in the handle of this particular sword, although I am not able to understand what they say," Rodrick confessed with embarrassment in his voice

Although Ned wasn't listening, his mind was busy, since he, unlike Rodrick, was able to understand what those scribbles meant

A voice in his head, grave and wise, accompanied by what Lord Stark interpreted as a neighing of a horse, said to him in a soft whisper

“Nithral”

Ned didn't know what that word meant, only that it was important

"Nithral," said Lord Stark, as he touched the strange sword, having a strange feeling, the air around the hall was...strange, for lack of a better adjective

The weapon reacted to the name, strange symbols appeared on the metal, while the blade gained a blue glow

Around Eddard's fingers, strange threads of some kind of light began to appear, overwhelming him with strange sensations

The room around began to lose color, until everything was black and white, Luwin and Rodrick were totally paralyzed, not moving a single muscle

"What the hell is going on?"

"Do not be afraid," said an old voice, wise and in total control

Alarmed, Eddard looked around, wanting to know where the strange voice was coming from

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” snapped the Lord, taking the Nithral sword and assuming a defensive position

So distracted was the Lord of Winterfell that he did not notice that the runes were glowing brightly, giving a strange and cold aura to the sword in question

The voice, amused, responded

“I... I'm a simple messenger, with the answers you are looking for," he said again, at the same time that something appeared in front of Eddard

It was a... horse...

Although much larger, its body was strong and stylized, really beautiful, its fur was white, and its mane and tail silver, with a golden horn on its head

A unicorn? He asked himself

"That is the name of my people, but even we, masters of the threads of time, could never predict the meeting between the Lady of Time and Space and the Dragonborn," said the unsettling being

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Eddard asked with a frown, not being able to understand what was happening, nor wondering how it was possible that a fucking horse was talking to him

The "unicorn" for its part, only laughed

"Your disbelief and suspicion is…a breath of fresh air for us, just like the union between those two, the dragon prince is okay, by the way, flourished in the face of adversity, carved out a feared and powerful name, a master of the Arcane Arts, winged by his wife, although his journey is still beginning” said the being, "walking" in the air of the room,  looking with resounding contempt at the armor and weapons

"How uncivilized, but I can't expect anything less from a disgusting elf," the unicorn snapped, before focusing his gaze on Eddard

“What is an elf? Did they take Jon? Do you know where he is? Who are you?” Eddard asked quickly, hungry for any information about the location of his boy

The being simply laughed, and replied

"Oh how I like humans, although your life is a mere breath, you are so... spontaneous and real, unlike the arrogant fools with pointed ears," said the unicorn, now focusing his gaze on Lord Stark's weapon

"The whims of fate are curious, that sword belonged to a particularly ruthless elf who would meet his end in an ancient ruin, in the hands of a white wolf, it is curious that another wolf, a younger and more powerful one has ended his pathetic existence, although he could not expect less from a direct descendant of Brandon the Great"

This being's words only confused the Lord more and more, but he was able to decipher something in his words

"Are you telling me that my boy was the one who executed this warrior?" Ned asked, with evident pride and hope in his voice

The unicorn neigh, although Eddard was able to understand the approval in that sound, it was evident that the death of this...Nithral pleased him

"That's right, a skilled warrior and a powerful sorcerer, although it's no reason to be surprised, the Song of Ice and Fire is strong in him, inherited from his parents without a doubt," said the unicorn, enjoying how Lord Stark froze and opened his eyes in terror at the words

"I don't know what you're talking about, I..." However, the being interrupted him

"You can't hide things young Lord, not from me and My kind, we've heard the song, from its Genesis to the glorious requiem, the rise of Aegon Targaryen, sixth of his name, the extinction of lions, stags and falcons is imminent"

Eddard looked in terror at the equine being, who seemed... Anxious for such a moment to come

"The Targaryens lost the throne, Robert..." however, the unicorn laughed loudly

"Oh young Lord, since when has such a trifle stopped a dragon? No matter how hard you tried to force the wolf's skin on the young man's shoulders, that fire, that ambition, that hunger for power, has always been there, along with a temper of a thousand demons, which has been tempered by the young lioness.”

Eddard shook his head quickly

"You talk about war, thousands will die, a stupid chair is not worth so much suffering, I prefer that my boy remain alive and happily married, where you tell me he is, than bring him back to these dark lands," Lord Stark snapped with determination

The unicorn didn't answer, he just looked at the Lord with something close to approval

“I understand your words, you do not seek to protect the kingdom of your friend, but the well-being of your nephew, however, fate does not work like that young man, war is inevitable, not all rulers are as honorable and benevolent as you, they will not let your family be in peace and will drag you into a stupid and senseless war, the coin is still up in the air, the young Winter Lord walks a thin line between Jon Snow and Aegon Targaryen, only time will dictate which side the coin will fall on” said the unicorn, now focusing his gaze on the elven sword

"The sword awakened your latent magic, a good omen for your family, find a way to contact me again, to teach you more about your gifts, you will need it, if you want your family to come out unscathed from the approaching danger"

And with that last warning, the unicorn disappeared, leaving a confused and terrified Eddard Stark, who, with trembling hands, looked down at the sword in his hand

An instant later, Luwin and Rodrick were back to normal

"I'm sorry it's not much my Lord, but we don't have any more clues," Rodrick said, looking at his pale Lord

Although Eddard ignored it, his gaze fixed on his hands, which, to his utter terror, were frozen, with a kind of icy aura emerging from them, the magical moment lasted for an instant, so fleeting that Eddard doubted it had been real for an instant

However, the being's words echoed in his mind... just like the warning

He had a lot to think about and a decision to make, though he swears only one thing

He would not allow anyone to threaten his family

And if he had to extinguish the families of his enemies to ensure the well-being of his own, Eddard would not hesitate for a moment

Jon Snow, Kyne’s Groove, Skyrim

“DIE!!” shouted the Winter Lord, unleashing a powerful lightning bolt, a withering attack that, to his obvious pleasure, knocked down the imposing beast

His blood roared loudly, for some strange reason, watching a dragon be knocked down, practically defeated, made a flame within him gain strength like never before

His enemy, Sahloknir, a dragon who sounded old and skilled, with a rather advanced lexicon, looked at Jon with fury, even in defeat practically assured, the being would not submit

Something Jon could respect

"You're defeated," he snapped, the satisfaction more than evident, while Jon prepared his sword to kill the beast

To his surprise, the old man will be laughing with difficulty

"Are you at the gates of eternal rest and laughing?" Jon asked in disbelief

The dragon stands up with difficulty, using its two injured wings to look at Jon

"There is no dishonor in losing if you fought with all you might and were still defeated against your skill and your magic, even the world eater would be in trouble, do it once and for all Dovahkiin, send me into my father's Halls" said the old man, as he prepared to launch one last desperate attack

It was slow and predictable, but the purpose wasn't to finish off Jon, but simply to leave gracefully

The dragon was getting ready, opened its snout, and began to scream

“Fo... AAAHGH” The Thu'um was interrupted by Jon's sword, who buried it in the dragon's eye, shattering his brain and ending his life instantly

Sahloknir gasped and his body stopped moving, at the same time that what happened in Whiterun happened again, the body was consumed, leaving the scales and bones, while all the power and knowledge of the old dragon entered Jon's body, however, unlike last time, much more knowledge was retained in Jon's memory...

Dovah... the actual name of the beings he called dragons, this one in particular, was a scholar, concentrating on two combat Thu'um

The elemental breaths...

"FO KAH DIIN!" shouted Jon, who had gained full understanding of the Thu'um

And the universe obeyed

The temperature dropped suddenly, while, from Jon's mouth, particular primordial magic began to form, the power condensed and the Winter Lord prepared to release it

However...

Instead of the powerful but fleeting blizzard of frost he expected, similar to the attack the dragon had made in the fight, Jon unleashed something different, something powerful and dangerous

A powerful frost breath emerged from his being, a magic so powerful, chaotic, and lethal that everything it touched perished instantly, leaving a huge trail of snow and destruction in its wake

Jon looked at the result in amazement, this magic... It felt familiar, that feeling that he thought forgotten, the night he met his beloved lioness, this frost was magical, primordial and wild

Just like the famous White Frost that the imbeciles who chased his wife used

Jon was so focused that he didn't notice the return of Delphine, who looked at him as if Jon were an incarnate God

Although, if the tales of the Dragonborn of old were real, it wasn't such a mistaken notion

“In all my years... a Dragonborn...” Delphine whispered as she looked at Jon in rather disbelief, the remains of the dragon still smoking and the ravages of frost breath still present

Jon ignored her reaction and spoke

"Our deal has been fulfilled, I have the horn and your information, while you have your confirmation, now, I'm leaving," Jon said, while using his telekinesis to move the dragon's remains into his magic bag

Delphine, alarmed by the insinuation, began to speak quickly

"But you can't go! We have to hunt the dragons, the prophecy is important, you can't ignore it!” Delphine exclaimed, looking at Jon with surprise and disbelief

Jon just snorted and snapped

“I don't owe you anything, and I have much more important things to do, Haafingar must be fortified and the war scorpions improved, I have the location of the dragons and I thank you for that information, rest assured that, if they pose a danger to people, I will take care of them, however, my training with the Graybeards,  as well as my position in Solitude are my priority," Jon said firmly, stopping Delphine in her tracks

The warrior hesitated, before nodding, evidently not happy

“If I have more information about the prophecy, how can I contact you?” she asked in a submissive and polite voice, a quite significant change in the first impression, where Delphine thought, stupidly, that she would be a match for the powerful warrior in front of her

Jon looked at her seriously, pondering her answer

"Solitude, come to the palace and request an audience with me, tell the guards the phrase "Winter is coming" so they will know that I have sent you" said Jon, making Delphine nod and without waiting for an answer, he used his magic to disappear directly into the throat of the world with all the intention of completing his training

Leaving an impressed but worried warrior who, for the first time in years, had no idea what the hell to do

Delphine just grabbed her things and started her long walk home, for hours, Delphine thought about her imminent future, she had a lot to do, even if, at least for the moment the Winter Lord didn't want to take his title, she would prepare everything for the moment that changed and...

“FUS RO DAH!!” it was a cry originating from the highest mountain in the province, followed by a thunderous sound that shook the mountain and the valley through which Delphine walked

The warrior could only look up dumbfounded and shocked, that must be the Winter Lord, her Lord and Master, all that power...

The warrior inhaled hard and hurried back to Riverwood

There was a lot to do, and he had a contact in Solitude who would give him the relevant information to achieve his goal

she had a lot of messages to send...