Pack Animals |Game of Thrones|

Chapter VIII - Winterfell

Silver was up late into the night sharpening Protector's edge until it was so sharp that with a small and gentle tap on the edge of the blade, blood welled up on her finger. Silver grinned with a slightly victorious expression on her face, until she fought it back down. She pressed her bleeding finger into the torn fabric that was what Septa Mordane had attempted to sew back together of the dress, but Silver cut it open and wrapped a small piece around her finger, as Silver stood up and slid Protector back into the scabbard.

Silver hung it on the wall and she stared with half dead eyes at the dress that her mother and Septa Mordane had hung up in the wardrobe and she sighed, as she shook her head and hung up her armor in the same way that Sansa, Septa Mordane or her mother would hang up a pretty dress meant for a party.

Silver heard a knock on her door and Winter growled savagely at the big oak door, which gave Silver the indication that it was not one of her siblings, nor was it Theon, all of whom would have gotten an excited bark rather than the throaty growl that she had just given to the door.

"Are you decent?" Silver glared at the door when she heard her father's voice and she pointed at the corner for Winter, who moved over to stand in the shadows and Silver opened the door a small bit.

"What is it Father? Have you come to tell me that I'm not dressed appropriately enough to meet the King and Queen, along with their children? Or have you come to talk to me as Mother has, by shouting and slapping me across the face so hard that my eye has been swollen shut? Which will it be, Father?" Silver asked and Winter was growling from the shadows at Ned, who looked over his shoulder to see the quickly growing direwolf creeping toward him, as she was snarling in a sharp, clear response to Silver's tone of voice.

"If Robert asked of me for one of my daughters to be betrothed and wed to his son, it will not be you." Silver's eyebrows shot up in clear surprise, that had Ned chuckling slightly at the sight. "Sansa wishes to be married to the Prince, so you are free to continue on your merry way of being a knight." Ned stated and Winter leapt onto him with a yelp, as Ned Stark fell onto the floor with a laugh at the sight of the direwolf. "Yes, yes, yes, she can stay with you, young pup." He murmured and Winter yelped as she jumped over to Silver, who was quietly chuckling and scratched her pup behind the ears.

"What made you change your mind?" Silver asked and Ned chuckled, as he shook his head and got back up to his feet. Ned moved over to the wall where she had hung Protector up on the wall and he lifted it down from the wall. He took it out of the sheath and held it in his hand, as he spun it around briefly and slipped it back into the leather.

"Whoever said a woman could not wield a broadsword, they were very wrong indeed. You earned this sword the day that you stole it out of my chamber. You have used it ever since to defeat varying persons in training combat with excellent form. I just hope to the Gods, that you will never have to use it in a real battle." Ned stated and he held it out to Silver, who took it with shaking hands and she nodded slightly. "Now go on. I think the boys are waiting out in the yard for you." He said and Silver chuckled, as she buckled on her sword belt and she looked at Winter, who raced off alongside her with a laughing bark.

Winter tackled Grey Wind and Bran's yet unnamed wolf as Silver laughed loudly, as the boys all looked at her with a surprised look of "what in seven hells" on their faces as Silver jogged into the yard and whistled, as Winter rolled around to snap playfully at the underbelly of Ghost, who had silently joined the fray and Winter yelped.

"Father changed his mind? What in seven hells has gotten into him recently?" Robb asked rhetorically and Silver lifted her shoulders in a shrug, as she spun her sword around and the boys drew their own swords, as they charged at one another.

Silver had the advantage of being less bulky and found it easier to dodge, which she used to her fullest advantage, being fast and quick rather than lumbering and slow. Robb's sword shot out to attack her and Protector blocked it, as Winter jumped up onto Robb to send him into the ground with a heavy grunt and Silver laughed, before she ducked Theon's swing and parried the next one, as she stole Robb's sword in order to dual wield blades again.

Jon's blade arced toward Silver, who blocked it and Winter jumped onto Jon's back, as Silver managed to send his sword spinning away so that he didn't fall on it when he fell. Winter barked with a coughing bark that Silver had soon discovered to be laughter from the direwolf and she nipped at Jon's ear, as if warning him to not move.

"Get off of me, Winter." Jon mumbled and pushed the direwolf off, as Silver was still sparring with Theon, who was holding out longer than usual. "One silver stag says that Greyjoy takes the fight." He said after staggering up to his feet again, as Winter, Grey Wind, Ghost, Bran's wolf and Shaggydog were all racing around along with Bran and Rickon, as the direwolves howled.

"I will make you regret that, Snow." Silver promised as Robb laughed.

"Two stags says that Silver barely wins, but does." Robb countered in response to Jon's sudden assurance of Theon winning and Jon rolled his eyes.

"Six." Jon stated.

"10." Robb said with a smirk.

"20." Jon answered and right as he proclaimed the bet, Silver managed to disarm Theon and the older guy toppled, as Jon's eyes widened. "Damn." He said and in response to Jon's loss of their little bet, Robb was holding out his hands to Jon asking for the money, as Silver shook her head and Theon accepted the hand up.

"Never bet against the Wolf, that is what I'm learning." Theon said and retrieved his sword, as Winter loped over and began to circle around Silver, barking loudly at her and Silver laughed as she crouched down next to the direwolf and Winter jumped onto her, sending Silver into the dirt and as she laughed, all of the wind was knocked out of her.