News of Link's sudden improvement in the training yard did not stay a secret for long. In a castle like Winterfell where everyone knew everyone else's business a common guard suddenly outclassing a veteran like Cayn was enough to start the hushed whispers of the servants and soldiers alike.
Link spent the afternoon doing light duties. He leaned against a stone pillar near the Great Hall. His mind was not on the work. He was staring at the interface that only he could see.
Status: Fatigued Recovery in progress
Skill: Basic Swordsmanship Level 2 Amateur
He realized that leveling up was not about magic. It was about the fact that his mind had now witnessed thousands of sword strikes even if his body had only performed a few dozen in this specific timeline. The mental fatigue was the real price. He felt as if he had been awake for three days straight.
"Thinking again philosopher?"
Link looked up to see Jon Snow walking toward him. The white direwolf pup named Ghost was tucked into the crook of his arm. The small creature looked up at Link with those striking red eyes. For a second Link felt as if the wolf could see the Save points hidden in his soul.
"Just resting Jon," Link replied with a small nod. "Ser Rodrik is a hard master."
Jon leaned against the wall next to him. "He is. But I saw you out there this morning. You moved like you knew exactly where Cayn was going to strike before he even moved his arm. I have never seen anything like it from someone who is not a knight."
Link kept his face neutral. "A man who survives the Haunted Forest learns to watch the wind. If you watch the wind you know where the trees will bend."
Jon let out a short and bitter laugh. "I wish the wind would tell me what is coming next. Lady Stark's looks have grown even colder since we brought the wolves back. She sees them as a bad omen."
Link looked at the bastard of Winterfell. He knew Jon's path. He knew about the Night's Watch and the betrayal at Castle Black and the secret of his birth that lay buried in the crypts below their feet.
"The wolves are not the omen Jon. The world is changing," Link said quietly. "A raven arrived this morning. Did you hear?"
Jon shook his head and his expression turned serious.
"The King is coming," Link said.
The weight of those words hung in the air. For Jon the arrival of King Robert Baratheon meant a chance to see the legendary ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. For Link it was the start of the first major crisis.
When the King arrived the Lannisters would come with him. There would be Jaime the Kingslayer and Cersei the Queen and Tyrion the Imp. One of them would set the spark that would burn the world down.
"The King?" Jon whispered. "Why would he come all the way to the North?"
"To ask a debt of an old friend," Link replied. He stood up and shook the stiffness from his legs. "And when Kings ask for favors it is the small people like us who end up paying the price. You should spend more time in the yard Jon. The peace of Winterfell is almost at an end."
Link walked away and left Jon standing in the shadows with his wolf.
He headed toward the library tower. He knew that Maester Luwin kept records of the local geography. If Link was going to use his Save and Load ability effectively he needed to know every hidden path and every mountain pass and every secret cave between Winterfell and the Wall.
As he walked he felt a sudden chill. It was not the wind.
He turned his head slightly and saw a figure standing on the covered walkway above the courtyard. It was Catelyn Stark. She was watching the guards but her gaze lingered on Link for a moment longer than the others.
She was a mother protecting her children and she had an instinct for things that did not belong. To her a guard who spoke like a lord and fought like a veteran was a variable she could not control.
Link looked away and focused on his breathing.
I need to find a new Anchor soon, he thought. The moment the King's wheelhouse rolls through those gates I need to be ready to reset the world.
....
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction.
I wanted to let you know that I'll be releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
15 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
30 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!