"Most of my life," Jon agreed. He was much more comfortable out here in the woods than inside the hotel but he also knew the hotel held other advantages; nobody in the hotel knew who he was or felt the need to bury a knife in his back because he was lord commander. The hotel was safe, in the way the island was safe, but the hotel did not have his brothers or nephew.

While he wished there was a way back to the island he thought that door would be closed to him for forever now. There would be no going back to that world now and there was nothing to do but press on.

"I held my first sword at seven. I drew my first bow when I wasn't much older than that."