7 The Deserter

The small party of twenty had departed Winterfell at dawn and rode up the King's Road to see a man beheaded.

It would be the first time for Bran, but his father had said that it was a tradition for boys his age to see it.

Griffith yawned and pulled his furs closer around himself, the morning breeze was especially cold today.

Looking up ahead he saw his father riding with Jory Cassel, his eyes narrowed and his mind drifted back to his near-death experience.

The woman whose name he still didn't know had called him dragon spawn.

At the time he didn't think anything of it he was too preoccupied with not dying but later when he had time to rest Griffith had mulled it over in his mind.

From what he had read of the Targaryens they shared similar features with him but that didn't mean anything at all, Valyrians had silvery white or blond hair.

He needed proof, he couldn't just ignore all the signs and go back to reading books in the library tower.

So he decided to spy on his father, first, he just looked through his paperwork and diary but there was nothing there.

Next, he started to listen in on his conversation and follow him around.

Griffith did that for about a year and just when he was about to give up it happened.

His father had as always gone down to the crypts and Griffith followed him, he stayed in the shadows and hid behind one of the statues.

He watched as his father knelt down before the stone carving of Lyanna Stark.

Eddard then glanced down the corridor towards the entrance making sure no one was there, and then whispered something to her.

He had said it so quietly that Griffith barely heard but what he did made his eyes widen, "Your son… doing well… similar to you… Daemon… almost identical… father…"

Griffith was brought back when he felt a hand pat him on the back, "You okay there?"

Turning around he saw Robb riding next to him, a big grin on his face, Griffith chuckled, "Of course, I should be the one asking that question."

Robb let out a hearty laugh and slapped his knee, "Maester Luwin patched me up best he could while reprimanding me of course, but it still aches in a few places.

You're way too good with that sabre of yours, not even Sir Jory can beat you."

Griffith laughed merrily, "I'm not that good."

Robb rolled his eyes and rode away towards Jon who was having a conversation with Desmond.

Griffith sighed and leaned back in his saddle, his long midnight black-white hair touching the horse's croup.

He shivered as he saw a stream down in a creek next to the path, even though it was summer, the icy cold temperatures in the north didn't disappear which irked him greatly.

Griffith had always wanted to visit the south to see the lush green hills of the Reach to bathe in the rivers of Dorne and to walk along the warm streets of King's Landing, but his father had forbidden him.

So knowing that he couldn't change his father's mind he decided to wait and go south when he came of age.

The party soon slowed down as they reached their destination, a small holdfast with an old scrawny man attached to its wall.

Riding up next to what he now knew to be his cousins, Griffith watched as his father ordered Desmond and Tomard to drag the man before him.

His father asked the brother of the night's watch a few questions which the man answered, and before Griffith knew it the man's head was placed on the ironwood stump, his father next to it, Ice in his hand.

"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, I do sentence you to die."

He then lifted the greatsword over his head and swung down, blood sprayed out dying the snow red.

Griffith heard a few horses nay in agitation but his black stallion stayed silent and watched the execution coldly just like its rider.

The head bounced off a root and rolled over next to Theon's feet, the boy of nineteen laughed and kicked the head away.

"Ass." he heard Jon mutter from beside him, but Griffith didn't care one bit the man had been a deserter, a useless craven that no one cared for he deserved to die.

Turning his mare around he started riding off back down the King's Road from where they came.

He hadn't gone very far when he heard two people riding up next to him.

"Did you plan on running away?" Jon asked, ruffling his hair.

Jon had always seen him as a younger brother even when Griffith had outgrown him in height, from what his father had told him they were the same age but Griffith didn't buy it.

"Let's race to the bridge!" Robb said from his other side while pointing at a stone bridge up ahead.

Both he and Jon smiled, "Done!" and just like that it started.

Griffith drove his heels into the stallion's sides, giving it the command to go and it did so.

He felt the cold wind against his face, the light snow whipped his skin like little needles.

Chancing a glance back he saw that Jon and Robb were neck and neck with him, he grinned and drove his stallion to go faster driving it to its absolute limits.

He heard a groan behind him and a smile spread across his face. He had forced his horse to go faster extremely close to the finish line giving him the win.

Turning his stallion around he grinned at his brothers only to notice that they had pulled so far ahead of the rest that they couldn't see them.

Robb chuckled as he noticed, "I hope the others don't get lost without us."

Jon grinned, "Would be a terrible thing if Bran was stolen away by the grumpkins."

Robb opened his mouth to speak when he frowned and looked down into the creek.

"What is it?" Griffith asked, frowning.

"I'm not sure, I'll go check it out." Robb then dismounted and carefully descended down towards the stream.

He gasped, "It… It's a Direwolf!"

***

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please tell me if you see any mistakes.

Time skip, everybody loves a time skip it makes the main character stronger without having to write or read a training arc.

Question: Black or White

Then I hope you have a nice day or night depending on where you are, goodbye ;)