Chapter 6: Wild Wolf Returns

OOC: AUTHOR NOTE: Sorry for the time this took. Brandon was fighting my muse.

Brandon

He was back again. Riding through the high gate of Winterfell. He had only been gone a few weeks. Enough time for him to get back to Barrowton, spend two weeks there then he had to mount up and return to Winterfell. With his foster family. An interesting situation. Lord Dustin rode beside him. William Dustin behind him. His eyes flicked around the courtyard. His father stood in full Armor and beside him, stood Benjen. Lyanna was nowhere to be found. Off to the side were other Northern Lords. Brandon swung down off his horse and passed the reins to a stable lad. He then moved forward and went down on one knee before his father.

"Lord Stark." He greeted his father.

"Rise" Came the stern reply.

Brandon did so. His father studied him and then clasped his shoulder before moving on to greeting Lord Dustin and his heir.

Benjen moved to stand beside Brandon and he tugged on Brandon's hand. Brandon bent down and Benjen whispered "Lyanna is locked in her room"

Brandon sighed. "Was it about the Septa?" He could see the Septa lurking by the Maester's Tower .

"Yes" Benjen whispered back. "Father will bring her to the Hall. She has to confess"

Brandon considered that. Lyanna and he were alike in many ways. He knew she would eventually bend. Had it been Karlyn, father would be waiting a LONG time for her to bend. It was probably best that Karlyn had been chosen to marry a Lannister, she would make a wonderful Lady of the Westerlands with her stubborn streak. Lyanna on the other hand, was more suited for the wilds of the north. He took Benjen's hand. "Come on. Lets go speak with her." He said in a low tone of voice.

As his father introduced Dustin to other lords of the North, the Stark boys slipped away.

They made their way to the family wing and Benjen rapped two short knocks on Lyanna's door.

"Come" a voice called out.

The Stark brothers entered the room and found their sister sitting on the window seat. She was dressed in what Brandon knew was one of her best dresses, a pale blue their mother had brought from the south.

She smiled at Brandon. "Brandon!" She jumped up. But her run to him was forestalled by him raising a hand.

"Lyanna. What in the North have you done?"

She scowled and crossed her arms. "I did what should have been done ages ago. I told the lords of the North the truth. That Maester convinced our father to bring in that Septa so that the Seven would become the paramount religion of the North."

Brandon sighed. "That maybe true but there was surely other ways of getting your point across…"

Lyanna scowled at him. "She wanted me to recite prayers!" There was more to it, but she would save that.

Benjen climbed up onto his sister's bed to watch. Normally, Eddard and Karlyn would be there with him, watching the titanic struggle of wills between their siblings. But he was just going to have to watch alone this time.

"So?" He replied. "She is not asking you to convert! Just act like you know them." He paused "Ah you don't know them right?"

Lyanna scowled again. "No I don't know them. Why would I? I worship the Old Gods, as do you, Eddard, Karlyn and Benjen, as did father!"

"Did?" Brandon asked curiously.

"He has not been to the gods wood in months!"

"Not since mother got sick" Benjen put in.

Brandon frowned. He considered it for a moment and then realised that it was probably why Karlyn and Eddard had arranged the meeting in the Gods Wood. Their father would not hear them because he had not been near it in months.

Now Brandon sighed. "Still Lyanna, mother would not be impressed with your behaviour. Even Karlyn would not have done this!"

Lyanna sniffed. "Karlyn has other ways of making father pay."

Which was true. Karlyn used her eyes, their mother's eyes, And she could make them frost or warm on a thought. And when her father upset her or she didn't get her way, she would use her eyes on him. That said, Karlyn had not used them in relation to the subject of her marriage. Which meant that his quieter sister, had a plan that she had not disclosed to her siblings… well, she may have disclosed it to Eddard. Only 11 months separated Ned and Karlyn. And they were close. Brandon, would write to Ned at the first available opportunity to see what he knew.

Before he could return a salvo at his sister, a servant knocked and entered. "my Lords, my lady, Lord Stark has requested your presence in the Grand hall."

Brandon nodded. He straightened up and headed for the door as Benjen rolled off the bed to follow.

Lyanna stood and straightened her skirts. She raised her chin and followed her brothers from the room.

When they arrived at the door to the great hall, a guard bared Lyanna's path sheepishly. "Apologies My lady, you are to wait here until your father summons you."

Brandon and Benjen gave Lyanna commiserating looks and entered the hall. They moved swiftly to the raised platform where, normally stood tables for meals. But now there was the lone chair, the Throne of the North. Their father sat there. Alone and grave faced. Brandon noted two chairs off to the side and after he and Benjen had made their bows, moved off to sit and wait for their sister's entrance.

Before that however, Lord Ronard Bolton stepped forward, his eyes sly and his hands clasped almost piously, which of course made Brandon pay even more attention to the current Leech lord.

"Lord Stark" he said, his tone almost servile in its intonation. "I do hope you understand the importance of why we are here. Why is your daughter absent from these proceedings as it is at her word we travelled here."

Rickard Stark narrowed his eyes at the Leech Lord and stood. "I do understand why you all ran here. At the summons of a seven name day old child."

Ronard merely waved that away. "The fact remains Lord Stark that you have brought a Septa of the Seven to your house, to instruct your children in their ways. They are children of the North. The old gods are our way. You have arranged matches for your children with Southeron Lords, why? Your children are of the North and they should be wed to Northern Lords."

The Maester who had been lurking off in the shadows stepped forward then. An oily smile on his lips. "My Lord of Bolton." He began "Those alliances of which you speak bring much to the North. Lady Karlyn's betrothal to Lord Jaime Lannister, links Lord Stark to the Hand of the King, a powerful voice within Kings Landing, as well as access to the Westerlands. Lord Eddard's fostering with Lord Aryn, brings Lord Eddard into contact with not only the Lord of the Eryie, but with the heir to Storms End, a cousin to the King himself. And Lord Brandon's betrothal to Lady Catelyn Tully, yet another child of a Lord Paramount, this one of the Trident, brings with it, trade to the Riverlands, which is sorely needed. And for Lady Lyanna, the betrothal to Lord Robert Baratheon, gives the North yet another link to the Court of the King. And Trade with the Crownlands"

Bolton sneered. "I notice you mention not our lords youngest son, what are Your plans for young Benjen Stark?" Ronard made it clear he figured these plans were the Maesters and not of Lord Rickard.

The Maester shifted at that. He knew saying that Benjen was being sent to the wall would make things worse.

Benjen however had no such, filter if you will, and blurted out. "The Maester has said that I am for the Nights Watch."

The tumult was instantaneous. Lords began to shout. Cursing was liberally heard as the Lords of the North made their distaste for that idea known.

Waving for silence, Lord Callor Umber stalked forward to stand beside Lord Bolton. His glower was harsh as he glared at the Maester. "Lord Rickard, I request that you grant me the honour of fostering your Son, Benjen Stark until the age of 16, after which, I would wish to discuss a betrothal between Benjen and my youngest daughter."

Brandon stood noting with distance that his father was seething. The Maester had put the Stark in it. And Benjen had sealed his fate. "My lords" He said calmly. "My Father has made these choices for the good of the North and his family." By the Gods, he hated toeing the family line. He looked at his father. "Maybe, Father, we should bring in Lyanna to speak?" Brandon wanted his sister in the hall. It would he hoped calm the more virulent actions by the lords.

Rickard scowled but nodded. The guards at the door stepped out and Lyanna entered with them behind her. She walked briskly up the hall, the lords all stepping back to allow her passage. She dropped a polite curtsey to her father and stood, her hands clasped in front of her. Her chin was raised defiantly.

Rickard studied his daughter for a moment. "Lyanna, these lords of the North have come here to speak about your scroll you sent to Lord Umber's daughter."

Lyanna turned and smiled politely to them all dropping a curtsey. "Of course My Lords, I am at your disposal."

"Lyanna." Her father's tone was icy.

"Father?" She asked him turning to face him again.

"You have something to say to the Lords." He stated in a factual tone of voice.

Sighing she turned to the Lords to recite what her father had told her to say. But before she could open her mouth, Lord Umber held up a hand to forestall her.

"Lord Stark, with all due respect, we want the truth, not some rehearsed words that the Maester here and that Septa" here he pointed to the side, where the Septa lurked, "Have drilled into the girl as punishment."

Rickard stood, his wolfs blood up now. "You would say such!?"

"I am loyal to house Stark Lord Stark, and you know this" Umber replied. "The girl sent a raven with the claim that the Septa is trying to convert the Children of your family to the Seven. Why would she send such, please, let her speak honestly"

Rickard glowered but nodded.

Lyanna turned to Lord Umber. "My Lord of Umber," she said politely, "What I wrote to your daughter was true. Maester Wayls has been pushing a southeron agenda since his arrival here, 4 years ago after the death of Maester Prestan. He arranged the betrothals of my Sister and Brother and the fostering of my brother Eddard." She spoke in her clear voice. "When my mother fell ill, he encouraged my father to ignore his faith. My father has not been to the Gods Wood in many, many moons, and he encouraged him to send for a Septa before my mothers last breath had been taken. He wants my baby brother to take the Black, and he wants Eddard to marry a southeron lady. He sent ravens to many different lords in the south about it. When that Septa arrived, and she arrived quickly, only 2 weeks after my lady mothers funeral, she banned me from the Gods Wood, has banned me from the library like HE banned my sister from there. She wants me to pray to the Seven. She gave me the 7 pointed star to learn the prayers!"

Benjen pipped up then. "I have been banned from the Gods Wood as well" he said. Brandon stared at him.

"Benjen?" he queried.

The 5 name day old boy's lower lip quivered as he looked past his older brother to look at the Maester who was alternating between glaring at Lyanna's back and at Benjen.

Benjen tucked his hands behind his back, hands, Brandon noted were half hidden by his sleeves. Brandon walked over to Benjen and pushed back his brothers sleeves. And stared at the red raw marks on his brothers arms.

Several of the closest lords exclaimed and stared. Brandon turned to the Maester. "Explain." He said. "As Lord Starks heir, I demand an explanation"

"As Lord Stark, I demand an explanation" Rickard's voice boomed as he rose from his chair. His face was mottled in anger, but not at his children. He reached out, placed his hand on Lyanna's shoulder and drew her back to stand with her brothers. He had, as had his wife thought that the Maester was to be trusted.

Maester Wayls drew himself up and folded his hands in his sleeves. "You gave me leave to discipline your children as I saw fit in regards to their behaviour" He reminded Lord Stark. "Young Benjen was not doing as he was asked and was punished appropriately."

The roar came from Brandon, who at 11 was not the man his father was, so did not have the cooler head nor the way to claim himself. He drew his dagger and advanced on the man, but Lord Bolton snagged him and pushed him back. "Nay lad" He said. "Let the adults handle this." He advised, though he was, deep down impressed with the Lad's thought about killing the Maester.

"GUARDS!" Lord Stark bellowed. "escort this… bastard to the cells"

Two guards roughly seized Wayls and dragged the protesting Maester from the hall.

Lyanna looked around. "Where is the Septa?" she asked her father beneath the roar of conversation which had sprung up.

Guards were dispatched to find her at once.

Brandon pulled his siblings to the side of the hall near one of the great fireplaces. They stood there as their father and his lords spoke about the maester and missing Septa and what was to be done.

Lyanna had a half smile on her face, content that they had managed to deal with the Maester and Septa in one fell swoop.

House Umber:

Lord Callor Umber father of Lord Jon Umber (Greatjon)

House Bolton:

Lord Ronard Bolton father of Lord Roose Bolton

As none of these were ever named, I had to create names