One month later, Winterfell.
Brynden Rivers asked Jon Snow, who had just entered the room:
"Any news yet?"
Jon Snow shook his head, looking disappointed. He then replied:
"More and more people are coming to Winter Town these days, but I've checked all the stalls and shops, and I haven't found any trace of the Dragon Egg. Could that guy not have arrived yet?"
"The routes in Wolfswood are complex, and bandits and wolf packs are common. If that fisherman went out alone, he could very well have encountered those dangers, so we should prepare for the worst."
Brynden Rivers analyzed from the side.
Upon hearing this, Jon Snow's face fell instantly, and he said helplessly:
"So, are we going to look in Wolfswood? Oh, Gods! Wolfswood is so huge, how long will it take to find it?"
Brynden Rivers found this amusing and said with a hint of mockery, "Not we, young Jon! This is your trial, nothing to do with me! It's up to you how you approach this. You know, this might be the first Ice Dragon Egg on the continent of Westeros! Do you think it'll be that easy to find? The Lord wants you to be tested, not to just hand you something!"
"Alright! I understand, Uncle Brynden!"
Jon Snow said to Brynden Rivers. According to seniority, he should have called him Great-Great-Great-Uncle, but Brynden thought he looked only a little older than Jon, so the "Uncle" title was used.
After leaving the guest room, Jon Snow stood in the corridor, feeling a bit lost when Anna Stark's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Ygritte! Do you remember? The Lord said that there is an information point in Winterfell, belonging to Griffin's Roost. It's full of Wargs. Maybe you can go there and try! If that doesn't work, you can hire some people to help you find the Ice Dragon Egg."
"Right! How could I forget? Thank you, Mother!"
It was near the traditional Westeros holiday, the Harvest Feast, and Winterfell was bustling, especially in the market town, which was packed with people.
Jon Snow walked out of the South Gate and entered a small tavern. It was called "Gemini," and it looked ordinary, with nothing to distinguish it from other taverns except for the name.
It was nearing noon, and there weren't many people inside. Only a few wandering knights and commoners were eating in the corners. Jon Snow glanced at them, and after sensing nothing out of the ordinary, he walked to the bar.
"Young Master Jon! What brings you here? I heard from my colleagues that you don't like to drink?"
A waiter, who seemed to recognize Jon Snow, asked him.
"You know me?"
"Haha! We tavern owners naturally have to know about young nobles like you from the castle. Young Master Theon was here drinking a couple of days ago! Our waitresses are very gentle and enthusiastic. Would you like me to find one for you?"
The waiter explained, then tentatively asked Jon Snow, trying to sell him a certain "special service."
Jon Snow blushed, then shook his head. "I want to ask if you sell Dragonglass weapons here?"
The male attendant's expression changed when he heard this, and he stammered, "We have many styles. Which one do you want?"
"A dagger! I want a special dagger with a single-edged blade, five sawteeth on the back, and a blood groove on the blade!"
"Th-then, are there any other requirements?"
"The handle should be wrapped with purple silk thread, and the blood groove should be accented with silver!"
"Long live the Dragon and the Seven Kingdoms!"
"Long live the Empire!"
The male attendant steadied himself and said to Jon Snow, "Please follow me! We have a weapon display case in the basement! This way, please! Candlewick! Come and look at the counter! I need to attend to a customer!"
Jon Snow followed the attendant to the basement. This was where miscellaneous items and supplies were stored. At the top of the stairs stood a large display case filled with various weapons and exquisite ornaments, separated by a counter.
The male attendant said after entering the counter, "Young Master Jon! I am Seahawk, the person in charge here! I never expected that Young Master Jon Snow would be one of us from Griffin's Roost. The information we received earlier only mentioned that you went to Skane Island as a commander. I didn't expect you to become one of us after only six months!"
"Just call me Jon. I'm not a master! I only returned here to complete the Lord's trial. I want to know the information about Wolfswood because my mission target might have gone missing there!"
After Jon Snow shook hands with him, he also lamented the youth's profound disguise skills. This man, named Seahawk, looked a few years older than Jon Snow, but he wasn't as tall and burly as a typical rock-born warrior. Instead, he looked more like a local.
If he hadn't known the other party's background from the start, even Jon Snow would have mistaken him for an ordinary tavern owner.
After hearing Jon's request, Seahawk nodded in understanding, then rolled his eyes and entered Warg mode. In a short while, a large rat emerged from the corner, carrying a piece of paper in its mouth.
The rat quickly climbed onto the counter, and Seahawk immediately exited Warg mode. He took the long paper from the rat's mouth and casually tossed it a piece of cheese. The big rat happily ate the cheese, looking very intelligent.
"Young Master Jon! Your identity is different from ours, so it's only right to address you as such! Our brothers received news this morning that many lumberjacks said that monsters seemed to have appeared in Wolfswood recently, especially at several small sawmills, where the losses were particularly severe. From their descriptions, these monsters should be several giant direwolves, but the exact number isn't clear.
"But I think they probably drifted in from the Ice Coast. Three months ago, a Deepwood Motte war galley was sunk by a massive iceberg. Fishermen said they saw monsters on the iceberg, and then the iceberg broke into several large pieces in the sea near Wolfswood.
In the following months, there have been sightings of monsters. They seem to have attacked many caravans and travelers. It seems your target has already perished in the jaws of a wolf."
Jon Snow's eyes instantly darkened upon hearing this, and he said helplessly:
"So it seems there's no other way? Right! Can you send someone to help me? Also, I need to hire some hunters and mercenaries. I want to go to Wolfswood to clear them out, and also look for my mission target! Money is not a problem, one copper star per person per day!"
"That's no problem. We have some reliable mercenaries here, and a group of more than 20 mountain people who sell furs arrived here a few days ago. They live nearby, and these guys are experienced hunters who can definitely help you!"
The Seahawk said to Jon Snow.
"Right! What actions has the Glover Family of Deepwood Motte taken?"
Jon Snow asked next.
"Piracy has been rampant in the Sunset Sea recently. Their family, along with the Mormonts of Bear Island, have gone to Ice Bay to clear out the pirates and wildlings, so no one is currently available to deal with this matter!"
"That's perfect. I'll apply for this mission to the Duke right away!"
Three days later.
Jon Snow, clad in full battle armor, was bidding farewell to those seeing him off. To give Jon more time in Winterfell, Marco had arranged a custom armor order for them. The 1,000 chainmail order delighted the blacksmiths in Winter Town, giving them both the time and reason to stay in Winterfell. By the time this batch of armor was completed, it would likely be next year.
Theon Greyjoy watched Jon Snow's departing figure with a complex expression. He had always been a foster son in name only, but everyone knew he was merely a hostage of the Greyjoy family.
Theon himself was clear on this point. Therefore, in the years since arriving in Winterfell, he had constantly bullied Jon Snow, hoping to regain his sense of superiority.
But now, Theon Greyjoy felt uneasy and confused. Why had the person he had always looked down upon unknowingly become the commander of a unit? And, according to Robb, if Jon Snow could pacify the three tribes of Skagos Island, his foster father, Eddard Stark, would ennoble the bastard.
This made Theon feel as if he had swallowed a fly, and he thought viciously in his heart:
"Just you wait! One day, I'll make you all know who I am, Theon Greyjoy! The sole heir of House Greyjoy, the future King of the Iron Islands. I'll make you fear me, be terrified of me!"
Then, Theon Greyjoy, his face a mask of frost, departed from the farewell party. No one noticed his dreadful expression, except for Brynden Rivers, who looked at him thoughtfully.
This time, he wasn't with Jon Snow. In his own words, his house's young dragon needed to be let loose to fly, or it would likely become a deformed monster.
Moreover, Jon Snow's strength had reached new heights. Combined with his rune magic and the Moonlight Blade, he had basic self-preservation capabilities, provided he didn't face a large army.
Jon Snow's team consisted of around 100 people. Over 30 of them were experienced mercenaries. The rest were hunters and some mountain folk, all among the best trackers near Winterfell. Each of them was equipped with a Heavy Crossbow.
This was a standard crossbow produced in the North. While its accuracy and power couldn't compare to those in the South, it was highly effective at close-range hunting. It was a favorite tool among the hunters near Winterfell.
Following an old trade route through the Wolfswood, the team had been traveling for ten days, meticulously searching for clues and trying to find signs of the direwolves' activity.
At this moment, the Seahawk in the middle of the team had just released his Warg state. He turned to the person next to him and said:
"Inform Jon Snow! There's nothing to report in this area for now. I'll continue the search later!"
As the Seahawk finished speaking, another Warg beside him snapped out of his trance. He looked agitated, so the Seahawk immediately asked:
"What did you find, Mance? Anything?"
"I found a body fragment under a large sentinel tree in the north. I don't know if it was those Direwolves!"
Upon receiving the notification, Jon Snow immediately ordered everyone to head towards the location. About an hour later, they found the corpse under the large sentinel tree. A hunter from the mountain clans made a simple inspection and then reported to Jon Snow:
"Young Master Jon! This person should be a lumberjack. His tools are scattered all over the place. His neck was bitten off, and most of the meat on his internal organs and thighs has been eaten. Judging from the bite marks, he was indeed killed by some big creature!"
"Awoo!"
Just then, a wolf howl suddenly echoed from deep within the forest, followed by more and more howls coming from all directions.
The hunting hounds, used to track prey, all started barking furiously. Several of the handlers were nearly pulled to the ground. Seeing this, Jon Snow drew a regular knight's sword from his waist and shouted to the others:
"Form a circle! Be alert! Nock! Ready to fire!"
In the shadows of the distant forest, wolves with glowing green eyes emerged, snarling as they ran. They surrounded the group from all directions. After a few more loud howls, five direwolves, each as big as a calf, appeared before them.
The hounds became even more agitated at this. The hunting dogs of the North were not much different from wolves, especially those from the mountain clans, which mostly had wolf blood. They were eager, wanting to tear apart the prey in front of their masters!
Finally, the five direwolves howled and led the pack of wolves towards Jon and his group. Perhaps because they often attacked humans, they didn't sense the danger. After the first volley of arrows, two direwolves and more than a dozen other wolves howled and fell to the ground.
The threat of death ignited the ferocity of the remaining three direwolves. They let out a fierce roar and charged forward, drooling. But this was to no avail. The second volley of arrows whistled through the air, wounding and killing a large number of them. The two direwolves at the front were immediately turned into pincushions. Then, the hounds pounced on the injured wolves like tigers released from their cages.
The injured direwolf was terrified and fled into the depths of the forest, howling. The surrounding wolves, without the leadership of these alpha wolves, scattered and ran.
"These wolves have tasted human flesh and cannot be left alive. Kill them all. Seahawk! Let's go after that big one!"
Jon Snow calmly gave the order. These forest wolves had tasted human blood, and there was no guarantee they wouldn't attack humans again. The only option was to eliminate them as much as possible, or the woodcutters and farmers in Wolfswood would suffer.
"Yes, Lord Jon!"
The men departed, splitting into four groups to pursue the remaining wolves. This was where the hunting dogs proved their worth. The hunters were thrilled; not only would they be paid, but the wolf pelts were also valuable. Everyone was going to make a killing this time!
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