Chapter 3: Jon Stark
Jon Stark was intrigued. The reason he is intrigued is because House Skyryder was here in the North.
"Are you nervous?"
At Jon's side was his wife, Gunnhild Stark. She was tall, blonde, and handsome for a woman. Her physique was muscular, yet more buxom. Her hair was dirty blonde color, tied in a phony fashion.
She was a proud daughter of Bjor Umber, the Lord House Umber of the Last Hearth. Not lady-like, she was strong, fierce, unique, and loyal warrior as a loyal wife. With a sword in hand, she is strong enough to give the hurt to any man that dare underestimate her and Jon never doubt her ability to fight. Due to her former home, Last Hearth begin close to Wildling attacks, Gunnhild honed her skills vastly, making her a worthy Lady of Winterfell.
"Why would I be nervous?" Jon asked her.
"You wondering of his intents?" says Gunnhild. "Of why is he here in the North.
A army of Valemen, led by House Skyryder, is camped outside of Moat Cailin. However, this was not an invasion from another land. There was another group, lead by the Skyryder Lord that was riding to Winterfell to meet with him. And they wanted to talk.
The Red Kings were silent, no doubt more worried about the coming winter rather than the millennia-long feud. Casting his thoughts on the Red Kings aside, Jon waited in the courtyard, watching as the gate opened to reveal armored riders bearing the sigil of a white Griffin with red eyes, flying in the black background. It was not that hard for Jon to recognize the sigil of House Skyryder.
Despite its status as a southron house many of his vassals raised a cup of ale when they heard of the tales of House Skyryder combating the Andal Invaders. Jon knew that there no House more hated and feared by the Andals than House Skyryder. From what the stories he heard, the Skyryder did more atrocities on the Andals, mentally and physically.
"We will find out when we meet him." Jon says as the gates of Winterfell are closed.
Once the riders enter Winterfell, two people appaoches him. Jon guess one of them was Lord Robert Skyryder. Upon seeing the second person, Jon was taken aback when he realized that he was accompanied by the one Children of the Forest.
"Lord Robert Skyryder?" Jon speaks to him upon face to face.
The Lord removed his helmet, his armor was covered in dust and dirt, the telltale signs of long travel. It was at that moment that Jon knew that the rumor of Robert Skyryder's death was most likely true. The noble in question looked fairly young, he had raven black hair and his eyes were red like the eyes of the Heart tree and almost wolf-like.
"My father is dead, your grace," he informed him. "He died, giving his life in the riverlands, for our faith. I am now serving as the Lord of House Skyryder."
Jon decided to introduce the Griffin Lord to his my, Stark."
"It's an Honor to meet you Lord Skyryder." Gunnhild greets him.
"I thank you for your kindness and host," Adrian responded before he too introduces them "And may I introduce you both to the Greenseer, the leader of the Children of the forest of High Heart."
"Then the rumors we heard from the South are true," say Jon as he stares at the two. "You really did earn blessing from the Old Gods."
"I only did my duty as a humble servant to the Old Gods," says Adrian. "Nothing more or nothing less."
Jon was quiet for a moment before he asked "Why did you come to the North Lord Skyryder?"
"I came here because I had no where else to go," Adrian told him. "And because the Greenseer insisted."
Hearing that Jon turn his eyes towards the Greenseer before looking back at Jon, ready to hear some more.
"As you know your grace," Adrian begins to explain his reasons. "My House was driven out of the Vale because of the Andals. Upon arriving in the Riverlands, we discovered more of them attempted to burn down the sacred trees of High Heart. Even through we success in protecting the High Heart, the Greenseer told me it's inevitable as the Andals' coming cannot be stop. Only here in the North, can the true faith is safe."
"I don't understand." Jon says, looking confused. "Are you saying the Andal invasion is immense?"
"It is," says the Greenseer. "My visions show me that the Andals will keep coming and coming, assimilating all of Westeros. The Andal invasion in Vale was the beginning. All lands south to the Neck will fall before them, saved for the North."
Jon has no doubt of the Greenseers' words. He has heard rumors from the south, rumors of foreigns sailing through the Narrow Seas from the East. He also heard rumors of these Andals attacking anything that resembles the First Men culture, including the Weirwoods and the Children of the Forest.
The Andals brought with them their foreign faith, the Faith of the Seven. From their point of view, they condemned their Old Gods as demons and believe it's their sacred duty to cleanse the lands of them. Jon was not going to had none of that. Not as long he is King In the North.
"The North will be the last haven for the Old Faith," the Greenseer told the King In the North. "And you must need all the allies to help defend it. It is why I came here, before you, to vouch for Adrian Skyryder."
"Vouch?" Jon repeated.
"What the Greenseer is trying to say your Grace," Adrians says simply. "I wish to swear myself and my House to the House of Winterfell. If the Andals are coming here to the North, I wish to pick up sword as defender of the North. The North is destined to be among the few places that their 'faith' is not practiced, the Andals will eventually turn their eyes here eventually, and if you accept us then they will find me and mine on the battlements, fighting them on every battlefield."
Jon could sense the anger and hatred within Adrian's tone, aim towards the Andals. He was silent, weighing the benefits and drawbacks of taking them in. For one thing, there would be more mouths to feed during the winter, which was an inevitable drawback of accepting their fealty. Secondly, they were southron, outsiders. It was one of the few reasons that the rest of his vassals would object to accepting, though the fact that they were followers of the Old gods would keep his vassals silent to some extent.
The benefits of taking them in were also something to take note of. House Skyryder can prove to be a worthy bannermen as they are greatly feared by the Andals after the Battle of Heart Heart and the Battle of Thin Valley. However, House Skyryder gain favor from a Greenseer of the Children of the forest. They were close to the Old Gods of the forest, and having them as ally would be a great benefits to his House. It was an idea came upon him.
"I will gladly accepted your fealty Lord Skyryder," says Jon. "Yet, I want more than just your fealty. I wish bind our Houses in blood."
"How?" Adrian asked.
"You married my sister, Morgana Stark," Jon told him. "Do this, and you will become Lord of Moat Cailin."
Jon thought of the King In the North's offer and says "It will be done my Lord."
Glossary
Pact of the Wolf and the Griffin: The Pact of the Wolf and the Griffin was an alliance between Houses Stark and Skyryder after Adrian Skyryder emigrated to the North. Since the treaty's foundation, the Skyryders had remained one of the oldest and closest allies of the Starks. In order to maintain the treaty, members from both Houses had been marrying their sons and daughters to each other families, every few generations.