Chapter 11

Jon looked at the castle in awe. It was like everything he had been taught, he recognised the tower that supposedly reached the sky, the two pointed towers on either of its side, the stone which was the colour of blood. There was a sense of freedom but also a sense of finality, this was his new home. He had left Winterfell and would never have to feel Lady Catelyns hateful gaze burning upon him but he would never be able to practise with Robb or Theon or ever have to go somewhere with his father. Chances are he would never see any of them for years. His father had said before he had left that the next time he saw him, he would tell him about his mother but only the gods knew when that would happen.

"Snow," Ser Daavos called out.

Jon snapped his head towards him and noticed that the wheelhouse was quite a distance away and that the older man was a top of his white horse, staring back at him expectantly.

"Act like this Snow and you will be killed within the week," he remarked and Jon's cheeks warmed slightly. Jon tugged at the reigns of his horse and pulled forward towards his new home.

"Welcome back my lady, you have been thoroughly missed," A man named Maester Liwin was saying. He was an old man with warm eyes but Jon had not missed the slightly scared look in his eye when he greeted Lady Everra, who was standing in front of him, her large panther sitting obediently beside her. Ghost was clinging to his leg and whimpering.

"Thank you Maester your thoughtfulness is truly Yulian, pleasure to see you once more," she said and the older man nodded back brightly at her exclaiming, "Pleasure to see you again my lady, I am glad for your safe return."

She nodded dismissively and gestured towards him, "Jon come here."

Jon swallowed nervously and shuffled forward, Ghost sticking close to his side.

"My lord, Maester, this is Jon Snow, Ned Starks bastard he will be living here for the seeable future."

Jon noticed how all the colour left Maester Liwins face as he glanced at Jon with poorly concealed horror and shock.

"Ah, I met your father once, wonderful man," Lord Yulian said and Jon nodded at him in gratitude.

"Thank you my lord, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Master are you well? All the colour has left your face," Lady Everra questioned coldly.

"Hmm? Apologies my lady, I suddenly feel rather ill, if you will all excuse me," Maester Liwin replied and quickly shuffled away, heading inside.

"Now that we have all the introductions out of the way, Jon you will be escorted to the guards chambers were you will be given a room. You will soon be introduced to Youngbird, he will train and guide you for the foreseeable future, now if you will both excuse me, I have matters to attend too."

Then off she went, Ser Daavos brushing past him to follow her muttering, "Welcome to the Bloodlands Snow."

"Out in the distance, in somewhere near yet not near, somewhere in the past but not in the distant past,a falcon was taken from the sky. Everyone was sad and bewildered as to what killed the falcon, especially the stags and the dire wolves. The Lions roared in relief, the roses kept on growing, the kraken kept away and the fish from the sea offered their sympathies but no answer could be found. Though there was someone, one with nothing to lose and everything to gain as he made the falcon fall from the sky. Sometimes it is the person you least expect that ends up being your end. What does it mean?" Daavos questioned.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"The lions are the Lannisters, the krakens are the Greyjoys, the roses are the Tyrells, the stags are the Baratheons, the dire wolves are the Starks and the fish in the sea are the Tullys and the falcon refers to the Arryn's. We just don't know who made the falcon fall from the sky."

"Why would the woman send this too you?" Daavos questioned.

"I do not know. They showed me nothing of this in the dreams they sent me, Daavos."

"Do they want you to kill whoever did this?"

"One step at a time Daavos, we need to find out which Arryn he is referring to and then who 'made it fall from the sky'. Then we kill them."

Everra turned to look at him, her green eyes narrowed in thought. She stroked her chin and sighed softly, frustrated. "These… people are beginning to frustrate me."

"I can only imagine my lady."

Everra scoffed slightly and sat next to him, her chair scraping against the floor slightly. There were numerous maps and papers all over the large table and Everra's eyes scanned over all of them.

"I know they do not want me to change somethings. I know most things must stay the same until the war, I just do not know what to do with this or who it is. We know the Lannisters would be anyones prime suspect for killing an Arryn."

Daavos frowned at her and then realised, "Jon Arryn."

Everra's eyes flickered towards his and she nodded in agreement, " He recently died under mysterious circumstances. I just thought he was killed by the Lannisters, the dreams made it seem as though it had no genuine importance as to whether or not they actually did. I was wrong to assume so."

They sat there in silence for a few moments until there was a knock on the door. Daavos quickly swept all the maps into a chest on the floor and quickly shut it, sliding it under the table, leaving only various other papers.

The door quickly swung open and Lord Edwin stormed in, looking thunderous. Daavos sprung up, startled and drew his sword, stepping in front of Everra who was sitting there calm and unaffected and casually said, "Daavos leave me and Lord Edwin alone for a few moments, we have much to discuss."

Daavos looked back at her wide eyed and said, "My lady are you sur-"

"Yes I am sure. You may wait outside."

Daavos nodded reluctantly and glared at the lord, his eyes never leaving his form until he disappeared behind the door.

The moment the door was closed Lord Edwin exploded again, "How dare you bring his son here! Have you no conscious?"

Everra glanced up at him and snapped, "You are acting like a child Lord Edwin. He has nothing to do with-"

Lord Edwin scoffed loudly and snapped, " You brought him, that filths son into Red-"

"That filths?" Everra questioned coldly, her eyes darkened with anger.

Lord Edwin flushed slightly and had the decency to look ashamed.

"You have no right whatsoever to barge into my study and complain like a little girl whose toy was just taken away from them. One of the reasons your still alive is because you know when to keep your mouth shut and keep your nose out of my business. Do not ever barge in here, unannounced acting like you can control everything I do. The last man who did that ended up with a knife in his neck but then again you already know that, don't you?" She taunted, her voice low and threatening.

Lord Edwin nodded, his jaw locked and eyes still furious but he was visibly calming down.

"Never do it again," she warned.

They stood there in silence before Lord Edwin slumped down in the seat next to her looking defeated, "He looks like her."

Everra paused and glanced at him her eyes softening just a little, "I know," she revealed, "It was one of the reasons why I…." Her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes painfully, trying to will the horrifying image out of her mind.

"I dream of it every night you know, him dying," Lord Edwin revealed, his voice thick with emotion, "Every damned night I kill your father for what he did to her."

Everra looked at him, her eyes emotionless and said, " Get out."

He looked over at her, his eyes widened and said, "I am sorry I didn't think-"

"Out now, before I kill you too."

He slowly got out of his chair and shuffled out and the Daavos came in quietly, his steps small.

"My lady are you well?" He asked gently.

She had been staring down at her hands motionlessly, her hands shaking slightly. Her eyes snapped up at him and she willed her hands to stop, "Quite fine Daavos."

"Did he hurt you?" Daavos demanded, kneeling in front of her.

"No."

Everra gazed down at him, her eyes cold and said, "How much did you hear?"

He glanced down uncomfortably and said, "I heard him say he killed your father every night for what he did to your mother."

Everra nodded, looking at him and said, "Is that all you heard?"

Daavos nodded eagerly and pleaded, "My lady I swear to all the gods I did not-"

"I believe you," she said and they stayed there in silence for a few moments before Daavos hesitantly said, "My lady you once told me that you and Lord Edwin reached an understanding with one another…. what was the nature of this understanding?"

Everra paused for a few long moments before looking at him directly in the eye and said, "You know. You've known for a while, you have just never wanted to admit it to yourself. I did not for a while as well, before I accepted it."

Daavos's eyes widened in shock and he gulped loudly, taking a step away from her.

"You have no idea what I am capable of Daavos, even at the mere age of seven. "

She then walked towards the door brushing past him and said, "You have no idea. None of you do."

Then she exited the room, her heart pounding all the while.

A/N All right guys I am so sorry for taking like two weeks to update and then I give you this short thing. I had a little bit of writers block, I have a rough idea of when the story will end and how it will end, its just getting to the war which is the hard part. I hoped you like this chapter anyhow, I don't like it very much, but I needed to give you guys something. Thanks for the massive response last chapter, it means SO MUCH TO ME! Literally you guys are the best!

Tell me your thoughts, hopefully the next chapter will be uploaded sooner rather than later.