DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN GAME OF THRONES THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
A/n: Holy Cow! I never thought about how many people fav and are now following this story! Omg! You guys are awesome! I never would have thought that such an out of the way AU would get such a response. And to the reviewer who pointed out a spelling error I am sorry it happened and I will remember the correct spelling next time.
Anyhow on with the story.
THE WARRIORS OF WINTERFELL
Chapter 2: The Septa of Ice
"Theon you need to balance better, like this," Asha said to her brother as she was balancing on a thin rope.
"I'm trying!" Theon replied.
Asha decided early on to teach Theon how to hold himself while on a ship. That included balancing on ropes to mimic the movement of a rocking boat. Since being in Winterfell Asha had learned that the North is a lot more formidable then she would have thought. She realized that if they wanted to the North could have easily wiped out the Greyjoys. Instead they just took Theon as a ward and forced her father into compliance.
But Lord Stark was not a cruel man, far from it. He wanted what was best for Theon and teaching him about the sea was one of the things Asha was set to do.
Throughout the years Theon had been in Winterfell Asha has taken it upon herself to teach her younger brother the ways of the ocean. Having become one of the best sailors in the Iron Islands and the best captain the Pyke has seen. Asha wanted to teach her brother the fundamentals of ocean faring. But seeing as they are so far inland she had to make due with ropes and uneven grounds.
"Move your legs with the ropes Theon! The ocean is not going to be kind to you," Asha said and her younger brother struggled with the weights on his legs and his arms moving wildly. With a sudden jerk in the wrong direction Theon once again fell into the pile of hay below them.
Asha sighed as she fell off into the pile of hay as well.
"Why do I have to learn this?" asked Theon.
"Because you are Ironborn and Ironborn are people of the sea. We have to be to survive. And if you are not of the sea then what kind of Ironborn you're going to be?" Asha replied.
Theon grumbled as he got up and struggled to find balance again.
"Perhaps it would be better if Theon was in his cups then he would be able to see better what it was like to be at sea?" said a voice and both Greyjoy's turned to find the Septa of Ice smiling at them.
"Septa," Asha bowed in respect for the older woman.
"Lady Asha it is good to see you are teaching your younger brother how to be a proper sailor. But perhaps it would be better to teach him from the source," she said smiling.
"How so Septa?" asked Asha.
"The tour you and Theon are going on with the Bastards are taking you to Bear Island is that correct?" the Septa asked.
"Yes," Asha replied.
"Well the people of Bear Island have an area with rough water that they often take their people to for ocean training. Perhaps you can show him what you mean there," she suggested.
"I was thinking the same thing. But at the same time I was trying to get his sea legs," Asha said.
"I think I can help with that," the Septa said and led them away from the ropes.
She led them to an area that was filled with mud but also large logs.
"Not the logs Septa!" Theon complained.
"Yes the logs! They are the reason why I have them! To make you learn how to hold your own on the water. The uneven ground and the instability of it resembles that of the ocean. You have been lacking in your training lately Theon. You will be out in a week to do your tour so now would be the best time to brush up on it," the Septa said.
Asha could only laugh at the discomfort her brother had when he had to go back on the logs.
LATER THAT NIGHT
A wolf howled in the distant forests surrounding Winterfell. The moon was high and the night was quiet and calm. A lone figure started to make her way down the long stairway towards the cave that was beneath the castle hold. The stairway cut into stone though seemingly slick was actually not. Rough stone carved into the bedrock allowed anyone who came down these steps to see for themselves that the stairs were in fact safe for them to travel. Steaming pipes that house the hot water from the springs that warms the castle flow through here. The figure walked down the steps as silent as a ghost. Not one sound could be heard as this person entered a room at the far end.
There at the end of the hallway a large door sat. This door was opened with a very special key. That key was inserted into the keyhole and the door clicked a few times before opening. When the door opened the room lit up as if taken to another world deep underground.
It was here that hundreds of books were located beneath the castle. With a special elevator like that on the wall to take one down the person who approached it looked around before entering the elevator. Going down a ways it finally stopped at the very bottom of the staircase. The restricted section was where this person was heading off to.
"Hello my Lady," a voice said from off to the side.
The figure only smiled as she turned, "Tyrion, up late again I see," the woman said.
Tyrion Lannister the teacher/librarian of the North only smiled back before closing his book. "I had to write my lesson for tomorrow with young Bran and Rickon. Being the youngest of the Starks they are still learning a bit about the many houses that they are to be seeing. So I thought I might make it more fun for them by playing a game," Tyrion said.
It was well known that Tyrion uses games and pictures for the youngest of the Starks to help them learn. It has shown great progress in their marks with the Maester. It also helped with some of the older ones when he challenged their intellect and that helps encourage them to read more. Robb had issues with his reading lessons perferring to play with his sword. But Tyrion started using that as a method to get Robb to pay attention more. Especially to his numbers and his economics lessons.
Seeing as this would be his last week to teach the older children before they are officially adults. He loves to share his lessons with others as well. And he also learns a lot through reading in the library beneath Winterfell.
"So I figured that the geometry shown in these figures can relate to bows and arrows what do you think," he said showing a few figures for the Septa to look at.
"Indeed but also add some dancing into it. That way it would help with getting them to understand the circumference of a circle. Seeing as one day they will have to dance in a circle." the Septa said.
"Good Idea, I think I might use that," Tyrion said and yawned.
"Go to bed Lord Tyrion it is rather late," the Septa said.
"Oh alright I will," Tyrion replied before getting out from behind his desk and started towards the elevator that would take him back up towards his rooms.
The Septa however was not heading towards the castle but rather deeper underground.
Right behind Tyrion's desk is another door that leads to another elevator. This one leads directly towards the Septa's rooms. These rooms are rather different then the ones that everyone else has. The temperature for starters is a lot warmer here then the rest of the castle. Once at the door to her room the Septa opened the door using that special key. When she got in and locked it behind her she finally gave a sigh of relief.
Walking into the room she flipped the switch to turn on the lights. Or should I say torches.
As one the torches were automatically lit thanks to a special fuel system built into the castle and the room. Everyone knew where the Septa's rooms were and everyone respected her need to be underground.
Just they never could figure out why.
The answer to that was because the items in the room were rather special to the Septa. For as she took off the last of her clothing and stepped into the hotspring that was her tub. She let her raven locks loose from her bun and dipped herself into the hot waters soaking herself thoroughly as she began to scrub the grit and grime from her hair.
Another Long Night she thought as she raised herself from the waters again. Scrubbing off the dirt with special soaps that she had made herself she allowed her skin to glisten in the light.
When she was done she rose from the spring to clothe again in a night gown of white silk. Walking towards the bedroom where she keeps her things she then looked at a special monitor that showed the entire castle. It was a castle map that held images of all the interior as well as the exterior and the forest that grew beyond it. It also held the town and the buildings surrounding it.
Sighing she looked at another image this one of taller buildings and a magnificent castle overlooking the sea.
King's Landing she thought again.
Pressing a button she let the images fade to another one this one held that of a happy family. A single tear fell from her eyes as she looked at the image. It was that of a woman with several children and a man smiling at them. Their clothes was obviously not Westerosi nor from anywhere in the known world. Oh how she wanted to cry. She was tired and lonely but in her many centuries of existence she has lived mainly for the memory of those who came with her.
And have vanished into nothing.
She remembered that time centuries before when she first came here from another world. A world filled with strange things that no one here has ever seen. In fact if she ever got the chance to go back to her own world she would have forgotten how to live in it. Taking that into account she closed the image before her and looked down to a rather small device that was beside her bed. It looked at first like a small dark mirror. But she pushed a button on the side and the mirror lit up. Smiling she saw the time as 1:47 a.m. and it would be about seven hours before she has to wake to tend to her duties as Septa of Ice again.
The image on the screen in front of her was that of the children she viewed earlier. All of them gone and done for. Without thinking she pushed the button again to show a different image this one with a list of names. She put her finger onto the name on the list and soft music started to play. Smiling she then put the device down and laid to rest.
THE NEXT MORNING
"Alright can you tell me why is it important to leave the peat moss alone in the moors?" Tyrion said to the class in front of him.
A hand was raised, "Bran?"
"The Peat Moss is used as a compost sir. It warms the ground beneath to allow crops to grow while it lives," he said.
"Excellent now if the peat moss were indeed used to warm the ground to grow crops how long does it take for it to warm?" he asked.
This time it was another child a bastard from the looks of it. "Samantha?" Tyrion said.
"Peat is expected to warm the ground for about a weak before the ground is warm enough to plant," she said.
"Good so then…." as Tyrion's voice was fading into the distance the Septa moved away from her vantage point behind the Librarian's desk towards the elevator that would take her up to the upper levels.
As she neared the top and out the passageway she walked along the corridor that would take her out into the sunlight. The children normally would get their morning lessons while the older children would prepare breakfast. They would then rotate for lunch and the older children again would make dinner. She could smell the bread baking in the kitchens when she exited the library. Smiling to herself she walked towards the main training yard where the men where busy taking care of their equipment and training. Some of the older men were busy washing their armor or at the forges sharpening their blades. Some like the blacksmith was busy making new ones or repairing old ones. Valyrian steel may be the best metal there is but hiding it and forging it are two different matters.
The North must stay vigilant but also hidden at the same time. The south underestimated them once and they shall not do it again. It was one of the reasons why Ageon's Conquest never reached the North. Instead the North bent the knee to him seeing as he had three dragons. Still as she continued to walk she could hear Lady Stark yelling at some girl either a servant or one of the bastard girls about something or another.
Looking over the wall she could see the men working the farms just beyond the walls of Wintertown. Lord Stark would be there along with the older Stark Boys tending the fields. Winter she knew was coming and so the harvest must be good in order to sock up. They already have supplies that can last them about forty years if needs be. The Long Night has been known to last half that long but they must be ready. The North must always be ready for the Long Night.
The caw of a raven could be heard overhead as she looked up. Already she could see the message attached to its leg as it flew overhead. The bird headed for the Maester's Tower where she was sure the Maester was going to read it. Shaking her head the Septa walked around the training yard. The guards who are not on duty are busy training and the ones who are manned the walls. Everyone works in Winterfell the people from the nearby town are busy helping with maintenance of the castle. In turn the younger sons of the lords would help with their own homes. It is tradition after all as well as tending the fields.
Lord Stark had mounted his horse when the Septa appeared in the light.
"Ah off to see me tend the fields again?" he said jokingly.
"Always my lord," the Septa said in jest.
"My lovely wife had already seen to me. You know I still find it odd that we in the North are the only ones who tend our own fields. Those in the south only stay in their castles while others do the work. And yet here I am off to work like a low born," he said smiling.
"Admit it you enjoy it my lord," The Septa replied back at him.
"Alright I admit it does feel good to tend the ground you rule with your own hands. And it gives me an advantage should something happen and I find myself alone with no servants. I heard that the men are a bit soft unless they are a soldier like Tywin Lannister," he said.
The Septa smiled, "You best be off My Lord before they start to worry,"
"Oh don't worry about it they can wait," he said and rode off with half a dozen men off to the fields again. Shaking her head she made her way towards the garden where the older girls are busy doing their daily chores. Sansa and Dany are seen sweeping the floors while two other girls were seen scrubbing the marble of the great hall. Still several more were cleaning the tables and the Septa could count five cleaning the pots and the kitchens.
She smiled for unlike a normal Septa who hides her hair. The Septa of Ice is only a title given to her because she had been celibate for centuries. Choosing to wear humble clothes of the North which makes her seem like a Septa. The title was also given to her because she is in charge of teaching the older girls how to perform their duties to their husbands and defend their homes.
"Marvelous work ladies the floors look spotless as it is," she said.
"Good Morning Septa!" they all said at once.
"Did any of you tend to the Glass Garden?" she said.
"We all did Septa the mushrooms are almost ready to be harvested as well as the gleam blossoms," said one girl. One that the Septa recognize as Ariana Snow a bastard from White Harbor.
"We also checked the holding pools and the fish are nearly ready to be harvested as well," said a rather large girl this one the Septa recognized as Faylinn Snow who was in charge of the specially created fish pools.
Winter town has an underground river that feeds into the town. The river feeds the well that also feeds the sewers. The sewers then flow down the river into the farms where they fertilize the crops. But the part that goes into Winterfell also goes into another part that has a special pool filled with fish from the rivers. The warm waters keep the fish alive and the flow of the river keeps them constantly clean and healthy. The fish are then harvested for feasts.
Another pools is used for the glass garden to give it a hidden surreal beauty. It also gives water to the Godswood. Making the trees healthy and strong. The hot springs are what keeps Winterfell and Winter Town warm throughout the harsh weather. No one knows where the warm water comes from but many speculate to be the product of the peat moss that the Northern farmers use in the fields.
The Septa knew better.
There are geothermal hotspots all along the area. Though they are far from anything she had seen from her world they were enough to provide accurate warmth in the town and the castle above it. The magic that created these hotspots may have been long lost but the damage had been done. Thank goodness this world is stable.
"Well ladies now that chores are over it is time for lessons," she said clapping her hands together.
The girls quickly rushed over to their Septa as she looked at them with pride. "Good now lets head on outside for warm ups.
A FEW HOURS LATER
The cry of the women in the yard was profound the girls at the moment were practicing their sparring sessions while the Septa looked on.
"Golda you are dropping your shoulder again keep it up! Marden spread your legs out more and bend your knees! Good! Liza kick higher you can't do any more damage if you hit your opponent's chest! Catelyn you need to flick your wrist when you hit!"
That last one was directed at Lady Stark who was sparring with one of the servant girls. The low born had their own teacher who teaches them leaving the highborn and the nobles to the Septa. Her raven locks danced in the wind as she corrected Lady Starks posture.
"Elbow down hand up equal to your lips with the wrist loose like this," she demonstrated.
"Good! Now again," she said and Lady Stark did so.
"Much better, remember your hand and your shoulder must move together to give maximum impact. Such a block can knock a person unconscious or even break their jaw. Any higher and you can kill them," the Septa said.
It was then that she heard the whispering. Turning her head sharply she was confronted with two girls from the servant's quarters.
"Might I know what you two are doing?" the Septa asked. Both girls immediately silenced at seeing her.
"Nothing Septa!" they both said.
"Nothing brings guilt so out with it and no secrets!" the Septa commanded.
Both girls sighed before asking, "We sometimes see the Southern Men trading with us Septa and their ladies are said to not even have to do any work that we do. Even Lady Stark said so, but why do we have to work like the lowborn do, and why do we have to learn how to fight like the men do. Ladies in the south don't do that and the men look down upon us," she said.
"Men from the south you mean?" the Septa replied.
The girls looked at each other before sighing.
"So you would rather give up all this for the sake of living in luxury with the Southern Girls? Is that it?" the Septa asked in a low tone one that sent chills down the girls back.
"Why do we learn to fight Septa?" the other girl asked, "I mean we do chores that the servants clearly can do for themselves and we work the same jobs as the lowborn. We also learn to fight like the men do instead of just sewing and chatting and..." "Eating like pigs, sitting there letting the men do all the work while you lounge about like some decoration in a man's household?" the Septa interrupted.
"Let me tell you something, where will your men be if they had gone off to war and a band of bandits broke into your home hmm? Where would they be if said bandits or invading armies hit you or raped you or gut out your children hmmm? Where is your sewing or your stitching or your pretty dresses if there are no servants to do the work for you? If you have the keep or the house to yourself who will defend your children if a wild beast comes through those woods? Or worse rogue Wildlings if your men had gone off to hunt or fought in a battle? Who will defend you then? The old? The wounded or the sick? The guards perhaps? You have say…..thirty or forty men to defend your keep and you lands? Jayne Poole right?" she said that last part asking the girl's name.
"Yes Septa?" the girl said.
"Do you know why we do this?" the Septa asked.
"No," Jayne replied.
"Then you did not pay attention to a single word I said in those lessons didn't you?" The Septa replied.
"ummmm," the girl Jayne spoke with uncertainty.
"Sansa!" the Septa yelled for the young Stark girl.
Sansa stopped sparring with another bastard girl to look up, "Yes, Septa?" she asked.
"Come over here, EVERYONE FORM UP!" she yelled.
All the girls gathered around in straight rows. All of them standing up straight like soldiers going to war.
"Sansa, Jayne here says that we should be more like the Southern women doing nothing but sitting behind closed doors while their men do all the work? Tell me is this ideal for a Northern woman?" she asked.
"No Septa," Sansa replied.
"So tell me then what do women in the North do? Do we do it like they do in the south where all we do is sing and dance?" the Septa said.
"We sing and dance like the Southern Ladies do. We sew and stitch like they do, and we do a lot of the things that they do." Sansa replied.
"But?" the Septa asked.
"But we also learn to fight as the men do, to work as the Lowborn do and do our duties as ladies should," Sansa replied.
"Why?" the Septa asked.
"Because the North is an unforgiving land, and its people must be strong to protect it from the lands beyond the wall," Sansa replied.
"Good," with that the Septa turned back towards where Jayne Poole and her friend were.
"What is the motto of House Stark?" the Septa yelled to the girls.
"WINTER IS COMING!" they replied
"What is the motto for house Targaryen?" she asked.
"FIRE AND BLOOD!" they all yelled.
"Fire and blood…. is what brought Valyria into greatness and it is also what brought its downfall. We are the most advanced nation in the seven kingdoms, but instead of using that advancement to build an empire we use it to protect ourselves from what lies beyond that wall," The Septa pointed north.
"The Wall is what protects us from the Others and the Night Walkers. The Undead who live in the lands of Forever Winter. The children of the Forest who come to trade with the Free Folk and us have been good about keeping the Others at bay. But the magic of the Wall has grown weak in these last centuries because there was no one to maintain them. And also because the Great Long Night is coming. The only time where the armies of the dead rise up to take over Westeros. A mistake that the children had made in the past during the time of the great war." The Septa then walked along the rows of girls.
"The North has not forgotten what the Others and the White Walkers had done to the Children and the First Men. That is why the term 'The North Remembers," is always spoken when a deed was done. For it is true the North does remember and we remember it well. For we are the first and last resort of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros!
We are the ones who must stand up and fight while the Southern Lords grow fat in their warm fertile lands. It is we who have to defend our homes against the likes of the undead. We who have to endure the cold and WE who have to ensure that our children and our homes are safe." she said walking around the group of girls and women.
"You see the women of the south depend too much on their husbands to do the work for them. For they are nothing more then broodmares and prisoners to their own society. All they care about is material things and status. Though we are of noble houses we are the same as the lowborn who farm the fields, and catch the fish. We are the same as the ones who build the walls and dig the trenches. We work as the people of our realm do. We fight as they do to defend our homes because it is our home," this last statement was said to the two girls.
She could clearly see them from her vantage point on the raised dais.
"You girls...no women are the last resort to protecting our home. The men go off to war but we...we are the ones who are left behind to defend our home. We are the ones who have to look after the sick, wounded, old and young. In the south they look after their folks true but they are limited to how to defend their home. They don't have the strength to fight off a man as he rips her clothes off. They don't have the intelligence to see that there is a problem with two children that needs to be solved now. They hide behind giggles and smiles and silk dresses. But tell me this, can those same dresses protect them from a man's sword? Or a man's whip? Can they block the blow from a man's slap or fist to the face? No they can't," the Septa said.
"The women of the south use their guile and wit to win favors with the men. Preferring to seduction and prestige to find the way. We can do the same but we also draw the line where most women who live in the south don't. We can sail on the oceans just as well as any Ironborn. We can fight as well as any knight in the Vale and the Reach. We can do as the men do and sometimes even better why? Because we are Warriors of Winterfell! We are women of the North! Whether we are born here or not! If we swear our allegiance to the North then we swear to defend the Seven Kingdoms our home. Lady Stark is a prime example as she has come from the south. But look at her now training beside her daughters to become stronger.
Look at Tyrion Lannister a dwarf from the Westerlands who has been rejected by his own father. A father whom everyone knows to be a cruel and dangerous man has come north to see for himself if we are barbarians. He has since then become the teacher to our children and protector of our library.
Our Maester is a man who hailed from the Reach has come here to seek higher learning that the Maesters of Old Town can't. He found that our library is more expansive then that of Old Town and that many things the Maesters teach is wrong. I myself am centuries old and have traveled far from Westeros long before the first men had set foot here. I had seen many things and learned many things and even fought many enemies in my extended lifetime. But never in my life have I seen such an enemy as the Others. Never have I seen how terrible the Night King can be. His army of undead men and soldiers do not rest when men are sleeping. They ravage villages day and night. The Children created them in hopes of winning the war against the first men. But their mistake was that they had reveled in magic that should have been left alone. So now we suffer for the missdeeds of a few."
The Septa then walked back towards the front of the row of women and stood in front of them again.
"We are here as generations before you have done to prepare ourselves for the Long Night. Every one thousand years the long night comes and with it the White Walkers. But every time the Wall protected us from them. But every ten thousand years the Great Long Night befalls us and with them the Others come with the White Walkers. The Wraiths and the Wrights that come to kill us and make us part of their army. Why do you think we burn our dead and place their ashes within the crypts of both Winterfell and Wintertown?" she said.
She was met with silence.
"It is to ensure that our dead stay dead and their rest is not disturbed by the Night King and his men. For we the women of the North fight to uphold these ancient vows and oaths as our ancestors have done. For we are the last resort in case our men fall. So tell me Jayne does this not satisfy you?" she asked.
"Yes Septa," she replied.
"We are the Warriors of Winterfell: the women of the North! We are the ones who will guard our homes and protect our families with our lives. To lay arms against those who will pillage our villages and enslave our children. To them we are the fiercest beasts. To our husbands and our families we are the gentlest of mothers, sisters and daughters. For the Gods have trained us for thousands of years, highborn, lowborn, baseborn or trueborn we are here this day together as our ancestors have done before us. We are here because we are the last line of defense against the dark night. We are here because we need to be. We learn to fight because we have to be ready for when the wall comes down they come with it. For it is our duty to protect the Seven Kingdoms. So WHO ARE WE!" The Septa shouted.
"WARRIORS OF WINTERFELL!"
"WHAT ARE WE?"
"WOMEN OF THE NORTH!"
"WHO ARE WE!"
"WARRIORS OF WINTERFELL!"
"WHO ARE WE?"
"WARRIORS OF WINTERFELL!"
"Good, remember that class dismissed," the Septa said and they all parted ways.
All but one.
"Can I help you Lady Stark?" the Septa said.
"Can I have a word with you Septa?" she asked.
"You may," the Septa said and mentioned for the lady to follow.
"I hope I have not insulted you with my speech back there?" the Septa said to her.
"Oh far from it Septa. What you said made sense I suppose and I have to agree that was me before I had my children. I was nothing more then a spoiled woman. I was raised to snub my nose at lowborns and servants but you taught me different. I now understand how hard a servant must work to please their lord." Catelyn Stark replied.
"What about the bastards?" the Septa replied.
Catelyn sighed, "It took much work Septa to accept that I would be helping bastards. For years I thought that bastards where a shameful mark upon our family name. Here you use them for many purposes. Take Jon Snow for instance I thought for sure he was Ned's because the boy looks so much like him. When he brought the baby home I was for sure thinking that Ned had been unfaithful to me. But when Ned explained that the boy was in fact Lyanna's trueborn son I was at first skeptical. After all the boy had Ned's features but then again I never knew Lyanna. I only seen her briefly at Harrenhal." Catelyn said.
"She was a wild spirit that much I can tell you. She was a woman who would rather explore then do her chores. At least till she started her training. Then she sort of mellowed out. But it took a prince to bring the woman out of her," she said.
"I admired her courage to bring Jon into this world...and her sacrifice,"
Catelyn nodded as both women continued walking down the corridors of Winterfell. Her thoughts were to herself till she finally turned towards the septa.
"You're not really a Septa are you?" she said.
"No I am not. The title Septa was only recently given to me by the people you had brought with you. Because I dress similarly to one I suppose the title stuck. Before that I was simply known as Sensei a title that was from my homeland," the Septa replied.
"After all these years do you even remember your own name?" Catelyn asked.
"Yes, I do but that name has not been said in a very, very long time," she said.
Catelyn nodded in understanding, "I goes the same as it always does when one has a title. One calls you by that same title and not by your name anymore," she said.
"I would have to agree just like one can never forget that she was a mother once," the septa said with regret.
"You had children?" Catelyn asked.
"A long time ago before the curse," the Septa replied.
"My apologies I mean no disrespect," Catelyn replied back.
"It does not matter they are long gone. But still the memory of them is still there," the Septa said.
Catelyn smiled sadly at this ancient woman. At first one would say she was a woman in her late twenties to early thirties but she is older then anyone in Westeros. In fact she is older then anyone here. The woman is ageless cursed with some sort of immortality. Unable to die in any form given (and she has told those tales many times) to her children even showing some of the scars. But the Lady Stark had to remember that with that comes experience and wisdom that no one else has. The reason why the North remembers the Others and the Night Walkers is because the Septa has been there. She has seen such horrors and even the doom of Valyria she had been there. The woman was ageless but she has lived with nightmares that most people had not even thought of.
"Thank you Septa," she said and watched as the woman left the courtyard to continue her rounds. The girls had already gone into the inner part of the solar where they receive their lessons and further training after lunch. In fact if she is not mistaken the younger children should be making lunch by now.
Catelyn had to admit that the Septa of Ice was a mysterious woman. Someone who was cursed with undeath while her family rots in the ground for centuries. It must be hard to wonder the world with nothing and experience the change in everything. Catelyn does not wish that on anyone not even her. Though true you tell her that years before and she would have wanted it in a heartbeat. But now….now she'd rather live here and now with her children and watch them grow old.
She walked towards her solar where her books were kept. She was surprised to see the Maester there.
"Maester how can I help you?" she asked.
"There is a letter from King's Landing for Lord Stark ma'am," he said and handed her the scroll," Catelyn took it and opened it up. Since he gave it to her it must mean that she is allowed to read it.
"The King is coming to Winterfell?" she said looking at the Maester.
Maester Luwin nodded, "With the queen and her brood,"
"Send word to Lord Stark immediately," Catelyn replied.
It did not take long before Lord Stark arrived with the Septa and the Master of Arms Sir Rodrick. He quickly sat down and read the scroll that was given to him by his wife.
"Where is Lord Tyrion?" asked Lord Stark.
"Right here my Lord," a voice said from the door as Tyrion Lannister entered. He was breathing hard meaning he was running as fast as he could down the halls. A specially made chair was brought out for him as he sat down.
"Now are we all here?" he said with his people around him.
"Good, now I brought you here to inform you that King Robert Baratheon is on his way north to see me as his hand. Now mind you I told him many times that I refused. This time he is going to force me south which you know as well as I it does not bode well," Lord Stark replied.
"No it does not my Lord," replied the Maester.
"So how long till he gets here?" asked Catelyn.
"About a month from now so that means we have to make sure the Targaryens are not harmed during this time. Knowing Robert he will try anything to get his hands on Daenerys and Jon." Lord Stark replied.
"It was luck that Jon is a Snow for his safety or else he would have killed him too." Catelyn said looking at her husband fondly. She was rather fond of the Targaryen heir and having the baseborn name of Snow does come in handy.
"Aye but still Robert has not entirely forgiven me for taking them in instead of killing them. Tywin would have killed them ripping the house out root and stem. But I am not one to kill off infants when they emerged from the mother's womb." Lord Stark replied.
"So why is the king coming to Winterfell? Why not send an envoy to do it for him?" Tyrion asked.
"The answer is simple Lord Tyrion. He wants to ask Lord Stark personally so that way the Lord has no choice but to go south." this time the voice was Sir Rodrick. "If a lord or a king comes up to you personally or in person and asks you to do a duty for him. Will you tell him to his face to fuck off? No, I doubt it because the way the King mentions it is a sign of trust. Even after all these years of estrangement to ask Lord Stark now would be a sign of trust. Either that or he would basically use this as an excuse to visit Lyanna's grave. I know for a fact that he still loves her and that is why he and the queen are at odds. The reason why she is coming too is a show of trust in their marriage."
"Thank you Sir Rodrick, Sensei do you have anything to say about this?" Lord Stark addressed the Septa.
"Sir Rodrick is right, the King is coming up here personally to ask you for your help in King's Landing. You know as well as I do it does not bode well to lead the wolf away from his den. Especially when he has pups and a pack out there waiting. Robert wants to lure you away from here so he can continue to butcher the funds of the kingdom." this time much wisdom came from this speech.
"Aye, I figured as much and knowing Robert as soon as I get to King's Landing he would want to throw some enormous celebration to my position as Hand," Lord Stark said.
"So will you accept this time?" Catelyn asked.
"No," he replied
"No my Lord?" Maester Luwin said.
"Like I said the North needs me here now more then ever. The Long Night is coming and we need to be ready. The Night's Watch needs good men to aid them when the time comes. Their Order is dying thanks to the King and the Kings before. I hope that if Jon were ever to reclaim the throne which is one in a million years he would change that," Lord Stark said.
"You wish to have him back on the throne," Tyrion asked.
"We need someone with some sense there. Not those rats that run around the gutter," Sir Rodrick said.
"No matter who sits on the Throne, King's Landing is poison. The serpents who live there are not like those in Dorne. These serpents are unpredictable only favoring those they see as strong and consume those who are weak. Robert is weak and his queen's bastards is even worse," the Septa replied.
"What do you know about the crown prince?" asked Lord Stark.
"I've heard rumors and words from traders. The Prince is spoiled and as mad as the mad king. His mother cuddles him constantly and instead of learning how to properly wield a sword like he should he instead sits with his mother. He tortures his animals from his brother's cats to his sister's birds. That boy would be a monster if he is crowned king," the Septa said.
"So we have one month till Robert shows himself on our doorstep, so we have one month to prepare." Lord Stark said.
"Yes, My lord," they replied.
SOMETIME LATER
"You wanted to see me Lord Stark?" the door opened and Daenerys Targaryen entered followed by her nephew Jon Snow.
"Yes Dany I wanted to see you sit," he said indicating the seat in front of him.
Dany sat down on the chair waiting while Lord Stark stood up.
"I am here to warn you my Lady that King Robert is coming North to Winterfell," he said.
Dany felt an intake of breath as she remembered the man who murdered her family. Such bitter thoughts had flowed through her mind until a gentle but firm hand landed on her shoulder. Lord Stark kneeled down to her level, "Now you listen to me Dany. You are not a child anymore you are a woman grown. A warrior unlike any I have seen before. Do you know why I took you in?" he asked.
"Because you felt sorry for me?" she said.
"Partially that but also because of the promise I made to your mother and Jon's. I promised to protect you both to the best of my ability and protect you I did. I kept you away from him and his horrid ways. Your brother on the other hand I could not save," he said with some regret.
"My brother Veserys?" she said.
"Yes the same when we found your mother fighting to stay alive long enough to bring you into this world. Your brother had already started to show signs of going mad. He was young then and when the signs started to show I knew I could not save him. Not from himself and not from the mind." he said.
"So you sent him to Pentos to live with a merchant?" Jon said.
"Yes, at least for a while till he is old enough to go on his own." Lord Stark said looking down.
"My brother is dead," Dany replied.
"I know, killed for his actions in the free cities. I remember that message as well as the dragon eggs he sent you," he said.
"You mean the dragon eggs he had probably stolen," Dany replied.
"Maybe but you can feel them can't you," he said pointing to Dany.
Dany looked down reluctantly at her eggs. Lord Stark took that as her answer.
"You need to protect them Dany, Jon. Winter is coming and with it the Long Night. Those dragons are all that you and Jon have to help in the fight to protect the realm." Lord Stark said.
"I know," Dany said sadly.
"I know my lord," Jon also said.
"You were brought here to train to be a fighter. To be a strong woman a princess worthy of her name and her ancestors." Lord Stark said to Dany.
"You brought me here years ago instead of killing me why?" Dany asked in a whisper.
"Because I made a promise to your mother," Lord Stark said.
Dany turned to him in surprise, "You mentioned it before what promise did she make you do Lord Stark?" she asked.
"To guide you on the right path. To protect both you and Jon till the day where you both can defend yourselves and the realm. She knew that the Targaryen Dynasty is at an end but the blood of the dragon still lives. In you and Jon. Both of you need to survive to live and protect this realm. I can only do so much these days with what I do for a living. This soil is all I know I had only ventured south to avenge my father and my brother and to bring you here." with that he took both her hands into his.
"You are like a daughter to me just like Sansa and just like Arya my true born children and the many bastards I take in. Just as Jon is like a son to me like Robb, Bran and Rickon. You are all my children and wolves protect their pack no mater what the species. So do dragons they look out for those they are friends and kill their enemies. Tywin what he did in the past was because his family was threatened by your father. He did what he had to do to protect his own. Robert…..well he only did it out of hatred and that is why we both are at odds with each other." he said.
"You were against Robert telling Tywin to kill my family?" asked Dany.
"I was totally against it! The king I could see because he had sentenced innocent people to die. Your brother, my sister, Princess Elia and her children did not deserve what they had gotten from him. Your mother knew that your life would have ended if she stayed and tried to take Princess Elia with her. But your father wanted her to stay. So she escaped but Elia was unable to get out in time and was killed by the Mountain. Lyanna my sister knew that if Jon was born where Robert could see then she was doomed to die. She broke her betrothal to him by marrying the prince. All this could have been avoided if they had not married. But love moves things and does things that make people mad. She saw this and wanted you to have the best life before she died. I have kept that promise. I not only made you a lady but a warrior as well," he said smiling.
"You forged me and Jon into something that no one had seen since Ageon the Conquerer. But Lord Stark how do I hatch dragon eggs? From what I understand its a lot of work to get them to hatch?" she said.
"You will know when the time is right. For now they may still be stone but...you will know when it is right for them to be born. Your essence is tied to them that is why you can feel them. Jon can feel them too for his blood calls to them as well," Lord Stark replied.
"I must prepare for the king's arrival then?" she said.
"You will be gone lone before they get here remember. You will be on your tour with Theon and the others. So for now you are safe," Lord Stark said.
Both Jon and Dany rose from their seats.
"Remember both of you maybe dragons but you are also Warriors of Winterfell you are part of this pack. For the lone wolf dies but the pack survives don't forget it," he said.
They both nodded their heads before they headed out to finish their chores and continue their training.
"Be well Warriors of Winterfell," Lord Stark said before sighing.
TBC
a/n: Man that was rough! I took me a whole week to come up with this and the worst part about it was that stupid LEAK! I mean I love to wait till sunday to watch the next episode of Game of Thrones but come on people! Patience is a virtue! I am just bummed the season is nearly over with just one more episode left. Man I really, REALLY have to watch it from the beginning now.
So yeah as you probably noticed this chapter may drag but there was a lot of details I wanted to cover. First off the formal introduction to my OC the Septa of Ice and how she was made to fit in. If anyone asks yes she is form our world brought into theirs. Only I did it in a way that made her blend in better. So what do you think so far? please leave a review and no FLAMES, BASHINGS OR LORE MONGERS PLEASE this is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.