Hey all, if anyone ever reads this that is, I've had this written out on my laptop for about a year now with no real thoughts on uploading it. Season eight took the fun out of all things GOT for me.
But seeing as I'm uploading everything else, I thought why not? It could be good practice to write about our favourite medieval fantasy land.
That being said, I'm not super happy with how it turned out. The dialogue in particular feels …stilted in some places. Ye olde English is harder than it looks.
Fair warning I'm still reading the first novel, but I'll stick close to the narrative of the TV show, with obvious exceptions.
So, without further ado, I present Naruto Uzumaki in "Winter's Wolf"! (Working title)
-UPDATE-
So, I've gone through and removed about six million spelling mistakes and grammatic (Grammatical? Ironic, I know.) errors. I was on the right side of drunk when I originally posted this and completely forgot to proofread it. Hopefully, I didn't miss anything but it should be a million times easier to read now.
Chapters 2 and 3 are almost done and should be up soon.
-0-
"Shhh!, you'll frighten it"
"You 'Shhh'. You're the one being loud, besides, I've got this"
There was a short snap followed by the unmistakable hiss of an arrow taking flight. Less than a second later a pained bale filed the damp forest air as an arrowhead drove itself deep into the side of a small doe. Panic set in as the creature tried to hobble away, screeching and baying in futility. Its eyes frantic and its head swaying, the deer stomped its paws, unsure where to run or if to even bother. Then it was over, the doe fell, its tongue hanging from its mouth, blood staining the mossy forest floor beneath it.
"See! Told you! Witness the greatness of your Lord Ser Naruto Uzumaki, bringer of dinner!" A young boy burst from the undergrowth, blond hair swaying wildly as he held a bow high above his head in his tiny left hand. He then proceeded to strike a number of "Heroic" poses. Flashing a bright smile to the second figure crawling its way out of the muddy bushes they had used to hide from their prey.
"Lucky shot" A voice snapped from his left, breaking him from his antics. It came from a pale, freckled boy. A mop of muddy ginger hair hung long against his face, framing his round features and pale green eyes.
His blond friend walked over to the fallen deer and tugged harshly to remove the arrow from its side. "It was a lucky shot last time and the time before that and every time I show you up Will, face it, you're just jealous". There was a mocking infliction to his tone. A smirk filled his features, squinting his icy blues almost shut before he continued. "Unlike you, jealous sod, Hilda will froth at the loins when she sees my bountiful harvest"
There was a beat.
Will stared at his young friend, mouth wide open in apparent shock. He swung his head quickly to the left, then to the right, looking for anyone who might have overheard the blond.
"Will you stop saying that, if old Nan hears you it will be our hides!" He shot daggers at the blond, who was now grinning like a madman as he sized up his kill. "Besides you don't even know what that means, you're still just a child. Not to mention, Hilda's married and three times your age" he finished his admonishment shaking his head.
"The heart wants what the heart wants old friend" Naruto was tying the small doe's legs together as he spoke. "Jorah and his mates said women like Hilda get all frothy for a man that provides and I've been providing for the entire estate" He gestured to his kill. "Once I show her this, she'll finally show me her loins so I can see what all the fuss is about. Everyone else has seen it, fat Jon even said he ate it once, not sure what that means but I hope it doesn't make me as fat as he is."
The redhead moved to assist his hunting partner, struggling as the thick rope was proving difficult to maneuver. "You're ten" Will added after a few minutes. Naruto looked at him. "You're ten, and I'm twelve, stop calling me "old friend". You don't sound as cultured as you think."
"And you need to lighten up, live a little. As the Starks say, "Winter Is Coming" he put on an air of superiority for the last part.
"You have no idea what that means, do you?" It was rhetorical "Whatever, let's get this back to the house"
Will sighed and watched as his diminutive friend, with great effort heaved the larger beast over his relatively tiny shoulders. Normally a feat such as this would shock most denizens of Westeros into stupor, but young Will Garner had seen his closest friend accomplish even more outrageous feats of strength than lifting a small doe over his head.
Grinning madly with satisfaction, Naruto took a moment to take in the forest of the Wolfswood. A forest of Oak and Evergreen and Ash and a dozen other families of dark monolith-like towers that stood stalwart against the howling winds from beyond the wall. Winds that today, were content to slink and squirm through the endless parade of white-topped, thick branched northern trees. Though it was mid-day there was an eerie darkness that hung over the boys as the rays of the sun struggled to find footing on the forest floor. Bright pillars of light crisscrossed around them, illuminating the thick vegetation that took hold when one wondered off the paths beaten by thousands of years of Northmen forging their way through the undergrowth.
A thousand sounds filled the mood as life screamed its existence all around them. A cacophony of mewls, cries, and chirps drifted through the air, settling gently over the wood, almost a serenade in its consistency. The occasional grunt or deep huff from a wild boar would underpin the lighter sounds, falling into melody with the crunching footsteps of the young friends as they made their way through their moss-colored surroundings.
Finally making their way back onto the thin road that wandered north into the nothingness, the boys began heading south, towards home. Home was a small logging estate that was all but abandoned. The families that had once called these lands home had long since moved to the much larger and better-protected holdings that stood in close proximity to Deepwood Motte, the Fastness of House Glover. House Glover who oversaw the Wolfswood and lands west towards the coast at Sea Dragon Point. A House that had neither the will nor the manpower to adequately police this part of The North. Even with the help of their loyal bannermen of Houses Forrester, Woods, Branch, and Bole, all of which made their wealth from the product of the woodsmen who toiled these forests.
-0-
Young Will sighed as they veered into a shantytown that once sold lumber to merchants with coin from the Wine Islands to the Dornish coast. His family's story was getting harder and harder to remember, fading into nothingness alongside the stinking corpse of their former home.
There was history with the noble Houses of the wood and what was once the up and coming Garner family. Noble houses who made tidy coin from their now abandoned sawmill and lumber yard.
"Ah, smells like home" Naruto chirped in. His tiny nose flared in defiance and his features squinted in disgust at the overpowering aroma of rotting wood that filled the old Garner estate. Seeing the sombreness in his friend's face, the blond continued. "When we're old enough we'll enter the tourneys, Will. Our winnings will see this place sawing and milling again before long."
"Yeah, sawing and milling" Will responded with a lop-sided smile, more to appease his enthusiastic friend than with any conviction. "For now, young knight, let's get your kill back to the others."
They continued on under the old, crooked buildings that once served as the living quarters for the men, women and children that once called these lands home. Where there used to be clean, well-trodden streets and alleyways, there was now only dilapidation. Snow piled as high as a man along the short main road that led to the giant sawmill at the end of the estate. Will could still hear the hustle of the burly men who would haul the old oak back to saws, the memory of the wails and whirls of the mill was like an old ache he could still feel in his soul.
There was little in the way of grand design to the small space, houses and hovels seemed to have been put up randomly as new people joined the workforce. They lined the main road haphazardly casting shadows that danced across the pure white snow as the trees surrounding them shivered in the wind.
The amicable silence was broken when the two boys came up to what was left of a large residence. The distance between this house and the others around it stood to mean something. This was the foreman's home, Will's home. It had not been kept well. All manner of weed and ivy crept across the stone structure. A felled tree had caved in a portion at the back, with snow piling up to fill the breach. What was once a large chimney bellowed smoke from its crumbling frame. All but one of the dozen or so windows at the front of the house had been boarded up to keep the cold at bay, so it was no surprise that even at this time of day, stray rays of dim candlelight could be seen pouring out from the cracks in the walls.
There was bustle about the old house, voices could be heard in loud conversation, mostly men, laughing and shouting in mocking, sarcastic tones. An accusation was followed by deafening silence and then choking laughter.
The old patchwork door almost came off its hinges when Will tugged it open.
"I'll have no such talk in this house, you vile little shits!" They were welcomed by the aged screech of a woman who stood off to the side of what was the main hall. Hands held tight to her old hips as she stared down at the group of offenders off to their left.
At a table next to one of the boarded-up windows sat four young men, not one beyond their twentieth name day. They erupted into even more laughter at their matron's outburst.
"Sorry Nan" One of the men apologized. There was still laughter in his voice as he ran a hand through his shaggy black hair. "Fat Jon's telling another tall tale of all the maidens he's bedded and knights he's slain"
"I swears it Jorah, I took her right then and there in the snow, under the eyes of the old gods and the new". Fat Jon chimed in, he had a coarse black beard dripping with sticky mead and filled with whatever he'd had to eat beforehand. He had broad features and a great big head covered in a curly black mop that hung to his shoulders. A squat nose crinkled with merry and joy as he spoke. He loved to talk, to tell his stories, and spread the occasional rumor. He was easily one of Naruto's favorite people.
"And the horses Jon, don't forget the horses!" Jaze shouted. Beyond himself with laughter at Jon's newest outlandish tale, he was missing half an ear on the left side that his scraggly rusty hair did little to hide. Thin eyebrows stood above two brown eyes that sat unnervingly far apart as tears welled around them.
"Of course, and the horses! It was a hell of a show for them. Their members pierced the snow beneath them in excitement, but their heads hung low, for still, "Great" Jon's was the bigger!"
The other member of the quartet seemingly had enough at that last piece of information. "Spirits take you man! Have you no shame!"
"Bah! Shame is for the weak and the timid, Dougas, lesser men with lesser dreams"
"We're all bastards Jon, and all the lesser for it" Dougas responded. He was the youngest of the four but the sombreness in his voice and tiredness in his green eyes hinted to all who knew him that he'd had his fill of the mead.
"I'd like to think bastard or not, a man can make something of himself through sheer will and character alone. If not, then his brothers will make it up for him" Jorah offered a toast to the other men.
"Hear, hear" Jaze slapped the table before they all finished their cups. Even Dougas partook after a tired sigh.
Naruto had made his way over to the kitchen which stood just at the other end of the room, the old floorboards groaned underfoot as the added weight of the deer on his shoulders distressed them. A brief nod was all he sent to the men around the table when he walked past them. They raised a cup and a cheer in his honor as he once again brought them dinner. They had long since stopped questioning his abilities. Whether he was a gift from the Gods or a giantling mattered little to them. He was family, raised in the snow like the rest of them.
Guided by old Nan with Will by his side he continued on into the small kitchen where the aroma of spices and old stew was strong enough to make him cough.
"You really are a blessin' boy, those four idiots spend all their coin on drink and whores. Giving no thought to the food they'll need to fuel their idiocy. The pantries have been empty for days."
"I did offer to go hunting days ago, with me at the bow we'd never go hungry again." Naruto offered up to the matron of his family.
"I'm not going to make a habit of sending children into the forest. They're all manner of beast and brigand lurking in those woods. The lords of the land have long since abandoned this part of their domain." There was an edge to her voice when she spoke of the Forresters." eyes focussed elsewhere on more profitable ventures. "
"Put it over there" She ordered Naruto. Pointing to the only free counter in a kitchen piled high with decades of seemingly useless bits and parts.
The Blond complied, sighing with relief as the great weight literally left his shoulders. Nan inspected his kill, her old skinny fingers checking for rot and disease before turning its head from side to side, ignoring the blankness of its eyes.
"I'll have it skinned and ready by supper" She turned to Will, who seemed wholly disinterested with what was happening around him. "Fetch Dontin and Hilda boy, they've pawed at each other for long enough up there. Spirits know we can't afford another mouth to feed. Off you go now!" She turned to Naruto after shooing young Will out of the Kitchen. Her thin white hair bobbed gently on her shoulders when she gently shook her head at him.
The years had worn her into a hard and sharp woman. The deep creases of age had set in around her eyes and mouth. A mouth that was usually pressed into a thin line with the continuous antics of the young men around her.
"Sit" She ordered.
"What, Why?"
A stern look was Naruto's only response. He giggled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head as he made his way onto the nearest stool. A stool that due to his height, took more effort than he was comfortable with to sit on. With his awkward task complete he eyed the old woman keenly, wondering what she had planned. She had taken to his hide with a leather slipper the last time she asked him to sit. Ironically sitting wasn't very easy after that.
A hand came up defensively when she reached for his untamed locks. She grabbed the offending hand and brought it back down to his side with force enough to almost topple him off his seat.
"Will you stop fussing boy"
"I wouldn't fuss if I knew what you were doing" Naruto rebutted.
He was silenced as he felt the tell-tale strokes of a comb running through his hair. It was oddly soothing.
"As soft as any high-born maiden's" Nan muttered to herself. The itchy fabric of her gown would occasionally brush against his face as she combed through his matted hair, removing bits of forest and the occasional tick from the deer as she went along. Naruto knew better than to voice his resentment to her slight, Nan had him in a vulnerable position, between the comb and the rolling pin next to her on the counter, she could cause some damage before he'd be able to escape.
"One could almost think you a Lannister" Another mutter escaped the old lady.
"The House of the Lion! OW!" Naruto earned himself a sharp rebuke with the comb for his outburst.
"Yes, the house of the Lion. And what do Lannister's do Naruto?"
"A Lannister always pays his debts"
"A good trait if you ask me, the caliber of man has fallen terribly in Westeros. Too content to whore and drink and fritter away their time on fleeting joys than to get stuck in and tame the land. The weather's changing. There's an unnatural frost in the air, summers coming to an end." She was quite sure of that. "And what does that mean, Naruto?".
"Winter is coming!" He shouted. Those were his second favorite house words after all. "The words of our Lord Eddard and his House Stark" He then opened his mouth to say something else before he paused. He was hesitant to continue but old Nan picked up on this and prodded him on.
"A man doesn't hesitate Naruto, he says what he wants. Speaks his heart, consequences be damned. I thought we already agreed on this" She said looking over his shoulder forcing a degree of eye contact.
"Do, do you think I could become a Knight?" He was hesitant but she had always made sure he knew that a man, a true man, spoke his heart at all times. Any other action was for cowards.
"Is that truly what you want?" Nan asked but she knew the answer. It was partly her fault; she had fed him tales of old knights and great houses since he could first reason enough to hear them.
"Yes, I'd be loyal and fair and I'd take care of the people, no matter where they are. Rich or poor. Like you taught me a good knight should."
"Aye, that they should." She was seemingly just combing his hair for the fun of it now. "The path to knighthood is not an easy one, very few men come to that kind of power fairly. They tend to leave a pile of bodies and betrayed friends behind them." She paused her combing "Do you understand what I'm saying, boy?"
"I... I think I do, but I'll be different"
"I hope you will be" She smoothed the sides of his head with her hands "There's greatness in your future young one, try not to forget old nan when you're off wooing maidens and slaying dragons."
"Slay a dragon!" Naruto was scandalized "I would much rather ride one like the Targaryen kings"
"Then you'd have to marry your sister and burn children at the stake"
"But I don't have a sister"
"Then you'd have to marry old Nan!" Came a gruff voice from the entrance of the Kitchen. It belonged to a man in his late twenties with a short offering of brown hair to match his eyes and broad shoulders with a square jaw set in a good-natured smirk. He smiled at the old lady who softened at his appearance. She rolled her eyes and offered an identical smirk in return.
Naruto gagged at the thought, earning a clip around the ear from the old lady behind him
"Let the poor boy go out and play mother, we both know he's not one to sit still for too long".
Naruto took the opportunity to escape Nan's clutches and made for the door.
"No, He's going to clean up and finish his reading. You'll do as Nan says won't you, Naruto?"
"Yes Nan"
"Because…?" She prodded
"'Nan's is the Fury!" He bellowed out before escaping through the door into the main room and up the stairs. This earned a round of laughter from all downstairs who had been listening in to the exchange.
"He's just like his mother." Dontin said to his own mother. "I do miss her, the light left this place when she passed"
"They were an odd pair, weren't they? Full of joy and love, even in this worn-down old hovel." Nan offered
"Minato had wanted to name him Bran, after your father. To show his respects for taking them in when they first arrived, a Westerosi name for a Westerosi boy." She then laughed "Kushina was having none of it. He would be named for her Father or he would not be named at all. She said she would call him "thing" or the "boy" before she called him any other name." Her eyes drifted at the memory.
"Fierce and strong that one, a bit gone in the head but aren't all women from Essos" Dontin replied
"Met many women from Essos have you, husband?" This new intruder was female. Long tresses of curly black hair hung weightlessly about her shoulders making her strong blue eyes all the more striking in the low light of the kitchen. Hilda, a rose among the shit that was left behind by the exodus of the estate, her mother had been a traveler who died during her birth. She was an orphan like all the others that called the place home.
"My fair share, dear wife." He responded with a wink "Quite the heartbreaker I was, in my younger years of course"
"'Of course'" His wife repeated before nudging him gently in the side with her elbow.
-0-
Upstairs in one of the quickly dilapidating homestead's eight rooms, each large enough to bunk four men with room enough for comforts, sat two adolescent boys in heated discussion.
"You mustn't, I won't allow it, Nan will find out. She always does" Will urged in a hushed whisper
"I'm doing it Will and you can't stop me" Naruto shot back "'Sides, it's mine anyway. It was my father's. So, it's my mine by birth. How would you feel if your parents left something important behind for you and you weren't allowed to so much as touch it!" It wasn't really a question, Naruto knew exactly how Will would react.
"That's not the point, the point is you'll only end up hurting yourself with it and getting us both in trouble"
"Then let's be in trouble" Naruto said with a bold look taking him over "We are destined for great things Will Garner" He placed a hand on the older boy's shoulder " and greatness doesn't happen without trouble" Will's eyes drifted and the young Blond knew he had him.
"Wait, you just read that didn't you?" Will said pointing to the latest scroll that Naruto had obviously only skimmed for the interesting bits.
"Read, not read. What's it matter to men like us? Are you coming or not?"
"Naruto, you're ten an" Will began before being interrupted
"And your twelve. you always say the same thing." The blond then smirked " then you follow me into adventure anyway"
Naruto was half out the door before Will finally decided to follow him. His young friend had a knack for finding trouble, a knack Will quite enjoyed. while their adventures had been confined to the woods around the small hold-fast, there was always something bound to happen when young Naruto Uzumaki called to adventure.
So, follow Will did as they crept along the creaky floorboards of his old family home. He remembered little of his parents. Merchants who had found a market logging Ash and Oad to be sold across Westeros. They were well-respected folk he had been told, even dined with highborns on occasion. That was before wildlings came and raided their home. He lost his parents that night. Things seemed to matter little to him after that. What was left of the men and women quickly moved on, leaving Nan, her husband and son to watch over the children orphaned by the event.
Details were scarce but Will did not want to know anyway, best let the past die or be buried along with it he thought. He was broken from said thoughts by the loud groan of a floorboard under his weight. He looked up to see Naruto had already crossed the hallway and had successfully picked the lock to the master room. He hadn't made a sound. He turned, flashed a patented smile then shot a thumbs up at his older friend. These things came easily to the blond, naturally, and that terrified Will. What else could the blond do and what would others do to make sure he couldn't do those things.
Those were questions not worth considering as Will had finally caught up to Naruto, who was now standing over a long wooden box that he had pulled from under the bed. Exactly where he had seen Dontin put it two nights ago.
"Are you sure about this?" Will asked
"I'll bring it back before anyone even knows it's gone"
"That's not what I meant"
"I know, but we've come this far"
With a breath Naruto rubbed his tiny hand over the top of the box, there was no dust, Duntin had seen its contents cleaned weekly. He would thank him for that somehow, one of these days. He then reached for the oily metal latch that sat in the middle of the box holding it closed. There was no lock. With a heave, he opened the box that was as long as he was and half as wide.
Both sets of eyes lit up at the treasure that lay inside.
A sword, not a greatsword like was common with the nobility of Westeros but a straight gleaming blade that almost sung in the silence. It was a deep silver with images carved finely along its center. Images that seemed to tell a story. Not in the way of his people but of his father's people. The art was flowing in detailed curved edges and accents that were as foreign as they were beautiful. It was the story of a man traveling a foreign land and slaying all manner of beasts and demons. At the center of the tapestry, the man stood before a great monster. It's lone eye radiating with a ripple-like pattern. A pattern that appeared over and over in the smaller images on the blade. Naruto was sure there was some meaning to it all.
Along its edges was a strange script, writing so tiny one could only see it at a squint. Even as close they were it was a struggle to identify where one odd word began and another finished. The writing was straight lines and swirls, artistic in its approach. He only knew it to be writing because he had seen notes his father would leave his mother around the house.
The blond reached for the handle; it was a deep crimson with a circular piece of metal embedded directly in its center. A spiral was carved into it. Hanging from its end was a tassel, yellow and made of thick string that felt soft as his hand grazed it. With a deft movement, Naruto freed the sword from its confines and marveled at how it reflected the light. It hummed at his touch and in that moment Naruto felt a power he had never felt before.
"It's amazing" Will's awed voice broke him from his reverie.
"It is, let's take it for a test."
Will dreaded those words, it meant phase two of Naruto's plot had to be carried out. With the same deftness as before they were back in their room. And before long they had removed the wooden boards that had been nailed into the windowsills. Truth be told those nails had been removed years ago to be replaced by two rusty hinges that made it easier for the boys to simply open them as was intended in their original construction. Once outside the blond not so carefully slotted them back into place.
They now stood on the outside of the building, feet dug into the large cracks in the stones. When the tree fell into the back of the house it sent cracks cascading all along it. It was a wonder the old thing still stood. Nodding to his friend, Naruto then jumped from his position into a waiting mound of snow that had built up over the weeks. Bursting from the crunching snow he then waited for Will to do the same.
When he joined him, they both stifled a laugh, that was always the best part.
They then made their way to the old, abandoned mill house that stood at the end of the property.
Row after row of dull broken houses lined the old road. The old men, Naruto had taken to calling them. Black-faced and white of hair they stared down at the pair. Expressionless yet sullen, these were once homes to the dozens that once called this place home. They were a constant reminder of what used to be and what could have been.
Both boys huddled into their old brown woolen coats against the whistling northern wind as they trudged through the deep snow. Night had begun its ascent, coloring the sky in magnificent oranges and reds as the sun faded into the horizon. They only had an hour or two today, Nan would make quick work of the deer and they would need to be back well before dinner.
As they drew close to the great slab of oak and ash that was the old mill, Naruto quickened his pace, eager to begin work with his new weapon.
For most children, the derelict building at the end of this eerie road would have frightened them off. The low whimper of the trespassing wind between its hollow bones would have set their imaginations alight with tales of monsters and wildlings.
Naruto, instead pressed on, the young blond easily lifting the plank that had been put in place to keep the giant doors closed. Then with a great heave of their shoulders they managed to budge the left door enough to allow them to squeeze into the dark interior of the building.
What had once been the lifeblood of their tiny part of the north was now just a shell. Everything that could have been sold had been. The great saws and mechanisms that turned massive trees into so many planks of wood for lords and peasants from the neck to the gift were the first to go. Everything else followed in quick order, it was a surprise the planks in the walls were left after the vultures had descended.
Now was it the official training place of two young would-be knights.
Naruto walked in and with practiced ease lit the handful of torches around the room. Revealing the huge empty chamber that the mill had become. Slithers of orange light crept in between the aged wooden boards that made up the wall. Blending with the dancing light of the torches to cast towering shadows across the room. The floor was covered in a light dusting of snow that crackled underfoot as Will walked over to the far wall and removed something from under a pile of snow that had recently blown in and gathered in gentle, sloped shapes all around the room.
Naruto's breath was visible when he spoke "I'm surprised that thing still works" he gestured to the short bow in Will's hands.
" A bit of snow won't hurt it. 'sides, I take good care of it when I get the chance" he nodded to a pile of broken, rusted swords and bows in the middle of the room " unlike some people."
"Bah, they've served their purpose, now that I've got this, I won't need another. He threw a few practice swings with the sheathed sword in his hands.
"long as Nan doesn't find out you're touching it you mean" Will mentioned while hanging as a set of targets against the walls in marked positions.
Naruto soon joined him before collecting a handful of wooden dummies and setting them up across the floor. They worked together in comfortable silence and before long were ready to begin. Naruto drew his sword from its sheath, reveling in the way it sang as he rubbed a cautious finger over the intricate writing that glowed a warm red under the dim light. He wondered, in that moment, who or what would have been at the end of this blade when his father wielded it. Why did he fight? What were his reasons, his convictions?
He was drawn from his thoughts by the familiar sound of an arrow taking flight. Will had quickly notched and loosed his bow, sending the arrow dead center into his target. He drew two more in rapid succession. Each finding the center of different targets on the furthest wall. Naruto nodded approvingly and watched on as Will got into his stride. Ducking and rolling the redhead practiced firing from different positions and angles. Each time finding his target. Not always dead center, but close enough in most cases.
Not to be outdone Naruto charged at the nearest three wooden dummies. He ducked low under an imagined sword swing before bringing his sword across his inanimate enemies torso, he then rolled and kicked off the ground in a dash toward his second enemy relieving it of an imaginary hand, and then with practiced ease, he then shifted is momentum with a sharp turn and sprang into the air, whirling like a madman before extending his blade at the last second to remove the head of his last target.
A whistle escaped Will's pursed lips "that was bloody fantastic"
"Yeah, I call that the Dance of the Dragon" the blond responded, grinning from ear to ear.
"A fine dance indeed. Until a spearman plucks you out of the air with the business end of his pike. Or a bowman sticks you proper for being a head higher than everyone else on the field."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever Garner, you'll see. When the time comes I'll be untouchable. Like Ser Selmy or Arthur Dane, "The sword of the morning"."
Will Garner stared at his friend for a long few seconds before shaking his head with a sigh "Too many of old Nan's stories if you ask me" he whispered to himself. Will then resumed his practice.
Naruto huffed then followed suit, setting up his dummies before attempting even more outlandish moves he'd been dreaming up.
It was near an hour and a half before they'd decided to head back to the old house. Will was dutifully, as he did all things, putting away his equipment before noticing Naruto again staring dazed at the blade in his hands. Something about it mystified him and that spelled trouble to young Will.
Though, sensing an opportunity for a bit of mischief, he crept up on the blond before bringing his hand up quickly against the back of his head. A dull thud filled the air as Naruto screamed "Hey!" and Will laughed at his surprise.
"Hey yourself, we need to hurry back"
Naruto was about to retaliate, when Will brought up his hands in a pleading fashion, palms facing the blond.
"You know the rules, no hit-backs, I caught you fair and unaware" he smiled at the last bit. It was a game they played and it was rare indeed that Will got the upper hand on his friend.
"My own words against me" Naruto shook his stinging head. "you coward"
Will shrugged and made to walk past the blond until a mighty shove sent him flying into the nearest pile of snow. So deep was it that he disappeared into it almost completely, only his feet sticking out.
This amused Naruto greatly. "fair and unaware, eh?" he mocked before darting off when Will erupted from the snow, rage etched across his pale features. They played a game of chase around the piles of snow and into the frozen bushes and abandoned alleyways around them. A few minutes later Will had tackled Naruto into the snow, with a cold, wet finger in his ear as punishment for his earlier breach of their truce.
"Do you really think we can do it?" Will asked on their way back to the house. He had his bow in hand having decided a night in the cold snow was reason enough to oil and treat the wood once the others had retired to bed.
"Do what?" Naruto replied
"Get away from here, form a new life, be men of merit" he hadn't asked a question, but Naruto answered one anyway.
"You ask me, old friend" he paused in what one might mistake as thought " We stick together, we can be anything we want to be. Go as far as Volantis and back again. Earn a name for ourselves. Gold and women. Maybe even rebuild this place, make it what it once was when our parents loved and nurtured it"
Will tensed at the mention of parents, Naruto noticed but didn't break stride as he walked on, sword in hand.
Seemingly happy with the blond's answer Will changed the subject "What do you know of women and riches anyway?"
"Enough to know I want both" was Naruto's quick reply
"Jon has filled your head with madness and Nan's books have made you a dreamer. Dreaming of things you don't understand"
"Aye, better a mad dreamer than a sane dullard" the blond's response held an undeserved edge. He sighed before his features smoothed over into an easy smirk "isn't that the fun of it Will, to dream, to adventure! To see the world for all that it is!"
"I've seen the world for what it is Naruto" There was a melancholy in Will's voice " the day our parents died, I remember it clearly. The world is fire and blood and you're a fool to think otherwise."
"Then a fool it is then! Naruto the fool, with his trusty companion young Will Garner, sailing the seas, eating the food and bedding the princesses, then riding off into the sunset. You and I" Naruto was all but shouting at this point, eager to lift Will's mood.
"You and I" Will replied after a beat. Shaking his head at his friend's enthusiasm.
"Bear in mind little Willam, the princesses are for me, you can have the fat fish wives and the like"
"What would you even do with a princess anyway, you're all talk" Will laughed
"I'll figure it out" Was Naruto's all too relaxed answer as they came up to the window they had jumped out of earlier.
They continued on in amicable silence for a few moments before Naruto came to a jolting halt, something wasn't right, his senses screamed at him to confirm as much. Their conversation had distracted him but now, now there was a deafening ethereal feeling that shouted danger until he listened.
"What's the matter?" Will asked, seeing the sudden seriousness in Naruto's icy blue eyes.
"listen" Naruto said sharply
"To what, I don't hear anything"
"exactly" he looked Will in the eye. It was all too quiet. No laughter, no shouting.
He rounded the building, moving silently to the front, where he saw four horses tied to the post outside the house. Four new horses, horses he did not recognize.
"Maybe we have visitors" Will hesitated, knowing full well they didn't get visitors
Naruto shook his head before making his way to the boarded-up window that Jon and the lads huddled under to drink and tell their stories. Peering in between the boards, he saw nothing, no one. A flash of red drew his attention. The sight of a red puddle on the floor was like whiplash, he went careening back, landing on his arse in a panic.
"What is it, what did you see?" Will whispered frantically
"Blood, lots of blood, on the floor"
A moment of shock took Will's breath away, a moment of realization brought it back.
"Right then, we have to do something," The redhead said, looking at Naruto for an answer that didn't come. The blond seemed out of his senses, the implication of the blood shook him to his core. Will was the more composed as he walked straight to the door with an intention of walking through it, bow in hand.
Luckily, Naruto grabbed his shoulder, Will rounded on him, fury in his eyes.
"We can't just walk in there" he quickly explained
"We have to help, someone could be hurt, Nan or…" he paused, knuckles white around his bow "I won't lose them too" Will seethed at his blond friend
"Neither will I, but we have to be smart." he paused in thought before continuing " Okay, let's go back in through the window, you haven't got any arrows but I have a quiver full under my bed, that will see you armed. "
Will nodded in appreciation
"Then we'll have the element of surprise, we can work our way downstairs with the ranged advantage before they even know we're there"
"Good plan, let's go" was all Will said before moving to climb back in through their bedroom window. He had already lost so much and while he didn't show much appreciation to the current residents of the Garner estate, they were his family and he would battle the Old Gods and The New to keep them safe.
Naruto knew Will was taking this hard, he had steeled his features into a passive mask but Naruto knew. Something terrible was happening and it was all he could do to keep from curling into a ball and crying. As he followed after Will he realized, he was shaking. Not from the cold or anticipation, it was fear, he was unused to it. In the stories this all seemed easy, the hero rushed into battle, righteous fury carrying the day. In this moment all he could feel was an active terror. What if his slapdash plan got him killed? Worse, what if it got Will killed? He couldn't live with that.
He tightened his grip on his father's sword and in that moment the heat from the sheath pulsed in his hand. A soothing pulse that somehow strengthened his resolve. His family was in trouble, he would save them, that was all there was to it.
When they finally made it into their room he quickly fished out his hidden quiver and passed it to Will who had retrieved an old dagger from his locker.
It was with the deftest of hands that Naruto opened the door into the hallway. He could hear Will's breath trembling behind him as he took that first step out into the creaky darkness. There was fumbling and heavy footsteps coming from Nan's room at the far end of the hallway, that would be their first stop, if Nan was in there, they would save her.
Naruto quickly covered the distance between the rooms, not making a sound. Will followed soon after and both boys peered into the room in shock. A dirty leather coat hung over the shoulders of what appeared to be a man. He was of medium height with oily matted brown hair and only one ear. He was hunched over, roughly digging through Nan's drawers, no doubt looking for valuables.
This incensed Naruto who with one smooth motion drew his blade and made to cut the man in half. Or at least he would have were it not for the fact that he was too close to the door frame and having underestimated the length of the blade only succeeded in lodging it into the old wooden frame.
His would-be victim turned quickly, shock evident in his misshapen and bloodshot green eyes. He recovered quickly however and shot out a bony fist that struck the blond right between his eyes, bloodying his nose and sending him tumbling to the floor further into the room.
The dirty man quickly drew a long knife from his belt and stabbed after the blond who was quick to roll away before snapping a sharp kick at the man, repaying the favor and breaking his nose with a crunch.
"you little shit" The man seethed, then delivered a heavy blow to the blond's chest knocking the wind out of him. Then he reared up, blade in hand with the intent of running Naruto through.
Unable to breathe or move the blond closed his eyes in anticipation of the blow. Then the familiar hiss of an arrow taking flight was cut short by the wet thud of a body hitting the floor. Naruto opened his eyes to see Will, bow in hand standing at the door, while the intruder gurgled and flailed at the arrowhead protruding from his neck. He shook once, then again before the life left him. Will helped Naruto up, holding his shoulders to steady him.
Both boys stared at the body, then at each other. They had killed that man. No small task, yet they felt no different.
Just then a large man rounded from the stairs, obviously coming to investigate the commotion that they had caused, thinking quickly Naruto grabbed the dead man's knife and dived into the dark hallway. Rolling forward he released the blade in a throw when he came to a halt. His accuracy was deadly. The knife had entered through the man's eye and lodged in his brain. killing him instantly. His body hit the floor, hard. A meaty thud that resounded thoroughly on the old creaky floorboards.
The boys held their breaths in anticipation of discovery. It was a tense few moments that followed. Naruto sighed audibly, releasing a breath he was very aware he was holding.
"So, what now?" Asked Will
"We need to get downstairs, help the others"
"There's no telling how many of these" Will searched for the right word "Bastards, are down there" He finished, face flushed red with the embers of fear and rage.
"That's a good point," Naruto followed. Before reaching into the coarse leathers of the man he had killed. Just like his dead friend, he stank, odors of oil and horse shit hung to him close. His half-addled remaining eye stared blankly at the ceiling. It was with some trepidation that Naruto searched for some clue as to who these men were. There was nothing, no parchments, no identifiers. Just cured meat and strangely long knives. Two of which were just long enough for the diminutive blond to use as short swords. A good find.
Will had gone to search the other body. When Naruto finished his search and concluded there was nothing to be found, he went to check on Will. The smell of vomit filled his nostrils as he entered Nan's room. Will stood over the body, clutching his short bow next to a pool of blood and vomit. Thankfully only the vomit was his.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing"
"dammit" The blonde hissed "who are they"
"Bandits? Wildlings? Does it matter?"
"No" The blond shook his head "No, it doesn't"
With that, he strung his sword to his back and retrieved the two knives from the second bandits' body.
"Stay back and give me cover, we don't know how many of them there are down there, so we have to be careful. We pick our targets, one at a time, slow and steady"
Will nodded at him sharply "Slow and steady", steel in his eyes as his knuckles grew white around his trusty bow.
They began down the old stairs, careful not to make too much noise, lest they draw more attention to themselves and foil their plan. It was only now could they hear the ruckus on the main floor. Swears and laughter in deep guttural tones. What worried the blond, worried him deep, was the muffled cries that filtered through the laughter.
Coming to the bottom of the stairs, Naruto peered around the steep corner into the fire-lit main room that Jorah and the lads had been laughing merrily in not three hours ago. Now it was silent. The dancing fires of the fireplace played shapes across the room, shadows that grew and shrank as the laughing men walked busily around the kitchen, their shadows drawing long against the dimly lit walls of the main room.
Naruto clung tightly to the shadows, now next to the kitchen, breathing harshly with adrenalin as Will knelt on the bottom stair that he had occupied moments ago. The redhead had his bow drawn, waiting for any movement that emerged from the kitchen at the end of the main room. He could see Naruto crouched next to the kitchen door, both daggers held in reverse, his every limb poised and ready. There was a sureness about him now, the blonde had always responded well to crisis but this was a different Naruto.
A fighter, a warrior, that made Will happy. After what he had done to the one-eared man upstairs, he was glad his friend had also taken a life. It was an odd thought to have in the moment, but he struggled to focus. He felt tired, the energy that surged through him moments ago was fading. His heart thumped and thumped trying desperately to call upon the adrenalin that had seen him through so far.
Naruto waited, wired and determined in the hopes of coming up with some sort of plan to deal with their current predicament. He tried to maintain composure for Will's sake but his mind whirred with thoughts of what he could expect in the next room. He held the blades tightly in his hands, if he didn't, they would shake and tremble. So he squeezed the long knives to calm himself, he was sure his palms were bleeding by now, but he would manage he thought, there was work to be done.
It had been five minutes since they had ventured downstairs, Naruto looked over at Will, he had rested his bow next to him as he knelt at the base of the stairs, his arms having grown tired of keeping its string taught. His eyes however were as sharp as any sword, trained on the entrance to the kitchen. He needed to be ready for whatever happened next.
It was with no small amount of caution that Naruto peered into the kitchen, he had grown anxious in the waiting. The muffled crying and the deep laughing had gone quiet, replaced by the tell-tale sounds of eating. Wooden plates could be heard banging against the counters, slurping, and gnashing teeth filled the air as Naruto listened carefully for the sounds of his family.
When his head rounded the door frame into the small kitchen he withdrew quickly. Shock filling his chest with bile and terror. It took a moment to process it all. Butchered and heaped in the corner of the kitchen was almost everyone he loved. Jorah and Jaze sprawled and bled next to the center table with poor Dougas missing his right arm on top of them with half his head missing and a lone eye staring into nothingness.
Towards the end of the room Duntin sat, back against the wall, blood dripping from his lips with a sword protruding from his chest. On his lap, his wife lay, head on his left leg, a gag around her mouth and her hands tied behind her. She was seemingly unconscious, the signs of life lay in the small rise and fall of her chest.
Naruto peered again, this time looking for Nan, he leered even further into the room this time. Almost fully entering it, that's when he saw her. Nan who raised him, his Nan. On her back, bleeding from a cut on the side of her head. Her grey hair matted with blood and grime. Spilled about her was her old dress. Ripped and tattered, the old garment was torn across her chest revealing her breasts to the man who stood above her. He stared down at her with a hefty piece of deer meat in his left hand. Chewing loudly, he brought the slab of meat to his lips and tore a sizable chunk away.
He was a monster of a man, easily two times as tall as Naruto was. He wore a dirty, old fur with large stitches that ran through the middle, giving it the look of two coats that had been sewn together. It made sense given the sheer mass of the man. His gut protruded, stretching his rancid coat out in front of him. Clumps of his hair had seemingly fallen out, great tufts of black hung in clumps between patches of dirty bald scalp.
He tilted his head, bringing his face into view. It was obvious he had taken one too many beatings in his life. Wherever he had come from had not been kind. He was missing most of his nose and top lip. Nasty rotten teeth could be seen from the gash where his lip had been. His great big head shook before he spoke.
"thinks I might've killed her" His voice boomed, sending a terrifying chill down Naruto's spine. He flinched, almost retreating back into the main room, but he chose to stay, waiting for his moment to strike.
"Aye, might've." Came a voice from the back door "been a season and some since I seen a woman and the first thing you do is kill her" His voice was like silk, smooth and ethereal. Naruto knew this man was the leader, a talker, someone who could manipulate others. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew. This man was the one to kill for this tragedy.
"I pop out for a piss and this is what you do?" He asked the large man.
"She wouldn't shut up, Glen. 'sides you and the boys killed all the others, left me nothing to do"
"speaking of the boys" Glen trailed off. His dirty blond hair was tied in a loose knot at the top of his head. Beady black eyes looked around him until they landed on the prone form of Hilda. "Oi spud!" He called suddenly "Get your arse in here!"
No sooner had he yelled had another man walked in, big and burly with a thick brown beard dusted with snow. He too had been just outside the backdoor, no doubt scouting. This one was seemingly older than his friends, with a balding head and tired blue eyes.
Spud didn't answer Glen directly, he simply looked at the other man and awaited his orders.
"Go find Lev and Mat, make sure they ain't pocketing all the best for themselves" he paused "grab a piece of the meat before ugly bollocks here finishes it all" he gestured to the giant man who had all but finished the giant piece of deer in his massive hand. He threw what was left to the older man who caught it deftly as he left the room. Stepping inches away from the prone form of Naruto who had signaled to Will to hide.
This was getting complicated, the plan was to take them out one by one but he couldn't think of a way to separate the two in the kitchen in time to save Nan and could he reasonably take out Spud without alerting the others.
When Spud did get upstairs, he would find the bodies of the two men they had killed. He was sweating now, he did not know what to do, they had to act but he was under no illusion that they could take on all three at the same time.
Ultimately the choice was taken out of his hands. When Spud was half up the stairs Will lost his Nerve and fired off an arrow from the shadows. Whether it was tiredness or fear Naruto didn't know but the usually accurate Garner was off by a fraction. Instead of lodging his arrow into the back of the man's head, the arrow flew by his face, taking an ear and a jagged piece of his cheek with it.
A yell of pain and surprise filled the house, quickly alerting the two men in the Kitchen. Naruto was not going to lose what little element of surprise he had left. With a running leap the young blond flung himself at the giant man standing over Nan. His back was still turned so the blond landed on his shoulders and with a fury began to slash and stab at the man who quickly brought his hands up to protect his face. It was with grim satisfaction that he lodged the long dagger into the giant's eye.
Satisfaction that was quick to fade when a pair of strong hands gripped his little head and smashed him into the floor. All the air left him, he gasped and clung to his blades, desperate to find footing. Spots filled his vision as Glen stared down at him, a hefty boot to his head followed, filling his mouth and nose with thick blood. The audible crack that resounded through the room was probably his nose he thought.
"What the bloody fuck was that!" The giant man boomed. Swinging his arms around wildly to fend off further attack.
"Easy Mod, 'fore you take my fucking head off!" Glen protested as he ducked under the huge arm of the still flailing giant.
"It took mi eye, Glen! Mi fucking eye" Surprise had turned to anger "Ill strings it up, I'll guts it and watch it bleed in the snow!"
Clutching his damaged eye, Mod drew a bastard of a long sword from his waist, more a slab of iron than an actual weapon. His bloody gaze had settled on the prone blond who was being hoisted up by Glen.
"Who the fuck are you?" glen asked. Voice smooth and almost laughing in the question "I searched this place myself and I know I didn't miss ya." He shook the blond "talk, boy!"
"Leave my family alone" Was his meek reply "Or I'll Kill you"
A resounding laugh left the older man. It was quick to end though as Mod snatched the blond from his hands, holding him by his scruff as if he weighed nothing.
"I'm going to take your fingers" He whispered, blood still streaming from his eye " then your tongue, then both your eyes before I gut ya." He began to wrap a meaty hand around the boy's neck. It was more two fingers than a hand given the sheer size of the man. "Before that, you're gonna watch all the mess I make of your little family" He gestured to Hilda, who had begun to open her eyes slowly.
A heavy boot then collided with Nan's prone form eliciting a rattle from the old woman. A glob of bloody spit into his remaining eye was his reward. Instinctively he dropped the blond who took that chance to plunge a hidden knife into the giant's knee before rolling quickly to the blades he had dropped when Glen had kicked him. He palmed them both with precise ease before hurrying over to Nan, putting himself between her and her assailants. He tried hard not to look at the bodies of the men he had grown to call family. Heaped and bloodied. They would demand retribution and they would have it. There would be no running now.
-0-
Will was too busy trying to knock his last arrow to notice his friend charging into his likely death. As the bald man rounded on him, he fumbled and dropped the arrow, his heart sank. He only had a moment before he had to jump out of the man's reach. He was deceptively quick. But now he was in range. With all his might Will Garner swung his bow down onto the great bald head of the trespasser. His hands shook and quickly numbed as the bow broke, leaving a deep gash to accompany the one on the bald man's face.
He reared back, clutching his head. Mouth opened in a guttural yelp, frightening Will even further when he revealed his lack of a tongue. Reaching into his cloak he withdrew a thin straight sword that glinted dully in the fires of the main room. Will responded in kind, pulling a dagger from behind his back. He didn't like fighting up close. Naruto usually made him pay for every mistake but hopefully, this man was not as deadly as his friend.
In a flurry of movement the man dashed forward at Will, swinging wildly at the small redhead, the height difference meant the man swung low, that coupled with his complete lack of skill meant the young boy could stay at the very end of his reach. Will watched his feet and noticed the man kept them firmly next to each other, he had no form, no training, these men were little more than brigands, bandits, the type that had killed his parents.
Spotting an opening, he dived under the man's outstretched sword arm and slashed at his leg, it was not deep enough to cause him too much damage but it was enough to slow him. Will made a line for the stairs, grabbing the old lantern that hung by the banister, he launched it at the older man's face. His opponent was quick to parry the item with his free hand, but in doing so he caused the lamp to explode into a debris of oil and rusted metal.
The small dying ember that had created the shadows that Will hid in earlier was now creeping up the man's matted furs as he desperately tried to remove the burning coat. Will didn't wait to find out what would happen next, he hurried up the stairs to give himself some breathing room.
-0-
Naruto's heart thumped heavy in his chest as he watched Mod charge at him, the giant was slow but he had to protect Nan so he couldn't afford to lose ground. The offensive had to be his. There wasn't enough space for the blade on his back, but he knew the daggers weren't sharp or long enough to end this quickly. Nevertheless, he had to fight. Steeling himself he ran at the man, getting in close then shifting his body at the last second so as to jump as close as possible to his enemy.
He was well inside the man's guard and swung his hands up hoping his daggers would do enough to put this monster down. His enemy moved back a fraction, bending at the waist to avoid the daggers inches from his face. The following knee to his chin, however, did stagger him. Naruto was quick to backflip out of reach as a giant blade swung out at the air he once occupied.
As soon as his little feet touched the ground he again sprung forward, this time rounding his enemy. Low and quick he stabbed the man deep into the back of his leg and dashed towards Glen. Hoping to catch him off guard, he slashed at him with dual daggers but glen was quick, parrying both in quick succession. His defense, however, left him open to the more agile blonds quick burst of motion. Naruto lashed out at his left side with a sharp kick to his knee followed by a shallow slash across his chest, blocked only by his thick cloak.
"Gah" he yelled, clutching at his chest and hobbling backward " come here You shit!"
The smaller of the two men was about to charge at the blond before grinning as he realized the boy was now positioned between him and his giant partner.
"Nowhere to run now" he taunted. Rage clearly building.
Naruto for his part didn't respond, his mind whirling with thoughts. He needed to move the fight out of the room. Ideally, out of the house, he glanced quickly over to Nan, she was white as a sheet. A small pool of red had built up under her now.
Glen stood with his back to the door, Naruto had to get through him and so he did. Charging forward he feinted left then slid between the man's open legs. He was in the main room now and turned to face both men. He had to get them to chase him, to forget about their captives, and come after him.
He wasn't disappointed, Glen was the first through the door, his sharp features pulled together in a deep scowl. He swung wildly at the young blond, his straight blade lashing at the boy's defense.
Naruto held firm, dodging and parrying with increasing fluidity drawing the fight further and further into the main room. Glen's blade whistled above his head leaving him open to another strike, he took the opportunity to lodge his dagger into the man's left leg. Glen cried out in pain but Naruto's victory was short-lived.
He had forgotten about the wall of meat that was Mod. A meaty fist collided with his head sending him sprawling across the smooth wooden floor. Before he could find his feet, a straight blade lanced across his chest, cutting him from shoulder to abdomen. Were it not for his quick reflexes he would have surely died. He had leaned back in time to dodge most of the blade but not the boot that followed. He crashed against the boarded-up window and kept going through it. His small frame hit the ground, hard. Bits of wood dotted the ground around him. He lay there, unmoving. Naruto's world was blank. A moment of unspeakable pain had passed and left nothing.
This was probably what dying felt like. He could feel the blood leaking from his head and chest, yet there was no pain. Was this how it ended, he thought, the blackness filled his vision promising relief from all that was to come.
No, he thought. Not now, not ever would he simply give in. Rage, like he had never felt began to boil in the pit of his stomach building into a heavy, oppressing miasma of emotion that demanded one thing. Death.
-0-
Will had barricaded himself in his room. Lock drawn and back pressed to the door as he did everything he could to keep the bald man out. This had not gone to plan. He had to think quickly, the room was awash with hidden weapons, mostly rusty pieces he and Naruto had stolen from the older boys. Nothing fancy or even worth the metal it was made from but in this very moment, jagged and pointy would have to do.
He held his small dagger tightly but the man's cloak had proven too thick for him to get through. Will was exhausted, breathing heavily. He made a line for the open window he and Naruto had climbed in from. Not a moment after, the door burst open from the heavy boot of the bald man.
He rushed into the dark room, eyes fervent in search of the young redhead who had proven infuriatingly quick. He flipped the bed on the left side of the room, it broke apart in a loud clang when it impacted with the wall. Then he moved to the other bed, suddenly careful of ambush in the small dark room.
When there was no sign of the boy anywhere he stalked towards the open window, it was the only way out, spotting the obvious signs of disturbance in the snows below, a toothy grin covered his features. With ease, he climbed out of the window and was making his way down the side of the house when a flash of movement caught his eye. It was Will, he had clung to the outside of the house, out of the man's vision, now he was descending fast onto the man who was using both hands to hold on to the broken bricks of the old stead. With a shrill cry young Will Garner plunged his dagger between the eyes of the older man as they both tumbled into the pile of snow beneath them.
-0-
Naruto wasn't quite sure how it happened, he hadn't even opened his eyes but somehow, his father's sword was in his hand. He was sure it had flown from its strap along his back when he collided with the once boarded-up window of the main room. Now it thrummed in his grasp, a welcome feeling. Its quiet hum had become a deafening song in his ears, rousing him up. Blood dripped freely from his head as he slowly regained his footing, using the blade to prop himself up to one knee, then all the way upright.
The distant mumbles of the two men still in the house grew to a sharp halt when they realized he had stood once again.
"What the fuck are ya" one of them said. He didn't care who.
Snow crunched heavily as they made their way out to him. He got into a ready stance as they got closer, knees bent, sword between him and his enemy.
"Look at this, fancies himself some sort of knight he does. Don't matter, I'll run him through, whatever he is."
"Wrong side of the wall is what he is. I've heard tell of creatures like him, not quite man but not all the way beast. Nigh on unkillable they say. Let's see about that".
With that said, Glen struck at the blond but was surprised when with instead of dodging as he had done earlier, he blocked. Then he was almost caught in the fluid counter but was saved as Mods giant slab of a blade swung out forcing the blond to abandon his move in a quick dodge.
Naruto was no longer thinking. His head felt light, feet seemingly belonging to someone else. He was acting on instinct, as both men came at him he dodged parried and countered. The sword in his hands sung a siren song as it breezed through the air clanging against the edge of Glen's sword and batting at Mods cleaver.
Both men had grown tired, sweating, and swearing as their arms grew heavy. Naruto could see this and were he fresher to the fight he could have ended them many times over. But he was exhausted, his mind focused on staying alive. That was until he heard a cry from the other side of the house, it was Will. His senses came back to him tenfold.
He parried away a tired swing from the slick blade of Glen before swinging his sword up and taking the man's arm in a show of blood and viscera. Naruto then quickly brought his blade down diagonally across his torso. Glen didn't scream, he couldn't, he was dead.
He was forced to jump back when a giant blade came down on him with a roar, lodging itself deep in the mud and snow. Naruto darted forward and using the stuck blade as a springboard he spun quickly as he took to the air, lashing out with his sword.
Time stilled for an instant as he felt his blade tear through the giant man's neck. He landed in a crouch, blade arm held outstretched as the dull sound of Mods head hitting the snow-filled his ears.
But that wasn't the only noise. Horses, more than he had ever seen in his life roared into the compound. Astride them were dozens of men in all manner of heavy cloaks, swords drawn and ready. He tried to get up as one of the mounted men climbed down to inspect the scene.
"Spirits!" One of the men shouted. Clearly in awe " did you see that!" He motioned towards the bloodied Naruto.
A dozen men had begun to surround him. Their horses neighed and snorted clouds of mist as they pawed at the snow. Naruto drew up straight and leveled his blade in front of himself.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been comical for one so young to hold a sword to over a dozen trained men-at-arms but having witnessed the final moments of his battle with the two bandits none dared laugh. None dared approach.
"Will!" the young boy shouted. Worry etched on his face "Will!" he cried out again into the night. His eyes still steeled, jumping quickly from soldier to soldier.
"Alright, easy lad" came a level voice from his left. Naruto whirred towards it, sword still drawn. He stiffened visibly when he saw a man holding Will over his shoulder "is this Will?" he asked, maintaining eye contact with the young boy.
Naruto nodded tersely.
"Found him round back" The older man continued. Flakes of snow adorning his odd whisker-like mustache" he was holding this" He presented a dagger in his right hand "Used it to kill a man grown."
The blond was about to answer then he realized the broad old whiskered man wasn't speaking to him. Three men emerged from behind Ser Rodrik Cassel, each on horseback, each holding an air of measured superiority as they surveyed the scene before them. The first of the three men to unhorse was of average build with long silken black hair that hung by his shoulders. Pale blue moonlit eyes glanced over the young boy who was still holding his odd sword.
"Put the sword down, boy" he spoke as he drew closer to the cooling body of Mod "A man and a half this one, there's giants blood in him, I would argue. Who killed him?" He asked as he looked around. There was an authority to him that made Naruto flinch. He almost owned the killing of the giant man but was too shocked to speak. He wasn't quite sure what was happening.
He slowly began to lower his sword as he was commanded. The danger, he hoped, had passed.
"You will come to no harm" Spoke the whiskered Rodrick when he realized the young boy was relaxing slowly " Not you or your brother, you have my word"
"It wasn't any of us, my lord" one of the men behind Naruto spoke finally to answer the pale man's question "t'was the boy. I've never seen anything the like" there was fear in his voice "He is not normal, Lord Bolton, I'd advise you caution"
"When I need the advice of a wet boy, I'll seek you out" Lord Bolton admonished the young soldier who spoke out "until then, be quiet and hold your superstitious tongue" His voice barely a whisper yet all heard.
He walked over the body of Glen and motioned for one of the horsed men to come over. Reading into the signal the man quickly trekked through the snow, knelt and then began to inspect the body.
"Now boy, tell me what happened here" Lord Bolton pinned Naruto with a look that demanded an answer
Naruto didn't speak, he instead brought his sword up and slid into a stance, breathing heavy as he did so.
"Are you Lord Roose Bolton?" He asked as the men around him tightened their grips on their swords. "I don't see your banners" he continued "I don't trust a Lord without banners"
"Same as the others, Lord Bolton, I presume these were the last of them" the man who was inspecting Glen said, paying little heed to the blonds questioning of a Lord.
"Good, see that the house is checked thoroughly, we can't be too sure" he commanded "as for you boy" he looked at Naruto again " Drop that infuriating sword or I'll see you flogged"
Ser Rodrik stepped forward only for an arm to land on his shoulder halting him.
"There'll be no need for that, old friend" The second man who had come with Lord Cassel spoke easily "I'm sure the pup is just frightened, I'd guess it's been a challenging night."
This man was different, Naruto thought. He was tall with dark hair and silver, grey eyes that shone in the darkness. His jaw set strongly under his hard features. He wore thick heavy robes with fur as black as the night. Under his cloak Naruto glanced at the gleaming white hilt of a sword, its pommel white as pure snow, it was a wolf's head. A dire wolf's head.
No the blond thought, it couldn't be, this was some trick.
"These are my men, boy. Holding my banners" he paused before continuing "if they'd actually fly them as they should" there was a seconds pause before three of the men on horseback quickly raised wooden spears, all brandishing rectangular flags with the great symbol of hope in the North. The direwolf of House Stark.
"Better" The man who Naruto was quickly identifying said "Now, put down the sword and tell me what happened here" He was calm as he spoke.
And so Naruto did, for the first time in an eternity, in his mind he felt some modicum of safety. There was a slight clang as his exhausted hands let go of his father's sword.
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it when he realized he didn't really know how to explain what had just happened. He began to process the events of the night when he gasped and made to run inside the house but a man on his horse blocked his path.
"Easy" The man from house Stark said "You will answer my question" That came out as an order.
" I will, but Nan, Hilda they're hurt. I have to help them"
Just then, the soldier that had gone into the house on Lord Bolton's orders came out, Hilda in his hands, her eyes scanning wildly.
He put her down on shaky legs, tears streaked her face as she looked over at the blond "Will?" she asked "where is he, is he with you, are you safe?" She rattled on, staggering to him.
"Will is safe" Ser Rodrik replied, realization was quickly dawning on his face as he began to piece together the events of the night. He gently patted the sleeping boy strung over his shoulder to reassure the girl and almost smiled when she bawled in relief and clutched the other boy close to her chest.
"No one else alive in there" the soldier said, "two more dead bandits though. There's an interesting story to be told about all this, I'm sure of it my Lord" he looked at Naruto when he said that.
"No" Naruto whispered " Nan is in there, Nan is alive, I saw her, I saw her move" he made to get up but Hilda gripped him too tight and he didn't have the heart or energy to push her away
"It's true, Naruto I saw the life leave her, I saw what they did to my Dontin" she cried hysterically.
"But, I saw her" Naruto was crying now. Tears began to stream down his face "This isn't real, she can't be, not Nan, not Jorah, not Dontin." He shook his head, shrinking into the older woman. He was still just a ten-year-old boy, this was quickly becoming too much.
"So is that what happened?" the silver-eyed man asked " These men came, killed the others and held you for," he paused "after?" Hilda nodded not trusting her voice.
"What of the boys, you'd have me believe these two broke their bindings and killed five hardened brigands" Asked Lord Bolton
"Seems they did m'lord" the soldier by the door answered for them "The men in there didn't have a sword among them, not a knife or a dagger. Seems they were taken by surprise"
"They just came in" Hilda sobbed "From the snow. They asked for lodgings, Jorah denied them and they just started swinging. They were to do horrible things to us." She squeezed the shell-shocked Naruto even tighter " you saved me" she whispered over and over into his ear.
"Seems he killed these two while the gallant Ser Will here took care of the other one round the back" Rodrik wanted to sound like he was joking but this was a hard thing to fathom. Nevertheless, there was a hushed laugh or two from the crowd of silent soldiers around him.
"What will you do with them, Ned?" Asked Lord Bolton, he had been eerily quiet, observing the blond boy who just deflated at the news of his dead Nan.
Ned looked on, how could he, a rational man, believe what he was being asked to believe. Two boys, barely removed from their mother's teat, had killed five men. Two in apparent open combat.
Before the Lord of Winterfell could speak a third man spoke in his stead.
"I'll have them, Lord Stark" It was a gruff voice that didn't suit the face it came from." I'm in need of a good squire and a page to help with the running of the Finger" Robin of house Flint was a man of similar age to Lords Stark and Bolton but wasn't possessed of the same presence they commanded. He easily blended in with the rank and file soldiers without the rich leathers and heavy clean furs of his contemporaries. He instead wore the slim leathered armor of most of the men around him. No jewels or Valerian steel adorned him, he was lesser a lord of the North and seemingly presented himself as such.
"No, I'll have them" Roose spoke "We've got more for them than pages and squires. The Dreadfort needs warriors" He leveled an Icy look at Robin, awaiting challenge.
The Lord Flint's deep brown eyes hardened as he dismounted and walked towards the other Lords in his company. " The Dreadfort will cope" He said in response "Unless you're saying the vaunted soldiers of your keep are in need of two poxy peasant boys to fight their battles for them." He was in close proximity to Lord Bolton by the time he finished speaking.
"They are obviously talented, why waste such a rarity to the empty cliffs and fishing villages of the west when there's real work to be done elsewhere" Roose said bluntly
"Aye, skinning and burning men is foremost the business of babes" Sarcasm dripped from lord Flint's every word.
The few men in earshot knew better than to react to the argument taking place. Their eyes held gaze on everything but the bickering Lords in front of them for fear of the reprisal that would come from the Lord who would feel slighted at the end of the brief argument.
"Yes, the deeds of my ancestors are well known and oft-spoken of. Remind me, minor Lord, who are you again?"
"A man you'd do well not to insult, Bolton'' Robins jaw set in a hard clench causing his already thin lips to all but disappear into an angry line. He had kept his brown hair short, not being one for the frivolity of the longer hair worn by his counterparts.
Ned observed their exchange with growing ire, this posturing was beneath them. Ambition was an ugly thing in the North. Life tended to test the men of these parts well enough without the maneuvering and deceit that such desires would bring. No, climbing the ladder was best left to those in the South. There was one ruler in the North and that was Ned Stark. It was time he put a stop to this.
"Enough, both of you." It was almost a whisper, but it drew silence all the same.
"Lord Flint will have the boys and the girl" He said after a pause. Roose drew back as if struck, he was about to protest when Ned raised a hand in anticipation.
"You are right Lord Bolton, our friend Robin has little in comparison. I do not see how much a boon two peasant boys could be, but the Finger doesn't offer much. He'll need the help more than you or I."
Ned was being diplomatic, usually, he would have taken the boys himself to avoid the bickering and secure two prodigal talents for Winterfell but it would be ungainly for him to refuse either Lord a gift of sorts, given how far they had traveled from their lands to help him rid the North of the latest epidemic of brigand and Wildling that had beset it. "I'll see to it that the Forresters are generous in repaying your services, Roose"
Roose eyed his Lord sternly for a moment, seemingly reminding himself that he served house Stark. House Bolton had taken the knee hundreds of years ago and this was his penance.
"Very well," he replied shortly. "Let's be done with it then." He then strode his horse, mounted it, and rode off behind his men.
Robin nodded his head at Lord Stark in thanks.
It was a choice of loyalty for Ned, not loyalty from him but loyalty from them. House Flint had been a banner house of the Starks for near on a thousand years, they had been staunch supporters of his family in all things. Robin himself rode North to help Ned oust the raiders and rapers that had dug into the Wolfswood like ticks over the past few years. Most other Lords wouldn't directly intervene in such matters. it was actually Robin's impetuous march to Ned's aid that had roused Roose to do the same. It had been a hard few weeks, chasing small groups of men across the frozen wastelands was no easy feat when you had a large number of Bolton soldiers who were less than devoted to the task.
"I'll see them well taken care of my Lord. You have my thanks"
Ned looked on at Robin Flint as he made arrangements with the men around him to clear the house and see the bodies burned. In his heart, he knew he had done a substantial thing. A weight hung on his decision, he felt. There was something special about that boy, curled up as he was next to the sobbing woman. Only time would tell, but he knew, more than anything, Ned Stark knew, Winter was coming.