I had grown used to life as the master blacksmith of Rosby. Life was simple, quiet, and peaceful. Then I saw it, the royal family heading away from king's landing. The queen and her daughter stopped into my shop

"Hello, blacksmith, I hear you run this place now"

"Yes, your grace, what might I be able to help you with today?"

"Maybe you can fix this, Myrcella broke it a couple of days ago" there was tears and shame on the girl's face. It was a tiny bronze lion with its paw broken off.

"That should be an easy fix, give me a few minutes please" I smiled and took the lion from the queen. It was rather simple, I just melted the arm a bit and melded it back together. I sanded and polished it up. I handed it back to the young girl. "There you go, a proper lion for a proper young lioness" she beamed up at me.

"Thank you Mr. Blacksmith. We're going to Winterfell! Joffrey is going to marry their oldest daughter Sansa, and im finally going to have a big sister!"

"That sounds really exciting, you'll have to tell me if you like your new big sister when you stop here on the way back."

"I sure will! I'll tell you all about the travel! I'm sssoooooo excited!"She practically hovered out, she was bouncing so much. I wondered who was so important that the king would go to Winterfell to marry his son, and not summon the girl to kings landing. Mind you, in my 20 years of age, I've never really understood why people do most things, especially girls. I then went and inspected the scroll. I noticed over the past couple of years it had begun to grow a spike, no bigger than a nipple, and no sharper than a piece of finely ground copper. But it was growing bigger and sharper, ever so slowly. It must be a sign I think. Rodrick did say something about willingly given dragon's blood is the only way to open it.

Some time passed and sure enough I saw the grand company returning, larger than when it had left. I could finally find out who this ever so important man is that made the bear man leave his coveted throne. He wasn't such a bear man anymore, he had taken up too many pleasures in kings landing, now he looked more like a pig or boar man. I instantly spotted the slim man from so long ago. Lyanna's brother. He came into my shop before I could even contain my childish huge grin smeared across my face from ear to ear.

"Ah, if it isn't the little blacksmith apprentice from so long ago. Any good at sharpening swords?"

"Hello, lord stark. Master Blacksmith now actually, this is my shop! Of course ill have it sharpened right away for you" I set to sharpening his sword immediately, and two girls walked in. one was a fair red hair, blue eyes, fair skin, medium sized woman. Appropriate for her age of 15. The other one was definitely his daughter, same dark scraggly hair, brown eyes, cold northern look, small and skinny though, a bit smaller than for the typical 11 year old she was supposed to be. The redhead looked around "Father WHAT are we doing here exactly? This is a dump of a place, and we are SO close to king's landing!" the younger one ran right up to my sword display and started seeing how sharp they were. The redhead rolled her eyes "ARYA, stop! You're going to get hurt and bleed in this atrocious run down shop!"

Arya spun around "SHUT UP SANSA YOU'RE AN IDIOT!"

Lord Stark rolled his eyes "I apologize for them, you know, girls are always difficult." I laughed and grinned

"No problem Lord Stark, you are all welcome here at any time no matter what situation you are in." I handed him back his sword, which seemed much smaller than it did 17 years ago, but the dire wolf hilt still gleamed menacingly as ever.

"Why do you have purple eyes?" Arya was glaring at me

"I don't know, I suppose I got them from my mother. Why are yours brown?" she smiled and blushed, then must have thought of something, and returned to a questioning glare. "I heard my father and the king killed all the purple eyed people because they were terrible."

"ARYA that IS NOT polite!"

I laughed anyways, she wasn't wrong. "I don't know, I'm just a simple blacksmith, maybe my eyes turned purple from too much soot from the forge." her smiled returned, and Sansa cracked a smile.

"Can you make me a wolf? I want a silver and bronze one!" lord Stark and Sansa rolled their eyes

"Arya, don't waste the poor man's time."

"I might be able to, but you'll have to come back in a few days to pick it up!" her head snapped up to her father, and he gently nodded with a small smile.

"We will be back in two days. Maybe you could make one for Sansa as well?" I nodded and met his smile with a matched smile. I secretly loved crafting dire wolves, they reminded me of Lyanna, and when I was prince Daemon, in my palace, well Rhaegar's palace and throne, but still, better, younger, simpler days.

I set into making the wolves. A silver one with bronze highlighting, elegant but mischievous, with deep ruby red eyes. The other one was silver with gold highlighting. Powerful, sweet, smart, probably preferred to use its smarts and looks rather than physical violence. With bright sapphire eyes, gleaming of pride and cunning. I handed the girls their wolves, each intrigued and in awe of their small token.

"How did you get the eyes placed so perfectly?" Sansa squinted her eyes at me.

"I put them in very carefully"

"How did you get them sunken in so well?"

"I pushed them in with my finger"

"Wouldn't that burn your hand?"

"Nah, I'm a professional blacksmith" her mind was thinking over the details, evaluating.

"Well, thank you for the wolf."

They seemed so happy, a lord and his two daughters, all blissful, untouched yet by the torments and enticements of king's landing.