The green wolf 6 (The rangers)

Arthur lay in his warm and comfortable, his room was like all his siblings, relatively large with a fireplace and a big bed. The bed was decorated with carved dire wolf heads, Duty stood by his bed. Then a short darkhaired girl quietly opened the door and snuck into the room, she walked over to the desk. The girl tried to open one of the drawers, but she eventually managed to break the drawer open. The sound woke Arthur, he spotted Arya now holding the letter and picture that Elyse had sent. Arya turned around; her eyes went wide when she noticed that Arthur was awake.

"Arya, that is private." He said angerly, Arthur got out of bed and quickly dressed.

"Not anymore." She said and ran out of the room, Arthur ran after her, she was surprisingly fast. He chased her thru the corridor while he shouted after her, "Arya, come back here." He chased her for ten minutes until she ran into the great hall, and he had no choice but to follow. To Aryas dismay the rest of the family were breaking their fast inside.

"Arya, what are you doing." Their father said sternly and walked up to Arya, from where he had sat by the head of the table.

"Nothing, I was just waking Arthur up." She lied surprisingly well.

Before their father could say anything, Arthur cut in "No, she stole…" his brothers and Theon was sitting nearby. He did not feel like reminding them about his and Elyse's correspondents.

"Arya, give it here." Their father ordered and reached out with his hand. She pouted and handed the two pieces of parchment to their father. Arya walked over to the table and sat down between Robb and Jon; Robb patted her on the back. He must have planned this along with her.

His father looked down at the parchment for a few moments before he looked up at Arthur with a strange smile. "Father, that is private." He handed the parchment back to him still with that strange smile, their father walked back and retook his seat at the head of the table.

Arthur did not feel like sitting with Robb, he felt a little betrayed. His older brother knew he wanted to keep his and Elyse's correspondents private. Therefore, he promptly sat down beside Sansa, the Stark family ate together, in relative silence.

"Arthur, I want you in my solar in one hour." His father ordered suddenly.

"Yes of course father, but I'm not completely done. There is always a new scenario, that I have to plan for."

"No, you cannot plan for everything, it's better for the soldiers to be able to adapt to the situation." His father explained. Arthur thought about it, his father was right, he could not plan for everything. If he trained his men to be independent, they could fight any enemy anywhere.

"I understand father, I will get my notes." Arthur walked back to his room, he changed into a brown leather doublet, almost identical to the one that Robb usually wore. He also retrieved duty and his notes, after putting the letters back in the drawer he left to his father's solar. Arthur soon stood outside his father's solar, he knocked three times on the old wooden door.

"Enter." His father said, Arthur opened the door and entered the room. He saw his father behind his heavy oak desk, the fire in the fireplace roared.

"Sit." His nodded towards a chair in front of the desk, Arthur did as he was bid and sat down in the chair. "Now let's hear it." His father said in his kind voice.

"Father what I have created is a new kind of soldier." Arthur began with confidence. "They will fight on our terms." He continued.

"What do you mean by that." His father asked intrigued.

"They will fight as raiders; they will hit the enemy's logistics and command structure. The north will always be outnumbered; therefore, we have to inflict as much attrition as we can."

"Arthur, I understand what you mean but it's not very honorable, besides we have cranogmen" His father responded apprehensively.

"No, it's not, but it is the best way to fight, we need to make every soldier count. We need to make their soldiers as weak, as hungry, as sick and slow as possible. We cannot afford to fight in open combat only" Arthur said detrimentally.

"I don't like it but you are right son. Are you saying we should convert al our soldiers to this new way of fighting?"

"No, I still plan to create a completely new force, I think I will have six hundred men within a year."

"That is very ambitious, how will they fight?" he asked, now curious.

"When fighting in open battle, they will fight as mounted archers meant exploit penetrations made by the heavy cavalry. When fighting as raiders they can fight on foot and on horseback. They will be organized in twelve-man squadrons, with one hundred- and twenty-man companies, each company will solve their own tasks independently. Their horses are required for mobility to break contact and exploit sudden chances. Every man will be armed like me, bow, bastard longsword and my type of armor."

"Son, well done, this will be your soldiers, you will have the command as their lord commander." His father said, pride over his second son in his voice.

"Thank you, father, we will need to send out a herald to recruit these soldiers. I want young men from six and ten to twenty years of age. They need to be young, as to not lose any men from other professions, as I want them to be fulltime soldiers"

His father nodded in agreement and said "Arthur can you leave your notes so I can read them, we will speak again tomorrow about the logistics and other such things. I want you to spend the rest of today with your siblings."

Arthur walked back to his room, he knew that his sister was having lessons with their septa and his older brother would be sparing in the yard with Ser Rodrik. Arthur decided to join his brothers, so he changed into his armor, as he really hated sowing. When Arthur arrived Jon and Robb were locked in an intense duel, Theon stood by the railing, whilst Rodrik shouted encouragement, Athur walked up and stood beside him to watch his brothers.

"Theon." Arthur greeted curtly.

"Arthur" Theon greeted back. "You go to kings landing with a princess and you come back betrothed to her, you give me a run for my money." He teased

"Yes, I wonder what you would do without your money." Arthur said still in his curt tone looking at his brothers sparing in the yard.

Theon's face went reed and he was about to retort when Robb fell to the ground, Jon had managed to tackle him to the ground.

"You fall well brother; you seem to have had a lot of practice." Arthur said loudly, while Jon helped Robb back to his feet.

"Then if you are such an expert, you take Robbs place." Rodrik roared.

Arthur did as he was told and walked in to the ring after grabbing a tourney sword before entering the pen. Jon and Arthur tapped their blades in in greeting, Arhtur was the first to strike with an upward slash with Jon blocked with ease. Jon went on a counter attack, their blades clashing rapidly Arthur backed away as he defended himself from the onslaught. Arthur allowed Jon to overstep, and he used this get behind Jon, Arthur had his blade at the back of Jons neck. Jon however had his sword in a reverse grip pointing at Arthurs stomach.

"Tie, good work, both of you." Ser Rodrik roared, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Arthur, how did it go with father? Did he like your soldiers?" Robb asked when the four of them walked towards the main hall

"Yes, father was rather impressed, I will be made lord commander." Arthur said with a little smile.

"Congratulations are in order little brother." Robb said "Yes well done." Jon added, however Theon seemed to still be pissed off about what Arthur said earlier. The four of them walked into the great hall and sat down by one of the tables.

"So, little brother we need to celebrate, its not every day one is appointed lord commander." Robb said as he loaded his plate with lamb chops.

"That won't be necessary Robb, I am happy just being home and not on that dammed island."

"Oh no, you are going out with us tonight." Robb retorted sarcastically

"Yes, it's time you fucked, man or woman I don't judge." Theon said teasingly, with a smug grin.

"I am afraid that I swore an oath to Elly." Arthur said keeping calm.

"Elly? Really? If you swore an oath I won't force you Arthur, you and Jon both refuse womanly company. I'm just happy to share a drink with my little brother." Robb said reassuringly.

"Thank you, I am a light weight." Arthur responded to his older brother with a smile.

"So how was the capitol?" Jon said finally joining the conversation.

"It, was fine, smelled like shit, but I spent most of my time in the library, the gods' woods or wounded in bed."

"So not in the princess bed chamber." He teased. "I mean if she is anything like her father?" Theon continued.

"Jealous Greyjoy, I mean I did not have to kidnap and rape her, like you Ironborn love to do." Arthur said angerly, Theon stood up his face was contorted in an angry snarl.

"I would calm down Greyjoy, I am an expert in dealing with pirates, rapers and other scum. The question is what are you, it won't make a difference, so do not ever again insult Elyse's honor. Or I will deal with you as I did with flints finger pirates." Arthur said still angry.

"Calm down Arthur, I hope you will still go out with us." Robb said in a calm tone.

"Of course, brother, as long as he respects Elyse, now I need to write a letter, see you later."

Arthur walked back to his quarters; on the way he spotted bran running on top of one of the many roofs. Arthur removed his sweaty clothes, putting on a new undershirt. He wanted to write to Elyse and tell her about his success in convincing his father about his rangers. Arthur sat down in his chair behind the desk, he retrieved ink, quill and parchment from a drawer.

(Elly, my father accepted my proposal, he has made me the lord commander already. Honestly, I can't wait to begin to train them, I can't wait to cleanse the world of the brigands and bastards that infest it, and protect you. I hope that little bitch that you call brother is not bothering you too much, if he is I will ride down to the capitol. Yours to the end of my days, Arthur.)

Arthur rolled up the scroll and headed to the Maesters turret, he knocked on the door and Luwin opened the door. The old man wore his light grey, almost white robes along his long and heavy chain. The old Maester smiled, Arthur and Luwin had always gotten along well.

"Ah, Arthur, a letter I see." He said kindly, letting Arthur into his turret.

"Yes, to Kings landing, my response to…" Arthur said but hesitated to say who it was for.

"I may be old, but I am not a fool, it's for the princess Elyse." He said kindly, taking the scroll from Arthurs hands.

"You are not that old." Arthur responded.

"Very funny, now I found some very interesting tomes about the conquest, you always loved the histories of Aegon the conquer, would you like to discuss it with mee."

Arthur sat with the old maester until dinner, he ate quickly with his brothers. They walked out of the gates of the castle into Winter town.

The four young men entered a tavern, the music and laughter that ingulfed the tavern mediately went silent. Al eyes on the young men, the owner an old large lady with greying hair approached them.

"Welcome young lords, I have a table by the hearth for you." The old lady said warmly, and it was most likely genuine, the starks were loved in the north amongst the smallfolk.

"Thank you." Robb said politely and they were led to their table, all eyes still on them.

"What can I get my young lords." The old lady asked in her kind voice.

"Just some ale for now." Robb responded politely.

"Right away, me lord." The old woman curtsied and walked away.

It wasn't long before a young girl with brown hair and grey eyes, she might have been a few years older than Robb. Her hands held four large pints of dark northern ale, it was foaming on the surface and was dripping slightly on the floor.

"Here you go me lords, just give me call if you want anything." She said in her thick northern accent, then she walked of Theon staring at her as she left them.

"Well then, we should begin with a toast to our youngest, for being appointed as lord commander, and for his betrothal to the princess Elyse." Robb said raising his pint and the three others did the same.

"Herehere." Jon and Theon said in rare moment of agreement, Arthur staid silent not thinking it that important he only wanted to reconnect with Robb and Jon. They all took a long sip from their pints and then set them down on the table.

"Arthur, how did you even manage to survive, you never told us about it." Jon asked but then Robb added teasingly "I am sure he told his beloved Elyse al about it."

"Very funny, well she saw it first hand, so I did not need to tell her much." Arthur explained.

"Ok, fine but I think we all a want to know how you returned from the dead." Robb responded.

"Alright fine, I washed up on the island half dead, but I managed to recover and soon found shelter and clean water in a cave that I made my home." Arthur explained then he sipped on his ale. "The first two years were calm, I explored the island, found Duty and scavenged on the beaches for clothes and other essentials." Arthur continued, and taking another sip, beginning to feel a little tipsy from the strong northern ale. "Then those bastards arrived, they raped and reaved along the coast, and I fought them with all I had four two years. It was easy as I knew the island like the back of my hand, and I was by then a competent archer. The rest you know already." Arthur looked down into his drink, the screams of the burning pirates in his head.

The others were silent an looked at each other back and forth until Robb broke the silence.

"Well, I for one is happy to have my little brother back." He said in a kindly.

The hours passed by quickly as the three young men drank together, but after a few hours Robb and Theon left for what Theon called "proper fun".

Whilst Jon and Arthur decided to head home until they passed by a small hut were an old woman invited them inside. They stayed for a few hours, then they headed home and Arthur slumped down on his bed quickly falling asleep.

"Ugh, so this is a hangover, fuck…. my head, and why is my chest hurting, is that normal?" Arthur said to himself, he lay in bed still with his pants on. He pulled of the covers and looked down, he looked down on his chest and saw a big Direwolf tattoo. "Fuck" Arthur groaned as he his head aced when he moved. Then there was a soft knock on the door and his mother called from the other side of the door.

"Arthur, its time to get up, its past mid-day." She said in a kind voice. "Don't make me come in there." She said more sternly

When Arthur was about to respond she simply opened the door and walked in uninvited. She sighed when she saw and walked to his bedside, Arthur ´quickly pulled up the covers to hide his new tattoo.

"I take it is your first time." His mother asked as she sat down on his bed brushing aside his hair.

"Yes, getting that drunk on the island would have been really stupid." Arthur said before groaning in pain, due to his headache.

His mother noticed this and took the water carafe from the bedside table and poured Arthur a glass of water that she then handed him. Arthur sat up to drink, but he did not notice how the covers rolled of him, exposing the tattoo.

"Arthur, what have you done?" his mother shirked loudly.

"Honestly, I don't remember." He responded.

"What will the princess think, if she sees how, you ruined your body." His mother continued; it was then that his father entered the room.

"Cat, why are shouting, half of the north can hear you." He said slightly annoyed.

"Our son has ruined his body for the rest of his life." She said slightly, calmer as she pointed to Arthur's chest. Arthur could swear his father smiled ever so slightly when he saw the tattoo, however he put on a stern face and sighed slightly.

"We cant do anything about it now, and Arthur you need to take it easy when you drink, this is not to be repeated." He said in a mock stern voice.

"Of course, father, but I actually think Elly will like the tattoo." Arhtur responded sarcastically, his father chuckled slightly and his mother chook her head in disapproval.

Then Arya rushed into the room, she shouted to their father "Jon, is gone."