The Children of Spring

Gerion I - Kingdom Under Siege

Winterfell was extremely agitated, there were people on the castle walls and all around the gates. Everyone had been surprised when an army had appeared outside the castle without anyone noticing it. One night the space around the castle was empty and everything was wonderful, the North was in peace and there was prosperity. The next few bannerments came to Winterfell, asking for help because their lands were being haunted, Tyrion and Sansa found it weird, but they sent help all the same. On the dawn of the third night, an army was placed outside their castle. It was made of men in black battle suits with spears, that did not moove at all, except when comanded, and men that looked like sellswords with golden masks. What was strange was that no one knew how that happened, no one heard a thing, not one guard was aware of them until dawn came. Tyrion and Sansa sent Ser Connor Mormont, the master-at-arms of Winterfell at the time, to negociate with them. However, there was no answer and Ser Connor returned to the castle without any more knowledge, than he had when he had left which made all the people more anxious and scared. It could be seen in their faces and the happiness and the brightness that was seen inside of Winterfell was gone.
Gerion Lannister-Stark was anxious too and a bit scared as well, however he was also confused. He was 16 and this was the first problem in the North since 17 years ago for what his father and mother told him. He was the eldest child of Tyrion and Sansa and he had blonde hair and green eyes. Gerion loved to fight and ride, he also liked to read from time to time, however he would never admit it. As the eldest, he felt responsible for his brother and sister, the twins. Jeyne and Rickon were 15 and were almost inseparable. They had auburn hair and blue eyes. Rickon looked up to Gerion and he knew that, which was why he tried really hard to give a good exemple. It was not always easy, because he had a bit of Lannister impulsiveness in him and that led to him go riding into the wolfswood without telling anyone sometimes. However, at that time, Gerion did not know what to do, his home was under siege and his father and his mother had just told them that the King and Queen of the Six Kingdoms were going to take him and his siblings to KingsLanding, to keep them safe. The trouble was that he did not want to leave Winterfell or his parents. He wanted to fight with them, he wanted to protect his home, to protect them.
He was in the Godswood, thinking about what he would do, trying to come up with an idea. That wood and that tree had something that made him feel at peace and somehow it felt like nothing of what happened in there would be known in the rest of the world. Somehow that was true.
"What am I going to do, Bold?" he asked his direwolf. The light brown fur direwolf sniffed him and laid at his feet. "Without ideas too, uh?", he said, petting him.
There had been a litter of direwolves found near Winterfell again about two years ago and there were 6 pups. Three remained in Winterfell for him and his siblings and the other three went to Storm's End for their cousins. The direwolves in Winterfell were Bold, that had light brown fur and green eyes and was his; Dreamer, that had black fur and golden eyes and was Jeyne's; and Silver, that had light grey fur and brown eyes and was Rickon's.
After sometime thinking and thinking, he had an idea. He was going to convince his parents to let him stay in Winterfell, or at least try to convince them. He did not expect it to work at the first try or at the last. Therefore, Gerion got up and said,
"Come on, boy, let's go." The direwolf got to his feet and went after him, back to the castle.
He was entering the castle and working out what he would say, when he heard,
"Ger! What are you doing?" It was Jeyne, his sister.
"Hey, sis. Uh, I am going to talk with mother and father." Gerion said honestly.
"Can I come with you?"
"It's not a good idea this time, little sister. I have to talk with them alone."
"Is it because of the war?" Jeyne asked worried and Gerion looked at his sister surprised and concerned. How does she know? Ah, she's 15, right, I have to get used to it... Gerion thought, even with just one year of difference he always felt like the older brother to her and the fact that she was growing up did not settle in well in his mind. He went to his sister and she hugged him and he hugged her back.
"There is not a war, yet. But, yes, it's because of it." Gerion said softly and trying not to sound worried, after the hug.
"I'm coming with you." Rickon said and then Gerion realized that his brother was behind him. Not you too, Gerion thought.
"No, you two have to stay safe. Besides, I don't even know if I can convince them alone, if we both go then we don't stand a chance." Gerion explained. He knew that Rickon would follow him everywhere and he was glad for it, because they were very close, however this time he could not follow him into this crazy idea.
"But I don't want to go to KingsLanding, Ger. I want to stay and fight with you and father." Rickon said. Gerion went to his brother and put a hand on his shoulder and said,
"I know you do, but you have to take care of her. She needs you." Then they looked at her sister, that by then had gotten tired of hearing them talking, got distracted and was going to the gardens, her favourite place in the castle. It was their mother's favourite place as well. Still, Gerion and Rickon always prefered the Godswood.
"Alright..." Rickon said reluntacly and then Gerion nodded and went into the castle, to find his parents.
Inside the castle, making his way to the Great Hall, he was trying to figure out what he would say: I need to talk with you... no... I want to talk with you... that's a bit better, I think... I don't want to go to KingsLanding, I want to stay and fight... this is not going to work... I'll have to improvise. Why didn't I let Rickon come with me? He's much better with words than me.
When he got to the Great Hall, his father and his mother were talking with Ser Connor and it seemed like they were preparing the plan of battle. Gerion came closer, he managed to have a glance of the plan and then said,
"I didn't mean to interupt, but I'd like to talk with you, father, mother." This one went pretty well, I think, if I could keep it like this during the whole conversation, it'll be great, Gerion thought hopefully.
"Of course. Thank you, ser, we'll talk later." Sansa said and Ser Connor nodded and went away. After the master left, Tyrion asked concerned,
"What is it, Ger? Is everything alright?"
"Yes, everything is fine... it's just that... I don't want to go to KingsLanding. I want to stay and fight, if it needs to be." Gerion said sounding determined.
"That's out of the question. The emergency plan is getting you all to KingsLanding and that's what will happen." Tyrion said seriously and at the same time a bit softly.
"But I want to fight for my home and I want to help you. I'm not leaving you!" Gerion rebutted.
"Your father is right. It's too dangerous for you and your brother and sister to stay here. You have to take care of them, while we deal with this." Sansa tried to explain.
"Rickon can take care of Jeyne and if everyone is in KingsLanding, then Jenny and Galladon and Marianne will not let anything happened to them both, if the adults came to battle. I and them are the eldest, so they will be safe, even if I stay. We will all be there, but none of us will be here to help you." Gerion said determined.
"Alright, let's try it this way. You're the heir to the North and you're a Stark, so are your brother and sister. The North is indenpendent and if anything happens to you or them in the South, no one can do a thing about it. It's a risk and a big one. It cannot be taken. You have to be there to protect them, because you're the only one that the people would not rise against if you have to do something in their defense. I know you want to fight, but you're only 16 and you have a whole life ahead of you. Don't start to trow it away now." Tyrion explained.
"I understand that you want to fight and all of that, but sometimes the best we can do is stay back and protect those we can. Right now, me and your father can protect you and Jeyne and Rickon. And the only way of doing it is to send you three to KingsLanding, away from the war. Do you understand that?" Sansa asked seriously.
"I do, but- Fine. I will go and protect them." Gerion said reluntacly.
"Everything is going to be alright. Don't worry." Tyrion said.
"Help is on the way. And everything will be solved." Sansa said.
"We've been through worst, Ger. Far worst than this. You don't need to worry about us." Tyrion said.
"If you say so, then I believe you. I will try to stay calm." Gerion said, despite not being sure if that would be true. I hope Jen and Gal have a plan. They and me and Mary have to go to that battle, no matter what, Gerion thought hopefully. He knew his cousins and he knew that none of the four of them would back down from this fight. They were too stuborn to do so and too bold not to try to fight in it.
After some more time talking about other things, they heard the dragons outside.
Suddenly the horn blew, What? Now?, Gerion thought, not believing what he was hearing. From all the time, the army stood there without doing a damn thing, they make a move at that time, when they saw the dragons? It did not make sense. They have a great sense of opportunity, I'll give them that, Gerion thought.
"They saw her. We have to be quick or we'll loose the castle." Tyrion said.
"Who saw who?" Gerion asked confused. What is going on?, Gerion thought.
"There's no time to explain, my dear, go find Rickon and Jeyne." Sansa said and he went to find them the quickest he could, without questions.
When Gerion got outside, arrows were flying, however not in the direction of the castle, but in the direction of one of the dragons. Drogon. The army is from the people that aunt Daenerys defeated in the Free Cities, like in the story father told me, Gerion realised while was looking for his brother and sister.
The army was made of Unsulied and Sons of the Harpy, acording to what Gerion had heard from some conversation in the council room that he had accidentaly heard. That's why it's weird they are here, so far North, because they're from the Free Cities, Gerion thought.
The arrows continue to fly everywhere and people were starting to pannick and getting really scared, every man was running to the gates to prepare for the fight, some women were screaming in despair and he was pretty sure that he had heard a baby cry coming from somewhere. All of this sent a chill through all his body.
Gerion was running through all Winterfell, trying to find Rickon and Jeyne, but they were nowhere to be found and he was running out of ideas to where they might be.
"Rickon! Jeyne!" Gerion called them and there was no answered. He knew that he had to find them quickly, because the dragons could not wait long and because if they did, it might start a war and they could loose the castle like his father said.
At some point, he noticed that Bold was running next to him, but then the wolf went to the woods, "Where are you going?" he asked confused and concerned, but the direwolf just kept going without looking back and Gerion just continue his way.
At last, he arrived at the stables and, finally, saw his brother. He was there looking for something.
"Rickon, come on, we have to go." Gerion said when he got to him.
"No. I can't find Silver. I have to say goodbye." Rickon said.
"Listen to me, little brother. We have to get out of here and quickly or we're going to have even more problems. Bold disappeared as well, but I'm sure they will know we have to go, without saying goodbye. Come on, we need to find Jeyne, alright?" Gerion explained, trying to calm down. He was really tired from all the running. Rickon nodded and then Gerion took him by the hand and they went to find their sister. After some time, they were running again.
After a short while, they found her near the dragons already and with their parents and Jon and Daenerys. Jon and Daenerys were in the dragons still, because there was no safety while landed.
"I don't want to go!" Jeyne was saying, when they got near them.
"I know, I know, but you have to, sweetling. It's for your own safety." Tyrion said softly, looking at her.
"I want to be here with you. I don't want to leave you alone." Jeyne said. When she had something in mind, she could be even more dificult to put off of it, than her brothers.
"We'd like that you could stay with us, but for now it has to be this way. Alright, sweety?" Sansa said softly. Jeyne went to her mother and hugged her thightly.
"Please, please, I don't want to leave you and father." Jeyne said while hugging her mother. Gerion felt that as he was the eldest, he had to do something, he had to help his parents.
Gerion went to them and put a hand on his sister shoulder. She let go of the hug and looked at him.
"Jeyne. We have to go. It's going to be alright. Father and mother will meet us there in a few time. Right?" Gerion said, looking at his parents.
"Right. We'll be there. Don't worry." Tyrion said, looking at his son, proudly.
"Come on, Jeyne. Let's go." Rickon said and then, after saying goodbye to their parents Rickon and Jeyne climbed on Raeghal. Gerion stood in the ground and then looked at his parents again.
"We are very proud of you, Gerion. Never forget that, sweetling, alright?" Sansa said and he nodded. He went to his mother and gave her a hug, saying goodbye.
Then he turned to his father and gave him a hug as well. He feared that he might not see them again.
"Listen to me, Ger. You're a Stark of Winterfell and a Lannister of Casterly Rock, if we do not survive this, you have to take care of your siblings and of your house. I'm sure you are perfectly capable of that, but be careful." Tyrion told him.
"I will. Always. Don't worry, father." Gerion said and then he climbed on Raeghal too.
"Hello, uncle Jon." Gerion said.
"Hello, Gerion." Jon said.
"Are you ready to go?" Daenerys asked from Drogon. The arrows were still flying, even if it was useless, because they could neither hurt the dragons or hit their riders.
"Can we go kids?" Jon asked, looking back at them.
Gerion looked at his brother and then at his sister and then said,
"Yes. We can."
As they took off, the children looked down at their parents and said goodbye to them.
After few moments, they were flying. Almost thouching the clouds, it was just like the stories their father had told them. Even a small man could see the whole world from the back of a dragon, Gerion thought, remembering the stories.
"This is awsome!" Rickon said excited and amazed.
"There's nothing like the first time." Jon said.
"Oooh!" the twins were saying and Jon and Daenerys laughed and Gerion smiled.
Gerion was feeling free, scared, happy and sad at the same time. He was flying in a real dragon and it could not be more amazing, still he had just left his home and his parent when there was an army outside of Winterfell and threatning the North. The only thing I can do now is taking care of Jeyne and Rickon and hoping my cousins have a very good plan, Gerion thought, looking at the sky. He could not wait to get together with everyone, that was a good thing at least. He was in need to speak with someone and he knew that Galladon, Jenny and Marianne would listen. They always did and the four of them were always there for each other, they understood each other better than most, because they were the eldest and always had to take care of the youngest, together.
Meanwhile at Winterfell, in the shadows, the direwolves disappeared through the Godswood into the wolfswood, going south, they would not let Gerion, Jeyne and Rickon go alone to the South. They were their pack and they would protect them, always. Their place was not just in the North, it was where they owners were and at that time, they would be in the capital of the Six Kingdoms, so that was where they would go.