Summary:

The battle is lost, the dead have marched from the Wall to Dorne. Jon fell alone at Winterfell as his brother Aegon and their aunt Daenerys battled over the scraps of a once great kingdoms. Bloodraven knows they have only one chance to fix this, the kingdoms of Westeros must be united, and to do this they must give warnings to those who can affect the greatest change.OrA plague of visions sweeps Westeros resulting in schemers getting their comeuppance, people living who have died, and the Lions and Wolves preparing for winter.

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

(Westerlands – Before Jon Arryn's death)Tywin Lannister awoke with a start, from a fever that had gripped him for the better part of a moon. His surviving brother Kevan stood at the side of his bed, pale and gaunt from the same bout of fever that had struck Tywin.

The elder Lannister frowned at the corner of his room where the ghostly images of a boy and withered old man had stood. He knew Kevan had been released from the clutches of the Three Eyed Raven almost a week earlier than Tywin."What did they show you brother?" Kevan ignored the confused looks on the face of the maester who was still fussing over Tywin.Tywin narrowed his look at his brother, "More than I assume they revealed to you."

He looked to the maester, "Has there been any word of other men or women of my station similarly falling ill as I and my brother have?"With a shake of his head, that caused the links of his chain to clink noisily, the old maester answered, "Not that we have heard, but then we only informed your sons and daughter of your condition out of respect for your familial bonds."

Tywin could spit on familial bonds, knowing the shit storm his damned daughter had brought upon their house. The pertinacious girl had always thought herself a competent player of the game, she relied too heavily on Tywin's own notoriety.

Jamie was a fool, and on hindsight he should have seen Tyrion's reaction coming a mile away. He'd thought his visions of things to come would have ended with those crossbow bolts perforating his bowls.It had not, the boy, who he assumed was a slightly older Brandon Stark, had grabbed his hand, and had guided him through the frozen hell that was to descend upon these lands. He watched the decimation of his lineage, the end of all that he knew and loved, the coming of the dead.

There was a flicker within him, a spark he would attribute to that First Men blood that would never be fully expunged by the Andal blood which also coursed through his veins.He swiftly turned to his brother and asked upon the exact date. At Kevan's defeated look he knew they were too late to prevent the first tragedy. No letter would reach King's Landing in time to save the life of Lord Arryn, a pity, the man's ablity to control Robert would have come in handy in the coming days.

Instead, they would need to act fast, not only to save their own House, but all of Westeros from the coming storm.Against the maester's wishes the brothers quickly secluded themselves within Tywin's chambers. Tywin swiftly sent out orders to his most loyal men. To Gregor he gave the task of going to King's Landing and removing the pimple on the ass of the world called Littlefinger. The full list of Peter Balish's crimes were unspeakable in truth, the man was a slaver, a pimp, a murderer, a rapist, a conman, and had single handedly triggered the events that led to Robert's Rebellion.

That was the short list, Tywin would spend his sojourn North compiling the full list and fabricating the evidence. Just on the off-chance Gregor gets sloppy and Littlefinger's death gets traced back to him.While Tywin personally loathed the idea of being a kinslayer, he knew they could not chance Joffrey ascending the throne. Tommen he could probably salvage as his heir, he knew Robert had some affection for the boy and Myrcella. He could at least salvage something from this massive fuck up. He wrote the letter he never thought he would. It had not been his word giving the order to Clegane and Lorch, it had been Cersei. He knew the logic in removing poor Rhaenys and Aegon was sound, there had been no need for Elia to die as well, that had been his daughter's vindictiveness bleeding through. He'd protected her for years, knowing the Martells held no fear of him, and would have sought revenge against Cersei, regardless of her station as Queen. He ended the letter with a request they spare Myrcella and Tommen.Kevan had read over the letter before handing it back to his brother to seal, "You think they will honor that request?""It was the Queen of Thorns who poisoned Joffrey at his own wedding," Tywin revealed, knowing from what his brother told him he'd only seen events that affected him personally, "Oberyn only had time to poison me, though it was Tyrion's crossbow that did me in. There is more that we need to do, and we do not have much time to act." Tywin was not ready to reveal that Aegon had been switched, or that Eddard Stark's supposed bastard was in fact a legitimate son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. He pulled out another sheet of parchment, "Viserys is as mad as his father, and we have no need for him. Daenerys will be soon forced into a marriage with a Dothraki.

We need her secured, along with the dragon eggs that were to be gifted to her."Kevan frowned, "You want me to go to Essos? I doubt they will be welcoming to a member of our house.""It will not be you I send," Tywin finished writing the letter, "Varys has been playing a long game, with so many moving pieces I can only acknowledge his skills at weaving his web. The letter is for the spider, it is time the last living man, if you can call him that, with the blood of the Blackfires makes himself useful.""Varys is a Blackfire?" Kevan gasped, remembering the eunuch shooting him with a crossbow as his little birds stabbed him, "I thought they had died out in the male line?"Tywin nodded, "They did, Varys is a Blackfire in blood only, his mother was the last daughter of House Blackfire. His sister married a merchant from Pentos, and they had a son. The merchant had desired to place his son on the throne to honor his late wife's last wishes. The babe died in the crib though, and Varys replaced the babe with baby Aegon after secreting him out of King's Landing."

Kevan froze, remembering the news of Jon Connington invading from Essos, claiming to be serving the true king of Westeros, Aegon Targaryen, "What are you planning Tywin?"Tywin looked to his brother, "In the state Robert is in he is not likely to remarry. The only eligible candidates to be his wife are either too young or too old. There is also his deteriorating health, at this point his best choices are to legitimize one of his bastards or name Stannis as his heir. Neither option is advantageous with at least two Targaryen poised to return at the head of two massive armies."

Kevan ignored his brother's slip at saying at least two, as Viserys was still a player on the board at this time. Kevan thought over the visions of the coming threats to their house, "You plan to ride to the North, to do what?""Save what remains of our House," Tywin grit his teeth, "I do not know who clearly your vision was, but mine was absolutely clear. I saw Tygett's line ended, his boy's corpse left for the rats or made into bowl of brown in the slums of King's Landing. Your younger boys were slaughtered by Karstark," Tywin paused as Kevan nodded."Saw that Tywin, they were killed because Eddard's wife foolishly let Jamie free in turn for the safe return of her daughters. A fair trade that was never seen completed." Kevan glared, "Don't even mention what became of my eldest, my line was as good as gone by the time Varys ended me."

Tywin nodded, the Sparrows were among those who felt Cersei's vindictiveness as she killed them all, regardless one of their number shared her blood. He would not burden Kevan with the knowledge their sister was butchered along with her husband and sons by the resurrected Catelyn Stark, known as Lady Stoneheart, along with most the other surviving Frey.Kevan frowned, "What of your line brother? What fate befell them?"Tywin grimaced, "I fear you would think me mad.""I have spent the last three weeks in and out of consciousness being tortured with the deaths of my family and kin," Kevan snorted, "If not for you experiencing the same if not more, I would think myself mad."A nod from Tywin, and the old lord leaned back, "If Aegon is the conqueror reborn, then Tyrion is the second coming of Aegon the Conqueror's bastard brother. As I have often thought, Tyrion is no son of mine, though he is still Cersei and Jamie's brother, and regardless of his words he loves them both more than life itself."

Tywin grimaced, "The Starks have long warned that winter is coming, I doubt even they know the true horror of those words. Jamie and Tyrion went north to give aid against what was coming. The Wall fell, I know not exactly how, but before even warnings could be sent, what was left of the Northern houses fell one after another. Tyrion died in the crypts of Winterfell as the last line for the infirm and children sheltering within. Jamie was ripped in two by the walking corpse of a giant."Kevan paled once more at the mere mention of what horrors awaited the world, horrors from which he'd been spared by Varys bolt. He swallowed, "What happened next?""The three heads were not united in time," Tywin sighed, "one's eyes became blue at Winterfell.

The others spent more time tearing each other apart, ignoring the approaching chill. They were both on the frozen sands of Dorn when they finally took notice of the army of dead marching upon them. Cersei had long been dead by then, a rotting corpse clinging to a rusted throne. Daenerys and Aegon could only watch in terror as their dragons fell, only to rise again in the power of the Others."(Week later – Crossroads Inn)Kevan sat with his men, the so call Lady Arryn and her party had arrived just as Tywin expected. He could not mess this up, too much rested on everything going as planned. His men were to sleep in the stables along with most the other guards and sellswords. Bunks had long ago been stuffed in the stable loft for that purpose. The delegation from the Vale was the entirety of the late Hand's household that had been in King's Landing.

Kevan waited for Lysa Arryn and her boy to head upstairs to the room reserved for nobles and merchants. Much to his relieve, the Inn was only occupied by his party and that of Lady Arryn.He motioned to the innkeeper to leave, and the heavy-set woman was more than willing to ignore what was about to transpire. He'd paid her good Lannister gold for her silence, and she knew what fate would befall her if she let her tongue slip. Kevan smirked as one of his guards began whistling the Rains of Castamere. The few Arryn men still in the inn only had time to give confused looks before his men fell upon them. His orders had been clear, no killing if at all possible, just ruffing up.Withing fifteen minutes the entire Arryn party had been subdued.

The ladies and servants had been easily dealt with; his men had barred them in their chambers. It did not take long for Lysa to be dragged before him, "What is the meaning of this you Lannister dog?""You know what this is about," he held up the letter she had attempted to send to her sister in Winterfell, he enjoyed the way her face paled, "We Lannisters do not take kindly to slanderous lies. We had no hand in the death of your lord husband, but you know that already, don't you?""How? How?" Lysa clutched at her son, but at the boy's whimper of protest, one of Kevan's guards pulled the boy away, "Peter said no one would ever figure it out.""You mean Balish?" Kevan sniped, "The true father of your bastard son here?"If Lysa could become any paler she'd already be a ghost, "Lies, lies, horrible hateful lies. How dare you say such horrible things about my sweet Robin, my dear Peter will punish you for such horrible lies."Kevan snorted, "By now your Peter is a cold corpse."

The next morning soldiers from King's Landing arrived at the Inn to find the Innkeeper standing before the burnt-out husk of the tavern. She informed them the Arryn party had arrived late in the evening and had been her only guests. She and her husband had gone to bed after seeing their guests settled for the evening. Early in the morning she'd heard a great number of horses, the men upon them had no banners and their armor had been smudged with charcoal.

The soldiers found the majority of the Arryn party tied up in the loft of the stables, including the young Robert Arryn. The only one missing had been Lady Lysa Arryn, her burnt bones were discovered beneath the smoldering ruins of the tavern.(King's Landing – Night before the burning of the Crossroads Inn Tavern)Barristan Selmy had seen many horrible things in his time.

He was a survivor of the war with the Ninepenny Kings and survived the Trident during Robert's Rebellion after all. What he found upon the street of silks made him rethink his chosen profession. The Master of Coin lay spread eagle in the middle of the street. He'd been literally cut to pieces and scattered across the area.

His eyes had been scooped out and placed in each of his hands, which had both been chopped off and were set on a planter outside Chataya's. The fact Balish's tongue was pinned to a door across the street might explain why nobody heard this assault take place.Next to Barristan, Jamie Lannister sucked in air through his teeth, "First the Hand goes and takes a well-deserved eternal rest, and now the Master of Coin has been butchered.

I mean, this has got to be personal, don't know many robbers who are going to take the time to display their victim like this. I mean, usually they try to hide the body, not show it off.""Makes me wonder," Barristan rubbed his chin, "Lady Arryn took off in quite the hurry, and now her childhood friend who she suggested to Lord Arryn for the position of Master of Coin just so happens to be murdered."Jamie froze, "You're not thinking?""Lord Arryn went from healthy to on his death bed in a matter of hours," Barristan glared, "I don't care what the Grandmaester says, things like that don't just happen. Round up some gold cloaks and go bring Lady Arryn back."

Jamie frowned, "I'm on duty with my sister this evening, you know how she can be. I'll send out the party with orders to bring the Arryn household back to the capital, but I don't think I should be far from Cersei, especially if you think someone is targeting members of the court."Barristan smirked as he slapped a gauntleted hand to Jamie's shoulder, "Good lad, I know you have it hard, with everyone throwing the whole king slayer thing in your face daily. I may not have been as close to you as Arthur or Oswell, but I know you must have had a reason.""Aye," Jamie avoided eye contact, "just wish I'd gone to check on Elia and the children instead of just sit there on my ass afterwards, maybe I could have saved them.""I am sure a day will come Jamie," Barristan gave the younger man a friendly shake before letting his hand drop from the other man's shoulder, "a day when you will be able to show everyone that you are more than what they believe."

(The North – Night before the deserter's execution)Eddard urged his horse forward, the beast below him frantic to go in any other direction than that which Eddard commanded. The area was familiar, just off from the bridge, the two great beast were circling each other. Eddard stopped fighting his mount, instead leaping off, pulling Ice free of its scabbard as he curled into a roll.

He snarled like the Direwolf blazoned across his chest, and like the one that was torn between looking to him and focusing upon her prey.Ignoring the Direwolf's confusion, Eddard moved forward his Valerian steel greatsword catching the moonlight as he swung it in two vicious overhand arcs.

The stag had only enough time to reason another predator had arrived before its left antlers dropped to the snow, followed swiftly by those on the right side of its head. Eddard stepped back from the disarmed beast and looked to the Direwolf, "He's all yours."

Intelligent as the Direwolf was, she leapt for the now antlerless stag. What followed was much ripping and tearing, and within moments the only beings in the clearing were the Lord of Winterfell and one very satisfied female Direwolf. Licking her jaws, she turned to where the human with the massive sword stood. Eddard Stark was watching the moon rise over the distant hills, "Stupid horse, it'll be morning before I reach Winterfell."

Trotting over to the human, the Direwolf nuzzled at his hand before slipping her head into the space between arm and body, "What's this, you want to come with me?" Her tale wagged a few times to agree with his words, "Huh, guess things will be different this time. Farlen is going to think I have gone mad, not that most my family hasn't thought so since I awoke from that blasted fever."