CHAPTER 9

Ned said, "Easy Cat, Lady Lyra has assured me that her lion will never harm the children. She has even played with and defended them."

Lyra said, "Pleased to meet you Lady Stark, I am Lady Lyra Wyldwood. Please, my lioness, Crystal, may be very big and intimidating, but she loves children and avoids them by coming to me even if they are mean. She wouldn't strike out at a child. She growls loudly if adults aren't quite right now though but she has never attacked a human. I would do it before letting her do it." Caitlyn nodded her head.

Suddenly, five children came racing into the room, Theon, Robb, Jon, Sansa and Arya. Theon shouted, "Is she here! Is she here!" They all stopped in their tracks.

Ned shook his head pinching the bridge of his nose. He said to Lyra, "You try to teach them manners in front of others, like proper little lords and ladies, but this is what I get." Lyra snorted.

Lyra said smirking at the kids winking at them, "Children will be children." Crystal plopped her butt down on the rug and made her growl/yowl licking her open mouth. She wanted to play. Lyra laughed looking down at her.

Lyra said, "This one is a living example of a child that never grew up. She's asking to play with the children."

Caitlyn said doubtfully, "No, really?" Lyra nodded yes at her. Crystal flopped down on the carpet and flipped over on her back showing her belly.

Lyra said, "I don't think Crystal can tell you any clearer than exposing herself like this." Lyra said, kneeling down and rubbing her belly, "You're such a softie girl for babies and children, aren't you sweet girl."

Arya, who was six years old at this time, said, "Papa, can we pet the big kitty?" Ned raised an eyebrow at Caitlyn. She sighed and nodded.

Ned said, "Yes, but one…" He was too late, all the kids ran up and started petting the lion. "...at a time." Lyra looked up smiling at Ned and he shrugged.

Lyra said, "Be gentle and soft. She's a very sweet girl and loves belly rubs." She smiled watching Jon lean down and kissed the lion on the nose getting a big lick on his cheek, that was huge for her to do.

The kids laughed and Jon smiled at Lyra. Lyra patted his head and said, "She really likes you. I never saw her lick anyone but me." Jon's eyes lit up and he started petting her under her chin.

Arya said, "Papa, look she's shaking and so is her insides." Ned smiled at her.

Lyra said, "That's her purring just like little regular cats do."

Arya said, "I want to sleep on her. She's soft and pretty." Lyra smiled at the cute little doe eyed Arya.

Sansa said, "She is very pretty and so soft. Will she get cold in the season?"

Lyra said, "I bought her a fur coat and a pair of lion size fur lined paw mittens if it does." The children all laughed.

Maester Luwin came into the room and said, "It's time for dinner, my Lord. The other lords are being notified."

Ned said, "Thank you. Children, it's time to go eat dinner."

They all got upset and said, "Awwww."

He said, "Lady Lyra and Crystal are invited to dinner tonight and will be moving into a room in the keep tomorrow."

They cheered, "Yay!" Caitlyn laughed at the children. The kids got up off the floor and so did Crystal and Lyra. They all went to the Great Hall. It was cute because Lyra noticed Jon walking on the other side of Crystal with his hand on her head patting her. Lyra telling him that he was the only one to be kissed by Crystal gave him a feeling of acceptance by the lion.

When they reached the hall, suddenly a chair moved back scrapping on the floor and a man shouted, "Lyra!" She turned her head and saw Jorah Mormont walking towards her quickly. She handed Crystal's leash to Jon and walked towards him. Jon smiled big at the confidence in him holding the lion's leash. Jon petted Crystal as she watched her mother walking into the room.

Jorah said, "It's been a long time."

Lyra said, "I know almost four years. How have you been, Jorah?"

He smiled, "Better because I listened to you. She married a Mistwood from Storms End and almost made him go broke. You stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life. Thank you, Lyra."

Lyra said, "You're welcome, Jorah."

Ned walked up and asked, "How do you know each other"

Jorah said, "I met her the night before the tourney in Lannisport. She stopped me from doing something foolish and ruining my life. She won the archery tournament first prize."

Ned said, "That's amazing. Come let us eat. Lady Lyra the cook set aside a roast venison for your lion and some vegetables cooked."

Lyra said, "I hope it isn't a big roast. She only eats three to four pounds of meat in a sitting and eleven a day."

Ned said, "I'll tell Maester Luwin to let him know." She smiled, patted his arm and went to sit at the table and found that Theon and Jon made room for her to sit between them. Crystal was already waiting for her on her leash next to Jon.

Arya said, pouting, "Papa, Theon and Jon took the lion away from me. I wanted her to sit next to me and they said no and I'm too little." Everyone laughed.

Ned said, "Arya, the lion can sit next to you tomorrow night, ok? We must share." Arya smiled and nodded. Lyra smiled. The servants came and served the meal and a platter of raw venison with veggies was brought to Lyra for Crystal. Everyone was eating and the conversation was nice about ships and hunting animals. After dinner Jorah wanted to walk Lyra back to her room in the Inn.

As they were walking, Jorah said, "I'm sorry, Lyra. I shouldn't have treated you like that. She was pressuring me for two days before you came. I let her manipulate me."

Lyra said, "You won't be the first or the last man to be manipulated by a woman."

Jorah said, "You're not like that though. I knew it and let Lynesse Hightower do it to me anyway. I'm glad you told me what you knew about her because it would have ruined my life. Can I ask you if you were with Tywin Lannister after that?"

Lyra said, "I'm sure you heard I was, only for two and a half months."

Jorah asked curiously, "What went wrong?"

Lyra said, "Cersei, she tried to have me killed by one of his bannermen and three other soldiers for a price. I killed them instead. I told him that I was more dangerous than him or my lion, but until then he didn't believe me."

Jorah said, "You were only protecting yourself and he wanted you to leave?"

Lyra said, "Not exactly." They walked into the inn and they went up to her room. Lyra opened the door, dropping the leash. Crystal plopped on the ground licking her paws.

When she closed the door she bent down and undid the leash from the collar, she said, "Tywin said 'Perhaps' and I said I would leave cutting him off. He didn't stop me. I'm not sure if he wanted me to leave or if it was because Cersei wouldn't stop as long as I was there. She was selfish and didn't want him with a woman. I took three days to pack up at the castle and three days to stock the ship, but he never came or sent word."

Jorah sat on a chair and asked, "What have you been doing since then?"

Lyra said, "Traveling the world. Mostly Essos. I worked with and employed men but didn't have another relationship."

Jorah said, "I never married again, still. I couldn't after knowing what I did to you and what she turned out to be as you said to someone else though luckily. I was glad you stopped me but I still missed you. I tried to have a relationship but nobody else compared to you."

Lyra said hesitantly, "Jorah…"

He said pleadingly, "Please, Lyra, I want to get to know you better and earn another chance. I will do anything you ask, so you will trust me again."

She said, "Jorah, I have been on my own for a long time. You hurt me and made me cry. Even if I gave you my trust, are you sure you could take on an independent woman and a full grown lion into your life?"

Jorah stood up and walked over and sat on the bed next to her. He caressed the side of her face and lips. He said, "I'll make room. I'll try to never hurt you again or make you cry sad tears because of me. I choose you, only you." He leaned down and lightly kissed her mouth.

Crystal growled at her, the bathroom growl. Lyra broke the kiss and found Crystal's face looking at them both really up close. Lyra started laughing.

She said, "You should have said something before we got in here on the walk, you funny girl."

She turned to Jorah and said, "She has to relieve herself."

Jorah said, "I'll go with you." He stood up and they both took Crystal out to the bathroom in the woods. When they were walking back, three men stood in front of them both with swords drawn. Crystal growled her warning growl.

Lyra asked firmly, "What do you want?"

The leader said nastily, "To kill that fucking animal!"

Lyra pulled her sword and so did Jorah. Lyra asked, "Why would you want to kill my lion?"

He shouted hatefully, "It killed my chickens!" He and his two friends lunged forward and they were clashing steel. Crystal roared.

Lyra shouted, "No, Crystal, back!" Crystal stepped back behind them roaring, but the one man did a back slash slicing Lyra's left shoulder and back. Crystal roared again louder. Lyra kept fighting and sliced one man's arm as the eight Winterfell guards ran around the corner. They saw the woman and Ser Jorah Mormont being engaged by three men. Jorah sliced a man's thigh. Crystal kept roaring. The guards apprehended and captured the men.

The one guard said to Lyra, "What happened?"

Lyra said, "They said they wanted to kill my lion because she killed their chickens."

The man that said it shouted, "It did! It did, this evening! We saw it!"

The guard shouted, "You stupid men! her lion has been in Winterfell since this afternoon with Lord Stark's family!"

Lyra asked, "Was it a few chickens or the whole coop?"

The man spit and said, "The whole coop and left the bodies laying around!"

Lyra said angrily, "My lion could only eat no more than three chickens in a day! Lions only eat eleven pounds of meat in a day! If your whole coop is dead and bodies still there, are you so sure you haven't enraged someone else to take this kind of revenge on you?! Even a wolf pack would have eaten or run off with the chickens from a coop not leaving them dead all over! Animals eat their prey, you fools! They don't just kill to kill! They don't think like people!" Lyra started to stagger. Jorah walked behind her and saw a lot of blood on the snow.

Jorah shouted and grabbed her, "Lyra! You're hurt!" The one guard saw her black shirt was slashed on her shoulder and back. He and Jorah saw an eight inch slice down her back.

Lyra reached out to Jorah and said, "I can't put my sword in its scabbard." She passed out, dropping her sword. Jorah caught her. Crystal was at her side sniffing her back. Jorah took Crystal's leash and picked up Lyra in both his arms. The guard put her sword in the scabbard.

The guard said, "We should take her to Winterfell. She was coming in the morning anyway." Jorah nodded. They hurried to get her to the castle. The guards dragged the men with them.

Ned was pulled from his bed to tell him that Lady Wyldwood was attacked and hurt badly by three men. The maester had her in a room and was being seen. Ned was with Jorah and had the men locked up in cells. Jorah kept patting Crystal. She was sulking and had her head on Jorah's knee.

Ned looked at the cat and said, "By the way she is acting, I'd say she knows."

Jorah said looking pensively, "I don't know how it works between them both, but the cat knows and was there. Lyra shouted for her to stand back and the lion did exactly as she said. I think if Lyra hadn't said anything, Crystal would have ripped them apart. They were trying to kill Crystal for a raid on their chickens this evening."

Ned said incredulously, "They were both here."

Jorah said nodding, "I don't think they really cared but wanted an animal to blame. Lyra shouted at them that they were fools because a lion only eats three chickens in a day and a pack of wolves would have run off with all the bodies killed that were still laying on the ground. She screamed that only people kill for no reason but animals do it to eat. She told him that he made someone really angry enough to do it as revenge."

Ned said stoically, "She is right. They are fools."

Jorah said, "I fell in love with her, in one night, almost four years ago at that tourney in Lannisport and thought I'd never see her again. She's the smartest woman I have ever met. She's a seer."

Ned looked at him and said, "She is?"

Jorah said nodding, "Oh yes, as mad and hurt as she was seeing me kiss Lynesse Hightower, she said she was a seer. She warned me that she saw her make me so desperate to please her with money that I broke our laws if I married her. She didn't have to tell me that, but she did."

Ned asked, "Isn't she the one old Lord Mistwood almost went bankrupt because of?"

Jorah nodded and said, "Yes, that was her. Glad I didn't marry her not for the lack of her trying though." He sighed and said, "It should have been Lyra." Ned patted him on the back.

Ned said, "She'll be ok. She's a strong woman. I don't know her well but she surely presents herself that way, besides my children love her too all five of the big ones."

The maester walked out the door wiping his hands on a cloth and said, "She is sleeping. I gave her a milk of poppy dose. She bled a lot and the nine inch slice is all stitched up but she needs to rest. I suppose the lion has to sleep with her?"

Jorah nodded and said, "I'll stay with her too overnight." Jorah stood up and Crystal stood up.

Maester Luwin said, "Give her this for pain every four to six hours as needed, two drops on the tongue or in a bit of water." Jorah nodded. Ned nodded at Jorah and went back to bed.

Jorah went in the room and locked the door. He unclipped Crystal's leash and took off his boots and everything from the waist up he sat the bottle on the table next to the bed. Lyra was laying on her stomach with her back exposed. Jorah saw just how long the slash was to her back and shoulder. He laid down on her injured left side. Crystal hopped up on the bed next to her other side and started pawing the blankets. Jorah lifted the blanket for her and she climbed under next to Lyra with Jorah covering her up. Jorah laid on his side with his arm over her waist under the blanket.