EDDARD II

When Eddard had heard the tale his daughter had weaved, he knew not what to think. Bran, a skinchanger? It sounded like one of Old Nan's stories. And yet there were rumors that beyond the wall… but they were rumors, and people can think they share a skin with an animal well bonded to them, Eddard had always rationalized. They might think they move as one, but it is only a bond as deep as family that makes them believe they share a skin. And Eddard might have been content to remain of that belief if he hadn't seen those wild wolf-like yellow eyes staring out at him where his son's normally serene Tully blue eyes resided. He thought his mind might have been playing tricks on him, until Sansa mentioned seeing them too…

What was he thinking, there had to be some other explanation for the eyes-perhaps a sickness? It didn't matter, his son was troubled and he needed to be a father to his boy, and help him as best he can. With this resolve, Eddard followed as quickly as he could the boy down the Keep and through the halls. Eventually his wild son seeing he was following him and running in a bad attempt like a four-legged animal, down a hall that lead to the bridge to the armory. As Eddard gave chase, he prayed that no servant had left the door to the other building open-and thankfully this proved to be the case. Trapped his wild son seemed to paw at the door, as if he had forgotten how to turn a latch. This struck Eddard as odd, but he dismissed it for the moment.

"Bran!"

His son did not respond, instead sticking his head to the bottom of the threshold where an obvious draft came, and attempting at pawing down to that corner, as if he might be able to pry the door open by sticking his fingers underneath the crack between it and the threshold. But all it did was cause him to whimper and whine like an injured pup.

Suddenly Eddard attempted to meet his son at his own game or madness, whatever it be, and he addressed him as such, "Wolf."

This seemed to gather the attention of his son, as his head turned to him. His son however gave a poor attempt at a growl before attempt to return, with less success to open the door.

"Stop it!" ordered Eddard, as though he were commanding a dog-if his son wanted to be a dog, then he would treat him like one. At this command, his son, did stop, but he soon saw it was not because he'd commanded it but because he'd jammed a splinter into his hand, which he attempted to remove by licking the offending area, his whimpering and whining continuing unabated.

Eddard, moved by the seeming helplessness of the scene, knelt before his son. A low growl mixed with a whimper came from him as he took his son's injured hand, carefully placed both his thumbs on either side of the splinter and pushed to bring it closer to the surface of the skin. After which he drew out his knife-causing his wolfish son to try and pull away, but with a gentle hold and a few reassuring clicks of his tongue, he managed to convince his son to allow him to scrape away the remnants of the offending splinter until it was all gone. He then sheathed his knife and his son surprised him by drawing close to nuzzle to him.

"That's all right my boy. Everything will be fine," said Eddard calmly, and Bran allowed him to pick him up and return him to the nursery. Catelyn and Sansa having returned Rickon to his bed and seeming to be caught in the midst of a discussion that Catelyn was not too receptive of-Eddard thought he could well guess what that was about. Arya was now awake, awkwardly taking her sister and mother's place as a steady rock for Rickon to cling to. Eddard placed Bran at the edge of the bed, causing Catelyn at first to immediately rise off of it, but as she looked at her son, her eyes widened.

"N-Ned… his eyes!"

"I told you," insisted Sansa.

It was then that a horn was sounded from the Hunter's gate. Eddard's blood quickened-a horn at this time could only mean one thing. He urged his family to stay put where they were. Bran jumped from the bed, seemingly eager to go with him, but Eddard told him to stay and guard the family. He then left the nursery and exited the Great Keep as fast as he could, meeting one of his guardsmen, Fywyn, as he crossed the courtyard.

"Your sons horses have returned, milord."

His heart skipped a beat, it wasn't an attack, thank the gods. "And my sons?" asked Ned

"Not with them. Jory and Ser Rodrick have already set out searching for them and told me to send word to you so you could get a larger search party ready to follow, milord."

Eddard thanked him and told him to round up as many of the guards as they could spare without leaving the castle defenseless and continued his stride to the Hunter's gate, seeing his horse had already been readied for him-likely on either Jory or Ser Rodrick's orders. It was just as he had reached his mount however that a second horn blast came from the turret above, and a shout about how his sons had been spotted. Eddard thanked the gods and hurriedly rushed to the entrance of the gate, but just as he had the cry of "WOLF!" rang out amongst the turrets. Followed by his son Robb's voice.

"Shoot not!"

It was at this point he could see the scene before him. Robb stood before what appeared to be a gigantic grey-black beast on whose back laid a seemingly unconscious-Jon! What had happened to him? Was he still alive?

It was then he heard the captain of his archers yelling at Robb to move out of the way. If they shot and missed…

"Hold your fire!" bellowed Eddard, and his archers stood down at his command. It was then that Robb and the beast with Jon upon his back cautiously entered through the gates.

He embraced Robb as soon as he could, and a flurry of explanations came from his eldest son's lips that he only caught the snippets of "Wolf… saved… Jon" as his attentions turned to his other son, who was alive, though barely conscious. But what shocked him more than anything after he had finished insuring Jon's safety was the glimpse he caught of the wolf and it's blue eyes… Tully blue eyes! And before he could stop himself, he uttered in a voice of disbelief: "Bran?" The wolf barked as if to agree. And everything Eddard thought he knew about the world seemed to have been turned on its head in that one instant.