Ursa Major | Tormund Giantsbane

Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone! As with my previous story, I wanted to make a note about a few things. One, you can expect the usual Game of Thrones themes of abuse, miscarriage, traumatic childbirth, underage marriage, violence, incest, etc. Two, it will be depressing in many aspects and have a great deal of angst. Three, I am basing this off of the show. I have not read any GoT fanfics, only HotD, so I'm mostly winging this. And four, as with my past fics, the main point is NOT necessarily the love story, it is about the growth of the character! Tormund Giantsbane is the intended love interest but the majority of the focus is on the OC's journey.

If you're still interested, go right ahead. For reference, the OC's face claim is Marie Avgeropoulos. If you look up gifs from her role as Octavia in The 100, you'll see the image I have of her.

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Last Hearth, 298 AC

"They've called the banners."

The table was silent. They knew a day like this would have come eventually. It was what they'd looked forward to ever since they were each old enough to bear arms and join their father on his hunts. Proving themselves, upholding the honor of their house.

Their mother had always hoped it'd never be necessary in their lifetimes.

She'd wanted Robert's Rebellion to be their last war for a long, long time. It had been her last, but not theirs. The smallest of her children, her last daughter, could hardly remember her face anymore. All she knew was that her mother had gone down swinging, and one day, so would she.

The opportunity had arrived.

"We knew something was brewing," said Greatjon Umber, looking around at their faces, all serious as the news sank in, even the smallest children not daring to make a sound. "From the moment we knew the King took Lord Stark to be his Hand, there came a chance that trouble would brew further. Today I've received a raven from the young Lord Robb Stark. Lord Eddard is imprisoned in King's Landing; he stands accused of treason."

"Lord Stark would never," spoke one of his sons. "It's an absurdity."

"Aye," agreed Greatjon. "Which is precisely why I will ride out to Winterfell at dawn with all our men to hear what Robb has to say." He got to his feet, planting his hands on the table. "We will be the finest warriors that House Stark has ever seen. We will defend our liege lord, our lands, our honor. Houses Manderly and Hornwood have been sent ravens to bring your sisters and their children back. They'll remain here to care for your nieces and nephews as well as your own sons and daughters while we fight. I need my strongest children to stand with me on the battlefield. We will be the chief Northern advisors for the young Lord Stark, and we cannot afford weakness."

They all sat up eagerly, waiting to hear who he'd name to follow him. There were seven of them, all capable, all willing to fight for their liege lord. But only four would follow their father to Winterfell.

The youngest of them could narrow it down in her head already. It couldn't be her eldest sister– Greatjon's second child– because Esther Manderly had given birth to twins a year ago, making her the mother of four children. She'd abandoned her days of fighting a long time ago, devoting all her energy to the little ones. Wendel, age six, Frida, age three, and now the twins Wyman and Harkan who were barely old enough to recognize those around them. They needed her here to defend them. Esther wouldn't let herself make the same choice their mother had. She wouldn't die on a distant field while her children waited at home, wondering when she'd be back. She was out of the question.

It couldn't be the second youngest sister– Greatjon's sixth child– either, because Sigrid Hornwood had daughters of her own, two beautiful girls named Donella and Berena, who were almost four and in need of her constant attention. Sigrid had liked hunting the least out of all of them, only partaking when it came to teaching the many Umber grandchildren because she was the most patient out of all of them. She would not join a war. She killed animals for food, to provide for her family. She drew the line when it came to humans.