Editing Jon Snow (section)

===''A Storm of Swords''===
[[File: Marc Simonetti Jon Ygritte.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Jon Snow and [[Ygritte]] in the [[Cave near Greyguard|grotto]], by Marc Simonetti ©]]
[[Rattleshirt]] brings Jon to meet [[Mance Rayder]]. Telling Mance that he had been poorly treated at [[Winterfell]] because he is a [[bastard]], Jon convinces the [[King-Beyond-the-Wall]] that his desertion from the [[Night's Watch]] is sincere. During their conversation, Jon learns Mance's plans to invade the [[Seven Kingdoms]].{{Ref|ASoS|7}} While traveling to the [[Fist of the First Men]], Jon's clean-shaven face is scratched by [[Orell|Orell's eagle]]. Jon and the [[free folk]] see the aftermath of the [[fight at the Fist]].{{ref|ACOK|15}}

Mance has Jon and [[Ygritte]] join [[Styr]] and [[Jarl]] for their mission south of the [[Wall]].{{ref|ASOS|15}} Jon falls in love with Ygritte,{{ref|ASOS|26}} breaking his vow of chastity by sharing a tent{{ref|ASOS|15}} and sleeping together in a [[cave near Greyguard]].{{ref|ASOS|26}} Jarl falls to his death when Styr's party climbs the Wall,{{ref|ASOS|30}} and the survivors descend at [[Greyguard]] and enter the [[Gift]].{{ref|ASOS|41}}

Jon hesitates between betraying Ygritte or leaving the Night's Watch, eventually realizing that he must escape and warn [[Castle Black]] of the upcoming attack. When Jon refuses Styr's orders to kill an old man at abandoned [[Queenscrown]], Ygritte kills the man instead. The wildlings are then attacked by the direwolf [[Summer (direwolf)|Summer]], unaware that it is due to the efforts of Jon's half-brother [[Bran Stark]], who is hidden in the village's tower. Jon manages to escape in the confusion on a horse, but not before taking an arrow in the leg.{{Ref|ASoS|41}}

Meanwhile, [[Robb Stark]], the [[King in the North]], marches from [[Riverrun]] to the [[Twins]] for the wedding of Lord [[Edmure Tully]] to [[Roslin Frey]]. Robb believes his siblings Bran, [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]], and [[Arya Stark]] are dead, and he does not want [[Winterfell]] and the [[north]] to fall into [[House Lannister]]'s hands following [[Tyrion Lannister]]'s marriage to [[Sansa Stark]]. Against the objections of his mother, [[Catelyn Stark]], Robb legitimizes Jon as his heir, according to a semi-canon source.{{ref|AWOIAF|Robb Stark}} Robb's decision is witnessed at [[Hag's Mire]] by Catelyn, Edmure, [[Galbart Glover]], Lord [[Jason Mallister]], Lady [[Maege Mormont]], and Lord [[Jon Umber]].{{ref|ASOS|45}} Robb and Catelyn are then betrayed by Lords [[Walder Frey]] and [[Roose Bolton]] in the [[Red Wedding]].{{ref|ASOS|51}}

[[Edric Dayne]], Lord of [[Starfall]] and a member of the [[brotherhood without banners]], tells Arya that he is Jon's [[milk brother]], as they shared the same [[wet nurse]], [[Wylla]], a servant at [[Starfall]]. Edric tells Arya that Wylla is Jon's mother.{{ref|ASOS|43}}

A barely-conscious Jon warns [[Mole's Town]] and Castle Black of the planned attack, and is tended to by Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]]. [[Grenn]] and the maester gently break the news to Jon that Bran and Rickon have [[capture of Winterfell|allegedly died]] at the command of [[Theon Greyjoy]].{{Ref|ASoS|48}} After Jon recuperates, he helps [[Donal Noye]] in the [[attack on Castle Black‎‎|defense of Castle Black]] against Styr's raiders. All of the raiders are killed, including Ygritte, who dies in a grief-stricken Jon's arms after having been shot with an arrow by another Night's Watch brother.{{Ref|ASoS|55}}

[[File:Battle of Castle Black by Giliberti.jpg|thumb|350px|Jon at the [[battle of Castle Black]], by M.Luisa Giliberti ©]]

When Mance attacks, Donal has Jon command from atop the Wall while the blacksmith descends to defend the gate. After Donal is killed by [[Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg]], Jon reluctantly takes command of the Wall's defenses, after prompting from Master Aemon. Jon successfully holds the Wall against overwhelming odds for several days.{{ref|ASOS|64}}

Upon the arrival of Ser [[Alliser Thorne]] and Lord [[Janos Slynt]] at Castle Black, Jon is arrested for his earlier defection and thrown in an [[ice cell]], where he is threatened with execution for his desertion and the murder of [[Qhorin Halfhand]].{{Ref|ASoS|69}} After Aemon vouches for Jon's honor and capability during the wildling attack, Alliser and Janos realize they cannot have Jon hanged due to his popularity on the Wall. They therefore force him to make an assassination attempt on Mance during a parley, hoping he will be killed there instead. During the negotiations, Mance states that he has the [[Horn of Winter]], which he claims will cause the Wall to collapse. He reveals that he only had the wildlings attack the Wall not to conquer, but to escape the [[Others]]. The King-Beyond-the-Wall then offers Jon the Horn of Winter if the Night's Watch allows the wildlings to safely pass through to south of the Wall, but Mance states that they will not yield to the lords or their laws. Before Jon can attack Mance or destroy the Horn, however, the knights of [[Stannis Baratheon]] and rangers of [[Cotter Pyke]] appear. During the [[battle beneath the Wall]], Jon guards Mance's tent while [[Val]] helps her sister [[Dalla]] give birth.{{Ref|ASoS|73}}

Jon's defense of the Wall earns him popular support and his release from imprisonment. Jon meets with Stannis, who tells him that if he recognizes Stannis as king, he will legitimize [[Eddard Stark]]'s son and make him Jon Stark, [[Lord of Winterfell]], and marry him to Val in order to gain support of the [[north]] and the free folk. Jon is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and grief for his dead siblings, admitting to himself that becoming Lord of Winterfell was something he always desired, and that he was always envious of [[Robb Stark]] for his legitimate birthright.{{ref|ASOS|76}} When Jon suddenly experiences Ghost's hunger, he is joyous to realize his direwolf has returned from beyond the Wall. Jon realizes that if he bends the knee to Stannis he would then have to allow [[Melisandre]], Stannis's [[red priest]]ess, to burn the [[heart tree]] in the [[godswood of Winterfell]].{{ref|ASOS|79}}

Meanwhile, due to the efforts of [[Samwell Tarly]], an unknowing Jon has been offered as a compromise candidate between rival factions for the post of [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]],{{Ref|ASoS|78}} as [[Jeor Mormont]] had been slain in the [[mutiny at Craster's Keep]].{{ref|ASOS|33}} After Jon refuses Stannis's offer, he learns he has been elected the 998th Lord Commander in a landslide vote, to his own disbelief.{{Ref|ASoS|79}}