The War in the North:

For thousands of years, Winterfell had been the seat of House Stark who eventually became the Kings of Winter or the Kings of the North. House Stark did not gain titles like that by playing nice, in fact many of their principle Bannermen had once been petty kings until House Stark had subjugated them, the Red Kings of House Bolton had been the biggest rivals of House Stark but in the end, they too had bent the knee although begrudgingly. The north also held true to their old beliefs in the Old Gods of the forest and had been the only kingdom to resist the Andals when they migrated from Essos, in fact, King Theon Stark known as the Hungry Wolf who was said to have been the king who forced the Boltons to bend the knee had managed to defeat an Andal invasion led by the Warlord Argos Sevenstar in the Battle of the Weeping Water and the stories say that after this victory, Theon sailed to the Andal homeland with Argos' body nailed to the prow of his ship and raided the shores to show what happens when you fuck with the north.

It was only during Aegon's Conquest that the North admitted defeat; King Torrhen Stark bent the knee to avoid the dragons which had destroyed both the castle of Harrenhal and the armies of Houses Gardner and Lannister although many Northerns refused out of pride to bend the knee to a southern. Now nearly 300 years on, that idea of independence had remerged and some were desperate to try and hold it. The Company of the Rose, an Sellsword company descendent from Northerns who refused to bend the knee to the Targaryens had returned North and had sworn to keep the north independent and now they were about to face their first test.

While the new King in the North, Robb Stark, had brought his army south, he had made a typical error by now leaving enough men south to defend his home. Now the Ironborn of the Iron Islands who Robb had hoped to make an alliance had invaded. They had captured the castles of Deepwood Motte, Moat Cailin and worst of all, Winterfell itself. The Ironborn had also attacked the town of Torrhen's Square and raided along the Stoney Shore destroying several villages. Moat Cailin prevented the northern army from returning home but luckily, the Company of the Rose had taken this as a chance to prove their loyalty.

The Company of the Rose, led by Cullen Rostark had made a camp along the White Knife River. The company forces mainly consisted of the vanguard of the Company since most of the troops were still being transported across the Narrow Sea meaning the company had about 2000 highly trained soldiers with them. The Ironborn had also attacked Winterfell not long after the Harvest Festival so several other lords were already close to Winterfell and had joined them although they did not have many men with them. Robett Glover had returned north since his home and family had been captured and joining them were Mors and Hother Umber, the uncles of Lord Jon Umber of Last Hearth and expert warriors despite their advanced age. House Ryswell and Dustin had also sent men to join them led by Lord Rodrick Ryswell's second son Rickard although there was some suspicion since Houses Dustin and Ryswell had not sent many men south as other houses had done.

Also there was Ramsay Snow, bastard son of Roose Bolton who had brought some Bolton men with them although he was being kept away to avoid tensions. No one not even the Dustins and Ryswells trusted or liked the bastard since he was rumoured to have poisoned Domeric Bolton who was a cousin of both houses since Bethany Bolton, Domeric's mother was daughter of lord Ryswell and the sister of Lady Dustin. Also, he seemed to be eying up the lands of House Hornwood, Lady Donella Hornwood had lost her husband Halys and son Daryn had both died during the recent war. Halys had been killed at the Green Ford as part of the distraction against the Lannisters while Daryn was killed by Jaime Lannister at the Whispering Wood. This left the future of house Hornwood in jeopardy since now the only male heir of House Hornwood was Halys bastard son Larence Snow who was now being held captive at Deepwood Motte by the Ironborn. Ramsay seemed to be eyeing the Hornwood's lands but the future of those lands would be decided by King Robb when the war was over.

Cullen Rostark gathered his key leaders which included the northern lords who joined them in a war tent to plan how they were going to retake the north from the Ironborn. Cullen did make it clear that he was in charge but respected the north men's advice. "The Ironborn's true power is on the sea, not land." He stated

"That is true." Mors Umber stated "They're little more than raiders and have no strategy when it comes to battle."

"Meaning they may not be able to hold the castles that they hold for long." Rickard Ryswell stated

"And knowing the Ironborn, they would probably waste their resources celebrating victories than preparing for any action we take against them." Hother Umber added

"Moat Cailin won't be much of a problem, it was designed to withhold an attack from the south, not the north." Cullen stated "Deepwood Motte and Winterfell on the other hand have the hostage issue."

"I sent Avulstein and Thorald to check Winterfell out." Astrid stated "It seems that the Ironborn there are weaker than we thought, Theon only has about 20 men, he'll never hold us off for long but there is still the risk that he could kill Bran and Rickon."

"The Ironborn are cowards." Mors stated "And if Theon went against orders then offering the Ironborn a deal, they might turn on Theon and just leave."

"Still, we can't take any chances with Bran and Rickon." Cullen stated "Astrid, you know what to do?"

"Indeed, I have my squad ready to sneak in." Astrid replied "We'll sneak in, find Bran and Rickon and then sneak out, then offer the Ironborn their deal and see what happens, if they hand Theon over, that's the end of it, if they don't, then just let them die."

"What about my home?" Robett asked

Cullen sighed "Of all of them, Deepwood Motte will be the hardest to retake. The Ironborn could just leave the castle with their hostages, it is three hundred leagues from Winterfell so by the time we reach there, news would have most likely already got there at the north is retaking their lands. Still, we have the army to strike at all three places at once. Edward, you take 100 men to Winterfell, with only 20 Ironborn there, it's not worth taking a huge chunk of our army. Since Deepwood Motte is the seat of House Glover, Robett might as well lead the northerns here to retake Deepwood Motte if the others have no problem with it."

"I have no argument." Mors stated

"Nor do I." Rickard Ryswell added

"400 of my men will go with them and I'll take the remaining 1500 to Moat Cailin, Ramsay will join me." Cullen finished

"You sure about that?" Rickard asked

"Would you rather I sent him with you?" Cullen asked and when Rickard stuttered he added "I didn't think so. Now prepare your men, the Ironborn may have captured your home but we will show them that you don't fuck with the north."

"The north remembers." Mors smiled and they all left to prepare their men for the fight.

...

In Winterfell, Theon Greyjoy lay in the bed that had once belonged to Lord Eddard Stark. When he had arrived at the Iron Islands, he found his father had little interest in helping and had decided to attack the north while it was vulnerable. He had felt insulted when his sister had been ordered to attack Deepwood Motte while he had only been given one ship and ordered to raid the Stoney Shore. He almost thought about informing Robb but then decided that he was a Greyjoy and would never be a Stark, he had been a hostage and his loyalty lay with his blood and he wanted to prove himself. He sent Dagmer Cleftjaw to attack Torrhen's Square as a diversion and then he snuck in and captured Winterfell. This had been against his orders and his sister Yara had arrived to warn him but he stubbornly decided to stay.

He had given his men the pleasure of Winterfell as they willed although he refused to allow them to have fun with Beth Cassel who was still only a child. He did have Winterfell's Septon drowned as an offering to the Drowned God and kept Bran and Rickon as hostages although they had disappeared. In order to keep that quite, he had two young boys killed and their bodies burnt and placed on display as a warning presenting them as the two Starks so not to look weak. He had taken one of the girls from Wintertown as a bed warmer and had spent numerous nights living in pleasure.

Soon, he was interrupted by a knock at the door and he saw Maester Luwin enter "My lord, there seems to be an army gathering outside of Winterfell. I do not recognise the Banner but they fly under a blue rose."

"A blue rose?" Theon questioned, he did not know of any Bannermen in the north with that sigil.

Theon quickly went to the Gates of Winterfell and saw a small army had indeed gathered outside Winterfell, they were well armoured and he saw them flying a white Banner with a blue rose. He looked at the leader and recognised him after a few seconds "Edward Forrester?"

"Theon Greyjoy." Edward replied "Somehow I knew that you would turn on us when I first met you. Just like all the other Greyjoys, you are little more than a glorified raider who preys on the weak."

"I am the blood of the kraken!" Theon hissed "The Seven Kingdoms are at war and Winterfell is mine, I paid the Iron Price for it just like the Ironborn do. We Greyjoys do not Sow."

"Yeah, you just raid and take what you cannot get by working hard!" Edward snapped "You honestly don't think you can hold this castle, you only have twenty men."

"I would have said I have hostages but I don't anymore!" Theon sneered "The little Stark boys were my guests and how did they pay me, by trying to flee, they aren't little boys anymore, you can't be a boy when you're dead."

Edward's blood ran cold, he could not believe what he was hearing, he was too late, Theon had already killed the two Stark boys, Astrid's mission was for nothing now but there was no time to warn her. "Even so, we have been ordered to retake the north from you cunts, even as we speak, the rest of our forces descends on Deepwood Motte and Moat Cailin. The Company of the Rose has declared their support for Robb Stark, King in the north and we have been ordered to retake the north from you Ironborn cunts. You cannot hold out against us, we outnumber you five times over, you should know that this is just a fool's errant, make your choice, you can leave now or you can die here now." Edward knew that the Ironborn would take pleasure in dying in battle so they could be welcomed in their afterlife but he had delivered the message, now they would make their choice.

...

Meanwhile, Astrid had taken her group to try and infiltrate Winterfell. This group included Asher Forrester and his best friend Bershka as well as two brothers, Thorald and Avulstein Grey-Mane. The Grey Manes were descended from a group of Northern Mountain clansmen who joined the Company of the Rose when they were first founded and are fierce Northerns and are proud of the fact. Their father, Eorland Grey-Mane was actually in charge of forging weapons and armour for the Company and so the Grey-Manes were highly respected within the Company. The group also included two of Avelstein's close friends Geirlund and Vidrald.

The secret tunnel that they were using to sneak into Winterfell was an old drainage tunnel for the hot springs under Winterfell which were used to get hot water. The tunnel was where excess water would flow down and eventually flow into the White Knife River. The tunnel was also meant to be an old escape tunnel for the ruling family of Winterfell but it had not been used in hundreds of years and had been forgotten even before the arrival of the Targaryens. Astrid had stumbled upon the tunnel in her younger years and it was how she and Edward were able to leave Winterfell undetected when they decided to leave and join the Company of the Rose. The final part of the tunnel was hidden due thanks to an overgrown bush which made it a perfect way of sneaking in.

The four of them made their way along the tunnel using a lantern to light their way, Astrid knew to be careful as sometimes, fumes from the hot springs could flow down the tunnel and if they found a flame, they could ignite which is why all the lights in the Hot Springs were covered to prevent such an ignition. They soon found the Hot Springs themselves and it was a natural beauty, it was an underground lake that had natural light coming from holes above which led into the Godswood and only a key eye above could see them, the holes were also used to help air flow throughout the springs which would have gotten stale without them. The water from the springs looked so inviting; it was crystal blue but hot air from below made the waters extremely warm which was very different from the normally cold air of the north. The bubbles that came up in places where the hot gasses underground heating the water and the springs were used to help the people of Winterfell wash but that were also a way to relax, Astrid often came down here just to get some peace and quiet and had been one of the few things she had missed when she left Winterfell.

Eventually, they found the stairs that would lead up out of the springs and they carefully went up them in case anyone was coming down which would expose them. Astrid and her group stood still when they heard a noise coming up and they hid in a nearby corridor. When the person got close, Thorald quickly grabbed them and it the light, Astrid saw the grey robes and balding head as well as the Maester chain and she quickly grabbed Thorald's shoulder.

"It's alright, he's friendly, let him go." She ordered "Maester Luwin has served House Stark for years, he would never betrayal us willingly."

Thorald nodded and let the Maester go who looked at them "Are you from Edward Forrester's forces?" he asked

"We are Maester Luwin." Astrid said "It is good to see you again."

Luwin was confused which did not surprise Astrid, she had been gone for years and her looks had changed, Luwin had never seen Astrid with her white hair but a closer look at her eyes made Luwin realise "Astrid?"

"Yes Maester, I have returned." Astrid replied "Robb got the Company's support and we were sent to recover Winterfell, where's Bran and Rickon, are they okay?"

"They escape custody and Theon sent men to find them." Luwin explained "He showed off two charred bodies presented as the boys but they're not them, I'll take you to them."

Luwin led the group towards the crypts of Winterfell and he heard a woman call out "What's the news from above?"

"Robb has sent forces here to recover Winterfell, but better than that, he sent people to rescue you." Luwin replied

"And can they be trusted?" the woman asked again

"I think a sibling can be trusted." Luwin stated

The woman came into the light where Astrid saw that she had messy hair and an untamed look. She also saw Hodor or the friendly giant as Astrid liked to call him and two young children. Of all of her siblings, Bran and Rickon were the two who Astrid knew the least as Rickon has still only been a baby when she had left. She also saw two large Direwolves, one grey and the other black. They growled at first but soon calmed down.

"Who are you?" Bran asked seeing Astrid.

"I'm not surprise you don't know me." Astrid said "After all, Rickon was just a baby and you were an even smaller child Bran. I doubt mother spoke of me much, she hated both mine and my twin brother's presence here."

Bran soon realised who this was "You're Astrid Snow, twin brother of Jon, why do you look like a Targaryen?"

"I'll explain later." Astrid said "Right now, we need to get you out of here. My friend Edward Forrester is at the Gates of Winterfell, we're retaking this castle for Robb."

"Hodor, Osha let's get out of here." Bran ordered.

"Hodor." Astrid watched as Hodor picked up Bran while the Wildling woman known as Osha helped Rickon.

Astrid was confused "Why aren't you walking?" she asked

"He can't." Luwin replied "There was an accident, he fell from the Old Tower which crippled him although Catelyn said that he was pushed by the Kingslayer, it seemed he saw him and his sister the queen having a sexual relationship in the tower."

Astrid gave her cousin a look of sympathy, it must have been hard for him to never be able to walk again. The group then began to make their way out of the crypts.

...

Outside in Winterfell's courtyard, Theon had gathered his followers, he knew that there was no way they would survive this fight but he could make a last stand, this was something Ironborn storytellers loved and he believed that he would go down in Ironborn history as the man who took the seat of the first men and then died defending it. When a northern horn blew, he decided to give his speech.

"You hear that?" he called out "That is the mating call of the north, they want to fuck us, I haven't had a good fuck in weeks, I'm ready for one." His gathered Ironborn laughed "They saw a single Ironborn man is worth a dozen from the mainland, you think their right?" the men nodded in agreement "We die today brothers, we die bleeding from a hundred wounds, from arrows in our necks and spears in our guts. But our war cries will echo through eternality. They will sing about the battle of Winterfell until the Iron Islands have slipped beneath the waves. Every Ironborn man woman and child will know who we were and how long we stood." The then named a few of the men who were with him. "Ironborn warriors will cry out our names as they leap onto the shores of Seaguard and Faircastle" he began to approach his men from the steps where he had stood "Ironborn mothers will name their sons after us, girls will think of us with their lovers inside of us." As the war horn blew again, Theon added "And whoever kills that fucking hornblower will stand amidst the shores of Pyke. What is dead may never die, but rises again harder and stronger." The men all cheered and Theon held his sword high and yelled.

Theon was so distracted that he never saw Dagmar swing a large club hitting him on the back of the head and he stumbled to the group. One of his men then scoffed "I thought he would never shut up?" he scoffed. None of the Ironborn gathered had been happy about Theon's whole idea in the first place.

"It was a good speech, I didn't want to interrupt." Dagmar stated. Two of the other men then grabbed Theon by his arms.

Soon the gates of Winterfell opened and Edward Forrester marched in with his men and approached Dagmar "So, you decided on what to do." Dagmar whistled and his men threw Theon to their feet "A deal is a deal Ironborn, but if any of you are still within the North, I won't accept a new offer, I will just kill the lot of you so I advise you return to your islands and stay there, stay out of the north and we will leave you alone, attack us and we will burn your ships and kill the lot of you."

Dagmar just snorted and looked at Theon's men "Let's go home boys." He called and the Ironborn quickly left.

...

Astrid and the others soon reached the courtyard of Winterfell just in time to see Edward sending his men to secure the rest of the castle "Edward." She called

"Astrid." Edward sighed "I have some bad news, Bran and Rickon..."

"Are alive and well." Astrid replied "I know what Theon told you but it was a lie, the two burnt bodies are just Millers boys presented as the Starks." Bran and Rickon were then brought around.

Edward bowed with his men "My lord, you are Robb Stark's current heir. We have recaptured Winterfell for you and the rest of our forces should have retaken the rest of the north soon. What do you wish for us to do?"

"We must inform my brother of this." Bran stated

Luwin sighed "I'm afraid that the Ironborn killed all of the ravens after he presented the fake Starks." He said "We don't have anything to send a message."

"Well, I have a few ravens of our own." Edward said "We'll use one of them to send the message."

"Good." Bran stated "The Ironborn were able to come here because I left Winterfell under protected, I won't make that mistake again."

"Everyone makes mistakes." Edward stated "Learn from them but don't try to repeat them otherwise the next time could be a lot worse." He then looked at Theon "And what of this turncoat?"

"Just throw him in the cells, Robb will deal with him later once this war is over." Bran ordered.

Astrid nodded and had Avulstein and Thorald drag Theon down to Winterfell's cells where he would remain. Astrid then looked around her old home, it had been many years since she had been here, she knew that she was now involved in northern affairs again. She vowed that she would do what it takes to fight for her home, no one from the south would threaten the security of the north again, they were an independent kingdom and she would do whatever it takes to show everyone that. She may have the Targaryen looks but she was a northern by heart.

Chapter End:

Notes: Well, a new chapter completed and I want to address two things, first I am bringing in a few characters in from Skyrim as you saw with Thorald and Avulstein, the Grey Mane characters involved with the Skyrim quest "Missing in Action." This will not be a full Elder Scrolls crossover like my Rise of the Divines story, this is just bringing in some characters from the game to have characters for the Company of the Rose. I will also be bringing in some Stormcloak characters since they are like pure northerns fighting for their independence so they would fit the idea for the Company of the Rose but other than that, there won't be a full crossover but elements from the "Missing in Action" quest may appear in the future. Secondly, someone asked about Astrid's old Direwolf "Huntress" from the original, unfortunately, that Direwolf is not around in this story but Astrid may get a pet companion in the future but not yet. Now I plan to work on a chapter of Rise of the Divines and I hope to maybe get it done and possible another chapter before the end of this year.