Disclaimer: A song of Ice and Fire belongs to George R.R Martin. Dark Souls belongs to FROM Software.

Chapter 3

Catelyn I

Catelyn Stark was born Catelyn Tully of House Tully in the south, the House Tully of Riverrun is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, and the head, Lord Hoster Tully, Lord Paramount of the Trident and like many houses of the south they followed the Faith of the Seven, Catelyn was no exception.

She always felt uncomfortable coming to the godswood of Winterfell, sometimes because the silence felt deafening and sometimes because of her own faith in the Seven. But the most uncomfortable of all was always the weirwood heart tree, it's face always made her think that it was there to watch her, to judge her, just waiting for an excuse to speak its mind.

She didn't hate the old gods nor their followers, but as a woman of the Seven, born and raised on their teachings she couldn't convert herself to the old gods, the thought of doing so came and go in the past, but in the end she couldn't, the teachings of the seven were already too deep on her mind.

Ned Stark, her husband, always the honored man he is had a small sept built so she could pray to her gods. Every time she walks on the small sept she reminds herself why she loves her husband, despite the different beliefs he still had it built instead of try to talk her into his beliefs.

Arriving in the weirwood Catelyn watches her husband cleaning the sword Ice, the ancestral greatsword of House Stark. Catelyn was never good at evaluate swords, but the valyrian steel sword of her husband was really astonishing, a pity the art of the craft was lost with the doom of Valyria.

She knew her husband always comes to this place when he needed to think, and after beheading a deserter it was definitely what he would do.

At his side was one of the direwolves he found, she was scared to the core when she first saw them enter through the gates of Winterfell, even more scarred when she learned each one of her children would have one.

"Lord husband." she said with a neutral voice directed at him but with her eyes at the direwolf. "It appears we have much to talk.".

"How are the children? ." Ned with a soft and low voice asked never taking his eyes of Ice.

"Anxious." She said with a small smile. "They are in the kitchen now, thinking what name to give to the pups."

Catelyn moves so she could sit next to her husband and to her surprise the direwolf move away so she could do so and lay down at the other side of Ned.

"Arya is already in love, and Sansa is charmed and gracious, but Rickon is not quite sure." There was softness in the first words, happiness in the middle, and concern in the last in her voice.

"Was there any problem?." He asked while petting the head of his own direwolf he decided to name Lyarra.

"No, he's only a little afraid, he's only three after all." She said with an unnoticed sigh.

"He won't be three forever. Unfortunately, like everyone else in the world he will learn the world is a cruel and filthy place that will devour you if you let it." He said with a stern voice but in a worried way. "Winter is coming.".

The words of house Stark always chilled her. Every house has their own words, some were direct in their meaning like House Greyjoy; 'We Do Not Sow'. And many of them reflected on the ways of life the House has.

Her house words were 'Family, Duty, Honor' and she always took those to heart, and if one the three words clashed against each other the order they are spoken maybe means which one should come first, at least it was one of the interpretations she had over the years.

House Stark on the other hand felt different, the words 'Winter is coming' didn't sound like a way of life, or how the house behaved, but it sounded like a warning, one that always should be taken serious since the coming of winter is a fact.

"The man died well. And Bran, if you saw him, you would be proud of him." He said with a small smile that could broke the stone face he was wearing. "He was the fourth this year… And something had scarred him, something that had put its claws on his heart so hard that nothing people said or did could release it from him. I could see in his eyes that none of my words got into him.". He takes a pause so he can take a breath and let the words sink into his wife ears. "Ben had said that the strength of the Watch is being diminished year after year. Either by deserters or by losing men on ranging.". Another pause. Catelyn could see her husband had a lot on his mind which made the reason for her coming here even more painful.

Decided to not let an uncomfortable silence flow into the air and take away ther courage and determination to complete de duty she gave herself by coming to this place Catelyn take a long breath and engage once again in conversation with her lord husband.

"Wildlings?." She said trying not to let curiosity overcome her face.

"Probably. And maybe I will one day have to call the banners and march north to face this King-beyong-the-Wall I keep hearing about." He said finally looking her in the eyes.

"Beyond the Wall..." She couldn't hide the worry in her voice which makes her husband soft his own.

"Mance Rayder is nothing for us to fear.".

"I'm more worried about what else is beyond the Wall Ned." She said looking at the heart tree and moving to Lyarra trying to calm her mind.

Since she was a child, before wedding Ned she heard stories about beyond the wall, all bad and scary. Even now as an adult she felt fear running down her spine just thinking about what is waiting beyond the Wall.

"The Others are dead, the children of the forest are dead, gone eight thousand years ago. Maester Luwin will tell you they never lived at all if asked. No living man has ever seen one. They are all gone, along with the magic of the world. And unless Artorias isn't a fraud I don't think I will ever be inclined to believe it.

The name made Catelyn furrow her brow a little, she wasn't one to judge a person before meeting them but when the strange man had arrived along with her lord husband she couldn't think of anything other than the safety of her children.

Catelyn had heard stories, horribly stories about the Mountain who rides, and then, a knight that made him look like a dwarf showed up at her husband side and fear surrounded her entirety.

Granted he was very polite when he introduced himself and talked to Arya, but she still couldn't keep the worst out of her head in worry for her kids.

She hoped to be wrong, that Artorias was a noble and honorable knight like the stories of old who put honor above everything and would never hurt her family, but at the same time wanted him to stay as far as he could from them.

A man has to work hard and prove his commitment to earn Catelyn's trust, and Artorias hasn't done it yet. She also knew Ned didn't trust him, like her he wanted to see the man character and what moved him. No, Ned didn't trust Artorias, but judged him worthy enough to be given the benefit of doubt.

"What house does he came from?." Catelyn asks trying to hide the fear and worry in her voice.

Ned doesn't speak for a few seconds and then he closes his eyes and shake his head slowly. "Now that I think about it, he hasn't told me. And I hadn't asked.".

"Could, could he be a-."

"No." He answered before she could complete her question.

Catelyn didn't think Artorias could be a Targaryen, he had Valyrian features sure, but that didn't mean he was one, other houses also had those same features and colors, House Velaryon and House Celtigar were proof of it. Even house Dayne have them and they weren't of Valyrian blood.

Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen were exiled in Essos and Aemon Targaryen was on the Wall, dead if not dying of old age. So no, Artorias had little chance of being one unless proved otherwise.

It didn't put Catelyn at ease, Artorias hasn't prove he wasn't from house Targaryen nor that he was not a supporter and the fear still lurked on Cat's mind.

House Stark was one of the leaders of Robert's Rebellion and if Artorias was a Targaryen supporter she was sure she would sleep with one eye open tonight.

"Did he told you where he came from?." The need for an answer dwelled on her voice, like a thirsty man on the desert in desperation for water, she was in need for answers. "Please Ned, I worry for what might happen to the children if he has any relation to the supporters.".

Ned sighed and look at the direwolf resting by his feet. "He only told me he came for a doomed place. When I looked into his eyes Cat I didn't saw a Targaryen, nor someone who cared for the Iron Throne, all I saw was uncertainty and doubt. It was like he was looking for a meaning for his life. If he told me he didn't even knew what house Stark was, I would've probably believed him." He looks back at his wife with a calm face and give her a small smile. "Until he really talks to us about his past we will remain in the dark. But if you want to know in what I think, if you consider my opinion of any worth I'll tell you what I think." Ned gives her a little time no calm herself and give himself a long breath so he could be calm too. "I think he is not from Westeros but Essos, probably born and raised on Lys. I know mere words are little to remove doubt and fear for the unknown of someone's heart and mind, but I promise you my Lady, I will never let him harm you or our children.".

Catelyn understood that Ned had made her decision, she didn't trust the guest but she trusted her husband, and as a wife she knew she had to support his decisions and help to see the errors of the same decisions should the prove poor and foolish.

One way or another the decision has been made and now the only thing to do was to wait and see.

With her mind back on the real reason of why she had come to see her husband her face starts to frown and her lips are slightly bitten by her teeth.

A message had arrived, it was bad news, no one likes bad news, and Catelyn hated having to be the one to deliver them.

With so many things happening Catelyn remembers a phrase she heard once about how things tends to get much worse before they started to get better, she just hopped that it doesn't take too long for the good things to happen considering the contents of the message.

"I'm afraid there's bad news Lord husband.". She says looking at the ground, she really didn't want to be the one to deliver such message but she knew sometimes you don't get to choose and gives him the paper containing the message. "Jon Arryn is dead.". She said while her husband still reads the message written by his friend King Robert.

Words didn't need to be said for Catelyn could see everything just by looking at Ned's face.

Jon Arryn fostered Ned and Robert when they were kids. He was like a father to them and Ned loved him like his own too.

House Arryn words are; As high as honor. Words that Ned took for life and follow like the words of his own house.

No man in the seven Kingdoms could probably be more honorable than Ned Stark, she knew that, but she also knew that her husband wasn't perfect and just like any mortal man he was flawed, also subjected to failure now and then, the proof was in Winterfell living under its roofs.

"Robert is coming to Winterfell." There was happiness and angry in his voice. She knew her husband was happy for the chance to meet with his sworn brother once more, but she knew he's also angered by the accompany who is coming along with the king's delegation. The Lannisters. "Looks like will have Winterfell full of Lannisters".

She noticed the disgust in his voice and with reason. The Lannisters of Casterly Rock stayed on the westerlands during the entirety of Robert's Rebellion and only joined at the end when victory was assured, and for that Ned would never forget nor forgive them. 'The north remembers' he always said.

Catelyn gets on her feet and tells her husband she's going to leave. She knew he would have too much to think after reading Robert's message. Mainly how to prepare for the king's party and to contact his brother Benjen at the wall so he could ask the king for help on the Night's Watch.

Leaving the godswood Catelyn notices Rodrik and Jory carrying what was probably the biggest sword she ever saw in her life.

"Lady Stark, forgive us this sorry sight." Said Rodrik trying not to make a fool of himself and failing miserably. "This sword is really heavy, even with Jory's help we can barely lift it.".

Catelyn is startled by his statement. She remembers the scene of Artorias giving his sword to Ser Rodrik and how he felt on the ground, Artorias had lift this same sword with only one hand and without any problem, like it was as light as a feather, and now, two grow man were having problems to lift it. She didn't know if fear should be on her mind for the monstrous strength the knight had showed or relief for him being striped out of his weapon and armor.

Lost in her thoughts she hasn't notice the men who was lingering on them were right in front of her with Ser Rodrik and Jory.

"My most humble apology for the trouble Ms. Stark." Said Artorias with utmost politeness and respect in his eyes, face and voice, but without taking them out of his sword. "It was not my intention to make this more complicated than it should've been.".

After speaking he leaves and Catelyn watched as the three men leave her with her thoughts.

Until the king's arrival things would really be interesting in Winterfell, she just hoped it was the good kind of interesting.

Author's note: Ok, another chapter done, hope you like it, leave a review (and please be polite if you don't like it), follow and favorite if you want and contact me via inbox for any question you might have.

Sorry for the short chapter, the fault falls on me, Catelyn was a character I never liked nor feel interest in, I intended to make the last half she and Artorias talking and developing some kind of know at basis but refrain to do so, again, my fault.

Next chapter; Daenerys. here is where things are going to slowly begin to divert from the original canon.

English is not my first language. (I revised this chapter 3 times, I hope the grammar errors are less).