I don't own the ASOIAF franchise
Chapter 3 – The Direwolf Pup
It had been a month or so since Lyanna sneaked out under her dad's nose. Mom of course had been furious at her, forbidding her to leave her room for a week. Her lessons also seemed to double, as she was forced to memorize all the different banners of their vessels, the words of each hose in the north, and the history of the major houses. The last one was at least somewhat interesting.
She had cried and called it unfair, but her parents didn't budge. In the end, she had no choice but to accept it with her head down. Something that her brothers didn't let her forget. Speaking of the trio, to add insult to injury, she was forbidden to go around the castle on her own and had to be always accompanied by one of her brothers. She had no time for herself outside of her room, at all.
Now with enough time passed, she hoped that she may convince dad to lift at least some of her restrictions. She stopped at the door to her parent's bedroom, hearing both her dad and her mom talking. Curiosity got the better of her, and she eavesdropped to their conversation.
As stated before, she couldn't walk alone, so this time she was accompanied by Ben. Her younger brother, of course, had a much shyer personality, and had some reservations with them listening in.
"Sis… I don't think we should-"
"Shush." She silenced him and whispered. "It can be important."
"My love, I'm still not sure about this." Lyanna heard her mother say.
"We talked about it, dear." Dad answered. "We need more connections to the south, it's their grain supply that feeds us through winter. Having those contracts will help our people's livelihood tremendously."
"And I'm not opposed to it." Mom said, "But I fear that you're going too fast, husband, and in doing so you spite our vessel lords. Having Ned fostered south is already unheard off, but Lyanna? This is too far. She's our only daughter, and her place is in the north, to be wed to one of our vessels. The northern lords will see it as an insult."
"Once the benefits arrive, the lords will keep quiet." Dad replied.
Lyanna didn't understand what they were talking about. Were they sending Ned away? Were they sanding her?
"You underestimate how prideful some lords can be, dear." Mom warned. "Besides, the Twins I understand, approve even. The vail is also somewhat acceptable, even if they have a bad view on the old gods because of the mountain clans. But why the Stormlands? Wouldn't the reach be more beneficial?"
"The roses are far too arrogant to deal with, and the stormlanders are far closer to us in culture than any other southern kingdom." Dad explained. "And being so close to Kings Landing has its benefits as well."
"Is it what that Maester told you?" Mom asked, the silence was all the answer she needed as she sighed. "Love, I respect his… profession, but he's overreaching. It's not in his place to whisper to your ear what to do and not to do."
"Honey, it's not like that." Dad denied. "I merely ask him a question and he answer, nothing wrong with that."
"You relay on him too much, lord husband. He's a southern, for all his chains, he knows little about the north." Mom voiced her concern. "And to be frank, I have my doubts about his loyalty to our house."
"That's a step too far, don't you think so dear?" Father soothed her. "He, like all the other maesters swore an oath to serve their lord. Besides, didn't he help you during the births of our children? It seems a bit craven to bear such distrust towards him."
"Call it a woman's intuition." Mom defended herself. "He may have done his duties as expected of him, but he's keeping an awfully close touch to his friends at Oldtown with all those ravens."
"Dear, we checked all the ravens he got, there was nothing suspicious." Dad calmed her. "Just the usual study between maesters."
Lyanna decided that it was as good time as ever to interfere.
"Father, Mother." Lyanna knocked on the door. "May I and Benjen come in?"
They were allowed entry after a few seconds. Once inside, she saw her mother and father sitting near the fireplace.
"Daughter." Her father acknowledged her. "What can we do for you?"
"I would like some of my punishment to be lifted." Lyanna got straight to the point and tried to act like the young lady her parents wanted her to.
"Oh well, it took her a few weeks later than I anticipated." Mother said after a tired sigh. "And what exactly do you want?"
"Can I please stop having someone to watch me all the time?" Lyanna begged before adding. "There are places where a young lady shouldn't be followed by her brothers."
She didn't completely understand the last sentence, but she heard one of the maids saying it once and it sounded smart.
"And how would we know that you're not running away again at the first chance?" Father asked with his arms crossed.
"Please!" Lyanna held her hands together. "I learnt my lesson, I wouldn't try to run off and explore again. I'll ask you first!"
"You caused quite a commotion back then." Father reminded her in the same disapproving voice. "We're lucky that that merchant didn't see you clearly, or that he recognized you as a Stark. You also should thank the old gods that this boy decided to return that flower and not keep it, and that's even ignoring the fact that he attacked you."
"He didn't attack me…" She muttered.
"What was it?" Mother asked. Deciding that honesty would be the best course of action, Lyanna told them.
"He never touched me." She admitted. "Michael talked to him and convinced him to give back the flower for us, without giving our names."
"Michael…" Her father remembered. "It was that peasant boy that you were spending that day with. The one who drew a dagger at me, right?"
"He didn't mean to!" Lyanna immediately protected her friend without thinking. It was only at her father's raised eyebrow that she shrank. "Sorry…"
"He certainly did mean to." Father stated. "I can respect his guts if nothing else."
"He wants to be a guard in the castle." Lyanna blurted, remembering that she promised to give a good word for her dad. Maybe now wasn't the best time though.
"A guard, you say?" Mother asked skeptically. "A rather poor first impression that one made, threatening his lord with a knife. It's a miracle that he wasn't executed on the spot for such treason, age and ignorance be damned."
"He just tried to protect me!" Lyanna yelled again, mouth acted before brain.
"Come now, dear, be reasonable." Father argued for her. "The kid didn't know who I was, and I must admit that I may not have introduced myself in the most calming matter. Besides, no harm was done, and he immediately stopped once things cleared. We're not like those fragile ego southern lords, or the Boltons."
Lyanna and Benjen shuddered a little, tales about Dreadford kept them sometimes awake at night.
"If anything, it complimented him better than any introduction." Dad continued. "The kid showed his true colors then, much more honestly then if he was to talk to me knowing who I am. He protected his friend against a much stronger foe, and with a not so bad form all things considered I may add. He was terrified, that was clear, but he still stood his ground and did his duty. He's not a craven, but also not an idiot who doesn't think."
"All things considered, I already had an eye on him after that. He certainly has the material needed to be a guard in the Stark household."
"He is literally the lowest of the low." Mother disagreed. "His birthright aside, the boy walked with a dagger. How did he managed to get such a thing if not stealing it or being given by unsavory people? Besides, He has shown experience in evading the authorities and he clearly threatened that other boy to return the stolen things to stop the chase. He's not the kind of person I want in the castle as a grown man."
"He didn't do anything like that!" Lyanna yelled. She wasn't thinking, she just knew that she had to defend her friend. "He made the dagger on his own! He works at the smithy. And a lot of kids bully him because of his eyes, that's why he's so good at sneaking! And you don't know about it, they probably just talked!"
"Daughter, behave." Both her parents said.
"I have to agree with our daughter this time." Dad said immediately after. "I had men asking around, and the kid did make that dagger just that day. And he does seem to go in a lot of fistfights, no known problems with theft though."
"I still don't like the idea of someone of his upbringing near my children." Mother didn't budge.
"Dear, please. He's hardly the first one to get employment in this castle from such an upbringing." Dad explained. "And as much as I respect your input, this is a martial decision. I expect you to respect my word here. Besides, it's not as if I'll give him a place straight away, he'll have to go through the same trails as everyone else to prove his worth."
"Very well, dear." Mom sighed in acceptance. "I'll respect your word."
"As for you, daughter." Mother now had her eyes on Lyanna. "Tell you what. If you pass the test of what you've being taught for the last month, and you are no longer needed an escort inside the castle. Does it sound fair?"
"Yes Mother, thank You!"
Lyanna sat next to the table as she wrote a paragraph describing each major house in the north as a part of the test mom had given her. Maester Walys sitting next to her all the time, his gaze never leaving her paper. It was a bit creepy.
Maester Walys was the lone maester of Winterfell, and old man that she always remembered being there. From what she understood, he was a part of an order of equally old and ugly men whose sole purpose was to make chains and torture children to madness. In the first one they were really bad at, it took them years upon years to make a single chain link, Michael could do in in minutes.
Fine, maybe she was a bit unfair, the old man did help her and people around when they were sick, and he did treat her when she had a scratch. Father also seems to have a high opinion on maester Walys because the wrinkled man helped him in grownup stuff. He still smelled like an old man though, and she would really like it if he moved a few feet to the side.
After what felt like forever, she finally finished her task.
"Very well, lady Lyanna." Maester Walys addressed her. "I will rank your work and give your parents the results. You may leave to continue your day, my lady."
As she was about to do just that, she remembered the conversation she overheard before talking to her parents.
"Maester Walys?" She asked.
"Yes, lady Lyanna?"
"Is father planning to send me away?" She asked with concern. Dad talked to maester Walys a lot about it from what her parents said, he must know something.
"Whatever do you mean?" He asked in confusion.
"I heard my parents talk about sending Ned away to the Vale or something, and me to the Stormlands. Do you know something about it?"
"Ah…" The man's eyes lit in recognition. "Yes, I do remember talking about it with your father once or twice."
"But I don't want to go, and I don't want Ned to go too." She said. "Can't you convince dad to not do it?"
"It's the lord's right to decide what to do with his kids." The maester explained, as usual. "You still have a few good years before your brother is fostered. And even then, it will be just for a few years. After that, you will see him back in Winterfell. As a spare, he had duty to his house, and a part of this duty is to make connections for the sake of his house."
She still didn't like it, but at least she will see Ned again.
"As for you." Maester Walys continued. "Your duty is much more important. It is, however, not my place to discuss it, so you will have to ask the lord and lady Stark."
"But mother doesn't want me to go away. She said so to father, and he promised her to consider it." Lyanna continued. "She also said that Ned was enough. Can you talk about it with father, please?"
"I see…" Maester Walys became quiet for a second. "What more… Does your lady mother say?"
"That she doesn't want me to be on the other side of the continent." Lyanna answered. "That you also don't understand how the north works and that father listens to you too much."
"Very well, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I shall try my best to get things right with her ladyship." He said in a calm tone as he smiled and waved his hand to the door. "Now I'm afraid that I must be left alone for some time, there are papers to check and ravens to send."
She left and was about to open the door but was stopped as the maester addressed her one last time.
"Oh, and lady Lyanna?"
"Yes, maester?" She turned back.
"It would be best if I turn to your mother on my own, so please keep this little talk a secret." He said. "We don't want your mother to be mad at you for telling me."
"Okay, maester Walys!" Lyanna said with a smile. "I will keep it a secret!"
She was happy that the old man had her back.
It was two or three weeks after she was finally able to walk by her own through the castle when everything went wrong. Mom suddenly caught a very bad cold that left her bedridden and couldn't stop coughing, Lyanna had never seen someone so sick. Maester Walys tried his best to heal her as he used all of his knowledge, he even constantly sent and received ravens from his friends down south.
For a while, it even seemed to work. Mom's coughs went weaker, and she was more active, she even managed to make a smile once in a while. Lyanna really hoped and prayed hard for months that her mom will get better. She promised to the old gods that she will be a better daughter to both her mom and dad, she will even willingly wear dresses and go to all the lessons if they just heal her.
Her prayers were left unanswered.
One day, the weather grew worth, and so did mom. Her skin gained a sickly green taint and no matter what Walys tried to do, it just didn't work.
"I did all I could, my lord." Maester Walys said to her family. "I will continue to do what I can, but at this point it's up to the gods I afraid."
"I see." Dad said in an unreadable voice. "Thank you maester, this will be all. You may return to your duties."
"Again, a thousand pardons my lord." The old man bowed and went away."
"Dad, what's going to happen to mom?" Ben asked uncertainly.
"Your mother…" Dad tried to find the right words. "Is in a vulnerable state right now, and we all must pray for her health."
"Will…" Lyanna gathered courage to ask this question. "Will she die?"
"I… I don't know." Dad admitted.
"Why isn't this fucking maester doing something!" Bran yelled in frustration. "We had given the old coot enough time, he should have healed her by now! Instead, he wouldn't even allow us to see mom! You need to execute and replace him, father, and find someone better!"
"Enough boy!" Dad raised his voice. "You are hurt, everyone here is, but it's no reason to lush at the people who work day and night to help. Maester Walys is the only reason She even managed to last this long, you will not throw at him insults under this roof! Control your wolf blood son, or I will control it for you. Am I clear!"
"Yes father…" Bran relented.
"…" Ned, always the quiet one, kept his silence.
Lyanna prayed even harder that night.
It was a week after that conversation.
Lyanna was in the middle of her knitting lesson. She hated all the repetitive and static work, and even more when the woman scolded her for lousy work, but she had to admit that this was a great way to take her mind off… other things.
A small traitorous part of her may actually enjoy it, especially after she completed her work, but she'll always deny it if someone asked.
Suddenly, a chilling feeling ran through her body, as if one of those ghosts old Nan talked about had passed right through her. The feeling caused her to miss and nick her finger with the needle, but she barely felt it. Something just happened right now, something terrible.
The woman in front of her cried in alarm and scolded her, but Lyanna didn't listen. She just got up, threw with disregard the napkin she was working on the floor, and ran out of the room. The woman inside yelled at her all the while, but Lyanna was deaf to the world.
She ran, her legs took her as if they had a mind of their own. She ran closed and closed to the one room that hurt her the most. She didn't want to believe her gut, but she also didn't want to come to that room. As she neared, she heard no coughing or any sounds of sickness, surly it meant that things are better, right?!
She stopped next to the doors that she was forbidden to open, her heart pounding with fear. Suddenly, the door opened and revealed her father. She looked at him and he looked at her, his eyes were all she needed to know what happened. Her own eyes began to rain as sobs came from her mouth.
She ran away crying as her father yelled after her, but he didn't give chase. Was it because he was too disgruntled, or because he wanted to give her some time alone to grieve? Or maybe both? It's not like Lyanna thought-could think on anything else right now.
She ran and she ran, and she continued running. She didn't notice her surrounding, nor the people around her. At a certain point of time, she somehow ran away from the castle, but she didn't care. The castle reminded Lyanna of her, it was where she lived. Where she died.
She continued running across the streets, until she finally bumped into something. Or rather someone. She immediately found herself with her back to the ground as someone was above her. If she had it in her, she may have remembered something and would have a bid sense of de ja vu. As it was, she could do nothing of this sort.
"Alright, Who's the idiot- Lyanna!?" A voice that was somehow familiar called. "What happened?"
A pair of mismatched eyes looked at her, one brown and one blue. Funny, a person has just one eye color. She had to admit that they were pretty though, exotic in a way. She didn't mind looking at them.
Wait, something was connecting in her head. Two different colors in the eyes? She met them before, and those eyes in particular… Wasn't that the kid with the dagger, what was his name again? It was on the tip of her tongue.
"Michael?"
Cling! Cling! Cling!
The sound of metal hitting metal was heard as Michael worked on his latest order. Mister John had told him that an axe of a woodcutter had been dented when the man missed the tree he was aiming at and hit instead a large rock. How in the seven southern hells did that happen Michael had no clue, but his job was to fix the damn thing and not ask questions.
"And… Done!" Michael put both the axe he was fixing and the hammer he was using to fix aside.
"Phew." He wiped the beads of sweat from his head. "One down, more to go."
And wasn't that the truth. Ever since almost a year ago when Michael made his first blade, the workload mister John gave him doubled. While mister John took care of the more complicated works, Michael was given the simpler things to forge and fix.
As if to complete with his rival, Las also shown great interest in his father's work. And Michael had to admit that the older boy was improving, even if there was still a clear gap between them.
Funnily enough, thinking on his blade made him also think of its namesake, Lyanna Stark.
Oh yes, he learnt later that the girl he bumped into that same day was none other than the only daughter of lord Stark. Mister Bard finally took pity of him at the end of one of their lessons.
Talking about the Bard, not too long after Michael told the man about his misadventure, the musician made a song about an apprentice who bumped into a maiden in distress. After discovering that she was on the run from brigands, the apprentice and the maiden ran away. They had a long journey full of events after which they managed to foil the plan of an evil lord to usurp the king.
In the end, however, they were caught and cornered by a group of knights, and it seemed like the evil lord would have his revenge from his grave. At least it seemed so until the king came from behind. After a bit of misunderstandings and a near-death fight, it was discovered that the maiden was actually the princess all along. In the end, the apprentice and the princess married and lived happily ever after.
Michael found the story a bit too familiar and was conflicted. On one hand he was flattered, but on the other hand he didn't want people to know about his screwups. Luckily, no one seemed to make this connection, but the thought of even one suspecting that Michael had something to do with the borrowing, as he called it, gave him some sleepless nights.
He went to the front
"Finished the axe!" He called to Lars.
"Put it in the right box! The one next to the pickaxes!"
He did so.
"Oh!" Lars then remembered. "Dad also said that you need to give Rufus his order once you finish!"
"Why?" Michael yelled back. "All the point in this entire shop is that people come here!"
"Dono, if I had to guess, dad lost a bet or something." Lars said as Michael reached the counter.
"Still, why me? You aren't trying to scam me up again, are you?" Micharl squinted his eyes. "Because your dad said that I can hit you if you do."
"Hey, asshole, It's legit this time." Lars put his hands up in mock surrender. "You can ask the old man himself."
Michael didn't see any signs of deception, so he let it go.
"Fine, you frog-face, where is the stupid thing I got to carry anyway?"
Lars pointed at a box at the side.
"Six crossbows." The older boy said. "No more, no less."
"And what about the pay?" Michael asked. Usually, people pay half the price when creating the order and half the price when it's done. At least it's how mister John does it.
"Yeah… no idea." Lars scratched the back of his head. "As I said before, I think that dad lost a bet, so you don't need to ask for payment. In any case, dad will just have them pay the next time he sees them."
Seeing no argument with the logic, Michael took the box and went.
"Oh, where is mister John?" Michael asked before he opened the door.
"Went to by oars for the smithy, wouldn't be back at least until evening."
It was fair enough, Michael noticed that they were starting to run low on materials.
"Fine, I'm going out. If I don't come in a few hours, avenge me." Michael said as he walked out of the door.
"Screw you!" He heard Lars calling from behind. Ah, good old lars, you can always depend on him.
He walked the streets with the box between his arms. He stopped a moment to decide which way to go. Rufus is from the hunter guild, so that's the place Michael should probably go, but should he take the right turn or the left? The right one will be a bit longer, but there will be less people in this hour. Deciding that he wasn't on a time limit, Michael chose right.
As he began walking, however, he was bumped from the side by someone who ran towards him. It was thanks to Michael's quick reflexes, that he was able to catch the box before it fell to the ground and soften its blow. Luckily, crossbows aren't made from glass, and should be fine as if nothing happened.
With the box secured, he turned his attention and rage on the soon to be toothless guy. He immediately overpowered the other person and held them firmly against the ground.
"Alright, Who's the idiot- Lyanna!?" Michael stopped as he saw just who bumped at him… again. "What happened to you!?"
"Michael?" She said with teary eyes after a minute.
Crap, crap, crap! He's actually done it this time. He hurt and made the daughter of lord Stark cry! Her dad is so going to kill him now! He quickly helped her on her feet and apologized.
"Sorry, sorry! Here, let me help you, my lady." Michael looked from side to side hoping that there weren't any witnesses. As luck would have it, it seems that they were alone in that street right now.
"Here, you can use it to wipe your face." He pulled a piece of fabric that he usually used to oil and wipe clean the instruments. It wasn't ideal, but it also was more or less clean. "Sorry about your dress."
"Thanks." Lyanna accepted it and wiped her face. "And don't worry about the dress, I got many spares."
"Please forgive me, my lady." Michael said again. He didn't know what he was supposed to do in this situation, it was much easier when he didn't know that he almost hit the daughter of his lord.
"Why are you acting to strange?" Lyanna asked.
"You're a Stark." Michael said as he scratched the back of his head. "And I made you cry."
"What? No, you didn't." She assured. "This… This was from before…"
"You're still a stark." Michael continued. "And I'm a nobody. I don't know if you should even talk to me."
"Stop being stupid." Lyanna elbowed him in the ribs. It hurt a little, Michael had to admit that she was stronger than she looked. "I can talk to whoever I want. And call me Lyanna, we're friends."
"Yes ma'am." Even from his nonexistent experience, Michael knew when to just do as he was told. "So what happened, something I can help you with?"
"I… I don't want to talk about it…" She said weakly.
Okay than, shutting up it is. Michael had enough self-experience to know that pressing doesn't help. It certainly didn't help with him.
"What are you carrying anyway?" Lyanna suddenly said. Both to change the subject and from honest curiosity.
"Oh! Those are orders for the hunter's guild." Michael played along. "They ordered six crossbows, so I'm delivering it."
"But aren't you a blacksmith?" Lyanna asked in confusion. "They should be coming to you, no?"
Thank you! That's what he's been saying!
"We'll, I'm an apprentice, so I do some side jobs as well." He explained, before whispering to her ear. "Between us, I think that mister John just lost a bet."
She giggled a little.
"So do you mind if I tag along?" She asked after.
"Wouldn't your dad literally grind me into a fine pesto?" Michael asked with more than a bit concern in his voice, he clearly remembered the last meeting he had with lord Stark. "I don't think he really likes me."
"Nonsense, father had taken quite a fancy of you." Lyanna said before she smiled mischievously. "Besides, if I give you a direct order, then you have to follow, right? I am a Stark after all."
"You're… not wrong." Michael admitted, a bit concerned about where this is going.
"Great! So I'm ordering you to have me accompanying you for the day!" She smiled. "Now you have to do it!"
Seeing no way out of it, Michael decided to just let it go and worry about overprotective lords later.
"Fine, do whatever you want."
"Great! Hey, can I try to carry the box a bit?" She asked.
"Sure, but be careful, it's a bit heavy." Michael warned.
"Okay- Wha!"
Apparently, a bit heavy was too much for her to carry. Michael had to catch the box (and her) before it fell.
"I thought you said that it wasn't so heavy!" She blamed him with a scowl.
"But it isn't…" Michael said in confused tone as he lifted the box with relative ease, to which Lyanna merely huffed in annoyance as they continued their walk.
"Say… Michael…" Lyanna suddenly said uncertainly. "You… Don't have a father, right?"
"Yes…?" Where is it going?
"How do you…" She tried to find the right words. "You know, deal with it?"
"Well, I just do it, I guess." Michael shrugged. "Dad was never a part of my life to begin with, so it's not like I miss him. It's a little hard to miss something that you never had in the first place. I just… go my way I guess."
"Why are you asking?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No reason!" Her quick answer made it sure that there was very much a reason, but Michael didn't pray. "So, what did you do since the last time we met?"
"Well…"
He told her about his life at the smithy, as well as the new song that mister bard made. The later made her laugh as she swore that someday she will have to hear it. He also told her about various orders he did ever since he had proven himself capable of forging a dagger. In return, she had told her about her time in the castle and her adventures there, or rather lack of. She complained about the endless lessons she had and the constant shadowing of her brothers.
"I wish I knew how to read and write." Michael said at some point.
"You don't know how to read and write?" Lyanna looked at him puzzlingly, as if the idea of someone not knowing it was strange.
"Not everyone has a maester to teach them, you know…" Michael couldn't hide his shameful blush. "And it's not like I don't know at all, I now some words from the orders we receive."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." The noble girl apologized before smiling. "I can teach you a little if you want."
"You can?" He asked.
"Sure!" Her smile only grew. "We'll have plenty of time once you're a guard!"
They continued their small talk until Michael felt a chilling feeling up his spine, as if he was in danger. He immediately stopped, ignoring his companion's confused look. This… he didn't feel like this for quite a while. It was familiar, too familiar.
He looked at the surrounding. The two of them were alone in the empty street, and Michael noticed that it was far too close to the edge of the town for comfort. Wait, there was some noise from the direction of one of the buildings. Michael immediately turned his gaze, but so nothing out of ordinary. It was only when he looked up that he saw the danger they were in.
"What the-"
"W-WOLF!" Lyanna screamed in fright as she followed his gaze.
Having been discovered, the beast that stalked them from the rooftop threw caution to the air as it jumped down and rushed at them. Or more precisely, at him. Michael recognized the pattern, every time some kind of animal is acting strange, it will haunt him and him alone. Lyanna, of course, didn't know this, so she panicked. It was fair, he too was panicking.
This wasn't some small snake he could unknowingly strangle, this was an adult wolf. Every time something like that came, there was someone near to help. This time, Michael was all alone.
Outrunning was a stupid idea, the animal was five times faster than he'll ever be. This was it, he had nothing to use, or did he?
Throwing the box to the ground, Michael quickly opened it and got the first crossbow he saw. With shaking hands, he fit a bolt that was stored inside the box as well. He thanked the gods that whatever bet mister John lost made him include ammunition as well.
The wolf was already closing in as Michael aimed the crossbow. Aiming was a strong word actually, it was more like Michael put the crossbow forward in an amateurish way and hoped for the best. He didn't even had time to pray for the gods as he pulled the trigger by instinct.
The wolf already started its final jump, mouth open and teeth bared to tear the neck apart. From such a close distance, even a shot of a complete novice like Michael couldn't miss. With the wolf unable to change direction mid jump, the bolt hit it square in the mouth.
The force of the shot made Michael, who was unfamiliar with the ricochet, step backwards and nearly fall. It also caused the wolf to stop its momentum as it fell backwards.
Michael took a few calming breaths, not that it helped much. To his mounting horror, the wolf didn't die. Instead, it got up as if possessed, and lunched forward with a foaming mouth. Michael had no time to collect, let alone shoot, another bolt as the wolf jumped on him.
It was an instinct more than anything that had Michael guard himself with the crossbow. The beast mounted Michael and made him fall, but it bit the crossbow instead of flash. This act caused the instrument to lock the jaws of the wolf open, the crossbow ended up too close the base of the mouth because of the momentum to allow the jaws to open its mouth wider.
The beast still tried to rip Michael apart with all its might as it pressed him down to the hard ground, Michael battled with all his might to push the mouth away using the crossbow as leverage. He then heard a snap of a string and a hit sound, and again after half a minute. This continued for three or so times.
It was then, that Michael remembered that he had a blade. As the third sound of snapping was heard and the beast had a momentary lapse of strength, Michael pulled Lyanna from his pants (the blade, not the girl) and stabbed the wolf with it rapidly.
It was only when Michael didn't feel the wolf pushing forward that he registered that the animal was finally dead. With a huff, he threw the corps to the side, noting that it had bolts sticking out of its back.
Looking around, he noticed Lyanna (the girl, not the blade) holding a crossbow and looking terrified out of her mind. Once she saw him sitting, she threw the crossbow and ran towards him.
"Michael!" She cried as she hugged him. "I-I thought… I can't lose you too!"
He weakly patted her back as he let her let everything out. Aw… okay, either she was a very strong hugger, or he was still very tender from the mauling. Honestly, he didn't know what was worse, but at least it meant that he was alive. He'll have to check his ribs later though.
"There, there…" They continued like that for a moment. "Am… Lyanna, can you maybe hug me a little bit softer? I think that my ribs are about to break."
"Sorry! Sorry!" She released him.
Ah… free air. You were missed.
"So, what now?" Lyanna asked.
Michael looked at the dead wolf, then at the crossbow in his hands that had bite marks.
"Well, I think that we should still go to the hunter's guild." Michael suggested. "They should still know about a wolf breaking in. I hope that they wouldn't be too mad about the crossbows though."
"Fine but let me do the talking." Lyanna said.
"Why?"
"Because it's bad enough for dad to hear that a wolf nearly attacked me, if he learns that I had to use a crossbow and kill it he may never allow me to hold a weapon ever again!"
Michael had a few doubts about her logic, or her proprieties, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.
The way to the hunter's guild was very quick afterwards. Once they got to the heavy wooden door, Michael knocked on it strongly.
"Yes!" A very gruff noise yelled as heavy footsteps where heard. "What is it!"
"The crossbows from mister John!" Michael yelled.
"Fucking finally!" The voice yelled as the door creaked open. "What the fuck took so long!"
The door opened and revealed a board shouldered man with a scar running across his face, as if some big claw took a deep cut there. The man had dark black hair and brown eyes, combined with a scowl on his face that seemed eternal.
"Why the heck as this crossbow scratched like that, is this some kind of a joke!?" The men yelled once he opened the box. "And where the hell are the bolts? You think it's funny kid!"
"I-" Michael suddenly found himself unable to speak. He felt like a doe trapped in front a very big and very angry wolf, the fact that his packmates started to rise up and get closed didn't help. Before anything could happen, though, his saving grace came.
"Mister Rufus, sir?" Lyanna said in an uncharacteristically small voice, having learnt the name of the man from when Michael told her about the order.
"Lady Lyanna!" All the men froze and bowed. Really, was Michael the only one who didn't recognize her? Then again, they are adults that sometimes go inside Winterfell. "We deeply apologize for startling you, my lady. How may we serve?"
The dangerous glint in her eyes told Michael that she was far from startled, and that she couldn't care less about their apology. while the hunters may have missed it, Michael didn't. And he was honestly concerned.
"Oh, it was terrible!" She started to act like a scared damsel in distress. "There was a wolf in the streets, it nearly ate me! If not for Michael here, I don't even want to think what may have happened."
She then began to regel a story about how he fiercely fought against the wolf. First, he threw a few bolts at it. And when it kept moving and jumped on him, Michael used the crossbow to block its mouth. Then, she told about how Michael bravely fought the beast at zero distance and stabbed it with his blade until the fiend had finally died.
Rufus snapped his finger. "Gerg! Larry! Go check!"
"The weeper's street" Michael helped.
It was ten or so minutes later that the men returned with the wolf's corps being carried on one of their backs. Which was unceremoniously dropped at one of the tables, mouth foaming and bolts sticking out of its hide.
"Story checks out." One of the men said. "The wolf seems rabid as well, probably why it was alone and went so far into a human settlement."
"Gods f-… Gods damn it!" Rufus said. "Do we know if it bit someone? Kid, did it bit you?"
"No blood on the teeth that didn't come from inside, nice shot by the way, but it's hard to tell on the left side. The animal seemed to break a tooth there as it bit the metal part of the crossbow."
"Terrific…" Rufus scratched his nose in frustration. "Boris, go to lord Stark and tell him what happened. Tell him that we need to do a body check to anyone who was in the area as well. Damn it, we need to track exactly where this wolf had been."
"It didn't have any blood on its mouth when we saw it." Michael told them.
"It's great and all, but we can't just take your word for it, sorry kid." Rufus explained. "You may have missed something, or the bite was to small. Oh, and we need to check you up, it's none negotiable."
"Okay…?"
Michael was forced to undress his entire upper body, until only his body (relatively muscular for his age) was shown. Because his pants had no tears in them, it was decided that Michael was fine there.
"Alright, all's clear here." Rufus finished the check. "Sorry about that, but we had to be sure."
"You did a great job, kid." Rufus said once Michael was back in his clothes. "And I must apologize for earlier as well, it wasn't right of me."
"Here, take it. It's yours now." The man handed Michael the bitten crossbow. "You managed yourself better than most men I know, you've earned it. It wouldn't feel right to take it from you now after it was already marked for you."
The hunter, of course, talked about the bite marks left by the wolf.
"Besides, if Johnny boy is worried, tell him that taking care of that wolf and saving lady Lyanna was more than enough." Rufus waved his hand in dismissal before winking. "And kid, if you ever need some tips, don't be a stranger. You have a making of a great hunter."
It was half an hour or so later that the door barged open with lord Stark storming the building.
"Lyanna!" He yelled as he ran and hugged his only daughter. "Gods, when I heard… I can't lose both you and your mother…"
Oh… that was what made her cry so much… Suddenly her questions and behavior became clear.
"Now tell me what happened."
And she did. Lyanna told her dad the same story she told the hunters. She made it seem like he single handedly slew the beast with his bare hands, instead of her doing at least half the job. In the end, lord Stark sighed as took his daughter and placed her on his right shoulder. It should be telling about him, that she had enough space there to sit without problems.
"Michael, right?" Michael nodded as the lord continued. "It is twice now that you have gone beyond what is expected of you to protect my daughter, with today saving her life at the risk of your own. House Stark owns you a deep debt, and the north remembers. So let me first say thank you, for everything."
Lyanna then whispered something to her father's ear. Michael didn't know what, but the lord chuckled.
"You just want to collect strays, but this time we have similar ideas." Lord stark said to his daughter before he turned to a guard next to him. "Go find the kid's mother and tell her that I summon her, and be clear that she is to be presentable."
Why was mom getting involved? Michael didn't like that.
Lord Stark put his daughter down and signed Michael to follow. Before they went out of the building, however, Lyanna tugged her father's pants.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"What's a fuck?" She asked innocently. "Can I have a fuck?"
"Honey." Lord Stark said with an all too calm tone. "From who did you hear it?"
The girl just pointed at Rufus, who gulped.
"Ah fu- I mean shi- I mean cra… Ah, gods damn it."
"I see…" Lord Stark said. "Do you kids mind waiting outside for a few minutes? The good hunter and I have a few things to talk about."
They smartly exited the building as the doors closed behind them. Lyanna held his hand while smiling at him, and Michael learnt four new things that moment.
The first was that lord Stark wasn't as strong as he looked, he was far stronger. Michael heard what he was pretty sure was the sound of a grown man being thrown strong enough at the ceiling to get stuck there.
The second was that the direwolf was a perfect symbol for house Stark, because Lyanna could be a mean and spiteful female name of said animal. Although she did it out of loyalty for her friend, so… more dog qualities?
The third was to always stay in the good graces of his overlady unless he wants to face extremely painful and dire (no pun intended) consequences.
And the fourth was that for better or worse, Lyanna Stark marked him as her property.
AN
And this is the end of the chapter, thank you all for reading. Please write in the reviews what you think.
now for the reviews:
Bytogix:
Thank you.
Claudiomir:
Happy that you liked it!
02cjd:
Thank you!
A more or less accurate picture. I plan for Michael to be more of a Jack of all trades then having him use a single weapon, although a greatsword does compliment Ice. No dragon skin or something like that, I want to keep it an low fantasy. As for animals, I already answered in the AN of the latest chapter of "Dark Helmet", but we'll see about that later. The Bard was firstly for comic relief, but then I decided that he can be a good mentor for, and someone to nurture an illusional boy, as well as a teacher for all kinds of underhanded tricks.
taha:
Thanks!
Engineer1869:
Glad you liked it.
The nightmare was more of a way for Bloodraven to kindly say "Kill yourself". it was an analogy to the dream he sand to Barn in cannon were he Bloodraven said to fly or to die.
As for the bard, oh he will stick to see this action.
harsh777766:
Thank you! And planning to.