4 Preparation's and Bolton's Understanding

In everything he had been hearing about the boy, he wasn't sure if he should see him as such or as a young man. Known for sparring with multiple of the guards while always coming out on top was no small feat for someone of his age not to mention his height surpassing all of his peers. Ned looked into Jon's grey eyes and his thoughts drifted to his sister and that day when he found Jon. A vision of no more than a few seconds, only showing fire and ice colliding together forming a man made stronger than stone or steel, with only the cold to embrace him as the fire raged within him. He wondered if that was what Jon felt being in the North and having to deal with his surroundings, though he wanted to know what exactly did it mean to have a fire burn within you, was it love, ambition, or maybe something more.

"Lord Stark, I wish to sally out with some men and make my way into the Riverlands, after careful deliberation, I believe the Greyjoy's would rather have successive multiple raids at a time closer to home rather than take a long way away and leave themselves open to attack. If you look at this map, I've marked a few locations as well as simple counter measures to help with the defense if given the right amount of time for preparation."

Ned was at a loss of words hearing young Jon speak to him as if he was a seasoned soldier with a couple wars under his belt. Without much thought, he grabbed the parchment that had the map and jotted notes on it. Looking through its contents, he gulped seeing how the Lannister's fleet was marked, he knew they were already hit but no one else did and he presumed Jon didn't either so it was technically as if he already knew they would be attacked. Seeing Seaguard marked and how Jon wanted to go there, he thought if they could help in it's defense. He wouldn't take Jon over to the Iron Islands as he was just too young but he was considering letting him experience what war was like from a safe location.

Without any hesitation, Jon stopped a boy bringing a horse by them and grabbed the reins before hopping onto the horse using the stirrups. Ned looks up at the boy and his brow arches questionly. Jon smiled and looked towards the gates where the few dozen men he had grown up with and trained with were preparing their gear.

"Lord Stark, I'll take just those men over there if I have to, one way or another, I will fight in this war. It's every able man's duty after all and as all would see, I am quite able. Now I will be off as I have already told my servants to prepare my supplies and I have told my more trusted servants to take care of my duties while I am away."

Ned had to take a moment to let everything settle before looking at Jon with a frown.

"What duties, you're but a boy who spends his days playing with Robb and other children. Get down from the horse and let's talk about this in more detail Jon. That's an order, not a request."

Jon smiled blankly as the man before him was as ignorant as ever and yet he pitied him more than anything.

"I am afraid I can not respond the way you'd like my lord. I am off as I have very little time to waste. I will explain the rest when I return as you might have already heard about it by then."

Seeing Jon's horse neigh before galloping away then seeing him stop shortly only to have the very men he talked about saddle up and follow him left Ned stunned. The old Lord Paramount felt as if a small portion of his already aging life was taken just by the manuarvarble wordplay Jon used to weasel out of his grasp. Rubbing his temples, his maester came over rushing to see him, Ned graced a small smirk only to let it fall as he saw his friends face. A scroll in hand was exchanged and as Ned read it, the shock apparent on his ever changing features. Ned looked towards the gates Jon left out only to think how did he get so much gold to do this.

From five name days old till the present times, Jon had been hunting not just wild animals but beasts in human skin of their lives as well as any valuables he had. It was only rightful for such deeds to be paid upon completion of execution. As the gold started to stack high, he looked to other ways to make money, alcohol, farming, trade, prostitution, gambling houses, Pelts, and many more ideas were starting be jotted down on his notes. Year by year he gained gold and spent it just as fast expanding his businesses and delving into the development of more exoctic goods. He found adventurers, scholars, eccentric people that could push his ideas into reality.

With the secret influx of gold being conjured almost invisibly to Lord Stark, most of the nobles unaware that a large business tycoon was even forming in the North. Jon was unimpeded by his targets early on. When Lord Bolton started to follow the trail of gold, all he found was that it led straight to house Stark but nothing more and thus was surprised. He had thought only for a moment that possibly the honest and honorable Lord Stark was planning something but disregarded it as he thought it was a foolish idea to attach the man to such ways of doing business. With the following understood, He turned his eyes and ears to any rumors going about within Winterhold as of late and many rumors all about one man or say, boy left him flabbergasted.

Jon Snow, the presumed bastard of Lord Stark, was brought back from the Baratheon's rebellion campaign down south against the Targaryen's. Early on made a name for himself being more mature, smarter and larger than his actual age. Rumors had said he could fight a grown bear bare handed and that he was smarter than most maesters while some said he had giant blood in his veins, all such rumors were disregarded. He started to focus his spies towards the boy's machinations and true abilities but everything he got just didn't make sense. Some of his spies were caught and some were being obstructed by other lords' spies.

All he heard was that the boy was a better fighter than almost anyone in Winterfell while he was large and quiet. Such news was a disappointment, since he wanted to verify anything he could about the young bastard before making future plans. After a few years of dead ends, he gave up his pursuit and focused on other targets, leaving Jon as a backdrop in his mind. All the while as different spies fought in the shadows over the knowledge of Jon, Jon would occasionally smirk once another lord gave up on him. All according to his plans, or according to how his dreams played out before him.

Thus his businesses thrived and none the wiser for it even into the present times. As Jon made his way to the Seaguard with roughly 50 men following, he contemplated everything so far before looking into the distance. As smoke rises up and the sound of metal clashing comes to them, Jon and his men, slightly tired from the fast pace they kept only ensuring the horses wouldn't give out. The smell of iron as blood was thick on the ground and corpses littered the spaces in between. Jon swallowed the bile that was rising in his stomach to his throat as he had never seen so many dead in one place in his life.

The rot and disease that germinated the air around them was sickening and hard to handle. Jon gave his orders to his men and began his way to the one in charge. Only simple words were exchanged, only little time was spared as the Greyjoy's were launching their final assault any minute.

"I'm in charge now, Jon snow but you can call me commander. Have every archer take place behind the blockades and walls, form a shield wall at the gate and any openings, spears in front while swords and other armaments behind. If there is a third wave, push the attackers off before advancing five feet then take one step back. Relay the orders and prepare medical tents for the wounded. We must clean this place up unless you wish to die due to disease after the battle."

The leader of the defending force looked at Jon in shock and his face composed before turning into anger, before he could argue. Jon stepped closer and slammed the back of his gauntlet into the man's jaw, backhanding him to the ground. As the blood leaked from his mouth, he slowly looked now at the child in front of him in slight fear and hesitation.

"Do as you're told before I have you hanged for insubordination."

Though Jon was in the wrong since he had no power in this region, He still wasn't going to let the man in front of him think clearly and figure that out. He left to make the last preparations quickly with a smirk on his face while his soldiers looked at him in awe for the ballsy move he just played out. Only hoping after this was all over that they could get out of here with their hides intact.