𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡
_____________

"Mercy! Please, I beg you!" The Wildling
begged as he fell to his knees before the
blood drenched Midnight Wolf.

"Do you know what your revolting savages of a kind did to her? My wife? They slit her throat to the bone and dumped her body in the river. And do you know what I'm going to do to you and your village?"

The Wildling began to tremble under the loathing gaze of Rikson Stark as his fist curled around the
hilt of his, already blood soaked, sword.

"I'm going to slaughter every last one of you."

"No! No, wai-"

The man couldn't finish his plea as Rikson raised his sword and slashed his head clean off his shoulders.

"Every last one-

____ The thunk of an arrow landing on a bucket pulled Rikson Stark from the haunting memory, that occured only a year ago, as he stood beside Robb in Winterfell's courtyard. Rikson watched as Bran stomped his foot on the muddy ground as he missed another shot.

Jon Snow, Rikson's bastard younger brother, placed his hands on Bran's shoulders as he leaned down, "Go on, father's watching." Bran looked upwards, noticing both Lord & Lady Stark were watching from a balcony, overlooking the courtyard. "And your mother."

Bran firmly nodded at his parents, before he loaded another arrow onto his bow and pulled the string back.

Rikson watched with his cerulean eyes as his younger brother missed another arrow. Jon, Robb, and Rickon all laughed, but Rikson distinctly remembered how all of them were just the same at sucking at archery when they were of Bran's age. Even Rikson himself, the best at archery in Winterfell, was that horrible once.

Bran released another arrow, except this time it went over Winterfell's walls and into the Wolfswood.

Robb turned away to laugh as Rikson snickered, meanwhile Jon and Rickon laughed aloud.

"And which one of you was a marksmen at ten?"

All the sons of Eddard Stark looked towards their father as he spoke, silencing themselves.

"Keep practicing, Bran. Go on."

Bran nodded as he loaded another arrow on his bow. Jon leaned down to be eye level with Bran as the boy pulled the bowstring to his red-tinted cheeks.

"Don't think too much, Bran."

"Relax your bow arm." Robb spoke from
where he stood beside Rikson.

Silence filled the courtyard as Bran steadied his aim, before the thunk of an arrow disrupted it as the arrow landed directly in the middle of the target.

All of the boys turned towards the archer, finding Arya Stark smirking towards them as she bowed. Bran huffed as he dropped his bow and sprinted towards Arya. They raced across the courtyard and into the Godswood as their brothers and parents laughed.

"Come on, little Rickon, gather the arrows."
Rikson spoke as he lifted his youngest brother from the saddle he'd been sat upon and placed him on the ground. Rickon giggled as he ran towards the target and proceeded to pull the arrows out.

Rikson chuckled at his brother's enthusiasm as Robb stood next to him, both watching as Rickon ran back and forth with handfuls of arrows to give to Jon.

"I remember when you'd sneak off to the broken watchtower and sharpen arrows."

"And I remember when mom caught me."

"She wouldn't let you out of her sight for a month."

The two brothers laughed to themselves as they remembered the day Catelyn Stark had caught her secondborn son sharpening arrows in the forbidden broken watchtower in Winterfell's Godswood.

"Rikson, Robb, Jon."

Rodrik Cassel's voice spoke from behind them. "Saddle your horses, tell Bran he's coming too." They nodded before the elder man left.

"Curious?" Rikson quirked a brow.

"Probably a Night's Watch deserter." Jon joined in as he stood beside Rikson.

"Probably.. why Bran, though? He's only ten?" Rikson questioned with concern.

"He'll have to see it eventually, Riks." Robb's expression held a knowing look as he and Jon left to go saddle their horses, leaving Rikson to go and find where his younger brother had run off to.

❁ ☾ ❁

Once Rikson found Bran in the Godswood, the two made their way towards the stables. Rikson helped the smaller boy place the saddle onto his white horse before he made his way to his black mare.

"Hello, Shadow."

The mare huffed as she placed her soft nose into Rikson's hand, resulting in a chuckle from the Stark. Rikson had saddled and mounted his mare in no less than five minutes before he made his way over to the group that waited by the gates of Winterfell.

The group that consisted of Eddard Stark, Rodrik Cassel, Theon Greyjoy, Jory, Robb, Jon, Bran, Rikson, and a handful of Starkmen left the walls of Winterfell.

"Where are we going, Riky?" Bran questioned as he rode beside Rikson.

"A man of the Night's Watch has deserted his brothers, now father will do what he must."

Bran solemnly nodded as he moved his gaze forward while the group rode into the plains of the North.

❁ ☾ ❁

Rikson stood beside Robb as they watched two Starkmen bring forth the Night's Watch deserter, who muttered nonsense about the White Walkers.

The Starkmen stopped the deserter before the chopping block, where Eddard Stark stood, an unreadable expression upon his aged face.

"I know I broke my oath. And I know I'm a deserter. I should have gone back to the Wall and warned them, but I saw what I saw. I saw the White Walkers."

Rikson glanced towards the fog that covered the tips of the hilly mountains beside them, wondering if this deserter spoke the truth about what he saw.

"People need to know. If you can get word to my family... Tell them I'm no coward. Tell them I'm sorry."

As Eddard moved to gather his longsword, the two Starkmen pushed the deserter onto his knees. Eddard pulled his sword out of the wolf pelt that held it before he placed the tip of it into the ground as his chin rested upon the hilt of the Valyrian-steel longsword.

"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the first of his name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the Realm, I, Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North,
sentence you to die."

"Don't look away. Father will know if you do." Jon muttered to Bran as Eddard raised his sword and sliced the deserter's head off of his shoulders.

Rikson noticed how Bran grimaced as the man's head fell to the grassy ground below the chopping block. He placed his hand on Bran's shoulder as he led him towards where the horses stood, grazing.

"You did well."

Once he was assured Bran was okay, Rikson walked towards his mare, stroking his hand through her mane before he mounted her. Robb approached his brother atop his stallion, his face holding contemplation.

"What?"

"He kept talking about the White Walkers,
what do you think of it, Riks?"

"A madman sees what he sees."

"Do you believe him, though?"

Rikson scoffed, "The day dragons return to Westeros is the day I belive a madman's words about a wet-nurses tale that is meant to scare children." Robb chuckled at his brother's statement as he spurred his horse on.

Rikson glanced towards the sky, almost hoping to see a dragon. He had read all about the beasts and their Targaryen riders when he was a child. Oh how Rikson Stark wished he could at least see one of those majestic beasts dance across the Northern sky, or any sky.

Shaking his head to rid it of his childhood wishes, Rikson clicked his tongue as he spurred Shadow onward, following the group before him.

❁ ☾ ❁

As the group rode along the plains of the Northern Kingdom of Westeros, a mischievous grin plastered itself onto Rikson's features as he quickened Shadow's pace, placing himself beside Robb and Jon.

"Race you to the bride?"

"Done!" "You're on!"

The three raced away from the group and towards Winterfell. Eddard and Rodrik laughed at the boys as their horses became mere specks in the distance.

"Didn't know you were so good at fleeing, Riks!" Robb shouted as his stallion raced behind his.

"Didn't know you were getting so slow, Robb!" Rikson laughed while Shadow released a loud neigh as she quickened her gallops.

"Didn't know you two could get so distracted!" Jon shouted as he passed his brothers' horses.

The three continued to laugh and shout joking insults towards one another while Winterfell became bigger
as their horses approached the castle.

Shadow released a panicked neigh as she abruptly stopped in front of a dead deer that laid in the middle of a bridge that lead to Winterfell's gates.

"Woah! Easy, girl!" Rikson soothed as his gaze landed upon the dead deer while he stroked Shadow's neck, calming the mare as he dismounted her.

"Why'd you stop, Rik?" Jon questioned as he dismounted his stallion with Robb not far behind him.

They didn't need to question any further as their eyes landed on the mauled deer with a missing antler.

Soon enough, everyone had caught up to the trio, dismounting their horses to take a look at what the boys had found. Eddard was the first to approach the carcass, with Jon and Theon on his tail.

"Mountain lion?" Theon questioned.

"There are no mountain lions in these woods." Eddard informed before he began to follow a blood trail that lead towards the stream under the bridge.

Making their way down a small hill, Jon and Theon remained on Eddard's tail as he found the source of the blood. Rikson, Robb, and Bran, with Rodrik and Jory behind them, followed the group of three.

Everyone's expression turned to one of disbelief and shock as Eddard kneeled beside another carcass.

"It's a freak!" Theon spoke with distaste.

"You're a freak, this here is a direwolf." Rikson commented, earning a glare from Theon, but a snicker from Robb, who stood beside him.

"Tough old beast." Eddard spoke as he yanked the deer's antler out of the dead direwolf's neck.

"There are no direwolves south of the Wall." Robb informed, confusion in his tone.

"Now there are six." Jon spoke as he picked up one of the direwolf pups, extending it towards Bran, "You want to hold it?"

Bran wrapped the whimpering pup in his cloak as he cradled it, "Where will they go? Their mother's dead."

"They don't belong down here." Rodrik spoke up from behind Jory.

"Better a quick death. They won't last without their mother." Eddard spoke as he stood.

"Right. Give it here." Theon yanked the pup from Bran's hold as he unsheathed his dagger.

"No!" Bran shouted as he reached for the pup.

"Put away your blade." Rikson hissed as he glared daggers at the intolerable Greyjoy.

"I take orders from your father, not you." Theon retaliated as he continued to hold the pup that was now yipping in fear as it eyed the dagger.

"Please, father!" Bran begged with glossy eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bran."

"Lord Stark?" Jon's voice stopped the commotion as he continued on, "There are six pups, one for each of the Stark children. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. They were meant to have them."

Tense silence filled the atmosphere as everyone looked towards Lord Stark before he spoke up, "You will train them yourselves. You will feed them yourselves. And if they die, you will bury them yourselves."

Theon sheathed his dagger as he handed the pup back to Bran, who smiled with relief as he soothed the pup.

Rikson pushed past Theon before he was handed two pups from Jon, who then handed Robb another two. Bran took the last whimpering pup in his other arm.

"What about you?" Bran questioned with childlike innocence.

"I'm not a Stark. Get on." Jon informed glumly as he began to follow his half-brothers towards where Eddard and his men waited by the horses. Another yip stopped the Bastard of Winterfell in his path as he walked towards the whimpering, bending down beside a tree.

"What is it?" Robb questioned as he, Rikson, and Theon stopped atop the small hill beside the creek.

Jon reappeared from behind the tree with a small white pup with red eyes held in his grasp.

"The runt of the litter. That one's yours, Snow."
Theon teased with a grin on his face. Rikson rolled his eyes at his father's ward as he and Robb walked towards where their father waited.

❁ ☾ ❁

Rikson approached his sister's chambers, holding one of the direwolf pups in his arm as he knocked. Sansa opened the door, her blue eyes immediately landing on the pup in her brother's arm.

"What is it, Riky?"

"She's a direwolf. And, she's yours."

Sansa's expression held surprise, "Really?"

Rikson snickered, "Yes, Sansa, really."

The red-head took the pup into her arms with a huge smile on her beautiful features. The pup immediately took a liking to the Stark, wagging it's tail as it licked her face, resulting in a laugh from Sansa.

"What shall I call her?"

"I don't know."

"You're such a help."

Rikson laughed as he mockingly bowed to Sansa before she slammed the door in his face, causing him to laugh even more as he made his way to his room.

Upon entering his chambers, Rikson laid eyes on the black pup that was curled atop one of the pillows on his bed. He grinned at the small pup as it opened one of it's eyes to see who had entered, releasing a small yip once she recognized who had entered.

"Hmm, what shall I call you?"

The pup yipped as it fumbled over to Rikson, who had sat on the bed, beginning to nip at his fingers.

Rikson chuckled as he watched the bundle of energy. The pup managed to sink one of it's baby fangs into his finger, resulting in a quiet wince falling from the Stark's lips. The pup immediately stopped it's playing, beginning to lick the small wound in apology.

Rikson grinned as a name came to mind, "Alysanne... For Good Queen Alysanne." The pup barked in approval before going back to it's battle with Rikson's fingers.

__________ ❁ ☾ ❁ __________