RICKARD

It took Benjen Stark eight months to find the Clan Snowfall and when he did, what he found was both parts horrifying and wonderful. "The legends are true." He kept saying as he made his way on horseback towards the wall near the Night Fort. He couldn't show up at Castle Black with a baby in his arms. His beloved Wylla was dead. He deeply regrets not marrying her before the heart tree in the eyes of the Old gods.

When he reaches the Nightfort Benjen heads for Moles Town to find his friend Edgar. "Keep this baby safe until my brother arrives."

"Whose baby is it?" Benjen just stares at him, "Oh…Where is the Mother?"

"Please Edgar no more questions…just take care of him until my brother arrives."

"Okay…" Benjen had saved Edgar's life when he was hunting in the Gift.

Benjen crosses the wall and heads to Castle Black. He asks for a private audience with Lord Commander Mormont. "I saw them Lord Commander."

"Who?"

"The Children of the Forest…They are real…"

"Have you gone mad Benjen Stark?"

"Ain't no lie Lord Commander…I swear on all I hold dear…I swear by the Old gods on my life…I saw the Children…"

He pours Benjen and himself a drink. "If you swear I believe you. Did they say anything?"

"Aye…They warned me that the Long Night is coming…and with it the Night King." He commanded Benjen to get some rest. When he was fully rested Mormont had him go speak to the Maester of Castle Black Aemon Targaryen. Aemon could have been King, but he wanted nothing to do with that life and became a Maester to escape the lies and backstabbing of the Capital. After speaking to Benjen they both go see Mormont.

"Well Maester Aemon."

"Benjen Stark is in his right mind. He is not mad and what he speaks is true…He did speak with the Children of the Forest."

"By the gods…You are blessed Benjen."

"They also told me that Mance Rayder is the King beyond the wall…That we should make peace with him before it is too late."

"Peace! With that traitor!" Mance had once been a man of the Watch. He was born of the Free Folk and was raised by the men of the watch. When he came of age he joined them. When he learned of his true heritage Mance turned his back on them.

Benjen write his letter and sends it by Raven to Wintefell.

To my Brother Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell

I need to see you. Something urgent has come up and I need your help. Please come with all haste…We need to speak in private.

With Regards

Your Brother

First Ranger Benjen Stark

A week after the letter was sent Eddard shows up with ten men as guards. After speaking to Lord Mormont and certain people of the Watch he meets in private with Benjen. "Your message was cryptic…Lord Mormont says you saw the Children of the Forest…"

"Aye I did…But that is not why I called you…I asked you here, because I need you to raise my son."

Eddard frowns, "Your son! Who is his mother?"

"Doesn't matter…She's dead…"

"Well I need to know. Was she a woman of Moles Town? A whore?"

"You have your secrets…and I have mine. Or have you told poor Catelyn the truth."

He sighs, "Fine keep your secrets…What is his name?"

"Rickard…Snow."

Benjen looks at his brother and can see that he is pained to hear their father's name again. Only this time it is carried by a bastard. "I see…Since we are speaking in private I can only deduce that your brothers don't know…"

"Correct and please…No more questions. I have enough respect for you to not pressure you about Lyanna's son…So have the same respect."

"As you wish. Where is the child?"

"With my friend Edgar in Moles Town…Tell him the Crow who saved him from a Bear sent you…He will give you the child…Be as discreet as possible."

"I will."

EDDARD

He stays the night and leaves at sunset the next day. They camp in the countryside. Then Eddard sneaks into the town with two men and heads for Edgar's house. "The Crow who saved you from the bear sent me." He says after knocking and Edgar answers the door.

"One moment." Edgar returns with a green-eyed baby, wrapped in blankets. Ned smiles holding his nephew. "Milk for the baby my lord…Cow milk."

"I thank you…" He hands him a bag of gold, "For your troubles."

"Weren't no trouble my lord."

RICKARD

He was an emotional baby. Sometimes he would cry all night and others he would stare at something or someone as if he could see something that was not there. Whenever a grownup held baby Rickard it seemed as if the child could stare into your very soul. He was happiest whenever someone related to him held him. His cousins Robb and Jon were a year and nine months his senior. At an early age Rickard showed a lot of intelligence and Maester Luwin theorized that Rickard may one day even become a Maester.

Lady Catelyn took Rickard with a grain of salt. He was just another reminder of how men had trouble keeping their oaths. She stayed away from him as much as possible. Whenever he stared at her, he unnerved her and sent chills down her spine. Especially whenever she was mean to Jon, Rickard would appear out of nowhere; as if he knew the boy was in her bad graces. One look and Cat would turn the other way. No matter how many times Robb and Jon would get sick, Rickard never would.

When he was four going on five, Eddard left for war. The Greyjoys had rebelled against Robert. They attacked Bear Island, the Northern West coast, and Lannisport sinking the Lannister fleet. Robert retaliated with the full might of Houses Baratheon, Stark Arryn, Tully, and Tyrell. Stannis led the sea battle and defeated the Iron Born in open battle at sea.

Then they invaded the Iron Islands. Every ship and dock among the Islands was set ablaze in Robert's wrath. Balon Greyjoy was forced to bend the knee his last son Theon Greyjoy became Ned's Ward. "Every time you go off to war you come home with someone else's child." Cat says with baby Sansa in her arms, she has been born before the war started.

Ned didn't laugh, he couldn't, it would only enrage his wife and they had just started sleeping in the same bed again. Rickard seem to have a wisdom beyond his years. A boy of many faces, he could be sad with those who were sad, happy with those happy, and a true friend. Of his cousins he liked Jon the most. The two were treated the same in regards to family. They were not allowed to sit with the family at the head table during meals. It is because of this that the two bastards of Wintrefell were best friends. With Robb, Rickard looked up to him, Theon he tolerated because of Robb and Jon.

"Uncle…"

"Yes Rickard."

Rickard is now ten name days old. He had been training to use a sword since he was eight. He was the best with the sword and bow for his age. He was better swordsman than Robb and Jon; and was a better shot with the bow than Theon. He shared the same relationship with Sansa that Jon did. She looked down on them because of their mother and bastard status.

"Who is my Mother?"

They are riding in the countryside, Ned, Robb, Jon, and Theon. "I truly don't know my boy. Your father never told me. When next he visits ask him."

Another three months would pass before Benjen would visit Winterfell. When he did father and son would spend as much time as possible with each other. "Father…" He is nervous, "Who is my mother?" Rickard was nervous because he was once present when Jon asked about his mother to Uncle Eddard.

He sighs, "I guess you are old enough…Your mother was an Elder of the Free Folk clan…The Snow Fall."

"My mother was a Wildling?"

Benjen grabs Rickard, "Listen to me son…Don't ever use that word again. The Free Folk are people just like you and me. They believe in the Old gods same as us and they have the blood of the First Men in them as well…"

"You said she was an Elder…Is she…Is she dead?"

"Yes."

"How did she die?"

He sighs again, "She…was killed by a Walker while carrying you. The Children of the Forest saved you and gave you to me when I arrived where your mother's people had settled."

He looks at Benjen with teary eyes, "Did you love her?"

"With all my heart son."

He smiles and then an idea pops into his head, "Father do you know who Jon's mother is or was?" He answers by shaking his head no. Benjen would try to visit Winterfell before, on, or a few days after Rickard's name day. Eddard would buy a present and hide it until Benjen showed up. The days flowed into the weeks, the weeks the months and the months the years. Rickard's Thirteenth name came. Two years after Sansa, Lady Stark had another daughter, they named Arya, who is now three. And she had just given birth to a son they named Bran.

His father Benjen came five days after his name day passed. Rickard had been given his first Horse. He had also been given a sword. Master at Arms Ser Rodrik Cassel believed that he was skilled enough to start using live steel. Rickard had been training with practice steel for the past year. "This a great responsibility. It's not a toy, do you understand?" Benjen asks.

"Yes father…" He hugs him, "…Thank you." Benjen leaves a few days later. Another week passes when Rickard finds that he cannot sleep. He gets out of bed and leaves his room. Something draws him to the Crypts. He stares at his Aunt Lyanna's statue and coffin. He frowns as his eyes start glowing emerald green, even where the whites should be.

"Come forth!" He commands his voice deep and rich, it echoed as if in a cave. Suddenly a green wave flashes down and behind it a ghostly apparition of a woman appears.

"What…where…" The Ghost looks at her transparent arms. She waves her hand and it passes through her statue. Then she notices the boy staring at her with green eyes. "Who are you?"

"My name is Rickard Snow…Benjen is my father…Are you Lyanna Stark?"

"I am…" She replies kneeling down in front of Rickard. She reaches her hand out to touch Rickard and feels him. Her hand does not pass through him. "This is so weird."

Rickard laughs, "That tickles…"

"Rickard!" His eyes stop glowing as he turns to face the owner of the voice. It is his Uncle Eddard. "My boy why are you down here in the dark?"

He looks at Lyanna and then his Uncle. It is obvious he can't see her. She places her finger over her lips, "I…I…I couldn't sleep and came down here."

"There was a green light…Did you see it?"

"No Uncle."

"Come with me." As he follows his Uncle and the guard Lyanna follows them as well.

"How did you know I was in the Crypt?"

"The Guard here Morton saw you walking across the yard. You should be sleeping." They reach his room and Ned tucks him in, "Now promise me you won't do this again."

"I promise."

"And what is a promise?"

"Something a man keeps." Ned nods in approval and leaves the room. Rickard watches as Lyanna sticks her head through the closed door. "Does it hurt to do that?" His eyes turn green again.

"No!" She replies looking at him, "The guard is by the door." She replies looking back at Rickard. She walks over to the bed, "How is my son? Is he happy" Is he healthy?"

Rickard frowns, "Who is your son?"

"I named him Aegon…"

Rickard stretches his eyes as he remembers his lessons, the stories he was told, and then he puts everything together, "Did Prince Rhaegar kidnap you…" He asks whispering.

"No we fell in love. We married in secret and I died giving birth to my son."

Rickard gets excited, "You…" He places his hand over his mouth and lower his voice, "You are Jon's mother…"

Lyanna frowns, "Jon? Is that what Ned, named my son?"

"Jon Snow…"

Lyanna's green aura turns red as she gets angry, "Jon Snow! Really…Ned you moron…Where is my son?"

Rickard surprised by her anger points, "Two doors down the hall…" She tries to leave, but something pulls her back. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know…I can't leave…It seems that you called me here and I can only go where you go…Maybe I need your permission to leave."

Rickard hunches his shoulders, "You may go where you wish." He says and when she goes through the wall she is not pulled back this time. Rickard waits for his Aunt to come back, but she does not and eventually he falls to sleep. The next morning Rickard smiles as Lyanna is at meal standing beside Jon smiling like a proud mother.

"What?" Jon asks.

Rickard looks at Lyanna and she shakes her head and places her finger to her lips, "Nothing…"

"You have been acting weird you know…"

Rickard takes his lessons with Maester Luwin and then his training with Robb, Jon, and Theon. Then he goes to the broken tower to speak with Lyanna. "Why can't I tell him?"

"Because dear sweet nephew…I don't know why this is happening and neither do you."

"Hordor!"

"Hordor ger out."

He points at Lyanna, "Hordor! Hordor!"

"I think he can see me."

He starts clapping, "Hordor!"

Lyanna walks up to him and waves her hand; he does the same, "What happened to him?"

Rickard hunches his shoulders, "No one knows…Old Nan says that one day he just started shouting, Hold the Door…And ever since all he says is Hordor…"

He smiles, "Hordor…"

That night Rickard falls asleep again. He had been arguing with his Aunt about revealing his secret to the family all day. He falls asleep, but wakes up a few minutes later to find a child looking person with green skin and leafy vines growing all over her body. "Who are you?"

"My name is Leaf Rickard Snow…Call Lyanna Stark."

He frowns, "You know about her?"

"Call her!" She commands.

"How?" She explains to Rickard what to do. His eyes start glowing again, "Lyanna return to me!" She is pulled into the room.

"How in the hell did you do that?" She looks at Leaf, "And who or what is this?"

She looks at Lyanna, "Hello Wolf Ghost…"

"You can see me?"

"Of course I can…Are you ready to return to the Eternal Plain of the Old gods?"

"What are you first?"

"I am a Child of the Forest."

"The legends are true. Before I go…What will become of my son…"\

Leaf closes her eyes for a few seconds, "His future is clouded…Too many roads he can take…Some lead to the Iron Throne…Others to death…One to true happiness…But you have lingered here long enough…You do not belong here…Time to go."

"How?"

Leaf gives Rickard instructions on how to send Lyanna back to the eternal Realm. "Rest now Lyanna Stark."

"Watch over my son…" She says as she fades away.

"How did I do that?" Rickard asks.

"I will show you." She walks around the bed and places her hand on his head…

THE EDGE OF THE HAUNTED FORREST – 13YRS AGO

Wylla had refused to join Mance Rayder, but she did allow anyone among her Clan who wished to leave and follow the King Beyond the Wall to do so. Three Families left along with Seven women and four men; these men and women had no families and were unmarried. The Snow Fall Clan travels from place to place, not settling too long in one area. They know the North better than anyone. They had decided to settle at the edge of the Haunted Forest halfway between Eastwatch and Hard Home.

By this time Wylla is Eight months heavy with child, She, had decided that if the baby was a boy she would name him Ben. If it turned out to be a girl, she would name her Ferelda after her mother. Three days after settling the camp is attacked by Wights. A horn is sounded and Wylla jumps up grabbing her bow. The Wights attack from all sides. She dips her arrow in a barrel of pitch and then the brazier by her tent. She releases the arrow and kills a Wight. Six more Wights hit the ground burning before she is stabbed in the back by a Walker armed with an Ice Spear.

All Free Folk knew one thing, that fire kills Wights. The White Walker looks around the camp at those dead already and raises his hands using the power given to him, by the Night King. Wylla and all those already dead rise again with blue eyes. They turn on their own. That is when the White Walker is shot in the back by a Dragonglass arrow fired from Leaf's bow. All the Wights in the area die including those that were just reanimated.

Wylla is the only one who does not stop moving. In fact her blue eyes turn green. Leaf shoots her with an arrow. She does not go down and yanks the arrow from her chest. She falls to her knees as if begging to Leaf. Leaf climbs out of the tree and is joined by the other children. "What manner of magic is this?" One of the other Children asks. His name is Bright Moon.

Wylla removes her coat and shows them her swollen stomach. Leaf walks up to her and touches her stomach. "It's the baby…When the White Walker killed her and then reanimated her it passed some of its power on to the child. He is keeping her dead body animated." Wylla nods and signs with her hands to remove the baby from her womb.

"We should kill her and the child." Another says.

Wylla gets on her knees and begs them to spare her child. "Amazing…She can understand us."

"If this baby is keeping a Wight alive while still in her womb. Imagine what it can do when it gets older."

Leaf closes her eyes. After a long while she opens them, "The Father…is he of House Stark?" Leaf asks, Wylla nods, "The Starks have Old magic in their blood…That is how the Baby survived and that is how he absorbed the Wight's power. Lay down, I will remove the child and give him to his father…He is tracking your people now." Leaf removes her knife and cuts the baby from Wylla's reanimated body. When she cuts the birthing cord, Wylla's green eyes return to normal and she stops moving.

"NO!" Benjen Stark screams when he comes upon the dead folk of Clan Snow Fall. He frantically searches through the remains and finds Wylla's body. Her stomach had been cut open. "Please gods no…" He whimpers kneeling down beside her.

"Take heart Benjen Stark…All is not lost."

He jumps up drawing his sword, but drops it when he sees the Child like green folk he had only ever heard stories about from Old Nan. One of them is carrying a baby wrapped in blankets. "I am Leaf…We are the Children of the Forest."

"Did you kill these people?"

"No Blood of my Blood…I would no more harm a worm in the ground then any man or woman whose body is filled with the Blood of the First Men."

"Why do you call me that?"

She smiles, "Your Ancestor Bran the Builder, he married one of us to seal a pact between the First Men and the Children long ago…We allowed them to live on these lands. So long as they forsook the gods of the East and took to the Old gods…Our Magic is in your bloodline…It skips a few generations but every now and then it shows up."

"Is that my son?"

"Yes."

"May I have him?"

She hands him the baby, "He needs a name."

Benjen nods and looks around, "What happened?"

"Them with Blue Eyes came…The White Walkers…They did this…I had a vision this would happen and tried to stop them…We arrived too late…You must warn all those who live below the wall Benjen Stark…The Night King has returned and he brings Death for all…He will plunge the world into the Long Night if he can…A world of eternal winter…Come we will escort you to the wall…"

PRESENT

Leaf removes her hand, and Rickard starts crying. "Get some rest…We begin training the day after tomorrow; when everyone is asleep at the hour of the Wolf I will come for you…"

Sleep does not come and Rickard stays in his room well past the time he should go down to break his fast. His Uncle comes to the room and knocks on the door, "Rickard…What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"Father told me who my mother was." He says after his Uncle enters

"Oh."

"I dreamed about her and what I saw in my dream scared me." It was all a lie but he couldn't tell his Uncle the truth, not yet anyway.

He sighs and sits on the bed, "It was only a Dream."

"She was a…She was an Elder of the Free Folk Clan Snow Fall."

"Oh!"

"So do you hate me Uncle? Now that you know my mother was, who she was."

He sighs, "No…No I do not hate you son." He says kissing him on the forehead. "Stay in your room as long as you need to. I will have food sent and tell everyone that you are not to be disturbed."

"Thank you Uncle." The day passes by slowly, too slowly for Rickard's liking. He dresses and leaves the room. His Uncle is in his Solar and he asks to go riding. He returns at sunset and then his room, not wanting company. He had seen Jon earlier and Robb upon returning home. He told them both the same thing.

It was the hour of the Wolf. Rickard stayed up as long as could to see if Leaf would come back. She did not and he fell asleep, after remembering that she would come the following night. The next day Rickard resumes his usual routine and the day passes by faster, with him keeping busy. Tired from the day he eats early and heads to bed.

"Wake up!" Leaf commands at High Moon.

"You…How did you get into my room?"

"I am immortal boy…Come with me." The weather never really bothered Rickard. The heat the cold, he had never been sick, he did feel pain.

"Won't someone see us?"

"The guards will only see what I want them to see. Take my hand."

They walk through the castle and pass by the guards. To Rickard's shock they do not see them, even when he waves his hand in front of the face of one guard. "So what does this training involve? What are we going to do first?" He asks when they enter the godswood.

Without saying a word Leaf draws her dagger and stabs Rickard in the chest. Then she slits his throat. Rickard gurgles in pain and hits the ground dead. He does not stay dead for long, his eyes open and they are glowing, the blood he lost starts to return to his body and his wounds heal. He sits up and looks at Leaf. "You killed me!"

"Are you dead?" He feels his neck and his skin is flawless. He opens his night shirt the stab wound is gone. "You can't die Rickard Stark. You are like the White Walkers, but different. You are a Green Walker."

"Am I cursed?"

"You can take it as a curse or a gift…"

"Will I age and die."

"You will stop aging when you become a man. This is your first lesson Rickard Snow…We are done for the night. Tell no one of this."

"Why?"

She sighs, "Two years from now, the Hand of the King Jon Arryn will die. King Robert will come to Winterfell and ask your Uncle to be his New Hand…When the sea comes to Winterfell to drown everyone, then you can reveal who and what you are."

"The sea comes to Winterfell…What does that mean?"

"No more questions, it is time to return to bed and rest." Sleep did not come that easy. Rickard ran his hand across his sword and watch as the wound closed. He eventually fell asleep. Leaf would visit him every other night so that he can get rest. The second night of training she taught him how his spirit could leave his body.

His body was still connected to his spirit even when it was not inside him. His eyes glowed as his spirit walked around. The next night he walked around the castle as a spirit. He would walk through walls and people. They would get a chill when he did that and he would gain all their memories when he did.

As Rickard was walking back to his room, he stops by Hordor's room. He shared one with Old Nan in the servant's wing of the Castle. Hordor awakens as soon as he enters the room, "Hordor."

Old Nan stirs, "Go back to sleep Hordor."

"May I?"Rickard asks.

"Hordor." Rickard pulls Hordor's spirit from his body.

"Your spirit is damaged…Someone has warged you…" He can see traces of Bran Stark in his mind, "Bran…Why would Bran…" It takes him awhile, but Rickard is able to fix the damage.

Hordor smiles, "Thank you." He says speaking, he can no longer see Rickard's Spirit. "Mother!" He says jumping up out of bed.

"Wylis? Wylis you can talk! By the gods it's a miracle!"

Rickard watches for a little while before returning to his body. When Wylis came to the Main hall to break his fast and spoke, the hall became deathly quiet at the sound of his voice.

Rickard's training allows him to master all his Green Walker powers. He can summon spirits, animate the dead, though unlike with the Night King and his Walkers, the dead Rickard animates keeps their memories. He can Spirit walk and while he feels pain from mortal wounds and injuries he cannot be killed. He can also control and manipulate ice and snow. When his eyes glow, he doesn't get tired or need food.

"Our time is done." Leaf says eight months later.

"I will miss you." She does not reply and leaves at the hour of the wolf.