298ac, Winterfell

The swatch of oiled leather ran down the length of Ice. The blood from the recent execution was rinsed in the bucket of water by his right foot.

Eddard never enjoyed doing what he does, it was a duty, and he is obliged to honor the vows made which these unfortunate oathbreakers discard so recklessly as to spew the ghost stories beyond the Wall.

What has the Warden of the North more perplexed about is what occurred after that nasty business.

They were returning to Winterfell when Robb discovered a dead stag in the road, and down the creek, they found something he had never seen, and neither had his own father seen one... It was a direwolf.

Not for a hundred years has a direwolf been spotted in the North. They had roaming wolf packs, aye, one about forty years ago was the size of Winterfell's biggest hound but never the beast on his family sigil.

It had been dead for a time, the stag had pierced its throat before it too had fallen.

The bitch was carrying when she died and whelped six pups. Four males, and two females. There was even a seventh pup, discovered by Jon which had been another male.

He initially heeded his and Hullen's idea to put them down, a merciful death compared to one of starvation but Bran pushed to save them, then Robb and lastly Jon.

Jon had pushed to keep the pups knowing he wouldn't get one, and said it was a good omen to keep them so Eddard relented to his sons. He let them keep them but laid out some rules for doing so and that was they feed them, train them, and bury them if they died and not to trouble the household staff with them.

The sixth pup he sent with Jory to take to White Harbor, to carry the same message to his second son, Willam.

"I still feel like an outsider when I come here." His lady-wife said as she entered the Godswood.

Eddard had to chuckle for a moment, "You gave birth to six Northern children, you are no outsider." Catelyn smiled and held her hands together.

"I wonder if the Old Gods agree... " His wife in all of their years together never felt at home here, it was for that reason he allowed a sept to be built so that those like her could pray to the gods of their Andal faith.

Each of his children barring Jon prayed to both the Old and New Gods.

"It's your Gods with all of the rules. Tell me, where are the children?" He asked as he sheathed Ice into its scabbard. Catelyn sauntered closer and seated herself next to him, her cloak spread on the forest floor under the heart tree.

"They are in the kitchens, arguing about names for the wolf pups." He felt himself chuckle at that, thinking they would choose good names for the wolves. "Arya is in love with hers, and Sansa is charmed and gracious... Rickon is, well, not quite sure."

Eddard rose a brow, "Is he afraid?" He asked and she looked as unsure then said a little, and that he was only six. "He must learn not to fear for he will not be three forever. Winter is Coming." The house words, the Stark words that are told from Stark to Stark for thousands of years.

Catelyn looked to the floor, deep in thought. "The man died well, today. And Bran didn't look away. You would have been proud of him." She looked him in the eyes then.

"I'm always proud of Bran."

"This was the fourth this year. Ben writes the Night's Watch had dwindled down to no more than a thousand, losing men to more ranging than to desertions." His tone became grim then.

"Is it the Wildings?" His wife wondered and he was sure of it.

The man today was half-mad, not even his words could reach him and he went on about the White Walkers; the monsters of myth that reigned in the Long Night.

"The day is coming when I must call my banners and deal with this King-beyond-the-Wall for the good of all." Catelyn looked horrified by that prospect and for good reason.

The last war was eight years ago when he called the banners to fight House Greyjoy and years before that was the Rebellion where he avenged his father, brother, and sister who were imprisoned, executed, and worse by Aerys II Targaryen.

A sadder time in his life he hopes to never revisit.

Catelyn didn't want him to go, he saw that but he also noticed her fidgeting her hands as if hiding something. "Is something the matter, my Lady?"

"I had hoped to do this after, but... I am so sorry, my love. A raven from King's Landing had come this morning, Lord Jon Arryn is dead." Eddard tensed as a shaky breath of grief threatened to erupt upon hearing such tragic news.

Jon was his friend. His good brother after their duo marriages to Catelyn and her sister, Lysa Tully. He even hoped to foster Bran to him later this year, his son was seven name days and the same age as Willam when he left home.

"What of Lysa, and Jon's son?" He asked after them.

Catelyn took a breath, "Safe and well, returned to the Eyrie though I hoped she would have gone home to Riverrun. The Eyrie is a lonely place and Jon's seat, I fear his memory will haunt each step she takes."

"Then go to her. Take the children and fill the halls with laughter. I had hoped for Jon to take on Bran as a foster like I had done and his own son would make a bond of blood and friendship." Catelyn said nothing in response which made Eddard curious. "There was something else, was there?"

Eddard placed a hand on his wife for some small bit of comfort, Catelyn shook her head speaking quickly. "I wish I could but the King is coming North to seek you out." He had to admit there was some excitement in that news, "I knew you would like that." She said with a smile, "We should send word to Benjen."

"Yes, I shall have Luwin send our fastest bird." Eddard rose to his feet and slung Ice on his back, he then held out a hand to take his wife's own. "Damn that man, he gave us no more notice than this? How many is in his party, did the message say?"

"At least a hundred knights with all their retainers and attendants. His wife and children as well." Robert will keep a steady pace for their sakes, "The Queen's brothers also travel with them... "

Eddard soured a little by that, he eventually cast it aside in favor of simply having his friend at his home at last. "An infestation of Lannisters are worth having Robert grace us with his visit."

There is little love between him and Tywin and the old lion's children, not after he saw what Gregor Clegane had done to Rhaegar's wife and two children. "It sounds as if Robert is bringing half the royal court with him."

"Where the King goes, the Realm follows." Catelyn and he started making their way out of the Godswood, "Ned, with such an event happening soon, I was wondering if our son could be sent home for a fortnight."

Ned grimaced and had thought he should have expected her to ask. "Cat... " His voice was calm and worn, not wanting to have this discussion all over again.

Three times in six years she would ask for Willams return.

"You were allowed to return during your fostering, why can't Willam?"

A few years prior shortly after Willam's seventh name day, Eddard began thinking about Will and Bran's futures and figured he could foster them to trusted friends and vassals.

Cat wasn't so inclined and they spent a moon discussing till he convinced her that fostering the children would instill a sense of knowledge they couldn't get at home because when Robb becomes Lord Stark, his brothers would need to branch out on their own and fostering them and making ties with the houses of the North is a start in that exact direction.

She relented only on the promise they wouldn't send one of their children away like that ever again, he had reluctantly sworn then and roughly a year later their fourth son would be born.

Willam didn't wish to leave as he remembered, locking himself in his room and refusing to open it for hours till Eddard threatened to have Walder; Nan's grandson break it down with a mallet.

The boy was wild like little Rickon and as adventurous as Bran or Arya right now. He hopes his time away chiseled the boy as he is just a few short years from manhood.

"We shall wait for Robert to nearly arrive, then I will send for him."