The Mountain of Ice and Fire

“Father, I apologize for the cruel and bloody crimes that Iris Targaryen committed against the Stark family,” Jon said. He was very emotional, as if that historical bloody event was related to him.

“Jon, you don't need to feel any guilt. This matter has nothing to do with you personally.”

“But it's related to my bloodline, Father.”

“Jon, you are a Targaryen, but at the same time, you are also a Stark. The blood of the Starks also flows in your veins. The past is the past. Let us face the present together.” Eddard placed his hand on Jon's broad shoulder and patted it gently.

It was a father's caress for his child.

“Yes, Father.” Jon's complicated and difficult inner emotions were greatly relieved.

Eddard Stark's character had a strong guiding and authoritative influence on his children.

“Jon, I have some very important things you need to know.”

“Yes, Father.”

“In the 298th year of Aegon's Conquest, King Robert was hunting in the Kingswood when he was seriously injured by a boar. At the time, he drank a lot of wine, and the person who handed him the wine was Lancel Lannister, who is now a member of your Night's Watch. He was under Cersei's orders to keep giving Robert wine, causing him to be drunk.”

Jon looked at his father, completely focused.

“After King Robert was rescued back to the Red Keep by his knights, he eventually died of his injuries. Before his death, he appointed me as Regent and Hand of the King, to assist Joffrey until he came of age and then return the royal power to him. But I already knew that Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella were all children born from Cersei and Jaime's incest, and the right of succession to the throne belonged to Stannis Baratheon.”

“The children are innocent, so I persuaded Cersei to leave the Red Keep with her children and peacefully allow Stannis to ascend the Iron Throne. This led to a coup in the court. Ultimately, I was betrayed by Littlefinger Petyr Baelish, who lured me to the throne room of the Red Keep and, together with the commander of the garrison, suddenly killed all my attendants. Littlefinger used a dagger to restrain my neck from behind, making me unable to move, and I was thrown into the Red Keep's underground black cells. All the attendants who followed me north were killed, Sansa was placed under house arrest as a hostage, and Arya's whereabouts are still unknown.”

Jon Snow's right hand instinctively pressed against the hilt of his sword: “Littlefinger Petyr Baelish.”

“Yes, Jon. Petyr Baelish is the most untrustworthy person in Westeros.”

“I have remembered his name, Father.”

“I was suddenly rescued from the Red Keep's underground black cells. At the time, I didn't know who rescued me. Later, when I was at sea and safe, I learned that the person who planned my rescue was the Mountain of the Westerlands—Gregor Clegane.”

“The Mountain, the most evil villain in the Seven Kingdoms!” Jon's voice was strange. He was reluctant to believe this was true!

Eddard said in a deep voice, “The Mountain is the most vicious dog raised by the Lannister family. The Lannisters wanted to control me and force me to submit, but the Mountain secretly rescued me. I couldn't believe this at first either. On the way north to White Harbor by boat, I thought about many things. I thought about how the Mountain had come to see me at the Tower of the Hand before the Tourney at King's Landing. He had advised me not to continue investigating Jon Arryn's death, otherwise I would bring disaster upon myself.”

“He came to warn Father?”

“Yes, but that's not the most surprising thing. He once told me that the real threat was in the North, and he wanted me to gather troops early to deal with the threat from the North.”

“He predicted the arrival of the White Walkers?” Jon almost cried out.

Eddard looked at Jon with a solemn gaze: “Jon, unfortunately, I was deeply wary of the Mountain at the time and didn't take his words to heart. I just guarded against him having other malicious intentions. I didn't believe a word he said.”

“The Mountain knew about the White Walker attack as early as the 298th year of Aegon's Conquest? Is he a chosen one?!” Jon Snow said in surprise.

“Now it seems, most likely yes.”

“No wonder Melisandre went south specifically to find the Mountain and became his accompanying priestess. Melisandre must have seen some divine prophecy from the flames.”

Eddard nodded: “Jon, in the 298th year of Aegon's Conquest, when we went north from Winterfell to King's Landing, an incident occurred on the Ruby Ford. Arya and Joffrey had a dispute, and Arya's direwolf Nymeria bit Joffrey's wrist. At the time, Cersei insisted on killing the wolf and the butcher's boy, Mycah. It was also the Mountain's man, a small fellow named Polliver, who came out to testify, saying he had personally seen the situation at the time, saving Mycah's life.”

“The Mountain was secretly helping us so early?” Jon said in disbelief.

“At the time, I naturally didn't feel anything, but when I was fighting the White Walkers at the Wall, I recalled the Mountain's actions towards us and realized that everything the Mountain had done for us could be connected. One of the captains of his current death squad is Alyn, my former captain of the guards.”

“Alyn became the Mountain's captain of the guards?” Jon was even more surprised.

“Yes, I have received a secret letter from Alyn, knowing that Alyn and the other twenty of my guards have all sworn to follow the Mountain. One of the conditions for them to swear to follow the Mountain at that time was that the Mountain promised them that he would find a way to rescue me from the Red Keep dungeon.”

Jon listened, speechless for a moment.

“After the Mountain rescued me from the Red Keep dungeon, he continued to contact me secretly with ravens. Before Tywin colluded with Roose Bolton of the North and the Frey family of the Riverlands to ambush us at Roslin Frey and Robb's wedding, the Mountain warned me. He wanted Robb and I to prepare in advance. I believed the Mountain's warning, and we made a thorough response plan, counter-killing Walder Frey at the Red Wedding, defeating the Frey and Bolton allied forces. After the Northern army won the victory, they smoothly returned to the North, and Ramsay Bolton, who had occupied our Winterfell, fled in panic.”

Jon's eyes widened, his mouth opened wide, and his breathing was heavy. He was shocked.

The victory of the Red Wedding was also the Mountain's secret warning.

“Jon, the Mountain not only saved me, but he also saved our entire North. Later, the White Walkers did indeed attack. I came to the Wall. In order to get assistance, I let Jaime go back to King's Landing. I hoped that Jaime could persuade Cersei to lead troops to help us fight against the White Walkers, but in the end, the one who really led the army was not Jaime, but the Mountain. This time, it was him again, it was the Mountain.”

“Father, the Mountain may be the chosen one of the gods to fight against the White Walkers,” Jon Snow said with a thoughtful expression.

In the fireplace, the burning coals were very bright, emitting a red glow.

Eddard was silent for a while, as if he was taking a break, and then he said: “Jon, when the Mountain transported a large number of obsidian daggers, arrows, and dragon crystal ore from Dragonstone, I firmly believed that he was the son of God. Think about it, why did he know as early as the 298th year of Aegon's Conquest that the real threat came from north of the Wall? Why did he know that there was dragon crystal under Dragonstone? Later, when the news came that the Mountain had tamed a dragon in the Mountains of the Moon, I was not as shocked as others.”

“Father, Lady Melisandre said, the night is dark and full of terrors. When the White Walkers attack, there will definitely be a chosen one, and he is the reincarnation of Azor Ahai.”

“Regardless of whether the Mountain is the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, he is undoubtedly a chosen one. He has come with a special mission, Jon! You are the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and you need to fight alongside him in Winterfell. He has a bad reputation, but if God has chosen him, we must be prepared to follow him.”

“Follow?”

“Yes. Fighting the White Walkers is a major event for the survival of the human race, and the Mountain is the chosen one of the gods to fight against the White Walkers. It took me a long time to eliminate my prejudice against the Mountain, and I hope you can do it as soon as possible.”

“I will do it, Father.”

“In addition, I want to tell you some good news. Sansa Stark was not forced to marry Tyrion Lannister. On the night of the wedding, Sansa was secretly rescued from the Maidenvault.”

“Who rescued Sansa?” Jon was both surprised and delighted. His relationship with Sansa was not good, but the two had lived together as siblings for more than ten years. In times of great difficulty, family affection had long overcome those small grudges.

“The Mountain! It's the Mountain again!”

“I guessed it was him too.”

“When the Mountain rescued me, he asked me to promise two things in exchange. The first thing was a marriage alliance—the Mountain hoped that one of our family's children could marry a noble child proposed by the Mountain; the second condition was that if Tywin knew about the Mountain's rescue and he was forced to flee, he hoped that the North could take him in and give him a place to settle down. I agreed to the Mountain.”

Jon immediately understood: “Father, the Mountain wants Sansa to marry someone close to him?”

“Yes, Ser Reynard Westerling of the Crag, the heir to the Crag, an ancient and noble family known for its etiquette and honor. Reynard's younger sister, Jeyne Westerling, is the Mountain's duchess.”

“I see. I hope Sansa can take a liking to Ser Reynard.” Jon's tone showed a rare hint of ease for the first time.

A trace of mist appeared in Eddard's eyes. It wasn't worry for Sansa. The Mountain's letter mentioned Sansa's fondness for Ser Reynard. Reynard was a young noble, a future Earl, loyal, righteous, and good at fighting. His status could match Sansa Stark. He thought of his other daughter, Arya, whose whereabouts were still unknown: “Jon, since the Mountain is a chosen one, I think he may know some news about Arya.”

“Didn't the Mountain tell Father anything about Arya?”

“No. I always wanted to ask him, but I finally suppressed the impulse and didn't ask. Perhaps there are some things that he actually knows in his heart, but for some reason, he didn't take the initiative to tell me.”

Eddard's words were very euphemistic, containing an ominous aura. Eddard usually refused to face this issue, but Jon felt that it should no longer be avoided: “Father, we should take the initiative to ask the Mountain. Even if Arya is gone, we can get a definite answer.”

“Arya will be fine,” Eddard said without any confidence. This was an iron man who was as strong as a rock, but when he mentioned his youngest daughter, his inner fragility was impossible to hide.

Coco cocoa!

There was a rapid knock on the door.

“What's the matter?”

“Lord Eddard, Bran Stark is requesting an audience.”

“Let him in.”

The door opened, and Bran Stark sat in a wheelchair. Pushing the wheelchair was the girl Meera Reed. Her father, Howland Reed, was the only survivor of the Tower of Joy battle besides Eddard Stark, and also Eddard's private confidant, the most trustworthy vassal among old friends, guarding the Neck for the Eddard family.

Meera Reed pushed the wheelchair in. Bran Stark, sitting in the wheelchair, had a face like the frozen soil of the North, without a trace of human warmth or atmosphere.

A three-eyed raven perched on Bran's shoulder, tilting its head back and forth, its eyeballs turning flexibly.

The black raven with three eyes, no matter how you look at it, revealed a faint strangeness.

“Father, Jon, the White Walkers will attack Hearthstone tonight. We must leave now.”

Jon looked at Bran. At the moment he met Bran, he rushed forward excitedly to hug Bran, but Bran did not respond to his enthusiasm. At that moment, Jon felt Bran's unfamiliarity with him, which made him very uncomfortable.

Eddard also had the same strange sense of alienation from Bran Stark, as if this child was no longer Bran, but someone else.

“Bran, Jon has scouted the White Walkers. They are still a day's ride away from here. The army of wights does not march quickly. They need three days to reach here on foot,” Eddard said.

“Father, their target this time is me. All the White Walkers who came are riding horses, only eleven riders, and there is also a magical creature: an ice spider.” (In the original work, Old Nan told the story of the White Walkers, she said that in the winter, the White Walkers would come riding ice spiders.)

Eddard and Jon had only heard of ice spiders in legends about the White Walkers.

“We didn't find any ice spiders at the Wall,” Jon said.

“Jon, the human race has revived dragons and fire wyrms, which are the highest magical creatures. The magic spells of the pyromancers in King's Landing have also all been revived. In the Land of Always Winter, the White Walkers' highest magical creature, the ice spider, has also appeared. Their speed in the snow is like a galloping horse. Ice spiders are the size of small horses, and dragon crystal weapons are their nemesis. There are three ice spiders that have been following the Night King, but the Night King has never used them. The Mountain brought the dragon to the North, and the Night King sent an ice spider and eleven White Walkers to raid Hearthstone. Their goal is to kill me.”

“Why are they targeting you?” Jon asked.

“I am the Three-Eyed Raven, inheriting all the abilities of the green seer Brynden Rivers. I know the secrets of the White Walkers. My warging ability can see the past and also see fragments of the future. The White Walkers want to destroy this world, rule this world, and turn the world into only one winter. The Night King needs to kill the memory of this world and kill those who know the secrets of the White Walkers. Father, Jon, we don't have time anymore, please send the fastest cavalry to escort us away from Hearthstone together.”