Winter is Here

The four brother's continued to talk amongst themselves as they made their way home.

The village had children running up and down with wooden weapon playing at being warriors, with a few women carrying baskets filled with little to no vegetable and others with buckets of water.

Further in they met old Hother who was leading six unicorns, Arthor remembered the first time that he had heard the name of the beast. At that time he did not know whether to cry or to laugh for the creature looked nothing like what he and countless others in his old world had imagined.

It was no white stallion with flowing rainbow colored hair who allowed the fairest of the fair maidens to ride it, no, it was a massive goat-like creature covered in shaggy hair with a massive horn firmly growing out of its skull.

Giving a nod to old Hother they made it further in, with their house just in sight but before they could take another step. A loud crashing sound was heard with a large man being flung out with another man charging after him through the hole the first had created.

The two men continued to land heavy hits on one another with one even knocking the others teeth out and sending it straight at the boys' feet. Lothor bent down and picked up the bloody teeth before turning and showing it to his elders brothers with a wide grin.

Arthor gave a smile back to his brother before slapping the tooth out of his hand, Lothor smile quickly disappeared as he tried to pick up the tooth but was stopped Arthor.

The fight between the two men had evolved into an all out brawl as the mead they had been fighting over was consumed by another during the confusion. Arthor simply sighed at the sight which had become an almost daily occurrence before turning to face Benjen.

They both shared a look before pulling out their weapons, the two managed to protect their younger brothers as they carved a path to their home. They might have been bruised and bloodied but their eyes showed just how excited they both were, "take it, you've had your fun".

Their mother walked looking at her sons whilst carrying what was to be supper to the table, her hair had been pulled back into a bun allowing for all to see the two tattoos etched unto her face. "Lothor, Ronnel you two help me bring out the food. Benjen check on the unicorns and the chicken and you Arthor get all those weapons to the shed."

The boys quickly did as they were told, taking the remaining weapons from Benjen. Arthor quickly moved to the shed, briefly glancing to the sky which was already beginning to darken. Night coming early, Arthor knew this was one of the tell tale signs of the coming of winter.

Wasting no time Arthor moved in and quickly wiped the weapons clean. After a few minutes when he had finally managed to get rid of most of the blood stains on the weapons, he moved to a barrel of water and washed his face. After the act Arthor looked down at the face in the barrel who stared back at him brown eyes into brown eyes.

His face was what Arthor would describe as above average but no where the level of the people he had seen in the show, then again he had no idea if they even looked the same in this world. His face still had some childish features but they were soon vanishing after being confronted with the harsh environment, his dirty blonde hair which he had clearly inherited from his mother was shaved at the sides with the rest pulled into a braid that went down to his shoulders.

Arthor made it back to see his family all seated with a seat drawn out for him right in between Lothar and his father. A short prayer was offered to the old gods before they ate what was before them, soup which felt more like water with chunks of vegetables alongside Unicorn meat.

The family ate their meal in a pleasant silence before Lothar and Ronell left the table leaving Arthor and Benjen alongside their parents.

"The lands no longer bear fruit", Harwood was the first to speak and immediately the pleasant atmosphere was replaced by a tense one. "What of the old gods, the sacrifices", their mother asked "We have tried but it is no longer easy to obtain and some of our own have been taken by others as well."

"The others believe we can delay it no more, winter is here... and they believe that it is better to save the rest for consumption as the raids would seen begin" their mother squeezed the wooden spoon in her hand as her gaze shifted to the room where Lothar and Ronell where playing.

"Benjen" Harwood turned his attention from his wife to his first born, "You are now three ten name days old and will come on this winter's raids with me." "Yes father, I would be honored" Benjen responded with fervor, Arthor could not deny it as much as he wished to his family and village was what he was sure the rest of the world referred to as barbarians.

The lands had always provided little to no yield, and with winter here, there was next to no food. There were lords on Skagos, at least his father had said so but unlike the rest of Westeros he remembered seeing on screen. The lords here barely had any control over their lands, in his five years of life he had yet to see any sign of the lord who said to have authority over this village.

Rather the villages came together to fight against other villages fighting over the little resources available raiding one another so as to survive. The lords however did not care, they had been warring against each other for so long none could tell. They all referred to themselves as high lords of Skagos trying to claim ownership over the land.

As he thought all this over, Arthor realized why they weren't relevant in the show, words one of his favorite characters had said came to mind "children playing at a game" unaware of the real world.

The thought caused him to dig his nails into his palm, Harwood noticed this action and misunderstood. *sigh* "Arthor you are strong and fast and I have no doubt you will make a great warrior but you are too young, I promise once you have had your two ten name day I will bring you along with me."

Arthor deciding against telling the truth simply nodded, "yes father I understand".