Out of the woods // Ned Stark

1. Wolf

@mariavictoriapillar5    requested some more NED Stark! And I clearly love him, so lets go....

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The north is a dreary place especially winterfell. Especially when the lord and lady stark were constantly at each others throats.

Catelyn did never quite forgive Ned for the affair but they tried to get along at least be civil in public, it was so early in their marriage both boys about the same age, within the same year... it hurt her, that her husband was unfaithful so soon and to man up and take the bastard child in as his own. Their marriage never stood a chance.

But then after Rickon was born Catelyns mind started to fail. She came down with a sickness and her body and mind never quite recovered from. The children didn't recognize her anymore. Their once loving mother was a shadow of the woman they once knew.

Catelyns mind was failing. Her body too. She had come down with a sickness and had started long ago losing her mind. Ned had tried to comfort her help her and guide her but she was mental. Some days she was in a daze but others she was violent. Delusional. Borderline psychotic.

What was ned to do? The children needed a mother if she was a dog or horse she would have been put down ages ago but she was a woman and her sickness was contained to her. What were the starks to do besides deal.

'Lord Stark... Mi'lady, the guardsmen just rode in from the hills they caught a deserter from the nights watch.'

'Get the lads to settle their horses.' Ned told Theon and he headed off.

'Do you have to?' Catelyn asked incredulously. Today was a day of anger and rage it seemed.

'He swore an oath Catelyn.' Ned reminded her.

'The laws, the law mi'lady.'

'Tell Bran he is coming to.' ned added.

'Ned. 10 is too young to see such things.' Catelyn informed him. She was lucid today that was a good sign but even knowing what was going on she still held anger snd rage towards Ned.

'He won't be a boy forever,' Ned reminded her, 'and winter is coming.' He said walking off.

He saw the boys in the courtyard. Bran failed to shook an arrow yet again properly at the target. Bran shot and missed. Bran didn't have the knack for archery, or swords, or anything really besides climbing he was an excellent climber.

'Go on fathers watching.' Jon told him and they looked up to the balcony to see Ned and Catelyn looking down at them. She focused hard but she felt a tremor in her hand and her vision blurry.

"Why dont you rest?" Ned suggested kindly.

"You want to get rid of me is that it!" Catelyn snapped spinning around.

"and your mother.' Jon added. Bran pulled back the bow but he missed it went flying into the trees. The boys laughed while Jon got him another arrow.

'Which one of you as a marksman at 10?' Ned called down and their laughter silenced 'Go on.' Ned said watching them.

'don't think too much.' Jon told Bran adjusting his grip.

'Relax your bow arm.' Robb told him and Jon pushed down his elbow, guiding his hand back, a arrow hit the target but it wasn't from Bran's bow Arya stood behind victoriously bran chased after her. a laugh escaped Ned's lips as he watched them. His children were the one good thing that came out of his useless marriage.

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'I know I broke my oath, I know I am a deserter. I should've gone back but I saw what I saw. I saw the white walkers!' the boy told Ned scared out of his mind. 'I need to get word to my family. I need to tell them... tell them I'm sorry.' Ned nodded and his men put the boys head down Ned pulled his sword forward.

'In the name of Robert of the house Baratheon and first of his name king of the andals-' ned began.

'Don't look away' Jon told bran 'he will know if you do.'

'Lord of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm. I lord Eddard the house Stark, Lord of Winterfell and warden of the north sentence you to die.' He lifted his sword bringing it down quickly upon the deserter.

'You did well,' Jon told Bran. Ned approached his son.

'Do you understand why I did it?' Ned questioned him.

'Jon said he was a deserter,' Bran said while fiddling with his horses saddle.

'Do you understand why I had to kill him.' Ned clarified.

'It is the old way,' bran told him. Ned nodded

'The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.' Ned reminded him.

'Is it true about the white walkers?' Bran asked

'White walkers have been gone for thousands of years,' Ned assured him.

'so he was lying?' Bran questioned.

'The man sees what he sees,' Ned told him. 'Time to go home.'

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'What is it?'

'A mountain lion?' Theon suggested.

'There are no mountain lions in these woods.' Ned told them they walked around the dead moose cautiously looking for the creature that killed it before they stumbled across a wolf, a dire wolf and a pack of puppies.

'It's a freak.' Theon exclaimed.

'It's a dire wolf.' Ned corrected. 'Tough old beast.' he pulled the antler free of its chest attacking the moose, an antler must have gotten stuck, killed the dire wolf.

'There are no dire wolves south of the wall.' Robb remarked

'Now there are five.' Jon said picking one up 'you want to hold it?' jon passed one off to Bran

'Then where will they go?' Bran questioned 'their mother is dead...' he held the puppy in his arms

'They don't belong down here better quick death.' Ned told his son honestly. 'They won't last without their mother.' Ned added

'All right give it here.' Theon said trying to pull the pup away from Bran but he cried out.

'No!' Bran screamed

'Put away your blade.' robb demanded

'I take orders from your father not you.' Theon reminded him

'Please father,' Bran begged

'I'm sorry Bran,' ned told him

'Lord Stark?' Jon said 'there are five pups one for each of the stark children, they are your house sigil, you were meant to have them.' Jon reasoned. Theon still held the blade to the pup still waiting for command.

'You will train them yourself you will feed them yourselves and if they die... you will bury them yourselves.' ned agreed and Theon handed Bran back the puppy back, as Jon picked up the other ones handing them off to Robb and Theon

'what about you?' Bran questioned

'I'm not a stark.' Jon answered as the puppy snuggled into Bran, Ned stared at jon a moment longer, yes he was. They were leaving when they heard the wrestling's of another puppy Jon pulled it free it was all white.

'The runt of the litter.' Theon said 'that one's yours snow.' But Jon's eyes caught movement, they readied themselves.

'Lord stark... there is another one.' Jon remarked. "An adult.'

'The father perhaps?" Robb suggested as they moved to the wolf. But the wolf started to shift and change before their eyes. The long tail and fuzzy ears disappeared and flesh started to emerge. Long brown hair and the bluest of eyes met them. she shook on the ground, the wolf had become a person, a human, a girl.