Arya Stark wakes up with a scream and looks around wildly. The last thing she remembers is stabbing the Night King, his icy blue hands wrapped tight around her throat, and then he exploded. She looks around and is shocked to find herself in her old room in Winterfell. Oddly it looks just like it did years ago. There had been too many people living here to leave such a large room for just one person. She'd not been sleeping here during the war against the dead. She pats her person down and pulls an unfamiliar night shift up; and marvels at her unscarred stomach. She pulls herself from her bed and finds a looking-glass and is shocked to see she looks so young; her hair has not been this long in years. She stares for a moment and then darts out of her room towards her parent's room. "I'm not the only one," she thinks as she runs down the hall; when Arya hears, Sansa crying she stops and goes into her room instead.
"Sansa?" Arya says tentatively, closing the door behind herself. "Arya." Sansa cries and looks up with bloodshot wild and wet-wide-eyes. Arya lunges at her sister, and Sansa weeps with her face pressed into her shoulder, their arms crushing one another. "The crypts?" Arya asks quietly. "The long-dead rose… Oh, it was awful Arya." Sansa cries out mournfully, her voice wobbling and breathy and fresh tears pour down her face. "Sansa, how are we back here now? We are young again. Look at me." Arya asks her older sister. They pull apart, and Sansa gasps; they stare at one another, and Sansa pulls the neck of her sleeping shift away and sobs anew, leaving Arya sitting there awkwardly. Sansa is still staring at her arms and legs when the door opens again. "Sansa? Arya! What's going on?" Jon asks as he comes into the room.
"Jon!" Arya yells and launches herself at her brother. "Arya, what did we do wrong? I saw you stab the Night King, and when he exploded, we were all knocked back into the air. But then I woke up here in my old room, and my stab wounds and scars are gone. I have no beard anymore, and you're both so young. What is going on?" Jon laments, his hand touching his face where his beard once grew. Sansa breaks into laughter, and Arya joins in. Soon they are laughing so hard and loud that the door opens again and in walks Robb. "What are you guys laughing at? Jon, what did you do that's so funny? Also, did anyone have any really weird dreams last night?" Robb says as he leans against the wall near the open door. This just makes the girls laugh harder and now Jon also joins in and Robb just stands there his mouth open in shock; he's not sure if he's ever seen Jon laugh so hard in their entire life.
Suddenly a sharp cry is, heard, followed by a woman screaming. They rush out of Sansa's room and head towards the noise. Jon gets there first, and they are shocked to see Rickon holding a knife on one of the maids. "Rickon, what are you doing?" Jon yells and advances towards his youngest brother that he'd not seen in more than seven years. He looks just like he did when he left for the Wall, but he sure isn't acting as he did before. "You know who I am?" Rickon asks in the Old Tongue, neither lowering the knife nor releasing the maid. "Yes, of course, Rickon. I'm Jon, your brother. Robb, Arya, Sansa. Rickon, it's okay. We are back somehow. Back to before everything started, back before Father left to become the Hand of the King. Please, Rickon, put the knife down." Jon pleads, half in Common Tongue, half in the Old Tongue, with his seemingly feral little brother. By the Old Gods, where had he been all those years? Jon thought he had died during the Battle of the Bastards — but clearly — there was more to his story. He could see Rickon looking around a bit more, and as each of their siblings comes closer and fan out behind Jon's back. Rickon looks from one face to the next, trying to find something, someone he remembers. Finally, Rickon lowers the knife and releases the maid, who promptly runs off. "Jon? Robb? Sansa? Arya? Where is Bran?" Rickon asks, still not completely sure.
"I am right here, little brother," Bran says as he walks up and joins his siblings. "Hello, Rickon I'm sorry we had to split up. I'm sorry that you ended up in Hardhome too late to get out with Jon. We have to do better in this life. We have to stop the Night King the right way this time." Bran tells them. "Hardhome…" Jon murmurs wide eyes on his little brothers. "Aye. I saw you there at the last moment. I was fighting my way through towards you and the boats, but I was, taken down by a White Walker's spear of ice." Rickon tells them sheathing the knife at his waist. "White Walkers? Aren't those from the stories Old Nan used to tell us? Hardhome? What were you doing beyond the Wall, Rickon?" Robb asks completely confused.
"We have a lot to tell you, Robb; you died nearly five years before the rest of us did," Arya answers just as Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Tully Stark come out of their bed-chamber to join them in the hall. They all yell, "Father," at the same time and rush him. They crowd around their parents, everyone hugging everyone; only Jon and Rickon are a little distant. "I assume we all woke up with some very interesting memories then?" Eddard asks his children, having already spoken a bit with his wife before they came out of the Lord's chambers. "Aye, there is a lot we need to tell you, Father. Winter is Coming." Jon says, looking him straight in the eye for the first time. Ned's eyes widen at the words, and his stomach swoops and drops at Jon's piercing stare.
They are shaken out of their stare-down when another screech echoes through the halls. "Reek. Reek. Reek." Theon cries out, and Sansa takes off at a run towards his room with the whole family at her back. "Theon!" Sansa cries out when they burst into his room to find him curled up in a ball in the corner. The Starks watch with mixed reactions as Sansa throws herself over top of Theon and scrabbles for his hands. She holds them tightly rubbing slightly. "Your name is Theon Greyjoy. You hear me, Theon, you are Theon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands. And I am Sansa Stark of Winterfell, and you are Theon Greyjoy. And Ramsay can't hurt us anymore, remember? I fed him to his dogs." Sansa tells him firmly, trying to get him to look into her eyes. When he finally does, he throws his arms around her. "Sansa!" He cries as tears pour down his cheeks. "It's okay Theon. He's not here. He's not here." Sansa soothes, but then she realizes that Ramsay is somewhere. "Oh my god. Oh my God. He's alive." Sansa whispers and starts to bawl and rock herself, still wrapped in Theon's arms.
Arya is the first to approach the sobbing couple. She kneels and puts her arms around her sister. "Sansa, don't worry, we'll get him and all the rest of them on the list as well," Arya says and works to get them to stand up. Sansa laughs a little. "You really do scare me sometimes, you know?" Sansa says with a wry smile as she brushes the tears off her cheeks, and Arya smiles widely at her sister. "You fed him to his dogs?" Robb finally asks, and Sansa looks up with a cold emotionless face. "It's less than he deserved. He's a monster." Sansa declares to only some of the family's astonishment. Theon had settled down by this point and stood meekly behind Sansa still holding one of her hands. "I think we should move this to my solar. It appears that we all have much to discuss." Ned declares and steers his Lady wife out of the room and towards his solar expecting his children to follow.
They walk quietly down the hall and settle into the Lord's solar, and each member of the family finds somewhere to settle. Sansa and Arya look at one another, and then Jon, then they all look at Bran. Bran is standing and pacing far too happy to have the use of his legs once more to sit still. "Do you know why we are here Bran?" Sansa asks when no one else seems ready to speak. "We didn't get the shard out of the Night King's chest. During the last stand at the end. Right before I died and just after Theon was killed I had another vision of how the Night King was created. The Children of the Forest put a shard of dragonglass into his chest. But it was different than the vision I had had of the same moment before that point it was as if it was from the Night King's point of view somehow. I now believe if we take it out it we will end him and his army once and for all." Bran answers, looking at each of them in turn. "But what about uncle Benjen?" Jon wonders and drops his hand away from his face, he'd been stroking his non-existent beard again. "Yes the Children also used dragonglass to save his life, but he was killed again by the Night King as they crossed the Wall," Bran tells them and Jon grimaces and nods.
"Okay, I'm lost. Who is this Night King you're all talking about? And why are you looking to a boy of ten and four for answers?" Robb asks completely confused. The last thing he remembers was getting stabbed in the heart by that pale-eyed traitor Roose Bolton while old Walder Frey watched as he, his pregnant wife, and Lady mother were murdered. "The stories that Old Nan told us about the Others are real, and Winter is Coming," Jon tells him with conviction. Robb feels a shiver go down his spine at the steely look in Jon's grey eyes. "That can't be, those are just children's stories told to scare children into behaving," Catelyn argues, not believing a thing that bastard says.
"They are real Mother. We have seen them with our own eyes." Sansa tells her, her face a mask of cold determination. "At first when Jon told me of White Walkers and wights, I didn't truly believe either. Oh, I knew he believed it. And I knew he wasn't lying, but still, a part of me just wouldn't stop thinking: it can't be real. That they are just stories. But Mother, you have never seen such a sight, as the Army of the Dead. They don't eat, they don't sleep, and they are very hard to kill. And anything they kill very quickly rises up and becomes one of them. They even raised the long-dead in the crypts." Sansa confidently tells the room, her eyes never leaving her mother's still unbelieving eyes. Sansa can tell she doesn't believe her, and she thinks that this is what Jon must have felt when he'd told her in their last life. "And Bran?" Robb asks again, not giving up on the strange dynamic that he sees between his siblings. "I'm the Three-Eyed-Raven… Or at least I used to be. I'm not sure if I am anymore." Bran explains without explaining.
"Mayhaps, it's best if we all take some time to write down what we remember and then we can reconvene and tell our stories. I will say this first since we learnt this after most of your deaths. The architect of most of our family's demise is Petyr Baelish. And I know that you think him a friend mother. But he's been in love with you for years, and he's been planning to do away with the rest of us so that he could take the Iron Throne with you by his side. And after you died, he decided that I would stand in your place." Sansa tells them, her head held high, back-straight hands clasped tightly in front of her.
"Also, my name is Aegon of Houses Stark and Targaryen, Sixth of my Name, the Resurrected, 998th Commander of the Night's Watch, the White Wolf, Friend to the Free Folk, King in the North. King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. But please, I prefer to be called Jon. Actually, I guess right now it's just Aegon of Houses Stark and Targaryen, trueborn son of Princess Lyanna Stark and Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, heir to the Iron Throne. But I still prefer just Jon." Jon tells everyone his shoulders-back and head held high, eyes looking directly into Eddard Stark's eyes without straying. As he speaks his titles and true heritage for the first time in this life, Jon watches as his father's shoulders droop and his eyelids lower, and Jon's not sure if getting this second chance will hurt more than not knowing in his last life.
The room is silent but for the crackling of the fire in the hearth. The first to gather himself is Robb. "Didn't Rhaegar kidnap Aunt Lyanna and rape her?" Robb asks as tactfully as he can while completely confused. "Between Bran being the Three-Eyed-Raven and Sam combing the Citadel's archives we were able to discover that Lyanna ran away with Rhaegar because they fell in love and she didn't want to marry Robert. Rhaegar had his marriage with Elia annulled, and they were married before I was born. Then, of course, he was killed on the Trident by Robert, and Lyanna died giving birth to me in the Tower of Joy in Dorne." Jon tells them, and the room once again goes silent.
"So you're not our brother?" Rickon asks, his voice small. "I am still your brother, Rickon, even if in truth we are cousins. You'll always be my siblings in my mind, and I hope that you all still see me as your brother," Jon says with conviction and hope. "Of course, you're our brother, Jon. Finding out who your parents were hasn't changed that at all." Arya says, leaving little doubt as to where she stands on the issue and Jon smiles. "Good, then it's settled," Jon says with finality when he gets a nod of agreement from each of them.
"Alright, is everyone set on their tasks. We need to try to keep everyone else from figuring out that we know more than we should. Try and behave as you would have before, as much as is possible. Write your accounts, and we will begin sharing our stories on the morrow." Sansa advises and rises to stand and leave the room with Theon trailing after her silently. Arya exits as well, and Rickon isn't far behind her. Robb, Jon and Bran leave together, leaving Catelyn and Ned sitting stunned in their seats, where they stay lost in thought for some time.
Ned turns to his Lady wife and takes her hands, and kneels at her feet. "I promised my sister I would look after her son. Lyanna died in my arms while she begged me to protect her son from Robert. I still hear her sometimes, "Promise me, Ned, promise me," she begged as her last breath left her body. Cat, you know he would have killed him had he known he existed. I am sorry that I lied. I am sorry that you lived your life with the stain of my betrayal on your reputation. But I couldn't let Robert kill my nephew." Ned tells his wife, tears in his eyes, his hands desperately griping her hands in his.
"I don't even know where to begin. Why didn't you tell me?" Catelyn sobs and Ned pulls her into his arms. "They are all so grown up now. Even little Rickon." Ned says into her hair. "I don't understand why you didn't tell me, Ned!" Catelyn yells, pushing at Ned's shoulders; they both rise to their feet. "When we arrived in the Red Keep, and Tywin presented little Aegon and Rhaenys' bodies. I was shocked and outraged, but Robert was still so angry at Rhaegar he laughed. He wanted to wipe out all the Targaryens. Jon was just a baby and my blood, my nephew." Ned explains, pacing the room. "I know all of that, but why not tell me? I wouldn't have told him - he's my nephew as well." Catelyn yells, her face red and her tears gone. "Before all of this happened, you were betrothed to Brandon, and then Lyanna went missing, and everyone started dying. When I brought Jon home, I didn't know you yet. And then, as I did come to know you, I didn't want to hurt you further. I'm not sure if I planned to tell anyone ever." Ned admits and sighs as Catelyn storms out of the room.
Arya goes straight to Jon's room and waits for him to return. He opens the door and allows her to follow him inside. "I was wondering. If you had already gotten Needle made," Arya asks while looking down at her feet. "Aye. I've been holding on to it until I left for the Wall." Jon tells her and moves to where he had it hidden. He hands her the blade just as he had the first time. Arya looks up at her big brother and once again jumps into his arms. She, of course, knows to be careful with the blade, this time, having spent years learning how to wield it as an extension of herself. "Stick them with the pointy end," Jon tells her and puts her back onto the ground. "Thank you, Brother. Even after everything, I'm not sure if you realize just how much this gift meant to me. Means to me even now." Arya tells him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I love you too, Arya," Jon says and hugs her again before she leaves with a bright smile on her face, Needle tucked into her belt.
Jon sits alone in his small-mostly-bare room, thinking about how they are going to defeat the Night King. "There are so many moving parts," he thinks to himself. He thinks about all of their allies and what it took to gain them, all of the enemies that they eventually conquered. It took too long, and in the end, Cersei was still holding King's Landing hostage, planning to pick off the survivors of the Long Night as they fled south. "We need to gather all the Kingdoms quickly this time." He says aloud and looks up as his door opens. Bran walks inside and closes the door. "Samwell remembers, send him to the Citadel. Ask him to make sure he can send and intercept ravens." Bran suggests, and Jon smiles; he's so glad to see his little brother act more like himself again. The Three-Eyed-Raven that returned from beyond the Wall was a shell of the brother he remembered. It made his heart hurt when he thought of all that they had back; and how hard it would be to lose them again.
"We have many allies, and your idea of taking the throne quickly has merit. I believe; we could do this with as little bloodshed as possible if we play our cards right." Bran assures him, and Jon nods and rises to his feet. "I'll send the raven to Sam straight away. I think he should be, already planning to leave for Castle Black soon." Jon says, and they walk along the halls together. They find the rest of their siblings along the way to the rookery. "I'm sending Samwell Tarly to the Citadel. We'll need their support if I plan to become King of the Seven Kingdoms. And what better way to accomplish that; than with an inside man." Jon tells them as he quickly writes his letter to his friend. "So you'll be King then?" Robb says, and Jon shrugs and keeps writing.
Robb and Jon go to the training yard, but neither can concentrate. Robb wants to punish Theon, and when he ignores Ser Rodrik and continues to attack Theon, Ser Rodrik punishes them with laps and cleaning the armoury. Robb grumbles but submits to their punishment. Robb is annoyed to have to spend even more time with Theon. All he can think about is how he was so sure that he could trust Theon before he sent him to Pike and how he'd been wrong, so very wrong. The more he thinks about it trusting his mother had gotten him killed. He shakes his head as he laments trusting her to treat-with potential allies on his behalf like he was a child. He'd known the depth of his mistake the moment she let Jamie Lannister go, but by then, it was too late: the damage was done.
Everyone mostly keeps to themselves and spends quite a long while writing pages of notes regarding their adventures over the past seven turns of the sun. They drift in and out of the Keep as they would normally, trying to keep some semblance of their former routines. They don't want to shock the other inhabitants with a sudden change in the family. Ned and Catelyn mostly keep to themselves in his solar or the Lord's rooms. Lady Catelyn has been avoiding her Lord husband ever since she learnt the news about the bastard being the true heir to the Iron Throne. All of her plans to have Sansa marry Joffery and become Queen - how could Ned do this to her? She rattled around her rooms, trying to think of some way to salvage her plans.
Bran can't help himself and climbs all the way to the top of the Broken Tower and then climbs up and sits on the roof of the Old Keep. He still can't believe that he can walk again after so long and he's amazed to once again feel like himself. There are only a few lingering bits of the Three-Eyed-Raven still floating around it seems. He thought back and felt it was the opposite in the end, with only a few lingering bits of Bran Stark still floating around inside the Three-Eyed-Raven. He knows he should focus on the plan, but all he wants to think about is Meera. He feels terrible that after spending so long together in that cave; that he'd sent her off with hardly a goodbye. And he'd not truly wanted her to leave, he wanted her to be safe, and Winterfell was not going to be safe. But the way he'd sent her off, "oh," he thought, "she'll never forgive me."
Bran eventually makes his way to the Godswood. He sits staring at the face carved into the weirwood for a long time until he finally gathers the courage to touch the tree for the first time in this life. Bran is cautious as he lets his mind open just a little, and he's happy to hear the weirwood network brush against his mind without overwhelming him this time; Bran removes his hand from the weirwood and moves back to sit in front of the tree again to think. He closes his eyes and understands. This time he knows what to expect from the connection, and he's able to protect his mind. The more he thinks, back on his experience, the more he wonders if in his last life Brynden Rivers had pushed him on purpose so that he could control him. Bran shudders as he thinks of the fate of Three-Eyed-Raven enveloped in the great weirwood tree beyond the Wall. This time he promises himself he wouldn't be drawn into his web; this time he would remain Brandon Stark.
Sansa has a terrible time avoiding Jeyne Poole and her other friends, even with Theon playing shadow. Arya is lucky that no one seems to be paying attention to what she's up to, well, other than Septa Mordane. The girls were supposed to have lessons every morning, and usually, Sansa enjoyed her lessons; she did love to sew. However, Jeyne was making fun of Arya's stitching again, and Sansa couldn't help stepping in. She wouldn't have in their last life; she would have laughed along with the other girls. And she's sure Jeyne is starting to notice that something is different with her. When Septa Mordane joined in berating Arya for her inept stitches, Sansa seethed inside; she remembered how fierce her sister became in their last life, how in the end, she had saved them all. She sighs as she watches as her sister stormed out of the room.
Later after their lesson finally ended, Sansa finds her sister practicing with Needle. "Will you train me, Sister?" Sansa asks, hopeful. "Train you?" Arya scowls, her head tilted. "I don't want to be helpless ever again! I need to be able to protect myself." Sansa tells her with conviction, happy for once to see her sister in that pose she does with her hands behind her back, her face blank. "Aye. I'll train you, Sans. And mayhaps we can invite my old water dancing instructor here to give you real lessons?" Arya finally says with a smirk as she tucks her blade into her belt. "I suppose that would be a good idea. I'm sure things will be moving along quickly." Sansa agrees, relief flushing the stress from her system momentarily, as they walk side by side to the rookery to send a raven to Syrio Forel, First Sword of Braavos, inviting him to Winterfell. "I can also sew you some tunics and breeches again if you would like?" Sansa tells her, and Arya launches herself at her sister. "Yes! Thank you, Sansa," Arya says, and Sansa laughs. "It's nothing, Sister, we can't have you stealing all of Bran's clothes," Sansa tells her and Arya blushes. "Truly, it's no bother. I plan to work on some for Jon as well," Sansa says quietly, and Arya closes her eyes and lets out a frustrated sigh. "I wonder if things will change?" Arya whispers, not knowing what to expect. "There are many things that need to change in this life, Sister," Sansa says as they enter the rookery, where Sansa takes the opportunity to write a few ravens of her own.
After sending their ravens Arya takes Sansa to the smithy to get her a blade of her own. Mikken is hesitant at first, but the full force of Sansa and Arya Stark aligned is a force to be reckoned with. They have him make her a lighter version of a bastard sword since Sansa will be so tall once she finishes growing. Afterwards, they walk arm-in-arm to the Great Hall to join the rest of the family for their first supper after they all awoke with memories of their last lives. Normally, Jon wouldn't join them, but Robb had insisted that he sit next to him. Robb wouldn't have noticed any other time, too busy goading Theon or watching the serving maids. But he'd been lost in thoughts of all his past mistakes. And so he notices that Jon isn't eating his meal, just pushing it around his plate. "Not hungry?" Robb asks. "No, it's nothing. Just not to my tastes, is all." Jon says and takes another sip of his ale. Robb shrugs and goes back to eating and is confused when Jon leaves the table early and heads for the kitchen. Robb eyes his still full plate as he notices a servant nearing.
He's not sure what possesses him to take a bite off of Jon's plate, but he quickly spits it out, the moment it's in his mouth. "What the hell!" Robb shouts and takes a large drink of his ale. Arya, of course, notices, and she quickly comes over and takes a small bite and then also spits it out meanwhile, Robb watches as the servant who'd been heading his way detours and returns to where he'd been standing prior. "What is the commotion over there!" Ned yells down the long table. "It's Jon's food - it's inedible, Father!" Robb yells back. "What!" Ned yells and gets up to investigate himself. "It's been heavily over-salted, Father. Taste it yourself if you don't believe us." Arya tells him, and Ned's eyebrows rise to meet his hairline as he stares at the plate of food Jon'd left on the table.
"It took a while to weed them all out, even after everything. He was King in the North and still, every so often." Sansa says quietly as she stands next to their father, her eyes locked on Robb's Tully blue eyes. Robb looks over to where the servant had retreated and found he was gone. Robb clenches his fists in anger. "How did… I didn't know." Robb says shamefully and hangs his head. "Oh, come on, Robb, you just didn't want to know," Arya says, and Robb can hear the anger in her voice. "You must have been happy to have him in the shadows." Arya continues, and Robb knows deep down that she's right. "Mayhaps if he'd been allowed to best you growing up, you wouldn't have died with a traitor's dagger in your heart." Arya seethes, and Robb flees from the room, ignoring the calls for him to return that his family yells after him.
Robb goes out to the training yard and picks up a blunt training sword, and bashes it against a training dummy until his arms can't lift his sword arm for another swing. He stands there panting until he finally notices that he's not alone. Robb whirls and finds Jon standing there watching him. They stare at one another for a long time. "Why didn't you say anything about the food?" Robb finally asks, and Jon looks away and shrugs. "It wasn't all the time, only if. Well, I quickly learnt how to avoid it. It's strange being back here again I, I'd forgotten. So when you asked, I didn't make an excuse not to sit at the high table. That first bite and everything came rushing back." Jon finally tells him his voice flat, and Robb roars and throws his sword at the dummy. "Why!" Robb yells enraged, and Jon just looks at him with an eyebrow raised, and Robb's anger deflates. They stare at one another for a long while until Robb finally speaks, "it will be different this time," Robb promises, and Jon smiles. "Aye, Brother. It will," Jon agrees and wraps his arms around Robb's shoulders tightly.
"Aye, it will be different, you'll be King of the Seven Kingdoms," Robb says and Jon huffs and paces a bit. "I never wanted to be King! I still don't. But the Night King is coming, and we need to be prepared. The Kingdoms were at war for so long almost everyone was dead or enemies by the time the Night King arrived, and during the Battle for the Dawn, even more, died before Arya finally stabbed him, and we don't even know if that stopped him in that life or if…" Jon starts out almost yelling, and his voice gets quieter until he stops and stares at his brother, unable to voice his fears. "I never wanted to be King either, but I think you'll be a good King. Better than, Robert, that's for sure." Robb says, and Jon snorts and Robb laughs.
When they see one another outside of Theon's room, Robb and Rickon realize that they have both had the same idea of confronting Theon after supper. They nod and enter Theon's room Rickon, having followed, Theon knew well he was inside. "You're going to have to pay for your treason, Theon, one way or another," Robb says as they enter the room. Their eyes widen at the sight of Theon on his knees before them. "I know. Please make it quick." Theon pleads, eyes closed, hands behind his back. "It's not going to be as easy as that Theon! I want to know why. Why did you betray us? We thought you were our brother." Rickon says, teeth clenched in anger. Theon opens his eyes, and tears pour down his cheeks. "You sent me to my father, but he disowned me. He said I'd been a Stark for longer than I'd been a Greyjoy, and he wanted nothing to do with me." Theon explains. "Then why didn't you come back to me and tell me that?" Robb yells, arms and fists itching to pummel his former friend. "I've never really fit in here. Always too much a Greyjoy to really be a Stark. And then I come to find out that I can never go back to being a Greyjoy either. I was so angry at the Starks for taking me that I wanted everyone to hurt as badly as I did. Of course, it wasn't a very good idea, and I regretted it almost immediately. But it's not like I could take it back. Then, of course, came the Boltons, so I definitely got my punishment for my stupidity." Theon further explains while he remains kneeling and staring at the floor.
Before they can react any further, they are interrupted by Sansa coming into the room. "Please wait until you have heard everything from each of us before you make any decisions," Sansa tells her brothers, moving to Theon's side. "Why do you protect him, Sansa?" Rickon seethes. "Because he protected me. You'll hear more on the morrow now leave him be." Sansa answers and they leave the room in a huff. "Not sure why you're dragging this out. May as well kill me quick." Theon pleads, still on his knees. "Theon, we have another chance, all of us. Please take the second chance." Sansa pleads and leaves the room, closing the door silently behind her.
Sansa visits both brothers and tells them if they want the full story to ask Bran, but to do it alone and at their own peril. "You can never forget what you will learn." She tells them. She returns to her room and gets started on her sewing projects, she'd promised to make new clothes for Arya, and Jon, but with her plans to learn to fight, she'd need her own as well. They all had a bit of growing to do, so she plans to add panels and pleats that can be let out when needed. She takes all of her dresses out and only returns those that are sturdy Northern styles bar one for her trip south. The others she intends to make into tunics and short over skirts for her and Arya. These would be more colourful and might appease their mother somewhat.
She visits Arya's room and leaves with all her dresses, leaving two of her nicest hanging in her wardrobe. She will use these to make her sister's new clothes. Their other garments she intends to make will be in Stark colours and embroidered with the Stark crest. She supposes she'll have to add some black and red to Jon's clothing soon along with the Targaryen crest, but for now, as long as he has something of quality to wear once more, it will make her feel much better. She makes a quick trip to the seamstress and returns to her room with high-quality fabric for their breeches and vests. She'll go and visit the leatherworkers on the morrow about getting some jerkins, breastplates and new boots made as well. She'll have to work on getting some quilted vests made for Jon as well as a new cloak like the one she'd made for him in their last life before they left Castle Black together. She muses on the fact that it's still summer, so the cloak is not needed as much as it will be in the future, but knowing Jon, he'll be heading north soon, so she'll make sure that he's outfitted properly just in case.
Sansa stands in the lichyard staring at the entrance to the crypts, her mind frozen with visions of the long-dead crawling out of her ancestors' tombs and rising as shambling undead wights. The wolf statues once again retain their heads, and she's glad for the visible reminders that she is in the past, before any of the horrific events of her last life occurred. She shudders and pushes the thoughts from her mind and makes her way into the crypts. As she descends the narrow stairs, she's glad for the candles that are always lit, and she makes her way to the more recent crypts. In her last life having returned to Winterfell for the final time, she'd stood here and stared into the unrecognizable faces of her father and two brothers dead long before their times. Now she stares into the face of her aunt Lyanna and finds she can see some of Arya in the cold stone visage. She wonders if any of these statues bore a true likeness to those they depicted. Her uncle Brandon and her grandfather Rickard were next and, she wonders what her life would have been like if these three hadn't died like they did. Sansa turns and continues to walk further into the crypts, stopping briefly to examine, and remember each ancestor's name as she moves deeper and further back into the past. These time-worn statues have iron swords laid across their laps, and when she arrives in the section with the Starks of old, the Kings of Winter; they, are depicted along with their direwolves. Sansa wonders what their future statues will resemble as she makes her way up out of the crypts and into the Godswood through the back passage.
As the first night's crescent moon rises in the clear skies, all six Starks find they are, drawn to the Godswood. The Godswood is dark and peaceful, but as they draw near the weirwood, each of them feels the presence of the Old Gods resonate in their bones. They kneel together facing the crying face carved in the ancient heart tree and close their eyes and let their minds drift. After a few moments, they stand and move to other perches. Some sit on the exposed roots of the tree, some climbing into the branches. All find someplace where they can be in contact with the weirwood tree. Bran stays at the base of the weirwood tree sitting as close as he dares while he contemplates touching the face, as he would have in his last life, but he's not ready to just yet. He'd connected once already, but he wants to take it slowly. Together they watch the stars through the branches of the trees in the Godswood, sitting silently, listening to the wind blow through the red leaves of the weirwood they are perched in.
They are silent as the Old Gods speak to them through the heart tree. The whispers of time and fate can be heard through the wind in the tree boughs. At this point, only Bran is conscious of the words; only he understands what is happening. However, the others are just as affected as they are soothed and nurtured, their past hurts melting away, leaving room for positive change to happen in this life.
An hour later, Ned Stark arrives and joins them, he too kneels for a time facing the heart tree's face, and then he sits with Bran near the base quietly. After a time, Ned rises, and all the rest of the Starklings follow him back into the Keep, separating one by one into their rooms exhausted and ready for this day to be over.
