Robb (291 AC)

Robb was both very excited and very nervous after his mother finished helping him get into some of his best clothes.

Because today, Robb got to sit with his father as he held court in the Great Hall, to hand out final judgment on the disputes and affairs of the North. A duty that Ned Stark was now beginning to let him perform as well. A duty that he would one day perform on his own.

A duty that would be his when Father was gone.

It was because of this that he was eager to do his father proud. And very afraid to disappoint him.

He entered the Great Hall at the head where Ned Stark stood, organizing papers in front of his seat on the table, Maester Luwin seated beside him, a leather-bound tome before him, with a white five-pointed star on its cover. He and Catelyn greeted each other with a kiss (EW!), and then he greeted Robb with a hand on his head to ruffle his curly hair. Luwin stood and greeted Catelyn with a bow and she thanked him in turn. They all then sat at the table, he at his father's right and his mother on his left, beyond Luwin.

One of the doors on the opposite end of the Hall then opened to admit Jory Cassel of the castle guard and then Black Rock Shooter, coat open to reveal the stitched-up scars on her right hip and over her heart and holding her 'Shooter' in hand, who both came forward to a stop before them and bowed.

"The petitioners have arrived, my Lord," Cassel spoke. "They are ready to present their petitions and disputes and hear your judgment."

Ned nodded. "Let them in."

They bowed again, and Jory went to the door to bring in the petitioners, while Black Rock Shooter walked past Robb's side of the table to stand in the corner, her weapon standing beside her, and her impassive gaze fixated on the space before the table.

That space was soon filled by a wiry man dressed in rugged wool trousers and a deerskin coat with a felt cap on his head. Arriving right beside him was a Doll, dressed in a short-sleeved gray tunic with a ruffled white collar and a long, ruffled black skirt that reached just above floor, with an armored helm that was fitted snugly about her head that opened around her eyes and ears and covered each cheek, with a plume of metallic feathers sweeping down the middle of the crown of her head. Robb couldn't see what her arms were beside the pair of long handles that extended above each shoulder, but he was very capable of noting that her pair of shining dandelion yellow eyes weren't aimed at his father, but instead were meeting Black Rock Shooter's own blue eyes.

The man bowed. "Milord Stark, I'm Bryon, son of Brandon, a woodcutter for Lord Tallhart. And this," gesturing to the Doll beside him, "is Yellow Leaf Cutter. We thank you for havin' us here today." After a moment, he looked to Yellow Leaf Cutter and tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at him, who nodded and gestured at Lord Stark. She took the reminder of the proper custom properly, and turned to Lord Stark to bow.

"And you are welcome here, both of you." Lord Stark picked up a letter at the center of shuffle before him, and put it down to look back up at him. "Lord Tallhart sent me a raven telling me of your coming, that you desire to have the Doll calling herself Yellow Leaf Cutter to be recorded in the Registry as standing in good stead with you, and that she has come to say her oaths. Is this correct?"

"Yes, milord," Bryon affirmed. "She 'as been sittin' in the woods east o' Tarrhen's Square ever since she fell from the sky all those years ago. Only finally decided to wake up the month before last. Been a big help to me and ma family since then, and came up now 'cause things were good enough I could let ma boy take care of things back home while ah got this sorted out."

"Your account shows you are a diligent man," Lord Stark noted. He turned to Yellow Leaf Cutter. "And what of you. Yellow Leaf Cutter? Has he treated you well, or has he done you harm?"

"No harm, milord," Yellow Leaf Cutter answered. "But his wife keeps trying to steal my skirt."

Robb covered his mouth to silence a snort of laughter. Jory Cassel was less successful

Bryon shook his head in embarrassed exasperation. "I've 'ad to tell the missus to stop, but she 'as been wanting to make a nice dress for our girl, and Doll clothes are very nice, I'm sure you understand."

Lord Stark nodded, and looked to the Doll. "Maester Luwin will take your full account in the Registry, but I think we've waited long enough to begin Yellow Leaf Cutter's oath, don't you?"

She nodded her assent.

Lord Stark rose from his seat and walked behind Robb to go around to the front of the table, Black Rock Shooter following behind after he passed her. Bryon moved aside as Lord Stark stood before Yellow Leaf Cutter, and Black Rock Shooter stood behind her.

There was an instant where Robb thought Black Rock Shooter was looking right at him

Black Rock Shooter's left eye blazed with blue fire, and she banged her Shooter on the stone floor with a clang. "Disarm, and kneel," she commanded.

Yellow Leaf Cutter grabbed the handles over her shoulders and drew them out to reveal a pair of elaborate axe heads. She then fell to her knees with a thump, and laid the axes to either side of herself.

Lord Stark and Black Rock Shooter then reached for their swords and drew them simultaneously and held them in front of themselves.

Lord Stark spoke first, lowering Ice onto her right shoulder. "Yellow Leaf Cutter, do you swear, to all the Gods New and Old, before the eyes of all both young and old, to be fair and just with Bryon, son of Brandon, to serve your Lord with diligence and grace, and to uphold justice and goodness for your King and His Law, now and evermore?"

Robb recalled that the oaths made by knights didn't have those last words, now and evermore, in them.

Yellow Leaf Cutter made her oath. "I swear, to all Gods New and Old, in the presence of both man and woman, to be fair and just with Bryon, son of Brandon, to serve my Lord with diligence and grace, and to uphold justice and goodness for my King, now and evermore."

He wondered at first why that was, then remembered something.

Black Rock Shooter then lowered her Black Blade on Yellow Leaf Cutter's left shoulder, its single edge pointed at her throat. "Do you swear, by your waking eyes, before the eyes of all both old and young, to never destroy any works that do no wrong and to never harm any One that commits no evil, on pain of being returned to Sleep forever?"

The Dolls did not age.

Yellow Leaf Cutter swore again. "I swear, by my waking eyes, before the eyes of all both old and young, to never destroy and works that do no wrong and to never harm any One that commits no evil, on pain of being returned to Sleep forever."

Many believed that if they avoided getting killed, they could live forever.

Black Rock Shooter's eye stopped burning.

Lord Stark and Black Rock Shooter raised their swords before themselves, and then sheathed them.

"Arm yourself, and rise," Lord Stark commanded.

Yellow Leaf Cutter picked up her axes and stood up.

"As of this moment today," Lord Stark declared, "you, Yellow Leaf Cutter, are recognized as a Doll standing in the stead of Bryon, son of Brandon, under the banner of the Lord of House Tallhart of the North. May the Gods New and Old aid you on your path."

Yellow Leaf Cutter bowed. "Thank you, milord." She put away her axes behind her.

Lord Stark and Black Rock Shooter moved to return to their previous places, but not before Ned gave Robb a look that he knew was meant to convey the gravity of what had just occurred, and Black Rock Shooter clapped a hand on his right shoulder, and despite the differences in gender, age, and even natures, she gave him the exact same look his father had.

Robb already understood that, one day, he was going to perform his father's duties without his father there for him.

But now he knew that Black Rock Shooter would be there with him.

And she would be there when he too was gone.