Chapter 2

The arrival of the Lannister bastard was greeted with mixed emotions from the people of Winterfell. Lady Stark already had her hands full with four of her own children, along with two others. She had heard talk of how lovely the little girl was, polite as she was beautiful, were the rumors. She'd decided to give the child the benfit of the doubt despite being a Lannister, it's not like any of them had a choice in the matter.

Robb and Jon were in the courtyard sparring when word reached them that their father had returned and was headed their way. The party from King's Landing came to a halt and Ned immediately swung down out of his saddle. He moved through the group and reached up, helping the newest addition to the House of Stark off her horse.

Robb and Jon elbowed one another before darting through the crowd to get to their father. "Father," Robb cried as he and his half-brother threw themselves at him.

"Boys, where is your mother," Ned asked Robb as he glanced around the courtyard.

"Who are you," the nine year old Robb asked completely ignoring his father's question.

"Boys this is...," Ned started to say but Freya was quick to interrupt him.

"I'm Freya Leo of the House of Lannister, and a Lannister always pays their debt."

Robb looked at his father in confusion as Jon stared at the girl. "You're the bastard we heard about," Jon said quickly. Freya's expression hardened before she threw herself at him.

"So are you," she shouted as they tumbled to the ground. Robb jumped back to get out of the way. Ned sighed loudly and reached down to lift the girl off his own bastard. Jon was only 8 and didn't know any better.

"Yes, he's a bastard and you're a bastard, but you will treat one another with respect while you are in my house. Let me remind you child," Ned said as he set the girl on her feet and clamped his hands on her shoulder, "You are of the House of Stark now, you are my ward. Boys?"

"House of Stark, our sigil is the direwolf, our words are winter is coming," Robb and Jon said together.

"Learn them child, I have a feeling you'll be here for awhile," Ned said before releasing her and waving a servant forward. "Show our little lioness to her chamber please."

...

The nickname of Lioness stuck over the next couple of days. Freya had a tendency to growl at people she did not want around her. She settled into life at Winterfell though, taking lessons with Robb, Jon, and Theon, the children quickly became friends despite their first meeting.

Ned envied the children, it was so easy for them to set aside past hate of bloodlines and become friends. He knew that would never happen with the adults involved. He hoped that the peace the children found with one another would last. It would be tested though, sooner then Ned had thought.

Robb, Theon, Jon, and Freya had been sent to Godswood to stay out of the way. Lord Stark had set them loose, telling them to go climb a tree, do anything to stay out of the way, but to remain within the walls of Winterfell.

Freya climbed quickly, she was smaller than the boys, but she was more nimble. Theon trailed behind her being the tallest among them. "Not too high Freya," Robb called in warning as she continued up.

Freya snorted indignantly but continued climbing, despite his warning. Theon reached up and tugged her ankle out of irritation. She was always trying to prove she was better than them, that she could run faster, climb higher, he'd had enough of it. Freya slithered out of his reach, irritating him farther.

"Don't Theon," Jon warned when he saw what the Greyjoy was doing. "You'll make her fall!"

Theon glanced down briefly, figuring if she fell, she wouldn't be hurt, but she would learn a lessson. Theon surged up a couple more branches and got a firm grasp on her ankle tugging harder this time. Freya cried out in surprise, her other foot slipping on the branch.

"Let go, I'll...," Freya cried, but her words turned into a shriek as her hands slipped and she fell through the branches and landed in a heap. Robb being the lowest to the ground, heard the pop clearly when she hit the ground. He dropped out of the tree, landing on his feet next to her.

"Freya," he said softly as he leaned over her. Her eyes were clamped tight in pain and tears were leaking down her face. "Are you hurt? What is it?"

"My shoulder," she choked out as she met Robb's gaze.

"Can you sit up," Robb asked as Jon and Theon joined him on the ground. "Go get Father."

Theon and Jon took off at a run as Robb reached out to Freya. Careful not to touch the shoulder she had landed on, he helped her into a sitting position. He could tell that something was wrong, her shoulder was out of place. "You've dislocated it," Robb said grimly.

"It hurts," she whimpered as she tried to hide her tears from him. A lion does not cry, she'd been told it so many times. She'd been with the Starks less than a month and here she sat desperately trying not to sob. She cried when she was alone, when no one else could hear or see her. She was a lion among wolves, and Jamie had told her to never show any weakness, she wouldn't do it now.

"It's ok," Robb said softly. He scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her careful not to touch her shoulder or arm. "You don't have to be brave all the time, I won't tell them you cried."

Even at 9, Robb was wise beyond his years. Freya was touched by his words and looked up at him through her lashes. She shook her head, indicating that she would not cry, as he lifted her off the ground.

"No, I'm too heavy, wait for your father," Freya protested.

"You're hurt, I'm not waiting, besides your not that heavy," he said as he made sure he had a good grip on her. He slowly walked out of Godswood trying not to jostle her shoulder.

"Thank you," Freya whispered through her pain.

"You'd do it for me," Robb said confidently. He wasn't entirely sure it was true but he said it anyway, he wanted her to trust him, to be his friend.

"I don't think I can carry you," Freya pointed out. "You eat too much."

Robb laughed at her joke and looked down at her. "You don't eat enough, that's why you're so light," he teased.

"The food is different here," Freya replied, glad that he was distracting her from the pain.

"What happened," Ned Stark demanded as he rushed over to his son and newest ward. Freya looked contemptously at Theon who was looking down at the ground, guilt written all over his face.

"Ask him," she snarled angrily.

Ned looked at Theon suspiciously before turning back to Robb and Freya. He motioned for Robb to pass him the girl, but his son shook his head. "I've got her, we need Maester Luwin, her shoulder is dislocated," Robb informed him.

"The little lioness has hurt herself," Ned said grimly.

"It's not my fault," Freya cried.

"I'll deal with it later, we need to tend to your shoulder, your family will want to be informed of this as well," Ned said as he led them into the castle. Robb carried her back to her room and set her on the bed before sitting down next to her.

"Will it hurt Robb," she whispered as they waited for Maester Luwin.

"I don't know, I won't leave you though in case you get scared," Robb whispered back.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked down. "I don't like it here, you're nice to me, so are Jon and your father, but your mother doesn't like me very much, Theon pulled me out of the tree, Sansa, Arya, and Bran are too little to play with, everyone looks at me differently, they whisper about me. It's so cold and I miss my family. I just want to go home," she said as her tears finally began to fall. Her sobs broke loose as Robb wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his small chest. He'd never comforted a girl while she cried before, he didn't know what to do or say.

"It will be ok, he didn't mean for you to get hurt. I bet he's sorry he did it," Robb said soothingly. He patted her on the back of the head as someone behind him cleared their throat. Freya pulled away from him and looked up as Robb twisted around to see who it was.

His father and Maester Luwin lurked in the doorway both with slightly embarassed looks on their faces. They knew they had just interrupted a moment between the little friends and were sorry to do so, but Freya's shoulder had to be fixed.

"Lie down child," Maester Luwin said as he entered the room. Freya laid back and Robb moved over so that he was sitting next to her uninjured arm. Freya reached out and clutched his hand in her own. Maester Luwin examined her shoulder for a moment before taking hold of her arm. "Tell me if it hurts."

Freya's grip tightened on Robb's hand as the old man began to guide her arm back toward her head. Her gaze remained fixed on Robb as Maester Luwin worked. Both children gasped when they heard the faint sound of her shoulder moving back into place.

"Thank you Maester Luwin," Freya said gratefully. "It didn't hurt that much."

"How do you feel now child," Maester Luwin asked.

"It's still sore, but it doesn't hurt as much," Freya informed him. She glanced briefly at Lord Stark and noticed that Theon and Jon were in the doorway behind him.

Lord Stark followed her gaze and waved the other boys into the room. "Thank you Maester Luwin you may go back to my wife," he said. Jon and Theon came to stand next to Freya's bed waiting to hear what he would have to say next.

"Who wants to tell me what happened," he asked looking at each of the children in turn. They all began talking at once, each with a different story. Robb glared angrily at Theon as he began explaining things, his face grew red with anger the louder his voice got. Freya spoke quickly, much to quickly to understand anything that she said. Jon on the other was speaking slowly but to softly to be heard. Theon stood there silently glancing from the other children to him. "Silence. Robb, tell me what happened."

"We were climbing and Freya was highest. Theon pulled on her ankle, but Jon warned him to stop because she might fall. I saw Theon look down then he climbed up closer to her and pulled her again. She started to say something to him, but had already started to fall, that's when she got hurt," Robb informed him.

"Is this true Theon, did you pull on Freya's ankle," Lord Stark asked.

"I did my Lord," Theon said guiltily.

"He didn't mean to make me fall though," Freya said quickly. Theon looked at her in surprise. "I was as much my fault as it was his. Robb told me not to go so high and I didn't listen."

The boys all stared at her in shock, Lord Stark raised his eyebrows in surprise. From her reaction earlier he was sure she would have immediately placed all the blame on Theon. Though he did not doubt that Theon had meant to make her fall, he hadn't meant for her to get hurt.

"All right, Theon you will help clean out the stables for the rest of the week, for trying to pull Freya out of the tree. Freya, with your shoulder you will have to stay inside for awhile, it will need to heal. Robb and Jon can keep you company. No more climbing for any of you until you can learn to not pull one another out of trees," Lord Stark said firmly.

"Yes sir," they all said in unision before laughing softly over their new unity. Lord Stark nodded seriously at them before leaving the room, a smile growing on his face.

"I am sorry Freya," Theon said before anyone had a chance to say anything else. "I didn't want you to get hurt. Forgive me?"

"I forgive you," Freya said nodding vigioursly.

"Why are you two holding hands," Jon asked noticing that Freya's hand was still twined with Robb's.

They immediately released their hold on one another and avoided the gaze of Jon and Theon. "I think it's time for lunch," Robb said as he clambered off the bed and headed out the door.

"What about me," Freya cried as the boys left the room.

"We'll be back in a few minutes," Robb called as he continued down the hall. "We won't leave you alone!"

Jon and Theon exchanged glances and smothered their laughter as they continued to the kitchens. "What are you two laughing about," Robb demanded, finally having enough of the snickering.

"You like the lion," Jon said with a giggle.

"She's nice," Robb replied.

"No you like her," Theon said the implication obvious in her voice. "Do you want to make her your lady?"

Robb stiffened and spun around to face Theon and Jon, who were supporting one another as they laughed at Robb's expression. "No, I don't! Besides she's only 7, that's two years younger, and she's a lion, not a wolf," Robb said seriously causing them to both stop laughing.

"You don't like her at all," Jon asked in confusion.

"She's my friend, at least I think she will be, we have to be nice to her, she's all alone, and very far from her home. You remember how hard it was for you Theon, you've been here for over a year but it still makes you sad. She's a girl, it's harder for her, she's not used to the north, we have to be friends with her, if we don't no one else will like her either," Robb pointed out.

Jon and Theon nodded knowing that he was right. They were stuck with the little lioness for the time being, they might as well make the situation easy for all of them and make friends with her. Her actions today made it obvious that she was determined to get along with them, not blaming Theon for what had happened even though it was his fault. They would try.