"Rallying for the North?" I asked him aloud as I heard the latest gossip around Westeros. People were under the belief that I was the last Stark Child that was living and I was going to fight against the South. What was this all about? I just got back to Thedra Ascent and people were thinking that I was about to start a war. There was already a war for me since the moment that I was born because of who I am and where I cam from, mainly from Winterfell. I didn't want a war, I never wanted to be part of one let alone start one, but other people were thinking that I wanted to. It wasn't in my nature, then again I didn't now what my nature was anymore.

"They think that the North will triumph over the South." He explained to me some more, having me look over at Gendry hesitantly. I didn't mind that we were romantically involved, but I needed him as a supporter and as my friend in something like this. I saw him look right back at me, his stance was still stiff with hesitance and a bit on the edge, but he nodded his head at me once, showing me that this man was to be trusted. I looked at the man once more, whom was staring at Nymeria and Koda with fear in his eyes. Astrid herself was less threatened, but more tentative at what was happening as she sat politely next to me.

"What is your name?" I asked him aloud, placing my hands in front of me and folding them, not longer wanted to look like a threat to him.

"Coen." He replied in his raspy voice, having me smile at him lightly to further show that I was nothing to be afraid of. He saw the smile, having me notice that there was less tension on his shoulders and in his eyes.

"I can have you stay here for your safety, if you wish." I explained to him in almost a authoritative tone of voice. His eyes lit up as I saw Gendry look over at me with both worry and confusion, "However, I do wish to inform you….that we can only let you stay….if you wish to help us with bringing Thedra Ascent back to it's formal glory." I watched as he nodded his head in a feverish manner, as if it was the best news I have heard in awhile.

"I can work for you, Milday. I'm strong, not as strong as I was when I was a lad, but strong enough." He said in a urgent tone. I shook my head as he called me the same name that I hated, if not was displeased with.

"I'm not a—" I stopped, thinking to myself that what I was going to tell him was in fact a lie. I was a Lady, technically if we are thinking about it. My family is the Stark Family, and I was in fact a Lady and a daughter of a Lord and Lady, so it was true. As much as I denied it, it was fact and I and to get used to it. Even Gendry eyed me, knowing that it was true as well. He hated it as well, but he got over it after we kissed and confessed our feelings for one another.

"I wish to work for you, Milday." he continued as I looked back at Coen, "I have nowhere else to go, and I know that the North winters are not as pleasing as the winter is in the South, so I won't be able to survive without a roof over my head." I nodded my head as he said this, knowing that it was true.

"If you work your own wages, and never lead to believe that you are not trustworthy, then I can let you stay and provide you a shelter. Food is on your own, but shelter I can give you." I explained to him, seeing him smile and nod his head as Gendry walked over to me, lowering his head and voice as he spoke to me.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? What if he does something to us?" He asked me aloud in wonder.

"Gendry, who am I to turn away someone whom needs a roof over his head. We were lost once, I know how he feels." I said back to him in a calm tone, "Besides, if he was any kind of threat, who is he against the two of us with weapons and three direwolves?" Gendry raised his eyebrow at me when I mentioned the last part of it, then looking back at the man and seeing him looking down at his own shoes. He seemed rather harmless, a bit older than us and having some strength in him, but he was going to be nothing against even one of the direwolves that we had behind us. He then looked back at him with a small nod of his head, showing that he approved. I grinned, kissing him on the cheek and seeing the man look at the both of us. Without hesitation I smiled at him.

"You can stay."

True to his word, Coen helped out throughout the process of getting Thedra Ascent back in order: picking up the scrapes, getting the furniture back in its original order, helping with our horses and getting them in the stables after he fixed the stall doors, and other small tasks. He would hunt on his own for food, even bringing some of Gendry and I as a peace offering just in case we had any doubt in him, in which I didn't. That might of been foolish, but I knew that he had a good heart since he was so set on the North instead of the South. Gendry still had his doubts, but he was given help by Coen and the two of them would talk about some other finer things.

Coen told him that after he escaped, he was living from small town to town, trying to get by since the robbers from Harrenhal took all of his possessions. Words spread about the death of Robb Stark, but another word was coming through about seeing a Stark girl with wolves running around, making the people more curious and uplifting their souls in hopes that the North would thrive again. Did they know about me, how I was a target? Or where they under the belief that I was just another Stark ready to take the place as ruler.

Was I a ruler?

Coen was nothing but kind, and he was growing on both Gendry and I, since we had no one else to talk to. I decided to make home in one of the old Highborn rooms, the big dark room of stone and the torn bed in which I and to mend up in order to get it back into shape. it felt odd, as if I didn't belong there. I didn't, it belonged to the highborns that deserved it, who were no dead if I know any better.

Gendry and I would share the same bed, wrapped one each other's arms and nothing more but falling asleep to the rhythm of each other's heartbeats and breathing. It was something that I was now used to, since I would have visions of the Stark Family in my dreams and I would be wide awake a second alter in a cold sweat and with harsh breathing. Gendry was always there, hugging me close and kissing away the nightmares that were haunting my mind. HIs embrace, scent, sound of his breathing, all of it was now common for me and I didn't want to loose it, not once.

It wasn't until one morning when I was working in the courtyard alone with Astrid when I heard a howling in the distance. It was a howl from a direwolf, I knew then which one: Nymeria. She would hunt alone as Astrid and Koda would stay with Gendry and I. Astrid next to me perked up, her ears were alert and she was looking at the open front way into the wilderness. She howled as well, having me pause from the work that I was doing on the fence that was connected to one of the small shacks in the courtyard.

"What is it Astrid?" I asked her as I heard Gendry and Coen rush out from one of the doors that lead to the doors into the sleeping quarters. Koda was barking from his spot, looking rather rigid as he was next to his master, whom had his hammer out and ready.

"You heard Nymeria?" He asked me aloud as I walked over to the small smithy shop where I stored my bow and arrows in the sheath.

"She found something." I explained as I loaded up my sheath and got my bow in hand, walking back to both Coen and Gendry, "I need to go out there and see what she found, it might be something useful."

"Or dangerous, Milday." Coen commented next to Gendry.

"He's right, be careful." Gendry said to me, having me smile and nod my head. Sometimes I loathed him trying to be careful with me and protective, but then again I didn't mind it at time. I turned, Astrid at my side as she circled me in both excitement and worry. We both walked over to the front archway, having me bring the bow to being in front of us. But before I could even get to the archway, I heard the sound of metal clashing, almost like armor. It was armor, someone was coming that was wearing the material. I drew my bow, aiming and waiting of the person to appear. Maybe they say my flag and thought they were going to come for trouble and for a fight. Or it might of been someone whom was looking for safety, like Coen, from whatever or whoever they were running from.

As I waited, with a disciplined Astrid whom was standing low and protective in front of me and waiting for my move, I tried to remind myself that I was doing the right thing, that I was defending my home and this was my home. But all was lost in my mind as I saw who it was, staggering with the sound of armor filling the air and a shaky battered breath. Blood was on the metal near his shoulder and his face was drained.

Brennon,

I placed the bow down and I watched him in horror as he fell to his knees and then on his chest, sighing and passing out cold. Running as fast as i could and dropping the bow and arrow in a alarming rate, I got to him and turned him over, seeing his drained worn out face and how aged he looked since I saw him last before we were attacked and taken from Harrenhal. The blood was coming from his chest, he was wounded and how he made it this far, I had no clue. But I was beyond glad to see him and to know that he was safe and alive…almost. I had to save him, and as I unfastened the armor from his body to give him air, I knew that I had to make sure he was alive. He was my protector, my guard and now it was my turn to make sure he still had breath in his lungs.

The next three days were of me changing his bandage over and over as he was resting in the highborn chambers, on a featherbed and with new clothes that we found in the chambers that were not ransacked. Coen and Gendry carried him to the chambers and changed him as I got the medicine ready for him, making sure that he was clean enough for it. I would watch him for hours it felt like, seeing if he was going to wake up or even know where he was. Where was he? How did he get hurt? Why did he come back in the first place? Did he see the flag that was hanging in the sky, like Coen? Who knew, but I wanted to find out and help in any way that I would.

It wasn't until the next morning, four days after we found him at our footstep, that he woke up and looked over at me, a hesitant look on his face as I smiled at him. I said nothing, thinking that he would want to say something first, and it was true. But what he said threw me off guard, since he said to me:

"You have people behind you." He breathed out, having me wait as he spoke once more, "The North is going to rise."