Chapter 02: Exploration.
Back in the lounge Delia was telling the other children stories from when she was a child when she noticed that Adalyn had walked back into the room. Delia motioned for the children to follow her granddaughter, Adalyn held out her hand for the youngest to hold.
"Now, if you're going to be staying my grandmother and I...we can't have you wearing the clothes of the old," Adalyn said causing Sansa to look at her curiously, she was thirteen years old and loved clothing. "I have some clothes that I wore when I was your age that you should be able to fit in, both of you," Adalyn smiled at them, Rickon stopped and looked up at Adalyn a little scared that she might make him wear a dress. "Don't worry Rickon, we have some clothes that will fit you too," she laughed, Jon looked at her wondering what she could possibly have that would fit boys. "Oh and Jon I'll need to look at your hand when I've finished with your brother,"
"My hand?" Jon questioned as they followed Adalyn down the hall stopping occasionally to look at pictures on the wall.
"Yes, your hand. I can see that you've done something to it, since you have yet to take of the glove," Adalyn said turning to face him and seeing her grandmother standing at the end of the all watching them.
"I burnt it..." he paused watching as Adalyn opened one of the doors and walked in.
"Don't just stand there, Sansa this will be your room," Adalyn said walking into the room and drawing open the curtains to light up the room. "If you open up the chest at the foot of the bed there should be some clothes you'll fit," she smiled watching as the girl uncertainly walked over to the chest.
"Is there really going to be something that will fit all of us?" Arya asked, she was eager to see what she would wear. "Sansa, what's in there?"
"Dresses, and lots of them...with flowers," Sansa replied, holding up one of the dresses and pulling it close to her body. "Can I really wear this?"
"Yes, you really can. If you'd like me to help you, just let me know. Or I can get one of the maids to come in," Adalyn replied, as she remembered that she had to fix up Bran's leg still. "Arya, did you want to explore before you get some new clothes?"
"Can I?" Arya nodded eagerly, as much as she wanted to see new clothes, what she really wanted to do was explore.
"Sirius, come here boy. Take Rickon and Arya to explore, don't let them out of your sight," Adalyn said to Sirius who barked as though he understood what she was saying to him. "Follow Sirius and don't stray from him,"
Arya took Rickon's hand and together they followed Sirius into the grounds to see what was out there. Jack also followed the children and Sirius to keep an eye on them. In the bedroom that Adalyn had left Bran and Robb the two siblings were a little confused by the pants, they had managed the shirt. Robb was sitting on the bed, whilst Bran leant against the headboard both of the staring at the pants. Adalyn walked back up to the bedroom and stood just outside the door watching the boys.
"Can't work it out?" Adalyn questioned, moving to stand in the doorway, Robb shook his head, determined to work it out. "Here, let me show you." she let out a little laugh. "Bran, I want you to wrap your arms around my neck," Adalyn said after she walked over to the bed and picked up the underwear.
"Okay..." Bran hesitantly wrapped his arms around her neck and she hoisted him up so that she had him standing.
"Robb, can you take of the pants that he has on now?" she asked, looking to him he stood still, when he didn't move Jon did as she asked. "Bran, you okay? Tell me if your arms start to get tired," she told him, he nodded in her neck as Jon pulled his pants off.
"What are you doing?" Robb asked, speaking only have his brother had taken his other brothers pants off.
"Making him comfortable," Adalyn replied, before she realised that none of them had gone to the bathroom since they had gotten there and it had been a full two hours since that had happened. "Does anyone want to use the bathroom? Toilet?"
Bran nodded a little he thought he had to go but he wasn't sure, Robb nodded as did Jon. Adalyn laughed before she used one had to pull Bran's leg up a little and pulled the underwear up and over his leg, she then carefully put his leg back down and pulled the other one up doing the same thing. She then hoisted them up to his waist and set him back down on the bed.
"Everyone wears this, it's called underwear. Meaning that we wear them under our clothing," Adalyn explained as she then knelt on the floor in front of Bran who was steadying himself with his hands. "Here you go," Adalyn said putting both of Bran's feet in one each of the legs of the shorts and letting it sit there for a moment. "Let's take a look at that cut shall we?" Bran nodded and allowed Adalyn to have a look at his leg.
"It doesn't hurt you know, I don't feel any pain," Bran told her, as she pulled away the bandage that had been placed on his leg when they had been home.
"I know you don't feel any, but that doesn't mean that something can't hurt," Adalyn told him, as she reached under the bed, her grandmother had a habit of keeping first aid kits under the beds in every room of the castle.
"What are you going to do for him?" Robb asked, as he sat on the bed beside Bran and Jon sat on the other side both curious as to what the young woman was going to do to their little brother.
"I'm going to clean this wound up, and then make it so that it won't get infected," Adalyn replied, as she tossed the bandage that had been around his leg in the garbage and pulled out some Iodine and a cotton bud. Adalyn dabbed some of the Iodine onto the cotton bud and then proceeded to dab at Bran's leg for a second before realising that she would need to properly wash him before she could get it done. "Okay, I'm going to have one of the maid's run a bath for Bran and get him washed up, I can't do anything until that is done,"
The Stark boys looked at Adalyn wondering what she going on about, they were clean. They'd bathed only days before hand. Adalyn smiled at the three of them and picked up Bran again, she was used to carrying children around. Robb moved to take Bran from her and was taken back as Bran refused to be taken away from Adalyn. He liked her.
"Monica, could you draw a bath for each of the Stark boys and then help Bran? And let me know when he's back in his underwear," Adalyn told the older woman as she emerged from one of the rooms across the hall. Delia had seen to Sansa and noticed the young girl was a little confused so she had helped her out.
"Yes, m'lady. Anything I should know about the youngest?" Monica questioned, looking to Adalyn as they heard a scream.
"Adalyn, go and see what's wrong. Hurry now," Delia called from the study where she had retreated once again.
"Here, take Bran and get his bath ready. Sit him on the toilet first, and stay with him," Adalyn said moving to hand Bran over to the older woman. "Bran, it's okay. Monica here has been with me for as long as I can remember. She won't hurt you," Adalyn reassured Bran who just looked at her and then at the older woman and his brothers.
"We're coming with you," Jon and Robb said at the same time, Adalyn shook her head and grabbed Jon's hand.
"Robb stay with Bran, trust me I know my way around this place. I grew up in it, and I know you both know that scream," Adalyn told both the boys before she dropped Jon's hand and handed Bran to him. "Take him with Monica, and please just stay inside," she begged, before she ran up the hallway and into her bedroom.
"Lady Adalyn, what are you doing?" Lyria questioned, upon seeing her run into her room and straight to the closet where she kept a small handgun.
"If there is someone on these grounds that should not be here, you know what I have to do," Adalyn replied, picking up one bullet and placing it in the barrel before spinning it shut. "Keep the children inside, they mustn't see,"
"As you wish Lady," Lyria replied, and then watched as Adalyn ran out of the room and then down the hallway to one of the other bedrooms and out the door that led to the balcony before running down the stairs. "Come away from the windows," Lyria said walking out of the bedroom and seeing that Robb, Sansa, Jon and Bran were gathered around the window that Adalyn had ran out wondering what she was going to do. "Lady Adalyn wishes that you would stay away from the windows, come now, you must bathe," Lyria insisted looking to the children and gently taking Sansa by the arm.
"Bring them to the bathroom Lyria," Monica called out opposite the hallway which had one of the large bathrooms containing two old baths both of which had been drawn.
Adalyn ran down the yard following the screams of Arya and Rickon and the occasional barking and howling of the animals. She was worried as to what was happening at the end of the yard, near the old trees of the forest that backed onto their property. Adalyn slowed down when she saw that Jack had stood in front of the children, and the animals in front of them. Arya stared at the children that were opposite them, it was becoming apparent to her that the children were not friends nor where they of this time.
"Arya, Rickon come here," she called, before running up to them when they didn't move. "Sirius, boy you know what to do," she told her wolf who barked in understanding and made noises that caused the direwolves to follow him away from the children. "Arya, Rickon come here, those children can't hurt you," Adalyn told them, walking over to the children and picking Rickon up in her arms. "I promise you, they can not come here without permission from myself or my grandmother,"
"Lady Adalyn, would you like me to take the children inside?" Jack questioned, looking to Adalyn as Arya stood beside her.
"No, it's alright, they were just leaving," Adalyn replied glancing down at Arya who looked up at her. "What are their names?" she asked quietly.
"The older boy is Joffrey Baratheon, and his sister Myrcella and brother Tommen," Arya whispered looking at her and then taking her hand.
"Baratheon...damn it. Jack tell my grandmother we have a problem," Adalyn told the man before facing the Baratheon children. "Sam, take them home. We'll talk later," she told the boy who had been standing behind them.
"You can't just let them leave!"Arya exclaimed, grabbing Adalyn's arm as Joffrey and his siblings stared at them.
"Arya, it's okay. I know what I'm doing," Adalyn told her calmly as Jack walked over to them and took Arya by the hand. "Go with Jack back up to the house, one of the wolves will bring Rickon,"
Within moments of Adalyn finishing speaking Sirius was back with Shaggydog, Rickons dire-wolf. Rickon smiled at his pet and then asked Adalyn to put him down. Adalyn nodded and put him on the ground before speaking with both the animals.
"Shaggy-dog, allow Rickon to ride on your back and then follow Sirius straight back to the house," how she had known the animals name she didn't know, but laughed when the creature went to the ground allowing his master to climb on. "Rickon, he'll take you to the house,"