Hello! And welcome to this fanfic!
NOTE: I have changed their ages, and made it so that the Stark children found their direwolves 2 years earlier than they actually did. This part of the story happens 2 years before the beginning of A Game of Thrones. They WILL get older as the story progresses.
Here are their changed ages, (when Jon finds the Targaryens):-
Jon = 12
Daenerys = 11
Viserys = 19
Robb = 12
Sansa = 9
Arya = 7
Bran = 5
Rickon = 1
Daenerys folded her dresses as neatly as she could and placed them back into her trunk. She was trying to stop shivering, but was failing spectacularly at it. All of her beautiful dresses were made of silk, or some other light material. She had heard that the North was cold and unforgiving, but she had heard that while still in the Southern warmth, where the cold was a thing of legends.
She had quickly found, as they fled here, that the warmest days felt here, were about equal to the very coldest days the south had to offer.
Viserys sat on the singular, hard bed in the corner, holding their mother's crown. He sometimes held it for hours at a time, just staring at it. Daenerys wished that she knew what he was thinking, but she didn't have a clue. She found she was never able to sit on the bed during the day, as Viserys often occupied it. It always seemed to be Daenerys doing any work that needed to be done, while Viserys slunk around and shouted at her. She lived in fear, even around her own brother, someone who should have protected her, and comforted her, was the primary cause of her fear.
Or perhaps he was only the secondary reason.
The threat of the usurper always hung over her head. Viserys had told her that Robert Baratheon wanted them dead because of their older brother Rhaegar. Apparently he had abducted Robert's betrothed, Lyanna Stark, and started a war.
Things never seem to end well for the Targaryens. My brother died at the Trident, my father betrayed and killed, even Elia Martell, Rhaegar's first wife, was murdered along with her children.
And the last of her family resented her for causing their mother's death.
Daenerys pushed those thoughts away, then turned, having finished her task, and allowed her eyes to sweep the cabin.
It was small, clearly built to house only a single person, but she and Viserys were forced to share it.
Its walls were made of wood planks, but nearly all of them were uneven, leaving gaps in the wood, some wide enough for Daenerys to look through. There were no windows, so the gaps served as substitutes. The door hung loosely on its hinges, and even when closed, draughts were felt around the sides. The floor was hard-packed dirt, and in the centre of the room, a shallow, circular pit had been dug to serve as a fire-pit. It was ringed with stone bricks, and a few charred logs still lay inside.
The roof was thatched, but in some parts had been replaced with wood, tar, and what might even have been clay. It sagged, and whenever it rained, water would seep through all the layers and drop onto the floor. Daenerys and Viserys could only be thankful that it snowed far more often than it rained, whether it be a light or heavy fall.
The cabin was square, maybe 4 or 5 metres to each side. A bed was shoved into the top left corner from the door. It had a thin wooden frame, and a hard mattress that was just wide enough for Viserys and herself to share. There was but one long pillow, which was under-stuffed and musty. There was a blanket made of overlapping furs all sewn together, and a thinner blanket beneath it made of scratchy brown wool. Despite having two blankets, Daenerys fell asleep shivering more oft than not, Viserys crushed up against her side. Across the room from the bed sat a cabinet where they kept all their food, even though most of it had gone bad or stale. A trunk sat at the foot of the bed, within which was all of their clothing, hers on the left, Viserys' on the right. The only other item in the room was a vaguely circular hemp rug that sat on the floor between the bed and the cabinet.
It was a miserable place, and though they had only been there for 2 months, Daenerys already hated it. They had found it abandoned, and had made it their next place of refuge.
It's still better than in White Harbour.
They had been reduced to cowering in the drains of White Harbour, with vermin constantly in their presence. Daenerys remembered one morning she had awoken to find a rat nestled in her hair. She had screamed so loudly that Viserys had struck her and said if she screamed any louder, Wyman Manderly himself was certain to hear them.
There was a boat headed to Essos, we could have made new lives for ourselves, but we chose to stay in our land, Viserys' birthright.
But a usurper sat the Iron Throne instead of her brother, a usurper who wanted both their heads.
Now we are even closer to someone dangerous.
King's Landing was weeks away, and so was Robert Baratheon, but Winterfell was less than a mile away. Lord Eddard Stark ruled in Winterfell, and he helped Robert lead his rebellion, he would betray them to the king in the blink of an eye. She had always been told by Viserys that any of his children would also be just as treacherous, even though Daenerys had seen a glimpse of the eldest, and he didn't seem evil. In fact, from what she had heard, his children were wonderful, she told that to Viserys and he quickly crushed any hope she might have had.
"They will never help us." He had said bitterly.
How wrong he was.
Daenerys was a girl of just 11 years, timid and young, still innocent to the ways of the world when she met the bastard of Winterfell.
She had managed to catch a rabbit with a flimsy trap, and decided to cook it into a stew. She had at first been worried that Viserys would punish her for the rabbit's mediocre size and lack of meat, but to her surprise, he only congratulated her on catching it, and actually smiled at her. Smiling was a rare thing for Viserys these days. And it made her happy to see him smile. The stew was filled with other things such as carrots, potatoes, and she managed to hunt down some thyme to add to it.
They had but one pot, a little old and rusty, but it was good enough.
Daenerys placed the lid back on the pot, and turned from it humming.
"Daenerys, can you go and see if you've caught anything else?"
She only nodded timidly at her brother, pulled a fur around her and went to check.
The trap was empty, yet something had managed to weasel the bait out without setting off the trap. She sighed and refilled the bait, before turning back through the forest to head back.
She slowed her pace as she walked. She adored this part of the forest, it was most beautiful at dusk, but it was always nice to walk through it, it would be perfect if not for the stinging cold.
The trees were the tallest she had ever seen, stretching up as if to embrace the sky, branches interlocking and twisting. There was not a tree in sight that did not have thick green moss growing on its trunk. Every one of them had massive tendril-like roots that wove themselves all over the forest floor. There were a few logs on the ground, the skeletons of great, fallen trees that once had stretched as far up as the others.
A layer of fallen leaves blanketed the ground, each one in a different stage of decomposition. From them rose a musty smell that Daenerys often associated with decomposing plants. The leaves growing thick in the trees created a great canopy overhead. Sunlight filtered through it, with only small patches littered everywhere.
Her vision was an artwork of browns, greens and yellows. A smile spread across her face, and she couldn't help but want to dance and skip as she walked back toward their cabin. There were some days where she didn't want to go back. Out here was a world of discovery and beauty, and all there was back at the cabin was a sullen brother and hunger. But nonetheless, she emerged the woods in front of the cabin, sighing.
She heard rustling behind her, and whirled around her. She couldn't see anyone, but she felt the hairs on the back of her head stand up, and she knew she was being watched. She ducked back inside the cabin, goose-bumps up her arms. Viserys looked at her, frowning.
"Daenerys, what is it?"
She shook her head, straining her ears.
"Nothing, I just thought I heard some-"
At that moment she heard footsteps, and the sound of breathing.
She couldn't help it, she froze, heart racing.
"Daenerys!" Viserys hissed. "Come here!"
The footsteps froze, and Daenerys knew that whoever was out there had heard them. She remained frozen, she heard panting, then a snuffling noise.
There was a moment of silence.
Suddenly there was a scrabbling at the door.
She heard a voice.
"Ghost, stop, what's in there boy?"
There was a bark from what she could only assume was a dog.
The door opened.
A boy stood there, a dog, no, a wolf standing at his side.
He gaped.
Daenerys at first thought he may be staring at the crown, which still sat on the bed, but quickly dismissed that thought.
He was staring at them. It was only then that she became aware of what parts of them he was staring at, the parts of them that screamed Targaryen.
His eyes were on their silver-white hair, on their purple eyes.
She knew it was over.
The boy swallowed, still staring at them.
"I know who you are."
"Oh, really?" Viserys sneered, "Who are we then?"
"Daenerys and Viserys Targaryen."
It had been Daenerys to say that. That one sentence that could have their heads on spikes before the month was through.
She raised her gaze, to the boy's face. She didn't want to admit it, but he was quite good-looking, with black hair, and dark eyes. He had what most would call a 'strong northern look'. She felt her face grow hot as she thought about it. He couldn't be much older than she was, maybe a year or so older.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
"Jon Snow"
Viserys looked up at him. "I know you, you're Eddard Stark's bastard."
Jon's face grew stony. She knew that look well enough.
"What are you going to do to us?" she asked.
Jon frowned at her. "What do you mean?"
"Well your father is Robert Baratheon's friend, and he wants us dead, so your father will probably want to help him kill us, right?"
"My father only kills people when he has to, he doesn't like it."
"Really?"
Jon nodded, "Really. But first, can you please tell me how the last two Targaryens are out in the forest in a cabin?"
Daenerys assumed the role of storyteller, and watched as Jon's expression flitted between interest, anger, shock, bemusement, and frowning.
He frowned a lot.
"Are you going to tell them we are here?" Daenerys asked once she had finished.
Jon gazed at her for a long time, in such a way that it made her flush and look away, and eventually shook his head.
"Why?" Viserys demanded.
"Because if I tell my siblings you are here, they will tell father, then father will tell Robert, then Robert will find you and kill you. You guys are nice enough, and I don't want to see you butchered and lifeless."
He addressed both of them as he said the last sentence, but he never took his eyes off her as he said it.
"But, you guys might just die out here anyway. You don't have suitable clothing, bedding or supplies to stay healthy."
"What of it?" Viserys snapped.
"I'm just going to go back to Winterfell for something, promise you won't leave?"
Viserys grumbled out his promise, and Daenerys whispered hers.
They waited impatiently for Jon to return.
"He's going to return with men and hounds, I guarantee it." Viserys growled.
Daenerys begged him to be patient.
Another hour had passed until they heard the sounds of hooves.
They both leapt to their feet as the door opened.
They both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw only Jon in the doorway.
He had managed to steal some food from the Winterfell kitchens. He had also brought warmer blankets, two cloaks, and a number of winter dresses.
"I hope they fit you." Jon said as she held them up against her slender frame. Daenerys nodded her thanks.
"You know…." Jon said as they placed the new blankets on the bed. "I could try and bring you guys food regularly, and clothes when you outgrow the ones you have."
"You would do that?" Daenerys inquired.
Jon flushed slightly. "I will. You guys have suffered enough, no-one will find you here, and you'll be safe."
Viserys straightened up and looked Jon over.
"Deal, try and bring us news as well, that won't be too hard will it?"
Jon narrowed his eyes slightly at Viserys before agreeing.
The bastard of Winterfell mounted his horse and said farewell before riding off, quickly disappearing into the forest.
Daenerys and Viserys shared a look, a look that said what have we gotten ourselves into?
WOO-HOO! First chapter done and dusted. Please review to tell me what you think!
Also, R+L WILL NOT = J.
I like reading those fanfics, but this one won't be an R + L = J
Next chapter will be up soon hopefully.
~SparkyDill128