The Wall
"Lord Commander." a voice called politely, Derak Conswood, a member of the Night's Watch, tapping on the wood to the commanders chamber. Edd looked up from the paper on his desk.
"Come in." he called.
"My Lord, the Rangers...they come riding, now."
Edd stood, nonchalantly. The Rangers weren't beyond the Wall for long this time, instead he'd sent them out on a two day journey, to see if they could get a grasp on the impending Army.
He walked to the door, and caught glimpse of the look Derak had on his face.
"They found something." Derak whispered. "Well, someone. Two someones."
"Oh?" Edd asked, walking from the room, trailed by Derak.
"Aye, and the children are asking for Jon."
"Children?" Edd paused, looking to Derak.
"I figured you'd be best to speak with them."
Edd, confused, moved fast now, down the ramps to the lower level chambers, where Derak opened the door for him, allowing him past.
At one of the long tables, a younger girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen, he guessed, in heavy furs, sat nervously. Laying beside her, on the table, was a boy, heavy brow, long hair, and thin crooked legs. He appeared to be sleeping.
"Who are you?" Edd asked, sitting at the bench across from her.
"Where's Jon?" she asked. "Jon Snow, we know he's with the Watch."
"Not anymore." Edd sighed.
Meera's face crumbled, and her hands flew to her face. She looked nervously at Bran.
"He didn't tell me that." she muttered.
"Oi, little lady, eyes on me, please. Why is your friend fast asleep?"
"He's not asleep." she sighed. "He's in a vision-state. Is Jon dead?"
"No." Edd said. "He's left. He's back in Winterfell. Who are you?"
Meera's eyes widened, and she looked positively thrilled.
"My name is Meera Reed. This is Bran Stark, Jon's brother." she said, motioning at Bran's sleeping form behind her.
Edd nearly choked at this, and it took him a moment to gain his composure.
"Bran?" he asked. He knew the name, he knew the story. Jon spoke of him often, he adored his little brothers. Edd stood, looking at the sleeping form of Bran. He thought that perhaps he may look similar to Jon, the dark brow, the way his cheeks and nose looked.
"What's your name?" Meera asked, now impatient.
"My name's Edd." Edd said, turning to her. "And I think you and I better fetch a Raven for Jon."
"That would be best." she said. "Also, do you have a Godswood tree near here?"
Edd looked down at the girl, puzzled. This day wasn't going as he'd expected at all.
King's Landing
Cersei had sent near half a hundred ravens to every corner of The North. She ordered them sent not to the houses, sure that the loyal noble vassal houses would tell the Starks of her plan, but instead the darkest corners of the North. Prison towns, seedy bars, and to the few connections she had, hiding in the North. 50,000 gold dragons was more than enough to gain someone's attention.
The ravens had been sent out 6 days before the invasion began.
Cersei, in the Red Keep, saw a large shadow black out the sun. At the same time it passed by, she heard shouts from the hall, coming towards her chambers.
The Kings Guard burst through the doors.
"My Queen...you need to come with us."
"What is it?" she demanded, standing. She looked out the far window.
She caught a glimpse of a black wing passing by. Immense, larger than anything she could imagine. The size of a navy ship, just a wing.
She froze. She felt the arms of the guards on her, pulling her, desperately. There was an immense shaking of the castle, as the beast landed on the roof. It let out a vicious screech, so loud the group instinctively covered their ears.
"The beast just took out the entire fleet." a guard told Cersei after the noise ceased.
"A Targaryen?" Cersei demanded, as they practically dragged her towards the door. She was stumbling, overtook with emotions. Confusion, rage, and dread.
"We need to get you to the dungeons, m'lady."
"The dungeons?" she screamed.
"There's three dragons." Another guard continued. "If we want to preserve your life..."
There was a huge burst of flame from behind them, Cersei felt the heat radiating on the back of her neck. She began running, as did the guards.
It would all be futile.
A settlement just outside First Flint, The North
4 days earlier
The raven arrived at a bar on the very edges of First Flint. The barkeep, and owner, was an older man, as tall as a tree, as wide and thick as a stump. He was called 'One Eye' or "Lord Stumbles." He had a stunted leg, and one clear grey one, one dark brown.
He read over the decree. He blinked stupidly at the price. Gods, that Southern Queen really had it out for the Starks.
He considered, first, doing it himself, and then chuckled. There was no possible way for him to have any advantage of skill to accomplish such a task. A lady, in Winterfell? Married to the un-dead bastard, surrounded by thousands of soldiers and a few direwolves?
But, gods, if he didn't want some moron to attempt it. He found an ink bottle, and a pen, and added his own edit to the bottom of the decree.
"Free Drinks for the bas-dard who done it for LIFE at these parts." he scribbled at the end of it. He took a hammer and nail, and attached it to the door of his bar.
With the fall of the hammer, a man tying his horse outside the bar turned, looking to the sign.
"What's that?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly.
"The Bitch in Kings Landing wants the head of the Stark girl." One eye chuckled, still nailing the sign. He turned round when he was did, and stepped back in surprise. The man beside his horse was near taller than the horse itself, his hair matted and tangled, and a bright red scar disfigured half his face.
Sandor Clegane paused, absorbing this. He walked forward, to examine the sign. The barkeep stepped away, leaning against the wood of the building, watching him with wide eyes.
He laughed.
"Those Starks can't seem to catch a break, can they?" he asked. "How far is Winterfell from here?"
"3 days journey, normally." One Eye replied. "But if you're at a running pace, on a horse like that, I suspect you'd make it in 2. Only because the weather is good. You catch a storm, you're out of luck."
"Right." The Hound replied. He reached forward, yanking the decree from the door.
"Sure, you can have it." One Eye grumbled. The Hound had already turned around, and was untying his horse.
He'd heard, in passing, bits and pieces of the Starks since he'd been back on the road, after leaving the ruins of Brother Ray's camp behind him.
Most recently, he'd been surprised to hear of Arya's return. In a way, he was happy for the child. In his way, at least. As in, he'd grunted non-committedly, and had an extra drink for her, when he'd heard the jolly news.
Sansa, though, he remembered her as well. The little scared bird from King's Landing, Joffery's toy. Pretty little thing, everyone said so. He'd saved her, once.
He had been heading to Winterfell anyhow. Once he heard of Arya's return, he was returning, hopefully to gain some sort of employment, or something. He didn't know anyone else in The North. And as much as the little shit had irritated him, he owed her a debt, whether she knew it or not. He was also looking forward to seeing her face when she saw he was alive. Perhaps, even, she would order him killed. What did he care? But this information, if that would be her plan, might save his skin.
He tucked the paper into his coat, and without looking back, kicked off, riding towards the Kings Road, and south, to Winterfell.
Winterfell
Sansa had spent the days returning to Household Management, following the decision on what to do about the Targaryen queen, slowly approaching from Essos. She found herself dreaming of Cersei's death, of her being burnt to a crisp by an immense dragon, and she would awake in a lovely mood.
One morning, a few days following Jon's return to health, Sansa sought out her sister, pulling her from the training encampment near the barracks.
She grinned as she walked down from the castle, to the silence that fell upon the usually rowdy soldiers.
"Oh, Gods." Arya groaned, as the soldier she was sparring with dropped his sword and knelt. Arya rolled her eyes, turning to her sister. "I never get this treatment, you know."
Sansa laughed.
"I apologize, lords, but I require my sister." Sansa said.
Arya sighed, running the back of her hand over her forehead. She turned to Lord Errol, the head of the castle guard and, now, good friend.
"Run troops 18 and 23 through the training again today. They were having trouble. I'll be back."
He grinned, nodded, and began barking orders to the rows of men standing round.
Sansa eyed Lord Errol with an arched brow as Arya walked up to her. Errol was tall, taller than Jon, and had a rugged face but kind blue eyes, and soft blonde curls.
"That's the Lord you speak so highly of?" Sansa said, still watching him. "He's quite handsome, isn't he?"
"Oi, if this is what you need me for, I'd much rather retur-"
"Relax." Sansa said, laughing. "I only wanted to see if you wanted to go on a ride with me."
Arya looked confused.
"Come on, we used to do it when we were younger. I've enlisted just a couple guards to accompany us, and it'll be fun. The sun is out probably just for today, and I'm tired of being cooped up writing orders and accounts all day."
Arya frowned, considering this.
"Better than kicking the ass of all of your husband's men, I suppose." Arya said. "No talking of marrying me off, or something, though." Arya said, pointing a hand at Sansa. Sansa lifted her hands in surrender.
They walked towards the stables in silence for a moment.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Arya asked. "With Queen Cersei probably hearing about us killing her army, or whatever, I'm sure she's got some plot in the works."
Sansa shook her head.
"You forget she has much bigger problems than me." Sansa said. "There are dragons coming for her."
She smiled, and Arya smiled back.
The sisters rode out across the wide rolling fields beyond Winterfell, closely followed by two guardsmen. Nymeria ran beside Arya, yapping and barking with glee at the chance to run in an open space again.
They reached the edge of the trees, and Sansa slowed.
"How are you at shooting?" Sansa asked, taking the bow and arrow on her horse's saddlebag. Arya had one too.
"Are you suggesting a hunt?" Arya asked, her brow arched. "I thought ladies never participated in such a thing."
"Please." Sansa said, rolling her eyes. "I'm hoping you'd show me."
Arya smiled wider.
"You've selected a wonderful teacher, my lady." Arya said in a singsong voice. "Come on, we should stay closer to the treeline, but there should be more than enough targets to shoot in the forest."
They led their horses in, the two guards exchanging looks, and then following them through.
Arya moved her horse closer to Sansa, as they delved into the darkness of the woods. She showed her how to properly hold her bow, where the string should rest on her hand, how it should touch her cheek. She found a wide maple tree, with a bump of moss on the trunk. This would become the target. With each arrow that missed, Nymeria dipped into the distance, sniffed it out, and brought it back.
The sisters spent ages shooting, and after a little while, Sansa was starting to get the hang of it. She looked back at Arya after a couple hours, quite miffed with herself.
"Lady Sansa." a voice said from behind them. One of the two guards had gone back out to the trees, and was looking in the distance. The guard that spoke looked nervous, unsure of what to do.
"What is it?" she asked, letting her arrow drop. Nymeria let out a low, menacing growl. Sansa and Arya exchanged nervous looks.
"Just a lone traveler on the Kingsroad." he said. "We would just prefer it if you stayed in here for a moment. He heads towards the castle."
"A lone traveler?" Arya scoffed. She looked to Sansa. "Hide away, sister, death comes for us in an army of one."
"It is not an average traveler." the guard continued. "He looks to be...quite formidable."
"A giant?" Sansa asked, humor in her voice.
"You're being ridiculous." Arya said. "Let me see him for myself, and we can decide the danger on our own."
Arya moved forward, Nymeria by her side. Sansa followed, giving the guard a funny look as she passed.
Arya pushed through the trees, and to the edge of the forest. She squinted, into the distance, Northeast from where they stood now. She froze, halting the horse at once.
"We need to return to the castle." Arya said, looking back.
"Who is it?" Sansa asked, peering past her sister. She, from the distance, did not recognize him as Arya had.
"Sansa, come on." Arya snapped, there wasn't time to answer her. She had already broken her mare into a gallop. Sansa looked at the guards, and nodded, bidding them follow. They raced across the field, back towards their home.