Fire and Winter

Chapter 1

The sun was shining today, more than usual anyway. Alysanne was watching her brothers in the training yard, Bran had pulled back the string of his bow and shot the arrow. The projectile missed the target and hit the barrel to the side. As Bran kicked the ground in frustration, Jon stepped around their younger brother and placed his hands on his shoulders, "Go on, father's watching," they both spun to look above at the balcony where their father, Lord Eddard Stark stood with his wife, Catelyn, "and your mother." Bran missed one more shot, and Alysanne stepped into the training yard, "come on Bran, you can do it," she muttered as she stepped up behind her half-brother. Bran smiled at her and knocked another arrow, when he loosed this one it flew over the top of the target and landed in the woods behind the yard. Little Rickon began to chuckle, her twin leant back and shook his head laughing, Robb turned towards Rickon and chuckled with him. Alysanne shook her head at her brothers, and patted Bran on the shoulder.

"Which one of you was a marksman at ten?" Her fathers voice cut through her brother's laughs, they all turned to look at him, and Alysanne smirked. She considered replying, she had been... well not quite a marksman but good enough that she could shoot the target and hit the fabric every time. Her father had often said that it was the spirit of her namesake, Alysanne Blackwood, inspiring her. Jon and Robb's laughter had died, "keep practising Bran... go on," their father encouraged.

Jon leant over Bran's shoulder, "Don't think too much Bran."

"Relax your bow arm," Robb added. Suddenly an arrow flew past Alysanne's arm and hit the target in the centre, all of them spun around and saw their sister, Arya, holding a bow on the other side of the fence. Arya gave a small curtsy and smiled. Bran dropped his bow and ran at her, she let out a laugh and ran in the other direction. Everyone watching began to laugh as well, "faster Bran, faster," Alysanne called after him. The three eldest looked at each other, "we'll clean up," Alysanne told Robb, "you get Rickon."

Robb nodded and walked towards Rickon, "you get the arrows," Alysanne said as she lent down to pick up Bran's bow. As she stood her dark hair fell into her face and Alysanne pushed it away, she walked over the were Arya had dropped her bow and picked that up to. She turned back to Jon and paused, her brother was looking up at Lady Stark, the Lady of Winterfell had always disliked her husband's bastard twins. It was understandable of course that she would be angry that her husband has been unfaithful, but Alysanne had never understood her misplaced dislike for her and her brother. She really should blame the man that had been unfaithful but Alysanne guessed it was easier for her to dislike the children that reminded her, just by sight, of the betrayal than having to think about her husband's betrayal.

The sound of footsteps broke Alysanne out of her musing, Theon Greyjoy, her father's ward, was walking towards them, "the men caught a deserter, we're heading out now." Alysanne put the bows back on the rack, "well then, let's go boys." Theon looked at her oddly, he always did that when she did something like that, something unlady-like. Alysanne rolled her eyes and headed in the direction of the stables, she was used to Greyjoy by now, and being a bastard she knew she could never be a real lady so she had to be something else and that something else was going to be a great warrior. The rest of the party was waiting at the stables, Alysanne paused when she spotted Robb helping Bran onto his horse. Bran had never come to an execution before, but he was around the age that Robb and Jon had been when their father first took them, and Bran was a strong boy, one beheading wouldn't faze him. Alysanne walked up to her horse, a large black stallion that she had named Balerion, a gift from her father for her fifteenth name day, her sword was handed to her by Hullen, the master of horses as she stepped up to mount. Jon and Theon caught up with her then and mounted their horses alongside her. She walked the horse up to Bran and Robb. The party also included Ser Rodrik, the master-at-arms, his nephew Jory, some of the guardsmen of Winterfell and some other people she couldn't see. Lord Stark arrived a moment later and mounted his horse, turning it towards the exit and leading them out with no words.