CHAPTER 8

~~~~~~~~1yr 7mo(16.5mo)290AD

By the time they made it to Braavos most of what they had in blackberries was still salvageable at a discount to the winemakers in the city. They took a fifteen percent loss. Not bad at all.

Lyra went back to White Harbor and told the merchants guild what they have been doing in Gulltown and they all were going to send inquiries to Lord Jon Arryn about it.

Crystal was getting heavier and bigger. She was 210 pounds at 1 year, 4 months and two weeks old. It takes lions three years to get to full adulthood to be able to mate and have a cycle. Lyra was glad it didn't happen sooner because she will feel fidgety, agitated, being over 300 pounds and in heat. Lyra didn't want her to have babies because it would cause too many lions for her to take care of so she wished Crystal fixed like the vet would do to sterilize her for her health to remain good.

~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next three years, Lyra and Crystal hunted, swam and played together in different ports when they found time in Essos and Westeros while being a merchant from port to port. The bond that they had formed was unbreakable. Crystal was a happy lion with Lyra as her constant companion.

Many of the port cities, people didn't bother her because she had her 340 pound hrakkar lion by her side. People in the Essos ports called her 'Magi Sinha Temar' which means 'Magical Lion Tamer'. Her magic that she used in Volantis traveled to other ports like Pentos, Myr and Tyroshi, possibly even Lys.

~~~~~~4yr 7mo(4yr 6.5mo)293AD

Lyra was back in White Harbor. She heard in a tavern that Jorah Mormont never married. She guessed he listened to her about Lynesse Hightower and didn't take her to Bear Island. She paid for docking for the next six months and paid the crew for six months. She let forty sellswords go but kept on ten of her best.

Over the next week, Lyra did everything for their expedition to Winterfell. She pulled out her gray wolf coat and warm clothes. She even had a coat made for Crystal and paw boots too of fur lined socks if Crystal's feet got cold in snow depending on where she ended up going. Lyra wanted to be prepared for anything. She bought three wagons, six horses, six tents and a plethora of food and supplies. Lots of meat for her cat took up room. She figured they would hunt on the way too. The four sellsword guards had to buy their own horses. They didn't mind.

~~~~~4yr 7mo(4yr 5.5mo)293AD

They left from White Harbor and traveled to Moat Carilin for five days and then up the Kingsroad for two and a half weeks. She had Crystal and herself in the front of her wagon. She cooked for everyone for dinners, they ate simple lunch and quick breakfasts. It all worked out well.

~~~~~4yr 8mo(4yr 6.75mo)293AD

Lyra and her men made it to Winter Town and it's bustling with activity. It was harvest time and it was cold but not bad. Their vendor stands were up selling vegetables, fruit and anything else. The brothel was open too.

When Lyra and her three wagons came into town, people stared at her with a full size lioness lying next to her on the seat. Lyra asked the men to help get things stored away that they needed. They said the tents were good for now. They helped her with item sorting and they took the camping supplies. She got a room for the week and the Inn and they helped her get her things into her room. She took the large cuts of meat for Crystal in the crates into her room with the kettle for the fire to use for the salted mutton and pork. The innkeeper was leary of her lioness.

Once they were settled in, Lyra locked up and went to take her lion for a walk. She went by Winterfell's East Gate and was looking at the walls of the fortress ramparts and parapets. She wasn't paying much attention looking up when three children came tearing through the gate and knocked into her. Crystal growled at the kids. The kids froze looking at the lion licking her mouth while, "Raowl!" like an open mouth roar yowl. It told Lyra that she wanted to play. Lyra laughed.

Lyra said, "What are you boys up to and what are your names?"

The one boy older than the other two with blonde hair said, "I'm Theon Greyjoy. Is that your lion?"

Lyra said smiling, "Why yes she is. You want to pet her? Let me ask her first." Lyra snapped her fingers and did hand signals to Crystal. Crystal head butted Theon. He giggled at her and softly petted her head

Theon said, "Her fur is so soft."

Lyra said, "She will let you pet her softly boys." She said to the other two she assumed was Jon and Robb. They all three started petting Crystal.

Lyra said, "Crystal is a good girl but a fierce hunter. She can take down a stag easily. She loves to play with me but we are not very rough and she doesn't use her teeth or claws unless threatened. As long as it is just fun she can play chase too but she will knock you down. I am used to her playfulness." Crystal was grunting and groaning head butting the kids to make them giggle.

Theon said, "I bet that leash doesn't do much good holding her back."

Lyra laughed and said, "No, it's just for show to make people feel like it gives me control over her. She is free to roam in my room or on my carrack ship."

Jon said, "I'm Jon Snow. You have your own ship?"

Lyra said, "I sure do with forty crew and a captain in White Harbor. She's called,'The Wyldwynd'."

Robb said, "I'm Robb Stark. I wish I had a ship."

She smiled at him, patting his shoulder and said, "Maybe one day you can all sail with me somewhere." The three boys nodded.

Robb said, "You should meet my parents and my little sisters."

Lyra said smiling, "Well I am Lady Lyra Wyldwood and I'm staying in the Winter Inn room five. If I'm not there I'm in the Smoking Log Alehouse. You can't miss me with my big pretty girl here." The boys smiled at her.

Robb said, "We will tell father about you."

Jon asked shyly, "Are you part of the House of Wylde in Storms End?"

She smiled at him and said, "I even have a maelstrom on my mainsail." She showed him her citrine ring. Jon shyly smiled at her.

Theon said, "You're very pretty."

She giggled and said, "Why thank you, Theon." He grinned.

Lyra said, "Say hello when you see me boys. I have to go feed my big girl." They nodded and Lyra waved goodbye to them.

As she walked away, she heard Theon Greyjoy say, "She really is pretty. I wish I had a lion too."

Lyra went to her room and fed Crystal a few pounds of meat for dinner with some vegetables she got from the inn's pub with her own dinner. They tucked in for the night together cuddled up in the big bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Lyra was out looking at all the vendors' stalls and the items they offered. She bought a nice pair of black lined fur leather gloves from an old cobbler and gave him five gold dragons. It was the same for everyone she bought from through the shops and vendors.

~~~~~~~~~

After three days passed she was out talking to people on the walkways. The word had spread all the way to the castle about the woman with a lion being kind and generous to everyone selling goods and friendly to the staff at the inn and pub.

Lord Ned Stark had heard nothing but the boys talking about the pretty woman with the lion at the inn in Winter Town for three days. They were having a harvest feast in two days and had all his bannermen lords come celebrate with him and his family. The children said the lady had a ship, was a Wylde and was from Storms End. She even let them pet her softly furred white lion they said was a female. Theon said she went wherever the lady went and even said one day she would take them on her ship for a trip. He was a bit leery about a full grown lion around his children but he wanted to meet the woman and decide for himself.

Ned went into town and found her easily at the vendors. He saw her kissing the old lady, Deena Erstdale, and giving her five gold coins and telling her happy harvest. He liked that she was kind to his people, especially the elders. The lady turned wrapping the scarf around her neck she bought and patted the lioness on the neck. She bought two sticks of roast meat from another vendor and sat down on a tree trunk off to the side of the road feeding pieces to her lion and herself. The lion was gentle, taking it from the woman's fingers. The woman smiled, giggled and was talking to the big cat like a person. Ned approached her.

He said, "Lady Wyldwood, I am Lord Ned Stark. I have heard nothing but my boys talking about you."

Lyra stood up wiping her hand on her pants and put out her hand to him and said, "Hello, Lord Stark, I am Lady Lyra Wyldwood from the ship 'The Wyldwynd' docked in White Harbor right now. You have some handsome young boys that were very rambunctious but respectful to me. My lion thought they were good boys and loved the attention and pets."

He smiled at her and said, "I have heard about your kindness towards my people in town, it has already reached the castle. Nothing attracts attention like a white lion in the North."

Lyra laughed and said, "I'd say so. Crystal is not easy to hide at 340 pounds."

Ned chuckled and said, "How much does an animal like her eat in a day?"

Lyra said smiling, "Not as much as you would think. Eleven pounds of raw or cooked meat in a day. She snacks on my food too but I also try to get vegetables in her a little too." Lyra was moving around the meat on a stick and Crystal was watching her. She roar/yowl making a rowel noise. Lyra started laughing. She started popping little pieces of meat in Crystal's mouth.

Lyra said, "She's such a big baby. She's a fierce hunter and protective fighter but gentle around the right people. She listens to my commands and my hand signals. She has a sense of those not nice people and warns me ahead of time with a certain low growl. I know all her sounds and signs of behavior. She's a good girl. I got her sickly at a month old in Braavos being sold on the auction block for fighting in the pits. I couldn't stand the thought of her having to grow up like that if she lived. She was terribly underweight with her eyes crusted closed. I healed her back to a healthy baby."

He chuckled and said, "She's not a little now."

Lyra said, "No, but she is not a mean lion either."

Ned said, "She is a wild animal and you can't deny it."

Lyra said, "That's true. She is a wild animal, but l give her the opportunity to hunt for herself, together with me and for the ten sellswords I have here loyal to me and they are camping outside of town right now. She surrendered the stag but took a bite out of the neck to kill it. She and I drug it up to the campsite to butcher by the legs even when we traveled here. You should have seen us together, me with one leg and her with the other. The men laughed at us. She took down the stag and got to eat a fair amount for three days. I cooked up the meat in my barley stew. The men loved my cooking every night because I had a big bag of nothing but dry spices, herbs, flour, sugar, and salt in it. It was collected from all over my travels. Moral of my story is, she gets to be a lion under the right circumstances and environment. I don't deny her anything but killing people, unless threatened, but she will warn me first. If a person needs to be killed, I would do it myself before I would let her, unless it's a battle together. She is very well trained."

Ned said, "I would like you to come to the castle and stay as my guest. Can I trust your lion to not harm my family?"

Lyra said, "Yes, she knows what the command baby means with children. They may get their skin licked off and the big ones may get knocked down playing but she will guard a baby like the female lioness she is. Your children would be safe. She would play with the children of the merchants in some of the ports I visited that know me well in Essos. If they get too aggressive she comes to me and avoids mean children." Ned nodded.

He said, "Lady Wyldwood, come join us for dinner tonight. We can prepare you a room and move your belongings into the castle from the Inn tomorrow. There are lords from all my banners coming in over the next two days for the harvest feast. Some are already here now."

Lyra said, "That is quite an honor to offer to me, Lord Stark. Thank you, I accept your hospitality and kindness."

Ned said, "Come to the castle, meet the rest of my family and lords here." Lyra had fed Crystal all of the stick meat and they followed him to the castle.

As they walked, he asked, "So how long have you been a merchant?"

Lyra said smiling, "Over four years now. I have sailed as far as Asshai on the Jade Sea and have been from there to Braavos in Essos. From White Harbor to Lannisport in Westeros."

Ned said surprised, "That's a lot of traveling for a woman so young."

She said giggling, "I was twenty and two name days old when I started, and I'm twenty and six now."

Ned said curiously, "How is it your family let you do this independently? I would think they would marry you to some house by now?"

Lyra laughed and said, "I am a Wylde, but I am the last of the Wyldwood's. I have never even met my Wylde relatives in Storms End. My family was estranged, hence the Wyldwood." Ned nodded. Crystal rumbles a growl.

Lyra said seriously, "Crystal has to go to the woods for a moment to relieve herself." Ned stopped, looked around and pointed in a direction they went to a spot out of the way.

Lyra said softly, "Find a spot, Crystal." She sniffed around and did her business. Lyra covered it in patches of snow nearby and leaves.

After they continued walking inside the gate. Ned took her into the Great Keep where the family resided. When they entered the Common Room, Caitlyn Stark rose to her feet holding a two year old Bran.

Caitlyn said, "Ned, you brought that wild animal in here?"