AN: A small interlude on the consequences of the wildling attack on Winterfell, and a few more pieces of AU/altered history to throw a wrench in Theon's way.

WARNING: There is a trigger warning for torture and psychological torture. The North Remembers, after all. Not graphic nor Bolton level, but it is still torture.

Options and Opportunities

Interlude III

Eddard II

It had been barely two days since the attack on his home, and already Eddard felt his wolf's blood flaring. He normally was calmer, but an attack on his home? No Stark had ever let that happen, and Eddard couldn't let himself be the one to not be able to defend it either.

When Theon had told him of Robb not being able to act when needed, he felt his eyes narrow. No Northerner would respect a Lord who got paralysed with fear, and whilst he knew that Jon would never take the place of his brother, he feared that some of the less honourable houses would not have the same restraint.

Robb was young admittedly, but in comparison to his brother and foster brother, he seemed far less dependable and Eddard knew that Roose Bolton was looking for any weaknesses, even if the legendary treaty of the Neck said that no Stark or Bolton could ever come to blows without the Lord losing his land and titles, there was a loophole - after all, what was more valuable: becoming the Warden of the North, or staying a bannerman, being Lord of the Dreadfort?

It had happened, after all, centuries before Aegon came with his sisters and dragons.

Robert wouldn't stand for it, but if Bolton planned for the next generation? After all, their friendship was a small miracle. The Storm God and the Old Gods had never been allies, after all, even if they weren't enemies, unlike the Drowned God and the Storm God...

There was also the matter of finding the traitor within Winterfell, but Ralt had discretely notified him that he had found a couple of suspects about the matter. After all, if the traitor (or traitors, a small part of him whispered) had time to flee.

"Get me, Commander Ralt," he said to one of the guards, who nodded and ran towards the barracks. He had offered the bastard to get some lodgings in Winterfell's abandoned tower after it was refurbished and rebuilt, but the man had refused, saying that he was not above his men apart from rank.

"Milord," the commander said, bowing his head quickly.

"Come with me," Eddard ordered as he moved towards the dungeons. "And order some of the guards to take one of the wildlings to the interrogation room... They may use force if they have to."

Ralt gave a grim smile before he started barking out orders. Eddard had never used it before, but he remembered Benjen telling him what to do after coming back from the Rebellion. He had initially been horrified but knew that he would have to use it one day to protect his home.

At least, he mused darkly, it isn't as bad as the room underneath the Dreadfort.

"I'm helping, ser Ralt," he heard the Greyjoy heir say, coldly. "Whether you want to or not."

"I ain't so ser firstly-"

Eddard knew of why Theon wanted to help with the interrogation - the disappearance of his sister that seemed to be orchestrated by the wildlings, that echoed Lyanna in different ways.

The frustration, the sadness and then the grim, hard determination. It seemed that the boy had passed into the third, and yet he was so young to have that burden... Yet, Ned knew that he couldn't deny the boy either.

"Let him help, Ralt," Eddard ordered. "He knows to keep it quiet."

"I will. I swear it." The Greyjoy stated, with a grim look on his face.

The three waited for two minutes, as the guards brought in a beaten up man with furs and stag bones around his neck.

"Chain him to the chair," Ned commanded, coldly. "And bring me Joren."

The wildling started screaming in anger, as he tried to rebel against the guards. Eddard barely flinched, as his mind and face became the Land of Always Winter. They had attacked his family, had tried to kidnap his wife and children, murder his men...

The North's coldness was merely a reflection of their Wardens, after all.

Joren appeared after a few moments, Eddard unsurprised by the tall man's mousey hair and cold face, as he neared them.

TRIGGER WARNING, SKIP IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO THIS STUFF

"What the fuck do you want, kneeler?!" The man screamed as he rebelled against the chains, as they were applied with expert precision.

Ned merely nodded to Joren, who sent a punch to the man's gut.

Theon and Ralt looked slightly uncomfortable, but their faces remained as frigid as possible.

"Pain doesn't frighten me, you fucking southern cunts, the Wee-"

Another nod to Joren, as the masked man started pulling out a knife from his sheath, nearing it to the man's hand...

And stabbed through the entire hand.

"AH! YOU FUCKING CUNTS!" The man screamed, moaning as his hand erupted with blood. "That was my hand..."

"We'll let you suffer a slow death in the snow," Joren said, interrupting the man. "The Starks are far nicer than the Boltons. You know what will happen if Lord Stark decides that you aren't worth the bother, and sends you to his bannerman? You think your eye is bad? They'll take your skin and wear it as a cloak, and you'll still live to see your other parts taken from you... It's said that they even have a type of plant that keeps you awake, and another to make you hyper-aware of your pain..."

"Do you want that? And, we'll send every wildling that we find. Your wife, her children..." Joren continued, whispering darkly into his ear. "Their dogs do also have urges, and I'm told that they aren't exactly well fed either..."

END OF THE TRIGGER

The wildling's eyes went wide, and Joren motioned them to get out of the room, staying behind for a few minutes, agonising screams getting through the thick walls. He exited the room, wiping the blood off his knife.

"Milord," the cold man said quietly. "I ask permission to have some men and some women obtained. The prisoner is scared, but he is not broken enough to give up reliable information. Also, let him mingle with the prisoners. He shall spread the tales of the Boltons, and if he doesn't say anything... You get my gist."

"Yes, good work, Joren. I shall send a payment by the end of the week." Eddard said, somewhat happy that the business was over. He did not like torturing, but he was also sworn to protect the North and his family. "You may lodge in Winter town if you want."

"Thank you, milord," he said, bowing as he neared the exit. "I shall go, however. It looks like I am disturbing your ward and commander."

Ned merely nodded, and shortly after the man left, he and his two companions exited the dungeons.

Ralt left shortly afterwards, saying that he had to tell the guards about the new situation... Or at least, the most loyal ones.

"Theon... You do understand why I did that?" He asked cautiously, mentally cursing himself and his attitude. He was still a child and didn't have to see all that.

"I do, Lord Stark." The boy replied, his uneven voice betraying his still cold face. "But, Robb will not so readily understand. He hasn't seen the world in as harsh of a perspective then me and Jon have."

Even Theon had realized that Robb wasn't ready, and whilst there was time, Ned was afraid. The wildlings had managed to get into Winterfell, and it was only luck that Ralt had been training his men in Winterfell that had saved them.

He would die, and nothing would be able to stop Roose Bolton from rebelling. He had to teach Robb before his time, and whilst Eddard thought it nasty business to teach to a child, it had to be done.

After all... How many had suffered due to his ancestor's failing to teach their heirs in time? The ancient Stark kings had been wise, but they had also been beset by heirs not being trained well enough, and the second sibling having to step up.

Eddard refused to see that happen to either Jon or Robb.

Otherwise, the North would never survive the Boltons.

AN: I was planning to have this chapter be Stannis, then Ned, but I really struggled to write it... Because the Red Keep is just so dreadfully boring to write.

When it comes to the war with the Wildlings or the 'The Northern War' as its tentative title, it'll flow much better the Southern chapters. Because, a lot, and I mean, a lot of shit has been changed from canon. No spoilers though.

About Ned being willing to torture people... I have one thing to say about that: the more modern Starks are far more ruthless then in canon, and Rickard Stark was just as willing to impart his ancestor's teachings to his children. It'll lead to many changed things from canon such as Lyanna wasn't naively idiotic, unlike canon...

And also, he's not the one torturing people. He actually feels uneasy about it but is willing to do it for his family and the North. Doesn't change much, but it is something to note.