Jon
He silently watched from the window as two cloaked figures climbed the stairs to their chambers, and he wanted to laugh at their attempt at stealth. Even old Uncle Aemon could tell that these two were women, of which there were only three currently in Castle Black. Since Melisandre was locked in her chambers by his orders, it must have been his sister and her female warrior. Of course, he already knew this, and turned to face the other man in the room, who was busy feeding his bird a strip of meat, making Jon momentarily yearn for Mormont's old crow. He threw this feeling aside and asked:
"Are you certain that she mentioned the name Baelish?"
"Yes, King Crow, your sister called him Lord Baelish. Said he had an army of Knights of the Vale, as well as a her uncle in some place called Riverrun, just waiting to help her."
"Do you know where Baelish is now? Was he with anyone else?"
"He is probably still in Mole's Town with only a few guards, and they appeared to be uncomfortable in the weather."
Jon nodded and then walked over to his desk. He took a moment to reflect on his memories and brainstorm ideas for how to proceed. After some contemplation, he stopped thinking and began to speak.
"Take approximately thirty-six men and travel to Mole's Town. Eliminate all of Baelish's guards and ensure that no one, regardless of their identity, escapes the town. If they put up a fight, eliminate them as well. However, refrain from killing Baelish, but also avoid bringing him to this location. Keep him close by in the nearby forest. Additionally, thoroughly search through all of his possessions and gather everything for me, including his written documents and correspondence. If necessary, thoroughly search the building. Depart immediately."
Jarick the wildling raised his eyebrows in surprise, but remained silent as he exited the room, leaving Jon to his thoughts once again. He glanced at where his sister was staying and frowned at her poor timing. He and Davos had been prepared to leave when she and the others arrived at Castle Black, causing them to postpone their departure while they recovered. Despite being grateful that a family member was still alive, he couldn't help but feel some resentment towards Sansa for not being one of his other siblings. Their lack of relationship growing up made it difficult for him to accept her embrace, similar to how she would with Robb or Bran. He couldn't shake the feeling that this Sansa was the same as the one he knew, only here because she had no other options. However, he was willing to see how much he could trust her, if she trusted him. After gearing up, he made his way to Sansa's room with Ghost by his side. Brienne of Tarth hesitated before allowing him entry, and he noted the disapproving look on his sister's face as he entered without invitation. Not concerned with formalities, Jon directly asked her about their trust.
"Why did you go to Mole's Town with just one guard?"
"Excuse me?"
Jon sighed when he saw her defenses raise, so he decided to approach this situation with a more patient style. He took a seat opposite her, observing her flinch upon seeing his grey eyes.
"Sansa, you are aware that Roose Bolton will likely search the Wall and me as the first place to find you, correct? It is possible that he already has men on their way here. We were worried when no one knew your whereabouts. Can you explain why you went there?"
"I conducted some business at that location."
Jon stared at her without blinking.
"What business."
Finally, he witnessed Sansa snapping and spitting out.
"There is nothing that my half-brother needs to worry about."
There must have been something on his face that indicated fear and a slight hint of regret, which was evident on his sister's face, although he didn't care. He believed she couldn't be relied upon.
"Jon, I apologize, I did not intend to do that."
"Enough, it doesn't matter. That's not why I came to talk to you. When you were in King's Landing, did you ever meet a man named Janos Slynt?"
"Yes, he was captain of the Golden Cloaks until Tyrion sent him to the Wall. He is here?"
"No, I executed him because he refused to follow orders. However, like many others, he hated me and always liked to brag about certain things. It turned out that he was involved in our father's betrayal and arrest."
"Then I hope he suffers."
Jon smiled as he remembered how Longclaw swung down and cleanly separated the blubbering head from the shoulders. He was pleased to have been given a reason to do so.
"He liked to brag about how he and Baelish had plotted with Cersei on how to betray their father while he was drunk."
Jon carefully observed as the words sank in for his sister, watching the cup slip from her grasp and crash to the ground as she gaped at him in disbelief.
"Did you say Baelish?"
"Oh, you know him? Slynt said he was the one who first came up with the plan to give his father a false sense of security by giving him the City Watch. Other two brothers confirmed his story, saying he was the man who held the knife to his father's throat in the throne room.''
Sansa moved away, displaying a horrified expression on her face. Jon, on the other hand, maintained a stoic expression, a skill he excelled at. Although Slynt had never boasted about it directly to Jon, he had heard others discussing the matter, and Satin had confirmed it with those who were present when Slynt was intoxicated. Considering that the other Jon Snow was known for being a terrible liar and valuing honor above all else, Jon assumed it would not be difficult to persuade others as long as he spoke. The idea of his uncle lying and everyone unquestioningly believing him now seemed much more logical.
"I need to get back to Mole City."
He spoke softly just as Sansa was about to reach the door, causing her to abruptly stop in her tracks.
"To kill Baelish or to warn him?"
"I am unsure of what you are referring to.
Jon stood up, his gaze cold, and despite the presence of fire in the room, he could still feel the Wall surrounding him. It was strange how such a dreadful place could provide him with such assurance. A part of him would long for the Wall and the Watch, but that longing was not relevant in this moment.
"Stop lying, Sansa. I know you went to see Baelish in Moletown, and I know what you were talking about. I hope you know that he is already dead, I sent some wildlings there to kill him as soon as you return. "
"Jon! He's the Lord Paramount of the Vale, you can't just go around killing people like that."
He chuckled, once again finding amusement in how easily he could deceive his sister.
"That's over now. That man was the worst. I don't need that, and I definitely don't want your uncle's help."
Sansa remained silent as her face transitioned from confusion to horror.
"Mother was correct; you do desire to seize Winterfell from us."
This time, he howled with laughter, the pain of being reminded of that woman transforming into dark humor. He hardly noticed Sansa taking a small step back.
"I don't care about your mother's opinions or past actions. She was often mistaken and her mistakes could fill many books. As children, I didn't desire Winterfell, I simply wanted a family. However, now I am claiming Winterfell because I have the power and desire to do so, and you cannot prevent me."
Surprisingly, that seemed to strengthen Sansa's resolve. She stood up straighter, which once again annoyed him due to her height advantage. She then spoke in a tone that he had always despised.
"No one will ever follow you. You are bastard, Snow. That name means nothing to the North."
"Three hundred years ago, the name Targaryen held no significance in Westeros. Do you really think they will support you now? They already had the opportunity to choose you, considering everyone is aware you have been in Winterfell all this time. It appears you are simply known as Sansa Lannister or Sansa Bolton to them."
When he began to walk out, it was his turn to pause at the doorway, and his voice softened slightly.
"I'm glad you're safe, and I cry for what happened to you, Sansa. Ramsay will die screaming because of this, as will Roose. I give you my word. But if you had trusted me with what you did in Mole Town, I would have fought for you as Lady of Winterfell."
Upon returning to his solar, he discovered eight trustworthy wildlings whom he stationed at his sister's door as guards. He did not trust her, nor did he trust any of the brothers at Castle Black. After a week passed, the men he had sent beyond the Wall returned with the wight corpses of Thorne, Yarwyck, Marsh, and another individual. Everyone, including his sister, reacted with disgust and stopped questioning his plan to reclaim Winterfell. Sansa offered her assistance, but Jon kept her at a distance due to her southern perspective. Eventually, he became frustrated and raised his voice at her, prompting Brienne to intervene.
"Sansa that's enough! This is not the South. You can't just march to Winterfell and take it and expect everyone to come to the castle and swear allegiance on the spot. The Starks are in the North. They earned that loyalty not because they were called Warden of the North. We need to take it back, because just like Snow... , because Stark doesn't mean what it once did."
Sansa was about to respond when Ed, out of breath, rushed into the room holding a scroll with a familiar sigil on it. Jon checked to confirm that Sansa was still present in the room, recalling the previous encounter with the letter. He took a moment to catch his breath before unfolding the scroll and reading its contents. As he read, his anger intensified with every word, but this time, the chill from the Wall provided some solace, albeit only to a small extent.
"It seems that your husband is now Lord Bolton."
Suddenly, he ceased speaking when he reached the conclusion of the scroll. Regardless of the amount of ice flowing through his veins from the Wall, his sole sensation was intense anger, and his sole desire was for blood.
"Where is the messenger?"
"He's eating in the Shield Hall. Jon, you really need to write another letter, Jon!"
He could only hear the blood pounding in his ears and barely feel the cold without his cloak, but he sensed Ghost's presence nearby. Jon walked through the Mess Hall, ignoring the glances from the other brothers as he searched the room. In a corner, he saw the man who had delivered Ramsay's letter, hastily eating the food. Fueled by anger, Jon punched the man in the face and then stabbed his hand with a dagger, securing him to the table. Ghost approached from the other side, growling menacingly.
"Your liege lord betrayed and fatally stabbed my brother, yet you have the audacity to believe that you can seek refuge here and use the truce as a shield. You bring news of my younger brother being imprisoned, and somehow you believe that there will be no repercussions? Do you truly think that Guest Rights can offer you protection?
You have knowledge of the enemy, and you will tell us everything you know. But first, I will need to hear you scream."
The man attempted to grab the dagger that was stuck in his hand, but Jon twisted it, causing him to scream. As he leaned closer, Jon spoke in a hushed tone.
"Do you think skinning is torture? It must be pretty terrible, with all those sharp, clean steel knives Ramsay uses. I bet he heats them up until the meat slides right off and sizzles. I've spent some time. With savages, and they don't have castles of steel.They Hammered. They use bone knives and rusty bronze to skin their victims, if they don't eat them first, or do worse. And when they're done with you, you'll beg to be skinned alive."
He was vaguely aware of people attempting to call his name and the smell of urine and feces emanating from the man, but none of it was important. He persisted in speaking with his low, cold voice.
"I swear on my honor as a Stark that you will die by my hand. The timing of your death, whether it be today or weeks from now after the wildlings have had their way with you, depends on how much you talk."
The messenger spent the following hour shouting out everything he knew about the Boltons in Winterfell, which wasn't a lot, but Jon believed that every piece of information was valuable. Fortunately, not all of the Northern Lords were present at Winterfell this time, and the Frey army was absent as well. He briefly considered the Karstarks and their involvement with Stannis, but set it aside. The main question on his mind was the betrayal of the Umbers. GreatJon, who had declared Robb as King in the North, and SmallJon Umber, one of Robb's most trusted men and a member of his Northern Kingsguard, how could they have handed over Rickon? Eventually, he left the two Thenns to continue their interrogation, but warned them not to harm the messenger just yet. Exhausted, he finally returned to his office. Inside, he found a shocked Sansa, Davos, Tormund, Ed, and Melisandre, although she appeared unaffected. Jon didn't avert his gaze, but stared determinedly at the five of them.
"Ramsay currently has Rickon in his captivity. If you plan on criticizing me for my actions, just know that I will do whatever it takes to rescue my brother and seek revenge on Ramsay."
Sansa nodded briefly and silently handed Jon another scroll, although her hands were still shaking as she approached him. Jon eagerly grabbed it and started reading, only to find that instead of the anger he had expected based on the previous letter, he was only left feeling confused and slightly hopeful.
'It is important to note that House Umber, House Glover, House Mormont, House Manderly, and House Reed all recognize no ruler other than the King in the North, who happens to be a Stark by name. We are currently waiting at Queenscrown and have a highly significant letter from Robb intended exclusively for your perusal.
As your loyal bannerman, I remain ever faithful to you, Lord of Greywater Watch, Howland Reed.
P.S. Please avoid throwing the Will into the fire again.'