Chapter 3: Jon Stark
The riders poured through the castle gates of Winterfell, one hundred fifty strong, consisting of bannermen, fighters, sworn swords, and freeriders alike. Over their heads a dozen banners, a white Griffin with red eyes, flying in the black background, whipped back and forth in the northern wind.
Jon Stark, Lord of House Stark and King In the North was intrigued. The reason he was intrigued was because House Skyryder was here in the North to see him. He had gotten raven several days ago, reports of Valemen camped outside of Moat Cailin and that a group consisting of the Lord of House Skyryder was riding to Winterfell to see him.
Jon was familiar with House Skyryder. Despite their status as southern house, many Northern Lords, even his vassals, would raise a cup of ale when they heard of the tales of them combating the Andal Invaders. Jon knew that the Andals hated and feared the Skyryders more than anything in the world.
Word had reached them of the events of the Battle of High Heart, the Great Sentence of High Heart, and the Great Andal Massacre. The Skyryders had done so much calamity and death in the Andals than almost any First Men clans and Houses.
"I don't see them." Jon heard a whisper at his side. The voice belongs to his eldest daughter, Lisa Stark. She is skinny and athletic, a spirited girl interested in fighting and exploration.
"Me neither." A second young whisper reply. The second one comes from his youngest son and heir to House Stark, Bran Stark. Bran looks up to his big sister completely, following her example. He asked, "Where are the Griffins?"
"Will you two be quiet!" a third voice order them sharply. It belongs to his sister, Morgana Stark. Morgana is a slender, beautiful young woman, with long brown hair, dark grey eyes, and a long face. She greatly resembles their mother, Lyanna Stark, and she likes to wears her hair more wildly and favors black clothing. Since his wife died, Morgana acts like a second mother to her nephew and niece.
Jon approaches the man who was in lead of the riders. A tall and powerful-looking man, very handsome.
"Lord Skyryder?" Jon guess.
"Forgive me Lord Stark, but I'm Erik Storm, sworn sword of Lord Adrian Skyrdyer!" the man introduced himself.
"Where is your lord?" Jon asked, curious is why he was not in the lead
It was without warning, Jon heard the screeching sound of an inhuman creature, which was coming from the sky above, looking up, he sees two winged creatures, with the, with the forequarters of an eagle and the hindquarters of a lion, landing on the ground safely.
Jon heard rumors about these creatures. He thought it was just gossip created by the bitter Andals, to slander the Skyryders. But they're right in front of them, real than he imagined. It was he noticed that two of the winged creatures—Griffins—are mounted.
The first one was an armored warrior, who took off his helmet. He looked young, the same age as him. He had curly raven black hair, and his eyes were red—red that matched the color of the red eyes of the faces on weirwood heart trees carved by the children of the forest.
The second rider—Jon was utterly startled when he recognized the rider to be a member from the children of the forest. He heard many stories about the children of the forest when he was young and never imagined he would meet one.
"Is that a Child of the forest?" Bran asked, looking surprised to see one.
"It had to be," Lisa replied. "What else—"
"If you two don't be quiet!" Morgana warned her niece and nephew. "I'm going to had Rhea sends you both to your rooms and stay there for a week!"
"Lord Stark!" Adrian Skyrdyer greets respectfully.
"Lord Skyryder!" Jon welcomes respect and responds in kind. "Welcome to Winterfell!"
"I thank you for your hospitality," Adrian says. "This is Zeek the Elder. He is a member of the children of the forest, as well as a Greenseer of his people!"
"Greetings Lord Stark," Zeek says. "It is an honor to be welcome in your home!"
"The honor is mine!" Jon says with deep admiration. "Not once had my home been visited by a Greenseer of the children of the forest.
By then the others were dismounting as well, and grooms were coming forward for their mounts. Yet grooms hesitated when approaching the two Griffins.
"You need not worry," Adrian told the grooms. "Stranger and Father won't bite unless disrespected or threatened."
"Stranger and Father?" Morgana repeated, looking confused.
"The names of the Griffins and I and the Greenseer mounted," Adrian explained. "After Zeek blessed them to be born in this world, I named them—Father, Mother, Warrior, Smith, Maiden, Crone, and Stranger."
Jon repeated the names in his thoughts, trying to understand where he recalls them from. Finally, he says "Forgive me, but aren't those the names of the Andals' gods from the Eat?"
"They are." Says Zeek. "Skyryder choose the name for them."
Confused, Morgana asked "Why would you name your Griffins after the Seven. I thought you hated them?"
"I do hate them after what they did," Adrian began to explain. "So, I decide to name each of them after each of their Gods."
"A boring insult!" Jon guess.
The worst insult conceivable to the Anduls who pride themselves on being better than the First Men kingdoms, tribes, and Houses. By naming seven of the Griffins after the New Gods, the Andals would be extremely livid.
With the formalities of greeting now in pass, Adrian says to his host, "Is there a place we can speaks in private?"
Jon knew of the perfect place where they could talk in private; Godswood of Winterfell. Three acres of forest within the walls of Winterfell, which contains a weirwood heart tree.
"This place is very beautiful," Adrian says as he observes the Godswood. "Almost as beautiful as the High Heart."
"True," Zeek admitted. "Yet this place—it's been long time since I been here."
Startled, Jon asked "You mean, you been to Winterfell before?"
"This place was not Winterfell when I been here," says Zeek. "But that was thousands of years ago. Here, my people made a mistake that still haunts us."
"What do you mean?" Adrian asked, curious about what the Greenseer was saying.
"Perhaps it best we do not speak of it," Zeek request. "Right now, the two of you here to discuss the future together."
"Yes," Jon agreed before facing Adrian Skyryder. "Why have you come here to the North Adrian Skyryder?"
Adrian was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out the right words. Finally he began "The truth is Lord Stark—I have no where to go. I lost my grandfather, my homeland, my father, everything I love and care. And it was all cause by the cursed Andals. The Greenseer, Zeek suggested if I want to find a place called home, then the North should be my haven."
"Why the North?" Jon asked. "You could go anywhere other than the North?"
"Because no where saved for the North is safe Lord Stark," says Zeek. "The kingdoms in the South are destined to fall the Andals. Like the repeated oceans waves that refuse to stop, the Andals will keep coming and coming until all the six kingdoms in the South fallen before them."
"And the North?" Jon asked, sounding worried after hearing all of this.
"The North is the only place where the true faith will be safe!" Zeek informed the Lord of Winterfell. "The Andals will tries to attack the North but will destined to failed many times."
"Which is why Lord Stark I had come here to swear fealty in exchange for haven in the North," Adrian says. "For my House, my vassals, and my allies."
"Allies?" Jon repeated.
"My allies come from defeated Houses and Clans that fell before the Andals," Adrian explained. "From the Vale to Riverlands. They have nowhere else to go and so they felt they had better chances with me."
"Our way of life is endangered of being wiped out by these Andal bastards!" Adrian continued. "The Andals committed indescribable acts against our people. It won't be long until they come here to the North, it might be tomorrow, or ten years or a hundred years, but they will come!"
"That is why I came to the North," Adrian carries on. "To swear my services to your House. To protect these lands from the Andals."
"And your Griffins?" Jon asked, recalling the great mighty terrifying winged beasts that landed in the courtyard of Winterfell.
"My Griffins are also sworn to your services, Lord Stark" Adrian stated. "They're well trained and well behaved. Yet they can serve as both your eyes and ears, as well as your weapon against any enemy of the North."
Jon was silent, he was thinking of weighing the benefits and drawbacks of taking Skyrdyer and his vassals in. For one thing, there would be more mouths to feed during the winter, which was an inevitable drawback of accepting their fealty. Secondly, they were southern, outsiders. It was one of the few reasons that the rest of his vassals would object to accepting, though the fact that they were followers of the Old gods would keep his vassals silent to some extent.
The benefits of taking them in were also something to take note of. The Skyryders' Griffins can be a great advantage in confirming House Stark dominance of the North. Jon knew there are certain Hosues across the North, such as the Red Kings of Dreadfort, that proved to be very troublesome.
House Stark could attribute their military success to the exiled House from Vale. Plus, they had Greenseer at their side, which would be a great benefit, not just to House Stark but also to the North. This was an opportunity he could not pass aside.
"Very well then Lord Skyryder." Jon finally made a decision. "I will accept this—Pact between Ice and Sky."
Glossary
Pact between Ice and Sky: The Pact between Ice and Sky was a treaty of alliance between House Stark and House Skyryder. The treaty was developed when Adrian Skyryder emigrated to the North, to swear fealty to Jon Stark, the Lord of House Stark and rising King In the North. To ensure the treaty was legitimate, Jon gave his sister, Morgana Stark, hand in marriage to Adrian Skyryder.
Since then, both families have been the closest allies, and every two or three generations, they would often marry members of their families to each other. The Skyryders became Starks' most trusted and ferocious allies, earning the title "Indomitable Griffins of the North". Their loyalty that they displayed was infamous to some extent as they were known for being incorruptible for there is no number of bribes or gifts that could sway them into changing their allegiance.
AN
It would seem I am making mistake that Zack Snyder made with Batman vs Superman, trying to make something great yet mess up in the progress. I'm sorry say this but I'm reducing this back down to this chapter. The next chapter will be thousands of years in the future where House Skyryder rose to prominence and is the House Stark's most trusted vassal House, and Aegon I Targaryen and his sister-wives and their dragons conquered most of the Seven kingdoms of Westeros. I plan on writing the continuation between House Skyryder and House Targaryen a legendary rivalry between two equals, similar to one in Cobra Kai.