Wayward King - 009

Chapter 009 – Language

[289 AC – Winterfell]

['History – Apprentice(14)']

Seeing his 'History' skill raised after another day of reading, Jon was very happy with the progress thinking that he might just have to read a single book that talked about the history of the other kingdoms in more detail for every kingdom there was to advance his skill again.

On that point, he reminded himself to ask the Maester if Grandmaester Archwin had written other books about history since his style was rather captivating. Like a true scholar, he only presented the information that he had found in the private library of the different Lords that he had visited while writing his book.

He hadn't just gone through the information and wrote down his own understanding of history, instead, he had tried to tell it as objectively as possible, which was something Jon could appreciate and admire since most scholars didn't have that kind of restraint.

It was already dark outside when he placed the book to the side, which he hadn't done except when Alyssa had come by during dinner time and brought him his food, chatting with him and telling him which servant had messed up that day and by whom they had gotten scolded.

At that point, she had mentioned that Steward Poole had been so angered by a servant that had dropped and broken one of the small barrels of southern wine that the Lady Stark liked so much, that he sent the servant to clean the latrine pits of the for the next six months and deducted half his pay for the next three months.

Alyssa claimed it was a strangely light punishment and Jon had to agree as a simple servant's pay could never pay for a barrel of southern wine, even five years of pay probably wouldn't do.

But Alyssa had let him on in a secret that explained the leniency of the steward, who had been having a rather intimate encounter with a handmaiden in the wine cellar when the servant had caught them in surprise, dropping the barrel in shock since that exact handmaiden had been with him just the night before.

Not to mention that there seemed to have been a long-standing promise between them to eventually speak their vows in the godswoods. Seeing his fiance getting bent over a barrel of mead by another man had thus predictably shocked the servant.

Steward Poole had not wanted the matter to be blown out of proportion and damage his own standing in the household, so he had still punished the servant but paid most of the wine out of his own pocket. After all, he couldn't expect the Stark household or a servant to pay for his indiscretions.

All in all, seeking just a few moments of satisfaction with the wrong maid had suddenly become a very expensive affair for the man.

Jon hadn't been able to stop laughing for a while after listening to that story while Alyssa had likewise joined in, having giggled like a young girl while her hazel eyes had lit up with mischievous laughter.

And while Jon was ready to go to bed now, he decided to look through the books that the Maester had sent to his room earlier that day after their talk and see if he could register High Valyrian as a knowledge-type skill before going to sleep.

Rising from the bed and carrying the rather heavy book to his drawer, he placed it down before turning to the chest that stood at the end of his bed, a new stack of books resting atop it.

Stepping up to the chest after placing another log into the fire, Jon counted four books that the Maester had sent and he started to look through them.

The one on top was the one that he inquired about, a book called 'Dragon Tongue – The High Valyrian Language' written by Archmaester Silas.

Placing it to the side for now, Jon saw a slip of paper that had been placed between the first two books. Taking it into his hands, he realized that it was a note from the Maester.

---

'I have taken the liberty to add a few more books to the one that you requested in the hopes that they might ignite your interest since their contents are sure to benefit any adventurer.'

'I also added a book about the language that the ancestors of House Stark had spoken once upon a time as I thought it would be a tragedy if you learned to speak the tongue of dragons but knew not to speak even a single word of your own ancestral language. – Luwin'

---

Curious now, Jon read the titles of the other three books. 'Nature's Tongue – The Language of Giants, Children of the Forest, and First Men' was the first and it was also written by Archmaester Silas, who might very well have been a scholar interested in languages.

The other two were named as followed: 'Herbs and Tinctures' by Archmaester Ebrose and 'The Mending Of Bones And Closing Of Wounds' by Archmaester Baren.

Jon was surprised by this assortment of books but he understood Maester Luwin's good intentions.

If he planned to travel Essos in the future, it was naturally recommended to know some basic healing techniques and possess the ability to recognize herbs that might either help or harm him when in the wild. This was practically a necessary knowledge for an adventurer if one planned to live long and not die of blood poisoning or festering wounds.

Jon clearly saw the appeal in studying these things even if it might prove more difficult to do so in a world without advanced technology.

On the other hand, he had knowledge of basic common sense and medicinal techniques from his former life, which might make studying medicine a good idea in this life, especially since he didn't really want to entrust his health to some charlatan or dessert witch, not even the maesters since their intentions were likewise not always pure.

Setting aside those thoughts for the moment, Jon picked up the book about High Valyrian and placed it on the bed before climbing into it himself. Opening it, he was somewhat eager to learn since this was basically the first real connection that he was going to make with his Valyrian heritage.

Starting his reading, Jon was almost immediately entranced, the Archmaester's choice of words betraying him as a gifted writer and engaging teacher even through the written word.

'Some proclaim the dragonlords' words have power themselves as it allowed them to command their winged terrors, and while it may have been true that the old Valyrian Empire had teemed with magic, through my decades of studying High Valyrian and all its dialects, I have concluded that the magic, if it had ever existed in such a way, must have laid within the dragonlords themselves and not their words.

Nevertheless, the High Valyrian language has its own unique magic as one of the most complex languages to have ever been spoken, seeming both melodious and commanding in its pronunciation, able to convey passion as well as resentment. I have … '

…

['High Valyrian – Novice(1)' has been registered in the first 'Language'-Vein. The 'Language'-crystal has been set up as the third sub-crystal.]

[Languages are categorized as 'special-type knowledge' and are thus granted their own sub-crystal by the Support System. Remark: 'In any battle, even one of words, a warrior can not be left without the tools to fight back.']

[You have reached the limit of sub-crystals that can be materialized. Actions that might have triggered the creation of different sub-crystals will no longer cause a reaction from the Support System.]

['High Valyrian – Novice(11)']

Having fallen asleep the night before with the book about the High Valyrian language still in hand, Jon woke up and was presented with this message, a wry smile on his face as he sighed.

He 'looked' at the three five-sided pyramid-shaped crystals spinning around the crystal sphere and knew that it was too late to change anything about his situation. And he wasn't even sure if he wanted to do so anyway.

There might be more beneficial types of sub-crystals, leaning towards combat and battle, but there also might be worse ones waiting to be materialized, so he decided to simply be content with his. He was sure that his own at least would help him not only gain the wisdom needed to wield his blade at the right people but also allow him to be an explorer.

Shrugging off his surprise, he finished his morning duties, including visiting the privy, washing his face and body, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed in some clean clothes.

He even started the fire in the fireplace after airing out the room for a few minutes, which made him realize that he should have waited with washing himself as his hands, shirt, and face had gotten dirty again.

Sighing at his own thoughtlessness while rubbing away the soot stains from his cheek with a wet cloth, he heard Alyssa enter his room: “Morning, Jon! You rose early today?”

"Good morning Alyssa.", Jon smiled back, having grown even more fond of the maid over the last two days as she had treated him with such care and kindness, "I slept well, and I hope the Maester will allow me to do more than rest today."

"Well, you were remarkably patient for the last few days, so he might allow you to move around.", Alyssa said with a laugh as she grabbed the piece of cloth from his hands and helped Jon clean his face with a warm smile.

"Perfect, all clean. No hurry and finish your breakfast before it gets cold, let me take over for the fire.", she voiced after finishing up, giving him a light push to the tray of food that she had brought with her.

It was a more hearty breakfast this morning with eggs and some ham added to his porridge and tea. Jon ate it up quickly with an unfamiliar warmth flowing in his heart, feeling strangely 'mothered' by Alyssa.

He didn't dislike it though as she was sincere and he had always longed for a mother like Robb had. Catelyn might have treated him badly but she cared and looked after her children unerringly.

And now that Jon knew that he would never have a chance to meet his own mother since she had already left this world, her remains laying in the crypt under Winterfell, it was very comforting to have someone so close to him willing to take care of him so kindly.

This interaction with Alyssa though also made him realize that he actually knew very little about this particular kitchen maid.

“Do you have a family, Alyssa? A husband, children?”, Jon thus found himself asking.

Not turning around, as she fiddled with a long iron hook to shift around a few pieces of burning wood, she replied: "I once did. A husband and the most beautiful little boy … They both died of a fever a few winters back."

Her tone was quiet but clear, though Jon could still detect the grief in it and her posture, his eyes widening at the unexpected tragic answer. He wanted to ask her why she didn't remarry since remaining a single woman was definitely not an easy thing in these times.

Life was hard enough for a family where everyone could help out, but for a young woman without anyone to rely on? Jon understood that she was very lucky to be working in his uncle's household or she might have had to sell her body just to feed herself.

“I'm sorry.”, he eventually said, placing his curiosity aside for his compassion.

Turning back from the fire, Alyssa stood up and dusted off her dark woolen skirt, smiling kindly at him, her eyes sad.

“Don't be, I'm happy here. And I have you to worry about, haven't I?”, she replied with a quiet laugh, brushing through his black locks softly before turning away.

"I will take this back to the Maester's quarters for you and tell him that you feel better and want to do something else than reading all day.", Alyssa voiced out as grabbed the book about Northern history that he had set aside and added before practically fleeing the room, "Leave the cutlery on the drawer when you are finished, I will get it later."

Jon, on the other hand, just stood in place for a few seconds while he watched her go, silently touching his locks, the look in his eyes somewhat absent.

…

It took Jon a few moments to focus again, his dark-grey gaze shifting to the three books laying on the chest at the end of his bed.

He had thought about their contents and the available slots in his sub-crystals all morning and had come to the decision that he should try and register them. The medical knowledge and herblore were things that he had wanted to study anyway and it shouldn't be too hard to increase his proficiency in those subjects in the short term.

And if the reward from the System continued to be in the same theme as the skill itself, he might be rewarded self-healing abilities or some kind of immunity against drugs and/or poisons.

These were rather vague guesses on his part but there was also the fact that he didn't really have any interest in other subjects like architecture or the intricacies of agriculture, at least not to the extent that he wanted to waste a skill slot with studying them.

And as for the 'Old Tongue', which was the name of the language that the First Men had spoken, Jon wasn't against learning it even if only the wildlings and giants really used it at this point in time. There were also some mountain clans and tribes on Skagos, an island off the eastern coast of the North, where it was still in use, partly at least.

And Maester Luwin was right, it was the language of his ancestor, which inevitably drew his curiosity since he longed to belong. And if he was to learn High Valyrian, it did make sense to also learn the Old Tongue, since he wanted to be mindful of his heritage in equal measure.

He had even thought about a few other languages that he might consider registering with the System, namely the Dothraki language, the Shadow Tongue of Asshai, the Qartheen language, and maybe even those other languages from further East.

Though he planned to hold off on those until he was sure what kind of reward he could expect from the skill registered on the 'Language' sub-crystal.

As for the 'Specialty' sub-crystal? Well, he still had no idea what action might trigger a skill registration so he was rather lost on that front.

Placing the books on top of each other, he hopped on the chest before grabbing the first and started reading, waiting for the Maester to come by so that he may hopefully be freed from his room today.

He read only a few pages of each book to have them quickly register as a skill and the result was within his expectations.

['Old Tongue – Novice(1)' has been registered in the second 'Language'-Vein.]

['Herbology – Novice(3)' has been registered in the fourth 'Knowledge'-Vein.]

['Medical Techniques/Knowledge – Novice(23)' has been registered in the fifth 'Knowledge'-Vein.]

[You have five veins registered in the 'Knowledge'-crystal, completing its foundation.]

[For registering five veins in a sub-crystal for the first time, you are rewarded with an enhancement of all your mental capabilities in accordance with the type of sub-crystal that has completed its initial foundation.]

A stream of searing warmth seemed to have exploded behind Jon's eyes the moment that the last message appeared in his mind, his brain seemingly on fire.

He almost thought that he would surely pass out but this sensation lasted for less than three seconds before it vanished without a trace, causing him to exhale in relief.

And immediately afterwards, the world seemed brighter than it had ever been, the light of the sun flickering through the crystal glass windows, the flaring and dancing flames in the fireplace, everything seemed sharper and more radiant.

The noises around Jon suddenly seemed more distinct, the crackling of the burning wood, the distant shouts of men on the training field, and commoners busying themselves with their work. Even the smells were more raw and intense, which was something that he could only enjoy in part since these were not particularly good times for people with sensitive noses.

The change was obvious to him but it wasn't world-shaking. If his vision had been at hundred percent before, it was now at a hundred and ten, and the same went for his other senses.

Jon knew that this was not an improvement on his physical senses though but on his mental activity that allowed him to process the information that his sensory organs sent to his brain in more detail and with greater speed.

It was like an increase in efficiency had taken place in between the transition of receiving information and processing it.

Jon was ecstatic about this change though, because as sudden as it had come, he knew the incredible value of this enhancement. An all-around improvement in his mental capabilities, he could hardly grasp what an effect this would have on every aspect of his life.

His reading speed, his memorization ability, his dynamic vision, his bodily control, his sensitivity to tactile sensations, his understanding of different academic subjects, his ability to analyze information, …

Even if all these things had only been enhanced by ten percent, it felt akin to a metamorphosis for him.

Suddenly, he couldn't help but be glad that he had chosen to fill up the slot for skills in his 'Knowledge' sub-crystal since this was undoubtedly the best option he could have hoped for.

An enhancement in the field of languages would have been hardly useful for anything but languages while the 'Specialty' sub-crystal was nothing but a bag of questions and guesses. It made have been even better or it might have been almost useless.

The uncertainty of it made him believe that this was the best outcome that he could have hoped for.

He still was a tad bit frustrated with the rather unpredictable nature of the Support System but at this point, he was also slowly getting used to just accepting what came his way since that was really all he could do.

Jon was about to pick up 'The Mending Of Bones And Closing Of Wounds' again to continue his study since he was intrigued by the illustrations and explanations in the book.

Right at the beginning of it, there was no talk about how to set bones, place splints for breaks, or the different approaches to treating open wounds. What the book introduced instead was the human anatomy, and it tried to do so in great detail.

This made sense, given that without sufficient knowledge of the structure of the human body, one would probably do more harm than help by hastily trying to apply the techniques that were talked about in the later chapters.

This basic knowledge of anatomy though had its own interesting points and Jon was quick to realize that once he got to truly understand how the human body worked, he couldn't just save people, he could also become a much more fearsome killer.

It might seem like an odd thought but he knew that there was no way around this in a world so teeming with violence and conflict, especially not with what he knew about the future.

So his mindset was simple. It was to become the best version of himself and prepare himself for the challenges ahead because his life would most certainly depend on how well he could defend it at some point in the future.

It wasn't his goal to kill but to avoid getting killed. And for that, he simply had to become the best killer around as only defending was the same as losing. After all, leaving his enemies alive at every turn, how could that not end in disaster?

It wasn't a huge jump in logic, really. Nor was it naive for him to think that he could reach his goal since he had the support offered by the System and his own determination to carry him forward.

Still, Jon didn't manage to get into the book as Maester Luwin eventually showed up to check on him.