'I'm sorry Ned…' Eddard didn't even hear it properly, his world was broken. "You said…" What was the point of even bringing it up? Lyanna died.

The maester did everything in his power yet it did not matter. 'Oberyn helped, yet what was the point?' Eddard thought. The baby boy cried, missing his mother.

"Ned." Oberyn put his hand on Eddard's shoulder, not that he cared about it.

"She was supposed to live. She was supposed to come back home…. Benjen will…"

'Ned...' Tears fell from Eddard's eyes down his cheeks. 'What was the point of it all?' The pain he felt was visible on his face for all to see.

"We are leaving." Eddard commanded, it was two days since Lyanna died. The dead were buried, other than Lyanna who would be brought to Winterfell. 'It is best to hurry, rotting bodies spread disease, mayhaps there are silent sisters in some keep closeby.' He ignored the Voice, he did so much more often the last two days. "Starfall is our target, then Sunspear by ship if Lord Dayne will agree." Eddard spoke the second part looking at Oberyn.

Three graves were left behind and a broken tower. None of Eddard's party members died. What could three men with sticks do against a barrage of bolts? No disease claimed any of his men either.

"Ashara was supposed to give birth soon enough, I wonder how the baby will look." Oberyn smirked, hoping to make Eddard smile with a plain to notice jab. 'She will die as well, won't she?' Ned thought, the Voice stayed silent at the question.

'I forfeited my honor to save Lyanna, yet we failed… What are we to do now? What about Ashara? Am I supposed to just go down south to see another person I love die?' Eddard wallowed in misery, his brother strangled on a strange device, father burned alive and sister killed by a lunacy of a fanatic. 'We tried… We did all we could… Ashara might still have reason to live, we might fail again but it is important to keep going. Never give up, we need to walk forward no matter what.' He hoped that the Voice was right, he had no heart to return North only to hear of Ashara falling to her death.

"Prince Oberyn, Lord Stark, Lord Reed." Lord Dayne greeted, as was proper. Yet it wasn't him that Eddard focused on.

Ned noticed Ashara with a babe in her arms and Princess Ellia by her side with Rhaenys next to her. 'Ashara was Ellia's lady in waiting and a close friend. Perhaps it was Ellia's death that caused the baby to be stillborn. We can only speculate, what matters is that we made a difference, You made a difference.' It did not matter to Ned, his niece was alive and a woman he loved even if he never was to be with her was well and happy. 'Now to tell her I have killed her brother like a common brigand.' She might not be so happy anymore.

"Lord Dayne, Lady Ashara, sister." Oberyn greeted with a smirk on his face which felt only natural. 'Can't you people just say 'Hi' and be done with it?' The Voice asked. It was Eddard's turn next, yet Voice's suggestion fell deaf on his ears and the greeting was proper, as it was supposed to be. Ashara, Ellia and then Howland himself greeted everyone in turn. 'It took almost five minutes for you to greet each other…' The Voice liked to whine, Eddard knew.

"We meet again Lord Stark." It was Ellia that spoke. 'She seems happier.' Eddard agreed, she had a lot in common with him. 'The war has ended, it is time to rest and heal our wounds.' The Voice didn't agree with him. 'It is just the beginning, silence before the storm. We have work to do.'

"I hoped my visit to Starfall would be for different reasons." He spoke as he drew the sword with a scabbard from the saddle of his horse, it was Dawn, the legendary sword of house Dayne. "Your son has fought valiantly Lord Dayne. I have hoped to bring him here, alive." 'But not for him, for Ashara.' Eddard bowed slightly, as he passed the sword.

'Is there a reason to bring it up?' He liked not for his own demons to be pointed out. 'He kidnaped your sister and held her prisoner against her will; he stood witness as Lyanna was forced to marry Rheagar, threatening her of executing Brandon who was in the black cells at the time; he guarded the door as Rheagar raped her afterwards. Arthur deserved death, his fate was well earned and well met, he deserved no honor in it.' There was no need for the Voice to say it all, even now after weeks of travelling in the sands and rocks it pained him too much to think about it. Lyanna, Brandon and his father Rickard died, all that was left was Benjen, and newborn Robb that Catetyn had gifted him. 'It is alright to lie to his father about it, but never lie to yourself, Ned. You wanted him to die, but that doesn't make you a monster.'

"Thank you Lord Stark, We have a feast ready as we expected your arrival. Your men will be fed and given lodgings and when the time comes a ship will be prepared for your trip back." Lord Dayne spoke, Eddard hadn't learned the man's name for the whole two days that he was at the man's castle. He did not speak with Ashara as well, she avoided him. Only once did he see his niece sired by Brandon, named after their mother Lyarra.

"It is a goodbye, Ned." It was Prince Oberyn that met him off the ship. Ashara wept after her brother's death, making Ellia stay with her for support. Oberyn decided to stay as close to Ellia as he could to make sure no ill will would happen to her. Eddard understood. "I expected you to be a northern brute, yet I met a good friend. I wish you good fortune, gods only know how your wife will react to little Jon. Time will come when the debt we have to you will be repaid, for I failed in what you tasked me with." He really did not, Oberyn did all that he could yet it was not enough.

'Our best is all we can do, but it is always worth it. Failure or success, our heart will know how much we tried.' It was almost poetic, Eddard thought. Those were words to cheer him up, nor Oberyn nor the Voice wasted no words to make sure he was alright. In the end the man believed to be an egotistical murderer by most, turned out to be one of the best men he has ever met.

"Thank you for everything, Oberyn." Eddard smiled, though it ended as the dornishman hugged him by force briefly while whispering into his ear. Ned didn't like what he heard.

"Perhaps I could repay it in a different way if you wish." Ned fought his restraints that were Oberyn's hands and found himself free to the sound and sight of the man that just hugged him chuckling quite loudly. 'Ha! I love that guy!" The Voice exclaimed, laughing to himself. Eddard couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"Farewell, Prince Oberyn." He walked up the plank onto the ship where Howland himself greeted him with a smirk that easily spoke of his intentions. "Not a word to anyone." Eddard threatened, yet he meant no ill will to his best friend. Howland bowed slightly, yet the smirk remained. 'If he tells William the whole North will soon know of Oberyn wanting to bed you. You are lucky that I cannot tell them, that he almost succeded while you were drunk.' He hoped that Howland would keep the secret, both of them.

Even though he lost his precious people, he had found others to fill that gap in his heart, Catelyn, Howland, Oberyn and even the Voice himself. 'Awwwww..' No, he still hated the Voice, Ned decided.

(Author's note)

I am rusty, so expect lower quality in chapters. You can be at least happy that I came back :)