The Sage of Thrones

Chapter 1 ~ The Wolf meets the Sage

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Eddard Stark or Ned Stark as he was known by most men in the North stormed into his room within the confines of the large castle known as Winterfell. His emotions were one of anger, rage, pain, and despair all rolled up on one. The wolf's blood in him boiling to the point where he almost felt as if his body was changing into the very animal his house banner sported since the time of its founding. Why was he filled with such rage? Such fury? Such anger?

His brother, Brandon Stark, the eldest, and future Lord of the North was dead. Their own Father, the once current Lord of the North was dead too. Slain by the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen after going to King's Landing to make his plea to the Mad King to return his son's dead body to him. And if it could not get any worse then that,his dear sweet sister, Lyanna Stark, had been taken by the Mad King's son Rhaegar Targaryen. Lyanna was to be married to Ned's dear childhood friend and sworn brother Robert Baratheon of Hourse Baratheon.

Even now, Robert was rallying his house, his two younger brothers, and anyone else who were against the Mad King's actions against Aerys II Targaryen in what would surely be a massive Civil War. Ned was planning to join Robert with all the armies of the North now under his command as the current Lord of the North and Winterfell after leaving within the hour. Adding the armies from House Tully from his recent marriage to Catelyn Tully, who was his eldest brother's betrothed before such a duty was past down to him upon the man's death. The woman herself was beautiful. Only a few maidens in all the realm who could be matched in that field and even then, the few that did were either the one Lannister girl Cersei, Elia Martell of Dorne, and of course Lyanna Stark herself.

So angry at what had happened to his family, Ned ignored how his leg hit the desk in his room, and caused a secret compartment with a piece of parchment rolling onto the floor. Stopping in his fit of rage, Ned looked down at the parchment, and saw his brother's seal on it before reluctantly picking it up. He didn't even know that compartment in his desk existed and wondered what his brother had left behind for him prior to his death. Ned was actually afraid to open it due to the possibly personal nature of what was written on it. When was this written? Why was it written? And why was it hidden in the desk's secret compartment in the first place?

Knowing the only way he would get answers to these growing questions, Ned reluctantly broke the seal on the parchment, slowly unrolled the paper, and began to read what were his eldest brother's final words to him.

And in that moment, Ned Stark's life, and the way the Game of Thrones was played in the Seven Kingdoms would be changed drastically forever.

(Further North-Hidden Location East of Winterfell)

Ned Stark rode with Ser Rodrik Cassel, one of the most trusted men in Winterfell, and a rare knight of the North. The two rode swiftly on horseback with a young recently named Maester Luwin, who they felt would possibly be of some aid to them at their intended destination.

"Are you sure about this my Lord? I have no doubt your brother's handwriting was his own and was of sound mind when written. But surely he was mistaken. No one lives on this side of the North or this far into it," said Rodrik while Ned nodded since he read his brother's letter over and over again before showing it to the two men with him.

"I'm certain of it Ser Rodrik. If my brother's words are indeed true, the help we need to fight House Targaryen and the Mad King is here," answered Ned before the three came to the location on the crude map left behind by the late Brandon Stark.

A house. A strange looking house that not designed like the other homes in the North. It was wider in size, the roof slanted well past the inner wall of the home. underneath the extended roof was a wooden floor based walkway that went seemingly went around the entire building. The walls of the house were wooden with strange wooden doors with a white square parchments on them. To the right of the house was a simple garden and a few surprisingly lush trees on either side of the building.