Wolf Among Sheep
First off this is an OC story of a character Mikal Stark the younger brother of Robb Stark and Sansa's older brother. This is my first story so please be gentle I'm a delicate little flower. Second, I know I will probably get a lot of hate mail for this but I don't like Jon Snow. To me his story line is boring and he's just not that great a character even with the secret of Lyanna and Rhaegar, so he won't be appearing in my story. While I don't really like him as a character some aspects of him I will be using in my OC. Mainly his looks and swordsmanship as well as his direwolf Ghost. Third, in my story when Bran fell from the tower Mikal was in the godswood and caught him when he fell, so he smacked his head pretty good but he doesn't remember the fall. Finally, as the story title implies to me most of the Starks are gullible and to honorable even for the greater good, so Mikal Stark will more ruthless and clever in contrast to his family. I do not own Game of Thrones obviously just my OC character from my wonderful mind palace. Enjoy.
Interlude
Everything went to shit after the kings visit. Father agreed to go south to be the new Hand of the King. A decision that would change the game of thrones as the southerners liked to call it. A man of honor but almost no skill in politics would most likely go badly in the rat's nest of Kings Landing. Bran had fallen from the broken tower the first thing that was off because Bran never falls. If he hadn't been there they might have had a dead brother or even a cripple which considering the boy in question would be worse than death. Even after the royals left things were never the same. Robb was now the lord of Winterfell. Even a full grown man would have a hard time managing the whole of the north, but Robb wasn't a full grown man yet. He had to name an almost entirely new household because father took every one of importance with him on his journey south. And with mother refusing to leave Bran's side until he wakes there was even more pressure on Robb. He helped where he could like with the calculations of the royal visit, something he immediately regretted volunteering for. The sheer cost of the visit was already a pain and winter hadn't even come yet. Then there was a that fire in the library which turned out to be a distraction to try and kill Bran. Thank the gods Bran's direwolf was there. His mother slept for days after the incident and upon awaking journeyed south to warn father of the danger the Lannister's posed. He volunteered to go with Ser Rodrick but mother wouldn't have it. Bran had awoken not long after mother left but was still on bedrest and complaining about mother being gone. The worst was Rickon though he couldn't blame the lad for it. He didn't understand what was happening, hells he wasn't even sure of everything yet, still trying to put the pieces together in his mind.
Then to top it all off the fat stag King got himself killed by a boar, something he would have found funny if not for the obvious consequences. Prince Joffrey Baratheon was now King Joffrey Baratheon and that spelled bad news for the entire realm. In the short time spent with him at Winterfell Mikal observed many things about the Prince. First, he was without a doubt the most arrogant boy ever conceived. Within minutes of arriving his constant complaining and insults of Mikal's home was a headache for everyone. There was also the fact that he was obviously a craven, whimpering in the tilt yard whenever he received a little smack. I had fallen on the floor laughing after the Prince suggested live steel for the sparring session after both he and Robb dismantled him. "You can't even fight with a wooden sword Joffrey why in the world would you do better with a real one" I said in between laughs. The Price turned bright red and started taunting and challenging me to a real fight. I of course agreed, but Ser Rodrick said it was out of the question. The hound then came up spewing some nonsense about training women. An uglier man in the kingdoms there wasn't but I never backed down from that burned face stare. Nothing scared me anymore after the little incident in the Wolfswood when I was thirteen so he walked off after realizing this wolf wasn't afraid of a hound. Joffrey walked off with him yelling some jokes directed toward me and my brother and we didn't see him much after. The worst part about him though was the Sansa was clearly smitten with the Prince. The idea of becoming Queen and living in the south blinded her to Joffrey's true nature. He tried to warn her about his concerns but she wouldn't hear it. After the incident at the Ruby Ford with the direwolf's and the Prince he hoped Sansa had realized Joffrey character, but according to Arya's letters she instead blamed her own sister. Apparently, their mother's lessons of Family, Duty, Honor was lost on Sansa.
When mother took Tyrion Lannister as a hostage his father Tywin Lannister, perhaps the most ruthless man in Westeros, responded by burning the Riverlands which was his mother's homeland. His mother however took Tyrion to Aunt Lysa in the Vale. She was safe for now at least.
The day they received Sansa's letter about father's treason and imprisonment is when things went from bad to worse. It was almost laughable, the most honorable man in Westeros was being accused of being a traitor to his best friend and plotting to take the throne for himself. If father wanted the throne so badly he would have taken it during the rebellion. Perhaps he should have considering how terrible King Robert turned out to be. So, Robb called the banners and marched south with haste.
That's what led us here to the Whispering Wood waiting for the Kingslayer to enter Robb's trap. It was a good plan and if the scouting reports were correct it was working. The Kingslayer had run off with a small force to deal with what he thought was a few remnants of the Tully army. What he didn't know was that the entire northern army was hidden in the woods waiting to strike. Not only the Northern army was with them though the Frey's had granted then use of their army of four thousand. But the price was to high in Mikal's opinion, not that anyone asked for it. When mother returned from negotiations with Walder Frey she had told them what would be needed to cross their damn bride. The taking of two wards and a squire for Robb wasn't a big deal at all, but the next part was. Robb and Mikal would have to marry one of Walder Frey's daughters and if the rumors held true the word daughters was a stretch. Robb of course agreed much to the amusement of Theon. Mikal had been good with women. The main reason was that all the girls in the North had eyes for Robb the heir to Winterfell and the pretty one. When it turned out Robb wasn't interested in any of them because Robb believed their parents would make a match for him in time some of them turn their eyes to him. Mikal was no one's second choice however so he rebuffed them.
Mikal's mind snapped back to the job at hand. The decoy Tully army had finally come into the clearing with the Lannister army hot on its trail. He looked over to Robb whose eye's wear focused of the approaching army. As soon as the Lannister host reached the middle of the clearing Robb gave the signal and the horns sounded. In a flash, the northern cavalry descended the surrounding hills and charged at the Lannister host. It was a massacre from the start. Westermen fell left and right to the vengeful Northman. The first man that tried to kill him was quickly dealt with by the almost unconscious moves of my sword. With a quick parry and a slash to the man's throat Mikal went on the next poor sap brave enough to cross his path. After his fourth kill Mikal saw red and the rest of the battle was a blur. This was the wolfs blood his father talked about. He was enjoying killing these Westermen and why shouldn't he they invaded his mother's homeland and had his father and uncle hostage. What finally brought his out of his haze was noticing the Kingslayer was fighting his friend Daryn Hornwood who was clearly trying to stop the Kingslayer from getting to Robb. Just as Daryn fell to the ground and the Kingslayers sword went to the killing blow it was met by Mikal's. It was then that he saw the Kingslayers face. He was smiling upon noticing it was the younger Stark boy. He thought this would be an easy fight which in turn caused Mikal to smile right back. In the North Mikal was known to be one of the best swordsmen and not just for his age. The kingslayer slashed at Mikal's face which was easily parried and the dance begun. Mikal unleased a combo which if Mikal was correct the Kingslayer was barely able to counter. Mikal dodged the Kingslayers slashes to his legs and throat and while backeteping and started a flurry of his own attacks. The Kingslayer wasn't smiling now but instead looked worried. He had underestimated the Stark boy and was about to pay for it. As Mikal came in with and overhead slash which was initially parried Mikal brought the hilt of his sword down and smashed it into the Kingslayers jaw sending him to one knee. A quick follow up with a shield bash to the Kingslayers head and he was even more dazed. Mikal saw this was the end and kicked the kneed Kingslayer across the face knocking him out. Out of breath Mikal looked up and was met with the faces of Daryn Hornwood, the Kastark brothers and Robb looking at him in awe. Mikal just gave them a smirk and said, "clean this shit up" and started walking away. It was then he heard the booming laughter of what could have only been the Greatjon.
After Securing the hostages they moved on to liberate Riverrun from the siege of the unsuspecting and now leaderless Lannister army. It turned out to be an easy battle with the Lannister host which had their army split into thirds to effectively siege the castle. Mikal and his great uncle the Blackfish charged into the northern camp while Robb attacked the western camp with the help of the remaining Tully forces who had retreated into Riverrun. Upon seeing their friends and countrymen put to route the eastern camp quickly retreated. By the end of the two battles Mikal was covered in blood from head to toe which earned him the nickname The Bloody Wolf.
The victories turned out to be short lived when news reached the northmen of the execution of Eddard Stark. There was no time to grieve however, Robb called a meeting of all the northern lords to decide their next course of action. With the questions of Joffrey's legitimacy many wanted to pledge fealty to King Renly after he wed Margaery Tyrell. With the power of Highgarden and the majority of the Stormlords backing him Renly would be a force to be reckon with. Some voiced support for King Stannis but it was weak argument. Although Stannis was the rightful King he only had support of a few lords in the Narrow Sea and the Stormlands. There were also rumors of Stannis forsaking the gods of his people for a Red God from Essos and that would not sit well with the northmen who followed the Old Gods and would never in a million moons forsake them. That's when the Greatjon stood up and after a very fine speech declared fealty to Robb the King in the North. Every northern lord in attendance including Mikal bent their knees to Robb Stark and northern independence.
Please review and let me know what you think this is my first try at writing and would really appreciate feedback. And yes I realized there wasn't much dialog I'm trying to see to anyone even likes this story first.