The godswood was loud.
Not with prayer—but with argument.
"You're doing it wrong," Sansa said sharply, arms crossed, her breath misting in the cold.
Arya scowled. "You're just mad because you can't do it at all."
"I don't want to do it," Sansa snapped. "Why are we even out here?"
"Because Bran wanted to see it," Robb said, trying—and failing—to sound patient.
Bran Stark sat cross-legged on a fallen log, eyes bright with curiosity. "Jon said it would make fire without flint and steel."
"That's stupid," Theon Greyjoy said from where he leaned against a tree, chewing on an apple. "Fire comes from fire. Everyone knows that."
Jon Snow ignored him.
He knelt in the snow, hands steady as he adjusted a small wooden device no larger than a loaf of bread. It was crude—carved by hand—but deliberate.
Two wooden cylinders. A groove. A small compartment filled with dark, powdered material scraped from charred wood and stone.
A simple mechanism.
A spark wheel.
Not perfect.
But close enough.
[System Notice]Passive Effect: Calm Mind (Steelbound) – Active]
"Are you sure this will work?" Bran asked, leaning forward.
Jon nodded. "It should."
Arya grinned. "If it explodes, can I tell everyone it was Theon's fault?"
Theon snorted. "You wish."
Robb crouched beside Jon. "You've been carving that thing for days."
Jon didn't look up. "I needed it to be precise."
Sansa rolled her eyes. "You always need things to be precise."
Jon finally glanced at her. "Yes."
That shut her up.
The Attempt
Jon placed dry kindling beneath the device.
Snow fell lightly around them.
The air was quiet.
Too quiet.
Theon scoffed. "This is a waste of time."
Jon placed his hands on either side of the wheel and rolled it sharply.
Once.
Twice.
Nothing.
A few smirks appeared.
Arya frowned. "Try again."
Jon adjusted the angle slightly.
Rolled again.
Crack—!
A sharp spark jumped.
Bran gasped. "I saw it!"
Jon rolled faster.
Crack. Crack.
A shower of sparks burst forward—tiny suns against white snow.
Then—
Fwoosh.
Flame caught.
A real flame.
Small, but alive.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Bran shouted, "He did it!"
Arya whooped. "Did you see that?!"
Robb stared at the fire, stunned. "There was no flint…"
Sansa's mouth hung open before she quickly closed it. "That's… impractical."
Jon raised an eyebrow. "It made fire."
"That doesn't mean it's proper," she said weakly.
Theon's apple fell into the snow.
The Audience Grows
Voices carried.
Guards slowed.
Servants stopped.
Someone ran to fetch others.
Before Jon realized it, Lord Eddard Stark stood at the edge of the godswood, Catelyn beside him.
Their eyes went immediately to the fire.
Then to the device.
"What is this?" Ned asked.
Jon stood and bowed his head. "A fire-starting tool, my lord. It creates sparks through friction and pressure."
Catelyn stepped closer, her gaze sharp. "Without steel?"
"Yes, my lady."
She looked unsettled.
That unsettled her more than the blade ever had.
Ned crouched, inspecting the device with quiet intensity. He rolled the wheel once himself.
A spark jumped.
His eyes narrowed.
"Who taught you this?"
"No one," Jon said truthfully. "I thought of it."
Silence rippled outward.
Theon laughed harshly. "He's lying."
Ned didn't look at him.
"Jon," Ned said, voice calm but heavy. "Where did the idea come from?"
Jon met his eyes.
"I thought about how heat is made," he said. "Movement. Resistance. Pressure."
Ned straightened slowly.
Catelyn felt a chill crawl up her spine.
That was not the answer of a normal boy.
[Hidden Condition Met]Witnesses: Highborn + Smallfolk]
[System Notice]Title Progression Unlocked: Mind of Another Age (Dormant)]
Children's Reactions
"That's amazing," Bran said in awe.
Arya looked at Jon like he'd grown wings. "Teach me."
Robb smiled, pride clear. "You could use that on the road."
Sansa hesitated—then said quietly, "It's… clever."
Theon said nothing.
His jaw was tight.
His humiliation from the yard still burned—and now this?
Strength and intellect?
Unfair.
The Weight of Attention
Servants whispered.
Guards exchanged looks.
A man muttered, "That bastard's clever."
Another replied, "Too clever."
Jon felt every gaze.
And for the first time—
He didn't shrink from it.
[Hidden Quest Completed]Quest: Show, Do Not Boast]
Reward:
+2 Intelligence
Title Progression +15%
Ned placed a hand briefly on Jon's shoulder.
A small gesture.
But unmistakable.
"Well done," he said.
That was all.
Catelyn watched them both.
And understood something she had tried not to see.
This boy will not remain in the shadows.
The fire crackled.
Snow fell.
And Jon Snow—bastard of Winterfell—stood at the center of attention, sparks dancing at his feet.
This is only the beginning, he thought