Welcome and the first question

This blog was really created for a place to document and discuss theories about the plot lines of the Song of Fire and Ice.  This series was introduced to us by my nephew Daniel, and then read by me and then Gus, my son.

Gus and I have had a great deal of fun exploring the plot lines and trying to figure out the future (or past) of these stories with a story.  Recently, Daniel joined our discussions and dropped a huge bomb shell for me and Gus. 

With that in mind and in hopes that Daniel will now document his thoughts – the first question:

Who is Jon Snow’s mother… or the more leading question, who is Jon’s father?

For my part (and before Daniel told us his theory – which I love, but still have a few issues with), my thinking that of course Jon Snow’s father was Ned. Of all the children of Eddard and Cat, Jon most looks like his father (well, and Arya – but that’s different). 

So, I thought Ned did father a son during the War of the Usurper and we had a yet unrevealed story line.  Ned fathering a bastard, is certainly out of character – but with the dawdling author Mr. Martin at the helm – you can count on him doing unexpected things to the poor Stark family. Amidst the family's executions, assassinations, blindings, cripplings, and evolutions into the undead – what is one little bastard? 

In the first book of the series, Ned Stark claims that he "dishonored" his marriage to Catelyn with a wet nurse named Wylla who was employed at Starfall, but nothing more is known about her; Catelyn has also speculated that his mother was Ashara Dayne, also of Starfall, but when she brought it up, Ned refused to answer. Howland Reed, who accompanied Ned to the Tower of Joy and from there to Starfall, is believed to be the only living character to know the truth.

So at odds for me is the character of Ned to resolve – is he lying or does he sire a bastard?   I stuck with the bastard side of the equation, and it still troubles me with Daniel’s theory in it means Ned lies.
I like the theory around Ashara Dayne – dances with Ned at the Tournery at Harenhall before Robert’s War; Ned kills her brother (the Morning Star) and then in Feast of Crows – why does GRRM go into such detail about the stories and plot lines around Dorne after practicaly ignoring the Dornes and barely giving them mention in the first three books.  Not to mention Darkstar – seems he is a major character all of a sudden in Feast.   

So with this line of Jon’s mother – Ned dances with Ashara at the tourney they develop a relationship, timing is good for this and later events.  After the Tower of Joy, Ned goes to Starfall – Ashara’s home, before going back to Winterfell.  Ashara has a child, surprise – Ned has killed her brother, other issues not known, Ned takes Jon and Ashara commits suicide (or reverse that order to make it work).  
Wylla is still a mystery - So to be honest, I am not really sure who is Jon’s mother.  But the events at StarFall must play into Jon’s lineage or at the very least where Ned made his plan, this boy became Jon “Snow.”