King Jon was a rare sight for nearly a week. It seemed the only time Daenerys, Sansa or anyone else could meet him without feeling rushed was in the early morning. After he woke he would leave Winterfell to have Rhaegal light a torch he carried back to the forge he and Gendry worked at all day, adding it to the embers.
Daenerys had taken to using that time, speaking with Jon as they walked to meet with the dragons. Though Jon had yet to take Daenerys to bed, they'd shared many a kiss when they had moments alone, often under the eyes of their dragons. She'd invited Sansa a few times, even managed to get her to pet Viserion, the most docile of the dragons.
After that he would spend his mornings in the forge, even when Gendry broke fast with Arya in the great hall. Daenerys and Sansa had taken to breaking fast together. Since their first time together when Sansa told him she wouldn't be hurt by his missing supper he often skipped meals or arrived late. He'd apologized to Daenerys, but by then Sansa had explained her understanding of the situation. Most nights would end with the three of them speaking one of their solars. Again Sansa had taken to excusing herself or finding ways to politely usher them off whenever she saw Jon struggling to stay awake.
It might have been frustrating if they didn't trust Jon had a reason to push himself as hard as he was. Sansa hoped to find him walking into the great hall one evening to present a sword so splendid it put every other to shame. Instead it was just past mid day when Sansa saw one of the maids returning from Jon's room with a bucket. Seeing her questioning look the maid informed her, "King Jon asked for a bath prepared in his room."
Instantly she knew whatever he'd been working on was done, otherwise he wouldn't have stopped. Sansa felt anxious as she made her way to his door and knocked. "Jon?"
"Don't enter!" That surprised her as she'd already been reaching for the handle. "If you can, give me about fifteen minutes and then call Davos, Gendry, Melisandre, Arya, Bran, Rickon, Lyanna Mormont, Brienne, Jaime Lannister, Daenerys and her advisers to the great hall. And have Tormund and Theon bring one of the wights."
Though a bit confused by the guests he asked for, Sansa nodded. "I will."
Leaving him to bathe and change into clean clothes she made her way through the castle informing all Jon had asked for. She found Arya stood against the wall outside Gendry's room with her arms crossed.
"Jon's called you and Gendry to the great hall in ten minutes."
"He's run in to go wash up," Arya said nodding toward Gendry's door. "This means they're done, right? Do you know what it is? I tried to peak after they left but Jon must have taken it with him."
"I think it's a new sword for Jon," Sansa said quietly. "He tried to give Longclaw back to Jorah, and now he's asked me to call on Lyanna. I think he means to give House Mormont back their family sword."
"You think he'd give up Longclaw?" Arya asked surprised.
"I think he'd feel he has to," Sansa said sadly, knowing how much Jon cared for the blade. It was gifted to him by a man he looked up to and had saved him time and time again against not only men that wanted to kill him but wights and White Walkers.
Arya frowned. "He is stupid enough to think that."
"Be there, okay?" Sansa asked, hurrying off as Arya nodded.
They all gathered in the great hall except for Jon and Gendry while Theon, Tormund and the dothraki Dirgo helped bringing in the wight. When Jon and Gendry arrived they brought a large bundle of cloth they set on the high table.
"We'll need nine pieces," Jon told the men near the wight.
Dirgo drew his arakh while Theon and Tormund held the wight by his chains, letting one of his hands loose. Once it was severed and on the ground, Jon reached into the bundle before making his way to the center. The others had backed away to give him room, but their eyes were quickly drawn to the dark, smokey blade he carried, the hilt wrapped in a cloth.
Pressing his boot to the wrist, he stabbed the back of the hand and it stilled, Jon letting out a relieved sigh, looking as if a weight had fallen from his shoulders. Off to the side, Gendry let out his own relieved breath. Their work wasn't for naught.
Jon looked to the others. "This is of the first batch of new valyrian steel weapons, the first since the Doom of Valyria. More will come in time, but for now there are nine."
While they all looked impressed, the revelation was news to Jaime, Lyanna and Tormund. The rest had known what they were working on. Jon made his way to where they all stood off to the side, coming to a stop in front of Rickon.
"You'll be the head of House Stark soon," Jon said placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Rickon stared up at him as he stood straight and nodded. "Ice was stolen from our father and reforged, but now it defends Sansa and will help us during the Long Night."
Jaime and Brienne shared a look, the male knight looking solemn as his false hand rested on the pommel of Widow's Wail. He'd offered it to the Starks, but Jon had suggested he kept it at least until the end of the war.
"For now, let this be the sword of House Stark," he said removing the cloth around the hilt and presenting the sword to Rickon.
They all gawked at the blade as the boy stared at it, carefully taking it from Jon. His eyes trailed down the blade before examining the hilt. It had a simple, slightly curved hilt not unlike Robb's back when he was king but with a white hilt and a black stone direwolf head pommel with chips of emeralds for eyes.
"Shaggy," Rickon said with a somber smile.
"I hope that's not it's name," Jon teased.
Rickon laughed, looking up to him with a sniff as he took the hilt in hand and gave a longsword a quick slash. Looking it over, he smiled. "Wolf Fang."
With a squeeze of Rickon's shoulder Jon nodded, backing away as Arya and Sansa crowded around him. Even Bran smiled from his chair when Rickon turned to show him the blade, though he blinked in confusion when he felt something small hit him. Looking to the object that landed in his lap, Bran saw a small silver direwolf head with topaz eyes.
"If you ever want one made for you, just ask and that will be it's pommel."
Bran looked it over, brushing his thumb across it as if petting Summer's head before smiling at Jon. "Thank you."
Jon looked to the men holding the wight, and then gave Gendry a nod as they cut off the rest of the wight's left arm. "As of yesterday, I've legitimized Gendry of House Baratheon and named him head of his house."
Gendry smiled at Jon before pulling a war hammer from the bundled cloth. The shaft was about as long as his arm and barely half as thick, with hoofed pommel. Atop it all was a dark valyrian steel head with a slight point at the front and a spike on the back where the horns from the stag head engraved on either side met.
They watched Gendry turn the hammer in his hand, wielding it one handed with ease and bringing the flat side down on the wight, letting the back spike pierce the hand, making it still. Holding it up he looked to Arya who was grinning at him and said sheepishly, "Hartstine."
"Certainly a name worthy of a Baratheon weapon," Davos said with an approving nod.
"Dirgo," Jon called out as Gendry approached the high table and set his hammer down. The Dothraki arched his brow at Jon. "You're one of the Khalessi's ko, is that correct? One of her most trusted ko, as well?"
After glancing at Daenerys, Dirgo nodded. "I am," he said with a heavy accent.
Jon waved his right hand and motioned to the wight. When Dirgo brought his arakh through the wight's forearm, Jon approached and held out an arakh with lighter steel than the others so far, but holding the distinct ripples of valyrian steel. The pommel was a bronze horse head with hoofed legs as the cross guard.
All looked surprised, but none more so than Dirgo himself. "This mine?" he asked warily.
"You're one of the men most trusted by my queen to be," Jon said with a smile, presenting the sword. "I can't ask you to protect her without being able to do so properly."
Dirgo took the sword, his chest puffing slightly as he gave Jon a firm nod while Jon motioned for him to test it on the hand. With a swift slash, the blade cut through the hand which stilled. Looking over the blade he bowed his head, "Thank you, Khal Jon."
Daenerys smiled as she met Jon's eyes when he turned, calling back to Dirgo, "Be careful not to use that one when you sever both knees next."
Dirgo laughed, carefully sliding the valyrian steel blade into his belt and using his normal arakh to slash through the wight's legs. Theon and Tormund held the wight up by his chains before setting him down on the stumps of his knees.
"Gray Worm," Jon called out.
Missandei gasped while Gray Worm went wide eyed, looking to Daenerys, who nodded and waved him off.
The Unsullied moved forward to present himself. Jon tucked his left arm under the cloak, flipping the sword in his right to present the hilt to the soldier. It was a short sword like most of the Unsullied used as side arms with a light gray rippled blade, but with dragon wings on the cross guard and a single broken chain link for a pommel.
Gray Worm stared at the weapon for a moment before looking to Jon, who nodded toward the wight's severed legs. Taking the short sword, Gray Worm moved to the left shin, stilling the foot.
When he turned he found Jon raising his left hand which held a short shaft with a long triangular spearhead not unlike the Unsullied used, though broken chains were engraved along the base.
"You can change the shaft," Jon said as Gray Worm looked it over. "This just made it easier to carry with the others."
Gray Worm took the short spear, running a hand across it before he turned and threw it at the right shin, which stilled instantly. Retrieving the spear he bowed to Jon. "Thank you, King Jon."
"If you two decide on names," Jon said looking from Dirgo to Gray Worm as he returned to Missandei's side, "let me know."
When Dirgo answered almost instantly, Jon blinked, looking to Daenerys, who chuckled and translated, "Grasscutter."
Showing his weapons to Missandei, Gray Worm answered in Valyrian which Missandei translated as, "Unbinder and Lock Piercer."
Jon motioned toward the wight's legs again, and they lifted him, letting Dirgo sever both legs above the thigh. They watched as Jon removed a bastard sword and spin it in his hand while walking over to stab and still one of the legs. Pressing his boot into the rotted flesh to pull it off the tip, he pat the pommel of Longclaw at his side as he looked to Lyanna Mormont.
"When I was at the Wall, Jeor trusted me with the sword of House Mormont. It's stayed with me as I traveled beyond the wall, as I went from crow to wildling and back again, it cut through wights and White Walkers and men to keep me alive. I can never thank Jeor for what he gave me even beyond Longclaw… but I can make sure House Mormont isn't without valyrian steel."
Arya, Daenerys and Sansa looked surprised as Jon removed the cloth from the hilt and held the sword out for Lyanna Mormont. Her eyes widened as she looked over the sword with a blade similar to Longclaw but with a dark gray cross guard, green hilt and black bear head pommel with garnet chips for eyes.
Lyanna glanced over to Jorah who looked at the girl with a solemnly proud smile. Looking back to Jon she asked. "Are you certain?"
"You're the head of House Mormont," Jon said with a nod. "It's yours to do with as you wish, but it is yours, and I've no doubt should you come to wield it they'll run if fear of the she-bear of the north."
A smile flickered across Lyanna's lips as she carefully took the sword. "Few things are as fierce as a mother bear protecting her children. Let Mother's Might protect the north," Lyanna said turning to Jorah, "in the hands of a northern knight."
Jorah's brow knit as he shook his head. "Are you certain, my lady?"
"I can't wield it yet," she said firmly, "so use it to guard the King and his betrothed in my place. You can return it to Bear Island when you return from the war."
Daenerys beamed with pride as Jorah knelt and took the blade from Lyanna with a nod. "I thank you, Lady Mormont, and vow to do all I can to bring honor to the house I shamed."
Lyanna gave him a nod, stepping back with a glance to Jon while Jorah got to his feet and gave him a small thankful nod.
Sansa was left wondering why Jon had been so evasive if he was just making another sword for House Mormont and not one for himself. She thought she found her answer when Jon opened the bundle for Gendry to remove a sword with a dark, narrow blade. At her side Arya let out a small gasp, her eyes wide Jon motioned for her. "Hopefully this can help where Needle can't."
She looked to Jon as she took the blade from Gendry. It was narrow for a longsword, not much bigger than the estoc Jon gave her years earlier. The blade was wider to have a cutting edge yet it didn't weigh much more than Needle since it was valyrian steel. The hilt had a simple cross guard but the pommel was a small gray wolf head with gold eyes.
Arya looked it over and Sansa grinned seeing her sister swiftly swipe at her eyes before the tears made it to her cheeks. Flipping the blade so the blade pointed behind her, Arya grabbed Gendry's neck and pulled him into a kiss. Sansa put a hand to her chest, proud of and happy for her sister while Jon looked away.
When Arya released the crimson faced Gendry, who turned his head away from Jon and everyone else in a mix of embarrassment and fear, she made her way toward Jon, setting the sword on the table. Sansa quickly called out, "You better not thank him like that too."
"Shut up," Arya called back, leaping up to wrap her arms around Jon's neck, the same way she had when he gave her needle. "You're the best brother ever."
"And you're the best sister ever," Jon said squeezing her tight before letting her down. "Now go test it."
Arya nodded, wiping her eye with a sniff before she spun around, snatching the sword from the table as she made her way to the last leg. She twirled the blade as nimbly as she had the catspaw Bran gave her, finally throwing it to her left hand and thrusting the moment she caught it, piercing the leg which went still.
Beaming, Arya made her way back to the others. "Now I have a Thread to go with my Needle."
Jon pulled another sword from the bundled cloth, the blade a light enough gray that it seemed almost silver in places as the light shifted against the ripples. It was slender but not as narrow as Arya's thread, more like a longsword forged for a woman. The room watched as he carried the sword straight to Daenerys, who stared at him.
"At Widow's Watch you told me of your admiration for Visenya," Jon said reaching for the cloth around the hilt of the sword. "It's no Dark Sister, but let this be there for you when I can't."
She was wide eyed as he removed the cloth and handed her the sword. She looked it over as the others gawked at her and the weapon. The cross guard was made from a bronze dragon to one side and a gold one on the other, meeting at the black and red hilt. The pommel was a black stone carved into a dragon head with small ruby chips for eyes.
Staring at the blade, Daenerys looked to Jon with tears in her eyes, shaking her head. "I…" She took a breath, smiling to him. "Thank you." He hadn't just given her a sword, but the first new valyrian steel sword belonging to House Targaryen since before Aegon's Conquest. It was the start of a new legacy for her house. Their house.
Jon motioned to where Dirgo had cut off the rest of the wight's right arm, stepping back to let her walk over and stab it. The dothraki stepped on the shoulder, letting her pull the blade free and look it over with a shaky breath before returning to the others. Tyrion was beaming before he arched his brow questioningly.
"I may not be able to make it sing as well as others," Daenerys said smiling from Tyrion to Jon, "but let them speak of my Dragon's Song."
Sansa was so busy smiling at Daenerys she didn't notice Jon take the final sword from the bundle until he was standing in front of her. Her eyes widened as she looked at the blade with light gray ripples. The silver cross guard looked to be undefined paws that curved upward slightly, but could be mistaken for feathers or wings. This one also had a white hilt, but the pommel was a gray wolf head with chips of topaz for eyes.
"Lady," she gasped. Daenerys' pleasant surprise softened as she remembered what they'd told her of the first Direwolf their family lost.
"I trust Brienne and your fireguard with your life, but I trust you above them all. I know you feel more secure wielding an actual needle and thread, but if we're to see this through I'd ask you keep this at your side when I can't be."
Sansa smiled, failing to hide her tears as she carefully took the sword from him. "Jon," she whispered, unsure what to say.
He motioned toward the wight, not little more than a torso. She looked from him to the wight and then the sword. Taking a breath she made her way over to the growling undead soldier and fixed her grip on the sword before thrusting it through the wight's chest. It stilled and crumbled when she yanked the blade free.
Sansa looked it over and turned to Jon wiping her cheek with a broad smile. "I've had so many ignore my tears, now let them fear Lady's Tear."