A/N: A MAN LIVES!

A MAN RETURNS FROM SURGERY!

A MAN KEEPS HIS PROMISES TO THE READERS!

SPOILERS for Season Eight of Game of Thrones lie ahead, for the night is dark and full of them. There.

You have been warned.

Son of the Stag's gotten a lot more attention than this one, but I felt this story truly needed some more love; thus I went back and rewrote it. Sorry for being gone for so terribly long but life and the aforementioned rewrite kept me busy.

Can I just say that I don't like the direction Sansa is going right now in the show? I understand she's jaded toward the world but at this point it feels like she's being antagonistic toward anyone not a Stark-exempting very few!-and this attitude she's developed is rubbing me the wrong. As if the last good bit of her died with...well. You know. At least Arya is still somewhat true to her character, even if she is a little isolated.

So here we are,

Despite that...unfortunate episode last weekend, I'm still going strong. Though I must say, I'm not necessarily pleased with the route the show has taken, nor its leaps in logic. It just feels like they're rushing things, you know? I won't say anything for the sake of spoilers, but lets

As promised, we're creeping ever closer to the events of season one...

...but we're not quite there yet.

So here's an interlude while I head off to work. See you guys later tonight!

"Run from it, dread it...

...in the end destiny still arrives."

"I disagree. Destiny is what we make of it."

~?

Hills to Climb (Interlude)

Bran fell.

Perhaps it was his fault for climbing so early in the morn. Perhaps it was the evening rains of last night, making the stones slick with the coming dawn. Perhaps he'd simply misjudged his last jump. Who knew? Who could say? Whatever the case, when the young Stark boy reached for the next handhold his fingers betrayed him. For all his keen experience in climbing the walls of of Winterfell and her many battlements, at the end of the day Brandon Stark was still only a boy. And boys are prone to panic. He flailed, reaching for something-anything-to grasp onto and found naught but empty air. As if the very castle itself turned against him.

Then gravity sank its cruel claws into him and he fell like a sinking stone.

A terrible moment of weightlessness followed as the second youngest Stark pitched backward, still clamoring for something to save him. The wall that had once loomed large before him, once so mighty and grey, suddenly seemed terribly small indeed. Despite the terror clawing at his chest Bran couldn't bring himself to scream. Only to fall. Dark hair flying before his face, he saw nothing but that wall, rapidly receding into the distance like an old, forgotten memory. Any moment now he would dash his head against the ground below and-

"Got you!"

Strong arms closed around Bran all at once and the scent of hay flooded his nose.

Wait...hay?

"Well." a painted grunt chased that thought down, "That could've gone better."

When Bran finally dared to open his eyes he found himself sprawled atop-and held in the arms of-a rather familiar figure. Rather, said figure was currently sprawled across the ground with his back in the mud. Belatedly Bran realized he'd landed in the courtyard unharmed; that someone had caught , they'd managed to save him somehow, even if the act of doing so had all but driven them into the muck. They weren't moving. Barely even breathing at that.

A pang of guilt gnawed at him.

"Naruto?"

Their head rose with a ponderous groan, revealing whiskered cheeks and bright blue eyes shaded by a mangled mop of blond hair. Those azure orbs twinkled back at him, crinkling in mild pain.

"Really oughta watch your footing there, little lord." the rogue chided, grimacing in quiet pain as straightened up and lowered his charge safely to the ground. A scarred hand descended to muss his hair affectionately. "Fall like that might've done some damage. Any broken bones?"

Bran shook his head mutely, heart still hammering. Catching someone at such a speed was no mean feat, much less after a running jump. Bran hadn't seen him in the courtyard when he had begun his climb; which could only mean he'd happened upon him by chance. That, or blind bloody luck. If he hadn't been there...the thought made him shudder. He'd be more careful in the future.

Regardless, he didn't miss the blond's slight wince upon standing.

"No, thank you...did I hurt you?"

"T'is but a scratch!" the blond beamed. "Merely doing m'duty, ya know. Speaking of which...I thought you weren't supposed to be climbing anymore?"

Bran chewed his lip.

"Please don't tell mother."

He expected admonishment of sorts from Naruto; after all, he'd nearly fallen to his death. Even Jon or Theon would've told him to be more careful next time, or forced him to forsake climbing entirely. Mother would've likely insisted upon the latter if she'd witnessed this spectacle. But rather than chastise him, Naruto pressed a finger to his lips and drifted past him with smile.

"Just don't get caught." he whispered.

"Where are you going?" Bran couldn't help but inquire.

The whiskered warrior gave naught but an innocent whistle. "For a walk."

With that, the would-be knight leaped onto a nearby cart and vaulted off onto the wall with the all the skill and grace of a squirrel. A low bow was sketched and then he was gone again, springing from his newly purchased hold on the wall to another further up its craggy surface. As his first handhold gave way to the next, he caught Bran's faint shout down in the courtyard:

"You're climbing, not walking!"

Light, lilting laughter answered him. "This is what I call a walk, little brother!"

Unfortunately, their little shouting match swiftly drew the attention of another. "Naruto! Get down from there you fool boy! You might fall!"

More laughter answered Ser Rodrik's call.

"Not today I won't!"

Straining his eyes against the waning daylight the aging knight caught a blur of black leather high on the tower above. Discontent with the old knight's strident call as much as the concern behind it, the blond grinned and climbed higher still, faster still. He paused just long enough to flash him a saucy salute before clamoring out of sight. At a loss and unable to climb up after him, the aging swordsman could only shout impotently at his back, and even then those calls soon faded on the breeze as he continued his climb.

Even after so many years, Winterfell still felt like home to him.

Crumbling stone shifted ponderously underfoot and the whiskered warrior tensed up, testing his weight against the whims of the wall and its ancient foundations. For a fleeting moment he felt weightless and fear Cassel's words as much as inevitable drop; if he lost his grip here his end would be a messy one indeed. Thankfully the next handhold proved sturdier than the last and his luck held. Testing his weight as much as his next foothold, he levered himself upright onto the battlement.

"Ha!" he exulted, spreading his arms wide. "Made it!"

Time had flown by like the fleeting winds of summer, honing his body into a wiry instrument of agility and grace. At nearly sixteen years of age it felt strange sometimes but in truth, he rather liked it. He was tall for his age perhaps, but on further recollection he liked that, too. He could climb as high as he liked and never fear falling. When he was up this high he could forget the dreams, the pain, everything. Strength and grace were something that came naturally did him and he rejoiced in them. Now

"You really shouldn't do that, you know. You might get hurt."

Naruto paused as a new voice reached him from below.

Bright blue orbs beheld a familiar curtain of red hair dancing in his peripherals, and a smile stole over his features. Pausing just long enough to steady himself on another outcropping, he turned to give the speaker his full attention and found a gaze he knew all too well. How she always found him he would never know, but find him she had; he could feel her cool eyes piercing him even from this distance. Was that a new dress? It was! His gaze beheld that lovely shade of light cerulean and his cheeks dimpled anew. Hoisting himself up on the last ledge, the young man stifled a laugh.

"Is my lady worried about me?" he called down at her.

Sansa smiled softly.

"A little."

Naruto willfully remained where he was.

"Come down," she soothed, "And I'll give you a kiss."

He couldn't help the color that rose in his cheeks. Temptress!

Naruto took off at a dead run and leaped with all his might, heedless of the gasp she gave. For a sweet, blessed moment he felt weightless, soaring through the air like a raven. Then the ground rushed up to greet him like an old friend him and he caught himself, alighting in a pointed crouch upon a thatched roof. His knees rocked angrily against the untimely impact but scarce had the chance to give notice before he bounded forward again in a swift somersault that carried him the rest of the way down to the courtyard below.

Sansa graced him with a slow and measured clap of her hands.

"Must you do that every time?"

The boy beamed.

"Yes, I must." he declared, stepping into her. "Now then, I believe promises were made, Lady Stark?"

She favored him with a coy look as his arm encircled her waist. "Why, Ser! Whatever do you mean? I made no such-oh!"

His mouth captured hers in fierce kiss before she could finish, piquing her words into a moan as he welded his body against his. Her hands gathered at the base of his neck when his fingers threaded through her hair, using it as leverage to pull him closer as they drank deeply of one another, head tilting for a better angle. Their embrace was hungry and clumsy and crass and utterly foolish on their part, but neither cared. And why should they? None had dared to try and stop them before and they'd been careful all things considered, never daring to openly flaunt themselves before others. Perhaps some suspected, perhaps some simply didn't care...

...until the interruption.

"Aha! There you are! Climbing the walls again, were you?!"

Hastily they broke apart as a familiar figure rounded the wall towards them.

Only then did Naruto spy an irate Rodrik storming towards the from across the yard.

"I've been betrayed!" he cried, feigning a mournful gasp and clutching at his heart. "Sansa, how could you?!"

Her teasing smile held a hint of promise, a whisper of something more, so much so that the whiskered warrior nearly did a double take on his part.

In hindsight, Rodridk's wrath-and the vicious tongue lashing that followed-were deemed well worth it by Naruto's reckoning, if only for kiss he'd stolen from Sana.

A/N: Not feeling my best.

I do apologize for the lack of updates, but it doesn't help that Game of Thrones is shooting me in the foot with all these deaths. I swear if we keep losing characters like this so close to the end, I'm going to be a tad upset...

Well, said about all I can say there.

I'm headed to work, looking forward to hearing from you guys and gals when I get back!

So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the previews!

Potential ones!

(Previews!)

"The King approaches." The way the old knight said the words spoke volumes. "His men are just down the road."

Naruto groaned.

"Well, this should be fun..."

Sansa elbowed him. "Come now, it won't be that bad...

Idly, his hand palmed Frostmourne's woeful hilt. "No, it'll be worse."


"I don't have time for-

Instead the woman seized him by the face.

Strong fingers turned his visage aside, even as she gazed at him. "Fascinating."


"I AM YOUR PRINCE!"

Naruto snorted. "No prince of mine."

"How dare you! I'll have you whipped you insolent-

Something struck him in the back, knocking the wind from his lungs to send him spinning into the drink.

"Oh dear!" a voice called into the empty silence that followed. "Would you look at that! Prince Joffrey has slipped and fallen into the river! Someone save him before he drowns! Someone! Anyone!"

He watched silently as the thrashing boy continued to flail.

Continued to sink.

...or not."

It would be the simplest thing to push him under...


"Where did you get that sword?"

R&R~!