Song of A Northern Sorcerer

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Waking the next morning was a slightly more painful than normal process for Nox. Despite the shutters to his room being shut, the sun not yet cresting the horizon, and the fact that he was blind, the dim light shining on his unseeing eyes was far too bright. "Force," Nox murmured to himself as he slowly sat upright, only to immediately flop back down on his bed as he was hit with a wave of vertigo and nausea. "How much did I have to drink last night?"

"I believe the better part of a barrel of ale, Master Nox."

It was a testament to his state that he hadn't even realized that he wasn't alone in his room. With reflexes honed during the Trials of Korriban and his life after, Nox made to lash out with the Force towards the location of the voice in his room. The startled gasp made him pull back, just before the full force of his power could impact the other person in his room. "Nyra?" he half questioned as he painfully forced himself upright in his bed.

"Y–Yes, Master Nox," she answered, her voice shaky.

Cursing his reflexes, Nox placed his hand to his head and used the Force to purge the lingering effects of the alcohol still in his system. "I'm sorry about that," he said, rising to his feet and feeling far better than he had a moment before.

"I – I should be the one apologizing," Nyra muttered, her voice still slightly shaking. "I – I shouldn't have snuck into your room while you slept and startled you so, Master Nox. But what…what was that? It felt…so cold. Like – Like I was staring into the darkness of night. I – I –"

Reaching out to her, Nox laid a hand on each of her shoulders. Despite having stayed in Winterfell for nearly a month before heading out to the Iron Islands and having her be his unofficial shadow, he hadn't really taken the time to truly see her. She was younger than him, but only by a few years. Her face was narrow, her chin pointed, and her long black hair was tied back behind her head. She may not have been the most beautiful woman physically, but she wasn't unattractive in the slightest. But that was only part of what drew his interest in her. She had a strength within her. She wasn't Force sensitive, but there was still a strength within her that was shouting to be free. And that strength drew her to him.

Cupping her jaw with his right hand, Nox carefully let the Force flow through him and into her, soothing away her fear and the cold grip of the darkness that'd entrapped her. Once he'd felt her free from the grip of the dark side, he broke contact with her and stepped back.

Her body shifted forward as if searching for his touch. "Gods," she breathed, her breath coming in short rasps as she oriented herself. "That…That was…What did you do?"

"Chased the darkness away," he answered.

It was a trick he'd learned with Ashara when he first began to teach her the ways of the Sith. As Ashara was a Jedi, or rather a Padawan, she was heavily versed in the light almost to the point where touching the darkness would leave her a trembling mess. And as he had no use for a quivering Apprentice who couldn't touch the dark side, he was left with two options. Ditch her or develop a technique to help drive off the darkness when it became too much for her. And to this day, he didn't regret his decision.

"It felt…" Nyra murmured before shaking her head. "Sorry, Master Nox. It…It wasn't my place to make you-"

"There is nothing to apologize for." Nox countered, giving her a smile. "And please stop calling me 'Master Nox'. It's just Nox for you."

Nyra's smile brightened not only her face, but her presence in the Force to the point where she was almost shining. "Nox." She replied, as if testing out the name on her lips. "Is…Is there anything you need for your fast? Or anything I can get for you?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "But thank you for the offer. Right now, I need to get the godswood well before young Robb and Jon arrive for their first day of training under me."

"Very well Mas – Nox," Nyra said, bowing slightly to him as she slowly backed up towards the door. "If there is anything, and I mean anything, that I can do for you please ask. It is my honor and privilege to serve you."

Watching her leave, Nox couldn't help but notice the slight swing she put into her hips as she walked out of the room. "Force," he breathed, calling on his training in self-control to take care a certain problem that had arisen by her sauntering. "How long has it been that that is all it takes?"

Once he'd managed to get his baser urges under control, Nox donned his robes and set out towards the godswood, which by order of Lord Stark, would be where Jon and Robb would be undergoing their training. 'Once again, I have to admit that Lord Stark has surprised me.' Nox thought as he made his way out of the great keep. The cold northern air made him pause momentarily as he adjusted to the slight change in temperature. 'He is far more cunning that he appears. While the godswood is open to the citizens of Winterfell, there is only one true way in and one true way out. And that is through a guarded entrance. By training the boys in the godswood, he can control who knows what exactly their training will entail. And while he announced his intentions last night for Jon and Robb to train under my tutelage, he never specified just what I would be training the boys in. He still needs quite a bit of work, but at least he isn't a fool like many of the southern lords believe him to be.'

As he made his way past the guards and into the godswood proper, he began running what he planned to use to the teach the boys as he walked amongst the trees. 'I cannot train them like I was. They are not acolytes of Korriban. If I were to treat them thusly, then at the very least one of the boys would have to die at the hands of the other before their training could be considered complete. Something that I am sure Lord Stark, nor any of the Lords in this land, would approve of. Maybe except for Tywin. But no, I can use aspects of the Trials of Korriban, but they will not be the central point of the boy's training.'

In this, Nox considered himself fortunate considering his past apprentices. His first apprentice, and love, Ashara had nearly been a Jedi before he killed her instructors and took her under his tutelage. And as much as he taught her in matters of the dark side, she too taught him much of the light side of the Force. And his second apprentice, Xalek, was a true Kaleesh warrior who almost had more in common with the Mandalorians than he did with the Sith. Both, along with his own experience coming up through the Sith ranks, had given him a relatively unique appreciation towards how to train an individual. But still, training Robb and Jon would be a far cry than training Ashara or Xalek, or any of his other underlings he'd collected over the years. Robb and Jon would be the first two who would be becoming his acolytes without any prior experience. Meaning he'd have to start at the very beginning of what the Force was and what it meant to use the light side and the dark side of the Force.

By the time he reached the center clearing before the weirwood, he had a general idea about how to begin Jon's and Robb's Force training. But as he stepped through the trees, he found that he wasn't the first one to arrive this morning. Lord Stark was sitting on the large rock facing the weirwood with his back towards Nox. "Lord Stark," Nox greeted the man, making the Lord of Winterfell turn his head. "I hadn't expected to see you here this early."

"Nor I you," Stark replied. "The sun has barely crested the horizon."

Shrugging, Nox stepped up beside Stark. "I don't sleep much. And through the Force, one can forgo much sleep and still be at their peak."

Stark nodded absentmindedly. "I think I shall have need of such a technique if nights like last continue."

Reaching out to Stark through the Force, he found that despite being awake, Stark was barely conscious. His body was fatigued and his mind drained. "Lady Stark keep you awake all night in her welcoming you home?" he asked teasingly.

Stark huffed, a wave of unpleasant emotions rolling off him as he did. The most obvious of which was a general sense of self-loathing, which was accompanied with a quick flash of deep violet eyes. "Partially. But I found myself…troubled and unable to rest afterwards for my dreams refused to let me rest."

That got Nox's attention. The Force often manifested itself in strange and mysterious ways. But none was more prominent than when it manifests during one's dreams. "What kind of dreams, if you do not mind my asking."

Stark took his time before answering. "You may, and in fact, you might be able to help. I dreamt of the throne room within the Red Keep. At first, I thought I was merely dreaming of the nightmare that was the sacking of King's Landing, but this was something different. It felt so much more…real than any previous dream. I could almost command what I was doing in the dream. I'd looked around, and I didn't recognize a single person in the room. And on the Throne was a deformed creature wearing an…animal skin to try and hide itself. I remember speaking and hearing others speak, but I don't remember a word of what was said. And then…a sense of death and betrayal as a dagger was held to my throat. And then nothing but darkness."

Nox knew there and then exactly what it was. Stark had had a Force premonition in his sleep. "And what do you think this…dream of yours was, Lord Stark?"

Stark turned towards him, his very essence searching for answers. "Starks before I have had such dreams, as have others, Daenys the Dreamer perhaps being the most prominent example in history. My ancestors called them 'wolf dreams', and some say that King Torrhen Stark had such a dream the night before he decided to bend knee to Aegon the Conqueror. But I take it that, as the wolf's blood is more than it seems, so too are these wolf dreams."

"And you would be correct." Nox nodded, taking a step past Stark and towards the weirwood. "In my culture, they're known as Force visions. They can occur during a deep state of meditation and can be narrowed in scope by a well-practiced individual. Or, in your case, they can come and go during sleep or meditation but with no sense of control to what you're seeing, let alone where or when."

"But they are the future, are they not?"

"No," Nox denied almost immediately. "At least, not entirely. For the future is always in motion, and the only thing certain about the future is uncertainty. And such dreams or visions should be taken with a grain of salt. For if they are taken too literally, then the recipient may inadvertently create the very scenario they witnessed by trying to prevent it. I guess what I'm saying is that while Force visions should not be ignored, they shouldn't be considered as an absolute."

Stark went silent, the only noise the rustling of the leaves as the wind blew through the godswood. "That is why you have stayed in the North, isn't it?" Stark asked seemingly out of nowhere. "You had one of these Force visions, did you not? Something that showed you that you needed to stay here instead of heading anywhere else."

Again, Nox was impressed with the level of insightfulness displayed by the Warden of the North. 'Those foolish lords in the South think that he oblivious. And while he might be oblivious about some things, he is keen. Very keen. Lying won't work with him, not now. But I doubt he'd appreciate the full vision I received. Or he will overreact to it.'

"Yes, I did," Nox confirmed. "The morning of my first day here in Winterfell, I felt a pull from the Force. A pull that led me to this very spot. And when I stood before the weirwood, I was nearly struck blind. For the tree was shining in the Force like a beacon in the dead of night. Next thing I knew, I was thrown into a vision where I watched as a darkness emanating from the far north claimed the land. And just before the darkness was able to claim total victory, the vision started over as a new series of events played out. I do not know just how long I stood here watching countless potential futures flashed before my eyes, but in each one the darkness was able to conquer the land. Until the last vision I had. In this vision, the darkness failed. The specifics are lost to me as to what specifically led to the fall of the darkness, but there is one thing I know for certain. And that is without a strong North, the darkness will win. And the North can only be strong when under the leadership of the wolves of the North."

He could feel Stark's curiosity peak. "So that is why you are staying? To help House Stark grow strong to fight whatever darkness is approaching? But didn't you just say that these visions show not often be taken as truth?"

"I said the untrained should take Force visions with a grain of salt, Lord Stark," Nox corrected, turning back to Stark. "But I have been trained, for a long time and have delved deeper into the mystery that is the force than you can possibly imagine. But having said that, I too am apprehensive on taking some visions too seriously. But this vision, this was something else completely. Something that I'm still trying to figure out. And after seeing so many possibilities…it is a puzzle. But before you start thinking that I'm a selfless man whose doing this to better your House alone, let me quell those thoughts. For I too now live in this land. And if the darkness that I saw consumes this land, I too shall be consumed. And that is not something that I want to have happen. So, you see, by strengthening the North and House Stark specifically, I increase my own odds of surviving what is coming."

"That is…strangely reassuring," Lord Stark remarked, his words echoing the feelings emanating from him. "Do you know what this 'darkness' is? Or when it will attack?"

Shaking his head, Nox answered honestly. "No. And no. The darkness clouded my vision, which is…unusual to say the least. I was unable to see what this darkness was or when it will come. But we have time, that much I know for certain. Time to prepare. Years. Maybe even a decade or two."

Rising to his feet, Lord Stark stepped up beside Nox as the two men faced the weirwood. "I cannot ask my bannermen to ready for a threat that we don't even know truly exists. But for what it is worth, I believe you. The old gods only know why. But I believe you."

"And you have my thanks for saying such, Lord Stark."

"Ned."

Turning, Nox faced Stark. "Pardon?"

"Ned." Lord Stark said, turning towards him and holding out his hand. "My family and those I hold closest to me call me Ned."

Taking the offered hand, Nox gave Ned a grin, and as he did, he felt a slight shift in the Force. And judging by the slight tightening of Ned's hand, he felt it as well. "You felt that as well, didn't you?" he asked, to which Ned nodded. "Good. That means that we are on the right path. And our journey forward truly begins today."

"Aye," Ned nodded letting go of his hand. "I guess it does. Robb, Jon. Quit hiding behind that tree and come out. I thought I told you boys it wasn't polite to spy on conversations that were not for your ears."

Across the clearing, there was a sudden rustling of leaves and branches as first Robb then Jon sheepishly stepped out from behind the tree they were hiding behind. 'He's getting better at sensing presences. Remarkable progress for one his age and with such limited education in matters of the Force. If only I had managed to get to him when he was younger.'

"Sorry, father," both boys said almost simultaneously.

Accepting their apology, Ned turned to Nox. "I leave my sons in your hands, Master Nox. But I expect to be kept appraised of their progress and I want to be informed before their training turns too…physical in the future."

"As you wish," Nox nodded. "And by all means, you are welcome to stay as well. I'm sure you will be able to pick up a few tricks if you do."

"Would that I could," Ned sighed good naturedly. "But someone has to run the North. Boys, listen well to Master Nox and do exactly as he says."

Both Robb and Jon nodded vigorously. "Yes, father!"

With his peace said, Ned walked down the path towards the gate, leaving the three of them in the center of the godswood. "Come boys." Nox said, motioning towards the rock between the reflecting pool and the weirwood. "We have much to talk about today."

Both boys were almost bursting with excitement as they all but scrambled over one another in order to take a seat first. "Master Nox, are we going to learn that lifting trick you do with your hand today? Or that thunder and lightning magic Lord Umber was talking about last night? Or how to see these…visions you and father were talking about? Or are you going to teach us how to fight like you do?"

'Ah, youth. Always so eager to learn,' Nox thought with a rueful smile. 'We'll see just how long this youthful eagerness lasts once their training truly begins.'

"Eventually, yes. But not today. Nor tomorrow. No, first I must give you both an understanding of the Force. Which means for the first month at least we will be going over philosophy, history, tactics, and different aspects of the Force before you even begin to learn how to utilize it."

Both boys' excitement dampened significantly at that. "But that is all boring." Robb complained.

"To some, perhaps. But it is a necessary step. But if you are unwilling to the time to gain a foundation, then you will never be able to properly utilize the Force. And if so, then it is not worth my time to teach you and the path out is right over there. But if you take it, I must truly question whether or not you are capable of becoming the next Warden of the North after your father and will be informing him as such."

Both boys ceased their complaints. "Ready to listen now?" He asked, to which both boys nodded. "Good. Today we will start with the basics. The Force, as it is called, is not so easily defined. It is everything, and nothing. It is all around us. It surrounds us, penetrates us, binds us. Think of it like a river that runs through all things. And you two and I are stones in this river. We can divert the Force and bend it to our will, but only to a certain extent. And there are two aspects to the Force. The light side and the dark side. Both of which can be utilized by those who are capable."

Jon's hand tentatively rose. "Um, Master Nox…why would anyone want to use something…dark?"

"It has to do with philosophy, Jon," Nox answered. "I assume then that you two believe that because there are light and dark aspects of the Force that you both immediately categorized them as good and evil respectively, no?"

Both boys timidly nodded their heads. "Then would it surprise you both to learn that I was raised and taught the dark side of the Force almost exclusively until I met my wi – my first apprentice?"

Both boys' eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "But you're not evil!" Jon all but shouted. "You – You saved me. You – You can't be dark."

"And that is the first thing we must eliminate. Your preconceived notions on what is good and what is evil," Nox lectured. "Both the light and dark sides of the Force can be used for good, or evil pending on your point of view. While it is far more complicated than what I'm about to say, the difference between the two can be summarized as thus. The light side focuses on peace and tranquility, while the dark side encourages strong emotions and domination. The true path lies in subscribing to both sides of the Force to a degree. You cannot allow yourself to fall too far into one aspect or the other. Fall too far into the light side, and you will become an emotionless husk of a person who cares for nothing, not even his own kin. I've seen those who've fallen so far into the light that they simply sat there emotionlessly as unspeakable acts of evil were happening around them, and they didn't lift a finger to stop it.

"On the other hand, the dark side can be just as treacherous. Fall too far into the dark side, and you will become a slave to your emotions, especially the strong emotions like hatred and desire. You'll begin lashing out at anything and everything you deem a threat to yourself, even if it is not. And in the end, you will become little more than a malformed monster that cares for nothing but your own power."

Pausing, he let his words sink in before continuing. "Both sides of the Force have codes of conduct to help emphasize that aspect of the Force. Now listen well and commit these codes to your memory, for we will be going over them and their meaning frequently in the months to come. The light side, or the Jedi Code is thus. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force. And Sith Code of the dark side is thus. Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I grain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me. Now, I hope you two listened well. Because we will be going through each of these codes, one line at a time, and discussing them."