A Song of Fairies

Part 1: A Game of Thrones

Erza

Erza kept her eyes focused on the skinny form of young Bran Stark. He hefted the light wooden sword in his hand then proceeded to raise it above his head. The traditional start for a Westerosi knight. Especially for a warrior raised in the North. She could see Ser Rodrik nodding out of the corner of her eye. Across from Bran, stood the shorter, and plumper, prince of the Seven Kingdoms, Tommen Baratheon. Both boys were clad head to toe in padded leathers. Even though they were using wooden swords, Ser Rodrik wanted to take no chances.

"The last thing I need, and Lord Stark needs, is the little Baratheon wailing to his Lannister mother about a damn bruise." Was what Rodrik had said when Erza asked why he exercised such caution.

He had never demanded such padding be used before. And it was clear that Bran despised the stuff. She could see him tugging at his collar every swing or two as he and Tommen sparred. Erza could only smirk a little as she watched the two boys swing wildly at each other. Both were extremely inexperienced. Both had horrendous footwork. Both didn't know the first thing about swinging a sword properly. And both had a wide grin on their faces. The pair looked like the best of friends. But to Erza, it was clear who the true warrior was.

Bran had the frame, the speed, he had a natural gift; just like his brothers Jon and Robb. He had a way of focusing, finding a weak point in Tommen's meager defense, and striking at the perfect time. Tommen would howl every time Bran smacked the wooden blade against his body. Erza would simply smirk, Robb and Jon would quietly chuckle, the Tommen would go red in the face and try again.

"What do you think?" Jon asked.

"Bran's got potential." Erza replied as she watched the two boys continue, "He needs a lot of fine tuning though." She cringed as Bran slipped and Tommen tapped his on the head for the first time all morning.

Jon chuckled, "That he does." He glanced at her, "Do you plan on teaching him like you taught me and Robb?"

"If you father allows it sure." Erza said, "However, by the time he's old enough to handle my training…" She trailed off a little bit.

"You hope to be reunited with your family." Jon finished for her, "Your guildmates." He said much more quietly so only she could hear him.

"Aye."

"That's it Bran!" Robb shouted loudly as Bran spun and delivered a powerful blow to Tommen's side, sending the boy prince sprawling into the dirt.

"Well struck!" Ser Rodrik called.

Bran smiled at both of them then glanced over at Erza. Erza didn't yell out, she merely nodded her head. Bran then grinned from ear to ear.

"It seems he knows who the real master is around here." Jon smirked.

Erza shoved his arm, "Don't tell Ser Rodrik that. The old man will take offense."

"Do I look like I care?" Jon chuckled with Erza.

As the pair laughed, two newcomers strode into the yard. The first was a giant of a man, easily standing head and shoulders above Robb, Jon, and Ser Rodrik. He was powerfully built. Thick arms covered in black armor were crossed over a barrel shaped chest while powerful legs marched through the dirt and stone. His face was hideous to look at. Half of it was a mass of scarred, pink flesh. Seared like a piece of meat on a skillet. Just his physical appearance alone was enough to silence Erza and Jon's mirth.

"The Hound." Erza noted.

"And look who he brought with him." Jon muttered.

Beside the Hound strode the crown prince, Joffrey Baratheon. His golden hair closely cropped. His green eyes flicked back and forth between Bran and his little brother Tommen. He seemed to be observing the match. But instead of having fun with it like Erza and the Starks were, he seemed frustrated. Angry even. When Bran kicked Tommen to the ground, the Stark's were about to cheer but Joffrey's voice rose above them.

"Is this how men in the North learn to fight?" He asked, his voice filled with a mocking tone, "Playing pretend with wooden swords and padding?"

"Tis how all men learn to fight in my yard, your grace." Ser Rodrik barked back.

"Your yard?" Joffrey questioned, "So you are Lord Stark?" He glanced at the Hound, "It seems Lord Stark has aged a good dozen years, hasn't he Dog?"

The Hound remained silent. To Erza, he seemed bored.

Joffrey laughed, "Well then, as far as I know, this yard belongs to Lord Stark. Not some lowly sword master such as yourself."

"Watch your tongue boy." Ser Rodrik snapped back, "I've been in charge of training Stark's in this yard since before you were even a thought in your father's mind. I've trained Lord Stark, I've trained with Lord Stark's father, I've trained both of Lord Stark's brothers-"

"One of whom is exiled at the Wall, wearing that hideous shade of black." Joffrey countered, "And the other two are dead. Killed by the Mad King. What good did your training do them, exactly?"

"Watch your mouth." Robb growled lowly.

Joffrey was unfazed. The same cocky grin was on his face as he turned back to Bran and Tommen, "In the south, men learn to fight." He gripped the blade at his own hip and drew it, "With live steel."

Tommen opened his mouth, "No we-" His mouth snapped shut when Joffrey gave him a piercing glare.

"So, Brandon Stark," Joffrey leveled his blade at the boy, "Have you used live steel yet?"

Bran gulped then shook his head.

Erza felt her hand drifting towards her own sword. And she wasn't alone. Jon's hand already gripped the hilt of his own blade. Robb was taking several steps towards Bran. But those steps drew the attention of the Hound, who march forward to stand beside Prince Joffrey. The hesitance Robb showed when he saw the scarred man made the Hound grin, displaying a gruesome smile that made Erza's skin crawl.

"So you are just pretending to use a sword then?" Joffrey asked.

"No!" Bran replied, "Ser Rodrik doesn't believe I'm ready to use live steel."

"Then obviously he is not training you very well. I used live steel when I was your age."

"Joffrey-" Tommen was silence by another harsh glare.

"Dog, give Brandon Stark a sword from the rack." Joffrey ordered.

"Now just a damn moment!" Ser Rodrik bellowed, his face now red with fury, "No one here touches those blades without my say so."

Joffrey looked and Ser Rodrik and smirked, "Quite right. The master at arms has control of all weapons in the castle. So… as your crown prince, I demand that you provide Bran a real sword." He grinned at Bran, "I want to test him myself."

"I will do no such thing!" Ser Rodrik snapped.

Joffrey grin ran away from his face, "You dare defy your prince?" He snapped his fingers at the Hound, "Dog!"

The massive man started towards Ser Rodrik. Robb moved to get in the way, but one glare by the Hound made him pause. The Hound's hand reached for his sword. And just as he was about to draw his blade, Erza stepped forward, putting herself between Ser Rodrik, Bran, and the Prince.

"Make another move. And it may be the last time you'll be able to move properly again." Erza warned as her hand rested on the hilt of her own sword.

The Hound grinned at her. But Erza did not look away. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and readied her muscles. The two warriors stared at each other. Neither giving ground. The Hound's grin fell away and he raised his chin at her.

"You're not a mere wench then eh?" He rumbled.

"Dog!" Joffrey now screeched, "I commanded you to-"

"I know you little shit. I know." The Hound muttered under his breath so that the Prince could not hear him. He rolled his eyes and took another step towards Bran and Ser Rodrik. "Yes your Grace. It will be done." He said loudly this time.

In the blink of an eye, Erza's sword was out of its sheath and leveled it at the Hound's chest. The Hound paused, his one good eye staring at the tip of the blade.

"Last warning." Erza snarled.

The Hound slowly began to unsheath his own blade. Erza tightened the grip on her sword. This man was not deterred. Her penetrating glare did not make him hesitate or back down. Instead, it made the Hound curious about her. She could see that he was studying her stance. Observing her posture, the way she held her sword. He was calculating how likely it would be that he would win this battle. Because now, after seeing how quickly Erza produced her blade, after seeing how expertly she held her sword, the Hound was not certain of the outcome. Nevertheless, his prince gave him an order. He wanted the fat master at arms dealt with for defying him. And much to the Hound's chagrin, he had to execute those orders.

The pair braced themselves for combat. Erza could see Jon readying to jump in if needed. Not a noise was made in the yard. The sounds of the market outside of Winterfell's walls was all that could be heard.

Slow clapping broke the silence.

"Riveting." The amused voice of Tyrion Lannister said. The Hound turned his head to see the littlest Lannister calmly strutting towards the tense group, "Absolutely riveting. So much intensity." He smirked, "One would think that this would be an actual fair fight." He glanced at Erza. Right away, Erza knew that Tyrion Lannister knew who would win. And he had been betting on her. The imp glanced hard at his nephew.

"My dearest nephew!"

He waddled over to Joffrey. The young prince could only stare stunned as Uncle patted The Hound on the arm and moved towards him. Once the Imp was past the Hound, the massive man sheathed his sword. Erza released the breath she had been holding. Jon noticeably relaxed and Robb moved towards Bran and Tommen.

Tyrion stood in front of Joffrey. The prince glowered down at him.

"What do you want im-"

Erza's eyes widened as Tyrion reached up and slapped his nephew hard on the cheek.

"Say one more word, and I will hit you again." Tyrion warned.

"I'm telling mother!"

Tyrion slapped him on the other cheek. Erza could see some tears beginning to form in Joffrey's eyes. He fought them back though and instead stared red faced at the Tyrion Lannister.

"How much of a fool are you?" Tyrion scolded, "Do you want to start a war between your family and the Stark's? Over what? A Master at Arms rightly denying your request to give his pupil live steel?" Tyrion shook his head, "Did it ever occur to you that the good Ser was following Lord Stark's orders?"

"M-mother-"

"Will do nothing. Because unlike you, she seems to have some intelligence. A trait that clearly was not passed down to the next generation." Tyrion berated, "Ser Clegane!"

"My Lord?"

"Please escort the Prince to his chambers. Perhaps a nap would do him some good. He does appear rather grouchy. And in my experience, a good nap does wonders for the mood of a man."

"Yes, my Lord." The Hound swiftly grabbed Joffrey's upper arm and began to drag him away from the yard.

"But I'm not tired!" Joffrey bellowed as he struggled against the Hound's iron grip.

Once, the Prince was out of earshot, Tyrion sighed and turned to Erza, Robb, Jon, and Ser Rodrik.

"I apologize on behalf of my nephew." Tyrion said, "Sometimes, when the children are behaving badly, they need to simply be put to bed."

"Or given a swift kick in the ass." Jon muttered.

Erza snorted then sighed, letting all of the tension out of her body.

"Thank you, Lord Tyrion." Robb finally said. Though Erza could see that it was somewhat reluctant.

"It was my pleasure." Tyrion smirked before looking at Erza, "So, not only are you a ravishing woman but you also know your way around weapons?"

Erza arched an eyebrow, "And why shouldn't I?"

"Well it certainly isn't the norm to see a woman in full battle armor." Tyrion glanced at her skirt, "Even less so with full battle armor and a lovely blue skirt? Is it silk?"

"No cotton." Erza replied.

"Ah! The fabric of the commonfolk." Tyrion nodded, "So you are not noble nor are you a knight? So, what are you then?"

"A bodyguard." Jon said, as he intervened into the conversation. Erza gave shot him a silent thank you. And he replied with a slight nod of his head.

Tyrion arched an eyebrow, "Doesn't Lord Stark have knights, or dare I say, great masters at arms to act as a bodyguard for his children?"

"I doubt even one of them could best Erza in combat." Robb boasted, "She's been teaching me and Jon. Well, mostly Jon."

"Really!?" Tyrion seemed impressed, "Then she would have had no trouble fending off Ser Clegane now would she?"

"She would beat him like a drum." Robb replied with a grin. Jon glared over at his brother but the Stark grin only grew wider, "I'd say it'd only take a minute."

"A minute?" Tyrion nodded his head, "Most impressive indeed. Such a feat has not yet been seen. I believe that there are only five who could best Ser Clegane in combat. One of which is his elder brother." He pursed his lips, "But the other four are not mere brutes like the Mountain. Nevertheless, if your claims are true then I would greatly enjoy seeing Miss Erza's skills put into action." He bowed to the Starks, "Now then, if you'll excuse me. I was busy experimenting with some Northern girls yesterday when my brother so rudely interrupted. You all have a lovely day."

Erza eyed Tyrion as he waddled away, a pleasant smile on his large face. When he was gone, Jon glared at Robb.

"What are you doing?"

"What?" Robb replied, "It's not like I was lying." He rolled his shoulders then sighed, "Well, Father wanted to speak with me this morning. I suppose it's about time and went and spoke to him. I believe it was something about a hunt with King Robert."

"A hunt with the King?" Erza asked.

"Aye." Jon replied, "King Robert is an avid hunter. From what I hear, he enjoys killing things."

Erza frowned, "That's not exactly a good hobby."

Jon shrugged, "To each their own. That is my opinion on it. It is not like he's harming anybody by enjoying a good hunt"

He rubbed his hands together. The air was getting colder by the day. At this point, he was considering whether it would be worth grabbing a pair of gloves or not. Jon glanced at Erza, her attention once again on Bran and Tommen. She could see her shaking her head ever so slightly as Bran tripped over his own two feet.

"Erza?"

"Yes?"

Jon gulped then shifted his weight, "Well… I have a feeling that my father will ask me to join him and Robb on the hunt. One last time to be together before I-" he could feel Erza's hard stare on him. And it only made him feel more anxious. Jon didn't know why he was feeling like this. The sudden pounding in his chest whenever Erza spoke to him. The way his cheeks flared up when she smirked and laughed. He wished he still had his beard. It would be easier for him to hide his embarrassment behind a thick beard. "Before I take the black."

"And?" Erza asked.

"Well, I'm sure Jory wouldn't mind watching the little ones for a day or two."

Erza glanced at Jon then smiled, "You want me to go hunting with you?"

Jon cleared his throat, "Well.. um… hunting with Lord Stark and King Robert. Maybe by showing the King your skills the Hound would be less likely to bother you?"

Erza chuckled, "If Lord Stark wants me to come along then I'd be happy to." She sighed, "It might do some good to get out the castle for a change."

Bran fell backwards and Tommen bashed him in the chest with his sword. Bran yelped in pain before scrambling to his feet and tackling the young Baratheon.

"Gods dammit! That's not how knights fight!" Ser Rodrik boomed.

Erza brushed Jon's shoulder, "Go see your father." She began to walk towards Bran, "I think Bran would benefit from a short lesson."

"Try not to beat him up to much." Jon warned with a smile, "Lady Catelyn wouldn't appreciate him being black and blue for a week."

"I'll be gentle." Erza grinned before helping Bran to his feet and instructing both Tommen and Bran to stand in front of her. All the while, Ser Rodrik watched and observed. Curious to see how the red haired woman of Winterfell conducted her own training.

Jon watched for a brief moment as Erza gave the two boys a firm talking to about what a sword was and why it should be respected. Then he smiled, turned on his heel and marched towards the castle doors. He rubbed his face as he attempted to fight off the biting cold wind that came sweeping down from the Far North. Already, he could see his breath misting in front of his face and it wasn't even midday yet. Jon glanced back at the yard and saw Erza going through a basic drill with Tommen and Bran, both boys grinning in delight as Erza gently instructed them.

Another frozen breeze whipped around Jon and he shuddered. He may not remember the last one, but he knew in his bones that this winter he would remember for the rest of his life. He pushed the doors to Winterfell open and entered the warmth of the castle that would soon no longer be his home.

And chapter! GOD I LOVE WRITING THIS SMALL SCENES! Little intimate moments between characters are just too much fun! Seeing how Tyrion analyzes everything, just getting into his head in general is a real treat! And the moments between Jon and Erza are just too much fun to put togther! Don't worry though everyong, we will be getting to the heavy stuff eventually, I promise. It's just taking a lot more set up than I thought to get there.

Originally, I did plan for this chapter to be much longer. Like taking us up to a certain even longer (You GOT fans know what I'm talking about). But I worry about making super long chapters like that. I'm not sure how well I'd put it together. Regardless, the next Erza chapter will be an interesting one because it will be one of the first ones I do that will be a bit of a diversion from Canon. You'll see what I mean when I get it posted.

Also, I do want to update you guys on the progress of these character's story arcs. I can tell you all right now, Erza is hands down the most planned out story I have right now. I know exactly what is going to happen to her up to Season 7 of GOT. Got it written down and everything. Levy and Gray are my next best planned out followed by Wendy and Lucy. Natsu has been tricky for me, I'm really not sure why. Also, Cana will be introduced shortly. I know how I'm putting her in the story and it's going to be a fun introduction! Last but not least, Mira has been extremely difficult to put in. I've been bouncing around a few ideas but I'm not a hundred and ten percent sure on what to do yet. Idk, I'll figure something out. Anyways, Happy Easter everybody! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you guys think. And as always, have a nice day!