CHAPTER 27

Lyra was traveling in the snow from Deepwood Motte where her ship dropped her and her men off with full pack horses of plenty for food and supplies to travel by horse with no wagons through the snow. It was slow going but with a few wishes they were traveling at a steady rate to Winterfell and reached it in 13 days instead of the nine days normally when it's clear terrain.

When she arrived they got settled inside Winterfell. Ned took her to his study and they sat down together in front of the fire in the two chairs. He was trying to warm her up with a mug of hot mulled wine. Lyra had told Ned of her coming like she planned at Deepwood Motte. She had also sent a raven to Jon up at the Wall. She told him of what's to come with his men and their divided loyalty to the wildlings, but said that his little steward was going to betray him with the others and stab him in the heart. She said they would lure him out by saying they saw Benjen. She told him to be safe and stick to the path. She also said to not listen to anything the red witch says when she returns because if he needs to ask for help or information that he can send her a raven once she gets back to Bear Island.

Ned said seriously, "Lyra, Stannis is north of here about six days from here but the snow storms are unpredictable and they are snowed in according to my scouts."

He asked, cocking his head looking at her, wanting to know, "You never said what you're needing to do?"

She smiled at him and said, "Oh you know me, Ned. I have another child to save and take home with me to add to the family." Ned smiled at her chuckling.

She got serious and said, "Stannis is going to attempt to burn his own child alive at the stake because his red witch is telling him to do it. The red witch said it will break the weather and make his fight successful against you. She is still feeding him lies right to the bloody end. See, the problem with her is that she is reading the glimpses of information she gets from the flames but translates them completely wrong. That fool, Stannis, keeps believing her no matter how ridiculous it becomes because he has become enthralled with himself being the king. I just can't figure out how old she really is under her glamor magic as to why she is so bad at reading things. Perhaps, she is blinded by her overconfidence at always being right."

Ned shook his head closing his eyes. He said sadly, "There will technically be no more Baratheon's to inherit Storm's End if his daughter dies."

She said seriously, "I know. I am taking Shireen to Bear Island with me to raise her as my own until The Second Long Night War. I have to heal her soul after this horror that's coming for her in sennight. I can't imagine the harm that girl will endure knowing the betrayal of her parents trying to kill her for their ambition while throwing her love away. Oh Ned, I want her safe with me so much. The poor child has miraculously survived greyscale from infancy bearing the scar on her little face. I need to help build this child back up. I think I may be able to lessen the scarring too."

He said kindly, "If anyone can do that, you will, Lyra. You are such a good woman. Do you need anything from me to help you do this?"

Lyra smiled at him affectionately and said, "That's what I love about you, Ned, you are always so good to me and helpful. I just need a warm place to rest with her afterwards. I know Stannis will march to attack the following day or so and the red witch will leave him to twist in the wind on his own to head back to Castle Black. I already warned Jon to be wary of her. I would like to keep Shireen safe and next to me until it's over with Stannis. We will go to Deepwood Motte after. My ship is there waiting in fifteen days. They will just put in until I get there. I want to get her to a stable environment quickly so I can start working on her self worth and show her a new way of encouraging her. Jorah is worried because I am out of his pocket again." He laughed.

He said smiling, "I can see him now. That man is so very lost and in love without you."

She giggled and said, "He is such a good man. Our children will help keep him busy with Crystal until I return with Shireen. Joanna recently learned a new word from a cook. She says "bastard" really loud, clear and well for a one name day baby." He laughed heartily, shaking his head.

Ned said grinning, "Arya was running around at that age saying, "arsehole" very loud and clearly too. The boys would snicker at her." Lyra laughed.

She said smiling, "I bet my girl is going to be a smart, capable little girl like Arya tackling the world and fighting like a man. I'll have to chase her around when she's older to stay out of trouble. What's Arya doing now?"

Ned said grinning at her, "Sword fighting but she refuses to use anything but her skinny sword her brother Jon gave her when he left. Arya's getting quite good at archery, knife throwing and fighting with that sword. She is already giving Robb a challenge at practice. That Braavosi sword dancer was a great idea to inspire her. She has improved a lot over the last couple years. Arya can hold her own."

She said smiling, "I told you she would take to it like a duck to water. I'm so proud of her. I'll tell her if I see her before I leave in the morning, but if I don't. Tell her I said so." He smiled and nodded.

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Five days later, Stannis is studying his chessboard. There are two Baratheon pieces next to a sword and opposed to two Bolton pieces. Davos enters the tent.

Davos asked Stannis, "You sent for me, Your Grace?"

Stannis said dry and stoically, "Find you some healthy horses and a few good men to guard you, I'm sending you back to Castle Black. Tell the Lord Commander to send food, supplies, fresh horses, in return when I take the throne I'll make sure the Night's Watch has all the men it requires. He can guard all 19 castles if he so wishes."

Davos replied stubbornly worried, "Your Grace, you've named me your Hand."

Stannis raised his eyebrow at him and said, "Yes." Stannis didn't like how Davos wasn't just doing as told of late.

Davos said looking hard at him, "The King's Hand should never abandon the King, especially in a time of war."

Stannis said with authority, "You're not abandoning me, you're obeying a command." He knew Davos would interfere in what he had planned next.

Davos said flatly wondering why he was doing this, "A boy with a scroll could deliver this message."

Stannis snapped at him, "And if Jon Snow refuses a boy with a scroll, what does the boy say? I didn't name you hand for your expertise in military matters, ride for Castle Black, don't come back empty handed."

Davos pleaded again, "Your Grace, perhaps the Queen and Princess Shireen could accompany me." He didn't like the women in the middle of a losing battle.

Stannis said shortly growling, "My family stays with me."

Davos was worried for Shireen and begged, "At least let me take Shireen. A siege is no place for a little girl."

Stannis said, grinding out as a finality, "My family stays with me."

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Outside Stannis' camp, the men are shivering, waiting in line for food. Davos walks by.

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Inside Shireen's tent, she is reading one of her many books as Davos enters.

Davos smiled fondly at her sitting there and asked her, "What's this one now?"

Shireen always lit up happy seeing Davos because she loved him so much, "'The Dance of Dragons: A True Telling' by Grand Maester Munkun."

Davos chuckled and said, smiling at her, "Well that sounds like a proper story."

Shireen said excitedly, "Ser Byron Swann wanted to kill the dragon Vhagar. He polished his shield for a week, til the steel was like a mirror. Then he crouched behind it, and crept forward, hoping the dragon would only see his own reflection."

Davos chuckled and said, "But the dragon only saw a dumb man, holding a mirrored shield, right?"

Shireen laughingly said, nodding her head, "And burnt him to a crisp." Davos and Shireen shared a laugh.

Davos said, teasingly with her, "Thus ending the dragonslaying career of Ser Byron Swann. I made you something, Princess." Davos hands her a stag carved out of wood.

Davos asked, smiling, "Do you like it?"

Shireen fawned over the gift looking at the details made by his own hands, "He's beautiful." Shireen stood up and kissed him on the cheek.

Shireen shyly said, "Thank you."

Davos was happy she liked it so much and replied, "You're very welcome."

Shireen asked happily, "Will you make me a doe, too, so that he can have company?"

Davos said, grateful that she liked it so much, "Of course I will." He just adored her so much.

Shireen asked curiously, "But why am I getting a present?"

Davos honestly said, "Because you deserve it. My son was always on me trying to teach me to read. Gods, I was stubborn about it. Made it this far without reading, seemed to me I could make it to the grave. I wish I had listened to him. This is my own poor way of saying thank you for teaching me to be a grown up. *he paused* I'll be gone for a few days, Princess. I'll want to hear all about the dance of dragons when I'm back."

Shireen said giggling, "You'll just have to read it yourself." Davos kisses Shireen on her forehead then leaves. Shireen looks over the stag smiling and loving the personal gift.

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Lyra and her men are moving through the snow in damn near white out conditions. They made camp away from being discovered by Stannis' men. Lyra was in all white moving through the snow to go watch Stannis' camp to see just exactly where he was. She sees a man on horseback with two guards leaving camp heading due north.

Lyra gets back to camp and takes ten men with her to circle around north to take the men in custody.

Lyra casted a wish and froze them in place once they were far enough from Stannis' camp. Davos starts shouting, "Who the hell are you?!"

Lyra in her big fluffy white cowl hooded coat walks up to him and says calmly, "I am here to save Lady Shireen Baratheon's life."

Davos spat, "You mean Princess Shireen!" He was trying to keep loyal. She couldn't fault him for that.

Lyra pushed back her hood and said looking directly into his eyes, "No! I mean Lady Shireen Baratheon. Ser Davos Seaworth, why do you think Stannis just made you leave on a fool's errand to Castle Black?"

Davos said nastily, snarling, "It's none of your business. I'm not telling you his plans!"

Lyra said, shaking her head sadly at him, "I already know them all. He sent you to Castle Black to get you out of the way. He was afraid you would interfere and try to stop him because of what he is going to do next. In his foolish desperation, that red witch has convinced him to murder his only child. He, his wife and that red witch are going to burn his only daughter at the stake alive and watch it all happen right in front of them with not a soul to lift a finger to help her. All for a lost cause from the very beginning. The red witch priestess is completely wrong in her assumptions."

Davos was sitting on his horse getting snowed on with his mouth open in complete shock. He asked with a shake of emotions in his voice, "He couldn't possibly….. oh gods, no… he can't! She's just a little girl!" The two guards looked at one another with looks of pity for the child.

Lyra said, still looking him dead in the eyes very seriously, "I am Lady Bear Lyra Mormont from Bear Island. I am a greenseer like you have never seen before. That overconfident red witch priestess, Melisandre, is deadly wrong. Stannis will be dead in a day or so. I want you to come with me and save the child from the damage about to occur. She will need you personally and desperately to help me heal her broken heart and spirit. I will be taking her back with me to Winterfell, then to my ship in Deepwood Motte to then Bear Island. You may come with me. She will be healed and taken care of by me personally until she is to receive Storm's End as her inheritance when she is ready. I will not allow Stannis to do this and end the House of Baratheon. He has been wrong this entire time because, he made wrong choices, poor choices and listened to the red priestess to become a greedy driven fanatic to the point of completely killing his house, commiting filicide by ritually killing his daughter, fratricide by killing his brother with a blood magic demon she birthed in that cave with you and suicide for himself sending 1,500 against 25,000. He cannot be saved but Shireen can."

Lyra asked the two guards, "What is your wish? You have choices. I will kill you now if you want to return to Stannis and warm him. I take you with me to be retrained into my guards at Bear Island and you will see just how different I am with my soldiers and guard by learning straight from them that you get back what you receive. I feed, pay and treat them with respect better than any army, soldiers or guards in Westeros. The last choice is to continue to Castle Black or go your own way." The two men looked at one another and each agreed to go with her under guard for now with Davos.

Davos was speechless looking at the beautiful woman in white. She had her guards lead them all to her camp under lock down, fed them plenty of food and kept warm until her task would be completed.