Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun

Chapter Sixty-Seven

It had been a long and tiresome ride and all that Ned really wanted to do at that moment was to go and lie down but he knew that he couldn't, he was the heir to Winterfell, a fact that still seemed completely unreal to him, and he was expected to be as courteous as he could to his fellow Lords and in this case that meant eating and drinking till he felt ill.

The inn wasn't large enough to hold all of Lyanna's honor guard but the tavern owner had given his word that his daughters would make sure that the men did not lack for ale and food, Ned had thanked him and pressed a golden coin into the man's hand. His eyes had grown so wide as he stared at the coin like he was sure that if he happened to close his eyes then it would simply vanish.

Chances were that it was only luck that the man got to hold that coin, in truth they shouldn't have even come near the inn as it was far out of their way from where they were headed. Robert's brother Stannis was a quiet and serious lad, and Ned had to wonder if he was what other people saw when they looked at him, but while he did not object loudly when they turned aside from the road to Storm's End disapproval seemed to radiate off of him in waves.

It was on Lyanna's whim they had come this way, his sister had been quiet ever since they had set off from Winterfell and that concerned him, Lyanna was not the solemn one of the Stark children and she was not one to hold herself back. At least, she hadn't been. Things had changed since Harrenhal and Ned knew that part of the blame for that lay on his shoulders as well.

He had not thought well of Lyanna after what the Prince had done, he could not think of any reason why Rhaegar would do such a thing unless he harbored affections for his sister and he could only see that if Lyanna had encouraged such affections. Not intentionally perhaps, but Lyanna held no restrictions to her friendliness and many could assume the wrong idea.

He had hated himself for thinking that way, he hated himself for voicing such a suspicion that night after he had been forced to drink with Robert to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid. But the damage had been done and he and Lya had not spoken much at all in the time that had passed since they had left Harrenhal early to make their return to Winterfell.

Ned had wanted to apologize but he didn't know how, the distance that had grown between them seemed as vast as a chasm and Ned didn't know how to begin to build a bridge between them once again. What was an apology after all when you held no trust in the person who gave it to you? Surely it could only be viewed as being less than nothing.

But once they had made it past the Neck, Lyanna had spoken more words to him than she had done in such a long time even if it was only to ask of a boon and Ned had been glad of it if only because it meant that they could still speak to one another. She had wanted to come this was so she could make a pilgrimage to the Isle of Faces in the middle of the God's Eye lake, so that she might pray to the gods for blessing in their marriage.

Lyanna had spent more time praying in the past few months than she had done for the rest of her life, he had come close to refusing her as he did not find any comfort in the idea of going so near to Harrenhal once again but even though she had not complained where anyone could hear, Elia had informed him that she was still not happy with the idea of wedding and Ned had always known that was never likely to change.

So he would not be the one to take any comfort away from her, and if she found it with the gods then so be it. He had written to Robert before they had left Winterfell, suggesting that he might have some new trees planted in Storm's End's godswood and to allow Lyanna to spend as much time there as she needed and also reminded him, as sternly as he dared with Robert, to be kind to her.

So they had made their way here, despite some of the Stormlords complaining, either due to the delay it put in their journey or that they did not like the fact their wife of their young lord would so openly pray to the old gods instead of the new. Still, most of the complaints were only mutters and no more than that and even if they were, Ned would have given them no heed.

And so here they were, Lyanna was above them in her room bathing and getting changed before she set out towards the God's Eye with eight Stark guardsmen that Ned knew to be strong and true and loyal. The rest of them would eat and drink and jest until they returned, at which point they would make their way to their own beds and resume their journey on the morrow. With a bit of luck, strong horses and some fair wind they should be at Storm's End before the moon turned.

He would feel better once he was past King's Landing, he was no superstitious fool who imagined that the King's Spider could see everything and anything with some queet eastern sorcery but he did believe that Varys had a large number of spies who could tell the King that he had heard of a large party of men riding through his lands and that could cause no end of trouble.

Ned picked up his tankard and sipped at his ale, deep in his thoughts and missing his wife when silence filled the inn as Lyanna walked in dressed all in grey and white. She looked paler than normal and perhaps even thinner and he wished that he had insisted that she had something to eat. During the wedding feast he would have to make sure that she ate a fair amount.

"I'm ready to go Ned." His sister spoke and Ned nodded, standing up and gesturing with his hand. Eight guardsmen with the direwolf of House Stark sewn over their breasts rose up then and Ned felt that much better about letting Lyanna go, the boat dock where they would set sail from was so close that you could spit and most likely hit it but knowing that Lya would be protected made it easier as well as making himself less fearful.

He had also made sure that they were men that Lyanna knew well and would feel safe around, he knew that if otherwise than Lyanna would have fought against it. Old Gade who might have been built like a barn but had kind eyes and was quick to laughter and warm smiles, Thin Tommy who had been born a mute but whose presence had always seemed to be of a great comfort to all of those around him. Sour faced but loyal Allard, whose japes were as a sharp as a razor blade and pretty golden curled Richmond who was teased by all the men but was never shy for company and never knew a cold bed.

The twins Samson and Rickon who could only be told apart by the fact that one was bearded and the other's chin was smooth, ugly Derrick who could throw a knife further than any other man in the North at least he claimed so and the last of the eight was Dorian who had been born of one of the older Stark guardsmen who had died a few years back and a Dornish whore from the brothel in Winter's Town and who used a spear in battle as well as a sword.

In truth it was perhaps too large a guard for what was certain to be such a short journey but Ned would take no chances and as Lyanna glanced over who would be her protectors he was glad to see that she did not look as though she was about to raise any sort of objections. "Take care of where you step Lya, it's dark and you could break your neck if you trip over a root."

"Don't worry Eddard, I'll be fine and I'll be back before you know it." Lyanna muttered as she fastened her cloak around her shoulder, Ned couldn't help but frown as he didn't think he had ever heard his sister call him by his full name before. "Please excuse me, my lords. I must go and beg the gods for their blessings. I wish you a good evening and pleasent waking on the morrow."

As Lyanna made her way to the door of the tavern with her protectors falling in line behind her Ned stood and called out for his sister, she looked back at him pale and sad and despite all that surrounded her looking completely alone and Ned wanted to say something to reach her, to make her smile and to apologise for the part that he had played in this but the words would not come no matter how hard he tried to force them.

So he settled for the only words that would come to him. "As I say take care to watch your step and do not leave the sight of your guards even for a moment and try to be back as soon as possible, you may pray but I do not want this to become a full vigil. There is a chill on the wind that could equal any night in the North and I do not wish for you to catch a chill."

Lyanna did not say anything to him, she simply stared at him for a moment before she nodded and then turned and left the inn. Ned let out a sigh and turned around to sit back at the head of the table just as Jon Umber was telling a story of a time when he, his Father and his brothers went out to deal with a band of wildlings that had slipped past the wall and the Night's Watch and was attacking a village.

Though perhaps "telling" was not quite a strong enough word for what the heir of Last Hearth was doing, he was on his feet which meant that he towered over all of them and would still have been towering over them if they had all been standing as well and was gesturing with his arms, acting out every battle as he jabbed his horn of ale at an invisible enemy as though he was wielding his sword, seemingly not caring at all for the ale that he was spilling with every movement. Perhaps he was simply imagining that the was the spilled blood of all the wildings that he had killed.

Jon was in the middle of describing, quite vividly, how he had cut the head of a Wilding man clean in half with a single swing of his greatsword when Ned caught movement in the corner of his eye and he turned his head just in time to see Howland Reed sitting down in the chair next to him. No one else in the crowded inn seemed to noticed that he had come in, every single eye was on Jon and a small and quiet man like Howland could easily slip in without anyone paying any attention to him.

"My lord of Umber may have missed his true calling, he would make quite a fine mummer." Howland said dryly in a voice that it was certain that only Ned could hear him and Ned could only snicker at the words as he watched as Jon reached down and picked up his dinner fork to jab it in the throat of an imaginary wildling while he brought his horn of ale over his head. "I did always think that he looked like the bear from that song brought to to life."

"Take care that he does not hear you Lord Howland, Jon Umber has a sense of humor to all matters except when it comes to himself. No doubt he will take such a suggestion as an insult and demand a duel for the sally you have thrown on his honor." Ned meant it only in jest but Jon had been drinking very heavily indeed tonight, such an amount that it might have floored a smaller man by now but Jon simply tossed his head back and laughed before calling for more, and the chances were that he might indeed demand such a thing.

"I was able to beat the man when he was not so impaired my Lord, I hesitate to remind you. With the amount he's drunk tonight it would almost be unfair if it did come to blows, but I do not think that it should." Howland said with a smile and then stared intently at Ned, his moss green eyes shinning with a wisdom that seemed odd in one so young. "How are you Lord Eddard? I do not wish to intrude on a matter that has little and less to do with me but I could not help but notice that there seems to be a hint of coldness between you and your lady sister, I wondered if there was anything that I might do to help."

"You're concern does you credit my lord and I thank you for it, truly." And Ned was thankful for it, he was quite fond of Howland Reed and he had been ever since he and Elia had stopped at Greywater Watch on their first cursed journey down to King's Landing. Indeed it had grown to the point that he was comfortable with calling the man a friend, he had been the one to suggest to Father that Howland take part in being one of the men of Lyanna's honor guard.

Father had been surprised that he had suggested it, the Crannogmen were always treated with respect whenever they ventured into the North from the Neck but since they rarely did they weren't often given that much thought even though they were men of the North ever since King Rickard Stark slew the last of the Marsh Kings and took his daughter to wife.

To be part of the honor guard to bring a daughter of Winterfell to her wedding was a more public honor than the Crannogmen had in centuries, being treated with respect to their faces didn't change the fact that many northern men held the Crannogmen in quiet contempt due to the way that they fought their enemies, hiding in their dark marshes and striking out with blades and arrows coated in poison and then falling back into the marshes before their enemies could find their balance and pursue them, and if they did pursue them they would almost certainly fall afoul of other attacks or pits of muck that would swallow a man if he stepped in it or become the food of a lizard lion.

Ned would be lying if he said that he didn't perhaps share the belief once upon a time, he had not met any Crannogmen and all he knew of them was what others had told him of them and what the Maester had taught him in lessons and none of them were very flattering, to say the least. It had taken actually meeting one to realize how wrong he had been.

And of course, Elia had been a help in that as well. The Dornish fought in a very similar way according to his wife, falling back to lure their enemies in to their lands before striking as quick as a viper and then falling back as their enemies dealt with their wounds, which had been inflicted by blades that were covered with poisons that would make them fester and rot.

It was not an honorable way to fight, it would never be Ned's way but Oberyn Martell was still considered one of the greatest warriors that Westeros had ever seen and the men of the Neck had never allowed an army to reach Moat Cailin without making them pay for it and he had to wonder how many invasions had been thwarted just as much do the men that so many looked down at as Bog Devils as much as the man who stood on the crumbling walls of the ruined fortress at the head of the causeway.

"But I do not think that there is much you would be able to do, Lady Lyanna values your friendship almost as highly as I do but I believe that this is something we must try and make our way through on our own." Even if he was at a complete loss on he was going to do that, it was all well and good to claim you could walk the path on your own but that didn't mean much when you couldn't even see the path.

"Then I will leave this matter in your hands, I am sure that all will be well." Howland spoke as he picked up his own cup of ale and took a sip from it, grimacing at the taste and Ned could not help but chuckle. He even had to admit that the ale was vile and he could hardly believe that Jon Umber actually willingly chose to drink as much as he had. "Ugh, vile. What I would not give for a cup of blackberry wine right about now? Do you miss your lady wife my Lord?"

Missing Elia had been something that not so very long ago seemed as normal to him as breathing, when she had been spirited off to Casterly Rock at the whim of the King. He hated the idea of being away from her now, of ever being apart from her again after she had nearly been lost to him but it was one of those times when it seemed that duty had to overcome whatever personal desire they had, Starks always did their duty.

But once Lyanna was settled at Storm's End, or as settled as she was likely to get and what repairs could be made to their affections to one another, then he would ride back to Winterfell as fast as he could and he would embrace his wife as soon as he laid eyes on her, he would pick up his sons and spend hours playing with them and giving them rides on his shoulders and he would fall to his knees and press kisses to the belly where his next child grew.

He had spent time wondering if it would be a boy or a girl, another boy to train with sword and lance and mace, to teach the old ways of justice and how to be an honorable man just as he planned to do with Mors and Torrhen and if it was a girl then he would treasure her as the more precious thing in his world, would read her stories when she was put to bed and he would allow none to do her any sort of harm and when the time came for her to wed he would make certain that the man she was wed too would be honorable, just, gentle and kind.

"Yes, I do miss her a great deal my Lord but I will see her again before too long. And you? Is there anyone waiting for you back at Greywater Watch? I do not believe if I ever asked you if you had a wife or were in point of fact betrothed to anyone."

"I am not at the moment my Lord, though I imagine that it will not be that long now before such a match is suggested, my Father can be an impatient man when he does not get his own way."

"If my Father is proof, I think they might all be that way. Gods, I should not complain. Mine own sons might well say the same thing about me with their own friends once they are old enough." They both shared a laugh at that and Ned couldn't deny how good it felt to laugh, there had seemed to be a heaviness that had been pressing down on him as of late and any opportunity to feel it lighten he treasured.

More food and ale came but he could not say that he enjoyed it overly much, the crust of the pie was too dense that it might as well be made from from hardtack, the gravy was too watery and flavorless and the meat was chewy. The fish stew had been made too sweet and too rich to the point that it threatened to make him gag and the ale was terrible.

But none of that truly mattered to him, it was food enough to fill his belly and the company was very fine. Some found it finer than he did as Lord Umber climbed up the stairs with one of the innkeeper's daughters laughing as she was slung over his shoulder and another went upstairs with Ludd Whitthill though she seemed much less pleased about it.

Another girl with long brown hair who had been scared off by Stannis Baratheon's scowl came over to him and Ned gently sent her on her way while pointing out that he was wed and the girl pouted but soon found more affection from a man of House Ryswell. The Innkeeper, if he noticed his daughters being brought upstairs, said nothing.

As the night passed on and more men moved, or stumbled as the case might have been, upstairs to their pillows Ned felt a twisting in his gut. Lyanna should have been back and yet she wasn't, even if she had tried to stay to hold a vigil he had given orders to the guards to make sure that his sister wouldn't stay out too long. They all should have been back by now.

Ned raised and walked down the table to shake Martyn Cassel, the most senior of the guardsmen who had come with them, by the shoulder. The man looked up at him with eyes that had been blurred by the drink but once he saw the fear on his face that Ned had been trying to hide he seemed to become more alert. "My Lord?"

"Martyn, something is very wrong. Lady Lyanna should have returned by now and she hasn't find what guardsmen that you can that are still capable of walking in a straight line and meet me down on the boat dock. We sail to the Isle of Faces, now." Martyn stood up with a nod and moved, bellowing at his men to get up.

Ned turned to look back and found himself facing both Howland Reed and Stannis Baratheon, for all that Stannis was Robert's younger brother you would never truly believe it. It wasn't so much that he looked old but the grimness of his demeanor had an effect on his features, it made him seem as though he was older than he was. "Is there an issue, Lord Eddard?"

"My sister should have returned by now, Lord Stannis. I am certain that there is nothing to be concerned about but I would feel better if I were to go and retrieve her. Please excuse me."

He didn't even make it a step. "My Lord, if you thought for a moment that there was nothing wrong then you would not be worried and you would not be making an attempt to go and find her. My brother sent me here to be part of your sister's honor guard, to see her safely to Storm's End, Robert would have come himself to carry your sister off himself if not for myself, the maester and the steward pointing out it is not how it was done. My duty is too see that Lady Lyanna arrives safely, I will do that duty as I have always done my duties. If you believe that something is wrong then I shall be coming with you."

Ned could not argue against it, nor could he command Lord Stannis to remind as he had no authority over him so he merely nodded and turned and made his way out of the door and down to the docks, remembering to grab his sword belt off of the wooden peg that had been hammered into the wall.

A hunchbacked woman stood at the docks and she began to panic when question as to the whereabouts of his sister but Ned was quick to calm her. "You have nothing to fear goodwoman, you have my word. I simply would like to know if the boats that the lady and guards took have been brought back to you yet?"

"No, no m'lord I promise you no. The lady and her guards wanted boats for passage and I gave them, good and fine boats that my poor sweet late husband built with his own hands. Fine boats my lord, the finest you will ever see. But they haven't made the crossing back yet." Her mouth dropped open and she stopped talking she let out a wail once she saw Martyn and three guardsmen approaching the docks. "Mercy! Mercy m'lord! Me boats are all that I have, the only way I have to make coin! Please mercy!"

"Goodwoman, we mean you no harm and we are not here to break your boats, calm yourself." She wasn't screaming any more but her shoulders were shaking like a life caught in a storm. "Do you have enough boats to carry myself and my companions across to the isle, all we wish to do is see to the safety of my sister."

Thankfully, there were enough boats left. Just enough, one for him, Stannis, Howland and Martyn and the other one for the three guardsmen and soon enough they were in the water and rowing across to the island with the only light being the moon hanging high above them and the soft glow of the oil lanterns at the bow of the boats.

The only sound was that of the oars being dipped into the water and then being risen again, Howland tried to jest by saying that it had been good that none of them had tried to wake up Jon Umber to come with them, they would have needed three boats to ferry him across on his own and even then it would have probably capsized. It was not a funny jest and none of them were in the mood to laugh, the only answer Howland received was his own voice echoing across the water.

When their ships landed on the shore of the island he saw the boats that Lyanna and the guardsmen had taken and he did not know if he should take that for a good omen or an ill one, maybe all it meant that time had passed too quickly and they had simply forgotten to return. The guardsmen were northern men, perhaps they had fallen deep into their prayers had had lapsed in their orders.

But somehow he did not feel as though that was the case, something was wrong. He could feel it. Ned began to make his way through the thicket of weirwoods, only the muffled footsteps and soft breathing of his companions reminding him that he was not on his own. He tried to find the peace, the strength, the certainty that being in the godswood always brought him but there was none to find here.

Perhaps because it wasn't the godwood of Winterfell, perhaps the Old Gods were not as powerful here in the South as they were in the North after there eyes had been blinded when the weirwoods had been cut down. But how could that be when there were so many weirwoods with carved faces in them, leering out from the dark?

A clearing was just ahead of them and there was something on the air, a scent that he knew and wished every time that he would never know it again. Death and blood and rot, cloyingly sweet and enough to make him gag. He picked up his speed, running in the clearing with Lyanna's name on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed it once he saw what was waiting for him.

Old Gade was lying on his front with a sword ran through his back, Thin Tommy was lying in a pool of his own blood with his arm severed at the shoulder, pretty Richmond was not so pretty anymore with a large gash maiming his face, Samson and Rickon were laying next to one another back to back, a dozen stab wounds all over their bodies, ugly Derrick's head was laying apart from his body and Dorian's spear had been broken in half and the two halves rammed through his chest.

He didn't see Sour Allard at first but his soft moaning drew his attention, he was laying on the ground trying to hold his innards in with one arm and his skin was so pale. Ned knelt next to him and when Allard looked at him, he groaned and tried to speak and Ned had to strain to hear him. "I'm sorry my Lord, we tried to stop them. We were outnumbered, we couldn't stop him."

"It's alright, I know you tried. Where is Lady Lyanna, who took her?"

"The Prince, Prince Rhaegar. He took her." Ned leaned back and gasped out a breath, how could Rhaegar have none they were here? Unless he knew before hand, unless someone had told him that they would be here? That Lyanna would come to the Isle of Faces in order to pray but it had been Lyanna's idea to do that.

Gods Lyanna, what have you done?

"She didn't want to go, my lady didn't want to go." Allard spoke, his voice was getting softer and softer and Ned could barely hear it all all now. "She fought as they bound her and gagged her. He was so bright, bright like the sun. His amour and his sword as well, so very bright." Allard's chest rose and fell and then did not move it again.

Ned stood up and looked back, Howland's eyes were closed and his lips were moving and Ned knew that he was praying but not for what for, Martyn and the guardsmen were looking at their bodies of their fellows and Ned saw rage, the desire to spill blood in all of their eyes and Stannis was almost impossible to read. "Lady Lyanna is gone, we have to find her. I have to find her."

"How?" Ned wasn't entirely sure who said that but in the end he imagined that it did not matter, his answer would be the same. He had no idea how he was going to find her, he had no idea what he was meant to do. Brandon would know what to do, Brandon would waste no time and would ride all the way down to the Red Keep and would demand that Lyanna be returned.

But Brandon wasn't here and it wasn't Ned's way, if he rode down to the Red Keep it would only get people killed. But Ned didn't know what to do, ride on to Storm's End and tell Robert what had happened? His friend would go mad and grab his warhammer and go on a rampage, he could go back to Winterfell and tell Father and he could call the banners but what would happen in the meantime?

Jon, Jon would know what to do. The Vale of Arryn was not so very far, it would not take so long for them to get there. No longer than it would take to get back to the North or down to Storm's End, not much longer at any rate. Ned knew that he had to do something and it was the best plan that he had, and he had to say something as all who had followed him were starring at him.

"We must hurry, Lord Stannis I ask you to take the rest of the Stormlords and get down to Storm's End and inform Robert of what has happened, please try and be delicate. This is a delicate matter." Delicate was an understatement, it seemed that he had a talent for them. "Howland, please head back to the North and go to Winterfell, my Father has to know what has happened."

"I will go to the Eyrie, I must speak with Lord Arryn."

"I can not let you go on your own my Lord." It was Martyn that spoke and Ned could tell that he would not be able to convince him otherwise. "It is a long road to the Vale and it can be a dangerous one with the Hill Tribes, you are the heir to Winterfell and keeping you safe must be my first duty."

"I'm coming as well, there are plenty of Northern Lords who can inform your Father what has happened. I owe your sister a debt my Lord and I would repay it." Howland spoke and Ned nodded, in truth knowing that he would not have to go alone comforted him. Stannis had not objected so Ned had to assume that he would go through with what he had asked.

Ned made his way back through the thicket of trees and back down to the boats, all the way back across the lake and up to the inn, Ned tried to ignore the terrible, all-consuming fear that he felt.

End of Chapter Sixty-Seven

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, if you did then please leave a review, a follow and a favorite.

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With lots of love and gratitude,

DiscordantSymphony