Song of A Northern Sorcerer

Leaning forward with his hands on his knees, the Lord of Winterfell gave Nox his undivided attention. "What can you do with this…Force? Is it possible for anyone to learn?"

Unfolding his hands from behind his back, Nox raised his right hand and reached out with the Force. On his command, several of the smaller rocks, no larger than a man's head, began to rise and circle around Nox and Lord Stark. The Lord of Winterfell watched with wide eyes as Nox guided the dozen or so rocks in between the two of them and began to stack them on top of each other. "Only those who are Force-sensitive can utilize the Force. Lifting rocks is merely the beginning and a good exercise for those who are learning," he explained. "But, as I said, lifting rocks is merely the beginning. You yourself used a typical Force technique the yesterday that all Force adepts learn: Force precognition. In short, the Force was allowing you to see glimpses of what was to come. That was how you knew when and where I was going to attack and how to counter it. And you've also been using another technique where you reach out through the Force to know your surroundings without seeing or hearing them. That is how you knew that I was approaching. As of now, you are using these abilities involuntarily and without focus. In time, you can hone these abilities to better utilize and control them."

"Unfortunately for you, while it is possible for you to learn some abilities, it is far too late for you to begin formal training. You're too old. Your mind is too set. Perhaps if you were younger or if you hadn't denied your connection with the Force for so long, it would be possible to fully train you. But now it is too late. Formal training must begin during the early years of a Force adept's life while their mind is still malleable. The longer one waits to begin the training, the harder it is to train their mind to do what must be done to utilize the Force."

The Lord of Winterfell appeared pensive as he kept his attention firmly on Nox. "But there are those who can learn here in Winterfell, is there not?"

"You catch on fast," Nox nodded. "Your children, and Jon, they are all Force sensitive. Jon is the most powerful, but there is no doubt that all of your children can be trained."

The wheels in Lord Stark's head were visibly turning as he sat there before the weirwood tree. Obviously, what Nox could offer was invaluable to him and his House's future. But despite the obvious benefit that the Force could offer, he could see that Stark was still hesitant. "And what does it take to teach someone this…Force?"

Rubbing at his chin, Nox could see clearly what Lord Stark's concerns were based around. Obviously, he could see the benefit, but his children had responsibilities as future Warden and Ladies of the North. They couldn't afford to spend all day everyday learning from Nox. "Learning to use the Force is a lifelong commitment, Lord Stark. But where I came from, those who were Force sensitive also had a heavy hand in the running of the Empire."

Leaning back on the rock, the Warden of the North looked intrigued. "Tell me what these lessons would entail and everything you can about the Force, and of your home. You said that you cannot return and that there is no possibility of those of your home coming to us, but I want to know as much as you can tell me about this…Empire of yours."

Manipulating the Force to arrange the rocks he'd been moving around into a place to sit, Nox sat down in front of Lord Stark. "That will take some time."

"My schedule is clear for the day." Lord Stark countered. "Now, talk."

The rest of the day passed with the two of them sitting in the godswood before the weirwood tree discussing the Force and aspects of the Sith Empire. When answering questions about the Empire, Nox kept his answers as vague as possible while constantly reassuring Lord Stark that there was no way that the Empire would ever grace the shores of the North or Westeros. Besides, he doubted that Lord Stark would truly believe him if he told the truth about the Sith Empire and that they could travel between the stars at will and controlled a fair portion of the known galaxy.

When it came to aspects of the Force, Nox was more forthcoming. Every question Lord Stark asked, Nox answered. He explained the differences between the light and dark sides of the Force. When he sensed the man's apprehension at the title of 'dark side', Nox spent quite a lot of time explaining how while there were a many aspects of the dark side that could be considered 'evil', it was all in the way that the Force was used. After all, a sword could be considered both good and evil pending how it was used. So too was the Force. And by utilizing both aspects of the Force, one could negate the negative aspects of each side to a high degree.

By the time the sun had nearly set, the two men had nearly exhausted almost all the Lord of Winterfell's questions, and now Lord Stark was silent as he sat staring off into the distance. "You've given me a lot to think on, Nox. I cannot say that I am ready to have my children learn this Art… But I am not saying that they will not either."

Nearly growling at the resistance of the man, Nox did his best to keep his anger in check. "Forgive my bluntness, Lord Stark, but that decision may no longer be yours to make."

Lord Stark turned sharply towards him, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Explain."

Folding his hands under his chin, Nox met the Lord of the North's grey eyes with his sightless eyes. "Jon and the others are all highly Force sensitive. Perhaps in another life they may have gone their whole lives without doing anything suspicious that couldn't be passed off as dumb luck. But now with my presence and your awakening to the Force, that option is no longer viable. Your children will learn. The Force will come out in them, whether you want it too or not. It will start with small, almost unnoticeable things. But eventually the children will begin to hear the Force calling out to them and they may start to experiment. At which point, if they do not have access to a proper instructor, they could become a hazard to themselves and others around them."

"And you are the only qualified 'instructor' in all of Westeros and Essos I take it?" Lord Stark questioned, or more correctly stated, with a harsh edge.

"Yes," Nox shot back simply. "Take it as you will, Lord Stark. But it was not my intention to come to this land nor to fall into your lap, nor to find that all your children can use the Force. Had I the choice, I would be back in my homeland, far away from here, and you and yours would remain completely oblivious. But I no longer have that choice. The Force brought me here, and now I am stuck here. So, I might as well do what I can while I'm here."

Lord Stark didn't say anything more as he continued to meet Nox's unseeing stare. "I need more time to decide. And I will say no more on the matter until I've reached a decision." Lord Stark declared.

Again, it was all Nox could do to keep his anger in check. 'He doesn't understand fully what I'm offering him and his children. I need to make an example…but how and where?' "As you wish."

Nodding, Lord Stark rose to his feet, prompting Nox to follow suit. "There is something else I wish to discuss with you. You sent a list of requested building materials to my steward. What are they for?"

'Good, he took the bait.' "First, tell me this, Lord Stark. Winter lasts for years here, does it not? If so, then why do you have so few greenhouses? Or glass gardens as you call them."

"Because Myrish glass is expensive. The expenditure to create another such garden would cost most of the revenue of the North." Lord Stark answered. "It is cheaper to buy our crops from overseas or from the south."

"In the short term perhaps, but not the long term," Nox countered. "But that's a topic for another time. You wanted to know what I need those materials for? It's simple. I'm going to give you and the North the means to create glass."

That brought the Lord of Winterfell up short. "You—You know how to make Myrish glass?"

"Myrish glass? No, can't say I do," Nox answered. "But I do know how to make glass. Perhaps of even higher quality than what's been used to create those glass gardens of yours."

Lord Stark was silent as he took in just what Nox was offering him and the people of the North. "If you can hold true on your promise, Nox…Then you will have made a friend of the North, and of me. And your place in the North will never be questioned again."

'Hook. Line. And sinker.' "Then I shall do my utmost to keep my word."

Nodding, Stark began heading towards the path leading out of the godswood before stopping after only a few steps. "Tell me. You were a…Sith in this Empire you were a part of? Did you have a title?"

Nox couldn't keep the smile off his face. He was beginning to get Stark to his side of things. "Yes. I was part of the Dark Council…Think of it as your Small Council here in Westeros. As such, my position allotted me several other titles: Lord, Darth, Master. Head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge. I held a lot of titles in my tenure."

"Master Nox," The Warden of the North stated, officially granting Nox said title as he turned back towards him. "I will see to it that what you've requested is delivered within a moon's turn. Keep true to your promise and offering, and I will see to it that some of your titles are restored."

"I assure you, my Lord Stark, I intend to keep true on my word," Nox bowed, deferring to the Lord of Winterfell.

Without another word, Lord Stark turned his back on Nox and made his way out of the godswood, leaving Nox alone.

Once he'd felt Lord Stark's presence completely leave the woods, Nox turned his attention to one of the rocks nearby. With barely a thought, the rock floated into the air, and then was pulverized into dust as Nox closed his fist. 'That…was infuriating,' Nox growled to himself as he banished the dust of what was once a rock to the air.

Part of him, the Sith part, wanted nothing more than to call Lord Stark back and dominate his mind and turn him to his way of thinking. 'With his Force attunement as it now stands, simple persuasion is out of the question. His mind was strong to begin with. But now with the Force aiding him, persuasion will be next to impossible. I'd have to outright dominate his mind and turn him into little more than a thrall. But such domination would destroy who he is, and what happened would soon become obvious to not only his family, but all of his vassals as well.'

However, another part, a part that Nox had thought destroyed until he'd met Ashara, was saying something completely different. 'No…She…She wouldn't approve of that.'

Many in the Sith Empire thought him weak for falling for Ashara. Not only because he'd truly fallen for her, his apprentice, but then there was the bonus of her being neither a human nor a Sith pureblood. But in truth, Nox didn't care what his Sith brethren thought. He'd never felt more powerful than he did after Ashara taught him some of the light and started to thaw his blackened icy heart. And his battle with Revan only confirmed what he thought. True power laid not within the Dark nor the Light side of the Force. But within both.

Turning to the heart tree, Nox let his conscious flow out as he reached through the Force and touched the ancient focal point. 'I'm trying, Ashara,' he thought, hoping that his thoughts and feelings would reach his light through the Force. 'I'm trying to change into the man you saw me as. It's hard. You know how hard it is. And living amongst the Sith made it seem impossible. But perhaps…that is why the Force brought me to this place. To start anew. A new order both Sith and Jedi. I wish you were with me, my light. To share in this. I need you now…more than ever.'

The wind picked up in the godswood as the red leaves of the heart tree swayed in the wind. Yet it was only the weirwood that was affected, as none of the other trees nor leaves in the godswood stirred. Tilting his head back, Nox felt the cool air brush against his face. He couldn't hear her voice, nor feel her presence, but he knew that his light was reaching for him through the Force. 'Thank you…my love. We will see one another again. But not yet. Not yet.'

Standing within the covered bridge that connected the main keep of Winterfell to the armory, Lord Stark stared down at large crowd that'd gathered below. 'One moon,' Ned thought to himself as he watched as Master Nox weaved his way through the crowd, leading six of House Stark guards who were carrying a large sheet of glass, the first glass ever produced in the North, between them. The panel was nearly the length of a full-grown man on both sides. And the glass was thick, far thicker than what currently made up the glass gardens. Yet it was still just as translucent as myrish glass. He could also spot Robb and Jon nearly hanging off of Nox's arm as the two asked question after question of the foreign man.

"Simply amazing, my Lord. He actually did it."

Beside him, Lord Wyman Manderly was staring down in open awe as he watched the guardsmen of House Stark carefully position the sheet of glass onto four logs that'd been placed under each corner of the glass panel. After sending the request for supplies and the reasoning for them to White Harbor, Lord Manderly had all but raced to supply Winterfell with whatever they needed. He'd even gone so far as to personally oversee the delivery as he too wanted to see if Nox could do what he said he could and had managed to deliver everything that'd been requested in little more than two weeks instead of a full moon's turn.

"Aye, it is," Ned nodded, watching as Nox instructed the guardsmen to step back, leaving the glass panel braced on the logs alone. "But now it is time to see if he spoke true about the strength of this glass."

Lord Manderly merely shrugged. "Even if it is not, the fact that we now know how to make Myrish glass is a gift from the old gods and the new."

Conceding the point, Ned watched as Nox raised right hand. As if he were a puppet master pulling the strings of a puppet, a nearby boulder the size of a man rose steadily into the air and began floating over the glass.

It was a testament to the mentality of the North that no one below seemed to even bat an eye at the obvious display of magic. Of course, this wasn't the first time Nox had used his strange magic in front of the denizens of Winterfell, so that had to be considered as well. The first time Nox had outright used his magic in front of everyone was on his fourth day within the walls of Winterfell when a cart was having a wheel replaced and the supports gave way, nearly falling on the man who'd been working on it. But before the cart could crush the man, it stopped in midair and then rose and floated off to the side, sparing the man any injury.

'It was fortunate that his first open display of his magic was to save a man from harm,' Ned thought as he watched the rock hover over the glass panel. 'That, combined with the North's somewhat neutral stance on magic, has allowed him to be quickly accepted by the people of the North.'

Nox's second display of magic was when he built the furnace necessary to heat and make the glass. The structure was much like a bloomery, only several times the size. It was almost large enough for a grown man to crawl within. But what should've taken several men a couple of days to build, Nox finished in less than half a day. And on top of that, he'd also presented plans to make a much larger version that he called a 'blast furnace'. And if he claims about the amount of steel that could smelted using this supposed 'blast furnace' was true, then the North could soon outpace any of the other kingdoms in terms of steel production. The only thing that would slow them down was procuring the raw materials needed.

Below them, the noise of the crowd died down to a bare whisper as Nox held up his hand with his fingers extended, the boulder was the length of a man's arm from the glass. His raised hand closed into a fist and the boulder dropped freely. The impact with the glass was heard throughout the yard. Yet despite its size and the distance it'd been dropped from, the glass held strong. The people in the crowd exploded as they began shouting in celebration as the men who'd been assisting Nox with the creation of the glass suddenly found themselves surrounded with those offering their praises.

"Well, I'll be…" Lord Manderly chuckled. "The son of a bitch actually did it. Not even the best Myrish glass could've survived that."

"Aye." Ned nodded, doing his best to keep his face stoic instead of showing the surprise and elation he was truly feeling. Down below, Nox took a moment to break away from those celebrating him to look up at himself and Lord Manderly. No words were exchanged, but the knowing look was enough for Ned. 'He truly is a man of his word.'

Beside him, Lord Manderly was less reserved in his thoughts and feelings. "Has he explained how his magic works my lord? Can anyone learn it? I'd give my right arm if either of my sons could learn to do even half of what he's done. Hells, I'm even considering betrothing my eldest daughter to him so that their children might inherit his gift. Do you know if he has a woman or not, my Lord?"

'He has explained his magic and there are those who can learn. But I have yet to let him begin teaching my children. Cat's fears of his magic corrupting them still weighs heavily on my mind,' he thought before speaking aloud, "Aye, he has. Apparently, one needs to be born with the ability. It is not something that can just be taught to anyone. And as for him having a woman, those that've talked frequently with him have mentioned that he had a woman, but only that something happened to her and she is now dead. As for a match to your daughter, that is up to him. He is not of House Stark, so his betrothal is not for me to decide. But won't his magic cause problems for you and yours?"

Lord Manderly seemed taken aback by the question before snorting and shaking his head. "My family may worship the new gods, my Lord. But we worship the old as well. And we are of the North. We are not like those southern cowards. Magic doesn't scare us. It's a gift from the gods, something to be embraced. And can you imagine it, my Lord? If your children or any others could learn it here in the North? None would dare threaten the North again!"

Manderly's words nearly made Ned wince. 'Here is a man who worships the Seven, yet he is not only accepting of magic, but he wants Nox to wed into his family. No doubt hoping that Nox's magic will be passed on to his children. So, why am I so hesitant to allow my own children, who will one day lead the North, to learn the Art?'

Before he could respond, a flutter of grey in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Maester Luwin had just entered the bridge from the keep, his steps hurried, and a raven's scroll clutched in his hand. "Maester Luwin," Ned greeted the aged Maester as the man all but ran to them. "You missed the demonstration, Maester. But the glass held just as Nox predicted it would."

Luwin paused then, his gaze going down to the crowd below before shaking his head. "I – I'm sorry I missed it my Lord. But there was a raven from King's Landing, sire. It's…It's not good."

Taking the message from Luwin, Ned unrolled the small scroll and read the message. His heart filling with dread and anger as he read. 'He knew…Nox fucking knew it. But how? I remember that day well…I'd felt something…strange through this Force power that Nox is always talking about, but I didn't know what it meant and Nox wouldn't tell me outside of informing me that I would know soon enough. I need to know how he was able to interpret that…sensation to this.'

"My lord?" Lord Manderly said cautiously, quickly catching onto Ned's worsening mood as he lowered the message. "What news?"

"Dark wings and dark words, Lord Manderly," Ned responded solemnly. 'I must do my duty. No matter how much I want to stay here in Winterfell. Especially with Cat's recent announcement that she's two months along with child.' "The krakens have sacked Lannisport and are raiding up and down the western coast. Balon Greyjoy has declared himself King of the Iron Isles and is in open rebellion with the Iron Throne. King Robert has called for all the banners to assemble and attack the Iron Isles in order to bring the Greyjoys to heel."