Dark Wings, Dark Words

The man who passes the sentance should swing the sword (Part 2)

"Are you sure?" Jon asked her. Ashanna detected fear coming from her older brothers. Not a lot of things scared Ashanna, but this did. When Ashanna was young and often frightened by her visions. It was always Robb and Jon that comforted her and told her not to be afraid. Now they were the ones afraid.

"Maybe it was a possible future" Ashanna said hesitantly.

"Your visions are rarely wrong but it could be possible" Robb said satisfied with her attempt to reassure her brothers. Jon shook his head. He knew Robb's words were only trying to make their little sister believe that the vision she seen what not come to pass.

"We should tell father" Jon said with determination. Robb nodded.

"We'll tell him when we return to Winterfell" Robb said firmly. Ashanna nodded to her brothers before climbing up onto her horse. She followed the group back towards Winterfell.
The were stopped by something. She couldn't see what it was. She galloped past the group to see her father, older brothers and Theon off their horses and looking at the body of a dead stag. Ashanna dismounted off her horse leaving Bran staring after her.
The stag's body was bloody. It's stomach was torn and intestines hung out of it like rope. Ashanna fought the urge to release sickness traveling up her throat as she steeped closer to her brothers.

"What is it?" Jon asked their father. Ashanna knew he was talking about the creature that killed the stag.

"Mountain lion?" Theon asked.

"There are no mountain lions in these woods" Her father said in deep thought.
Her father walked to one side of the carcass down the side of trail onto a green bank. Trees were sprouted randomly among the grass. Ashanna kept her hand levitated over her sword in case she had need of it. But on the grass below the slope was the body of a wolf. She followed her father to the body to see six pups with the body of the wolf. However it was an ordinary wolf it was a dire wolf the sigil of their house.

"It's a freak" Theon stated when they got close enough. Never in all her life did Ashanna want to hit someone so badly. She had to clench her fists so tight that her nails were digging into her skin.

"It's a dire wolf" her father said in surprise. Dire Wolves were usually only found beyond the wall.
"Tough old beast" her father said while he took the horn of the stag out of the dire wolf's eye.

"There are no dire wolves south of the wall" Robb says in amazement.

"Now there is six" Jon said while looking at the pups.
He picked one up and held it out to Bran. Ashanna had rested her hands on her little brothers shoulders.
"You want to hold it?" Jon asked. Bran held out his arms and Jon handed him the pup. Jon picked up another one. A snowy white coat with a black patch on both eyes. She had a black patch on her paws and her ears as well. Jon handed the pup to Ashanna who immediately snuggled itself to her chest. Ashanna smiled as she adjusted her cloak to also cover the dire wolf pup.

"Where will they go? Their mother's dead" Bran said sadly.

"They don't belong down here" Ser Rodrick said.

"Better a quick death" her father said as he got to his feet. With her father's words Ashanna's heart fall into a dark abyss and she was overwhelmed by sadness.

"Father please" Ashanna begged.

"They won't last without their mother" He explained. Theon drew a dagger and reached for the pup in Bran's arms.

"Right give it here" he said firmly.

"No!" Bran pleaded as Theon took the pup from him.

"Put away your blade" Robb said sharply.

"I take orders from your father, not you" Theon sneered. Bran turned quickly to their father.

"Please Father!" He begged.

"I'm sorry, Bran" he said as he went to turn away. Ashanna held the pup to her chest. Silent tears were beginning to well in her eyes.

"Lord Stark" Jon said suddenly. All eyes snapped to Ashanna's older brother. "There are six pups. One for each of the stark children. The dire wolf is the sigil of your house. They were meant to have them" Jon said slowly.
Ashanna rubbed the fur of the pup in her arms. Everyone looked to her Lord father.

"You'll train them yourselves, you'll feed them yourselves and if they die you'll bury them yourselves" he said as he turned away. Theon put away his blade and handed Bran back the pup. Ashanna smiled at Jon in happiness and the pup in her arms licked her cheek. Jon handed two of the four remaining pups to Robb who handed them to Theon. Theon started walking up to the trail, following Lord Stark and his men.

"What about you?" Bran asked Jon. Jon looked at him sadly.

"I'm not a Stark, get on" he said motioning for Bran to go back to the trail. Ashanna moved after her little brother. Robb passed her carrying two more pups. She could her Jon walk behind her. His feet crushed the grass. But he stopped. Ashanna turned to see what happened. Robb and Theon did the same. Jon moved toward a tree.

"What is it?" Robb asked. Jon picked pup a seventh pup. It's eyes were blood red and its fur was pure white.

"The runt of the litter, that one's yours snow" Theon says mockingly. Ashanna shot Theon a glare before climbing up the bank and walked to her horse. She climbed onto her horses back with the pup in her arms. Robb laughed at how easily she did it. Now he himself was struggling to climb onto his horse.
Ashanna chuckled as she rode her horse after the group. The pup was chewing Ashanna's fingers playfully. Ashanna left out a breath of laughter at the pup  attempting to escape her grip. The pup looked at the snow flakes falling. The North had a fair share of snow in summer. Ashanna smiled as the flakes landed in her hair and eye lashes. The wolf stared at the snow flakes that slowly fell onto her fur. The wolf would soon learn the coldness of snow. Winter is coming....
"Winter.." Ashanna whispered. The wolves eyes snapped to her's. Brown eyes bore into her's.
"Winter" Ashanna nodded. The name Winter was perfect..