Father had always said that a Stark must always be in Winterfell. And as Father took Ned and I to where we'd be fostering that honor was given to Brandon. The wild wolf, as the servants called him, was left to hold the fort and run the north in father's absence: I wouldn't have been ashamed to say that I didn't think I'd see Winterfell standing ever again.
We'd been riding for six days now and we were approaching White Harbor. It had been slow going despite our relatively small party. Though I suspected that this was because father had insisted on bringing Lyanna and Benjen along with us.
While I guess that father wouldn't want to leave his youngest alone with only Brandon and non-family members to look after them it didn't make sense to bring them on a potentially hazardous journey. Benjen was only about half a year old and Lyanna was only a little more than a year older than Benjen himself. But still they came with us, father and his captain of the guards, Thom, carrying the pair of young children in backpack like cradles.
The ride was long and the thrill of getting to ride my own horse, it was a pony really, soon wore off, I couldn't help but to keep on comparing it to a broom and how much faster it would be just to fly. Ned looked equally bored by the long ride on his own pony, but then he always looked slightly bored. Just as the servants had called Brandon the wild wolf Ned had become the quiet wolf. I hadn't heard of a nickname for myself yet and I guess I wouldn't for a long time now that I was being sent away.
I did try to be angry with father for what he was doing to not only me but Ned as well. Ordering us away, forcing us to not only spend time apart from each other but forcing us to leave the only familiar place we'd ever seen, forcing us to leave our family especially so soon after our mother had been taken from us. But I couldn't.
I couldn't be angry at the man who almost radiated sadness and regret. Mother's death had hit him the hardest, Brandon, Ned and Lyanna being too young to understand, Benjen only just a babe himself and, though I hated to admit it, I was hardened from a previous life of loss.
Of course I also saw the benefits of what father was doing. In this middle ages-esk world alliances had to be formed and Ned fostering at the Eyrie would make it more likely that the Vale would side with the North if conflict broke out. But this also pointed out the flaws in my own fostering. The Daynes of Starfall weren't a major house in the grand scheme of things, not in Westeros or anywhere outside Dorne. While they were respected warriors the greatest of which carrying the title 'The Sword of Morning' as well as the mystical sword Dawn that was said to be made from the heart of a fallen star, but that wasn't the grounds on which a fostering would usually be built for the son of Winterfell. I did try to ask father why I was going to Starfall but he'd managed to dodge my question so I was left ignorant.
So we kept slowly plodding along on the backs of our horses and eventually got to the gates of White Harbor. We were greeted by a group of people with a merman sigel on their breast plate, a soldier in the service of House Manderly the ruling lords of the city. One of them, a captain perhaps, spoke to father though I wasn't listening. I couldn't bring myself to care about what they were talking about.
We were led slowly through the city up towards New Castle and the Mermaids court that resided inside, all built in the shadow of the Wolf's den. White Harbor was busier than Winterfell but then it was also the most populated city in the North with it's bustling sea trade granting many jobs for the common folk.
Once inside the gates of New Castle we were greeted by Lord Wendel Manderly's son and heir Sir Wyman Manderly. Apparently the rumor that the ruling lord had gotten too fat to walk were not as exaggerated as I thought they might be. It was said that House Manderly still enjoyed the lavish life that was popular throughout the Reach from whence they came before they'd escaped to the North.
Sir Wyman greeted us, though again I wasn't really concentrating on what was being said, it was like every step we took towards the Eyrie and eventually Starfall the less I could think of anything else. What would it be like in Dorne, I knew it was very far south but how much hotter would it be. I didn't know how different the culture would be, even the North was a culture shock after I'd been reborn and the North was a very conservative society. And I'd heard the people in Dorne were… less conservative in their views.
It took a shout from my father to jolt me from my internal worries.
"Harold!" he had shouted. "Get off your horse. We are greeting Lord Manderly now."
I jumped down from my horse not wanting to anger father and started to walk alongside Ned a couple of steps behind our father. We walked through a pair of grand doors, guards standing at each side letting us pass without trouble.
Lord Manderly was fat, like really fat. I'd never seen anyone this fat in both of my lives. His eyes seemed small in comparison to the rest of his face and reminded me of my uncle Vernon's and cousin Dudley's pig like features. I zoned out while Lord Manderly was speaking bowing slightly when father grasped my shoulder as he introduced both Ned and I. We then retired to our rooms to freshen up before the feast that was being held in our honour.
"What's up with you?" A voice asked from the doorway. I looked up to see my twin, Ned, leaning against the open door with a concerned look on his face.
"It's nothing." I said trying to push him away before I said anything a normal 5 year old would say.
"No." Ned said, "You're sad." He'd never been one for many words. "Why."
I didn't know how to say this. How was I supposed to explain to him that I didn't understand why father was sending us away. I knew he was grieving but that didn't really explain it. Sending Ned to the Arryns sort of made sense politically but my own didn't make any sort of sense. It was infuriating and had been occupying my mind for most of the journey here. But how was i supposed to tell Ned that.
"I just want to go home." I told him. "I miss Winterfell and Bran and Mother and the godswood." I rambled on listing things from home that I liked ranging from the important to the petty.
Ned stood there all along nodding. When I was done rambling he said "I miss home too." before leaving.
I smirked while I shook my head. It was so quintessentially Ned that it was hard not to laugh at the familiarity of the quiet boy and his antics.
It was some days after that we landed in Gulltown and started the ride on horseback to the Eyrie. It took a week of solid riding before we got the ancient Vale stronghold. It was impressive, I'll give it that.
Built in and throughout a mountain, the Eyrie was unlike Hogwarts, Winterfell or any or any other castle I'd seen before. The only way up, if you weren't prepared to climb the almost sheer sides of the mountain, was up a small path that passed through three miniature castles. It was said to be impregnable but I wasn't too sure. You could, in theory it was possible to storm through Stone, Snow and Sky, the castles guarding the singular path up to the Eyrie itself but that was likely to cost many lives and take a long time. Again you could climb the outside of the mountain. You'd need a very dedicated set of men but if maybe two dozen of them made it into the castle you could take it. Though you'd need the element of surprise at hand and work silently but I believed it could be done.
Of course once I got to the top I could apparate there whenever I wanted to and I could tear the castle down myself if the notion took me. But that could be cheating.
"Lord Stark." A voice boomed as we finally got to the top of the mountain fortress. It had taken almost a day to climb the mountain and I'd begun to pity the poor small folk who'd had to not only build the castle but carry the raw materials up the side of this blasted mountain. "Welcome to the Eyrie." The voice of course belonged to the Lord of the Eyrie and Warden of the East, Lord Jon Arryn.
"Jon, it's good to see you again." Father said, striding forwards before grasping Lord Arryn's hand in a firm handshake. "It's been too long, too long my friend."
"The blame cannot rest solely on me, friend. I believe it was you who was busy having children." The Lord of the Vale joked but I could see in his eyes that he wanted children of his own. "I was very sorry to hear of Lyarra's passing."
Father smiled sadly at the mention of his deceased wife. "At least she blessed me with five fine children before her time came. I was sorry to hear of your own Lady wife's passing as well, Jon." Father said as he put one arm around the shoulders of the other lord. "Now let me introduce my children to you."
"These two are Benjen and Lyanna, my youngest two." He said as he gestured to my two sleeping siblings. "Unfortunately the days been a bit tiring for them. Then we have my twins. Harold and Eddard. Eddard is going to be the one you'll be fostering here." Father explain as Ned and I bowed to the Warden of the East.
"It's lovely to see that a legacy as long and rich as the Starks are still prospering and clearly in safe hands." Lord Jon said, "Now I should introduce you to my other ward, Robert Baratheon, future Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands."
A boy who'd been standing behind Jon throughout the introductions walked forwards. The boy was tall and stocky and must have been around Brandon's age. He walked with a swagger that I remembered from the pureblood heirs and Lords from my past life. He then bowed to father before reaching his hand out to Ned. "I guess we'll be like brothers soon."
This brought a smile to Ned's face, I guess he'd have been just as worried about this whole fostering business as I was and to know that he'd have a friend must have been comforting.
After releasing Ned's hand Robert nodded to me before returning to his place behind Lord Arryn.
We stayed at the Eyrie for a week before leaving. Ned and Robert quickly became fast friends and were running through the hall ways and courtyards of the Eyrie, causing trouble wherever they went in no time at all.
Of course this left me alone, but I was used to it. And besides it gave me more time to practice magic and play with my younger siblings.
Lyanna was just about stringing words together, almost forming sentences that made sense to anyone else. But it was clear that she enjoyed herself as we messed around with building blocks and her dolls father had brought for her.
We left with a hug and a promise to send ravens with any news. I suspect that my siblings my have cried if they knew what was happening but instead they gurgled happily in the cots. I didn't cry I'd seen too much horror in my life to cry at goodbyes. And besides even as we stood there, practically going through the door, Ned and Robert were planning their next bit of mischief and in front of the lord of the castle.
Well no one would ever accuse them of being cunning.
Another weeks riding and we were back in Gulltown and back on the waves but this time with a much longer journey ahead of us.
I personally quite liked sailing, the steady rock of the boat on calm waters helped me to think and the violent tipping in higher winds allowed me to get the adrenaline rush I'd begun to crave. Father clearly hated ships and Ned had on the way to the Vale going by the way they'd hidden in their personal cabins for the entire time at sea. Benjen was confined to fathers cabin but that wasn't a problem as Benjen could barely walk and was stuck crawling around. The problem was Lyanna.
Lyanna was toddling around at quite a rate of knots and, like Brandon, had a gift of getting into trouble. She regularly escaped father's cabin though no one had been able to figure out how yet. And then she'd do one of three things: fall asleep in a hard to find and potentially dangerous place; get into the store rooms and start playing with whatever she could reach i.e. grains, jars, fruits; run around the main deck while the deck hands tried to catch her while simultaneously trying to steer her away from the sides of the boat so that the only daughter of the Lord paramount of the North wouldn't charge head first off of the ship.
On the journey to Sunspear we had no less than ten near misses on the deck and twelve incidents in the store room and five naps in ridiculous places.
Father was very glad to finally go on to land.
We were greeted by the current Lord Paramount of Dorne, or really the Lady Paramount of Dorne and a small number of guards. Lady Tyene Martell had inherited the ruling title as she was the eldest of her Father's children whereas in all the other kingdoms her brother Lewyn would have taken the title from her, in Dorne the line of succession went in the age order instead of placing male heirs ahead of female heirs.
"Lord Stark, it's a pleasure to have one of so far north come so far south." The Princess of Dorne said. Her accent as exotic as her olive skin, black eyes and silk clothing.
"Princess, the honour is all mine. Never did I dream that I would one day set foot in Dorne." My father replied bowing before her.
"Come Lord Stark, we don't stand on formalities too much in Dorne, please call me Tyene." the princess said.
"Then I insist you call me Rickard, Tyene." Father paused before saying her name as if the name was foreign to his tounge. Which it probably was, you don't get many dornish people coming to the North.
The Princess then walks forwards and looks into the cot being carried by Thom. "Who's this little one." She was smiling as she reached into the cot to tickle Benjen.
"That's my youngest, Benjen." Father replied.
"Well isn't he cute. And who's this one?" She said as she squatted down to Lyanna's height. Lyanna had refused to go in her cot as we were leaving the ship and was now stuck holding father's hand.
Father looked down at his daughter, who was hiding slightly behind his leg as he smiled encouragingly.
"Lyanna." She said in a small quiet voice before ducking completely behind father.
Luckily the Princess of Dorne found the small girl's shyness charming and smiled back at the girl.
"And who may you be?" She finally asked me.
"I'm Harold Stark, Princess Tyene." I replied trying to be as polite as possible. I was unfortunately at an age where you expected to have learnt all the manners and etiquette needed to meet other Lords and Ladies. Of course I was allowed a few slip ups but I'd always thought that I should make the best first impression as possible and that unfortunately meant sticking to the rules laid out by highborn etiquette.
"Well, Harold Stark, mightn't you be the Stark that is soon to fostered at Starfall?" I could tell she was mocking me slightly but I didn't think I should react, a normal five year old wouldn't notice it and therefore I shouldn't.
"I am, Princess Tyene, I'm looking forward to learning from Lord Dayne." I said continuing my over use of titles and surnames.
"I should hope so. Not only is Lord Dayne one of my most powerful and loyal bannermen but the Daynes also produce the best swordsmen in the world: The Sword of Morning. I hear that young Arthur Dayne is hoping to become the next in a long line of fierce warriors, are you going to train with him and become a soldier just as feared?"
"I hope so, Princess Tyene." I said. Though in all honesty I hadn't even thought about having to learn about how to use a sword or muggle warfare, it was all rather alien to me after all my time settling disputed at the end of my wand, but then I don't have a wand anymore! Maybe I would have to become used to the idea of using a sword instead.
"Come Stark's, I will introduce you to my family." The princess said as she began to walk towards Old Palace. It was a short walk as we made our way through Sunspear, though it was still long enough for people to hear that the Starks of Winterfell were visiting. Tens if not hundreds of dornish people lined the streets trying to catch a glance at us northern nobles. I guess we were almost completely foreign to them. Our pale skin standing in distinct contrast to that of the olive skin that the dornish were famous for. Our wools and leathers were the polar opposite to the preferred silks. We must have been an odd sight.
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An Average White Writer