Bastard // Ned Stark

11. Hidden

When the boys came back Everly was waiting in the courtyard she smiled when she saw them but rose a curious brow at the puppies in their arms.

"Are those dire wolves?" Everly questioned as she took an all white pup from Jon's arms so he could get down from his horse.

'Yep, a whole litter.' Ned told her jumping down.

'You are letting the children keep them?' Everly asked stroking the pups fur.

'I thought what would Everly do.' Ned admitted and Everly looked up to him.

'And what would Everly do?" Everly mused.

'Take them in and give them a home.' Ned told her. 'where they would be safe and loved.'

'Sounds about right.' Everly agreed, pressing a kiss to the pups head. Ned ran his fingers over hers as she stroked the puppy.

Surprise, surprise Catelyn was not happy about the direwolf pups but the smile on Everly face made it worth Catelyn's shouting in his ear.

'I don't want dogs running around.' She told him. 'they are a mess, they are not pets. They are going to destroy everything!'

'the children will tend to them.' Ned said confidently. 'care for them, clean up after them.'

"They are children!'

'They need to learn responsibility.' Ned told her. 'if they sit around barking orders like you do they wont learn anything or be of any use.' Ned told her bluntly and Catelyn's jaw dropped. 'Excuse me.' Ned said moving to Everly and Rickon.

'Shaggy dog! That is a wonderful name!" Everly told him.

'Mine is gonna be summer!" Bran told her.

'another wonderful name!" Everly assured kissing Bran's head.

'Nymeria is mine.' Arya told her.

'A warrior's name.' Everly applauded.

'Mine is lady.' Sansa told her proudly.

"Very Sansa of you.' Everly told her. 'Grey? Robb my dear you have such a wonderful mind. Surely you could think of something better than his color...' Everly offered kindly.

'Shut up!' Catelyn spat and Everly took a step back. 'They are not yours you do not get to treat them as such.'

"Of course. My apologies Lord Robb,' Everly said. 'I did not mean to offend you.'

"Mother its fine.' Robb assured. 'I just didn't know what to name him.' Robb told Everly.

'Don't you have something to clean?" Catelyn spat.

'Of course.' Everly said forcing a smile on her face. But robb followed everly off. 'What if you gave him a middle name?" everly whispered as they walked.

'Grey... wolf?' Robb mused.

'Grey... Wind?' Everly offered.

'Grey Wind.' Robb said looking down to the pup he looked up at Robb. 'I like it.'

'I didn't mean to over step.' Everly said softly.

'You didn't. don't listen to mother, shes a mean old bat.' Robb told her with a smile.

'Ghost, sit.' Jon said Everly came up but Ghost bounced through the snow to Everly.

'Training is going great I see.' Everly teased kneeling down in front of ghost. 'a handsome pup.' Everly remarked. 'I used to have a dog.' Everly remarked.

'it takes a special person to train and get a beast like this to trust them.' Ned said coming up behind them.

'Everly is a special person.' Jon told Ned and a smile tugged at her lips.

Every day Everly considered telling Jon the truth, he already treated her like his mother but there were so many years of lies that built up. She didn't know if it would help or hinder their relationship. But it tugged at her heart every day when she saw him. He was such a handsome young man, so kind and sweet. She thought about how his life would be different if he was a Stark and not a snow, how both of their lives would be different. But it was no use imaging what could have been it was far too late. Yet her heart and her mind wandered when she saw Ned and Jon together, she let herself imagine the life they could have had if she listened to Ned. That hurt too, waking up, blinking back to reality where she kept her love for both of them hidden.