Disclaimer: I only own the storyline, characters and world owned by G.R.R. Martin.

AN: Set years after aDwD, the war is coming to an end (but Daenerys hasn't landed on Westeros yet and the Others still haven't come so, basically Westeros is still clusterfuck because of internal problems). I aged everyone to their show ages, which is two years older than canon, if I'm correct.

Rickon

"The wolves are howling louder," announces some man near the fire as if it wasn't obvious to everyone. "Those beasts scare me more than the bloody Lannisters."

He resist the urge to send Shaggy after the man, knowing that common japes can turn to ugly fights the night before a battle, with everyone's blood running hot with expectation and blood thirst. Instead, he keeps on polishing his sword in the dark corner where he is currently sitting. Tomorrow, the united armies of the North, the Vale and the Riverlands would face the Lannisters for what would hopefully be their last encounter. Considering the fact that the Stormlands will join them in a surprise attack from the back to lock the red army between the two forces, the odds seem to be on their favor. And then finally after so nearly eight years of war, King's Landing would go back to the Baratheons.

But no battle is won until it's won, so the men are anxious anyhow. The wolves constant howling don't help. Even though the pack helps them the same way Grey Wind would help Robb in battle, the men still feel unnerved by their near presence. But not Rickon. He has Shaggydog.

And Nymeria.

As if on cue, the she-wolf appears at his side, nuzzling his ribs for some affection. He pats her back and she lays by his side, as he lock his fingers through her hair the far away image he ahs of Arya comes to his head.

When he had first arrived at Winterfell, memories of his family were too far away for him to feel any longing for other Starks. But his return to the old home and his subsequent time spent with Jon, then Sansa and finally Bran had brought back memories of the good and happy times. They were distant memories but they came back to him with the force of winter, the same force that made him fight every Lannister to avenge all that he lost.

Just then Shaggy came back from hunting, so Nymeria jumped and the wolves started to play in front of him. He remembered a time when Robb and Jon were trying to see who could run faster with a kid on their back. As his older brother carried Sansa and his natural brother carried Bran on their back, Arya insisted on playing. But of course she didn't want to be carried so she put him on her back and started to run, only to manage a few steps before falling face on the ground. Robb and Jon had kept on running, but he sat on Arya's back laughed until she managed to put herself on fours and happily pretended to be his horse until their siblings came back.

He can't remember who won the race, but Arya's horsey smile is imprinted on his memories.

Suddenly, Nymeria stops playing with Shaggy and runs towards a knight who is walking a few feet from them. The man stops when the she-wolf gets on his way and Rickon looks on in surprise when Nymeria starts to nuzzle the man's legs and jumps around him in the same affectionate way she does with Rickon. The man looks at him and walks closer and he recognizes him as their occasional armorer, ser Gendry.

Stannis has legitimized three of Robert's bastards: Mya, Edric and Gendry. Mya remains with Sansa as her closest friend, Edric is Stannis heir and securely holds Storm's End and Gendry has been promised a part in Bran's court as soon as the war is over. Right now, he is part of the small portion of Baratheon men who stay with them to secure that everything goes according to the plan.

Even though he and Gendry are to spend much time together if everything goes right, Rickon hasn't bothered to meet the man. He is not very good at making friends and he already has a good opinion of Gendry from what he has heard so he had let it be. Gendry is very liked among the men. He was part of the Brotherhood without Banners, so the Riverrun forces favor him among other "highborn" knights. The northerners and those from the Vale value him for the services he gives to anyone who asks for a quick mend to their sword or help securing armor. Being born a bastard, he never looked at anyone as anything less than an equal and men respected him for that. He is a lord now, but he prefers to be called by his name and if people feel uncomfortable by this, he insists on being addressed by 'ser' rather than 'my lord'.

Ser Gendry sits close to him and opens his hand, silently asking to examine his sword. "It's good steel," he comments after a moment.

"Forged in Winterfell," answers Rickon and he is about to deliver a description of this home to try to familiarize the lord with what will be his place but Nymeria's whine interrupts him. Gendry passes back his sword and chuckles lightly when the she-wolf puts her head on his lap demanding to be petted. "She seems fond of you."

"Aye, she seems to enjoy following me around in battle," he answers as he pets her head and Rickon finally gets the answer of where does Nymeria goes when she is in the field.

"Strange, she doesn't trust the men. They fear her even more than they fear Shaggydog." He observes while Gendry just sits there with a pained look on his face, deep in though.

"If she does then I expect I never break her trust." He confesses with a voice laces in sadness. "How did she came to you?"

"When we where near the Twins she showed up one night in the camp and Shaggy started to play with her, I recognized her then and she just came along with us. She and her pack." He added at last. He saw anger flash across Gendry's face before he replied.

"The Twins you say? I remember that battle, it was the first time she came to me. Nearly scared me to death before I realized she was protecting me."

Why would Nymeria protect Gendry? She had seemed loyal and protective only of Rickon before, and that was because he was family. Then a though came to him. "Ser?"

"Gendry, please."

"Gendry, did you know my sister Arya?" He asks with impatience. The knight gives a sigh, before looking at Nymeria and giving him nod. "How come?"

"We travelled together from King's Landing toward the Wall, we got captured together by the Mountain and his men. We were prisoners in Harrenhal, we escaped and then we were taken by the Brotherhood." Deep in though and with a voice still laced by sadness, he finished the story there and by then Rickon's pulse had quickened and Shaggy was anxious at his side.

"You spent a great deal of time together. That's why Nymeria trusts you."

"Nymeria wasn't there."

"Doesn't matter, we are connected by something unexplainable, if Arya trusts you then Nymeria does." He says resolutely. But this only seems to make Gendry even sadder.

"Arya couldn't trust me; I left her and let her be taken by the Hound." He admits as a silent fury seems to take over him as he speaks, "then he took her to those bloody Freys and even if she survived that, she is Gods knows where thanks to me."

His anger stills Rickon for a moment before he manages to formulate an answer, "Harwin briefly explained to me and my brothers what happened when she ran. I didn't know you were already part of them by then. But you shouldn't blame yourself. Blame the Lannisters."

"I do. I blame the Lannisters and the Cleganes. The Freys and the Boltons." The hatred in his voice was obvious and Rickon remembered what they whispered of him 'he swings his hammer with the strength of a vengeance, like his father did when they stole what he really wanted'.

The Bull they liked to call him, like they liked to call Rickon 'The Wild Wolf'. But as his anger faded, the man in front of him didn't seem so fierce, just sad. "They will all pay," Rickon promised, "the wolves will come again and they will fear the day they ripped us apart. If it's vengeance what you want, I will not rest until I get it so you can fight alongside me and the wolves as long as you want."

Ser Gendry however only gave him a mirthless smile before confessing "I have spent years fulfilling that vengeance lord Rickon, but that will not bring my friend back."

But Rickon knew better; Brianne, Stannis, Thoros, Harwin and even Gendry, they all though Arya was long dead. But Jon, Sansa, Bran and Rickon knew better. They were family and they could feel it, their pack still had one more member alive wandering around. Lost and alone, Arya was somewhere and hopefully, she would soon find her way back. "My sister is alive, Gendry. We are a pack and we would feel it if she was truly gone." He promised staring at him.

A small glimmer of hope shone in Gendry's eyes as he stared back. "I hope she is happy then, wherever she is. Lone wolves are not exactly merry creatures."

"Arya will come to us someday. Nymeria will call her back the way Shaggy made me long for brothers and sisters when I was away." It was true, and he hoped his sister felt the same push he had felt during his nights away in Skagos. The wolves still howled loudly in the distance, a calling.

"I shall stick to Nymeria's side then." Gendry concluded looking away, hope giving a light to his eyes.

"Nymeria trusts in you, you are her family. When Arya comes looking for her pack, she will find us." Rickon assured him. Seeing how easily hope had come back to Gendry, he thought that they must have been very close friends.

Family, a familiar female voice said in his head.

Nymeria stood suddenly, howling louder than any other wolf in the night.

AN: I apologize for any mistakes, English is not my first language. And book details sometimes evade me. Rickon is thirteen. Book!canon had Robb going to war at fourteen/fifteen so I gues a wild Rickon with a dog at his side is not so young. Squires were young and they went to battle so why not?

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