Chapter 2: Northern Resolve
Lyanna Mormont spent four days on the mainland with House Glover before she came across Robb Stark and Jon Snow by happenstance during a walk through the Wolfswood. She regarded Robb Stark with the utmost respect and though he did not wear the crown of his ancestors, she saw him as her King of Winter. As for Jon Snow, Lyanna did not think less of him because of his bastard name. In contrast to how many others treated him, she hugged Jon and gave a kiss on his cheek. Those gestures went a long way in brightening his mood, which was sullen on his best days and bordering on melancholy on his worst.
Robb Stark cordially invited Lyanna Mormont to stay in Winterfell. The youngest daughter of Maege Mormont accepted wholeheartedly. Only after sending a raven to Bear Island and having received permission from the Lady of Bear Island did Lyanna Mormont ride out to Winterfell with Robb Stark and Jon Snow.
Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn welcomed her to Winterfell even as Lyanna greeted Theon Greyjoy with a punch to the face when he mockingly bowed to her. For an 8 year old, the little bear cub was strong.
Though he would not tell anyone out loud, Bran Stark was drawn to the Mormont women for a long time and Lyanna had his attention perhaps most of all.
Rickon just thought Lyanna was nice.
As for Arya, she found a best friend for life in Lyanna Mormont.
Jeyne Poole, Beth Cassel, Sansa Stark and Septa Mordane did not have much in the way of patience for Arya's rebellious antics on any given day. With Lyanna Mormont at Arya's side, there was never a dull moment, which meant trouble for Mordane.
Though they were both adventurous in spirit, only one of them was capable of having diversity. Arya's embroidery of her house's direwolf sigil and words WINTER IS COMING were a bit shaky. Lyanna Mormont was able to stitch the bear sigil of House Mormont and the words HERE WE STAND spot on with a steady hand without so much as a drop of blood shed.
"Septa Mordane, it's a beautiful day outside. May Arya and I go out and play in the courtyard after we have finished our embroidery?" Lyanna asked out of courtesy.
Lord and Lady Stark warned her about the obstinate, strong will possessed by the she-bears of House Mormont. From that warning, Septa Mordane did not expect Lyanna Mormont to be well mannered and well spoken. She imagined her to be as unruly and savage as Arya.
"Arya must lean how to be a proper lady. This is not Bear Island where women take up arms like savages. This is Westeros. Though I am surprised you can sew as well as you have."
"My mother taught my sisters and I how to sew and embroider herself." Lyanna retorted as she stood up and matched Mordane's stare without backing down. "We are not in Westeros, Septa. Gods be good, we are certainly not in the South. We are in the North. Arya and I are of the North, where our ways, while savage and uncivilized to you, is proper for us." Lyanna said with such courage and conviction that Arya smiled while Sansa, Beth and Jeyne frowned.
"Lyanna, the North has been part of Westeros since the Dawn Age. You may have learned how to do embroidery well but you have a long way to go before anyone could call you a proper lady." Sansa said with a condescending tone.
"That sounds like something a southern trout would say, Lady Sansa. If being proper means looking and sounding like a chirping bird with clipped wings, I will not mind being called a savage." Lyanna spoke in such a way that Arya had to cover her mouth with her hand to muffle the laughing fit threatening to erupt from deep within her. Before Septa Mordane could admonish her, Lyanna switched back to her polite voice.
"If I help Arya stitch her house words and sigil properly, can she and I go to the godswood for prayer? Even us Northern savages have faith."
Septa Mordane took a moment to think it over and nodded. "Very well. If you can succeed in helping Lady Arya Stark complete her task, I will allow you both to go pray in the godswood."
Lyanna Mormont sat next to Arya Stark and began helping her with the embroidery.
Septa Mordane did not believe in Lyanna Mormont's abilities and thought such a feat could not be done. A moment later, Septa Mordane regretted making such a wager. The task was accomplished. With Lyanna's aid and guidance, Arya stitched the direwolf and her house's words successfully. What made it a thorn in Septa Mordane's side was that a northern girl of eight years succeeded where she failed.
Placing the embroidered direwolf of House Stark next to the embroidered bear of House Mormont, Lyanna pulled Arya up to her feet and they hugged each other.
Turning back to the Septa, Arya Stark and Lyanna Mormont gave a curtsy in defiance to Septa Mordane before they took off through the door, laughing all the way.
Kneeling before the heart tree together with the poise of warriors, Arya and Lyanna prayed to the Old Gods for Septa Mordane to fall face first in a pile of horse dung and then for forgiveness for wishing such a thing on someone even if they had it coming. They prayed for their loved ones who had passed on and those still alive. Arya had a branch in hand that she pretended was Ice, the ancestral Valyrian greatsword of House Stark. Lyanna had a branch in hand that she pretended was Longclaw, the ancestral Valyrian bastard sword of House Mormont. As they finished their prayers, Arya spoke a silent wish that she thought of for a long time.
"Lyanna, can I be fostered on Bear Island? I can not stand Sansa, Septa Mordane and my mother's attempts to make me some lord's wife. I don't want any of that. Sometimes, I wonder if my life would have been better if I was a Mormont like you."
"Do not speak such nonsense, Arya Stark. To be born a Stark is both a privilege and a duty. Your house has governed the North for many years. From what I've been taught and all I have read, the Kings of Winter did not possess silver tongues. A lot of what Septa Mordane teaches you in ways of sewing and embroidery is what you can also expect from my sisters and my mother. The same amount of time and energy we put into learning how to dress wounds, hunt for food and train with weapons for combat is what we put into learning cookery, embroidery, raising a family and keeping house." Lyanna said, remembering when she would watch Dacey skin and cut her kill while Alysane was tending to her two children. Lyra and Jorelle would sharpen blades and whittle arrows one minute and then commit the same time spent on weapons to their studies. Then the five of them would go before the heart tree for prayer until it was time for supper.
"I would love to see you fostered with us, Arya, but if your father objects to it, it will not happen. Even if you don't say it out loud, you would miss your lady mother and sister." Lyanna said objectively.
"Think about it, Lyanna. We would ride out through the woods together before the sun rises, do our studies in the morning after breaking our fasts, spar in the midday, sew in the last hours before sunset, dine in the evening and prayers in the godswood before bed."
"The way you say it, I'm started to hope Lord Stark gives you his blessing and permission to be fostered on Bear Island." Lyanna said with a smile on her face.
"What about hunting?" Arya asked. "Will we get to do that?"
"The both of us still have a long way to go before we can go hunting. My mother has only taken Dacey, Alysane and Lyra hunting because they were old enough and strong enough to do it. More than likely, we'll be stuck taking care of Alysane's children with Jorelle while she, Lyra and Dacey go hunting with Mother." Lyanna said. "If your father agrees to it, I would be honored to have you live with us on Bear Island."
Arya held Lyanna's hand in hers. "We may be of different houses but as Northerners, we are sisters, you and I."
Lyanna hugged her and whispered into her ear, "The Mormont women are never betrothed to anyone. We choose who we want to marry and it's them who must prove themselves to us. I hope Bran is up to the task."
Arya was more than surprised at what she heard. Lyanna looked at her friend and smiled. "He is cute and kind but I will not go easy on him. If he proves his worth and holds his own against me, perhaps one day I will wed him. On that happy day, Arya Stark of Winterfell, you and I will truly become sisters."
Upon returning to the courtyard, the girls were met by a surprise.
Direwolf pups.
Eddard Stark returned from the execution of deserters. Among those with him were Rodrick Cassel, Jory Cassel, Theon Greyjoy, Jon Snow, Robb and Bran Stark. On the road back from the execution, they found a dead direwolf. The last thing it did before dying was giving birth to six pups.
Rickon's choice of name for his direwolf was the kind any child would think of. Shaggydog.
Bran named his direwolf after his favorite season of the year. Summer.
Arya named her direwolf after the Rhoyne warrior queen of Dornish legend. Nymeria.
Sansa, in her ambitions to become elegant and refined like her lady mother, simply named her direwolf Lady.
Robb chose to name his direwolf Grey Wind. Within a year, Grey Wind will cement his name with his quick speed, agility, ferocity and strength. He would also be the alpha male of the litter.
Jon Snow and his albino direwolf seemed fit for each other. They were part of the pack and yet they seemed to stand out from the pack. Unlike his other litter-mates, the red eyed albino direwolf did not make a sound. Therefore, Jon named his direwolf Ghost.
At supper, Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark announced to everyone all types of news.
Dacey Mormont and Benjen Stark were coming down from Castle Black to Winterfell for a visit.
"There are women on the Wall now?" Arya asked in astonishment, causing everyone to laugh.
"If there were women on the Wall, I would have probably taken the black a long time ago just to see it for myself." Theon laughed.
"There are no women in the Night's Watch, Theon, and you would do well to keep those opinions to yourself when Dacey Mormont arrives." Ned spoke to his ward in a way that was not jovial or threatening but it was enough to be both and neither.
"Does my sister know I'm here, Lord Stark?" Lyanna asked.
"I do not believe so."
Robb, Jon and Bran were silent for a bit since they each had certain memories of the heir to Bear Island. For Robb and Jon, she once took them to her home in Bear Island. Robb and Jon were each ten while Dacey was six and ten. She was practically a woman full grown and they were mere boys.
Though they had learned to ride on horseback at the age of six, Robb and Jon were put on the same horse as Dacey Mormont, who already had an idea on how impulsive a pair of ten year old boys could be. In order to make sure neither of them ran off and got lost, Dacey had Robb sit in front of her while Jon sat behind her. The wind was crisp and cool against their skin as they rode off together through the forest, the scent of pine thick in their noses and the warmth of Dacey's body against theirs were sensations neither Robb Stark or Jon Snow would or could ever forget.
During their ride through the woods, they stopped for a while so Dacey could teach them how to fish. Dacey showed both of them the same attention. Dacey taught Robb when to use his full strength and when to use a gentler hand. Jon seemed to have the opposite problem. She had to teach him when to use the strength he didn't think he had. In some cases, Dacey had to help Jon find strength in himself.
Between the three of them, they caught 12 fish, which they ate for lunch upon their return to Mormont Keep. Robb sat at Dacey's right hand and Jon ate at her left. She did not tell him to eat with the servants and stable boys, which was a surprise to him and it made him love her that much more.
For Bran, he was six years old when he got the pull to climb trees and the ramparts. One time, he slipped and fell backwards only to land in the arms of a nineteen year old Dacey Mormont.
"Take care when you climb, Bran. It's a long way up and a long way down." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and set him on the ground. Since then, even at his young age, Bran developed a love for the Mormont girls.
"Did Lady Dacey say how long she will be at Winterfell?" Bran asked.
"She did not but I imagine we'll find out on the morrow when she arrives." Catelyn said.
Arya smiled at Lyanna with excitement in her eyes. For her, Arya had a serious case of hero worship for Lyanna's eldest sister who fought the Free Folk and the Ironborn since she was old enough to swing a sword, loose an arrow and strike with a mace. The eldest daughter of Lady Maege Mormont was a resilient, strong willed and brave woman who seemed to embody the spirit of the North.
Sansa had her own memory of Dacey Mormont. It was astounding and incredible to Sansa, when she was only two and ten, to see an eight and ten Dacey Mormont clad in armor and beating down Jory Cassel in a sparring match. Robb and Jon tried to spar with the she-bear. Both of them wound up wounded and soundly defeated. At supper, the same woman appeared in a dress of Northern style with her hair brushed and flowing free across her back and shoulders. She was polite when the moment called for it but then later on in the evening, she would be found among Robb, Jon and Bran, telling stories of fighting Wildling and Ironborn raiders with a stein of Northern ale in her hand. Even though they took a beating from her, Robb and Jon loved spending time with Dacey Mormont of Bear Island.
Theon had both a lust for the she-bear and a fear of her. His family name and the simple fact that he was Ironborn was not forgotten by either him and Dacey Mormont, who once beat him till he was bleeding from head to toe. That taught Theon an important lesson.
Never try to bed a she bear of House Mormont if she does not like you or your family.
When dinner was finished, Robb and Jon had gone to prepare themselves for Dacey's arrival.
After leaving Castle Black and having traveled through the Gift, Benjen Stark and Dacey Mormont set up camp nearby the Long Lake, which flowed to the White Knife and out to the Bite.
Dacey caught some fish for them to cook over the fire. It had been years since Benjen had ever sat across from a woman and yet he did not have any impulse to try his luck with Dacey.
For a moment, as the fish fried over the fire, neither Stark or Mormont spoke to each other. Then Dacey decided to break the silence.
"Why did you take the black?"
Benjen gave a grim smile. "There are days when I wonder that question myself and then I remember. It was before Robert's Rebellion happened. A man of the Night's Watch came to town, urging all able-bodied men to join up and serve the Realm. His argument was compelling enough to make me want to join willingly."
"You never thought of becoming Lord of Winterfell?" Dacey asked.
"I was born the third son in my family. I am certain that I would have inherited less to nothing if anything at all. Winterfell would have gone to Brandon if he lived to this day. Ned never wanted to rule either Winterfell or the North; he never thought he was up to the challenge. After Father, Brandon and Lyanna were laid to rest, there was nothing for me."
"You may not have inherited Winterfell but even you could have found something for yourself. Perhaps you would have found yourself a lady wife who would love you. She could have helped you fill the hole in your heart."
Benjen smiled at Dacey's sentimentality. "You are young, Dacey, and your heart is still warm. Do not ever lose that. As for me, a man of the Night's Watch has to be as hard and cold as the Wall itself to survive. I will always love my brother, his lady wife, my nephews and nieces with all my heart, make no mistake of that but my house is on the Wall. My family is the Night's Watch."
"My uncle told me all of this long ago. Your lady wife is duty. Your mistress is honor." Dacey said.
When the fish was finally cooked, they dined on it to fill their stomachs with something more appetizing and nourishing than nostalgic grief and emotional regret.
"Did you travel from Bear Island to Castle Black only to give the Lord Commander the ancestral weapon of his father, grandfather and forefathers?"
"I went to see him for counsel. I heard of the betrothal between Rose of Highgarden and the heir to Winterfell."
"When has a betrothal between other people mattered so much to you?"
"It matters because of what a southern cunt did to my house. She ruined us and I will not see that happen to the Starks."
"I have heard talk about what your cousin did. How would that have affected you?"
"I carry shame for having stood idly by and doing nothing. Had I been there for Jorah, he would not have taken with Lynesse and he would never have done what he did."
"Is that why you are going to Winterfell? To tell Robb not to marry this girl from the Reach?"
Dacey bit a large portion of her fish out of frustration and chewed it to work out her anger. Swallowing the food in her mouth, she spoke evenly. "It's not my place to do such a thing. In standing by Robb, protecting him and guiding him, I could perhaps attain redemption for my inaction and restore honor to House Mormont."
"You truly care for Robb that much?" Benjen asked.
"Yes." Dacey spoke.
"Would you relinquish your inheritance to the title of Lady of Bear Island to be the right hand of Robb Stark?"
"Whether or not I become Lady of Bear Island, I am still a Northerner and a Mormont. If not me, Alysane will take up the mantle after my mother and serve properly as Lady of Bear Island. What I know for certain is that I can not stand by and allow some flowery bitch to ruin House Stark as mine was."
"If I didn't know better, I would have thought you were betrothed to Robb Stark." Benjen remarked. "If that were true, I have no doubt you would be a credit to both your house on Bear Island and House Stark." Dacey looked at Benjen as if to determine if he were making a jape or speaking true. "The Wall is not known for training mummers and court jesters. I truly believe you will one day make someone very happy. For their sake, I hope they can hold their own and prove themselves worthy enough to have you."
The smile on Dacey's face warmed Benjen's cold heart for a moment and then he said the inevitable. "In the morning, when you and I arrive at Winterfell, say your peace to Lord Stark, his son, whoever you need to talk with and leave the final decision in their hands."
A/n: How is this story coming along? I'm also trying to figure out a name for Robb's personal guard. If you leave a review, great. Just remember to be constructive and not destructive.