The sounds of training swords clashing and men yelling echoed up from the courtyards, it was a sound that had scared Theon when he had first come to Winterfell as a boy. There were always people training everywhere, it wasn't like that on the Iron Islands. Northerners were soldiers, born to fight… The Ironborn claimed that they worshiped the drowned god, and made themselves brave by saying 'what is dead may never die'… but Northerners knew the truth, death is coming, 'winter is coming' – same thing. For all of the Ironborn's talk they feared death, Northerners said 'come get me'. Yet the numbers in the courtyards had steadily increased since Ned Stark had ridden south, they were preparing for war…
No wonder Balon had never stood a chance, how could he have ever thought to defeat somebody that was raised here? Ned Stark hadn't killed Theon's brothers, his father had, the day he declared himself a King. Theon lived because of Ned Stark's compassion, as he had grown older he had swung between hating and loving Ned Stark for making him a ward, sometimes both at once… he had been happy when Lady Catelyn had left. He had fed poison into Sansa's mind about Jon, and privately revealed in the tension that it had caused, why? Because he was jealous, because he was angry, because he was alone. He had originally considered Robb's friendship as pity.
He had quietly celebrated as the family had been ripped apart, when Sansa had left for Essos he had considered it a victory, yet the remaining family had closed ranks, and included him in those ranks, that was when the guilt had started…
Theon sighed and lent back in the chair, Kraken curled up at his feet, he had spent the last hour trying to get some of the herbed honey-water into Bran, the nameless direwolf watching him carefully. As he lent back Bran's direwolf just stared at him.
"What are you looking at?" Theon snapped. "I'll try some more in a bit." Yet the direwolf's judging eyes did not look away from him, it was almost as if it could see the stains on his soul with those yellow eyes, Robb's direwolf had the same eyes, could it see his guilt too? Could Lady? Did Robb and Arya know his shame? Theon pushed the thought away, they were just animals, nothing more, all but Kraken, Kraken was special.
Theon scratched Kraken's head then returned his attention to the unnamed direwolf. "Look, I know you don't want him to die, I don't want him to die either, that's why I'm here, see?" He held up the bowl of honey-water, as if to make his point, but the direwolf did not seem convinced. Theon shook his head, he was going mad, he was having an argument with a direwolf… he remembered when they had found them…
Theon had called the dead direwolf a freak when he had seen it, and he'd been willing to kill the pups, he remembered the look of hatred that Bran had given him when he had tried to slit the first one's throat… that one… the one not yet named. Yet Jon had interceded, with cleaver words he had convinced Ned Stark to let them keep the pups.
"Lord Stark, there are five pups, three male, two female, one for you and each of your trueborn children, they are the sigil of your house." Jon had said. "I could look after one of the female ones until such time as you find a way to get it to Sansa…"
After some discussion Ned had agreed to let them keep the pups, then pushed the black one into Jon's arms. "You should have one of your own." Ned had said.
They had started to make their way back up the bank, yet Jon had stopped as if he had heard something, then pushed the black pup into Theon's arms and made his way back down. He'd come back up with the albino in his arms. "I'll keep this one, it fits me better." He'd declared.
Theon had looked down at Kraken's green eyes and reluctantly gone to push it into Ned's arms, but Robb had stopped him. "It suits you, Theon." Robb had said. "An Iron black wolf for an Ironborn."
Ned had agreed, but it was only his words to Arya, later in the day, that had made Theon truly understand his place at Winterfell for the first time. "…an iron-black direwolf for my Iron-born son." Theon had sworn to himself that day that he would make up for his past mistakes.
"Bran, wake up." Theon whispered. "Your direwolf needs a name."
Theon looked at Bran, really looked at him, the boy had gotten so thin… if he didn't wake up soon… Theon sighed and started coaxing more of the honey-water into him again. It was a slow process, you couldn't put more than half a spoon into his mouth at once for fear that he would choke and drown himself, then you had to coax him to swallow… then you had to do it all again.
Theon had gotten three, maybe four, more spoonful's into Bran when a knock on the door made him jump and spill the bowl. "Fuck!" He exclaimed.
"What's wrong!" Robb demanded, bursting into the room.
"You made me jump." Theon muttered, looking down at the mess he had made, the unnamed direwolf had moved to lap it up. "We need more honey-water, and to change the bedding."
Robb sighed, he looked tired, and worried beyond his years, he called a servant and arranged for the mess to be cleaned, and Old Nan to be sent for to take Theon's place, suddenly Theon noticed the parchment in his hand.
"What's going on?" Theon asked.
Robb shook his head. "Not here." He said quietly, they left the servant's to it and started walking towards the God's Wood, Grey Wind and Kraken following behind. The numbers in the training yards increased every day as recruiters travelled the villages offering food and board to anybody willing to pick up a sword, and loads of grain came in from the vassal houses every few days.
"It's as if we're preparing for a siege." Theon muttered.
"We are." Robb replied calmly.
Theon scoffed at that. "I don't see Tywin-"
"Tywin's not the problem." Robb answered, grim-faced. "When we get Sansa back how likely do you think that she will have a Targaryen child in her womb? Do you really believe that Father is going to stand back and let King Robert murder his first grandchild? Do you think I'm going to allow my nephew or niece to be murdered?"
"Fuck." Theon muttered. "I hadn't thought of that." Then something else occurred to him. "Fuck! Arya…"
"Is unofficially King Robert's hostage, yes." Robb agreed. "Thankfully she doesn't know it... yet."
"But, why would King Robert do that?! He loves Lord Stark like a brother, doesn't he?" Theon asked, confused.
Robb looked sad. "Father doesn't believe that was King Robert's intention when he insisted she go south, King Robert still clings to the idea of Lyanna, the king likely hasn't thought that far ahead."
"But Lord Stark has, and that is what he see's happening. Arya becomes a hostage if we don't murder Sansa's child." It was a statement, not a question, King Robert had condoned the murder of Elia's children… they didn't even know if Sansa was pregnant yet, didn't even know if they could get her back, yet Ned Stark always did prepare for the worst possible scenario. Expect a long winter and a short one becomes a pleasant surprise, expect a short one and a long winter becomes your downfall. Fuck, he was becoming a Northerner.
They walked in silence for a while, it was only when they reached the Weirwood that Robb passed him the parchment. Theon read it carefully, then re-read it. "Is this some joke?" He finally asked.
Robb shook his head. "Does it seem like Father's sense of humour?"
"No, not really." Theon replied. "I mean, I'm glad for Mya, that she's been legitimised… but, she's still base born… and you are the heir to Winterfell."
"Ties our houses closer though, doesn't it? Makes things… more complicated." He shook his head. "That's not the only problem with this betrothal."
"You're not attracted to her?" Theon asked.
Again Robb shook his head. "She's pretty enough, and kind… and in love with Jon."
"What!" Theon exclaimed.
"Mya is in love with Jon, I'm not sure if he knows… and she has just been ordered to marry me. Once Tywin's little uprising has been put down I will be expected at the capital to wed her."
"Fuck." Theon muttered.
"How can I leave Bran?' Robb asked. "Even if he does wake up… how?"
"I'll protect him." Theon declared fiercely.
"I can't…" Robb began to protest.
"Robert Stark, son of Eddard and heir to Winterfell, am I your brother, now and always?" Theon asked formally.
Robb nodded. "Theon Greyjoy, son of Balon, and heir to the Iron Islands, you are my brother, now and always." He replied.
Theon nodded, he glanced at the Heart Tree, then looked at Robb. "Then let me make a pledge to you, here, in front of the Weirwood." He dropped to a knee. "I, Theon Greyjoy, of the Iron Islands, pledge myself to House Stark, from this day, until my last day. Balon Greyjoy may have sired me, but I take Eddard Stark as my father." Kraken brushed up against him and Theon reached out to run his fingers through the black fur. "I am the Iron wolf." He whispered.
The wind seemed to rustle and Grey Wind brushed against him lightly before moving back to Robb's side. Robb reached out a hand to help him up. "We are family… we are pack." Robb declared as he pulled Theon to his feet. "The Grey Wolf, and the Iron Wolf, we stand together."
Theon thought of Jon. "And with the White Wolf." He pledged.
"Yes," Robb agreed.
"King Robert will never suffer a Targaryen to live." Theon muttered.
"That's not his choice though, is it?" Robb replied.
Theon gave a bitter laugh. "That would make quite a banner, a black wolf, a grey wolf, and a white wolf on a field of blood."
Robb raised an eyebrow at that. "Maybe we should offer it to Jon for Moat Cailin?"
Theon shrugged. "The white wolf would need to be in the middle then."
They walked in the God's wood for a while and talked, the whole Mya situation was a mess, but a royal decree is a royal decree, Robb had no choice but to marry Mya. They talked about what was happening in the Westerly Lands. Tywin's rebellion was a nightmare that the North was thankfully not being drawn into, at least it gave them a good reason to strengthen their position. Yet something about the situation niggled at Theon, the North had been strengthening their position for years… ever since Lady Catelyn had left…
~~/~~
The night air was cool, everything felt so alive, even the scents seemed intense. Theon could smell the grass as he looped over it on all fours, he could feel the trees… his brother caught the scent first, the broken boy hadn't named him yet, but the only name Theon needed was brother, pack. Grey Wind and his human had stayed with the broken boy.
Theon and his brother worked together, they feasted their full on rabbits, then hunted a few more for Grey Wind. Theon revelled in the taste of blood in his mouth… as they neared the black pool Theon put his kills down and lapped at the cool water, as he looked down green eyes looked back up at him, green eyes and black fur…
Theon awoke with a shock, he laid in his bed for a while, trying to make sense of the dream, then decided he wasn't going to get back to sleep. He used the dying fire to light a candle, and used that to light a lamp, then dressed quickly, he might as well go check on Bran. Robb was asleep in the chair beside the bed when Theon got there, Grey Wind on the bed.
Theon moved quietly and picked up the bowl of honey water and the spoon, he knelt beside the bed, trying not to wake Robb, and began the process of trying to feed the life-sustaining liquid to Bran. Grey Wind watched him intently.
Theon wasn't sure how much time passed, but after a while he heard Kraken howl in the distance. Theon knew it was Kraken, he could tell Kraken's howl apart from the others, Grey Wind gave him a questioning look. Theon put the bowl down and went to the door, opening it. "Go on." He muttered. "They have rabbits for you."
Grey wind leapt off of the bed and Theon closed the door behind him, he almost jumped out of his skin when Robb spoke.
"You've been having wolf dreams too." Robb muttered sleepily. "You really are pack."
Theon shook his head, it was coincidence, Robb didn't know what he was saying, he was half asleep. "Go find your bed." Theon muttered. "My turn."
Robb nodded and stood slowly, stretching. "My bed might not remember who I am." He muttered wearily. "I haven't seen much of it of late." He added another couple of logs to the fire then slowly left the room.
"It's just a coincidence." Theon muttered to himself as he took the chair and went back to trying to feed Bran. "Just a coincidence… or I'm going mad. I'm going mad… that's it. Bran, wake up, I'm going mad… you deserve to get to see that… a mad Kraken."
"But you're not a Kraken anymore." A voice inside his head said. "You are the Iron Wolf, you made a vow." The voice sounded strangely like Bran.
~~/~~