As I waited for their response, I step closer and lean against the Weirwood tree, knowing I would need the comfort from it to get through what was to come. I looked back to the Mother and wait, and as I do so I get the feeling there is something I should be asking about, but I cannot quite grab onto the thought before she continues.

"A false King sits on a throne, a mad Queen sleeps in the east, all while a true born King needs to take his place. He will not wish to, it is not in him to ever want such power, but he must take it. He will need your help, your guidance. The Night King must be stopped before he gains as much power in this life, or the world will be no better than before. It will be up to the two of you to unite the people."

"Jon will do what is needed for our people, especially now that he knows how to defeat those beyond the wall. He is not alone and never will be again. However, we must do things differently this time." I pause for a moment, an idea hitting me, "Is it possible to hunt the Night King beyond the wall? To keep him from crossing it?"

The Father speaks up in response, "I believe it would be the best course of action, to keep him from ever getting to the wall." He seems to hesitate just a moment before adding, "There is one other condition that must also change in this life."

"What is that?"

"He must not die by the same hand. Your sister may not be the one to kill him this time. She will still be vital in the fight against him, but that is all."

"I am going to take this that it must be either my Jon or myself, as I do not believe there will be many others involved with access to Valyrian steel."

The four of them look at me with what seems like mild shock on top of apprecation. I know they probably did not expect me to include myself in the fight, but I want to make sure they understand my stance. Standing up and taking a step toward them, I put all my steel in my voice, "I already told you once, I will never again rely on another to protect me. This also means I will never ask another to do something I am unable, or willing, to do myself. In this life, I will swing my own sword, so it may be my hand that wields the blade." Taking a breath to calm myself and change my tone before I continue, "Speaking of, we will need to be armed again. Do you have plans for this? Regular steel will do us no good in the fight to come."

"The swords of old are not all lost. I know the location of three, which would be enough."

"Which three do you speak of?" I knew of two he could name, but unsure of the other.

"Blackfyre and Dark Sister of House Targaryen, as well as Brightroar of House Lannister. Lost by their houses, now free claim if you wish."

I fight to keep a sneer off my face, "There is no way we will lay claim to any of those blades as they are." Letting the steel of a Queen enter me once more, "No. We will re-forge them all and give them new names, new purpose. We may not have Dragon fire, but we have something better." I turn away from the Father and look directly into the eyes of the Flame as I ask, "Would you do this for us? For me?"

"Of course, daughter. What would you have done?"

I take my time before I answer her as I wish to be completely sure that I choose the best course of action. Getting only one shot at this, it must be perfect. The first come easy to me, "Blackfyre and Dark Sister are of Jon's lineage, but it is one he will never truly accept, or be. He is a Stark. Melt them down, forge him a longsword and a large dagger. Re-forge Needle and a set of daggers fit for Arya. She is his sister in all ways, let him share this with her."

"Consider it done. As both are longswords, this will be easy to do."

Now for myself. I never thought to have a weapon, let alone several so at first I feel a bit lost, but in the end, that steel inside me makes the decision, "As for me, Brightroar will be mine. House Lannister is responsible for all that befell my family and I will have justice, beginning with my blades."

"Blades? You mean to have more than one?"

"I do. A longsword and dagger of my own. If you have suggestions, I am open to them, but Brightroar will be no more."

"Brightroar is a greatsword and will easily make both of which you ask, but perhaps, instead, a set of arming swords, with daggers to match."

"Arming sword? I am not familiar."

"They are a shorter sword, about two thirds the size of a longsword. It makes them easy to use with a shield, or even to dual wield. They would fit your frame much better than a longsword and leave enough left to craft several small daggers."

"If you feel it best, then I shall follow your lead on this as I am out of my depth. My sister is the warrior, not I." In truth I loved the idea of extra protection, but all of this was more than a bit daunting.

"Sansa, you are very much a warrior, but until now you have had only your words and cunning to wield. Remember all you have survived with just those skills. Blades are just another set of such skills, which you will learn. Once you know how to use them, you will not always have the need to do so, as you will not be alone. Jon, Arya, Theon, and others will be with you. Jon is your strength, Arya your shadow, Theon your soldier, and you, you shall be the unexpected. No one will ever ask or expect you to head into battle, unless you choose it. However, you know battles are in all forms and must be prepared to fight the battles that no one else may see."

"I never thought of it that way. Traditions seem to keep everything cut and divided, but I believe it is time we change those notions. I have had to fight every day to get where I am in battles that would make experience warriors run the other way. While I may not wish to fight head on in battle, I will not shy away from it. Thank you for having faith in me and helping me to have faith in myself."

"You were not offered this gift with any expectations. You asked for protection, you have it. How you use it is your choice." She is right, I alone put such a thought into my head instead of having faith. Still, what she asks next shocks me, but then fills me with excitement, "Now daughter, what shall their names be? All good blades have a name."

Knowing that this moment will forever help re-write our history, I am careful in my choices. Arya was easier, though still tricky, but for Jon I wanted to have them reflect the man he is and king he will become. "For Jon, his sword shall be Wintertide and dagger Verity. For Arya, she will again have Needle, but gain Nameless and Memory."

"Fitting of them both. And yours?"

For my own, which were not without pain, a pain I would need to get me through what was coming, the names came instantly. Taking a deep breath to steel myself, I say them aloud before losing my nerve, "As for my swords, they shall be Red Wolf and Sweetling. My daggers will be Little Bird and Little Dove." Let no one ever take my niceties for granted again.

The Mother's voice rings out in reply, "Forever a Queen. Good. Never let that steel bend or melt, you will need it. Now, let us get to the next step, your return. As I told you before, we will be with you. You will awaken in your bed into the body of your thirteen-year old self. Once you awake, you must quickly dress and head to the Godswood, where we will be waiting."

"My father? The others?"

"They will all be there a bit later. We would have a moment with you alone first, to make sure of your care after such a journey. Once we are sure you are alright, Jon, Arya, and Theon will wake and join us as well. Your father will be along shortly after."

"I understand why he must know but am a bit unsure why he has no memories of his own."

"He will need to see the full truth, not colored by his own, but through the eyes of his children. If we could but spare him the pain he will suffer through, we would, but it must be done. Balance is a tricky thing, and everything has a price. Though you have already paid a heavy one yourself, others may have a toll yet to pay. This is his."

I give a small nod in understanding even as my heart breaks at knowing how much pain it will bring father to know of such things. Another part of me needs him to know, as his actions added to my fate, all our fates. There are values other than honor that must always be addressed, this lesson I have learned in the worst way. Perhaps it is his turn to learn such a lesson. Suddenly I find myself fighting off a bout of weariness. The situation has been a whirlwind thus far and I feel it may overwhelm me if I dwell too much, so I must move on.

"Your father will not see us at first, for he must hear everything from you Sansa. You and the others must tell him why you are there, and how. No need to go into detail, as that is where we come in. Once the time is right, we will show ourselves to him and help him see."

"As you helped me?" She nods, "I understand. You said my mother and Rob would both need to know in the future. When will that be?"

"That we are not sure of, as the choice will be yours. We are here to guide you Sansa, but this is your life, your family, your fight, and therefore it is your decision in the end. Our biggest mistake trust, as we did not offer it to you and yours yet expected it from you all in return. This time, you have our trust and faith in you. Always remember, it is we who failed, not you."

I give them a slight nod, "I believe it is time to start asking a lot of questions while I can. If I am to make these decisions then I will need all the help, and information, I can get. Knowing we will all need to fight, and be able to, will only get us so far."

"Ask and we will answer as best we can, though you may find you have more of those answers than you know."

"What bout Daenerys? Will she remember anything? Will her life change at all? Will she still have dragons in this life?"

The Flame again steps in and answers, albeit with what seems a bit of a snarl and bite to her words, "Dragons are my realm Sansa, and while I cannot tell you of her memory, I can tell she will never have any of my children again. They will exist in this life, as they must, but never with her."

Before I can even let out a sigh of relief, the Mother adds, "No, she will not remember. She will live her life as before until the point where she would have had dragon eggs, which were a wedding gift. She will still marry the Dothraki Khal, but beyond that we are not sure. It is yet to be known but trust she will be closely watched, and you well informed."

Remembering all the chatter from my time in Kings Landing I believe I know just how I will be informed, "Do you mean Varys? If all I used to hear in Kings Landing was even half true, then he would have a legion of spies throughout Westeros, as well as Essos."

"Yes Varys. He kept a close eye on her and her brother, letting the king and others know what he wanted them to know, no less no more. He will not do that with you. For you he will tell you everything, of this I will make sure. Perhaps her choices in this life will lead her down a path absent of madness."

"If I remember correctly, she freed the Unsullied, gained the Second Sons, then had them help her sack cities full of slavers. After reuniting with the Dothraki, she then left slaves and cities alike to their own ways as she set out to claim a throne that was not hers, all while bringing a tribe full of rapists and murderers to our lands. She abandoned the people she supposedly saved only to invade those she did not know." I did not even try to hide my disgust toward her at all and almost spat the words out. "No, I do not trust anything about her or her choices, this life or next. Her madness ran too deep to ever be changed, that I believe with everything I am. However, it seems she will be the least of our worries for now, but if that changes, and Varys will let us know, I will deal with her as I see fit."

"Very well. I did not mean to upset or offend. I love all my children, mad or otherwise, but I understand. What else do you wish to know?"

"Do not think I missed her saying dragons will once again exist in this life. What do I need to know about them? Will they be the same as before? Whom will have them? Is it Jon?"

Before she can answer, the Flame steps forward and puts her hand on my shoulder, "Trust in me Sansa. I will do what is best for my children, all of them. I know you wish to know, and you will, soon, but you must yet make decisions that are not based on dragons, so until those are made, they must not be your focus. Know they are safe, as are all of you. I simply wish to see this new life before I place them in it." She steps back away but her warmth remains, for which I am grateful. She nods at the Mother, letting her take up once more.

While I understand, I am not fully satisfied with her answer, but I need to stop pushing or arguing. She is right, I must trust in her, and there is much more I need to know, "The rest who shall remember, when and where will they be when they wake up?"

"Once you awake, and we find you safe, the others at Winterfell, and Tormund, will all wake up. He will be far in the north beyond the wall, with tasks of his own to complete before you will see or hear from him. Others will awake at different times."

"Different times?"

"Varys and Davos will awaken three years before you. They will need time to build an army of spies, and ships, for your future use. Varys will be in Kings Landing and Davos upon a ship in the Narrow Sea. Together they will create a network of information unmatched, and you will need every bit of it when the time comes. There will be contact from them for you when you wake."

"What about Sam?"

"He will wake two years before you, so he has time to change the fate and security of his position in his house. It was his to rule if not for his ignorant father, so this will give him time to rectify that situation. He means to ally House Tarly to House Stark as soon as possible."

I nod as I take in everything she is telling me so I do not forget, though I know I never will. Something else jumps to the surface and is out of my mouth before I can think, "The weapons that are to be forged for us, when will they be ours in this life?"

"They will be forged as you travel, and we will have them for you in the Godswood when next we meet."

"Thank you." I smile as I think of Arya's reaction when she will receive her new blades, then I suddenly realize that Gendry has not been part of the conversation. This is what I knew I was trying to think of earlier. I will not let him be left out, for his sake, but especially for Arya's. Smile falling off my face, I quickly ask, "Why is Gendry not part of those who remember? What will happen to him? Will he be…"

"Sansa, he is fine. He must stay where he is in Kings Landing for now, as it the only place he is safe."

"We need him, and my sister deserves to have him back."

"You will get him, as will she. He will remember when the time is right, but first he must build up his strength and skills without distraction. They will be needed in the fight to come."

"I understand, but I do not like it, and I will tell my sister."

"That is fair. I did not withhold it from you on purpose, we just have so much else to go over, it was not a top priority in the conversation yet."

"I know, I am sorry. I did not mean to snap, I just know how important he became, and I want her to be happy. You are right, we will need all his skill. Speaking of, how will we explain our own skills? Others will surely notice the dramatic changes once we start our training, especially the Septa and my mother." I cut myself off, taking a few moments as I realize I already know the answer, "I need to be rid of Septa Mordane do I not?"

"That is entirely up to you, but it would be best if she was no longer able to influence your mother. If not, you will have to work around her, and it will be much harder."

"My mother will have to realize that she is a lady of the North and learn our ways with it. She may be upset with me, but so be it. The seven have no place in the North. I know we will need to bring another in to take her place and help, but we need everyone to learn more than just the pleasantries of the south the Septa provided. Our ways of life and land are important, and only one of the North will know them." An idea struck and I knew it would be something I must follow through with when I was once again with Father, "I will speak with Father about this. Between this change, and us all attending with the Maester, we will be better prepared."

"You intend this for yourself as well?"

"Yes, for all of us. We have lived short but full lives, though without the education and training that we truly needed, and it cost us. It is time we not only embrace the North and what that means, but better it. We cannot do that until we first better ourselves. Now, how long will we have before King Robert arrives at Winterfell?"

"As you will be thirteen again, and only recently had your name day, it gives you about 6 months before the King arrives. Not much time grant you, but we could not send you back any further, nor delay his arrival longer."

"We will make it be enough. There are many decisions to be made, but I will not make them alone. We all made that mistake before and must not make it again. I know most final decisions will fall to me, and I will make them, but not without their input when possible."

"I know there are still many questions to be answered, but as it is almost time for you to go back, we must hurry."

"Will we find our wolves, same as before?"

"You will find them, albeit a bit different this time. I will say no more on this, but know any changes are intended as gifts." She winks at me as a small smile shows on her face, so I know it will be something to help us.

The joy I feel at knowing Lady will once again be in my life is almost more than I can bare. I was beginning to think in circles with so much on my mind. So much left to ask, but I feel it is time. To be free of this life, to start again. I never thought my words to Jon that day would bring me here, but I will gladly follow the path, and people, it leads me to.

"It is time Sansa, are you ready? Your mind will always remember, but your body reborn."

I take one last deep breath, expecting tears to fall, but instead finding nothing but peace. Freedom of this life is about to be mine and I wish to wait no longer. Giving one last nod, "I am ready."

They each lay a hand upon me, and the one next to them. They begin to say something in a language I do not understand, but I begin to feel warmth slide itself through me to my core. I feel more at peace than ever as they each kiss my head. The last I remember is them collectively telling me, "Be free of this life our daughter."

I slowly open my eyes as I stretch and turn over to my side. It is dark and at first, I am unsure of where I am, but I take a deep breath and I smell it. This is my room, my bed, my home. Quickly getting up, I look down at myself and realize they did it, I am my thirteen-year old self again. There is no pain and no scars that I can see or feel. I want to scream out with joy and run through the halls but know I must get dressed and hurry. Getting one of my gowns on, I fight tears of happiness threatening to fall. It takes all my will to keep them from falling, knowing I do not have time for them just yet, but soon. Smiling, I get finish dressing then quietly open my door, knowing even in the pure darkness I could easily get where I need to go. It is not dark however as it is a full moon out and it offers just the right light to guide me to the Godswood.

Knowing the Old Gods are waiting for me helps calm my nerves, as I am a bit afraid this is all just a dream. There is but one way to know so I steel my spine and take my first step into the Godswood, hoping with all I am and have, that they are there.

Slowly making my way to the Weirwood tree, I breathe deep, taking in the smell of my home, one that I had thought gone forever. It brings a smile to my face and tears threaten to fall once more. As I reach the tree, I lay my hand out to its face and breathe deep.

"Daughter."

I turn around to see the four standing there as promised. It is then I let my tears free as I fling myself at them. The Father catches me and holds me tight as he sits on the ground with me in his lap, the others surrounding us protectively while I weep.

He puts his hand to my head and holds me as my body is wracked with sobs of relief, "You are free my child. Take it in and know you will never again wake to that life. It is real, we are real."

I do not know how long he held me, though it was not yet dawn as I finally calmed and was able to release myself of his hold and look up at him. Unable to stop my joy, I could feel my face nearly split in two with a smile, "I have no words for this. Until I saw you, I feared it all just a dream."

He smiles back at me, "No dream my child, and no longer a nightmare. Breathe it in, the others shall be joining us soon."

I give a happy nod and know it is about to begin.