AN: Again, the events of this chapter happen a year after the previous one.

Theon

His training sword had barely clashed a few times with Robb's when he screamed.

"What's the matter?" Theon asked, annoyed.

"You hurt me! Look: my arm is bleeding."

Theon drew near and saw a thin streak of blood coming from a shallow cut near the child's elbow. It wasn't serious; Theon had had worse cuts training with his older brothers, before they died for the Islands' independence, and with Tris, during the short time in which he had lived in Pyke. The youth had sailed off to Blacktyde a moon before, with no apparent reason. Tristifer got on well with everyone in the family, and though he was older than Theon, he was not yet an adult, and he could have stayed in Pyke until he was sixteen, as they had planned from the beginning. He suspected Tristifer's disappearance was due to his secret relationship with Asha, of which Theon had known since he saw them kissing at the beach from a distance.

Anyway, the thing was that Tris had left, and Theon had no one to practice with but Robb, and the boy didn't know how to use the tourney swords: he had only used the wooden ones until that day. He was far from being a fit rival for Theon, who could defeat him with his eyes closed without getting a scratch (or so he believed.) But he was all he had, and he wasn't willing to lose him for such a stupid thing like that.

"Come with me, Robb. Let's fetch some water to wash that. If you want we can continue with wooden swords after, so that you don't get hurt again," he said to encourage him. The boy followed, but nonetheless he told him "I don't want to continue with wooden swords. Those are for children, and nobody uses them here. I will learn to fight with a tourney sword, like you."

Theon smiled, partly because seeing this little seven namedays old boy refuse to fight with wooden swords claiming that they "are for children" amused him. But he also smiled of pride, because he noticed that Robb admired and looked up to him.

Theon was the youngest of his father's children, and as such, he had never been a role model to anyone. To Rodrik he had only been a baby that was born when he was old enough to be part of the crew of a ship in the Iron Fleet and fight in battles. To Maron he had been a little brother, who acted as page and squire when needed. And to Asha he was the younger brother she could tease whenever she wanted, knowing beforehand that she'd get away with it. It was very annoying and depressing to know how unimportant he was to all of his family. Even his mother had stopped paying him any mind, being too dejected since the deaths of her older and favorite sons.

For Robb it would be the other way around, Theon thought. He was Eddard Stark's firstborn, and though he had a half-brother of his same age, as far as Robb had told him Jon was physically smaller and wasn't any quicker than him. Besides, the legitimate son was Robb, and he was the most important in the family. What a change it would be for him to live in Pyke, where he was the youngest, and not even part of the family!

"Fine, Robb. But you should better use armor from now on," Theon finally accepted.

"Will you use armor too?" The boy asked.

"Not me. We Ironborn don't use armor, because we fight from the sea, with our ships, and the armors wouldn't let us swim," Theon explained.

"Then, I won't use armor either. If you don't need it, neither do I."

Theon didn't bother trying to convince him: in the almost two years they had lived together, Theon had learned that when he wanted, Robb could be impossibly stubborn. Besides, he liked his friend's courage. It was a quality he respected in everyone, and in some way Theon believed Robb's bravery was at least a little related to the child's wish to imitate him.

So they got to the kitchen and asked for a water pail for Robb. He washed his cut quickly, eager to go back to the practice yard and show his skills, even though his endurance and perseverance were, in Theon's opinion, the only special qualities the boy could boast of at his young age. When he had wiped off every trace of blood from his wound and checked that it had stopped bleeding, he returned the bucket with the water that was left in it, and they went out once more.

When they got to the yard they stood facing each other, in the center, because there was no one else training at that moment and they had all the space for themselves. Theon was on guard, with his shield raised and his sword ready to block Robb's, decided to let his friend attack first.

The boy studied him carefully and frowned when he saw that Theon didn't attack, but he didn't move. Theon held his gaze and nodded, motioning for him to attack, but the child didn't seem willing to obey. Theon was starting to wonder whether he should attack first to get the fight started once and for all when it came: a quick thrust that hit his left rib, followed by another one in the shoulder.

Theon was slow to react, but when he did it wasn't very hard for him to stop his blows and make him step back, so he soon had him defending and blocking, while he attacked and cornered him. After a few minutes he accidentally hurt Robb again. The boy cried out in pain, and Theon lowered his sword, believing that the wound had put an end to the battle, for the moment. But Robb smiled and raised his, taking it to Theon's neck, where he made a shallow cut.

This needled Theon: he had given Robb the chance to hit first to encourage him, but his winning the fight was not nearly part of the plan. He was already twelve; old enough to be a squire. And he was besides the Seastone Chair's Crown Prince. Being beaten by a child from the green lands was humiliating. Theon dropped his sword hard, in defeat and frustration. He expected Robb to make fun of him and brag about his feat, as any other child would if he had just beaten an older boy for the first time. But the teasing voice he heard then wasn't the boy's:

"Robb! I see you have already managed to defeat Theon. Congratulations! My little brother is no big deal, but for a boy your age it's pretty impressive." It was Asha, who had come in the worst possible moment: just in time to see him defeated by Robb.

"Well Theon, I was hoping to challenge you when you were done with Robb, assuming you would win." Now that she was addressing him directly, her tone became outrageously derisive, getting to offend Theon. "But it seems Stark will have the honor. Do you accept, Robb?" She said, using her normal voice to talk to the child.

"Thank you, lady Asha, but I don't fight against women," Robb answered politely.

"Don't tell me you are one of those who believe we girls can't fight! That's nonesense. A strong and well-trained woman can very well beat a man. But don't worry: if you don't dare fight me yet, I'll challenge Theon. Do you accept, brother, or have you had enough humiliation for one day?"

Asha had provoked him so much he had no choice but to take up the challenge. With a smile that drove him mad his sister faced him. Theon managed to rip her clothes and he gave her some blows that were likely to leave bruises, but he ended on the floor in less than five minutes. When Asha left, leaving him alone with Robb again, he rose furiously, saying to himself that one day he would be a man grown and he would be strong enough to show his sister her place.

But for the moment, the strength he had had left him. He told Robb he was tired and wanted to be alone, and went to the beach. There he entertained himself by throwing stones to the sea, making them bounce on the water. He didn't go back until dinnertime, when his bad temper had weakened enough for him to be able to see his sister again at table without starting an uncivilized food fight.