The news spread like wildfire without the greenish hue. Still, I sat in the library, I had been engrossed in this book for the last few days, refusing to put it down for anyone. Although there were a few times when I had ventured out to brace the biting winds of Winterfell, I had otherwise not left the room, knowing full well that only a handful of people would come looking for me here.

I was so lost in my thoughts and book that I did not notice a figure creeping up to me. I glanced up at the imposing figure brushing the short dark black hair out of my face. The figure chuckled before moving to sit next to me on the wooden floor. To an outsider he was dark and brooding, a serious man who would not smile, but I was no outsider to him, the opposite. Being his first-born daughter, held some perks, like having a strong connection with him for most of my life. Yet with the good, there is always the bad, and it was one thing that drove a wedge in our relationship for the past few days. I was his bastard child, along with my brother Jon. His imminent departing meant that I would be without protection from Lady Stark, the wolf named fish.

"I remember holding you in my arms reading to you and your brothers about these dragons. You were always captivated with Rhaenyra, wanting to be just like her." Eddard Stark spoke, pausing before continuing, "What happened to my little girl? She cut her hair and locked herself in the library." Being quietly like the words were a taboo if spoken too loud. I leaned against my father staring into the fire, reminiscing about my childhood, before, it, happened.

"I'm not that child anymore Father and I have not locked myself in the library. I am still practicing my swordsmanship," I countered. I was not lying in that aspect, I had been practicing for a little while just the night before. Doing it while the rest of the inhabitants slept. It had become a peaceful time for me, just me and my thoughts without Lady Stark around to glare at me while I swung my sword at the invisible foe.

"Veerlyn, there has been a deserter" I closed my gray eyes and felt a shiver run down my spine, someone was to die. I placed the book I was reading on a small table by the chair, stood and left my sanctuary following my father, to find my horse. The cold air did nothing to cure my stomach from tying its self into knots. I had always hated to watch people die, but I understood the reasoning for it. I thought back to the first execution I observed. I had gone with Robb and Jon on their first time, fighting with father bout the right to witness the act, while Lady Stark had argued with father about Robb not seeing it. It wasn't until I saw the man's head come off his shoulders when I realized that life was cruel.

I reached the courtyard and found my twin and younger brother already saddled on their horses. A stable boy came and brought me Nyx, my own steed. Nyx was a name day present from my father a few years ago, the black mare was one of the fastest horses in Winterfell besides fathers. I pressed my forehead to her neck before climbing on the saddle and quickly trotted to where the party was. Only a few more men had joined my three brothers, my father and me.

The trip did not take long, and soon we were standing in front of a log stained red from past kills. I unmounted and walked over to were Bran and Jon were. A sigh escaped my lips, and I looked at Jon with tired eyes, he nodded at me before grabbing my hand and leading Bran and me to the block. Some guards and Theon Greyjoy roughly dragged the deserter to the block and forced him to his knees. I could hear the man muttering something, but I ended up tuning it out and focusing on the stained wood. It wasn't until father was in front of us when I finally realized that it was over.

"Do you understand why I did it?" Father questions Bran. I glanced down to the boy of ten, wondering what he thought of the ordeal.

"Jon said he was a deserter," Bran answered, I wanted to correct him, but I knew father would in his own time.

"But do you understand why I had to kill him?"

"Our way is the old way?"

"The man who passes sentence should swing the sword," Father replied I could hear the sorrow dripping from his voice. I watched as Bran left to return to his horse, the boy was too young to have seen that, but I knew father's reasoning's if anything happened to Robb. A hand grasped my shoulder, and I turned to see my father looking at me in concern.

"I really wish you wouldn't cut your hair short. I miss my little girl with her braids." He remarked before offering a small smile. I tried my best to offer a smile in return, but I could tell from the worried look that flashed in my father's eyes that it did not work all that well. He sighed before offering me his arm and leading us to the horses.

Days seemed to pass like sand in an hourglass after that. I stuck to the library and the courtyard since I did not have lady lessons like Sansa and Arya. Luckily, I was able to take lessons with my brothers in politics and warfare with Maester Luwin. If I would not be a Lady of a castle, I could at least be a useful strategist if my brother ever needed to go to war.

"Have you heard the king was going to grace us with his presence" Robb walked in my room followed by Grey Wind, Jon, and Ghost. I laughed at the faces the boys were making because of news. It was somewhere between disgust and false happiness. I could feel my smile revert to the look that it was before and marked the page of the book I was reading, placing it aside. I nodded to them as they took a seat on either side of me on my bed. We sat with our backs pressed to the wall for a long while before any of us spoke again. It was Jon who broke the silence.

"Uncle Benjen will be here in a few days when he leaves, I am going with him." I looked at my twin in sorrow and nodded. I knew this day would come, he had been telling me about wanting to join for a while. I leaned my head against his shoulder and grabbed both of my brother's hands. I didn't want to break up our trio, but I knew that one day this would come. A noise sounded from the hallway, and I saw my youngster sister peak her head in the room.

"Can I come in?" She asked. I nodded, and she walked in followed by Nymeria. It did not take long before the rest of the Stark children to find their way to my room, direwolves in tow. We all just sat there on the bed, Robb, and Sansa on my left, Rickon sitting halfway on both mine and Robb's lap with Bran seated on the other half of my lap and part on Jon's and Arya on his other side. Our wolves were laying on the floor in a similar pattern. We were found hours later by my father and Lady Stark, we were still huddled together, the other wolves fast asleep while mine and SÓŻndor eyes were trained on the door, keeping watch to make sure no harm would come to both groups of sleeping pups.