We left Sunspear after four days. In which time I'd become good friends with Elia and my father had become very well acquainted with Princess Tyene. To the amusement of most and the slight annoyance of the ruling princess, Oberyn could in fact lift and hold a practice sword and so began his weapons training.
I did feel slightly guilty about what I had done to Elia, it made me feel slightly better knowing what could have happened if she'd remembered. I'd become proficient in the mind arts while working for the aurors. It had taken years but I'd kept working at it and thankfully it had finally paid off. Occlumency was hard but it had opened the doors to legilimency. Whether it was for criminal interrogations or just knowing if someone was lying to you, legilimency could be very useful the only limit was how morally compromised you were prepared to become at the end. And best of all, legilimency didn't require a wand when dealing with someone with no training in the mind arts so unlike my demonstration with the not really burning thrones it didn't take any extra concentration or magical power.
In Elia's case I hadn't gone through her memories any more than I had to. I had to modify what she could recall about our first meeting. She now thought that I had given her a mix of herbs from the north that had cleared up her breathing not the most plausible thing but she was seven and desperate. Regardless, she could no longer remember anything about magic.
From Sunspear we traveled west, the Martells came with us but only as far as the Water Gardens. We stayed for a day that I sent playing with Elia, Oberyn and occasionally Lyanna. It was fun. Being carefree and innocent if only for the hours we sent mucking around, it was easy to forget about our brutal and ruthless world we lived in, forget that I was playing with a prince and a princess, forget that there were any problems that we would one day have to face.
Of course father spent his time with the elder princess.
But soon after we traveled on. Goodbyes were long, sad and intimate in the case of my father and Princess Tyene. I did feel sad about leaving Elia, she was a good person but it wasn't the hardest goodbye I'd ever given. I knew I would be able to see Elia, I'd seen to the fact that she wouldn't die, not for many years now if I had my way.
As we travelled east we stuck to the northern coast of the arm of Dorne. The sea breeze doing a little to sooth the oppressive heat of the sun. We spent our nights in the sparsely spaced inns or if we were lucky castles of Dornish Lords or if we were unlucky just on the ground under nothing but the stars.
At least in Dorne we didn't have to worry about it raining on our heads while we slept.
We rode hard for nine days through the dusty Dornish landscape and on the tenth Starfall came into view. The Palestone Sword tower reaching high into the sky was the first thing we saw but as we got closer the rest of the settlement we could see the pale walls grow from the surrounding foothills of the red mountains
It wasn't as imposing as Winterfell back in the North or as grand as Old Palace in Sunspear but it was spectacular in its own right. The pale stone that the walls were built of seemed to add a grace that the grey and red stones of Winterfell and Old Palace didn't have.
I couldn't help but be a bit nervous as I watched the purple banner of the Daynes fly over the top of the castle walls. Theses were new people, a new family to live with. And while there was still a part of me that was a century and a half old, this new body was five and I was limited in what I could do both physically and magically if I was threatened
We passed through the outer gates of Starfall, Dayne guards standing to attention as we passed them by. Our horses trudged through the streets where the smallfolk had settled outside the inner castle walls before going through yet another grand gateway and into a courtyard.
In the courtyard we were met by the Daynes.
Lord Dayne was easy to pick out of the crowd. Tall, broad and dressed in finer fabrics than almost all others in the courtyard. His wife, the Lady Dayne, stood to his left. On Lord Dayne's right were two children; the taller and only boy was probably Arthur while the shorter girl was Ashara.
"Lord Stark." Lord Dayne announced across the courtyard. "It's a pleasure to have you here in the castle of my ancestors. While you are my guest my house is yours as well."
"You're too generous though I would say maybe a touch too formal for greeting an old friend, Beric." My father replied a smile stretching across his sunburnt face as he dismounted from his horse. I followed his lead hoping that I wouldn't make a fool of myself in front of the people who will become my new family. Father began walking towards Lord Dayne and I made to follow him.
"Well, Rickard, it's not everyday you welcome the lord paramount of the North into your home." Father and Lord Dayne were only arm's reach from each other.
"Your eldest, Dominick, is he not here?" Father asked, so he'd also been looking at the Dayne children.
"Unfortunately not, he seems to be enjoying his time at Yronwood too much to come home." Lord Beric said, somewhat bitterly. "Even if the Lord Paramount of the North was visiting!"
"It's no problem, Beric. I'm sure there's a good reason for him not to be here."
"A girl more like." Lord Beric muttered back causing my father to throw his head back in laughter. I allowed myself to grin a little, a boy of five should probably not understand such things but maybe I could get away with an act of a young boy copying his father.
We were soon taken to our chambers inside of Starfall. The chambers I was taken to were far away from the rooms my father and younger siblings were given. The servant leading me through the unfamiliar corridors informed me that I had been given rooms in the family suit in the tower known as the Palestone Sword.
"It's a great honor." The servant had said.
Once I was inside my room I asked the servants who'd lead me there to draw me a bath so I could freshen up before being officially introduced to the family that will raise me until I become a 'man grown'.
Seriously some of the phrases the lords and ladies of Westeros were ridiculous.
So I bathed and picked out a smart tunic and doublet in the Stark colours before sitting on the bed, waiting for a servant to lead me through the unfamiliar castle to the hall where the Daynes would hold a feast in honor of mine and my father's arrival.
While I was waiting I thought back to Sunspear, back to when I first met Elia and how I'd used magic to cure Elia. I'd used up a large amount of the my magical reserves despite using Elia's own meager magical core to sustain the spell increasing the efficiency of her lungs. The biggest drain on my core was through the rearranging of Elia's memory. And while I had almost recovered while we'd travelled across the Dornish desert it had me more weary of being caught and having to change another person's memories knowing that it could leave me almost defenseless for about a week and a half. Though it offered a small comfort knowing I could do it if the situation really demanded it.
It wasn't long before there was a knock at my door. Collecting my thoughts, magic would only distract me now, I made my way to the door.
I'd expected a servant, who greeted me was very far from a servant.
It was Lady Ashara Dayne.
I hesitated for a second, not sure what to do before the lessons my mother had made sure I'd learnt before she died came back to me. I bowed slightly before saying "My Lady." I stood to my full height again though Ashara was still taller than me, maybe by two or three inches. "I did not expect to find you." I said, speaking my mind before I could stop myself. "Not that it isn't an honor to find the only daughter of Starfall at my door but it was unexpected." I said trying to catch myself before I said anything else without thinking. I'd learnt that the people of Westeros take their courtesy seriously and insults could mean war.
Ashara said nothing for a couple of seconds, tilting her head as she appeared to examine me.
Then she finally spoke.
"You're weird."
I almost laughed aloud. I often forgot how real five year olds spoke. How truthful and unforgiving they can be with their words. Maybe I didn't have to worry about courtesy with Ashara.
"Thank you, my Lady." I replied, she was confused but I wasn't overly bothered. I took this momentary pause in the conversation to study the young Lady Dayne.
She was slightly taller than myself but I wasn't too worried I'd been short in my last life I could deal with again in this one. Her body was lithe and thin in a way that I didn't think would last through her teenage years. Her skin was paler than Elia's but I would still call it olive coloured, particularly next to my own pasty white northern complexion. Her eyes, gods they were captivating. Her eyes were a purple but they seemed to never end as you stared into them. Constantly shifting between shades of purple in a way that reminded me of the geode that Albus had had at about the age my body was now.
"Come on, my father said to take you to the Lord's Hall." And with that Ashara took off at a run. Again I was reminded of how simple how the life of a five year old was, though something in the back of my mind told me Ashara was actually six, before I realised I would have to run after her if I didn't want to get lost.
So I ran after Ashara Dayne through the corridors of Starfall with a feeling deep within my stomach that this might become a common occurrence for the next couple of years.
I followed as she took corners as fast as her legs would carry her. Lefts and rights were taken at breakneck pace as we attempted to dodge out of the way of unsuspecting servants as they appeared around corners and out of doorways.
The feast went quickly, the next week even quicker and before I knew it my Stark family had gone, returning to Winterfell and the north. That was if Brandon hadn't burnt it down yet. Father had been more subdued than he had for the entirety of the trip but held his emotions close to his chest, I suspected that he was trying to make it easier for me. I suspected that Lyanna and Benjen didn't really know what was going on but seemed sad to say goodbye, or at least sad to say goodbye to the playground that was Starfall.
With my family gone life at Starfall began to fall into a routine. I attended lessons with Ashara as we were a similar age, her being just a year older than myself. We learnt our letters, numbers, histories of Westeros and Essos and the great houses of the seven kingdoms, though we focused on our home kingdoms, Dorne and the North.
Ashara quickly became a brilliant and valued friend. She filled the gap left empty when I'd been left here by my family. She was energetic and reckless, often not thinking about any possible consequences of her actions.
She showed me around Starfall. Showing me the ins and outs, all the secrets she'd discovered, introducing me to all the servants she knew would give us anything we asked for.
We played games; Lords and Ladies, Welcome to my castle and tag. I'd told Ashara that tag was a northern game but in reality I remembered playing it with James. But Ashara's favourite game by far was stick/sword fighting.
Neither of us we're very good at it but Ashara was enthusiastic enough for the two of us. I was yet to be taught how to fight and Ashara would probably never be allowed by her father but that didn't matter when our blades, sticks, clashed in the heat of battle.
And that was how we ended up getting in trouble.
We were fighting and Ashara was winning. Being older and taller she had a strength and reach advantage and while I was faster I didn't have the technique to take advantage of that.
She swung off her right side and I tried to back out of the way but unfortunately was too slow and the blow caught me on my left forearm. And although it hurt I immediately began my own attack. I swung from my left side, both hands on my stick to get more power. Ashara's momentum from her own attack still had her turning away from me and my attack and I was able to strike her unprotected side.
Ashara yelped from the sharp pain caused by my stick but quickly began to attack me. She flailed blows upon me, from both her left and right. I did my best to block and while I managed to deflect most of the attacks but she did manage to hit me more than I would have liked.
"Hey!" A voice called from behind me. I turned to see who it was only for Ashara to hit me in the back of my head.
"Oww!" I cried out as I spun back around to see my smirking friend.
"You shouldn't turn your back on your opponent, Harry." She said. Like she'd ever done any combat training.
Being the mature person I'd grown through my past life to be I stuck my tongue out at her.
"That wasn't very lady like, little sister." Said the voice from behind me. Spinning around once more I saw Arthur smirking at us. "And you shouldn't be losing to a girl if you want to be a knight, Harry!"
I stuck my tongue out at the ten year old. "I don't want to be a knight, only the seven have knights." I protested. "I'm true to the gods of my ancestors!"
While, truly, I didn't worship any of the gods. Westeros, however, is a highly religious land with ancient tensions between those who followed the new and the old gods. Despite this, it would be more dangerous to my person if I denounced all gods all together. The old gods were the easiest choice to go with. There being no formal form of worship meant I could do as I pleased when the others around Starfall went to the sept to pray to the seven.
The old gods didn't have knights though, and while the boy in me mourned that loss I also realised that I would more freedom without the oaths that becoming a knight required.
To Arthur's credit he didn't react to me snubbing his life goal. Arthur wanted to be a knight of the kingsguard. "Knight or otherwise, you won't be a great warrior if a girl can beat you." the older boy shrugged.
"Hey! Girls can do everything boys can do and better!" Ashara cried out from behind me.
This was a repetitive argument between the Dayne siblings. Them both being very competitive led to some interesting situations: Ashara trying to pull back the bowstring of a long bow she wasn't strong enough to use; Arthur trying to stitch some embroidery into a formal doublet; either of them trying to sweet talk their mother into letting them try wine at feasts.
"Course they can, Ashy." Arthur mocked using the nickname he knew she hated. And while I agreed with Ashara I knew it was better to stay out of these arguments. "Come with me Harry, I'll see if I can get the master of arms to start teaching you how to fight properly so you don't get beaten by girls anymore."
And with that Arthur turned and started walking back towards the castle.
I turned to Ashara, she was my friend here and I knew Arthur was using me to get to her. But I did want to learn how to fight, it looked fun and being able to defend myself without using magic would be a great help.
"Go." Ashara said, she looked very angry as she glared holes into her brothers before her frown twisted into a smirk. "Besides you can just teach me what you get taught later!"
I laughed a small chuckle as I turned to follow.
I followed Arthur as best I could. The older boy was in a rush and had much longer legs than I did so I regularly had to break out into a half-jog to just about keep at his heels. I guess I could call myself lucky that Arthur considered himself to old and proper to run throughout the castle.
We got to the tiltyard soon. Some guards were drilling off to one side others were sparing or practicing with long bows.
Arthur had stopped, his eyes sweeping across the people present. He was clearly looking for someone particular.
He must have spotted whoever it was as he set off again. Slower this time, now he knew where exactly this mystery person was the urgency had left his stride.
"Doran, I think it's time for Harry here to start learn his way around a sword." Arthur said.
I looked up at the large man Arthur was addressing. He was muscle bound and scared, the hair on his head thinning as the hair on his exposed chest only seemed to thrive. He was missing his left ear which looked odd, removing any kind of symmetry that his face may have once had.
Overall, he was not someone I wanted to get on the wrong side of.
And right now he was looking me up and down. Assessing me, wondering if there was truth in Arthur's words.
He looked back to Arthur and in a low gruff voice said, "I think you're right m'lord. But I won't train him."
Arthur was starting to show the first signs of getting angry. "What do you mean you won't train him! He's the son of the Warden of the North! You should be honoured to be given the chance!"
The old sword master didn't look like the young lord's anger disturbed him at all. "You'll train him, Arthur." Arthur's mouth dropped open slightly, he couldn't believe what Doran was saying, and neither did I. "You've said on many occasions that you want to be the next Sword of the Morning and the best way to improve is to teach others."
Arthur looked like he didn't know what to say.
"I'll help you draw up some plans, a schedule that fits around your own lesson and Harry's and I'll give you some tips here and there but from here on out Lord Harry is in your hands."