The Winter Wolf

Ironrath was close, so close that everything looked familiar. Alyssa was sure that if she screamed, the Forresters, Arya and Sansa would be able to hear her, but she didn't want to cause a panic.

"You spent a lot of time in Ironrath?" Bronn glanced at her.

"On and off since I was ten," Alyssa nodded.

"Why didn't you go south with your father and sisters?" Bronn asked.

"I'm a Northerner, Bronn," Alyssa replied. "I never wanted to leave the North, and I don't plan to."

"That's a pretty good reason," Bronn smirked.

"If you knew what's north of the Wall, you'd probably want to get as far south as south can go," Jess said.

"I'm assuming that you mean what comes with a long winter," Alyssa knew what Jon had meant by "Old Nan was right". Alyssa shook her head, "I would fight for my home."

"You plan to help the Night's Watch?" Jess raised an eyebrow. "Would you allow Wildlings on this side of the Wall?"

"In a heartbeat," Alyssa nodded. "As long as don't attack anyone but the Boltons and White Walkers."

Jess looked impressed, "You would?"

"You would?" Bronn looked shocked.

"I already said that I would," Alyssa sighed.

"Even the giants?" Jess smirked a bit.

Bronn let out a laugh of disbelief, "Giants?"

"You ever see one, I wouldn't laugh at it," Jess told Bronn.

Alyssa opened her mouth to speak when she heard laughter. She stopped her horse and listened. There was a bunch of laughter, but one stuck out above the rest.

"My-" Bronn started.

"Hush," Alyssa hopped off of her horse. That laugh... she knew it well, but it wasn't possible.

The laughter continued, before Alyssa knew it, she was running through the ironwood trees. She couldn't believe her ears, it was impossible to be true, but she couldn't stop running. The laughter grew closer, Alyssa's heart slammed inside her chest, she needed to see for herself... She got near the clearing where all of the laughter came from, when an ax came flying and hit the tree closest to her. The laughter died instantly. Alyssa froze in her spot, her eyes were wide. Her mind went into shock. Arya... she was sitting beside Jaime Lannister on a fallen log, and there was a handful of people she didn't know. That wasn't what caught Alyssa by surprise. Her ears had been right. She was staring at the one person Alyssa never thought she would see again. Asher Forrester.

"Asher!" Alyssa rushed forward and jumped into the arms of her best friend. He was closer to her than Arya, and he was supposed to be in Essos. Why was he in Ironrath? It didn't really matter, for too long he'd been gone, and Alyssa was extremely happy to see Asher Forrester. As much as she missed Arya, Asher was closer to her, and she couldn't help her reaction.

"Sorry about the ax," Asher smirked in a way that only he could. He took a step back from her, "I believe that Arya would like a chance to get to you."

The instant Asher put space between them, Arya embraced Alyssa tightly, as though she feared that Alyssa would vanish into thin air. She sounded like she was already out of breath, "How did you get here?"

"Yes, how did the Queen of the North escape the Boltons?" Jaime Lannister asked.

Alyssa kept her eyes on Arya. What the fuck is a Lannister doing in Ironrath? She shook her head, "It's a long story."

"We'll have plenty of time for that later," Asher's smirk widened. "I'm sure you'd like to get cleaned up, and Mother would want to know that you're here."

"How is your mother?" Alyssa asked.

"She's a lot better since Ryon returned home, and now she has what's left of her family with her," Asher eyed Alyssa for a moment. "I don't believe I've seen you this covered in dirt since you we first met."

Alyssa looked down at her dress, then back at her best friend, "That's not dirt."

There was noise behind Alyssa, Bronn, Gendry, and Jess must have just caught up to her. Arya gawked at something that was with them, Alyssa was confused for a moment, then Arya breathed out, "Shadow?"

"Fuck me," Jaime Lannister gawked.

"She got big, didn't she?" Alyssa ignored the lion again and smiled at her sister.

Arya nodded, then her eyes traveled to someone else, "Alyssa?"

"Yes?" Alyssa frowned.

"There's a Wildling behind you," Arya and everyone else looked alarmed.

Alyssa glanced back at Jess, who was right beside Shadow. A grin crossed her face, "Jess is my handmaiden."

At first, all Alyssa got was silence. Then Arya burst out into a fit of laughter. As though Alyssa had said the funniest thing in the world. She shook her head, "Only you would want to have a Wildling as your handmaiden."

"Does anyone else have something to say?" Alyssa sighed.

"I'm sure we all could come up with something," Asher chuckled.

"Brienne and I have something to say," Jaime Lannister stated.

Alyssa froze, the lion's words forced her to turn her attention to him. Alyssa twitched a bit as she looked at him, "What?"

A tall blonde woman moved forward and knelt down, "Both Jaime and I swore to your mother that we would return your sisters to her." Alyssa opened her mouth to argue, but the woman continued, "When Lady Stark was murdered, we vowed that we would protect all of Catelyn Stark's daughters."

Alyssa glanced at Arya, "Do you believe this shit?"

"Actually, I do," Arya nodded.

Alyssa wasn't sure what to think about this. A Lannister was offering to protect not one, but three Starks? Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that it was even possible for that to happen. She didn't know how to react to the woman or the lion... who had a golden hand. How did he expect to protect Alyssa and her sisters with only one hand? Alyssa looked back at Bronn, who looked as entertained as Asher did.

"If I may, Your Grace, but Jaime and Tyrion Lannister both smuggled Lady Sansa to the North," Bronn told her.

There was another Lannister in Ironrath? Why the Hell hasn't anyone done something to get them out of the North... unless they were serious about wanting to help her family. Alyssa closed her eyes and let out a breath. She just needed to get her mind set right for anything like dealing with the lions. Getting out of her bloodstained dress would be a great start.


Alyssa stared across the table at Tyrion Lannister, hardly able to believe that the little lion was actually sitting across from her. She was trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Sansa seemed to be actually happy with the Imp. It was as though she had entered a strange dream where Jaime and Tyrion Lannister were willing to give up their lives in the south just to keep promises that they had made. Only, Alyssa knew that she wasn't dreaming, she was wide awake. Alyssa felt as though she had walked into a completely different world. The moment that she thought she had her mind wrapped around everything, Tyrion had been the one to greet her the second she walked into the castle, he even called her"sister". Though she was extremely overjoyed, she was also very confused.

"Are you alright, my Queen?" Tyrion smirked.

"What?" Alyssa frowned.

"You must have something you want to say, you've been staring at me since I sat down," Tyrion grinned.

"What is it that you want from me, Lord Tyrion?" Alyssa narrowed her eyes at the Imp.

His grin grew, "Straight to the point I see. As a Queen, you'll need help. Such as advisers, a Small Council, and a... Hand. I'm offering to be your Hand."

Alyssa blinked several times. Tyrion Lannister wished to be... she started to laugh. Just the fact that a Lannister "offered" to be her Hand... it had to be a joke. Yet, when Alyssa looked back at the Imp, he wasn't laughing.

"Shit, you're serious?" Alyssa couldn't believe it. When he nodded, she frowned, "Why should I trust you to be my Hand?"

"How can he be her hand?" Alyssa heard Jess ask behind her.

"That one is harder to explain," Bronn whispered back to the Wildling.

"I'm great with politics, Your Grace, I love it," Tyrion stated. "I'm your brother by law, I'm more than likely the most qualified person in the North to be the Hand of the Queen, and you'll find that I'm rather enjoyable company."

"He's right about that last statement, my Queen," Bronn leaned forward.

Alyssa straightened herself and looked over at Rodrick Forrester, the Lord of Ironrath. Though brutally scarred, Rodrick was still a handsome man, and Alyssa knew that he had a good sense of people. Alyssa cleared her throat, "What do you think, Rodrick?"

"Your-" Rodrick started.

"Rodrick, you've known me since I was younger than Arya, you don't have to be formal with me," Alyssa didn't want the Forresters to treat her any differently than they used to.

"I believe that he is trustworthy," Rodrick sighed.

"So you'd make Tyrion Lannister the Hand of the Queen?" Alyssa's smile vanished.

"He would be the best choice for your Hand," Sansa seemed to find her voice.

Alyssa's gray eyes went to her younger sister. There were a lot of reasons why Alyssa didn't want the Imp to be her Hand, but Tyrion was right about one thing. As far as she knew, he was the most qualified person to be her Hand, and after what had happened with the Boltons, Alyssa was sure neither lion could betray her as much as the fucking traitors.

"Gods help me," Alyssa closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then looked at Tyrion Lannister, "Congratulations, my Lord."