𝐀 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞
__________________

____ A summer breeze wafted through the Northern Kingdom as the sun brightly shined above the vast lands of Westeros. A week had past since the attempt on young Bran Stark's life, and the young boy had yet to awaken from his slumber. And his worried and tired mother had yet to leave his bedside.

The people of the villages some miles beyond the walls of Winterfell rode through the gates, preparing to trade their livestock and resources to the smiths and the butchers of the grand and ancient castle. The loyal guards of House Stark patrolled their routes, consisting of the gates and walls of Winterfell and the hallways inside of the castle. The numerous men having been on edge ever since the attempted assassination on young Bran Stark.

Meanwhile, inside of the secondborn Stark's chambers the chattering of people outside of the castle and the faint barking of the hounds from the kennels provided sound in the rather quiet room. The flames inside of the crackling fireplace danced with the breeze from the open windows, as Alysanne sprawled herself across the bed, releasing a huff of content once she was situated.

Standing before his dresser was the secondborn son of House Stark, observing his new scar in the decent sized mirror that sat on top of the wooden dresser.

Resting just above his left jawbone were the two scars left by the dagger of the assassin, the one closest to his lips was a vertical lined scar while the other was a horizontal lined scar, both a deep crimson color as the wounds weren't older than a week. Running his calloused yet smooth hand across the scars, that reminded him of an upside down letter L, the Stark released a small breath.

It was not that Rikson was self-conscious about the scars, he could care less about them, he was more ashamed of the fact that he had fainted after the fight between him and the assassin.

Rikson hated whenever he appeared weak, especially in front of his family.

And he knew his sweet mother had enough to be overly concerned about at the moment, she didn't need the extra worry that came with Rikson's blacking out after a simple fight to others, but a draining one to his already distracted mind and tired body.

Ever since his father and sisters had left with the Royal Family for the capital of Westeros, Rikson Stark had been ovecome with fear that resulted in the boy stressing himself out to the point where his body simply couldn't handle it and needed rest. And with the stress from the attempt on his slumbering brother's life on his jumbled mind, as well, all Rikson wanted to do was curl up in his warm bed with his sweet direwolf beside him and sleep all through the days and nights.

But Rikson knew he could never do such a selfish thing, he wouldn't ever do that, especially not to his stressed older brother and worried mother, along with the confused little Rickon that clutched to Rikson's and Robb's legs, crying for his mother and father.

Rikson Stark knew he needed to be the stone his family could lean on when things became rough, and that is exactly what he planned to do.

Dropping his hand from his scarred cheek, Rikson huffed as he turned around to face his direwolf. Knowing her Stark's azure eyes were gazing upon her relaxed frame, Alysanne's tail began to thump against the bed as she opened one of her ruby eyes. Her Stark lightly grinned, approaching her to caress his hand through her soft fur of a dark midnight sky shade.

Rikson knew his direwolf worried over her siblings, Lady and Nymeria, that had left with their Starks to go to King's Landing, a place that didn't seem suited for a direwolf of the true North in Rikson's eyes.

And The Midnight Wolf worried over his pack, just wanting for his stubborn father to ride back North with his sisters where it was safe for the Starks.

A knock sounded on the wooden door, and Rikson turned his head of wavy brunette hair towards the sound as Alysanne lifted herself from her laying position, wary of threats towards her Stark.

"Come in."

The door began to open before being abruptly slammed open, as a direwolf of gray-and-white fur mixed with hints of black barged into the room. Greywind hastily trotted over to the bed and hopped onto it, laying beside his sister. Rikson released a chuckle at the direwolf's entry, removing his hand from Alysanne's fur, much to her annoyance, to stroke it through Greywind's.

"What brings you here, Robb?"

"Mother has requested for us, we are to
meet her in the Godswood."

With a final pat to the two direwolves, who decided to remain in the room, Rikson stood from the bed, placing a cloak around his shoulders before following his brother out of his chambers and towards the Godswood.

ꕥ 𓅓☽𓅓 ꕥ

"What I am about to tell you must
remain between us."

Standing before the Weirwood tree, that stood out amongst the trees of the Godswood, and beside the small pond next to the tree, older than Winterfell itself, was Lady Stark upon a raised rock covered in light green moss, looking upon the faces of her two eldest sons, Robb and Rikson, with Theon beside Robb. And Maester Luwin with Rodrik Cassel beside him, the assassin's dagger in his grasp. The tree leaves shook with the light breeze that danced through the Godswood, as the birds sang their morning songs that drifted across the dense fog blanketing the ground of the woods.

"I don't think Bran fell from the broken tower.
I think he was thrown."

Robb and Rikson's expressions morphed into one of slight shock, as Maester Luwin turned to Rodrik, speaking in a soft voice so his words wouldn't echo through the forest, "The boy was always sure-footed before." Lady Stark's voice gathered the elder mens' attention once more, "Someone tried to kill him twice. Why murder an innocent child? Unless he saw something he wasn't meant to see." Theon creased his brows in confusion, "Saw what, My Lady?"

"I don't know. But I would stake my life the
Lannisters are involved. We already have reason
to suspect their loyalty to the Crown."

Ser Rodrik spoke up next, "Did you notice the dagger the killer used? It's too fine a weapon for such a man." The elder Knight unsheathed the small dagger from it's sheath, and Rikson immediately recognized the blade as Valyrian steel, as his sword was made of the same steel, "The blade is Valyrian steel, the handle dragonbone. Someone gave it to him."

Rikson shifted his gaze away from the dagger that had scarred his cheek and towards his brother that had decided to speak up after hearing the disturbing news from his mother and the Knight, "They come into our home and try to murder our brother? If it's war they want-"

"If it comes to that, you know I'll stand behind you."

Theon spoke up, as Robb placed his hand on the handle of his sword, the two boys getting themselves riled up before Maester Luwin's calm tone of voice interrupted the aggressive mood around the boys.

"What, is there going to be
a battle in the Godswood? Huh?"

Rikson placed his gloved hand on his brother's shoulder when he noticed the defeated look in Robb's Tully blue eyes, letting him know he was still there. The eldest of the Stark children looked to his younger brother, the emotion in Rikson's eyes telling Robb that he would stand beside him through anything, but that he must remain calm and smart about this. The Maester's voice stole their attention,

"Too easily words of war become acts of war. We don't know the truth yet." Shifting his gaze away from the three boys and towards Lady Stark, he spoke once again, "Lord Stark must be told of this."

"I don't trust a raven to carry these words."

"I'll ride to King's Landing." Robb offered the idea with determination in his Tully blue eyes. "No." Rikson and his mother spoke at the same time.

"There must always
be a Stark in Winterfell.
I will go myself."

Rikson turned his head away from his brother and towards his mother, an expression mixed with fear and shock on his handsome features, "Mom, you can't."

"I must." Catelyn responded with resolve, her expression holding confidence yet her boys could see a hint of worry on her aged features.

Rikson swallowed thickly as he glanced towards his boots, Ser Rodrik's voice speaking up, "I'll send Hal with a squad of guardsmen to escort you." Lady Stark shook her head in disagreement, "Too large a party attracts unwanted attention. I don't want the Lannisters to know I'm coming." Ser Rodrik protested in a respectful manor, "Let me accompany you, at least. The Kingsroad can be a dangerous place for a woman alone." Lady Stark looked to the Maester, who subtly nodded his head in approval, therefore Catelyn nodded her head in acceptance to the Knight's proposal.

"What about Bran?" Rikson questioned as a last resort to keep his mother in Winterfell, where he knew it was safe for his precious family.

Catelyn looked upon her secondborn with sad Tully eyes, knowing of the stress and fear he suffered from because of his family's leave for the South, but she knew she had to warn her husband, "I have prayed to the Seven for more than a month. Bran's life is in their hands now."

Rikson subtly licked his lips, an old nervous habit of the secondborn Stark, before he swiftly walked out of the Godswood with a quick pace. 

"Riks-"

Robb turned to follow after his fuming brother, having been worried about his state ever since he laid eyes on the bags under Rikson's eyes and the whole fainting episode a week ago, but the Maester stopped him,

"Let him go, Robb."

"But-"

"He just needs some time to himself.
He'll come around."

The concerned Tully eyes of brother and mother watched as the Stark disappeared from their sight, both wanting to go after Rikson and comfort him, but they knew the elder Maester was right. The boy of six and-ten just needed some time with himself.

ꕥ 𓅓☽𓅓 ꕥ

Late into the morning in Winterfell, the fog covering the ground like a blanket becoming more dense as the sun shone from behind the clouds, Robb and Theon sat in the Great Hall of the castle, conversing with themselves while the servants cleaned up their mid-day meal.

It had been some hours after the secret meeting in the Godswood, and no one had seen Rikson Stark either in the castle or outside of Winterfell.

Robb worried for his brother, he never stopped worrying about him ever since he disappeared for a month without any warning about a year ago, but now he worried more than he normally did.

The eldest child of the Starks noticed the changes in Rikson Stark ever since he had returned from beyond the Wall, blood soaked and despaired, from something as small as the bags under his eyes to something as how protective he had become over his family.

When Rikson were younger, he had been arrogant and reckless and then he met Adryana Snow, the bastard of Torrhen Karstark, then he became distant towards his family, mainly because he knew his parents would never approve of their love. Then one day, the Stark parents told their children that Rikson had ran away.

Robb remembered how devastated Sansa was to hear the news, the poor girl wouldn't stop crying all throughout the nights of the month Rikson were gone beyond the Wall. Robb, himself, even tried to go after his brother the night after he was told of his running away, but his father had caught him and told Robb that his foolish brother would come back to his family.

It was Robb, who had spotted his younger brother upon his mare the day he returned to Winterfell, soaked with blood that wasn't his own with eyes duller than a dead man's. And ever since that eventful day, Robb noticed the way Rikson just wanted for his family to be together and safe in the North, where the Starks belonged.

Therefore, the eldest Stark knew his brother had to be loosing his mind over the fact that, first, his father and sisters had left for King's Landing, and now, his mother was going to the lion's den, as well.

Robb released a heavy sigh, just wanting to find his brother, wherever he was at the moment, and give him the comfort he needed at his time of weakness.

Ceasing the Greyjoy's comments about the tavern girls he had been with in the past week, "Have you seen Riks?" Robb questioned, obvious worry for his brother lacing his tone of voice. Theon scoffed, "The lad can barely tolerate me, why would I know where he is?"

Robb rolled his Tully eyes in unamusement, though an idea on where his brother may be popped into his head, "He's probably in his chambers, then. If you'll excuse me, Theon." Robb stood from the table, thanking the servants that had cleaned his meal, while Theon released another scoff before talking in his Greyjoy accent,

"Sulking away in his chambers, you mean?
All the boy does is brood, like Jon."

"Be kind." Robb warned with a stern look on his handsome features, before he exited the hall and made his way towards his brother's chambers.

Greywind had joined his Stark in his trek towards Rikson's chambers, the room located towards the part of the castle that had a beautiful view of the Godswood and the Wolfwood beyond the walls of Winterfell.

Arriving at his brother's chambers, Robb gave his wolf a pat on the head, before knocking on the door. The eldest didn't receive a reply from his brother, but he and his direwolf entered the chambers anyway.

The fireplace that rested some feet before the bed casted a warm glow in the rather darkened room, as all of the window shutters were closed, blocking out the light of the sun. And that worried Robb.

Greywind hopped onto the Stark's bed, laying himself by Rikson's legs, a whine releasing from his snout as he placed his head on the boy's ankles. Rikson was laying in the middle of his bed, his cloak still wrapped around his shoulders, telling Robb his brother didn't even have the motivation to do something as simple as remove a cloak, while Alysanne laid herself against her Stark's back with her head on his waist.

The only sounds that filled the room was the cracking of the flames on wood from the fireplace and the low whines escaping the direwolves' snouts.

Robb would have thought his brother was sleeping if it weren't for the fact that the Stark moved his arm to stroke his direwolf's head.

"Riks?" Robb announced his presence, though he was sure Rikson already knew he had entered considering Greywind had joined him on the bed, and the wolves couldn't open the wooden doors on their own.

His younger brother didn't respond, simply removed his hand from his direwolf's head.

Softly sighing, Robb began to approach his brother's bed and sat himself beside Rikson, though he noticed his eyes were closed. Rikson felt the bed dip under the weight of his brother, but he didn't feel like looking into the worried Tully eyes of Robb's at the moment, frustrated that he hadn't locked the door, as he didn't want anyone to see him like he was now.

"Riks?"

Rikson thought that if he pretended to be asleep that his brother would leave. It's not that Rikson didn't appreciate his brother's concern, he did, but Rikson didn't like to appear weak in front of his family. And weak is exactly how Rikson Stark felt.

Weak that he did nothing to change his father's mind about going to the capital of Westeros. Weak that he couldn't do anything for his slumbering younger brother.  Weak that he couldn't control his emotions. Weak that he couldn't do anything to change his mother's mind about riding to King's Landing.

"Riks, I know you're upset about mother's
decision, and father's, I am too, but you can't stay
in here all day. Rickon needs you, and Bran
will need you when he wakes up."

Rikson still hadn't opened his eyes, he barely moved an inch, but on the inside it was becoming harder for the Stark to pretend to be asleep as the desperation in his brother's voice reached his ears.

"And if that's not enough... I need you, brother. I
can't be Lord of Winterfell on my own. You may be reckless at times, but you are one of the wisest people
I know, Riks. Please, brother, get out of bed and come say goodbye to mother. You know it would break her heart if you weren't there to see her off."

When his brother did nothing in response, Robb released a sigh in both sadness, for the worry he had for Rikson, and frustration, that Rikson didn't seem to care about the words he had said to him. Standing from the bed, Robb began to turn towards the door and exit the room when a voice stopped him in his tracks, "You're right, Robb."

The eldest turned to face his younger brother, an unreadable expression upon his handsome Stark features mixed with the softness of a Tully.

Rikson opened his cerulean eyes, shifting them to look at his brother, "I'm being selfish, and I'm sorry for that. I just worry for our family's fate."

Robb's unreadable expression turned to one of understanding, as he returned to his spot beside his brother while Rikson sat up, leaning against the headboard of the bed.

"I worry to, Riks, though not as much as you apparently." A grin crossed his brother's features, before he continued speaking, "And you are not being selfish, Riks. Maybe a bit dramatic," Rikson snickered, "But you are not selfish, Riks, the things you've had to go through these past years, any person would have been left broken but you came out stronger."

Rikson shyly smirked underneath the praise from the brother he looked up too, not fully believing his words but appreciating them nonetheless.

"Thank you, Robb."

Robb firmly nodded, "And remember what father always told us?" Rikson smirked, "To pick your ass up... and to always find something to fight for in this shit world we were born into." Standing from the bed, Robb held his hand for his brother to take, "So, Rikson, will you pick your ass up?" Rolling his cerulean eyes in amusement, Rikson took his brother's outstretched hand and let Robb pull him to his feet, before the Stark brothers brought one another into a brotherly-embracing.

Releasing themselves, Robb held his brother at arms length, "We should say goodbye to mother, she should be leaving for King's Landing soon." Rikson numbly nodded, still not okay with the fact that his mother was leaving for King's Landing. Robb noticed the sadness in Rikson's eyes, snaking his arm around his shoulders as the brothers walked out of Rikson's chambers and towards the gates of Winterfell, the two direwolves behind them.

ꕥ 𓅓☽𓅓 ꕥ

The bright evening sun began to cast itself in the blue sky, that Old Nan believes to be the eye of a blue eyed giant, shining directly above Winterfell. Two tall horses, a white mare and a dark brown stallion, stood side by side in front of the gates, the leather saddles tacked upon their backs packed for the trip to the capital of Westeros.

Ser Rodrik Cassel stood beside his stallion, his elderly white beard dancing with the wind as a breeze wafted through the gates and through the castle grounds.

While, Lady Stark bid her farewells to her two eldest sons. Catelyn brought her eldest into a hug, whispering into his ear so Rikson wouldn't hear, "Take care of your brother, Robb, I worry about Riky."

"I will, mother, you know I will."

Squeezing her eldest a last time, Catelyn released from his hold and moved over to her beautiful boy, whose face held that of fear mixed with sorrow. Rikson brought his mother into a tight embrace, never wanting to let her go, especially to go to King's Landing. Catelyn placed her hand in her son's soft hair while the other rubbed circles on his tense back. Rikson buried his face into his mother's cloaked neck, taking in her scent of lavender and pine, as well as the motherly warmth her embrace provided, knowing he wasn't going to feel her comfort for some time.

"My beautiful boy, you must help your brother
now that he is Lord of Winterfell."

Rikson nodded, "I will, mom, I promise."

Savoring in the comfort of his mother's embrace, Rikson then released her from his hold, kissing his mother's cheek before she turned to mount the horse that would take her to King's Landing. Lady Stark and Ser Rodrik, with a last glance at the boys and castle behind them, rode through the gates of Winterfell, leaving the safety of the castle behind.

Rikson walked to the gates of Winterfell, his azure eyes holding a sharp emotion to them, whether fear or anger or sorrow, not even the Stark knew, as he watched the horses become mere specks in the distance when they were kicked into a gallop.

The Midnight Wolf, once again, had to watch another member of his pack ride off to a place where Starks have been know to never return from. The deepest dread consuming his very soul. Alysanne came to stand beside her Stark, nudging her snout into his hand to receive her caresses, as Robb, with Greywind, stood beside Rikson, as well.

"How can a man be brave if he's scared?"

"That is the only time a man can be brave."

ꕥ 𓅓☽𓅓 ꕥ

Around the hour of the dusk sky, when the sun appeared as a ball of fire that touched the lands east of Westeros, Rikson found himself standing in the courtyard of Winterfell, his bow held firmly in his grasp. The beginning of the night's breeze blew through Rikson's wavy locks, cooling his body with it's gentle kisses of crisp winds. The bow made of dark ebony wood from a tree in the Wolfswood, that tinted red underneath the sun, littered with markings Rikson had carved into the wood ever since he began to use the weapon, delecalty held a sharpened arrow on it's strong string. Inhaling a breath of the cool winds surrounding him with it's cloak of cold, Rikson aimed his bow, his muscles flexing as his eyes were wary of how the wind would affect the path of his arrow, before releasing the breath as he let the arrow loose. Watching the thin arrow lodge deep into the middle of it's target.

Turning to grab another arrow from the pot standing beside him, Rikson caught sight of his direwolf, lightly grinning at her. Alysanne was laying some feet away from her Stark, chewing on a meaty bone of some animal that had fallen victim to her teeth and claws in the Wolfswood earlier, when Rikson and Robb had let the pack of direwolves run through the forest, after their mother had left with Ser Rodrik, feeling the wolves needed to get out of the castle for a bit.

The crunching of her sharp canine teeth on the hard bone began to calm Rikson, for an odd unknown reason he didn't quite understand.

Placing the arrow on his bowstring, Rikson lifted his bow with narrowed azure eyes, his breathing deep and even as his back did the hard labor for his muscles. The tips of his wavy hair flowed with the breeze, as he inhaled a sharp breath before releasing it as he let the arrow loose.

The arrow spun through the air, the wind pushing against it but Rikson's aim surpassed the wind's push as the arrow lodged straight into the one Rikson had shot only moments ago. The second arrow broke straight through the middle of the first arrow, slicing through the seams of the target to land on the wood that held the white target together.

Rikson released another breath of air, as his lips curved into a prideful smirk, his eyes staring at the broken arrow with another arrow slicing through the fabric of the target some feet before him.

The echo of clapping that sounded behind him had Rikson turning his head of wavy hair, his eyes landing on his older brother.

"How long have you been there, Robb?"

Robb shrugged, "Long enough to know that Theon has some competition." Rikson rolled his eyes, "That intolerable Greyjoy is all talk." Robb chuckled, "I never understood why you and Theon have always butted heads ever since he came to Winterfell as a young boy?"

Rikson shrugged, "The Wolf doesn't mix well with the Kraken." Receiving a chuckle from his brother, Rikson placed his bow onto the rack, removing his archery glove, that wrapped around his right wrist and fingers, and threw the fabric into his empty quiver.

Noticing his brother had seated himself on the fence beside the archery arena, Rikson joined him, hopping onto the sturdy fence beside his brother.

The two brothers sat in silence for some moments, the songs of the night birds beginning to fill the air as the sun sunk below the horizon, and the two direwolf's laying beside one another, both chewing on meaty bones from the kills of their hunt in the woods.

"I worry for our family, Riks."

Rikson lowly sighed, "I do too, Robb. It seems ever since the Royal Family rode through our gates everything has changed, and not in a good way."

"I agree, but what can we do about it?"

"Nothing, it seems."

Robb turned his head to look at his brother, his brows creased in confusion and concern, "Nothing?"

Then Rikson turned his head to face his brother, his eyes holding something Robb couldn't understand, "What do you want me to say, Robb? That I have some magical plan to ride south on the back of an ancient Valyrian dragon to bring my family back North?"

Robb sighed, parting his mouth to speak but Rikson beat him to it, "I'm just so tired of this, Robb."

The eldest filled with more concern as his brother closed his tired eyes, lowering his head, as he continued to speak, "I'm tired of the fear that has always been at the front of my mind ever since those savages killed Addy." As if the sky sensed the secondborn Stark's mood, the night clouds began to block the falling sun as they casted a gray tone to the atmosphere in the courtyard, a distant thunder being heard in the far North.

Laying his arm around his brother's shoulders, Robb spoke in a hushed tone, "You can't let your fears consume you, Riks. If they do, you won't last long in this ruthless world we were born into."

Rikson knew this, he knew that once his fears gripped onto him with a firm hold, he was done for, but he couldn't help but let them linger in his mind. As his father said that it is okay to fear, but to never let it consume you.

Opening his eyes, Rikson looked up at his brother with a look Robb had never seen in his cerulean eyes. The eldest would dare to say that Rikson Stark's eyes had filled with ice, an ice that held such determination inside of them that Robb knew his brother would be alright, given the proper time he needed.

"I worry about the winds of change
for our family, but I'll be damned if I
don't do something about it."

Robb fought back a smile of pride for his younger brother, the brother he had always vowed to protect and care for whenever he needed too.

The brother he trained for hours with in the courtyard, no matter the weather or time of day and night. The brother he would defend against young Theon and Jon whenever they became too rough. The brother he would always love, beyond life and death. The brother that was given to him by chance, but he vowed to be his best friend by choice.

"And I'll stand beside you through everything,
brother, if you'll stand beside me?"

"Always, brother."

ꕥ 𓅓☽𓅓 ꕥ

Deep into the night with the Wolf's moon above Westeros, the crackling of the flames against the wood inside of the fireplace danced as shadows across the secondborn's chambers' stone walls. The only sounds to fill the room was the orange flames in the fireplace sizzling and cracking and the light snoring of Rikson Stark, who was deep in his sleep, with his direwolf curled beside him, keeping both him and herself warm throughout the cold night. The wind howled outside of the closed windows as a light rainfall leaked from the sky, landing upon the muddy ground with splashes of cold water.

Alysanne's ears twitched as she picked up on the sound of rushed footsteps approaching her Stark's chambers, opening her eyes and standing upon the bed, protectively guarding her sleeping Stark. The wooden door swiftly opened, and Alysanne released a bark followed by a deep growl, that had awoken Rikson and had him reaching for the dagger on his beside table, sitting up beside his direwolf.

"Easy, Alysanne, you too, Riks."

Rikson released a sigh of irritation and relief as he flopped back onto his bed, placing his dagger on the bedside table, once more, as Alysanne lowered herself beside him.

"What are you doing
in here at this hour, Robb?"

"It's Bran."

Rikson immediately sat up, causing Alysanne to lift her head towards her Stark, intently listening to every noise that left his lips, "What about Bran?"

Worry for whatever could have happened to young Bran filled the secondborn. What if another assassin had snuck into the walls and killed his brother? Or what if young Bran had passed into the next world in his slumber? Though his brother's enlightened voice interrupted Rikson's dark thoughts,

"He's awake."

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~ Author's Note ~

The scars on his cheek were what I had in mind when I was describing Rikson's new scars