Title: The Great Wolf

Chapter 1: The Arrival

Disclaimer: I don't own Warhammer, nor do I own Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire

-I am a free writer, and I write when I feel like it, I am not on a schedule, so therefore updates will be infrequent.

-If I lose interest in this story I might just stop writing all together, though in the future I may find interest in it again and then take up updating it then.

-There will be lemons, profane language, character/death, prostitution, possibly torture or abuse, lying, and probably other sins. If this bothers you then don't read. You have been warned.

-The main character may participate in polygamy/bigamy, extramarital relations, and other acts of sexuality, though no homosexuality, so if this bothers you then don't read.

XXX

P.S. I don't know what Leman Russ looks like. Some models he is blond, some he is a red head, and I can never tell what color his eyes are. So I am going to choose myself.

XXX

The people of the North knew nothing but the cold. For thousands of years since the mass migration of the First Men humans had settled these lands and lived there year after year. The harsh land made them strong. It made them honest. It made them grateful. The cold was always there to test them in one way or another. It was there to curl the weak, strike down the sickly, and put the old in their final rest so that they did not become a burden to the young. The cold was a harsh mistress but she was a fare one to.

In the heart of the cold monsters were birthed. Monsters whose skin was a pale blue, eyes that shown like blue stars, and hair that was as white as snow. The cold was their weapons. Armor of ice that reflected the environment around them and made them blend in. Their weapons were sharper than razor blades, harder then steel, and made completely out of ice. The cold made these monsters to test the mortals. It was a test that they nearly failed.

The cold was a constant in the North and that had never changed until one day when the gods sent down a hurling ball of fire. The clouds parted for it and the ice where it landed melted. For miles the warmth of the projectile could be felt. Many believed it was what a warm summer's breeze must feel like.

But as soon as the light show was over the cold returned, the snow continued to fall, the lakes started to freeze, the winds blew in, the clouds reformed, and the test given to man by the cold came back. The break was over and the struggle resumed.

XXX

Lyanna had gone off ridding on her horse to escape her father. He was not a true Stark Lord in her eyes. He seemed to have as little blood of the wolf running through his veins as any Southron did. In the confines of her own mind she questioned if her grandmother may have had an affair with some Southron lover and fathered bastards which she pretended were her husbands. She shook her head no. She and her eldest brother Brandon proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the blood of the wolf was still within their family line.

She road her favorite horse through the eastern side of the Wolfswoods just to clear her head. Her father had been going on and on about alliances with southern houses for so long that she just had to escape. He was already practically selling her eldest brother Brandon to the Tullys, had Eddard cozying up to the Arryn Lord, and now he was talking about marrying her to the Baratheon heir. That last part made her stomach do a summersault. He was one of the last men on the planet she would want to end up with.

What she couldn't get was why her father even wanted all of these alliances. Westeros had been at peace since the Dance of Dragons over a hundred years ago. Unless her father was planning to overthrow the Targaryens which with his recent interest in the south she wouldn't doubt then there was no point to it all. Of course being safe than sorry was a wise choice of actions but to use your own children was far to low… for a Stark anyways.

She sighed. She hated that she was being sold off like cattle but there wasn't much she could do short of running away. She wouldn't mind living the life of a sell sword but she didn't have any skills with a blade thanks to her father. She didn't really have any skills that she could peddle to support herself and she would kill herself before she whored herself out. That just left her future up to chance and right now that chance wasn't looking good.

She was broken out of her thoughts when a massive boom echoed across the North. It frightened her horse so much that it bucked her off of its back. She landed on her own back with a audible thud that knocked the breath out of her but luckily from her new position she was able to see the massive fireball flying across the sky before coming to an abrupt stop further in the Wolfswoods.

Recovering from her fall she rolled over and chased after her spooked horse. It took a while to catch it and even a bit longer to calm it down but when she was finally successful she mounted him. Directing him west she urged her horse onwards towards the object the gods had decided to hurl at their mortal worshipers.

XXX

It was awe inspiring and terrible all at once. A massive hole that still had steam rising up out of it lay at the epicenter of an area that looked like a concentrated storm hit it. All of the trees were either blasted back or were leaning away from the hole. The snow, dirt, and rocks were all blown back quite a ways with leaves and pine straw.

But the most interesting thing to her at least was the shiny metal object at the center of the hole. She couldn't get her horse to get any closer without killing it and dragging it there it seemed so she dismounted her horse and tied him to one of the closest trees after making sure it wouldn't fall over on her horse.

She cursed in her head as her dress ripped. Her father had been trying to get her used to wearing more southern attire recently. It was just her luck that she would be wearing something so useless when something so exciting happened. Knowing that she would get in trouble latter but not caring at the moment the young Lady ripped her dress until it fell just below her knees instead of way past her feet. If her father got angry she would just say Robert would prefer her this way anyways so no harm done.

Making her way to the edge of the dip she sat on the earth and slipped down. She reached out to touch the metal object but thought better of it. Grasping some snow she dropped it on the metal container. It hissed loudly before reducing the snow to water then to steam which floated off into the sky. Not the most patient person she just kept grabbing more and more snow and throwing it on the metal cylinder.

After an hour she was sure that it was safe to touch. Now she could let her curiosity get the best of her and she did. What the metal was she did not know but there was something that looked like a door on top of it with a weird marking etched into the center of it.

VI

What that symbol was she did not know. She did see a small glass window above the door and quickly scrambled to peak through. What she saw she could almost not believe. Sleeping there she saw a small baby. Not just any baby either. This child for a lack of a better word was perfect. Like the child of a god or something. An inexplicable warmth rose in her chest and she just knew that she had to take him in, love him, protect him, nurture him, and be his mother.

She spent the next thirty minutes desperately trying to get the metal container open but whatever metal it was made out of was impervious to rocks, sticks, and her own personal dagger her brother had bought for her. Eventually she leaned against it, smacked the door, and yelled, "Open up damn it!" To her shock and amazement it did open up.

The baby was just as perfect as he was when she looked through the window. It's short hair was such a dark red that it could be mistaken for blood and when he opened up his eyes they were a steely grey just like the Starks of Winterfell. It did not cry as she pulled him to her bosom. In that moment she truly wished she were capable of producing milk as the young soul was no doubt very hungry and she could not feed him.

Making up her mind she held the baby and went back up to where her horse was. Looking back at the container she knew that she would not be able to hide it but the next big snow storm that blew by would no doubt cover it up. In a few years nature would make it so that it was like the object was never even there. That was good for she would need to sell it big to be able to keep the child herself.

She jumped onto her black horse and rested the baby gently on her lap before directing her dustier towards her home.

XXX

Brandon was walking down the streets of Wintertown with a skip in his step when he saw his sister coming up the King's Road. He waved her down to get her attention. When she pulled her horse up beside him he gave her his most infamous wolfish grin to which she returned. It seemed something that came natural to those with the blood of the wolf running through their veins after all.

"Father is not happy with you." He enjoyed teasing his little sister.

She rolled her eyes. "That seems to be something quite common since his interests turned south" replied his sister. "It is that damned Maester's fault. No doubt he was born somewhere really far south. Maybe even Dorne. Must be where that stick lodged up his arse is from as well."

Brandon chuckled at that. "No, the Maester if far to light skinned to be from Dorne. Maybe the Reach of the Westerlands but definitely not Dorne. Plus I don't think there is any sticks in Dorne. Just sun, heat, and sand. At least in the frozen North we have plenty of water."

"Yea, you just have to lean over and pick it up." She gave him a wicked smirk. "I hear the yellow snow is the best. You should try it."

This time Brandon's head rolled back and he let loose a bellowing laugh. Unfortunately this awoke the baby in Lyanna's lap causing it to start to cry. A crying baby broke Brandon out of his good time instantly. He sent a bewildered look at Lyanna like he was accusing her of something he couldn't fathom himself.

Inside Lyanna smirked. "Sorry, but it is true." She had a solemn look on her face. "One of the whores at the inn gave this one to me so that I could show him to you. I didn't believe it at first but now looking at him I can see it as clearly as day. Brandon, prepare yourself. This is your bastard son. You are a father." She went to show the baby to him but he fainted on the spot.

Lyanna laughed and laughed and laughed. This was something she was going to remember for years to come. Oh she was never going to let him live it down. She absently wondered if he would quite the whore houses after this. She shook her head. While a good fright would keep him away for a while eventually he would get over it and return to their warm embraces. The alpha wolf of their pack needed his bitches to show that he was in charge. Beating on Benjen and Eddard during their sparring practices only did so much to prove he was the alpha in these parts.

Seemingly drawn in by his sister's laughing Benjen came from around the corner and walked up to her. He looked from her to their brother sleeping in the middle of the streets while their sister laughed her head off.

"Do I even want to know or should I just walk away?"

Lyanna quickly filled him in on what happened and right after she was done Benjen jumped in on laughing at their older brother's reaction. After this chuckles were over Benjen snapped at attention, looked at her, before his eyes wandered to the small bundle of cloth in her arms.

"Wait… so if that baby isn't Brandon's, then whose is it?"

"He is mine."

"WHAT!"

Lyanna rolled her eyes at yet another brother over reacting. "I didn't give birth to him idiot. I found him in the Wolfswoods." She gave him an exasperated look. "I am twelve years old you moron. I am sure you would be aware if I was pregnant. It is not something that people just don't notice."

"Oh, ok." Benjen then leaned over to look at the baby. When he saw it his eyes grew marginally. "That baby…"

Lyanna smiled brightly as she ruffled the child's red hair with her hand. "Yea" she spoke lightly. "I believe him to be a gift from the Old Gods of the Forest. I found him sleeping under the Heart Tree so peacefully. I just knew when I looked at him that it had to be a gift from the Old Gods. No human child could be their perfect otherwise."

After talking to her brother for a bit longer she departed to go find a wet nurse and a place for the child to sleep. No doubt he would be hungry as he had not eaten for several hours at least. Plus she wanted the Maester to look him over in case there was something about him that just wasn't perfect like the rest of him. She didn't know where he was from or why he was in the metal container but wanted to believe that it was for the betterment of the future. He belief was that the Old Gods saw they needed a hero so they sent one.

XXX

Her room was not huge but it was not small either. Many pelts from hunting trips her brothers had taken her on lined the walls and floors of her room. Her favorite was a the pelt of a Direwolf her brother had brought back after he went on a little adventure in the Lands-Beyond-the-Wall. It was a solid snow white color and covered a significant portion of her floor. Plus it was warm and soft all things considering.

She walked into her room followed by a few of the household guards who she directed one way or the other. Having them bring in a old cradle that her mother had not been able to throw out due to sentimental reasons that had been made for her youngest brother was a stroke of pure genius. Plus her arms were getting tired and though perfect he may be there was a limit to how long anyone could hold a baby.

As she placed him in his cradle she thought on how little he had actually fussed. Sure he did once when her brother startled him but other than that he just enjoyed the ride with a little smile on his face. It was odd but she wasn't complaining. A non crying baby was definitely better than a crying one.

She got up and went to a chest she kept in the corner of her room filled with blankets and pelts. She rummaged around for a bit until she found a old blanket her mother had made just for her when she was a baby. She took a whiff of it though and scrunched her nose. It didn't smell bad but it did smell like babies. There was also a stain she was sure came from her upchucking her mother's milk at once point.

When she turned around she nearly dropped the blanket. Standing there giving her a withering glare was her father surrounded by several of his household guards as well as her mother. His features had always been stern but now all of the lines in his case seemed like chasms as his stormy grey eyes stared down at her from his own lofty height of six five. She couldn't even see his lips for how hard he was scrunching his face. It was like his mustache and beard had merged into one. Kind of like a white fox pelt or something.

"You have always been good at getting yourself into trouble, haven't you my daughter." He didn't move but he kept his eyes locked on hers.

She gulped. Having been raised as her father's only daughter she was used to being treated as daddy's little girl. Often times when she got into trouble her punishment would be lighter than if her brothers were to do it, or as often the case was, has accompanied her while she did it. Seeing him give her such a hard glare made her feel small and alone.

Taking a deep breath she calmed herself as best she could. She gave him her best disarming smile before saying, "Me father? I certainly don't know what you could ever mean." His grunt was as close to a chuckle as she was going to get. "I just went riding to clear my head is all."

This time he did step forward and his little group as they were followed suit. "Yes, when you were supposed to be learning your edict. You also skipped out on your dance practice as well as knitting. What have you to say about this?"

She didn't even try to hide her distaste at this. "I do not wish to be married off to some Southron Lord father!" Before he could say anything she took a stab in the dark. "Why must I marry father? What do we gain by allying ourselves with some Southern Lord?"

"I have already spoke my peace on the matter and that is final." His voice boomed like thunder in the confined room. Seeing the hurt look on his daughter's face though caused him a twinge of gilt so he changed topics. "What is this I hear of you bringing a child back to the keep? What whoreson have you picked up to play nursemaid or mother?"

Lyanna's nostrils flared. "He is not a whoreson!" Her shout was more like the bark of an angry Direwolf. It held such a vicious tone in it that had the guards take a step back. "He is my son! The Old Gods of the Forest gave him to me and nobody will take him from me!"

"I am the Lord of this castle and what I say goes." He shouted. "Rumors will spread if you are seen taking care of a child. At your age the rumors could destroy you. You may never get a offer for marriage ever again!"

"I don't want to be married" shouted Lyanna like it wasn't something she had been trying to get through her father's head for some time now. "So what do I care what others think? I don't care about gossip and I don't care about being a Southron Lady!"

"So that is what this is? Some attempt to get out of your marriage agreement to Steffon's son?" His eyes were hard as he pointed towards her. "Well it won't work. First thing tomorrow that boy will be shipped off somewhere. Either the Citadel or the Septons in the south!"

"No!" Lyanna ran over and picked up the babe from the crib. "I won't let you. You can't take him from me." There were tears in her eyes at this point.

Normally Rickard Stark would give into his daughter but she had been pushing him more and more this past year. It was mainly about her marriage to the Baratheon heir but she also went out of her way to make other things difficult as well. It was petty but he had let it go. Now though he was tired of it and he was going to make an example right in front of his daughter if need be.

"I am the Lord of Winterfell. So long as you live under my roof and eat my food you will do as I say!"

"Fine!" That shocked him and everyone else in the room. "If that is how it has to be then I am leaving." At that declaration even her mother gasped in shock.

Rickard marched over to his daughter and caught her by the arm. "What is your plan? Hmm? You going to ply some trade to make money that I don't know about? Or are you going to sell your body to raise a child that isn't even yours?" Lyanna pulled her arm out of her father's grasp but he just reached out and grasped it again. "Damn it Lyanna, I am talking to you! If you leave you will freeze to death by this time tomorrow and you and that child will be dead. Is that what you want!"

She turned around on him, her teeth bared like fangs, before she growled out, "The Old Gods sent him to me for a reason. I have faith in the Old Gods of the Forest. If they think that I should have him then have him I shall."

Rickard groaned loudly. "What makes you think this child is a gift from the Old Gods?"

Lyanna smirked mischievously. "Just look at him and see for yourself."

The Lord of Winterfell indulged his daughter but when he gazed upon the perfect child wrapped in old blankets in his daughter's arms his breath left his chest. Words did not do a child such as this justice. There was just something otherworldly about him. A type of perfection that was obvious yet subtle at the same time. From his blood red hair to his sapphire blue eyes he was perfect.

Lyanna watched as her father gently leaned over and picked the child up out of her arms. She watched as his stoke features softened slightly as his calloused fingers trailed across the child's face. It took a while but eventually he gave the babe back to her.

"So, what have you named him?" Her father's question surprised Lyanna.

Looking down at his peaceful face she ran her own delicate fingers over the bridge of his nose. "I like the name Leman. After the old legends told by the First Men."

"Hmph, so it is Leman Stark then is it?" Lyanna looked over at her father with widened eyes. "Don't look at me like that. If the Old Gods of the Forest want us to look after this child then that is what we will do. If it ruins your marriage to Robert… then maybe that is the will of the Old Gods. The Old Gods look out for their own. If this is their will, then we will obey."

"But dear, how will we explain his existence?" Lyarra, Lyanna's mother, asked from her husband's side. "We cannot say that the child is Lyanna's. She is much to young and it would ruin her honor. The same could be said for Benjen as he is still only ten name days old. The only one truly old enough is Brandon and that would truly sour his betrothal to Lord Tully's daughter."

Rickard Stark ran his hand down his mustache and then his beard. "Hmmm, well we could always say that he is ours." He gave his wife a look and wiggled his eyebrows. She blushed lightly and looked at her feet demurely though their daughter was gagging on air.

Lyarra reached up and lightly slapped him across his chest. "My love be serious." The blush faded. "Blue eye might I have but red hair I do not. A Tully would do much better though their hair is far from this child's own as is their eyes. His remind me of a clear day in summer while theirs are more like a deep lake that is calm and gentle."

"We could always say he is uncle William's bastard." They looked at her. "Father you knew the king in your youth yes? Send him a letter requesting legitimization of your deceased brother's bastard and he will surely agree."

Her father nodded his head. "Yes that could work." His brother had died just as winter was breaking last. He also had a reputation of being quite the ladies man. Such a situation was more than possible. "But from what I have heard the king has become quite unstable in these past few years. I cannot guarantee he will agree. The boy may just end up being Leman Snow instead of Stark. Be prepared for that."

"I will father" replied Lyanna.

Her mother also figured she should throw in her own two cents. "You will also be taking care of him on your own." She raised up her hands to prevent Lyanna's storm. "You will still have access to the servants and what not but when it comes to changing him, taking care of him, taking care of him when he is sick, and things of this nature you will be on your own. Someone who was willing to run away from home needs to realize just how difficult raising a child even with a family is." Lyanna kept her mouth shut. Her mother was right. She hated when she was right through.

"Yes mother."

"By the way" she glanced over at her father. "Have you seen your brother? He has been missing for several hours and every time I ask your brother Benjen he just laughs himself horse. What is going on?"

A wolfish grin spread across Lyanna's face. "Oh, you guys are going to love this one." She then preceded to tell them of her encounter with her brother outside the castle. Needless to say they all fell out laughing at their oldest child's reaction.

XXX

She plopped her baby on her lap as she played with him on her bed. "Guess what little wolf." He just looked up at her with those blue eyes as he gummed a toy wolf carving. "I am your mama." She picked him up and started kissing him all over his face and neck causing him to squeal with delight. "That's right. I am the mama wolf and you are my cute little cub."

"And here I thought he was mine." That broke Lyanna out of her fun with her baby to cast a glance over at her brother who was giving her the death glare from the door.

She grabbed Leman and pointed him towards Brandon. "Look baby. That is your uncle, Ser Faints-a-Lot." She squealed with laughter. It was even better when her brother's face got red. "Oh, I feel bad for Catelyn Tully. From the look on your face when I told you that you were a father tells me that she won't be pushing out any wolf pups any time soon." She settled down a little. "She might as well be barren with the way you fainted and all. Isn't that right my little man. Your uncle is scared of being a daddy."

He walked over to her and sat at the edge of the bed. "Yea, laugh it up. Mom and dad cannot even look at me without falling over laughing." Lyanna grinned even more widely. "They were laughing so hard that the Maester had to give them something to calm them down! Even the guards were laughing at me!" That did it. Lyanna fell on her side and laughed so hard tears fell from her eyes.

"Yuck it up." He pouted like a little kid even though he was a teenager and nearly a man grown.

"Ahhh, did I hurt your feelings." She gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek which he brushed aside. "Does this mean the infamous Wild Wolf won't be visiting anymore whore houses? Too scared of bringing home a whore's bastard to mom and dad are we?"

He huffed indignantly. "You bring home a kind and want to raise it as your own and nobody gives you a second glance but some story about me passing out" he was cut off by Lyanna. "Fainting don't you mean?" He glared at her lightly. "Whatever. And everyone is giving me a hard time."

"Ahh, life just isn't fair for your uncle Brandon is it?" She kissed Leman's temple before looking up at her brother. "You better look out for him when he gets older. He is going to be a real Stark soon enough."

He reached over and effortlessly picked up Leman. "Your going to be a Stark? I don't think you have enough wolf in you."

She quickly took back her baby. "Coming from the man with a fish for a future wife that is some pretty big talk."

"Yes and a stag is so much better." They looked at each other for a moment before breaking into fits of laughter. "Ok, I'll make sure to look after him. Teach him the ways of the warrior and if he shows any potential the ways of the lady's undergarments."

Lyanna slapped him on the shoulder. "Those are lessons you can keep to yourself."

He grinned but stood up and made his way to the door. "You know, before you were the She-Wolf. Now they may start calling you the Den Mother." He avoided a pillow thrown at him by escaping through the door and closing it behind him.

Lyanna huffed indignantly. She looked down at Leman who was just gazing up at her. "Don't listen to him. I am both. A den mother and a she wolf."

XXX

She tucked him in to his little crib. He had awoken for several hours which she used to play with him. He was a happy little boy though he seemed to want to stick everything he grabbed in his mouth and chew on it. She had nearly had a heart attack when he somehow found a knife she had used to carve a bow of her own. That wouldn't have been good to bite on.

She and the maids went about making several cute little outfits for little Leman while he played on the floor. He really enjoyed crawling on the wolf pelt she noticed. She had never been thrilled about having to learn to sow but at that moment she just wished she knew how to do a better job. Having maids sew clothing for your child better than you was pretty humiliating.

At the end of the day though she had five little shirts, pants, mittens, booties, and caps all in different colors made for Leman. They all had separate stitching with hers being the grey one with a white dire wolf on the hem of the shirt. He seemed to enjoy it though him sticking his mitten in his mouth and biting on it wasn't anything new. The smile on his face while he did so was.

Eventually they both grew tired so she placed him in the crib. She sang him several lullabies that her mother had taught her. He didn't throw a fit like she had expected him to which she was thankful for. He just watched her with those blue eyes before they slowly shut. His little yawn was the cutest thing and it melted her heart instantly.

She didn't realize how tired she was until she laid down in her own bed. It was like she was melting into. She was so relieved she let out a grunt of appreciation to whoever made it so comfortable. As she fell asleep her eyes stayed glued on the crib for as long as possible before the darkness completely took her.