Nymeria

Found in the Snow

After their mother had died, Nymeria had found it very hard to live with her litter. Ghost, the albino, kept running away, and it was Nymeria who had to bring him back. Lady did not give a fig to what happened with Ghost, but Nymeria loved Ghost. She loved his fur, his howl, everything.

The eldest of the pack, Grey Wind, was always taking the duty of guarding them. Sometimes he felt like a king to Nymeria. She wondered if Grey Wind could be immortal.

Summer and Shaggydog were mostly inactive. They lay down behind Lady, always seeking for her protection. Lady fussed over Summer, and scolded Shaggydog whenever she got the chance. Those two were Lady's pets.

Ghost, however, kept trying to get away from the litter. Nymeria thought that he didn't feel welcome, especially with Lady scowling whenever she came near him. Nymeria took to Ghost as her child, and then they became best friends. Once Grey Wind saw Nymeria playing with Ghost, he took Ghost by the tail and ran. Ghost laughed and chased him.

Nymeria, Grey Wind, and Ghost were best friends.

Then the day came.

Grey Wind had heard the horse's footsteps, and had told them all to hide. Nymeria led Ghost to behind their mother's carcass, and soon Lady followed with Shaggydog and Summer.

Grey Wind was halfway to the hiding spot when Robb Stark and Jon Snow pulled up beside them.

"Wait," said Robb. "Is that-"

"A direwolf," said Jon. "And that is a direwolf corpse."

They stood sometime in silence, for the dead direwolf, until finally Jon noticed Nymeria and the others.

"There!" cried Jon. "More direwolves!"

"I'm calling Father," said Robb. With that, he spun his horse around and went back. Jon knelt down and pushed little Summer gently on his hand. Summer squealed, and Jon put him back down.

Then came the rest of the party. "Look what my sons have done now," said Lord Eddard Stark.

Jory Cassel gasped. "A direwolf," he said.

"A beast," Theon Greyjoy said. "Look at the size of it."

"Look behind the mother, Greyjoy," said Robb. "There's a litter."

"Best leave it," said Ned. Robb looked horrified. "But, Father, I wanted to take them!" he said.

"Even if you take them, they will die, sooner or later," said Ned.

Then Jon spoke up. "Lord Eddard," he said. "There are five direwolves, two females and three males. The direwolf is the sigil of your house. Your children were meant to have them."

"Yes, I will even soak a cloth with milk and make them nuzzle from it!" cried little Bran Stark.

Ned sighed, defeated. "No one will look after them, except you," he said. "You will take them, care for them, teach them tricks, and do what you please, but when they grow into beasts, they won't be so sweet. They can rip off a man's arms just as a cat eats a mouse. Are you sure?"

"We will take care of them," Robb promised. And just like that, the direwolves were on their way to the kingdom of the Starks- Winterfell.

Nymeria and Grey Wind were taken by Robb. "I'll give this one to Arya," Nymeria heard Robb whisper. "She would absolutely love it."

Just when they were almost across the bridge, Jon rushed back. That was when Nymeria noticed Ghost was missing. So much for being a best friend, thought Nymeria. She was so thrilled about being taken out of this cold that she had completely forgotten about Ghost.

Well, it seemed like Jon Snow had found Ghost. "This one must have run off," he said.

She heard Theon Greyjoy laugh and say, "An albino. This one will die way faster than the rest."

Then she saw the cold look on Jon's face. "I don't think so, Greyjoy," he said. "This one belongs to me."