Lord Eddard Stark

Ned took one look at the wall and sighed. It had been too long since he'd last been here, as a young lad with his father and Brandon before the war had come. Lord Rickard had insisted his sons come to see the place that kept their northern boundary safe. Brandon had thought the Night's Watch had become redundant and needed to be replaced. Indeed, Ned remembered Brandon and Lord Qorgyle agreeing on that fact, which made Ned smile now as it had then. Brandon always had had a way with people. And now here he was, again, to handle the threat of wildlings and god alone knew what else.

Benjen greeted him with a hug, and then led him to his solar, where wine was served. Ned raised an eyebrow and his brother laughed. "It's hot Ned, we need something to stay sane here. At the edge of the world as we are." Ned laughed, it was good to see Benjen again, after the rebellion and everything with Lyanna he had feared he and Benjen would never be close again, but time had thawed things out between them. "I take it you're here to talk about the Wildlings?"

Ned nodded. "Aye, Jon Umber captured four of them as they were attempting to flee further south. They told us a fair bit about what was happening beyond the wall, that Mance was preparing a great host. When we pushed them as to why they had not stayed, they mentioned something about the Weeper. I'm not sure how true that is. The Weeper's been dead for a century." At least he hoped he had been.

His brother ran a hand over his beard. "Lord Commander Mormont died on the ranging he led. He left me in charge of Castle Black because he knew there'd be chaos after he died. One of the lads who came back Samwell Tarly told me about what happened on that ranging. He told me that they found deserted villages, the wildlings had all fled, where they'd gone no one knew. Then as they were about to make their journey back, they were attacked by dead things. And things that could only be described as White Walkers, pale, cold and blue. Lord Commander Mormont was attacked and killed." Benjen looked as if he'd seen a ghost. "Three hundred men went north on that ranging and only ten came back."

Ned didn't want to sound disbelieving, but he had to ask. "Do you believe Tarly? It could have been wildlings attacking in great numbers, and he might have got things confused."

Benjen shook his head. "I believe him, the other ten men I spoke to all agreed with Tarly, and said the same thing. And there was something else, Tarly found these." Benjen pulled out three daggers, they were black as night, obsidian and clear.

Ned looked at his brother. "Dragonglass, where did they find these?" Dragonglass had supposedly disappeared with the dragons dying out one hundred and fifty years ago.

"On the Fist of the First Men. They found one more dagger that Tarly used to kill a White Walker." Benjen said, at seeing Ned's disbelieving expression, his brother got up and said. "Come, follow me." Ned did as he was bid and followed his brother down the steps, through the passageways and into the cellars. He noticed his brother held one of the Dragonglass daggers in his hand. They stopped before one of the cells. "Look." His brother said pointing at something in the dark. Ned went up to the bars and stared and nearly recoiled at what he saw.

"Why is there a dead body in there?" He asked.

Benjen took a torch from the wall and held it over the cell. "Look closer."

Ned stared and recoiled. "That's, that's."

"Aye. We found him near the foot of the wall, dragged him here to give him a burial, he came back to life." Benjen replied. He unlocked the cell, the monster struggled against his chains, trying to do what the beast had done in life. "Watch." Benjen said. He took the dagger and buried it in the monster's neck. Ned stared in surprise as the monster stopped writhing and simply burst into dust.

Benjen picked up the dagger and pocketed it. His brother moved out of the cell and put the torch back in its socket in the wall and turned to Ned. "We found out that the daggers can destroy these things. Wights we call them, fire destroys them as well. We were attacked by ten of them a few days before you arrived. They were found near the foot of the wall, we came to bury them and they rose again. We've started burning our dead."

Ned stared at his brother then and the pile of ash that had once been someone they had both known well. "How? How are they coming back?"

Benjen laughed. "Come on Ned, you read the stories just as I did, you heard Old Nan tell the stories. You know what brought them back."

"But those are just stories." Ned said. "They can't possibly be true." Could they? He wasn't sure anymore, he wouldn't have believed it before just now.

His brother sighed. "Ned, you've just seen a dead person move before your very eyes and be destroyed by Dragonglass, something we all thought was gone with the dragons. You must know that whatever it is out there, it is coming, and we need to be ready."

Deciding to put aside his shock for a moment he said. "There will be deposits of Dragonglass in the barrows I shall get people to mining for them. And I will have the clans mining their own deposits as well. How many more Dragonglass daggers do you have?"

Benjen shook his head. "Just the three you saw. We have nowhere near enough to handle them as they come."

"I will get as much to you as possible." Ned said. He then added. "You know the wildlings are fleeing for a good reason."

His brother nodded. "I know, but we cannot afford to feed them and ourselves." Ned sighed he knew his brother was right, even if the thought repelled him.

Master Robb Stark

Robb rubbed his eyes, shit he was tired. He had spent the past three hours reading through the ledgers, and by the gods old and new was he tired. There seemed to be no end to the notes, to the calculations and to the everyday monotony that seemed to accompany this thing. Ever since his father had gone north to the wall, Robb had taken it upon himself to keep Winterfell running smoothly. He dealt with petitions from Wintertown and he dealt with the accounts, he had barely slept, but he needed the work, he didn't want to think about the alternative. He looked up at his mother who was looking at him with that look on her face. "I'm fine, Mother, truly."

His Mother sighed. "Robb, you've not slept for the past two days, and you've been staring the same page in the ledger for the past two hours. So, no you're clearly not okay. Have a rest, get some sleep, this will all be here in the morning." Robb knew his mother was right, but for some reason he found it hard to admit this.

He put aside the quill and moved the book forward. "I will sleep, when you also get some rest Mother. You have been up just as long as I have. And we both know that you're not just staying up to keep me company." His mother said nothing so Robb pushed on. "It has been two weeks since Father wrote from Last Hearth should anything have gone wrong he would have written by now. I also know that Bran has been sleeping a lot better since Father's letter. We still do not know what those dreams he keeps having mean. There is no point in you staying up so long to worry."

He got up and held his hand out, his Mother took it and together they left Father's solar, as they walked down the steps, Mother said. "When did you get so wise? I still remember the day you came running into your father's room with mud on your face and your little pants covered in paint."

Robb blushed. "Well, it had to happen sometime, I didn't want to end up like Greyjoy." He couldn't help the tone of bitterness that crept into his voice then, well it wasn't bitterness per say more anger at the fool who was his father's ward.

His mother sighed. "I'm not going to say anything on that point, you already know my views on Theon Greyjoy." Robb kept quiet, he knew his Mother did not approve of Greyjoy nor his antics, but they tolerated him, for he would soon be returning to Pyke and then he would be out of their hair.

They got to the bottom of the stairs, and then Robb asked his mother a question that had been bothering him for some time. "You know when you were growing up in Riverrun, where you expected to learn about Winterfell once you were betrothed to Uncle Brandon?"

"I was expected to learn about the north's customs and its history yes, but not everything. I learned more through doing my own research. Why?" Mother replied.

"I saw Sansa reading a book about the Reach the other day, and when I asked her why she was reading it, she quickly put the book away and walked out." Robb replied. He looked at his mother then and asked. "Are you thinking of sending her south to marry Willas Tyrell?"

Mother laughed. "No dear, your father and I have not considered any betrothal for her yet. We're still arranging everything for your own marriage to the Princess. Sansa's betrothal will come in time when she is ready."

Robb nodded, and they continued walking in silence, he did not know what else to say, instead he simply enjoyed being with his mother, they walked through the castle, passing servants as they did so, and he could feel his eyes beginning to close. They stopped before his room. Where Maester Luwin was waiting. "Luwin? What is it?" Robb asked.

"There have been letters for both yourself and Lady Catelyn, Master Robb." Luwin replied handing the letters over to them both.

Robb read his letter quickly.

Robb,

I hope you are well. I am sure word has reached Winterfell by now, my father, King Robert is dead, and as such I am the King. I invite you and your family to the coronation. I hope you can attend.

Yours Faithfully

Jon, King of Westeros.

Robb folded the letter and looked at his mother whose mouth was wide open. "Mother? What is it?"

"The audacity." Mother said before she folded up the letter and looked at him. "What?"

"What was in your letter?" Robb asked, concerned, he'd never seen Mother so angry before, well apart from that time he'd dropped cow dung on Sansa.

"Nothing. It was nothing important. What was in your letter?" Mother replied.

"It was from the King, he's invited us all to the coronation. What should I say?" Robb asked, wanting to ask his mother what had been in her letter, but knowing better than to bring it up again.

Mother was thoughtful for a moment then said. "Reply back saying that you will be attending in the place of your father. We shall sort out everything else when your father returns from the wall. Does the King say when the coronation will be?"

Robb shook his head. "He doesn't. I don't think it's been arranged yet."

Mother nodded. "Very well. Well, I must go and get some rest, I suggest you do as well." With that Mother turned and left.

Luwin soon departed as well, leaving Robb to enter his room and wonder just what had been in that letter that had caused Mother to behave so strangely. He sat down at his table and picked up a letter that Princess Myrcella had sent him some time ago.

My dearest Robb,

I am well, thank you for asking, yourself?

Today I had the most unfortunate encounter with Petyr Baelish, the master of coin. He is very slimy and not at all pleasant. But regardless, I look forward to meeting you properly.

Love Myrcella

Baelish, why did that name seem so familiar? Robb put the letter down and changed his clothes, as he lay back down on the bed, he wondered if Mother knew who Petyr Baelish was.