Battle of the Whispering Wood

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and The Game of Thrones. They belong to their respective authors. I am writing this just for fun and no money is being made.

Warning – Please pardon my poor war strategy.

"No."

"Robb…"

"A little girl with no training fighting in a men's war…" Rickard Karstark sneered.

Elsa chose to ignore the man who had been extremely vocal about showing his disapproval regarding 'a girl in the middle of a battle or how much of an inconvenience she was', and started, "I'll stay as far as I can…"

Robb didn't let her finish and interrupted, "I'm afraid Lord Karstark isn't wrong. If the Lannister's get their hands on you, either they kill you or you'll become a captive like Sansa, Arya and father."

He didn't miss the way her lips thinned, so he added, "And I'll be worried knowing you're in danger."

His words left no room for argument and Elsa looked away. She knew that Robb's plan was ingenious and everyone agreed, but that didn't mean that something couldn't go awry. The world they lived in was cruel and selfishly, she wanted to hide her dragons away, so no one could even think about harming them. But they were growing rapidly and she knew, the world will find out about their existence sooner than later. Despite her reluctance to inform anyone about them, she knew they could easily aid them in winning this war. She had been practising magic and knew it could benefit Robb and his men greatly – which was why she wasn't going sit and watch as her brother fought the enemy alone.

As if reading through the line of her thoughts, Robb stated, "Torrhen, stay with my sister until the war is over."

Torrhen's eyes widened as he stared from the king to his 'sister' and nodded. "Yes, your grace."

Lord Karstark didn't look the least bit happy if his clenched fists were anything to go by.

Elsa was equally outraged and spluttered indignantly, "I don't need a guard!"

"I'm sorry," Robb told her, not sounding sorry at all, before leaving the tent with his men in tow.

Now that Robb and his army were gone, the camp seemed deserted. She was dressed in a leather doublet and pants. Her hair was tied in a braid and she was wearing a dark cloak, which helped in hiding her face as well. Satisfied with her appearance, she hid her dagger and crept out from the back of her tent. She decided to walk alongside the horse until she was a little bit further, so her 'guard' won't find out till she was far, far away.

Once she was far enough from the camp, she congratulated herself for leaving the youngest Karstark behind and was about to get on the horse, when suddenly a voice said, "My Lady."

Elsa nearly jumped out of her skin and she whirled around, brandishing the dagger at the 'assassin'. He turned out to be her guard and she slumped before mumbling, "Torrhen."

He eyed the knife looking amused even as he said, "You shouldn't be this far out. It isn't safe."

She squared her shoulders, ready to do whatever it took to reach Robb and stated firmly, "I'm sorry, Torrhen, but I can't leave my brother alone."

He made a face, shifting uncomfortably and started, "The king gave…"

She didn't let him finish and asked rhetorically, "Well, the king isn't here, is he?"

"I apologise, my Lady, but I can't let you leave," Torrhen said with a grimace.

"You cannot stop me unless you decide to use force or that…" Elsa pointed towards his sword, not missing the horror that crept along with his gaze.

Without waiting for his reply, she turned away from him and got on her horse. The youngest Karstark cursed under his breath but followed.

Robb's Pov

The Battle of the Whispering Wood was gruesome and a bloody affair.

It was his battle as the King in the North and he couldn't afford to make a mistake. Not only was he responsible to save his father and sisters, but all the men who were fighting for him. Everyone agreed that his plan had been well thought – luring out the Lannister cavalry and the Kingslayler in particular, destroying their force in the process. The battle was proving to be extremely lucrative, even if it carried the risk of grave danger, given the Kingslayer's threatening presence as he cut his way through the battlefield towards him.

It was difficult to move around and Robb found himself tripping frequently over something or the other while attempting to obtain the upper hand with his opponents. Fighting in such a deep forest could be dangerous, but it was the best place to fight thousands of Lannister men.

In his peripheral vision, he could see Grey Wind lunging at Lannister soldiers, who tried to move closer to him, but despite the menacing way he was tearing enemy's apart, Daryn Hornwood, Dacey Mormont and Eddard Karstark had somehow managed to form a loose circle around him.

He turned to look at Daryn when the man let out a cry and threw himself forward at the Kingslayer, who ducked down and dodged the sword easily. Dacey and Eddard appeared almost instantly, slashing high and low at the golden-haired knight in a synchronised move. But their effort turned out to be futile as Daryn was slain by the Kingslayer.

The Kingslayer kept fighting even as he shouted, "STARK!"

Dacey attacked him with vigour, but the Kingslayer thrust his sword forward, striking her in the right shoulder. She jerked back, letting out a scream and would've fallen if Eddard hadn't surged forward to engage with the golden-haired knight.

The Lannister's eyes flicked to Robb for a moment, incensed and more than ready to wet his sword with the young wolf's blood and before he increased the intensity of his fight. He slashed his sword forward, stopping the blow in a quick move and before Eddard could move his sword again, the Kingslayer's blade slit the delicate flesh of his neck. Eddard's eyes widened as the sword fell from his hand and he raised his palm to his neck, gasping as blood began to gush from the cut.

This time, both Robb and Dacey dashed forward, narrowly avoiding the swing as the Kingslayer fluidly continued the movement with a deft twist of his wrist. With a roar, he bodily pushed Dacey back and his sword collided with Robb's for the first time. Robb fought with everything he had, stabbing his sword forward, just as the Lannister did when suddenly, the Kingslayer was thrown back by an invisible force. Robb and Dacey stared as his body collided with a tree behind him, saw as he struggled to free himself – from what they didn't know, just as Torrhen skidded to a halt next to his brother.

"Wh-what…?" Dacey looked around horrified.

Robb swung his head just in time to see Elsa as she walked in and knelt next to Eddard, who was lying on his back on the damp, churned grass and mud, gasping for breath as blood seeped between his fingers. His eyes darted to the Kingslayer, who was still immobile even as his eyes, filled with panic were darting around wildly. His sword had fallen and Robb ordered a few of his men to seize the Lannister and tie him up.

He looked down just in time to see Elsa moving her fingers, which were trembling slightly, at Eddard's neck.

Suddenly, he remembered the first time her magic had scared everyone around, after which people started keeping their distance from her. The three of them must be of seven summers and were climbing on a tree when Jon had fallen, breaking his leg in the process. Mother had refused to tend to him, but Elsa had healed the leg within moments… in the same way she was doing now. Instantly realizing what she was doing and the consequences she would have to face, he said warningly, "Elsa."

She ignored him, much to his ire and gently pried Eddard's hand away from the flapping skin. They all grimaced when they saw the cut and how heavily it was bleeding, but only Robb was the one to notice how his sister trembled before closing her eyes and moving her fingers over the wound.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Torrhen yelled.

Elsa didn't give any indication that she'd even heard him. Her fingers stayed near the wound and the skin began to knit back, much to everyone's awe and fear. There were a few curses and exclamations from his men surrounding them, but Robb too watched fascinated as Eddard's gasping breaths slowed, just as the blood flowing from the wound did until the flayed skin was gone and the only reminder left was a thin red line where the wound had been.

Eddard blinked at Elsa blearily before falling unconscious.

Everyone around was shocked, but it was Torrhen who voiced his thoughts. His eyes stayed fixed on his brother's neck as he checked the pulse, even as he asked, "What…? Is he….?"

"I – don't know. He will need a healer." Elsa whispered without looking at anyone.

She stumbled as soon as she stood up and Robb had to steady her. Looking at her worriedly, he asked, "Are you alright?"

Elsa nodded her head once even as she held onto him for support, suddenly feeling rather faint.

Robb pursed his lips, unhappy that she hadn't stayed at the camp as he'd told her to and had revealed her magic in front of everyone. On one hand, he was grateful that Eddard wasn't dead, but on the other, he was furious, knowing she would become a prime target in the wars to come – mainly for supporting him. He turned to look at the Kingslayer, who was staring at Elsa with shocked eyes, just like everyone, even though he was still struggling vigorously in the binds. Now they had the Lannister, they needed to leave, so he looked back to Elsa and whispered firmly, "We're going to talk."

He turned back to his men and ordered them to leave. They needed to take the wounded to the Maester and attended to the dead.

Elsa didn't look at Lady Catelyn, well aware of the glare being thrown her way. Thankfully, her attention turned to their prisoner as he spoke, "Lady Stark. I'd offer you my word, but I seem to have lost it."

Lady Catelyn glared at him and hissed, "It is not your sword I want. Give me my daughters back. Give me my husband."

"I've lost them too, I'm afraid." The Kingslayer replied nonchalantly.

"Kill him, Robb. Send his head to his father. He cut down ten of our men. He killed Hornwood and Lord Rutherford along with ten of our men." Theon advised.

"You kill him, they will kill Father. Maybe Sansa and Arya too." Elsa interrupted.

"Elsa' right," Robb stated, staring at the Lannister. "He's more use to us alive than dead."

"Take him away and put him in irons." Lady Catelyn commanded.

Just as Lord Umber hauled Jamie up, he looked at Robb and challenged, "We could end this war right now, boy, save thousands of lives. You fight for the Starks; I fight for the Lannisters. Swords or lances, teeth, nails — choose your weapons and let's end this here and now."

Robb stared at him for some time before stating, "If we do it your way, Kingslayer — You'd win. We're not doing it your way."

Elsa's Tent

Grey Wind growled at Aeghar when the dragon tried to settle on his back, but possibly gave it as a lost cause and flopped in front of the place where the fire was burning. Balerion, Rhaegal and Silverwing too settled close to them, nearly cuddling with each other for warmth to drop for a nap.

'They disliked the cold', Elsa thought amused, ignoring the way Robb was glaring at her as he said, "You didn't follow my orders."

"Orders?" Perplexed, her eyes snapped to meet his blue ones and she asked, "Now, you're ordering me?"

He didn't reply, instead, commanded, "I want you to go back to Winterfell at first light."

Her eyebrows knitted together as anger invaded her, but she calmed herself and said, "You know I can take care of myself. You saw it yourself…"

"Don't you understand?!" He shouted suddenly, startling not only her but Grey Wind and her dragons, who lifted their heads to look at him. "If anyone finds out… if the Lannister's finds out, they wouldn't think twice before asking for you and your dragons in exchange for father, Sansa and Arya!"

"Oh." Understanding dawned and she uttered in a small voice. She hadn't thought how her presence would affect the three Starks now that they were captives in Kings Landing.

Robb sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly and started, "El…", but was interrupted when a man's voice called, "Milady?"

Wide blue eyes met panicked violet ones and before she could even think of throwing a shield to hide the dragons, Lord Karstark entered with Torrhen, Jon Umber, Brynden Blackfish, Roose Bolton and Theon in toe.

"Your grace." Lord Karstark bowed his head to greet Robb when one of her dragons, Aeghar, trilled rather loudly. Every pair of eyes in her room snapped towards the sound, making both Elsa and Robb stiffen. Balerion, Rhaegal, Aeghar and Silverwing lifted their heads to stare at the newcomers, who were frozen with horror written all over their faces. No one spoke for a long time as they gaped at the baby dragons. As if sensing the tension in the room, Grey Wind started growling low in his throat.

"Are those… dragons?"

"SEVEN HELLS!"

"Fucking DRAGONS!?"

They all exclaimed simultaneously, already wielding their swords to slay her dragons.

"Your Grace! Get away from those!" Robb's uncle, Ser Blackfish screamed, eyes full of fear, flittering between his nephew and the four dragons.

Elsa moved swiftly to stand between the men and her children, ready to fight. Grey Wind moved to stand in front of her, starting everyone when he too looked ready to attack. Ironic as it might be, but she knew how to conjure fire and wasn't afraid to use it if needed. She didn't miss how all her dragons were alert and screeched. She could feel their fear, how threatened they were feeling in presence of these men. She could also feel their instinct which was telling them to protect their territory. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that these were dragons, predatory beings who are easy to anger and liked eating flesh. She needed to teach them how to curb their instincts, else the results could be disastrous. For now, Elsa was just relieved they hadn't spewed fire yet, even if it was only because the men were still frozen and hadn't made a move.

Balerion, who as always was overly protective and Silverwing, who was easy to anger, flew in the air and let out loud shrieks. The men stumbled back, their eyes widening further before Lord Umber and Ser Blackfish raised their swords and moved towards her.

"Enough!" Robb's shoulders were tense, but he commanded, "Stand down!"

Ser Blackfish opened his mouth to protest, but before he could speak, Roose Bolton stated, "They're yours."

Ignoring everyone around, the man stared at her intently. Elsa couldn't quite understand the expressions on his face – awe, horror and possibly confusion.

Elsa nodded uncomfortably, resting her hand on top of Balerion's head, hoping to calm him down. Everyone gaped at her, clearly flummoxed.

"Yours?" Lord Umber asked again as if unable to believe his ears. "They… listen to you?"

Lord Karstark didn't let her answer and asked with a manic glint in his eyes, "Can I touch them?"

Remembering how aggressive they could become if provoked, she warned, "I would advise against it. I'm sure they won't like it."

His face fell, but this time it was Lord Bolton who asked curiously, "How did you acquire them?"

Unsure how to explain 'how', she shrugged anxiously.

"You've four dragons and you aren't using them?" Lord Karstark spoke excitedly, eyes still fixed on the baby dragons.

"Lord Karstark is right! This changes everything! With the help of your… dragons, we can win this war!" Jon Umber nodded his agreement.

Elsa clenched her jaw, ready to tell them that not moments ago, they were ready to slay the said dragons, but thankfully, Robb spoke before she could snap.

"Lord Karstark. There's no denying that the dragons can help us in winning the war… but, they are too young. They're still learning how to feed themselves. Elsa is the only one they listen to. Their presence puts us in a precarious position. If our enemies find out, they would undoubtedly try to use it for their benefit. The Lannister's still have my sisters. I would insist not to tell anyone about their existence, not yet."

The men nodded reluctantly, but both Elsa and Robb knew that now the word was out, it would spread like wildfire. Still, the young wolf gave a single nod, before asking, "Was there something you wish to speak about, my lords?

"Yes, yes." Lord Karstark spoke as if coming out of a trance before addressing both Robb and Elsa, and asked, "Your grace. My Lady. May we… speak?"

Both Robb and Elsa blinked, surprised that the old man was even talking to her when until now, he had done nothing but disparage 'the little girl'. 'Maybe the knowledge of dragons does changes things', Elsa thought glumly.

At her nod, he said, "Torrhen informed me what you did for my son and I wish to extend my gratitude for saving his life. It was only because of you…"

She looked at Torrhen, who shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. He was radiating such embarrassment that she could feel it, like heat rolling off his body as he said, "My brother was under the influence of the milk of poppy when he told father about... how you healed him."

Robb's body stiffened and he closed his eyes tiredly, preparing for the worst and asked through gritted his teeth, "What was said?"

"How Lady Elsa helped in capturing the Kingslayer and how she used the – magic to heal the wound and save my son." Lord Karstark replied, his voice full of awe and wonder.

Other than the flexing of his fingers, Robb did not indicate that he was even listening as he stared at everyone coldly. Elsa herself wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't grown up with him and grimaced.

Robb, on the other hand, wanted to hit someone. It was known that Rickard Karstark was a boaster, him knowing meant everyone would find out if they hadn't already. But despite the knowledge, he asked tightly, "Did you speak to anyone else about this?"

"A few other Lords." Lord Karstark shrugged, not noticing his tone and continued, "You did it out of the goodwill of your heart and I'm forever indebted to you, Lady Elsa."

"I did what little I could do, Lord Karstark," Elsa told the old Lord awkwardly.

"Is that how you control the dragons?" Lord Bolton interrupted. "By magic?"

Lord Karstark glared, looking ready to murder the man, when Elsa replied truthfully, "It could be a possibility, but I – I'm not sure, Lord Bolton."

Somewhat satisfied for now, the man nodded and Lord Karstark took it as his cue. He turned to look at Robb and said, "There is no other way to show my gratitude other than offering a marriage alliance between Lady Elsa and one of my sons."

Theon, who had been looking amused until now, scowled. Torrhen looked as if he wanted to sink in the ground. Lord Umber scoffed loudly and Lord Bolton rolled his eyes. Elsa's mouth pulled into a thin line Robb knew so well and this time, he winced. Elsa was more similar to Arya than Sansa and he didn't think she would appreciate marrying for political alliance. Also, he was certain that she would not be agreeable to marrying anyone but Jon.

Robb was proved right, when Elsa squared her shoulders and said apologetically, "Lord Karstark, I am truly honoured at the offer, but I do not wish to marry until we win this war and saved our family."

Lord Karstark's shoulders slumped dramatically, even as he nodded, but stated hopefully, "Once the war is won then."

Both Robb and Elsa chose to stay quiet, which wasn't missed by Roose Bolton, who took this as his cue and asked, "You're a witch?"

Immediately, she felt every pair of eyes settle on her and Elsa shrugged uncomfortably, but he wasn't done asked mused out loud, "Only Targaryen's are known to be the owners of dragons. You do have lilac eyes."

Both Robb and Elsa stiffened, but she composed herself and stated, "A common trait for anyone with Valyrian blood."

"Hm." He mumbled before asking, "What else can you do?"

She squared her shoulders, attempting to present a confident face and muttered, "Just a few things."

Thankfully, Lord Bolton didn't press the issue, but there was something in his eyes that told her that it wasn't the end of this discussion. Her eyes met Robb's, which held the same tension as hers – now that their secret was out, their enemies would do everything in their power to hurt her and the dragons.

Elsa stared at the letter, still unsure whether to send it or not. Her last living family – uncle Viserys and aunt Daenerys Targaryen. The last she'd heard; her aunt had married a chieftain of a Dothraki khalasar. A man named Khal Drogo.

Would they even believe her? Other than her eyes, what proof did she have that she was indeed Rhaenys Targaryen? The only living child of their deceased brother. Their uncle Aemon wanted to meet the two siblings as well. Mayhap, they might be willing to cross the sea to meet the old man, if not her.

She didn't write anything about the dragons. Just that Ned Stark had somehow saved her and raised her like one of his own. Elsa just hoped, she wasn't making a mistake by contacting the two Targaryen's.

Stunned, she stared at the space where Theon had been standing moments ago. The silence and stillness were broken by the occasional chirping of her dragons as they rested in front of the fire. Ned Stark was not her father, but he had been the only father she had known. Elsa felt her heart being squeezed by claws inside her chest as Theon's words kept ringing in her ears – 'Lord Stark had been beheaded for treason against the throne by King Joffrey Baratheon.'

Elsa couldn't comprehend how someone like Ned Stark could meet such an end? Despite knowing for a fact that the Lannister's were heartless and vicious bastards, she was still surprised that they'd murdered the Warden of the North. As she thought more about it, she realised with Robert Baratheon gone, the Lannister's were left to rule the country and with Ned Stark knowing the truth about Cersei Lannister's bastard children, they couldn't let him live. Now, they were free to rule as they deemed fit and there was no one to stop their cruelty.

As if feeling her sorrow, Balerion toddled and peered up at her with his red eyes almost questioningly. He was warm under her fingertips as she ran her hand over his head, both to assure him that she was fine and to seek comfort from the warmth he radiated.

Elsa felt lost like everything was spinning out of control. He had loved her like his own and in turn, she had admired him as if he were her father. With him gone, they would undoubtedly suffer. Elsa wondered if Jon knew and decided to write to him, hoping he would come to stand by Robb's side, now that their father was gone and their sisters were stuck in Kings Landing.

Now, where did it leave Robb? He had only been fighting to reunite his family. To save his father and sisters, so they could return to Winterfell again. She wasn't sure what was about to happen, but she knew that the Lannister's would do anything to get North to surrender and what they would do if they got their hands on Robb. Undoubtedly, 'murder him in cold blood, she shivered at the thought.

Their only hope to save the girls was the Kingslayer. As long as they had Jamie Lannister, they were in a position to maybe trade him for Arya and Sansa. But whatever happened, Elsa knew that everything they had ever known was about to change and become much worse.

By the time she made it out of the tent to search for Robb, she saw Lady Catelyn walking through the camp and men bowing to her to express their grief. The woman looked tall and composed as she hid her pain away, possibly to remain a strong pillar for her children. She might despise the lady for treating Jon the way she did, but at that moment, for the first time, she admired the woman's strength. Catelyn Stark was a strong lady and she knew she couldn't look weak before the people who were fighting for their families.

Elsa followed Lady Stark, feeling guilty as she heard sniffling and slowed down, hoping to give the woman some semblance of privacy. He had stayed strong until now, but as she saw Robb breaking down in his mother's arms, she vowed to do everything in her power to help him in winning this war and ending the Lannister's.

She felt a pang in her heart, not for the first time wishing for someone who would hold her just as Lady Cat was holding her distraught son. She wished Jon would be here. The news must've reached him as well and he too was all alone, but she berated herself for her thoughts. He'd made abundantly clear that he wished nothing to do with anyone other than the nights' watch. She looked at the mother comforting her son one last time before turning around and walking back to her tent, hoping to find comfort with her children.

EN: Again, I apologise for the late update as I've been recovering from Covid.

Not extremely happy with this chapter. Might end up editing it in a few days. Also, do check the prologue again as I've made significant changes in that one. 😊

Finally, we're done with Season 1! I've so much planned for Season 2. Yayy...