Eddard Stark rose from where he had been sitting hunched over a parchment in his study and pushed in his chair with a satisfied sigh. It was very late at night, and Catelyn and the children were already in bed. Ned had had some extra work to attend to tonight, but now he was done. He stretched tiredly. It had been a long day, and he was ready for bed.

Before he could even begin heading towards the door, however, it creaked open on its own, if only the tiniest bit. Perhaps no one else would have noticed- it had opened just a crack- but Ned was five times a father, six if you counted Jon. A small someone who was supposed to be in bed was watching him. He smiled. It was his Rickon, his youngest, no doubt, or perhaps Bran. "Come in, little mouse." called the Lord of Winterfell gently.

But it wasn't Rickon, or Bran. It was a girl Ned saw standing in the doorway, her brown hair disheveled, bare feet poking out from under her nightgown. She cradled a squirming, chubby wolf pup against her chest. Her eyebrows were knitted together in an expression of worry. "Arya?"

He sat back down in his big wooden chair, scooting aside so there was room for the two of them, and patted the seat. Arya set the wolf pup down onto the floor and accepted the invitation, leaning against her father as she did. He put an arm around her. "What is it, hmm? Are you sick?" Ned brushed the hair back from his daughter's forehead. She shook her head.

"I just…" she faltered as though she were embarrassed, "I had a dream."

"A dream? Since when is my brave lady knight frightened by nightmares?" Ned teased gently.

"Well… You remember last week when you had to behead that deserter? Bran told me all about it." Ned had executed a deserter of the Night's watch a week ago. The man had fled after encountering White Walkers, or so he'd claimed.

"Oh, he didn't scare you now, did he?"

"No," said Arya, "But I dreamt about when it happened. Only it wasn't him who was being beheaded. It- it was you."

"And that's what's troubling you?"

Arya looked down and gave a little nod.

"Come here." Ned said gently, holding his arms out to his daughter. She settled herself comfortably in his lap and snuggled against his chest as his strong warrior's arms held her tight. So that was it. No wonder she had looked worried.

For several moments, all was silent, save for the chorus of crickets outside and the popping of the fire in the hearth. As of now it only needed be lit at night, but Ned knew the days were quickly coming when a fire would burn at all times of day in every hearth in Winterfell to ward off the biting chill of the long winter that would seep in no matter what.

Suddenly Arya broke the embrace and sat up, looking her father square in the eye. "What happened to you in my dream… Something like that could never really happen. Could it?"

Ned's first impulse was to tell her no, that of course something like that could never happen. Isn't that what any parent would say to a child in Arya's situation? But then he paused. This world was a cruel one, and winter was coming. He could tell her that if he wished, but he knew in his heart he could not guarantee it. He looked into her eyes, big, round, afraid as they rested on him, waiting anxiously for his reply.

"No, of course not, sweet girl. Of course not."

"But what if it did?"

Eddard Stark sighed. "It was only a dream, Arya. Nothing more. You don't need to be worrying yourself over things like that. There's enough in this world to worry about already. Alright?" He gave her cheek a quick pinch, earning at last a little smile. "Alright."

"That's my girl. Now off to bed with you. You shouldn't be up at this hour," he patted her leg and lifted her off his lap with a hefty groan, "Oof! You're getting heavy. At this rate you'll soon be as tall as Sansa."

"I hope so. Maybe then she'll stop acting like she's better than me." Arya grumbled, which made Ned inwardly smile. Arya's rivalry with Sansa reminded him of himself and his own siblings when he was a boy. He watched as she scooped little Nymeria back up into her arms. "That creature of yours had better not have been using my study as its own personal privy, you hear? You know she's not to be in here. I allowed it just this once."

"Don't worry. Nymeria's a good girl. I've already trained her." Arya said as she headed toward the door. Then she turned and added "Good night, Father."

She didn't notice her father chuckling fondly at her as she left. "Good night, Arya."