Lyanna

"You be quiet, stupid," Lyanna said, tossing her branch aside. "It's just water. Do you want Old Nan to hear and run and tell Father?"

She knelt down beside the water and grabbed the struggling boys arms to pull him out. He gave her a piercing glare as he shook himself off.

"Do you think father is too thick to notice that I'm all wet?"

"Sit in the sun, you'll be dry before we see him."

Truthfully, it was warmer than Lyanna had ever seen Winterfell. It seemed as though the winter had finally ended. There were still nights that sent shivers through her body and no amount of fire could warm her. But they were becoming fewer and fewer and some days, the sun shone so brightly that her face reddened and her skin sweat if she was outside for too long.

"We can't sit here all day, Ned could be arriving at any minute," the boy insisted.

Lyanna's face broke into a grin. Ned. She missed him so. She had not seen him in a years time and it had been even longer the time before that. Every time a raven came with word from him in the Vale, she read the words her dear brother had written over and over until her eyes were sore. She loved Brandon and Benjen with her entire heart but Ned's absence had been hardest for her.

"Are you smiling thinking of Ned coming home or of Robert coming with him," Benjen said with a smirk. Lyanna smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow, Lya, I was only joking."

"You know very well that I did everything I could to talk father out of this supposed marriage," she spat, "but hurry and dry yourself, father is going to want us to wash and dress well for when they arrive,"

With that, they mounted their horses and rode away from the godswood.

She had always known her father was eager for her marriage to Robert Baratheon. She just had not known how serious it was until the handmaidens were scrubbing her raw, tugging at her hair, and forcing her into a gown fit to wear to a wedding.

"Lord Rickard wants you to look your best for when Lord Robert arrives."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. She had met Robert twice before; both were trips south to the Vale to visit Ned. They had not spent a great deal of time together, but he had seemed nice enough. He was as good looking as he was arrogant, as proud as he was strong, and as boisterous as he was charming. She had quite enjoyed spending time with Robert, but merely thought of him as Ned's best friend. She had no desire to be his wife and bear him children, that job would be better suited for another woman.

And from what I hear, it already has suited another woman.

Whispers of Robert's indiscretions had reached her merely days after her father had told her of the betrothal. Barely a man with already one bastard to his name. She was a Stark; marrying him was her duty and she must bring the family honor. She could not understand, however, why her father chose a man that would not do his duty as a husband to her and would dishonor her at every turn.

"Lady Lyanna, you look positively radiant."

As she looked in the mirror, she could hardly deny that statement. Her dark hair fell in ringlets framing her face and the deep blue dress she wore made her eyes shine. She hardly recognized the girl in the mirror. She much preferred the breeches and tunics her father so hated. They had gone to great lengths on the dress to show the curves of her body. It made her waist look tiny and her teats look large.

He wants to show that I have a woman's body. He must have heard of Robert's fondness for whores and wanted to show that I am more worthy of his affection than a common tavern wench.

She hated the entire mummers farce. She longed for Ned to be here without his foster brother. She suddenly needed air. They were unawares of the time of their arrival; she decided that she would go for a ride no matter how uncomfortable the bodice of her dress might make sitting on a horse.

Brandon was at the stables when she arrived. Tall, muscular, and effortlessly handsome, he was dressed in fine clothes tending to his own black steed. He let out a booming laugh when he saw her.

"Is that my little sister or is it an actual lady?"

"Har har, laugh as much as you wish, you wont be laughing when a girl in a dress beats you in a race," she retorted, hoping he was feeling competitive.

"You may ride well sister, but you've yet to beat me."

"I rarely ride in a dress. If I'm so easy to beat, you'll have an easy time of it now that I'm made up like a doll."

Brandon smirked at that and nodded.

"Don't be so cocky Lya, your future husband might not take kindly to that." She glared at him and he laughed again. "If a ride is what you need to prepare you for your courtship than I will gladly watch you lose to me again."

Brandon always knew how to lift her spirits. He was like her in that he was wild and free. They had the wolf's blood. The two of them had not been made for the life of a highborn future lord and lady. She had oft thought that Ned would fare better as the firstborn son and the heir to the North. Brandon would make a better second son; he could be a knight and have the little freedoms he so craved. There had been more than one occasion that she had thought the two of them would make better wildlings than noble people.

As they mounted their horses, Brandon distracted her from her worries with tales he had heard of the free cities in Essos.

"Can we go there someday, you and I?" she asked him hopefully.

He gave her a sad smile. "If your Lord Husband and mine lady wife allow it."

"You're a boy. You don't need to be allowed anything. I'm a girl, his property, practically a slave."

"You're also my sister. Robert be damned, I'll steal you from Storms End if he chooses to not allow it," he said fiercely and she giggled. He could be so hot-headed, even over hypothetical matters.

They began their ride and instantly her head was clear. This was where she was happiest. The wind was in her hair, the sun in her face, her white mare beneath her. The horse had been a gift on her 13th nameday from her Lord father. Despite his hand in her betrothal, it was hard to have anything less than affection for the stern but kind man.

"Should we race down the kingsroad? Mayhaps we'll see Ned's party from a distance," the wild wolf asked his sister.

"It starts at the gate, be ready, I plan to win." She did plan it. She needed it.

As the horses gained speed, she focused only on the road ahead. She had a plan; she would hold back while he gained a lead, then take over at the end. The rode for what seemed like hours until she finally overtook him. As they approached the tavern that would be their finish line, she urged her horse forward until the tavern was behind her. She had beaten her older brother. She had strong suspicions that he had let her win, but she didn't care. She had needed it. As he trotted up to meet her, she couldn't help but grin.

"You should wear dresses more often, Lya, apparently they suit you more than you know."

"Maybe you should try wearing a dress, it could help with your poor performance," she teased lightly.

"Aye, I think I'd look rather comely in a dress." With that, Lyanna laughed harder than she had since her father had told her of the betrothal.

"Do you see that up ahead?" her eldest brother asked. They were some distance away but it was unmistakable. A group of no less than 20 men rode carrying several sky blue banners.

Ned.

"We must go meet them, he's so close," the wolf maiden squealed.

"Nay, father will not be happy if were not waiting to greet them. He means to show you off. I expect we'll all be lined up in the courtyard, waiting for them as if it's the King himself. We best hurry back and put the horses in the stables. The handmaidens will fix your hair as well, you look as wild as if you're from the wrong side of the wall."

She side and turned her horse around.

"I'll race you back," she said, determined.

She was not racing her brother though, as she urged her mare onward. She was racing the road itself, eager to get back as quickly as possible to be ready. She had been waiting for this moment for a moon.

Ned was home.