The Stag and The Wolf

Chapter 4

Skylea's POV

The night was a blur after the feast. Everything kind of ran together and before I knew it I was in bed starring up at the ceiling reliving the events of the night. Everything had been so perfect. I had never been one of those girls who had always dreamt of their perfect husband or knight in shining armor like Sansa but I found myself imagining our future together as King and Queen.

By the time I found sleep my head had begun to swam from imagining possibilities for the future. I mean after all, I could be queen. In all honesty I should be. Arthur was born before Joffery after all. It really didn't mean much though, considering the king had decreed that in order to see who should be the true king the boys should fight in a joust or something. It wasn't a fight to the death or anything like that, just trying to disarm the other if I remember correctly.

The morning came quickly and it wasn't before long that Lyanna, my daring direwolf, was pouncing onto my chest trying to get me to awaken. Lyanna was pretty big for only being a couple of weeks old. She had fur that shined like silver in the sunlight and dark purple eyes that were such a deep purple they appeared black at first glance. She was a beautiful beast, a true embodiment of House Stark.

By the time I had bathed and dressed the hunting party was all gone. I was saddened by this only because I didn't get to see Arthur off but I was slightly relieved to not see his father. Robert Baratheon was king after all but he really wasn't much more to me than that. Over half of Winterfell could hear his drunken abuse of his wife last night and the other half were still laughing at his drunken toast to us. If he was ever a good man he wasn't now, that was for certain.

I found myself filling my day with packing. The king decided that it was for the best to leave Winterfell tomorrow morning and head for King's Landing. It would be the first time ever leaving the North and my anxiety and excitement were overwhelming. It would be the first time ever leaving my brothers and my mother too, which made me quite sad but I knew I wouldn't be leaving them forever My half-brother Jon would be leaving for the Wall too. The wall was seen as a place of glory and honor a few hundred years back but nowadays it's a hunk of ice overrun with murders, rapers and thieves. There are a couple of honest men there surely, but that didn't stop me from fearing for him. I hoped he would find a place there at the wall, for his sake at least.

After I finished my packing I decided to go for a walk. With Lyanna at my side I visited Maester Luwin, the master-at-arms and some small folk. The small folk had no deep love for the direwolf at my side due to her hunting habits of killing some of their sheep every now and again but they enjoyed me well enough. I made a point of visiting with the small folk every once in a while to make sure their needs were met and their loyalty kept to their lord, my father. I wandered around a bit after that but soon found myself trekking back to my chambers. On my way back I found myself being stopped by a little girl with a huge grin on her face and dirt on her cheeks.

"Hello Arya." I said to her pleasantly, ruffling her already messy dark brown hair. "Do you need something?"

"Yes! Can you help me pack?" She asked, looking side to side suspiciously before grabbing my hand and dragging me to her chambers with Nymeria and Lyanna right on our heels.

When we arrived to her room everything seemed to be in order, which thoroughly surprised me. Normally Arya's room was a disaster only ever tamed by the constant complaints of our mother and Septa Mordane. Her chests were planted at the foot of her bed hanging open with different types of clothing piled together. "I'm not doing this all by myself you know." I told her pointedly as I picked up one of her dresses from one of the piles.

"I don't really need help packing! I want to show you something.." She said excitedly, ripping the dress from my hands and throwing it on to the pile from which it came and digging something else out of it. "Are you ready?" She asked me urgently. I nodded. "Okay here it goes." She pulled out a little sword and handed it to me. "What do you think?" She asked.

I took the blade from her gently. It was more like a dagger than a sword but it fit Arya perfectly. Lightweight and small it was just like her and reminded me greatly of my first sword. "It's a good blade Arya and perfect for you. Where'd you get it though?" I asked her.

"Jon gave it to me!" I call it Needle! She exclaimed brightly. I smiled at her excitement. It felt like only yesterday Father had bestowed me my own sword. He thought that his oldest daughter should be able to protect herself and her family in case something would happen to Robb. My sword nowadays was Valyrian steel and much bigger and more of a weapon. With shavings of our family sword Ice and some obsidian glass mixed in my sword was a dark grey with a hilt carved to resemble a direwolves fearsome appearance.

I ruffled her hair and brought her in for a hug. "That's great Arya. When we get to King's Landing we'll be sure to find you an instructor." She frowned at that. My own training had been in Winterfell but that would be almost impossible with us departing tomorrow.

"I'm scared Skylea. Father says we are wolves. Wolves weren't made for the south Skylea." She said sullenly. Her words were that of a scared little girl but there was some truth in them as well. Our father had always claimed Arya and I had wolf's blood in our veins, the same as our Aunt Lyanna and Uncle Brandon. I could see her claims rising from the results of our family going South before and it scared me that she might be right in a way. "We are the Starks of Winterfell. Winter is coming Skylea." She whispered.

"Aye. But when winter comes we'll be ready. We have our wolves," I pointed to Nymeria and Lyanna. "and our swords," giving her back Needle. "and the strength of the North behind us." I told her confidently. She didn't look completely convinced but she nodded all the same. "Now you finish your packing. Tomorrow is supposed to be a cold one so dress appropriately and please try to be nice to Sansa on our way." I said making sure to stress the last part. Arya and Sansa fought almost constantly and I was always the mediator between them. Tomorrow though, I would not be able to stop them as I had been invited by the queen herself to ride with her and her family on our trip to King's Landing. She nodded solemnly to my request knowing better than to argue with me.

After leaving Arya's chambers I made my way to Jon's. Jon had always been a brother to me as much as my mother disapproved of Robb and I treating him as so. He was always with us and made us less like twins and more like triplets. All of my memories growing up involve him, whether it's doing sums in Maester Luwin's study or building snow forts in Winterfell's courtyard and battling it out with snowballs, Jon had always been there. He was apart of what made Winterfell home and I knew I'd miss him dearly.

It was when I crossed the courtyard that it happened. I had heard it before I saw it. it was a little boy screaming. It filled my ears like a roar and it was then I turned my head. Then I saw it. I watched as my baby brother Bran fall like a sinking stone from the highest tower in Winterfell.

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~Syd