I am trying to stick to the original birthdays for each character but I have changed a few slightly. These are the current ages relative to this chapter occurring in 295 AC.

283 AC - Robb (12)

284 AC - Edwyle (11)

286 AC - Sansa (9)

289 AC - Arya (6)

290 AC - Brandon (5)

294 AC - Rickon (newborn)

295 AC

Eddard

"I, Eddard, of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount & Warden of the North, do hereby sentence you to death for Desertion from the Night's Watch. Have you any words, speak them now, or may you forever keep them." Eddard grumbled, not ungraciously, to the deserter.

"Oh let's get this over wit' now. Oive 'ad enough of ya bloody cold cunts up here." The deserter spoke flippantly.

Eddard sighed internally. Blasted southerners. No doubt this man wished to run away for women, money, or some other bloody reason. But he was still a man. He quickly mumbled a quick prayer to the Old Gods, both to bless a quick strike, but also to allow the man a restful afterlife, whatever that was like.

in the short time it took to step his right foot back to raise Ice over him in a swinging motion, he made note of his two eldest's gazes. Good, do not look away. Soon this will be you, sooner than you realize. In one swift motion, Eddard took the head of the deserter. Not a sound was heard, true to the legend of his House's blade, even when striking, it was quiet, deathly so. He always thought of it as a sort of finality.

Of course it bloody was, it is a sword. But there was something special about Ice. It ended lives of course…but there was an added sense of ending. As if it not only killed, but also killed the soul of men too. There was nothing left but a husk of whoever stood and fell 'fore it.

Edwyle

Neither he nor Robb looked away. Both would fight till the grave that it was because they were unafraid, that this was nothing but duty, that it was required of them. But…there was something more to it Edwyle thought. He took a moment before it came to him. Fear of father knowing that we couldn't watch. Fear that we'd let down the great Eddard Stark.

He suspected that his elder brother secretly thought the same thing, not that they'd discuss it of course…after all, they had a reputation to maintain as northerners.

According to father, Robb had more of the Wolf's Blood than Ed, but even still, Robb was still the silent statue if need be. True, he may have been more outgoing and perhaps he was quick to laugh, but he had also seen his brother slip into a mask of a silent, cold, deadly lordling.

It wasn't perfect, far from it actually Edwyle amusingly thought. But he is trying…and he'll get it soon enough. After all, there was a time when Robb couldn't do it and now he had progressed greatly.

That was perhaps the only thing that he knew Robb was jealous of. As Ed was more like father than him, Edwyle had always been able to easily slip into the mask of coldness. It felt like a second skin to him. Not in a negative way, but more as a comfortable retreat. It helped him maintain his composure. Just as the 'Lord's Face' was used to show others that you were in control, it allowed it to convince himself as well.

Whenever he would become angry or frustrated, he would never allow anyone to see it, he would always fall back to the cold veneer of a northerner and would command it remain within until it eventually dispelled like a dying blizzard.

Looking over to Robb, he noticed as he was readying his horse that he had an aura of…unease?

"Brother." Edwyle spoke.

Robb's head snapped about, as if he was caught up in a dream and had just awoken.

"Ed? What is it?"

"Are you well? You seem…distant."

Robb

At first, Robb thought of lying and saying he was fine. After all, if any other person heard what he was stewing over, they'd probably laugh at it.

But Edwyle was different. He was the closest thing to Eddard Stark reborn if that was possible. Robb's Lord father was the only one who could bring out the truth in most people, especially Arya if he had caught her doing something. But then Edwyle began to mimic it. Soon, Ed was able to bring out the truth from Arya. A small girl perhaps, but a victory, nonetheless.

Him and blasted father. He though, but he'd never mention it. Finally, he noticed Ed still staring at him, he hadn't spoken since his question. That damnable, silent gaze. Robb realized that Ed would only see the truth and he eventually resigned himself to confessing his worry.

"…Mother…mother and I discussed my marriage." He spoke quietly, but evenly, not an ounce of inflection. "She gave me a list and commanded me to pick one." His voice grew softer. "I just thought…I just thought I'd have longer. You know?"

He expected Ed to laugh, or at the very least smile in amusement, but he did neither. Instead, he audibly sighed and let the flap of a leather pouch fall closed on his mount. Not making eye-contact, Ed slowly walked away from the group until he stood about ten paces away from the rest. Robb at this point could only see his back and left side.

Oh what the hell. Robb sighed frustratingly. Leaving his own mount, he walked to his brother and stood to his left. Instead of looking out, he examined his brother. Ed was staring at the distant mountains as if they held all the answers. Damn, he looks more like father now than ever. Robb realized with a near jolt.

Before he could say anything, his Lord father walked his own mount with his riders up to Ed's right.

"Sons why are you not mounted. We are leaving, let us leave this place for a warm hearth."

Robb was silent, not sure what they were doing, but thankfully, Ed responded.

"Father, words must be shared amongst brothers, in the land of our ancestors, not within the confines of a keep. If it pleases you, leave some guards to stay with us." Edwyle responded calmly.

Eddard looked at his son with a piercing gaze, as if reading Ed's very soul, before he soon nodded and allowed the very corner tip of his mouth to raise. Those who did not know Eddard Stark would say nothing changed, but to his sons, he had just shown approval.

If only I could get more of those looks. Robb thought. He wasn't jealous of them, but it would be nice.

"Very well." The Lord Stark turned to the men behind him. "Casen, Jonnel, Gaerym, Gustan, stay here and escort my sons back to Winterfell. Regardless of their orders, I expect them back before the sun reaches the horizon.

Edwyle

No worries, this will be but a moment. After the four men responded in the affirmative, Eddard Stark snapped his reigns and his horse took off, with the rest of his men following.

As the four guards began to dismount from their horse, he stopped them. "No need men. This should be quick, if you find it acceptable, please stay some paces back so as to not overhear us but remain close enough to keep watch over us.

Although none would expect it, it was not unheard of for an ambitious second son to have their elder brother meet…an 'unfortunate accident' so as to advance themselves. This was not even close to the case, but the guards were relieved when their Lord's son insisted they remain within watching distance.

But now was the time to address his brother. Slowly, he turned to his left.

Robb

Ed tore his gaze away from the land in front of them, so slowly that you'd expect him to be in a trance. Than Ed's gaze finally met his. It was an intense stare, so intense that it would intimidate even the most hardened of veterans. If he was honest with himself, Robb too was a little intimidated, but for all the worry about his own adequateness, he would never allow his younger brother to scare him.

Finally, Edwyle spoke.

"I imagine others would have laughed at you."

"Oh how great you are at observation brother. You are truly a master." Robb responded, a combination of sarcasm and mild annoyance.

Ed put his hand in his shoulder. "I am disheartened to see that you thought I would do the same. Ah-ah, before you speak, I know you never said it, but I can see it in your eyes."

Damn, he really is father. I have to get better at that.

Edwyle continued. "Your heart is heavy with worry. It is laden with self-doubt."

"Oh and when did you become a paragon of wisdom?"

Ed smirked at that, looking much more like himself, the young man that he was, before he once again assumed what Robb called 'Father's Face.'

"I can only imagine what you are thinking now. I just wish you, nay I demand of you, to know that I am always here. You'll not find a more ardent supporter of you than me. In a way, I envy that you are going through this, if only to comfort me when I go through it."

"Please, you aren't the heir, you have a much broader decision than I do."

"Yes, father and mother made that quite clear to me. But I still will not follow it. After all, father himself was not the heir either. I know our parents wish for the children to find as much happiness as they can, but am I to do that at the expense of the North?"

Now Robb was surprised at this turn. Edwyle had started by comforting him, now Ed was confessing his own fears.

"I will marry for the good of the North, I would not have it any other way, I would refuse to. Perhaps it would even be to a southern house so that we may have some small alliances, no matter how insignificant."

"That is…quite the mature thought brother. Other children would jump at the thought of their own control."

"Yes, they would. But that is what separates us from them. We are northerners Robb." Edwyle was a staunch supporter of the Old Gods. Robb, though not against them, was usually indifferent to them, and sometimes heard saying things from the Seven.

Suddenly, Edwyle used his left hand to grab his neck and pulled him in. "Remember, we are of the North. We cannot afford the flights of fancy that the South does. When winter comes, the first thing we must forsake Is honor, the last, our lives."

"But what about father's teachings?"

Eddard Stark, for however cold he was, was a man of undisputed honor. Most throughout the entire realm considered him the ideal of honor.

"Aye, but tell me, do you think out ancestors won the North from the horse kings, the red kings, the giant kings and so many others because of honor? No, we won it because we were willing to do anything for the North. Oh do not look at me like that, I'm not saying till kill innocents for the Gods' sake, but when there is a choice between honor, and intelligence, we must choose the intelligent move." Ed whispered but with great strength.

"You speak as if you have seen countless winters."

Finally, his brother broke from his façade and laughed heartedly. "Aye, perhaps I have read too much of our history." At this, both brother turned and strode back to their mounts.

Edwyle

Mounting his horse, he watched as Robb did the same before turning to their escorts. "Men! Come, let us return with haste!"

Soon they group began to slowly trot. Before they got too fast, he turned to his brother and spoke.

"Remember Robb: forsake honor first, and our lives last."

Robb returned his gaze with newfound strength. Robb would always follow honor to a certain degree, but Ed hoped that he would not be blinded by it.

I am aware that the ages of the two eldest still seem young to us. But remember, in the medieval setting this is in, by the time men reached the age of fifteen or sixteen, they were considered full adults so such conversations between ages just a tad younger are not fantastical.