Chapter 7

"Take a deep breath, Bran."

"Use your back to pull the string. It helps you steady your posture."

"Go on, your father's watching."

"And, your mother."

Bran released the arrow.

*Thunk*

It hit the target... But, on the edges.

"Try again. Don't think too much." Robb said gently.

Bran tried again and hit the target a little closer to the center. Out of nowhere, an arrow was shot from behind and hit the bullseye. The boys turned around and saw a grinning Arya taking a bow.

Bran scowled and ran after her while the boys laughed at their shenanigans.

On the balcony, Rodrik came rushing towards Ned and Catlyn and told them about the deserter from Night's Watch. Robb could hear what they were talking about due to his enhanced body.

'A deserter... We don't get many of them.'

Ned asked the brothers to saddle their horses and even asked for Bran to go with them. The party reached the site of execution of the deserter. It was Will, a young man who had spent some years with the Watch. He was not a rookie.

"White Walkers. I saw the White Walkers. White Walkers. The White Walkers, I saw them." Will kept muttering.

Robb's frown deepened as he thought, 'So, they are real. But, I can't be absolutely sure. If they are back, then dragons will return as well.'

While Ned executed Will, Robb was trying to wrap his head around the situation. 'The realm will burn unless I do something about it. We have a standing army of twelve thousand. But that's not nearly enough.'

With a powerful swing of 'Ice', Ned executed Will as Bran was made to watch the entire thing. Robb had no qualms about having a ten year old seeing death. Children younger than Bran had killed and seen war in both of his lives. It was normal for Robb.

The party began to make their return. As they were riding through the wolfswood, they came across a grisly sight of a carcass of a stag that was mauled by something vicious.

"What could it be? A mountain lion?"

"There are no mountain lions in these woods."

With their swords out, the men trudged through the woods. Soon, they came across the beast that had mauled the stag.

"It's a freak!" Theon exclaimed.

"It's a direwolf."

Robb frowned as he pulled out the stag antler that had gored the dead wolf. "There are no direwolves south of the wall."

"Now there are five."

"Six," Robb said while looking at the albino wolf hiding from them. Jon was immediately attracted to the albino and moved to pick it up.

Before anyone could say anything, Robb looked at Ned and said, "We should keep them. Direwolves are our sigil, ya' know. There are six of them. Six for your six children. This is a sign from the old gods."

Bran looked towards Ned with his big, hopeful eyes. Even Jon tried to look pitiful while holding the little albino.

Ned finally relented and said, "You will train them yourselves. You will feed them yourselves. And, if they die, you will bury them yourselves."

A smile blossomed on Bran's face as Robb, Jon, and Theon picked up the remaining pups. After returning to Winterfell, Robb and the boys excitedly rushed to the girls and handed them the female pups.

Robb was drawn to the pup with fur as black as the night. Its green irises burned like wildfire.

'That's one intense pup.' Robb thought as the pup stood in front of the albino and the rest of his siblings and growled at the nearby horse. Meanwhile, the albino was crouching with a quiet snarl, ready to aid his brother if needed.

'That pup is perfect for Jon.'

Robb picked up the black pup and decided to feed him some milk. As the pup lustily drank the milk, Robb smiled and said, "Liam, that'll be your name. Liam, the utterly gutsy wolf."

(TTOTUGS)

"You understand why the king is coming here, right?" Robb asked Ned.

It was a great shock for Ned to learn that his father in all but blood was dead. Jon Arryn had played a significant role in Ned's upbringing. Without him, there would be no Ned.

Jon had defied his king and rebelled for the sake of his wards. He was support, the unmovable pillar in Ned's life. He could only wonder how much worse Robert was after Jon's death.

"Aye, he will name me 'The Hand'."

"Will you accept it?"

"Do I have a choice? My friend, my brother.. He is traveling from King's Landing. He's also my king. I can not refuse."

Robb leaned over the railing of the balcony and asked, "Don't you think that it's about time you tell Jon about his mother?"

He could sense the storm of emotions brewing inside Ned.

"It's none of your concern."

"Why? Jon's my brother. Not knowing about his mother causes great pain to him. I can see it in his eyes. Whenever he sees mother talking happily with Bran, Rickon, and even me. He yearns for it, ya' know. He's lived the life of a bastard. He can't even call you father without mother screaming at you. He's ten and eight. Older than you when you went to war and were wed to mother. He deserves to know, father."

The conflict within Ned sent him through a tumultuous path of agony and grief. He took a deep breath and said, "I will tell him when the time is right."

Ned swiftly turned around and was about to walk away when Robb said, "How do you know you will live long enough for that time to come?"

Ned stopped in his tracks and looked back at Robb.

"We do not know what the future holds for us. You may go to sleep tonight and never wake up again. Jon could be hit by a stray arrow and drop dead. You don't even know what I will say in the next sentence."

"Say what you want to say, Robb."

"If something happens to you today, or on the morrow, or any day before 'the time' arrives, Jon will forever remain in the dark. Don't you think that's too harsh on him? Imagine living with the only man who knows your truth, and when you see yourself reaching closer to it, feeling it right within your grasp, the man suddenly dies. Jon's world will shatter, ya' know. Something will always remain.. Broken inside him. Don't sentence him to such a life, father."

Ned felt the crushing guilt of his decision and stumbled out of the room.

Robb looked down at the yard, watching his brothers spar. 'Son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Robert Baratheon will be apoplectic if he ever learns that his best friend hid such a thing from him. But, you deserve to know your truth, Jon. And, I'll be there to support you all the way, brother.'