The Starks took to meditation surprisingly well, after seven days of instruction and practicing on their own when they can, they can now gain balance in two minutes with the presence of Weirwood and in five minutes without. Declaring their progress exceptional for such a short time Berek decided that it is time to awaken Lord Father and Brandons gift. It was an unremarkable process. Berek placed his hand on their foreheads for about a minute and said it was done.
" How did you awaken their gifts and how can you tell that their gifts are awake?", Ned asked confusedly .
" It is an easy process, Lord Eddard, I just battered at their minds like other Wargs do if they want to control a creature, now, now don't get indignant and let me explain. I have explained how one awakens magic in person, either due to abundance of magic in the environment or when a threat to survival presents itself. We don't have much free floating magic here , so threat it is. When I used my gift on Lords Stark and Brandon it is a threat to their minds so to fight me back their own bodies activated their gifts. Of course, I couldn't truly control them, no Warg could, a Greenseer may have that kind of power but Wargs don't, it is by this threat that a Warg awakens another Wargs power. And about how I can tell it's awake, all of you could too, just go to different places in Winterfell, away from each other and meditate, once you find balance you will be able to sense each other and me. You may even get the sense of direction each other are in and how far. Why are you waiting, go test it out and confirm to yourselves that I am not teaching you hogwash", Berek urged them in a amused tone.
Bran and Ned were excited to test this out and rushed away, and Lord Father followed in a unhurried pace. He decided to meditate out of the way near stables, finding balance took longer due to his excitement, but when he found it, he could vaguely sense three signals, one in the direction of Godswood, second in the Main Keep and last in the direction of Broken Tower. Ned tried to glean more details, but signals remained vague, after ten minutes of this he returned to Berek, Lord Father and Brandon followed in a few minutes. The three Starks exchanged what they sensed, and found that they really could sense each other with accurate enough directions.
" Good, now you know beyond any doubt, now you believe, it is time to approach your prospective Familiars, and establish bonds, I believe Lord Eddard has already established his, Lords Stark and Brandon need to establish theirs and there is no better time, when we approach them you will clear your mind and then visualise a conduit connected to your mind that's extending towards them, put your entire Will behind it, for these particular familiars I do not think you need to do more than that, I believe they in turn will reach out towards you, you will feel a like something has slid in to its rightful place. If it were any other Familiars I would say that you will need to visualise that the conduit is connected to the Familiars mind and you need to push your Will through it demanding Familiar to submit, as you will be choosing young creatures for your familiars they will capitulate at lightest of pressure and you will feel the bond establishing. Now Lord Eddard, feel the bond and lead us to your Familiar", Berek requested.
Ned felt nervous for a bit, but pushed that aside calmed himself and felt around his mind for the bond, he found it and tugged on it a bit and got the sense of direction and distance to his Familiar, he is closer than he thought, just thirty yards behind the Heart Tree there is a small pool of clear water from hot springs only one feet deep and three feet wide, it seems the mother wolf has set up camp there for easy access of water, Ned led the other three there and the mother wolf seemed to be napping and pups are play fighting around her, with their arrival she snapped her eyes open and pups looked over them curiously, the iron grey furred one started to inch towards Eddard curiously , but the mother wolf snapped her teeth and put an end to it.
" Now my lords do as I instructed, all will be well, Trust me", Berek said with conviction.
So Lord Father and Brandon sat down meditated, Ned and Berek stepped behind them, all the while the mother wolf and pups looked on curiously, after long long minutes, Lord Father snapped his eyes open, stood up and took a few tentative steps forward and presented his bare right hand with palm up, the she wolf too came to her feet, sniffed his hand, licked it, then rose on her hind legs, placing her forelegs on Father's shoulders, he almost buckled to his knees under the weighy but somehow remained on his feet, she thoroughly licked his face before let loosing a howl so loud it hurt Neds ears, but it seemed a joyous sound, the pups yipped in the background, just then Brandon snapped his eyes open too.
Once that is over with, she wolf let go of Father, she pushed the eldest pup with black streaks towards Brandon, and iron grey furred puo towards Ned, knocked Father on his ass and plopped her head in his lap.
" It seems, you have succeeded, my lords, I would advise you spend sometime with your Familiars everyday, but let her and pups stay here for another three more weeks, she is still nursing and teaching them, once that time period is over they can roam Winterfell freely, and I believe Lord Eddard will be leaving for Eeyrie by then, and my lords, you should give them names", Berek said that last part with smile.
Ned noticed that his pup has Stark grey eyes and said out loud, "Ironeyes"
His father thought for a moment before, saying in his rumbling voice, "Frost"
Soon followed by Brandon declaring loudly, "Windrunner"
" Excellent choices, my lords", Berek declared with a clap.