Hi guys!
I'm baaack!
Yes, I'm still alive, and yes I'm still writing this XD. In case you are wondering...
So, about this chapter. Well, it's more like a filler. I mean, I have still one year to kill in my timeline before the introduction of... well the rest of the seven kingdoms XD And I can't just skip it because, well I had the wonderful idea to play with the timeline and the wolves' introduction and everything so now I have to fill the blanks! And work a bit more on my characters. Because I'm changing things already even if it may be hard to see the extent right now. With everything else happening (or not happening now that I think about it...)
So... yeah, filler. So there is not going to be much to say about this... I'm not very happy about this chapter, and I re wrote it several times but I'm still not happy...
So I guess I'll have to let it that way and hope for the best?
Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it!
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo-GOT-oOoOoOoOoOoOoO
CHAPTER 6: Learning...
End of the Year 297 to the first month of the Year 298
Kyria
For a couple of weeks after Jon's departure, the atmosphere around Winterfell was slightly depressed. It was hard not to notice someone was missing.
Arya spends the first couple of nights in her older sister bed. She was upset, that was clear. And if the pillow was a bit wet by the morrow, Kyria didn't notice. Arya had her way to deal with her emotions. Rickon, like always had cried two or three days then came back to his usual joyous self. Bran stayed glued to Robb for a long time, his face sad and pouty. Robb didn't say anything, but Kyria often found him looking away when he thought no one was looking. She didn't need to look to know where he was eyeing.
In truth, Sansa was the only one who didn't look disturbed by the change in the household. She looked just as perfect as ever. Fortunately, and thanks to their Uncle intervention, they didn't have to support Arya and Sansa's eternal fights. Thanks the gods for that.
One day, while she made her way to the library, she found Sansa holding a piece of tissue in one hand, and a small needle in the other. She was slowly sewing something, stopping at each stage to show a curious Arya how she was doing it. The little girl was conscientiously imitating her sister, her piece of tissue in her hands. Without a word, Kyria forgot about her slowly took place next to the older one, and smile at them.
After some time, Arya smiled at her, looking radiant.
"So, any progress?" she asked Arya.
Sansa nodded, enthusiast. Arya didn't looked that sure.
"I don't know... Why does it have to be so hard?" she complained.
"You have to get used to it..." smiled Sansa with more patience than she ever displayed for her sister.
That was still strange to see…
Arya pouted glaring at the piece of fabric in her hands. Kyria stayed silent a couple of minutes, looking at her struggle with her work before taking pity of her.
"How about this, Sansa and I are going to try to help you with your sewing, and this afternoon, you'll help us learn how to use a bow." proposed Kyria.
She already knew how to do it, thanks to both Jon and Robb. But it was more for the sake of spending some time with her sisters while this new development lasted.
"Oh yes! Say yes Sansa!"
The redhead looked unsure, exchanging a glance with both Arya and Kyria.
"Come on Sansa. One entire day just between us girls. Without Robb or Bran or Rickon. Just us!"
"I- Well Jeyne wanted to spend some time in the glass gardens."
Arya's smile dropped immediately. But Kyria was persistent. She wasn't going to drop the subject just as they started to make some progress.
"Come on Sansa. You spend all of your time with Jeyne. One day won't change your relationship with her forever."
"Please Sansa. Like uncle Benjen said. You teach me something you like and I do the same."
Arya was surprisingly good with the puppy dog eyes. It didn't take long for Sansa to agree and the two girls were almost floating on their little happy cloud. Kyria snorted.
Maybe it was because she was closer to her brothers but she had trouble understanding what happened inside both of those heads. They seemed so happy to be in each other company, but until now they had spend all their respective lives biting each other throat… Why didn't they stopped at some point to observe how much they loved each other?
Kyria shacked her head and decided no to think too much about it. She was with both her little sisters and they weren't arguing about anything. She had to enjoy it while it lasted. She wasn't naive enough to think one heart to heart was enough to erase all the potential hostility between them. Those heads were way to thick for that.
By lunchtime, Arya proudly showed her new masterpiece to Mother, happy to finally having done something she could be proud of. Well, at least in this peculiar sphere.
Lady Catelyn's face broke in the proudest smile Kyria saw in a while. It was trully heart warming to see this directed to Arya.
"You did this on your own?"
"Sansa helped a little. Why can't she be the one to give me lessons? She's better than Septa."
Kyria, behind the girl, couldn't contain a laugh. That was true.
"Arya!" protested Sansa.
The red on her cheeks and the twitch on her lips didn't help her looking disapproving. Kyria grabbed her hand and squeeze it. Now was not a time to be proper.
"That's very good Arya. I told you my girl you can be a lady just as perfect as your sister! Thank gods the influence of this boy isn't on you anymore. I knew he had something to do with your wild nature."
The last part obviously wasn't for any of them, and Lady Catelyn didn't seem to notice her misstep, but the words were said.
Kyria closed her eyes. It was painful to watch… She loved her mother and honestly couldn't ask for a better one, but sometimes she was insufferable. No wonder Sansa and Arya didn't come along that often...
Sansa looked truly shocked, her eyes searching on Mother's face. As if she didn't believe what she just heard.
Kyria didn't even have to look at Arya to know the imminent disaster. Her Mother blinked at them, her looking like the perfect image of innocence and obliviousness. She really didn't seemed to realized she just voiced her thought about Jon in front of his fiercest admirer...
Gods Mother…
"Arya, why don't we go see Father? He must want to see this too!" quickly proposed Kyria, in an attempt to salvage the situation.
"Yeah" she grumbled.
Fortunately, Kyria's previous idea was enough to give back Arya's smile. They spend their afternoon in the courtyard, bow, and arrow in their hands. The face Theon made when he cross them by itself was hilarious. And worth the risk of being seen by Lady Catelyn who would certainly not be as enthusiasm as the previous morning with their choice of activity.
"What in the Heavens are you doing?"
Sansa escaped a giggle she tried to mask with her hand. Arya wasn't so careful with her joy and laugh at the face of their father's Ward.
"What do you think we are doing?" Kyria called back, a wide smile on her face.
"Practicing!" squeal Arya between her laughs.
Theon's eyes fell on Sansa, who had like her sisters a practice bow in her hands. He blinked several time, his jaw down to his chest like the fool he was. The poor lad didn't seem to believe his own eyes. Kyria loved his face. Priceless.
"All of you?"
"Why, yes Theon. This is funnier together. And easier." responded Kyria, without a blink. "Plus, we have an expert between us."
She pointed at her sister, who blushed under the attention.
Theon's eyebrow twitched, but he didn't say anything else. He made a little noise in the back of his throat and took his leave.
The three girls exchanged glanced and busted in a pool of hysterical giggles. Good gods his face!
"He has to be careful," said Arya, tears of joy on the corner of her eyes, "if he doesn't train as much as us he'll be outmatched by a bunch of ladies."
Sansa's laughed louder. She tried to control herself with a hand against her mouth but the tears of joy in her eyes shown the difficulty of the task.
"Sure. You or Sansa will soon be as good as he is!" responded Kyria.
"You're good too Kyria!" responded the redhead, a smile still tearing her face.
"Not as much as you are!" she responds good humouring.
It was true. Arya with her years of practice was exellent with a bow. And Sansa, also not as much experienced in the exercise, had shown real talent. More even maybe than the great Theon Greyjoy.
Kyria next to them, considered herself lucky when her arrow flew close enough to the target. Maybe she needed to build up some muscles in her arms?
The best thing about this particular afternoon was when, as Sansa was humiliating them with each arrow, hitting the centre almost every time, someone slowly clapped above them.
Three head turned in its direction.
Eddard Stark stood on the balcony, tall and proud, slowly clapping his hands at his daughter's prowess.
"Good job Sansa. Really good job. You have talent."
The sweet girl couldn't have been more proud of herself. Kyria could almost smell the tears slowly growing behind her eyelid.
Nothing could have wept her smile form her face.
Things were not always this good of course. Old habits did die hard. Even if both the interested parties didn't seemed eager to start again their endless quarrels, people around them were used to it. And some of them even enjoyed it very much.
As Kyria learned a couple of weeks later, some people rejoiced at other's misfortune. And apparently insulting a little girl was a fine game for some of Sansa's little friends. And until recently, Sansa allowed it. Which in a way was worse...
Stupid girls…
That day, a particular incident of this sort explode in their sewing room. One that ended up more violent than any other to Kyria's knowledge. She took pride at the thought that she was in great part the reason why it ended up that way.
It all started quite normally. They were all quietly siten in a circle needle and fabric in hand, sewing whatever was their project of the day with all the concentration they could get. In a silence that Kyria always found a bit annoying. They weren't in a Sept for gods sake… Why did they need to stay silent like that?! It wasn't like one word was going to ruin a stitch! It was a stitch!
Anyway, that day, Arya seemed very concentrate on her work. A fact that didn't take longt to attract Jeyne Poole's attention.
"And how is your work today Arya?" she asked with the sweetest voice Kyria never heard before.
That caught her attention almost immediately. Her needle stopped mid way to the fabric. What was it with the tone? Did she hurt herself or something?
Arya took some time to answer, confused by the sudden interest in her person.
"It's...good. I think?"
"Oh is it?" she pipped.
Beth next to her choked a giggle. Kyria felt her shoulder tense. She didn't like the atmosphere that was suddenly invading the room. Everyone had stopped their work by then, but no one moved. Only Sansa was still concentrating on her work -a pretty dress as blue as her eyes with tissue flowers around the neckline-.
"That's unusual, coming from you." smiled Jeyne. "Did you suddenly wanted to be a girl Horse face?"
"That might be hard!" laughed Beth, apparently unable to hold herself anymore. "With all the time she spend with boys she might have too much of a something to be a proper girl!"
"How I think I saw something in her breaches!" giggled Jeyne " Did your many efforts at being a boy paid off Horseface?"
Did she just- Did they-
Oh fuck property she was going to kill those little bitches.
"Pardon?"
Beth's laugh strangles itself inside her throat in what seemed to be a rather painful noise.
If eyes could kill, both girl would have dropped dead on Kyria's feet. Instead, they lose all colour on their pretty faces.
But then, maybe the menacing growls coming from the back of the room did have something to do with it.
"Your joke seem funny. Care to share it with me? What is it with my little sister's breaches?"
She almost sputted the last word. Beth's face paled even more. A part of Kyria was surprised she didn't faint from a lack of blood in the brain. But then again, she wasn't sure the stupid bitch had a brain to begin with...
"And, good gods my hearing must have a problem, I'm afraid I didn't quite understand what you just called my sister. Would you care to repeat this?"
The girl hesitates. Smart.
"Horseface." snarled Arya, red with anger and certainly humiliation. "They always do that."
"Oh do they?" purred Kyria.
She was furious. How dare those little girls insult her sister that way? The daughter of their liege Lord?!
One of the wolves on the back barked loudly. Another growled. She could almost feel Frost anger mirroring her own. But she couldn't let it took the best of her. As always, Father's words were strong in her mind.
"Down Frost," she ordered.
One growl stopped. She didn't need to look to know who was the other one.
"It was only a joke, my lady..."
"Oh," she said slowly. "A joke. So it's funny. Do you find this funny, sisters?"
Her gaze finds Sansa's first, her jaw was clenched. Her eyes were slightly bigger than usual. She looked conflicted, almost panicked. Arya didn't look at her. She had her eyes on her work and her face was red. Kyria knew her enough to guess it was not from embarrassment. Nymeria's growls may have been a clue to her theory.
"it's… maybe not appropriate."
"Appropriate?" Kyria repeated.
Sansa blushed.
"It's not- that funny for a joke."
"it's because it's not a joke Sansa. It's cruel and means, and disrespectful. As firendly as you are with my sister Beth Cassel, we are still the daughters of you liege lord. Someone less generous than our father could have you beaten for this."
"Why would we?" responded Jeyne with a frown Kyria didn't like. "It's not insulting to say the truth. Is it our fault if Arya has the face of a horse? And everyone know she want to be a boy!" she laughed.
Oh so apparently Beth Cassel wasn't the only one without a brain. Wonderful. Or was it Sansa's presence, as her friend that made her felt secure in her right to express this kind of opinion?
Jeyne keep giggling prettily, a hand in front of her face like some mundane lady. Like she didn't just insult Kyria's little sister. Again. This child seems to have a death wish.
"It's true! Don't you remember Sansa? The day she came here covered in mud for our lesson? She looked like some common folk! There was so much mud we couldn't distinguish her hair from her face!" giggled Beth, definetly as stupid as her friend.
"Oh yes! We called her mudface that day! Oh we had so much fun!" laughed Jeyne.
Sansa dropped her gaze. She bites her lip but didn't say a thing.
"One more word from either of you and I won't be held responsible for my actions."
Frost braked again.
"Kyria..."
"Yes, sister?"
"Let it go Kyria." snarled Arya.
"Why should I?"
"Oh come on Kyria, it's not that bad," said Beth with a smile. "She doesn't care anyway!"
"ENOUGH!"
Kyria's outburst cut out any other sentence from both girls.
"You insult my sister one more time, and I will hurt you. She is worth at least ten Beth Cassel or Jeyne Poole. She at least is not stupid enough to insult her Lord's daughter in front of both her older sisters and their wolves."
"But Sansa do it too!" blew up Beth, cutting Kyria in the middle of her tirade.
The silence after that was almost too heavy.
Kyria looked at her sister. Sansa's face was pale and she wasn't looking at her.
" Sansa?"
"Oh forget it." stormed Arya, already half way out of the room.
"Arya?"
"What? I don't want to stay in the same room than them!" she screamed, pointing accusingly at the girls. It was no mistaking the wetness in her face with anything other than tears. "They won't stop! They're too stupid ant clouded by their ladylike perfection to bother noticing how useless they are!"
"Arya!"
"Lady Arya!" squeaked Septa Mordane materializing from nowhere. As always her timing was perfect. "How dare you screaming like a mad girl in the middle of our lesson!"
"Septa Mordane with all the respect due to your person, mind your own business." snapped Kyria. "Arya, Sansa, what's the meaning of this? You call your sister those names?"
"No! No, I-"
"She was doing it… before," said Arya.
"Before..."
"It was a mistake!" said Sansa, almost immediately. "I was wrong to say those things and I- I apologize. I'm sorry Arya. You're not ugly. You are beautiful and- I shouldn't have said that. I'm so sorry Arya..."
Arya sighed and came back with a pout. She looked at Sansa from under her eyelashes, still reluctant to come back.
"Lady Kyria I demand an apology. Right now!" said Septa Mordane voice from behind them.
Did this woman even shut up!? Kyria didn't have the patience to deal with her right now.
"Sansa it's not so bad..." said Jeyne, a hand on the redhead's arm.
"Yes, it is. I'm sorry I hurt you, Arya."
Arya nodded, and hug Sansa's middle, her little head hidden against the fabric of her dress.
Both Jeyne Poole and Beth Cassel exchanged a look, and try their best to be as invisible as possible. Frost barked one last time, his eyes piercing them like knives. For one second Kyria was certain one of them was fainting.
They did not. A shame.
The event could have ended up there, but of course, Septa didn't let it go that easily. Kyria ignored her for the best par of the day after that, forcing her to complain to the only person able to make her listen.
Lady Catelyn asked for Kyria on the morrow, a stern expression on her face.
"Kyria, would you explain to me what happened yesterday with Septa Mordane and your sisters?"
"It was only a misunderstanding Mother."
"A misunderstanding?" she repeated. "Would you care to explain?"
Kyria did. She told her mother about Jeyne and Beth and their behavior regarding Arya, and of course, the insult.
At the end of her tale, lady Catelyn sighed her face closed up.
"You shouldn't have reacted that way Kyria."
"Would you rather have me let those girls insult my little sister, my family in front of me?"
"They are only girls Kyria, they'll learn."
"They won't if we let them do things like that. And Sansa was doing the same!"
"Was she? She didn't tell me anything."
"Well… not yesterday, but before she and Arya had reconciled, she uses to treat her the same way those girls did. And that damned Septa hate Arya so much she didn't say anything."
"Neither did you."
Kyria snorted.
"They were smart enough not to say it in front of me," she said. "I would have said something otherwise."
"Would you?"
"Of course! I won't let my sister being treated that way in their own home! They made Arya think she was ugly! Abnormal! A freak of nature!"
"I understand that my dear, and believe me I am just as angry as you are. And those girl will certainly heard about me pretty soon. But as angry as I am that is not what I mean. "
She took a deep breath, collect her thought and talked again.
"Kyria, you are a lady. I have the distinct impression you sometimes don't get the meaning behind those words."
"What do you mean Mother?"
"Being a lady is not only knowing your curtsey, and being pretty." she started. "You also have to be smart. More than some men even. We have to be smart because Women are the weak sex, you know that."
Of course, she knew.
Kyria bite her lips and nodded.
"It means no one of importance will want to hear what we have to say, no matter how smart we are, or how right," said Lady Catelyn. " You are not going to spend your all life under your Father's protection. One day, sooner than you may expect it, we will have to marry you. Your father and I will do everything in our power to find you a good husband, but even so, all men are stubborn. And, more important, all men are proud. They intend to be… touchy with their pride. If you want to have, even a tiny bit of control on your on life darling, you can't let your emotions take advantage of you like that."
"But-"
"If-" she cut her "you find yourself in a situation similar, you have to think before you talk my dear. Here, this is your home and you were right to stop those girls to insult your sister. For that, I can not blame you. However, you have to control yourself and the manner with which you talk to others. Anger is never a solution."
"Father told me the same," said Kyria looking at her hands.
Mother smiled.
"He is of good advice."
Kyria nodded. Lady Catelyn sighed and took her little girl hand.
"I know it is not what you wanted to hear. But I think you are old enough to understand that your life is not going to be as sweet and peaceful as it is now."
Oh, if only she knew…
Lady Catelyn seemed to think about her word for a second, as soon a smile, maybe more bitter flowered on her face.
"Then I supposed you already have a good idea of the cruelty of this world don't you, my child?" she said slowly. "Or at least you imagine it."
"I do," said Kyria.
Catelyn smiled again, and hold her daughter's hand. Kyria looked down at their hand.
"Why… Why are you telling me this? Why now?"
"You will soon be five and ten my girl. You won't stay a child all your life. I think you are old enough to understand those things now."
"Will you tell the same things to Sansa and Arya?"
"When the time comes," she said with a pat on her hand.
And just like that, the conversation ended. Mother kissed her head and shushed her out of her solar.
This incident had as other consequence to break something significant between Sansa and her friends. For a good amount of time after this day, Sansa was left alone most of the day, without any of her usual companions. It hurt Kyria to see her like that, to witness those longing looks she send sometimes to the back of either one of her friends when they were not looking.
Kyria's ressentiment for those girls grew a little more each day they spend ignoring her sister. As much as Kyria would like to, she couldn't spend her entire day with her. With everything she was stubbornly doing day after day, she couldn't spear one minute of her time.
She was foolish to even think otherwise.
Somehow, she naively thought Jon's departure for the Wall would ease her daily routine at least a little. It did not.
When she wasn't with her mother, or at her lessons with dear Septa Mordane -as delightful as she usually was, if not worse- or with her father in the Godwoods, she was with Robb. They spend a lot of time together, not unlike the time they had with Jon. They read together, talked about anything they could think of… The visions she had every night reminded her again and again of what might come to them, comforted her in her idea that her brother needed all the help he could get.
If some afternoon locked out in an old library, half buried in books that smelled and looked at least twice both of their age could help him, even a little, Kyria was ready to do it.
Every time she had that kind of thought, something inside of her whispered that helping Robb might as well help everyone else.
She hoped this voice was right.
And so, just like that, the household fall in a routine, mixed with longs afternoon in the library and occasional screams and protestations from the servant about the always growing wolf pups. And good gods did they grew. Each day it was harder for their master to control them. As enormous as they were, they were still puppies. And puppies didn't like to listen.
After eight months with them, they were now larger than normal wolves, with all the excitation of young dogs, yapping and playing with everything they could put their big paws in.
Finally, after another traumatized servant and one last chewed skirt, Lady Catelyn put her foot down.
"Those beast are your responsibility," she said firmly, as all of her children sat together in front of her. "You all promised your father you were going to take care of them yourselves."
"That's what we are doing Mother," said Robb with a frown.
"Oh, you do son? You feed them, take care of them, yes, but now you have to train them also."
"Train them? But they are wolves!" said Arya. "Wolves don't train! They're free to do what they want."
"Not while they live here I'm afraid."
"But Mother..."
"Enough Arya. You all will discipline those beasts or they'll have to go. And that's final."
The lady left the room after those words, not letting any of her children respond.
Arya huffed and crossed her arms on her chest, clearly unhappy. Kyria sighed and rub her head. They didn't have any choice it seems.
"So what are we doing now?" asked Robb after a minute of silent contemplation.
Well it seems we don't have any choice in the matter." responded Kyria. "We'll have to train our wolves."
"Train?" asked Bran, blinking his big eyes. "But How?"
"I have no idea..." responded Robb.
"I may have," said Kyria.
Five other pair of eyes were on her in a second. Kyria bites her lip and moved in a chair. The five others followed her with big attentive eyes. It was kind of intimidating...
"We all agree that our wolves are no pet or mere dogs." she started. "So we can't train them like so..."
"Why not?" asked Sansa.
"Because they are not dogs Sansa," said Robb.
"But if we train them-"
"Don't try to model them in some sort of sweet little puppies Sansa, you won't succeed," said Kyria. "As much as your Lady is sweet and soft they are wolves. Even manners can't change that I'm afraid,"
Sansa pouted, not looking convinced but Kyria didn't care. The sooner she realized the truth about her wolf the better. She had already started walking everywhere with the poor thing attached to her by some leather leach. With ribbon. This was sad to see.
"So what do you propose dear sister?"
She bites her lips, holding gaze with the golden eyes of her wolf sat at her feet.
"Wolves are pack animals. They need their family to live."
"We could still train them together, as a pack," said Robb cutting any thought Kyria could have had in the matter.
"Yes! That could work!" pipped Arya with excitation.
She looked at Sansa, her eyes huge and full of hope. She looked conflicted, the poor dear. Torn between saying no at something that sounded so much like a mistake, at least for her. So far from what she thought proper -Kyria didn't despair to chase away that silly notion from her sister brain-. And on the other hand, she seems to want to spend her time with the rest of them.
Kyria hoped she made the right choice.
Of course, with some help from Rickon's puppy eyes, and Arya's hopeful glance, she did.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo-GOT-oOoOoOoOoOoOoO
They started to train their wolves together.
In the courtyard at first, then in the Godswoods. They train them to obey their command, to control themselves, and to hunt for their food. All together.
Every time Kyria had a thought for Jon, alone at the Wall. She would have liked him to participate in those sessions. He had a wolf too after all. And as Father was so fond of saying
When the snow fall and the white wind blow, the lone wolf die but the pack survives.
She hoped Jon will survive up there. Or will find a pack of his own…
Sansa keeps protesting until the first time they brought the pups to hunt together.
Seeing her sweet Lady coming back from her hunt with her brothers and sister, just as eager to eat their game like the others achieve to break her vision of her comanion. The girl looked at her wolf feasting with all the savagery of the wolf she was for a long time. Kyria didn't envy her. Recently, a lot of what she thought of their world seemed to crash under her watch. But Kyria couldn't help but feel grateful for that. Losing a bit of her naivety couldn't harm her.
She dreamed of the long grass meadow again that night. With the screams coming from the Gods knew where.
There was still no one, but her. And an endless meadow of long grass.
She had it before, since this famous evening of her… flowering. But no matter how many times she had it she couldn't get what it means… Well other than a warning for her coming bleeding… It happened at least once a month. Right before the… infamous days.
Still… she didn't get it. Why a grass meadow? Why screams?
More out of habit than anything else, Kyria tried to understand. She went back to her old habits, the library. It took a couple of days, but, for the first time, she found an answer in the books.
" The Dothraki see..." she read out loud pensively.
Essos? Why would she dream of somewhere that far?
"Kyria?"
"Robb!" she smiled.
"What are you looking for?"
"I- I'm not sure. I had a strange dream last night."
He frowns, looking immediately concerned.
" What kind of dream?"
She looked back at the map in her hands.
"I don't know how to explain this...It doesn't make any sense..." she said her finger slowly tracing the contour of the letters. D. O.
"And… did you find something?"
"I dream of… of a meadow of endless grass. Long grass of vibrant green, and nothing else..." she looked at him. " I'm not sure but it sounds like the Dothraki Sea of Essos."
"The Dothraki Sea? Why would you dream of something like that?"
"I have no idea..." she said.
Robb sighed and looked back at the book.
They stood silently for some time, each one thinking of too many things to voice it.
Then Robb smiled at her and asked if she had a book for him today.
"Are you enjoying this Robb Stark?" she teased.
He shrugged.
"I don't know, it kind of grows on me. Some things are not that bad."
She snorted.
"Are you growing up brother?"
"Show some respect little minx. I'm still older than you."
She laughed, and look for a book. One of the old ones, written before the Targaryen reign. Something an old Maester write about the way which the old king of winter use to manage their kingdom.
Robb took the book from her and study it. He made a sound on the back of his throat, his eyebrow high on his forehead.
"What is it?"
"Maester Luwin wanted me to read that one too," he said pensively. "It's about the Bolton, and our… common past."
"The Red Kings..." said Kyria.
Robb nodded.
"Have you heard?" asked Robb after a minute.
"What?"
"The Bolton heir, Domeric. He's dead."
If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.
Kyria blinked and shacked her head.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes. Everything is alright." she dismissed his worries with a wave of her hand, and opened the book.
"So, where do we start professor?" he joked, with a tiny smile on his annoying face.
"Don't start!"
He laughed and took his place around the table.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo-GOT-oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
One day, like any other, Kyria was on her way to the courtyard to find her sisters for one of their little training session when her legs bumped in something. A little wiggling and giggling something.
"Kyria!" pipped Rickon, as he smiled at her with all the strength of his little teeth.
"Hello, Darling. How are you today?"
He giggled again and roll on the ball of his feet.
"I'm very well malady! And you? Did you see Shaggy?"
Rickon was never polite for long. She smiled.
"Shaggy? No, I didn't see him… Now that you mention it I didn't see Frost either… where could they be..." she wondered out loud.
Rickon opened big eyes and nodded at her.
"Maybe they are together! Maybe they are hiding!" he said with great excitation.
"Maybe… would you like to come looking for them with me?"
"Yes!"
He happily grabs her hand and almost drags her in the corridor. She laughed again.
"Easy there, little lord! We have to think about where we are going to look for before!"
"Ha? But we are going to lose them!"
"Are we? So you know where they are!"
He pouted.
"No… But they could change their hiding place! Like when we play hide and seek with Robb and Jon!"
"Oh I see..." she nodded. "So, little genius, where would they be?"
"Hm… outside!"
"Good idea! Sansa and Arya are outside, do you want to go ask them?"
"Yes!"
They made their way through the courtyard. Rickon happily babbling about everything he could think of apparently.
He fell silent as they made their way to the stairs. She waited for him to talk again.
"Kyria… where is Jon?"
She stopped, blinked and continued.
"Well, Jon is… Jon is… He went with uncle Benjen."
"To the Wall?"
"Exactly, to the Wall."
"When will he come back? He misses a lot of training with Shaggy and the others… Mama will be angry at Ghost."
Kyria smiled. To be young and innocent again…
Well not that she remembered it anyway...
"That's true, but you know, Jon is… he's like uncle Benjen now."
"Why?"
"Because he went to the Wall. Maester Luwin explained it to you, didn't he? About the wall?"
"The wall was built by Bran!" pipped Rickon excitedly.
Kyria barked a loud laugh. One she tried to control as much as she could, but the image was funny. Her little brother is as old as the Wall was indeed funny.
I have to stop being Bran Kyria. You can't change it.
Her laugh strangles itself in her throat and the cough a little.
She shacked her head and look back at the round little face of Rickon.
"No Darling, it's not Bran who built the wall."
"But Maester Luwin said it!"
"He said it was Bran the Builder."
"Yes! Bran!"
"Rickon, Bran is a common name in our family," she explained, crouching in front of him. "The first Stark ever mentioned in our History was named Brandon Stark. It's him, Bran the Builder. And he is also the one who build Winterfell. A very, very long time ago. Way before you or Bran was even born."
"Before you too? And Robb?"
"Oh yes before Robb too."
"And Mother? And Father?"
"Yes, Mother and Father too."
"Oh..." he said slowly, frowning in concentration.
He had trouble with the idea of a world before their family apparently...
"And since then, many many Stark were called Brandon. At least one in each generation."
"Generton?"
She giggled.
"Well, for example, we have our Bran, and one of Father's sibling was called Brandon before him."
"Oh… they all have the same name!"
"Exaclty! Aren't you a smart little boy!" she smiled rubbing the mop of curls on the top of his head. "Come on, let's find our wolves."
Rickon nodded with enthusiasm and made his little way through the stairs.
They found their sisters in the courtyard, Arya helping Sansa with her bow.
"Sansa shoot with a bow!"
"Didn't she?" nodded Kyria " And she's better at it than anyone else!"
"Really?"
"Yes. If you ask nicely, maybe she'll teach you how to do it."
"Really?!"
"Really."
Rickon squeaked and ran to Sansa. When Kyria came close enough to hear what they were saying, the little boy was pulling the redhead's skirt with a series of "please please please" that seemed to annoy Arya more than anything else.
"What are you doing here Rickon?" asked Arya with a pout.
The baby boy blinked let go of the skirt.
"Oh! I was looking for Shaggy! Kyria said to ask if you would want to help us look for Shaggy! And Frost too!"
"I see..." said Sansa with a smile. "but we were supposed to train with our bow this afternoon..."
"Oh..." he looked back to Kyria with pleading eyes. Kyria bites her lips.
"How about this, you stay with us while we are training, and then, once it's over, I help you find Shaggy."
"Really?"
"Really."
They trained for maybe an hour, then Rickon dragged her all around the keep to find the wolves. Who went for a hunt.
They came back sometime during the evening, all sloppy like only wolves could do after a good meal.
She dreamed of the mad dog that night, as he tears apart the feathers of the little things, one after the other. Almost reverently.
Frost spend half of the night curled around her. He was now big enough for his head to be on the same heigh than hers when she sat. And still growing.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo-GOT-oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Arya's name day went and go, as well as Kyria's and Sansa's without many other events important enough to be mentioned.
There was never anything that exiting happening at Winterfell during a time of Peace.
During the seventh month, around the fourth or the fifth day, Father received the Glover, who stayed a fortnight, after what, he took a trip for some affair between two houses. He took Robb with him, always eager to from his successor in the leadership of the North.
She felt a bit alone while they were gone, missing greatly her time with either of them on the Godswoods or during her afternoon at the Library.
During those days, she spends more time with Sansa and Bran. Taking back this old habit she seemed to have before her fall to read with her little brother. She could also stay with her sister, whom friend seemed still cold.
The girl took great pleasure at helping her perfecting her sewing technique. They made a dress together, with some help with Arya, when she feels like it. She didn't do much, of course, but she still stayed with them, talking about anything they could think about.
Once, Sansa shared her regrets about Jeyne Poole and Beth Cassel.
"If they don't like what you told them, then they don't matter," said Arya.
"But they are my friends..."
"Not if they act like that Sansa."
"So what, you don't think like them so they reject you? That's suck for a frienship."
"Arya, language."
"But it's true."
It was…
Sansa sighed sadly.
"Don't worry sister, you still have us."
Sansa smiled, and even shyly put her head on Kyria's shoulder. This afternoon ended up with a hug from the three sisters, who took their discussion up to Kyria's room, where they stayed all night.
Surprisingly, Kyria didn't dream that night.
…
Well she did. But not the usual one.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo-GOT-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
His breath was slow and strong. She could feel the cold hair of the night making its way through his throat and lungs.
His brothers and sisters were running along with him, Big Brother Alpha in front of the rest of them. Little sweet pack sister was behind them, always slower than the rest of them. Another sister pack was the fastest. Pack brother black was the fiercer in the hunt. But he and Big Brother alpha were the strongest. The biggest too.
Big Brother Alpha called, warning them of the sight of prey, and pack brother brown yipped in return.
It was always strange to hunt together. There was a hole between them, where pack brother white was supposed to be. But they knew where he was. To the north, after the big white mountain, where Mother came from before she births them. Even far away, they could still feel his presence. He was alive and protecting his human as they all did. It was their purpose, to protect the Human they belonged with.
Pack brother black found the lead first. He called and took the direction of the prey. He followed him, with both pack sister behind them.
The flesh was still warm and alive when he bites it. The prey cried but with one movement of his head, Big Brother alpha killed it. He growled at them and took the first bite like it was his due as Big Brother Alpha. Then he could eat too, then both pack brothers and then pack sisters.
Once their belly full, they made their way to the big rocky home their Humans lived in.
Big brother alpha was back before his human, who will be here on the morrow with his Father and the other humans that came to that trip.
Maybe his human would be happier with her brother pack home.
The human at the entrance let them pass, smelling slightly like fear. Something who seemed to be more common since they grew enough to be taller than them if they stood on their anterior legs.
Big Brother Alpha bark one last time and made his way back to his human, and each one of them took the direction of their own.
Both pack sisters stayed with him, as their human were with his.
They found them all asleep like a good puppy pile. He whinned and sniffed his human. She wasn't scared that night.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo-GOT-oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Kyria woke up to find Frost big head looking right back at her, his big yellow eyes not phased by the sudden movement of her own. He blinked slowly at her, his muzzle twitching with the movement of his tongue on his nose. There was blood there. A hunt?
"Hello you..." she whispered.
His big tale waves happily behind him as he licked her nose. She snorted.
"Ouh, you smell like old meat my friend."
Not bothered one bit, Frost yapped.
The sound woke up the girls in her bed. They happily welcomed the two other wolves lying on the ground.
Kyria thought for some time of her dream. But she couldn't explain it. Or she didn't want to. One mystical power gifted by the Gods was enough for the year.
Robb arrived later in the afternoon. She tried to find him just after welcoming her father. She was looking through the Godswood when a giggle made her turn back.
She froze right where she was.
Thrown against a tree, a handmaiden was flirtatiously giggling in a familiar mop of auburn hair. Attached to a head just as familiar. A head who seemed absorbed by the girl's cleavage.
"My lord..." moaned the girl, her small hand holding Kyria's brother's curls as her life depended on it.
Oh my…
Well at least someone is having some fun...
Slowly, Kyria took a step back, ignoring as much as she could the heat on her cheeks. Hoping, praying all the gods she could think of for no little stick under her foot.
There was no stick. But there was a giant wolf convince he is still a puppy, and eager to see his brother… Or herself she couldn't say.
Anyway, Greywind found her, and jumping from virtually nowhere, took great pleasure at licking conscientiously every inch of her face. Like the pup, he still thought he was.
The noised disturbed the master of the beast who looked at her from behind his shoulder.
Seeing him loosing all of his colors at her sight was kind of funny. She could have laughed if the situation was not so embarrassing.
"K-Kyria!" he squeaked.
"I'm not here!" she blew up, waving her hands in front of her. "I didn't see anything! I'm not here and I will continue on my way of not being here while you do… whatever you're doing- and I don't want to know what it is!"
"Kyria-"
"Not here!" she squalled again, almost running out of the scene.
She spends all of her days trying very hard to forget all about this particular event. She almost succeeds. But then, Robb sat for their supper, all blushing and not daring look at her, and Kyria remembered why.
She learns an important lesson that day. As much as she loved her family, there was some part of it she didn't want to know. Not at all...
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All in all, the months that followed the depart of her brother Jon were… boring lets being honest here...
She observed the days, one after the other with an eagerness never truly satisfied. There weren't many things happening at Winterfell during a time of peace. Even more so as a child of the family without many responsibilities… other than learning and buying your time before the famous day where she'll have to leave her home forever.
She couldn't put her finger on why she felt so bored. She had so many things to do every day. But, there was something, a part of her that was yearning for more. For something… more exiting maybe?
She wasn't even sure of what it was. But she felt…
This was quite similar to her moments of numbness. While she could hear nothing else than the beat of her own heart. There was a part of her somewhere that yearned for sommething. An empty place that needed to be filled. Like she was at the top of a cliff, her foot too close to the edge, ready to jump. Like the entire universe waited for her to jump.
It was exhausting. And annoying. She couldn't enjoy completely her time with her family while her mind was always eager for something else. She was waiting.
Sometimes, as she lay in her bed, Frost's warm body draped around her, she thought maybe she was waiting for one of her vision to come true. Not because she wanted to witness all of the horrors she keeps dreaming about. She wasn't that mad yet. But… Maybe she wanted proof. A proof to show herself she wasn't insane.
A proof to change those incessant visions that polluted her mind night after night. A proof that she did suffer all of those nightmares for something.
She needed it. She needed to make them disappear. If they did happen, and if she did something, anything to make it different, maybe she could change them. Maybe she could give something better for her family.
Sometimes, when she was alone, she found herself humming slowly this song that haunted her mind for many nights. The song she even changed, in hope that one day, she might do something right.
And who are you…
The proud Lord say…
But nothing happened.
So Kyria lived her simple life, stifling as much as she could the thirst inside her, that begged for something more.
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She could have to keep going like that for a long time, if not for an event, at the beginning of the Year 298 after the Conquest.
One evening, Father asked all of them to stay after the evening meal. His face was even more serious than what they were used too. Kyria's heart immediately start beating. Something was happening. Finally. Finally something was happening.
"A raven arrived from the Capital." he started in a solemn voice. "It's from the King."
"The King?" repeated Sansa, a glint in her eyes.
Kyria's heart stopped. Something in the back of her mind moved. She knew. She knew. Something happened. Something happened and she knew. She didn't know how or why, or even what she knew, but she knew.
Her mouth moved with his father's words.
" The Hand of the King is dead," he said. "King Robert and his family are coming for a visit. Here. At Winterfell."
"Really? How wonderful! The King! Here!" repeated the little lady. She never seemed that exited.
"Why would he come so far in the North?" asked Robb.
"There is only one reason for the King presence," Kyria whispered.
No one but Robb seemed to hear her. Good. He might as well hear it.
"He will ask Father to be the next hand."
"What?"
"Is there something wrong Robb?" asked Lady Catelyn, her brow frowned.
"No, no. Everything is Well mother."
She hummed but didn't say anything else.
Father looked at them for another moment, then, spoke again.
" The King will be there in one month," he said with a strong voice.
Kyria's heart was beating so quickly, her vision was clouded for a minute. She grabbed Robb's hand in hers and hold it as strongly as she could.
This was it. This was where all started. Finally. Finally, something was happening. Oh, she almost lost hope. Something was about to happen in her home. Something different. Life changing.
Game on.
TBC
So? What do you think,
Good? Bad?
Boring?
I tried to write this chapter with the idea that Kyria is bored. I think it is why I don't like it very much. There's a couple of things I like of course, the relationship between Kyria and all of her siblings, the part with Robb in the Godswood was fun (xD) and I had fun writing the wolf dream. But other than that it's more a way to show you how things are before everything started. Where we start from, with Kyria and her family.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you... well when I have the seventh chapter written and edited as I like.
And YAY! King's Robert is coooomiiiiing!
See ya!
Rubyy.