The mud squelched under the hooves of the horses.

"Ground's too soft for jousting." Observed Eddard, glaring moodily into the mist. "Maybe we should turn back?"

"Turn back now after seven days of hard travel? Surely you jest, little brother. Some optimism might be nice for once!' Laughed Brandon Stark, the tall, ruggedly handsome heir to Winterfell. "This Tourney will be the biggest ever held, and I'm most certain that Walter Whent will disappoint many if it is called off due to a speck of mud. Besides, are you not anxious to meet all the fair Southern ladies who will come see the spectacle? Perhaps the shy, quiet Eddard Stark might even deem it opportune to take some pretty lady's maidenhood, hmm?"

"Brother! Don't tease poor Ned, he's already quiet enough to start with. And it's not chivalrous to speak of such...unpleasant things in the presence of a lady."

Brandon scoffed. "Lady, my pretty arse. Shouldn't a lady be riding in a carriage?"

Lyanna Stark, seated upon a pale horse, glared daggers at her elder brother, who responded with an innocent look. "Come, Ned. Let's not talk to the infamous deflowerer of maidens. Race you to the bridge!" The girl not yet seventeen suddenly yanked on her horse's reins, dress billowing around her knees as she took off towards the distant crossing.

Eddard could only give a helpless shrug to his brother before chasing after Lyanna, a little smile dancing across his lips.

Benjen, the smallest of the four, turned his eyes hopefully towards the eldest.

"No."

Benjen slumped in his saddle, gazing dejectedly at the galloping horses.

Brandon scrapped off a piece of mud off his boot. "Kids." He grumbled, before turning back to the other Northmen. "Ethan! You didn't become my squire for being slow! Catch up, will you?"

"Sorry sire!" Ethan Glover, glanced helplessly at the knightly equipment weighing down his horse. With a sigh, he nudged his weary companion onwards.

It was a beautiful spring, with flowers blooming and babies wailing. Winter was at its end.


It's amazing how the internet can influence us. I read A Song of Ice and Fire two years ago, and lost interest in the TV show around Season 3 due to exams). I don't specifically remember how, but I picked up on the Ashara Dayne=Jon Snow's mom theory on the internet two days ago, and it definitely piqued my interest, and so this story was born.

What I love most about ASoIaF is its scale and its endless number of untold stories. There are some many plots left open, and I doubt George R.R. Martin will be able to close all of them, which allows for so much speculation. Kudos to GRRM for creating such a fabulous fantasy world for us to play in, even if he does not support fanfiction.

The pre-book world allows for so much character development, with little said about them in the books. I hope I can do GRRM and the characters justice, as this story will follow canon. I will follow canon to the best of my ability, so I hope you readers (much more knowledgeable about this universe than this writer) can correct me as much as possible about deviations. Of course, anything else is fair play and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Thousand thanks for reading, and please review!