ARRIVING AT WINTERFELL

Jon had been riding for Winterfell with Ghost by his side for a few days now. When he saw the snow plains turn into fields of green he felt somewhat of a warmth consume him. It had been a decade since he had seen grass and had felt the powerful warmth of the sun. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh… soon he would be home.

Jon was hastily headed for Winterfell. He was ordered to go straight there and to not be held up in one area for too long. His coming back to King's Landing was to remain a secret only very few people would know of. He knew why… Once word got out that he was no longer serving a sentence for killing Daenerys Targaryen… her loyalists and those who once followed her might spark another uprising in order to seek proper justice for their now deceased Queen.

In all honesty, Jon didn't care much if they were to come for him… In fact, he would gladly hand himself over to death. He lived for nothing… he felt he had lost his honour when Dany had died… he had never come to peace with his choice and what he had done. It just didn't feel right for some reason… Even after all she had done…

Jon arrived at Winterfell in the night. He rode slowly towards the gates. It was here where he had encountered two of his greatest battles and here where he had accomplished some of his greatest victories against Ramsay Bolton and The Night King. He couldn't help but feel seldom as the memories all flooded back in his mind at once.

As Jon rode onwards across the field, he stopped at the spot where he had devastatingly watched his youngest brother die right before his eyes. He frowned. Half of his family was gone. They had died a long time ago and he would always feel the heartache of having not been there to protect them. He wished he could have saved them.

Jon rode on getting closer and closer to the gate. He began to feel nervous as the flickering lights of lit lanterns came into view. He breathed heavily as the reality of returning home began to sink in and the stone walls of Winterfell perched strong and mighty.

About ten guards were on duty and as they saw Jon approaching, the gates respectfully opened before him and standing there on the other side to personally greet him stood his sister… The Queen in the North, Sansa Stark.

Sansa wore a silver tiara and thick garments that were the typical Stark colours. She had aged gracefully over the years. Her pale face shimmered under the moonlight. Her auburn coloured hair waved gently along with the light wind and her dow eyes rose to meet with Jon's after many many years. It almost felt surreal.

They stared at each other for a short while. He sensed sadness in her. He got off of his horse and walked closer to properly greet her and as he did she let out a soft whimper. Sansa opened her arms and pulled him in for a tight embrace. She began sobbing into his shoulder and Jon rubbed a gentle palm at her back as he hugged her tightly. It reminded him of when they first reunited with each other all those years ago way back at Castle Black.

"I missed you so much…" Sansa whispered, clutching onto him as a child would to their parents.

"I missed you too." Jon replied, hugging her tightly.

Sansa and Jon sat together in the great hall to have supper. Having only been in Winterfell for just upon an hour, he could tell how much respect the North held for Sansa. She had done the North a good deed by gaining their independence and they would forever be grateful to her.

Although this was the case and things were running smoothly, Sansa was under a lot of pressure and stress all of the time and Jon could sense that she was not entirely happy with her status of being Queen… even though this is what she had wanted.

"Do you have any idea of why Bran has summoned you?" Sansa asked Jon while cutting up her food.

Jon picked up his goblet filled with ale and drank a large gulp of it. It tasted divine compared to what he drank north of the wall.

"No. Do you?" he asked, looking up at her with high hopes.

Sansa sighed and shook her head. Jon looked on at her curiously.

"Bran doesn't talk to me. I try to send letters but I never receive a response…" Sansa said bluntly, almost offended. "The note I received from him saying that you would be returning home… was the first direct message that I received from him in five years."

Jon slightly gaped as Sansa looked away into space. It was just as shocking and unexpected to her as it was to him. Bran had always seemed an entirely different person since he had returned home but to completely ignore his sister at a time of need? This wasn't what Lord and Lady Stark had taught them as children. Family was everything.

"I haven't heard much from Arya too… the last time she visited home was two years ago…"

Jon could tell that Sansa was feeling somewhat lonely without her family. It seemed to depress her. Sansa did not marry nor did she have any children. She was alone in Winterfell with many duties and delegations to deal with on her own.

"I'll stay in Winterfell for a few weeks if you would like." Jon said to her. He would use this time to help her with whatever duties she needed help with and to just keep her company and make sure she was okay. At his words she gave him a small smile and then turned sad.

"I would love nothing more but… Bran made it clear that you aren't to stay in one place for too long… even if it is your home. I don't want to put you in any such danger. You must travel South. You could stay for at most just two days… and in that time I want you to restore your energy, you still have such a long journey ahead of you." Sansa said.

Jon nodded his understanding. He wished that she could come with him to reunite with the family though… but… there must always be a Stark in Winterfell and she was the queen… she was needed in the North.

Jon pierced his lips. He really was curious as to why he had been summoned by his brother, the King. Just what was so important?

TRAINING

Lyanna was out training with Arya again. They had been at it for a few hard worked hours as she was taught how to let her movements flow with her weight. Lya was a prodigy and picked up faster than Arya could have ever hoped for. She was a fantastic student. Light on her feet and a natural with a sword. It can't have been a coincidence with how good she was.

"Have you never had any type of training at all?" Arya asked her as she easily stood to her side and kept one arm behind her back while the other grasped a long stick to spar with the child who got to hold needle this time.

"Well, if you count pretending with my brother…" Lya said through heavy breaths for air as she struck at Arya's stick, copying her stance perfectly. "Then yeah…"

Arya smiled at her reply and her mention of having a brother. She used to practice with her brothers too, Bran and Rickon when they were little which would usually end up with them sulking because she, a "girl", had beaten them.

"You have a brother?" Arya asked.

"Yes. Two of them…"

The two continued to train and talk until the sun began to lower and Arya knew it would soon be time to go back to Drogon's nest for another warging attempt. She enjoyed training with Lya who was very dedicated to learning how to water dance and was good company in general.

"Have you ever been in a battle?" Lya asked Arya near the end of their lesson. It was a question she had been dying to know. She had never met anyone who had ever been in a real battle before.

Arya confidently smirked remembering the days. She had been in many battles… most of which were victorious.

"Yes. Many." she replied, making Lya beam with excitement.

"Do you know the story of the mad queen? Torbin the blacksmith is from Kings Landing and he said that the mad queen burned citizens and children alive riding on the back of the winged beast who flies just off the coast not too far from here." Lya said pointing in the direction of where Drogon lived. "Have you ever seen a dragon?"

Arya stopped sparring, lowering her stick catching Lya off guard as memories of that day sprouted in her mind. It was not a day that she liked to remember.

Lya grew worried that she may have offended her teacher as the look on her face grew sour and cold all of a sudden at the mention of "the mad queen" and "dragons"…

"Erm…" Lya stuttered. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright… you didn't say anything wrong…" Arya quickly said. She looked up at the girl with stern and empty grey eyes. "I was there that day. The mad queen Daenerys Targaryen ordered her dragon to rain fire on thousands and thousands of innocent men, women and children… all of whom had surrendered." Arya said with a deep pit of sadness and sorrow.

Lya could feel herself shivering as she nervously bit her lip out of fear and remorse. She slowly lowered needle, feeling intrigued to listen.

"I'll never forget that day. I'll never forget the screams, the cries… the sight… the smell…" Arya said. "I will never forgive Daenerys Targaryen for what she did… even though she paid for it with her life… death is not nearly enough of a punishment for the tragedy she caused."

Lyanna felt chills running throughout her body. She felt bad for Arya who seemed entirely affected by the battle.

"Did you ever come to meet her?" Lya cautiously asked.

"Yes I did. At first, you would never assume such a gentle and kind natured woman who preached ending slavery to have the heart of a monster. She fooled many people… including my brother… but I could always tell who she really was."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What did she look like?" As Lya asked her question she smiled attempting to break the tension. "I imagine her to be the ugliest woman who ever existed! Scaled like a lizard with a snake's tongue and pointy horns." Lya said while cutely giggling as she stepped closer to Arya.

Arya laughed at her prediction and innocent child imagination.

"No… not quite. She was actually a rather beautiful woman… some might say the most beautiful woman in the world. She had silver hair and violet eyes. The Targaryen's are famous for their signature features."

Lya's smile slowly faded as she carefully thought of a woman with silver hair and violet eyes… the face that came to mind… her mother…

Arya looked at Lya oddly as she noticed the little girl all of a sudden went quiet. Lya was thinking about how her mother had these features… It was impossible for her to have the blood of the Targaryen's… All the Targaryen's were dead. The idea of her mother who she loved dearly looking like the horrible mad queen got on her nerves a little.

"Silver hair and violet eyes?" Lya questioned curiously, looking up at Arya. "Are you sure?"

"I know it's hard to believe… but it's true." Arya said as she smiled looking up at Lya… only then did she realise that the child had… violet eyes… she had always noticed the child was unique looking and rather a small beauty but… her eyes now stood out like diamonds as they spoke of the Targaryens.

Lya could sense Arya's entire demeanour change as she stared at her. It was almost as if she had done something wrong and Arya had all of a sudden become cross with her… only she didn't know why…

"Is… is everything okay?" Lyanna nervously asked. Arya did not reply but continued to look sour.

Lya suddenly became scared of Arya who looked like she had no emotions. She was about to tell her about her mother having similar features but quickly decided not to as Arya stared at her.

"Erm… I guess I'll be going home now…" Lya quietly said.

Arya didn't say a word. Lya carefully placed needle on the ground in front of her and then ran away without a goodbye as she could sense a sudden danger.

DANGER

Lyanna could feel that she was being watched and ran fast through the village trying to lose Arya. She could feel that she was being followed and for some reason every corner she turned and every alleyway she ran down, she could feel Arya's eyes on her everywhere. Her breathing began to become heavy as she felt trapped.

What had happened!? It was as if Arya had become an entirely different person all of a sudden… Lya looked over her shoulder and although she couldn't see Arya, she knew she was close.

Something was wrong. Arya had changed into the sort of "stranger" her mother had warned her to never speak to in the span of a second. It frightened Lya.

After a long while when she thought it safe to do so, Lya detoured back home. It was much later than usual as she had to wander around the village until she could no longer feel the presence of a stranger watching her. The moon was high and the skies were dark.

"Where have you been?" Dany firmly asked her daughter as soon as she entered the house.

Dany and the two boys were seated around the dinner table and had been waiting for her all night. Lya was spooked and could hardly breathe properly. Her face was pale and cheeks flushed.

"What's the matter?" Dany asked her, quickly walking over and dropping to her knees in front of her. She placed a palm on her cheek sensing something wrong.

"Where's Tai?" Lya asked, looking around suddenly becoming alarmed for everyone's safety.

"Still out working my love. Why?"

Lya felt tears dripping from her eyes and she went to hug her mother tightly, wrapping her arms around her neck. Her brothers walked over and looked on wondering what was the matter.

Dany hugged Lya back holding her tight wondering what had happened to cause her to be like this.

Dany couldn't get a word of the truth out of Lyanna as to why she was so upset… She made sure to have her sleep in her bed that evening while she assured her sons that everything was alright and that they should sleep.

Lya was too afraid to tell her mother of the truth. She was too scared to get into trouble for spending time with a foreign stranger as she had been taught to never trust strangers. She regretted ever meeting Arya now more than ever. She prayed that the woman would just go away back to wherever she had come from.

Dany could sense her daughter's anxiety as she cuddled her under the covers of her bed. She was weeping in her sleep. She pressed her lips to her forehead and rubbed a soothing hand against her back to help calm her down. Lya eventually fell to sleep in her mother's arms.

It was getting very late now and Dany laid awake with her eyes closed as she did most nights when she could not sleep. She worried for her daughter. Just what had scared her so bad? She suddenly felt something cold against her neck and she snapped open her eyes and for a moment thought she was seeing things before she confirmed that the person standing in the darkness that she saw before her, was very much indeed the fierce grimace of Arya Stark… the edge of a valyrian steel blade, held against her throat.