Author's Note
I do not own Game of Thrones.
This is a direct sequel to Snow's Pack, Tooth, Claw, and Salt, and Terrors of Uncertainty, and part of the Brother of Wolves series, which is being crossposted from AO3.
The first thing Theon learned about the Stark children was that all of them except the oldest, Robb, spoke to invisible, non-existent siblings.
And they spoke to them as though they were real, as if these children he couldn't see truly had a place in their home and family.
The second thing Theon learned about the Stark children was that they were all adamantly convinced of the belief of these children. They played with them in their previous godswood, chased them about the courtyard, and Jon invited them to train in the training yard.
"Should I speak to this Cregan and Sara too?" Theon asked Robb.
He shrugged. "You can, but they won't speak back." He scowled. "They speak to Jon and the others, but they never speak to me."
"That's because they're not there," Theon scoffed.
Robb laughed. "Mother says that too."
The third thing Theon learned about the Stark children was that bad things happened if he tried to throw his weight around.
Oh, no, not bad things like thrashings, he'd taken plenty of those.
More like…
General misfortune.
He taunted the bastard, his clothing was torn up in the morning.
He mocked Robb for his muddy riding leathers and love of the castle dog, his clothing chest was filled with dirty water.
He suggested the bastard eat at the lower table, his chair tipped over backwards.
He made a rude comment to little lady Sansa, water was thrown over his head in the night.
He tripped the bastard up, his knife went missing.
He commented on Arya's ugly little face, and someone covered his in dirt and animal entrails during the night.
He picked a fight with the bastard in training and fell down the stairs.
He teased Bran by putting his stuffed wolf out of his reach and came back to find his chambers turned upside down, with his metal goblet flying across the room by itself to hit him in the head.
"Cregan and Sara don't like it when you're mean to us," said the bastard when he commented on it.