The Protagonist Syst 398 Bites To The Bone

I easily found an out of the way spot and equipped my uniform, then I walked back into the godswood of Winterfell. A few people saw

and looked surprised at what I was wearing. I ignored them and went to the heart tree, knelt briefly, and walked around it to the teleportation circle and used it to jump to the one I had made on the main land mass of the Iron Islands.

It was a spot I had picked because it was out of the way and was easy to ward against anyone else finding it. I walked out of there and down the main road of the capitol. A whole bunch of won saw

and most let out shouts of thanks, a few waved, and one brave woman with dium length wavy red hair walked over to

and held out her hand.

I rembered her being one of the won on the first fishing boat to co into the harbour. She had gathered everyone I had saved in the closest village she had been held in and she encouraged them to go to Lady Mormont.

“You don't want

to greet you like a lady, do you?” I asked with a smile.

“Only if you want

to slap you.” She said with a laugh.

I took her hand and shook it. “You know you don't have to thank .”

“I know.” She said and smirked, then stepped close and pulled

in to press her chest to my face as she hugged . “You're a good boy, Jon.” She said and one of her hands pet my hair, then sighed. “I just wish you didn't see what happened to us.”

“I've seen worse, Maeve.” I said and startled her by knowing her na. “I'm both sorry and glad that I arrived when I did, otherwise Lady Mormont wouldn't be who she is right now.”

Maeve let

go and looked into my eyes. “You... would have done it anyway... even if my lady hadn't been taken.”

“No, I was going to do it anyway, no matter what.” I said. “It was just luck that I found her here when I went to take Balon's head.”

Maeve sucked in a sharp breath. “YOU would have beco Lord of the Iron Islands!”

I smiled and saluted her, then walked towards the proper keep being built around the kind of pathetic place Balon had considered a proper ho for a lord to live. It was nice to see Lady Mormont putting her riches to good use.

No one else stopped

as I approached the worksite. Two of the won wearing a mix of finery and armor that guarded the entrance gave

searching looks. They didn't stop , either. I nodded to them and went inside through the door and went to where I felt the small gathering of people. The room was small and was quite full of won and a couple of n around a table of poorly drawn maps.

I knocked on the doorfra and all talking stopped as everyone turned to look at . “I hope I'm not interrupting anything important.”

Lady Mormont smiled, her second daughter nad Alysane gave

a very intense scrutiny, her third daughter Lyra looked very happy to see

again, and her fourth daughter Jorelle had a blank face, probably because she was only five nadays old and had no opinion of . The baby basket at the side of the room showed

her youngest Lyanna, who was barely two, was also present.

The two n were Robett and Galbart Glover, of House Glover from Deepwood Motte, the closest port town to Bear Island, and the boy with them was Larence Snow fostering under Galbart. All three of them gave

very sharp looks and I had the distinct feeling they didn't like having

there.

It wasn't until I touched their minds that I found out it was because the Mormont ladies were too focused on

and my achievents and they completely ignored the other n and their advances. The boy copied their example and didn't like that Lyra only talked about

and nothing else.

“Boy.” Lady Mormont said and walked over to . She didn't try to hug

or anything, though. “We were just discussing how to set up proper defenses for the Iron Islands to stop any more raiders from preying on us.”

“That's easy. Have shacks built that look abandoned overlooking the best approaches to the harbours and station a small group of archers inside. Rotate them on a schedule to keep watch and sleep, so there is always one person ready and on guard. If they see anything, they wake the rest and the entire group can handle any small raiding party with normal arrows or flaming ones to take out their boats from under them.”

Everyone in the room stared at , especially Lady Mormont. The desire was clear on her face and her second daughter's face started to look the sa way. She was twelve and was stocky enough to live up to her mother's nickna of She-bear.

“If you don't have the people to do that right away, you can sink a wreck in the most likely approaches that only you and the people you trust will know about. Any boat going through will hit the masts and scrape their bottom on them, making a huge amount of noise and will ruin their raid before it even starts.” I added.

Now Lyra was giving

a similar look and her sister's blank expression changed to a smile. The two n on the other hand, looked shocked. The boy didn't understand the significance of my words and kept glaring at .

Lady Mormont slid a hand over my shoulders and pulled

over to the small table. “Why don't you show us the best places for those great ideas?”

I took out a writing instrunt and started fixing the badly drawn map. “If we start here in the main harbour, this is the best spot for the fake shack...” I started talking and they all watched as I made a much more accurate map of the surrounding area and pointed out the best spots that a ship could sneak in and be ambushed, instead of the other way around.

For the next hour, I educated them in shipboard tactics and proper land defenses. At one point, Lady Mormont had even nursed her youngest and didn't ask for

to stop and ignored the protesting sounds from the n and the other boy. Of course, I ignored her bare breast, because it was a natural thing to feed a baby when it was hungry.

The looks of approval from all the females in the room grew to the point that they were all smiling warmly at . When it was ti for supper, I finished the lesson and the maps on the table were almost library quality. I copied them for myself, too. We left the small room and went out into the courtyard and they copied the sa seating setup I had done for the refugees and we were served food first.

The talk was nearly the sa as it was in Winterfell's Great Hall, with the smallfolk talking about their day and how well things were now, with so much more room and better resources. It was thanks to Lady Mormont sharing the wealth with her people instead of hoarding it like the previous Lord Mormont had and everyone was grateful to her for it.

Whe the al was over, Lady Mormont handed the baby to her second daughter and stood. “Jon, walk with .”

I stood and bowed slightly to the rest of her family, nodded at the Glover n and they frowned in return, and I followed the woman as she walked away and over towards the harbour. I was not surprised when she led

to one of the spots I had chosen to set up an overlook station and she stood there and looked out over the harbour. It was a great view, too.

“You're going to refuse to foster under , aren't you?” Lady Mormont said instead of beating around the bush.

“What makes you say that?” I asked, just to humor her.

Lady Mormont huffed and turned to look at . “You just taught everyone in that room more information than any of us ever knew about defending ourselves from shipboard attacks.” She said and glared at , only there was no heat in it. “There's nothing I could teach you that you don't already know.”

I shook my head. “I won't say that I'd be wasting my ti if I stayed here.”

“I can see that now.” Lady Mormont said and turned back to look out over the water. “Now say what you want to say.”

“I would be wasting my talents if the only thing I did was foster under you.” I said and she nodded. “I can help so many people with the setup I have now back in the Shield Islands, including you.”

“How?” Lady Mormont asked and waved back at one of the won on the closest fishing boats when they waved first.

“I've built sturdy glasshouses that can survive the harshest winters, even on Bear Island.” I said and she caught her breath. “I used the seeds of the food you made

take to start growing them. Since a glasshouse can be set up as a copy of the place the things grew...”

“...you're giving

the plans to make my own?” Lady Mormont asked.

“I could if you wanted them.” I said and she turned away from the harbour to give

a pointed look. “It'll be faster if you tell

where you want them and I'll have them done by the end of the week here in the capitol. The rest of the islands will take a lot more ti and eventually you won't have to have food and other things shipped in.”

“Animals?” She asked.

“I have several mated pairs, so I'll have more by the ti I have yours built. It might be easier to order them from the locals, assuming they don't screw you over. If they do, kill them for betraying you and take all their animals as compensation.”

Lady Mormont blinked her eyes in surprise at . “That's a harsh response, and I know how ironic that is, coming from .”

I smiled. “It's their fault for poking a mother bear trying to take care of her cubs.”

Lady Mormont barked a laugh. “You've got guts to call

a bear to my face.”

I reached out and pet her bear blanket cloak. “I did give you that, didn't I?”

“Yes, you did.” Lady Mormont said and stepped close. “I want one of my daughters to claim you.”

I tilted my head slightly. “You don't an for her to marry

when I'm of age, do you?”

“No, just having your blood in my future grandchildren is enough.” She admitted.

“They'll all be bastards.” I reminded her.

Lady Mormont scoffed. “I don't hold to all that bastard nonsense. My daughters are my daughters, no matter who their fathers were.”

It was my turn to blink my eyes in surprise at that revelation.

Lady Mormont laughed at my expression. “My husband died a long ti ago, boy.” She said and gave

a sexy look. “I didn't, and a woman has needs.”

All I could do was nod. What else would I do? She just told

she didn't care if I was Ned's bastard and that was pretty rare from soone from the North.

“Then, when its ti, I'll stop by and see who is available.” I promised.

She gave

a pointed look. “You better stop by a lot more than that. Even if we don't need a full commitnt, we still want to spend ti with you.”

Since I couldn't argue against that, I nodded.

“Good!” Lady Mormont said and clapped

on the shoulder. “I'll have my second eldest give you a hug and maybe a kiss if you can co up with a song for us.”

I raised my eyebrows at her and she laughed as her arm draped over my shoulders and she led

back towards the keep.

“You've done it for House Stark of the North and House Tyrell in The Reach. Why wouldn't I ask you to do it for House Mormont of the Iron Islands?” Lady Mormont asked .

Again, since I couldn't argue against it, I nodded.

“I can't wait to hear whatever you co up with.” Lady Mormont said and we talked about the best places for glasshouses to be placed, both to catch the most sun and for people to reach.

*

As many people as possible had gathered together in the capitol of the Iron Islands. When Lady Mormont sends a ssage and politely asks you to attend to an important eting, it didn't take long for nearly everyone in the entire population of the Iron Islands, to show up.

The surprising thing was the stage set up, a group of three won, one with aharm, one with a hand drum, and the last between them holding the music sheets. There was sothing like a sideways cabinet with white keys on it near them, too. No one knew what it was, only that their savior was sitting in front of it with his own sheet music.

Lady Mormont announced that like the Song of the North, and the Song of the Reach, Jon Snow had composed a Song of the Mormont Islands. Everyone cheered and celebrated for several minutes at the renaming of their ho. When they cald down, she motioned to the group and sat down with her daughters to hug and hold them.

The odd and shockingly llow notes of the 'piano' echoed from the nearby buildings and everyone could easily hear it, as well as their savior when he started to sing.

“I know your pain.” Jon softly sang.

“I know your pain.” The three young won echoed even softer.

“Why were you locked away up in those chains?” “Those chains.”

Everyone felt their previous bindings and shivered, even Lady Mormont.

“No one can change your life, except for you. Don't ever let any-one step all over you.” Jon softly sang. “Just open your heart, and your mind. Mmm hmm. Is it really fair to feel, this way inside?”

“Whoa.” The three won breathed.

“Soday sobody's gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye.” Jon sang faster. “Until then, baby, are you gonna let them hold you down and make you cry? Don't you know?”

“Don't you know? Things can change. Things can go your way.” The four of them sang.

“If you hoooold oooon, for one more day. Can you hooold oooon for one more day? Things will go your way... hold on for one more day.” Jon sang alone and played the piano as the three young won strumd the harp, tapped the hand drum, and the third humd.

“You could sustain.” Jon sang softly.

“You could sustain.” The three won echoed softly. “Mmm.”

“Or are you comfortable with the pain?” Jon asked. “You've got no one to bla for your unhappiness...”

“No, baby!” The three won breathed.

“...now that you've been saved from that whole ss.” Jon sang with satisfaction.

“Ooooo!” They added.

“Let your worries pass you by...”

“Let your worries pass you by.” The three echoed.

“Don't you think it's worth your ti, to change your mind?” Jon sang.

“No-oh, no-oo.”

“Soday sobody's gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye.” Jon sang faster. “Until then, baby, are you gonna let them hold you down and make you cry? Don't you know?”

“Don't you know? Things can change. Things can go your way.” The four of them sang. “If you hoooold oooon, for one more day. Can you hooold oooon for one more day? Things will go your way...”

“...things will go your way...” The woman without an instrunt sang softly.

“Hold on for one more day.” Jon sang and turned his head from the piano to look right at the audience as he kept playing, shocking them. “I know that there is pain, but you... hold on for one more day, and you... break free from the chains.”

The entire audience felt like he was speaking to each of them.

“Yeah, I know that there is pain, but you... hold on for one more day, and you... break free! Right from the chains!” Jon sang.

They all felt their ntal bindings break free and their feelings of being captured and trapped fell away and disappeared.

“Soday sobody's gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye.” Jon belted out loudly.

“Say goodbye!” The three won sang loudly as well.

“Until then, baby, are you gonna let them hold you down and make you cry? Don't you know?”

“Don't you know?” “Know!” “Things can change.” “Know!” “Things can go your way.” The four of them sang. “If you hoooold oooon, for one more day.” “Yeah!” “Can you hooold ooooooooon?”

“Don't you know? Things can change. Things can go your way.” The four of them sang softly, as if winding down, their energy spent. “If you hoooold oooon, for one more day. Can you hooold oooon. Can you hold on...”

The piano sounds trailed off and silence fell. It was deathly quiet for a mont, then another.

Soone stood up and it was Maeve with tears in her eyes and a determined look on her face. “Three cheers for Lady Mormont's gift!”

“Hurray!” “Hurray!” “Hurray!” Everyone's voices echoed.

Lady Mormont stood and her eyes locked onto Jon Snow's. “We've all been given a gift today.”

Everyone cheered and Maege waved them to be quiet and took a deep breath and let it out. Her second daughter reached over and wiped at her damp face with a cloth. She hadn't felt herself crying and didn't question it, because she felt emotionally lighter than she had ever felt before in her life.

“Just like the last gift of freedom we were given, this is also one we can never repay.” Lady Mormont stated.

“Lady Mormont.” Jon stood and gave her a deep bow. “Gifts should never have to be repaid.”

Lady Mormont knew what he ant and she nodded. He would only give her what she needed and not what she wanted. After what he had just done for her, inspiring her people to fight on for as long as they could, she fully accepted his decision.