Disclaimer: I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire or the Horizon series.
A Song of new Horizons
"Talking"
"Thinking"
Luwin
He found her as he usually did, in Winterfell's library. She was reading a book while her hand flicked across the air. Even though it had been explained as a method of note-taking, Luwin couldn't shake the feeling she was casting some sort of spell. Strangely enough, it was always the device attached to her head that assured him otherwise.
"Lady Beta?"
Her head jerked up at his voice. Panic flashed through her eyes for a moment before she realized who it was. "I'm not a lady, Maester Luwin," she said.
That was her constant insistence but everyone in Winterfell could tell she was. Still, it was beside the point. "Lord Stark has requested your presence."
The evening wind had a chill to it. Beta's cloak stopped most of it with the furs providing warmth. Her eyes wandered over Winterfell as they walked. Luwin knew they would be amazed. They always were. As she had explained, it was one thing to read about castles and it was another to see one alive.
They didn't go to the Great Hall but rather the Great Keep. Once Beta realized that, the amazement left, and a worried look took its place. "Did something happen?" she asked Maester Luwin.
"There was an…incident earlier with Lord Stark's daughters. When asked, Lady Arya mentioned you." He didn't accuse her of anything, keeping his voice kind. Yet her eyes didn't hide her uncertainty.
As they entered the solar, Lord Stark sat behind his desk. Lady Stark stood by his side. Luwin had expected Sansa and Arya to be there too, but it was only their parents. "Lord Stark, your guest," he said, stepping aside.
"Lady Beta," Lord Stark said as she approached.
She didn't curtesy, only inclined her head. Lady Stark frowned at the sight but said nothing. "Lord Eddard, I'm not sure what happened," Beta said. "But I've been in the library since breakfast."
His hand raised, stopping her. "Peace, my lady. You have caused no trouble in my home. Only something that my daughter had said."
The panic in her eyes settled, for the moment. "Luwin mentioned an incident earlier. Is this about that?" she asked.
"In part. My daughters had a fight. When I talked to them later, Arya told me she talked with you yesterday. That you mentioned a concept, a yiang, I believe she called it." The word was foreign to his lips, stumbling out instead of flowing.
But Beta understood what he meant. "Do you mean a yin-yang, my lord?"
"If that is the word."
Her panic faded and confidence settled. She noticed the papers on the desk, particularly a blank one. "May I?" Lord Stark nodded, and she took the paper, pulling out a pencil from a pocket.
Luwin was still fascinated by that item. A small rod of graphite inserted into a container of wood. It was used in the same manner of ink and quill, only easier to correct mistakes. Beta used the creation whenever she wrote on paper. Such as she was doing now.
Once she was finished, the other three looked at the paper. It was a drawing of a circle with a curving line dividing it in half. One side had been left blank, save for a black spot. The other had been shaded, except for a blank spot. The curving line made the halves appear to flow into one another yet remain separate.
"This is a yin-yang," Lady Beta explained. "It's a concept from…my world." Her hesitance was understandable. The Seven Kingdoms were still coming to terms with how a new land had appeared in the Sunset Sea two months ago. "Basically, it's about how the world can be divided into opposing forces that also complement each other."
"How do you mean, compliment?" Luwin asked, glancing at the symbol.
"Opposing forces. Man and Woman, light and darkness, order and chaos." She glanced at Lord Stark. "Good and evil. One could almost say that they need each other to exist. Together, they form a sense of balance."
Lady Stark considered the picture for a moment longer than her husband. "An interesting concept, yet it answers nothing about my daughters fighting."
Beta glanced at both Lord and Lady Stark. "May I ask what the fight was about?" Her hesitance was obvious even though her voice stayed steady.
"It was during their music lesion," Lady Stark told her. "Arya kept playing the lute, refusing to take her turn at dancing. Her sister got angry, and they started fighting." Her eyes never left their guest. "You had something to do with it?"
"Maybe," she said, albeit to herself. Lord Stark gestured for her to continue. "Arya and I, we talked yesterday. She mentioned about how she was never going to be like her sister, that she wasn't a lady. I told her about me and my sister, using the yin-yang as a way to explain it. I suggested that there might be something she liked doing that could complement her sister and her in turn."
Lord Stark considered her words before looking to his wife. "Arya does enjoy playing the lute," he remarked. "Far more than Sansa."
"And Sansa is the far better dancer," Lady Stark remarked.
Luwin considered the symbol again and thought on the explanation. A lute player and a dancer can be separate but together, they would be far greater. Once he had the thought, he could see what Lady Beta had been suggesting. "You wanted Sansa and Arya to complement each other through music," he said.
"It was only a suggestion. I wasn't trying to make them do anything." Her eyes fell to the ground as doubt laid on her shoulders. "I'm sorry if I made a mess of things."
Lord Stark shook his head. "You did not, my lady. You tried to help how you could. What happened between Sansa and Arya doesn't have any blame." Lady Beta breathed out in relief, with the doubt fading away. "You may go."
She left without further words. Once the door closed, Lord Stark said, "Maester, bring my daughters here. It's time I talked to them together about this fight." Luwin bowed and left. He wondered if his lord would try to explain this new concept to them. It was strange, yet it also made a sort of sense to him.
It was clear over the following days that the words of Winterfell's guest had a profound effect on Lord Stark's daughters. They were seen together more often than not, trying different things. They still argued with each other but nothing like before. More often than not, they could be found working together as musician and dancer.
They also spent time in Lady Beta's company, Arya a little more than Sansa. Luwin could not fault them. As shy and strange as she was, Lady Beta was also interesting to Winterfell. She treated everyone the same, with kind respect. While Winterfell, and the North, had already heard tales of her twin sister, Lady Beta was no warrior. She spent some time in the training yard so she could learn how to use a bow. Even then, she was only acceptable at it.
Yet her mind was her strength. She had such concepts and designs that fascinated Luwin. Some of the things she showed him would change Westeros forever, perhaps for the good. The facts about the human body alone would save lives, including in the birthing bed. She was also capable of understanding and learning multiple languages. Luwin was certain that if she had gone to the Citadel, his order would do everything they could to forge her a chain.
More than once Luwin thought about the concept of yin-yang and how it described the sisters. Lady Beta was a learned woman while Lady Aloy was a warrior. Both were different, yet together, they could achieve something greater. At least that's what Luwin thought the concept meant to explain. Perhaps Lady Beta wanted the same for Arya and Sansa.
Lord Stark's guest also was an adept storyteller. More than once he had heard from the children about how Lady Beta told them a tale of her world, both of now and centuries ago. She could weave the story with such emotion and strength, they often felt as if they were seeing it happen right in front of their eyes.
One morning, while the castle broke their fast, Theon Greyjoy came to his feet and said, "Lady Beta, I have heard you can tell quite the tale about old heroes and such. While that might entertain the children, I wonder about something."
Lady Beta considered him carefully. As did Lord Stark and Luwin. When she first came, Theon had treated like he would any woman he wished to bed. Even training her in the bow was just another means for that seduction. Yet when Lady Beta did not respond to his advances, he passed them all off as a jape. Still, there was the possibilities such japes could turn cruel.
"Wonder what, Lord Theon?" she asked.
"Do you consider one of them as your hero?" At her silence, Theon gestured to the hall. "Come now, Lady Beta. You've told so many tales. Surely there must be one that you prefer? Some warrior or explorer? Tell us, who is your hero?" In spite of his smirk and tone, there was a genuine curiosity.
It was a curiosity that gripped the hall as they looked at Lady Beta. All those eyes on her, it was a new feeling to her. Luwin could see how it made her hesitant. "I…I don't know if I would consider him a hero, but there is a man I consider an inspiration." Her eyes came up and faced the hall. "In Westerosi terms, he would be called George of House Washington."
"And how is he an inspiration?" Theon asked, urging her on.
"Because he's a great example of how to wield power."
The story soon followed. She told the hall the tale of George, how he came from a family of farmers (in name only. From her story, Luwin could tell he had been a highborn). He had first served in his kingdom's forces, but when the colonies of his birth rejected and rebelled against the crown, he stayed loyal to them and quickly became the leader of their armies. As the war went on, he became to be seen as the rebel's symbol, much like Robert Baratheon had been during the Rebellion.
And once the war was won, with the colonies proclaiming victory and transforming themselves into a new kingdom, George Washington did the unexpected.
"He gave up his power," Robb Stark repeated, surprised by the fact. He wasn't the only one. "Why?"
"The war was won. There was no need for him to remain in command." Lady Beta looked at the hall, smiling to herself at the expressions. "You're not the only one who thought that was mad. His actions stretched across the ocean, to the kingdom that formally ruled them. When their king heard of what George Washington, he proclaimed that would make him the greatest man in the world. And so, Washington resigned from the army and returned home, becoming a private citizen once more."
"A man can actually do that?" Ser Rodrik asked, baffled by the concept.
"He can. But that wasn't the last the new country saw of him. When it came to choose their leader, he was selected."
"And therefore, he became King George, First of his Name," Theon summarized.
"No, only Mr. President. He served two terms in the role, with each term lasting four years. After that, he stepped down and went back to being a private citizen."
"Again?" Jon Snow asked. It was the first time he had spoken throughout the entire story.
Lady Beta nodded. "Yes, again. He knew that if he could, he would abuse the power he had been given. And he didn't want that. As the first ruler of his country, he knew that what he did would set the predicant, so he wanted to do it right. And he did. Because he only served two terms, that became the unofficial limit for all following leaders, lasting for over two centuries. It took a war far deadlier than anyone had seen for it to be broken. Even afterward, the government made it into a formal law."
Her words impressed many. Including Lord Eddard. "This George Washington sounds indeed like a good man," he said.
"He was," she agreed. "He knew the power he had been given, respected it, and did right by it. And for that, he was remembered. Long after he had died, people referred to him as the Father of his Country."
Those words earn approval from the Northerners, pounding fists and cups on the table. Yet Luwin knew it wasn't just the story they approved of. It was the storyteller as well. Lady Beta took it all in with a surprised blush, followed by a small smile.
As the noise died down, Arya leaned in. "Tell us another—"
The hall doors bashed open as Jacks, one of the household guard, sprinted in. "Milord!" he panted, stumbling to a halt before the high table. "It…it…"
Lord Eddard came to his feet. "What is it?" he demanded.
The guard's panting came under control, for the most part. "On the wall…there's something out in the distance. It's…It's…You have to come see, milord!" His wide eyes and shocked expression showed he had no falsehood.
The guard's manner made much more sense once they had climbed the wall. Luwin's curiosity quickly turned to stunned wonder as he looked out across the battlement. "By the Seven." Lady Catelyn's words did sum up the sight quite well.
Out across the land, standing taller than the wolfswood, was an animal made of metal. Yet it was like no animal Luwin had seen. No animal could reach that size, not unless it was a dragon, nor did they have a disc for a head. The body reminded him of drawings he had seen of a camelopard. But camelopards didn't have spines running down its neck.
If the creature saw Winterfell, it took no notice. It walked across the land with a leisurely pace, each step forward taken with precision. If it were to turn into the wolfswood, it would create a path of destruction in its wake.
Arya watched the creature by her brother's side, straining to look over the parapet. "What is that?" she asked everyone. She looked over to Luwin. "Maester?"
He considered the creature and was for a loss of words. "I…I don't know."
"It's a Tallneck," Lady Beta answered as she joined them. She looked at the creature with a knowing expression. "There's no need to worry, everyone."
"No need to worry?" Robb repeated. He pointed an accusing finger towards the wolfswood. "That beast is taller than Winterfell, could easily break through the walls, and you want us not to worry?"
"Yes. Tallnecks are designed for communication and data gathering. It's just understanding the land and passing the information along." Her words made no sense to most of the people around her. But as she looked at the newly-named Tallneck again, she became puzzled. "But the only way one of them could be here is if…if…"
"If…?" Luwin asked, hoping for an answer.
"Oh no." She turned and walked a short distance away. Her hand went to her device. The familiar purple ring appeared over it as she moved her hands through the air. When she was done, another image of a woman stood in front of her. "Aloy, we've got a problem."
All eyes turned to the image. Even though she was made of purple light, Luwin could see how similar she was to Lady Beta. They had the same face, and the same expressions. What stood out was the confidence she had. "Beta? What's the matter?" There was a smile on her lips as she looked at her sister.
"There might be a Cauldron in the North."
The smile faded away. "Are you sure?"
"Not completely. But there's a Tallneck outside Winterfell. It's the first machine I've seen since we came here."
"It's the first machine any of us have seen. None of the others have told me they saw one." Luwin was intrigued by her words. They had all heard tales of the Anointed's Companions, especially with how they were spread out across Westeros. And while they were the first to have come, bringing with them their own people, very few Westerosi wanted to explore their land. The only one who was bold enough was Tyrion Lannister.
"Other machines might start showing up soon," Lady Beta told her sister. "But if we can find the Cauldron quick, we might be able to stop HEPHAESTUS before it causes too much damage."
"Alright. I'm in Dorne right now. I think I can make it to Winterfell in four days." That stunned Luwin. Traveling from Dorne to the North was something that took weeks, if not months. How was it Lady Aloy would manage it in days?
"Okay. I'll see what I can do to find the Cauldron until you get here. It shouldn't be too far away."
Lady Aloy's smile was caring yet also humorous. "Don't do anything too reckless, Beta."
"You mean like climbing the Tallneck?" she asked back with the same smile. "I'll leave that to you, Aloy."
The image's smile widened by a few inches. "I'll be there soon."
"See you then." The image vanished, as did the device's ring. As Lady Beta turned around, she saw how everyone was staring at her. "So, my sister's coming." It was the only thing she said about what just happened.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.
This story was inspired by A Song on the Horizon by Tellemicus Sundance. It was an interesting concept but I was disappointed that the author gave up on it after only two chapters (and yes, that's my stance on the matter. If an author puts a story up for adoption, they gave up, plain and simple).
I was interested in where the story would go. In my head, I figured that Beta would end up in Winterfell, helping Luwin with the library and seeing what a family looks like. Of course, I also imagined Erend ends up on Dragonstone with Stannis and Shireen. That would've been an interesting relationship.
Beta would see Arya and Sansa as similar to herself and Aloy. So while she could understand why they argue and fight, she would believe that they would be better if they worked together. If a concept from her world helped the relationship, she could use it.
I'm not sure if I'll come back to this idea. Right now, I've got a vague idea about Erend and Stannis discussing about being in their sibling's shadow and Aloy being in Dorne. The second one feels like it could more fun, especially with Aloy watching Oberyn flirt with her and just wondering when he's going to be done.
I'll see you all next chapter!
