The Wolf Priestess and the Lion Knight

Chapter 9 Gift from the Wild

A few more years went by, and there were two new additions to the Stark family, Brandon and Rickon Stark. Brandon was three years younger than Arya, but she and he got on amazingly well after Lyarra scolded them about always taking care of family. Rickon was a precocious three-year-old that hung onto Lyarra skirts if he wasn't with Catelyn. Lyarra didn't mind; she loved her baby brother with all her heart.

As the years went by, Lyarra ensured that her sisters could use a weapon properly. At first, Sansa objected, telling her sister that it wasn't ladylike. Until Lyarra explained what had happened to her with Theon, “What do you think would have happened if I hadn't known how to defend myself, sister?”

Sansa's eyes widened when she realized the horrible fate that would have befallen her eldest sister. After that conversation, Sansa was determined to be as well trained in weapons as Lyarra. She wasn't going to be some helpless girl that had to depend on a man to save her.

It was much easier to convince Arya. She, like Lyarra, had Wolf's Blood running through her veins and felt that anything her brothers could do, she could do better. Ned was very proud of his girls, as was Catelyn. Lyarra had ensured they were warriors but ladies, which pleased Catelyn. Their knowledge of how to run a household would come in handy when they married a Northern Lord's son.

Catelyn had, at first, thought of marrying her daughters South, but she realized that Starks does not fare well in the South after thinking about what happened to Lord Rickard, Brandon, and Lyanna. She decided it was safer for her children to remain in the North close to her.

Ned couldn't have agreed more. He had received betrothal offers for Lyarra since she flowered, but he couldn't bring himself to agree to any of them. To Ned, Lyarra was still his little girl, and he wasn't ready to part with her. Now, Lyarra, Robb, and Jon were twenty years old, and Ned would have no choice but to start to consider the wedding offers seriously. But there was one thing Ned would not do; he would not agree to any marriage unless Lyarra agreed. The last thing he wanted was for the same thing to happen to his daughter that happened to his sister.

While Ned was in his Solar reading over the marriage offers, his older children were outside with Arya and Brandon. It was time for their archery lesson with Lyarra. Of the three oldest siblings, it was agreed that Lyarra was the best with a bow. So, it was left to Lyarra to show the little ones.

Lyarra was in the middle of showing Bran how to aim when Jon looked up and saw their mother watching them. Jon smiled at his mother, and she returned it affectionately. Jon loved his mother dearly, even though he knew Catelyn was not his birth mother. The day that Jon found out he was a legitimized bastard, he was five years old and had come crying to Catelyn.

FLASHBACK:

“Jon, what's the matter?” Cat asked as her son barreled into her and hid his face in her skirts.

“Is it true?” Jon asked, looking up at the only mother he had ever known. His grey eyes filled with tears.

“Is what true, Sweetling?”

“That I'm not your son, that I'm a bastard.”

“Who told you that?” Catelyn asked, her face growing red with anger.

“One of the guards. He said that I might think I'm a Stark but nothing but a no-good bastard,” Jon said and burst into tears.

Catelyn kneeled and hugged Jon, “Jon, listen to me very carefully. You are my son. Indeed, you did not come from my body, but you are the son of my heart. I love you just as much as I love your brother and sisters, and you are not a bastard because I am your mother. You are a Stark no matter what.”