The Iron Throne of Ice and Fire

At the corner of the corridor, Arya quietly stretched out her little head and observed the two tall guards guarding the door of her father's study.

You have to find a way to lure the guards away... Climb through the window... It's daytime now... Arya's little face wrinkled, no wonder Syrio didn't agree with her plan, it was indeed a lot more difficult.

She couldn't suppress the raised corners of her lips, and there were things that the elegant Mr. Sirio couldn't do.

"What are you doing?"

Arya was smiling proudly, and the sudden sound behind her made her tremble and startle her body.

Turning around to look...she immediately said angrily: "Damn Sansa, did you scare me on purpose?"

She was so upset that she didn't notice Sansa sneaking over. When did she lose focus? She was so angry, and the more she thought about it, the more angry she became.

Sansa was wearing a dark green lady's dress with a round neck. She had thick maroon hair and blue eyes like her mother... Looking at her proud look, the little wolf girl became even more angry.

Looking at the angry Arya, Sansa gently raised a hand, gracefully stroked her long curly hair, and said: "Dear sister, the problem with your words is that you didn't notice me, not I scare you on purpose. As your sister, I have to kindly remind you that you have to be careful when you do bad things. Fortunately, this is Winterfell."

Arya jumped up and down in anger: "I don't have to be kind!"

She suddenly paused and rolled her smart gray eyes: "...I know, stingy Sansa, you are still jealous of my father's canonizing me as a swordsman of Winterfell!"

Sansa's little hands suddenly clenched into fists and her face turned red: "No, I didn't. As your sister, I am teaching my own sister. This is my responsibility."

"Teach?" Arya didn't want to play tricks with the hypocritical Sansa. She suddenly raised her fist: "Then I will fulfill my obligations as a sister! ...Don't move, don't run!"

Sansa was frightened. She held up her skirt and stumbled down the stairs, panting: "How dare you hit me? You are so rude, I will tell mother about this!"

"You coward who only knows how to complain!" Arya was just scaring Sansa, but thinking about her mother's bath brush... she was really angry!

"I'll beat you up first!"

As Arya's voice fell, Sansa froze in place. Her sister put one hand on the railing, then turned over as nimbly as a monkey, and appeared in front of her almost instantly.

Arya squeezed her left hand with her right hand and imitated Syrio's cruel smile: "It's too late to regret, hypocritical girl."

Before Arya could think about how to teach Sansa a lesson, she was interrupted by a hoarse and familiar voice: "Arya, Sansa."

Is it my father's voice? Her eyes moved quickly. In addition to her father, her mother, and little Rickon (Ed's youngest son), the three of them were slowly walking here.

Sansa escaped from "death", and she quickly ran towards Catelyn: "Mom..."

Sansa suddenly stopped talking, and her mother's eyes were red, as if she had just cried. She gave up the idea of ​​complaining for the time being, took one of Lady Catelyn's arms obediently, and looked up at her mother worriedly.

Rickon Stark, who was just over four years old, ran over excitedly, grabbed Arya's thigh, and said, "Arya, what game are you and Sansa playing? I want to join in!"

Arya reached out and rubbed her brother's chestnut hair. Except for herself, her brother, sister and brother all had the same red hair and blue eyes as her mother... She missed the happy life when everyone was here every day. ... Coupled with Bran's disappearance, there are only three of the Stark children left in Winterfell.

Looking at little Rickon, who was being taught by his father every day, Arya smiled and said, "I'll take you to sword practice later."

"marvelous!"

At this time, the siblings felt their eyes darken, and their father's tall figure stood in front of them.

"Arya, the cold wind is blowing, and winter is coming." The low and powerful voice of Duke Eddard of the Wolf Runner came from above.

Arya lowered her face and whispered: "A wolf who walks alone will die, but a wolf who gathers in a pack will live."

Looking at his well-behaved daughter, Duke Ed's tight lips curled up slightly imperceptibly, and said: "Let's go to the study together."

The Lord's Study of Winterfell.

"Yes, the information Benyan (Ned's younger brother, chief ranger of the Night's Watch) found outside the Great Wall, according to the characteristics described, is almost certain to be Bran and the others." Duke Ed announced to the children A rare piece of good news recently.

"Thank the gods." After clasping her hands together for a while, Sansa couldn't help but hug her mother tightly.

Arya hugged the equally excited little Rickon and said, "Great. Will Uncle Benjen be able to find Bran soon?"

Duke Eddard frowned slightly, and Benyan speculated in the letter that Bran and the others might have gone deep into the Haunted Forest (located north of the Great Wall), where there are now many savages who call themselves free people, which is very dangerous.

Ed didn't want to ruin the children's good mood, so he paused and said, "I will send someone to support Bunyan tomorrow. Bran should be able to find him soon."

Arya took a step forward excitedly and said to Duke Eddard who was sitting behind the table: "Father, let me go with you. I promise to bring Bran home."

Ed felt a little headache. When he was worrying about how to refuse without hurting Arya's "swordsman" self-esteem, Caitlin's stern voice came over: "Arya."

Arya puffed up her cheeks, and then backed away very reluctantly. A faint smile flashed across Duke Eddard's face and said: "You will grow up soon, and then I will use important tasks to test your sword." Technology, now...is not the time yet."

After hearing this, Arya immediately became excited: "Father, you must keep your word."

After being glared at by his wife, Duke Ed nodded slightly to his youngest daughter: "Of course."

Little Rickon looked at his sister with envy and said, "Arya, I will be your assistant when the time comes."

Arya looked at her brother seriously and said, "I only accept the best swordsmen."

Then, she glanced at Sansa and added: "A crybaby will never become a swordsman of Winterfell."

"You're so naughty."

With a look from Lady Catelyn, Sansa and Arya, who were about to argue, immediately fell silent.

She said: "Children, please sit down. The Duke of Winterfell has other matters to discuss with you."

The last trip to King's Landing allowed Benlang to learn enough lessons. He is trying to change his previous habits. For example... he will pick out some things every once in a while and organize his own affairs in the form of family meetings. All the children were called together to discuss. His purpose is not only to train children's thinking ability, but also to let his little running wolves know more about the world outside Winterfell from an early age.

He spoke slowly, as if holding a war meeting with his vassals: "According to the information I received, the Lannister army has already marched towards Riverrun. Calculating the time, normally there should have been a fight there."

After a pause, he glanced at the little running wolves, and then said: "Your uncle and grandpa only have one ally left in the Riverlands, Seaside City. What do you think Winterfell should do next?"

After the words fell, little Rickon's childish voice was the first to speak: "Father, we should send troops immediately to save my uncle and grandpa!"

Arya nodded and agreed, "And quickly."

After a pause, Sansa's voice sounded: "Father, have you received your uncle's letter asking for help?"

Seeing everyone's eyes focused on her, she said nervously: "I'm worried that my uncle will refuse Winterfell's support."

Arya's voice was slightly angry: "What do you mean? Even if you refuse, you must support me!"

Then, with a look from Lady Catelyn, Arya sat back obediently.

After a moment of silence, Duke Eddard looked at his thirteen-year-old eldest daughter and said, "Sansa, you are very smart. Duke Brynden did not ask me for help. I can roughly guess what he is thinking. He is here." Guilt and pain for Robb's death."

There was a hint of sadness in his voice: "He is most likely thinking of dying with the Lannister..."

After a moment of silence, Running Wolf quickly regained his sharp gaze: "The North will never be forgotten. Tully is Stark's family. We must support Riverrun."

Arya immediately spoke up: "I agree. Lannister also murdered Little Robert. Running Wolf will make the lion pay with his blood."

Duke Eddard raised his hand and pressed down, asking his youngest daughter and son, who were shouting and shouting, to sit down. Then he looked at his eldest daughter who was sitting there and hesitated to speak, and said, "Sansa, what's your opinion?"

Sansa first looked at her father, then at Lady Catelyn, paused, and slowly spoke under her mother's encouraging gaze: "Father, I'm worried that Winterfell's reinforcements won't be able to reach Riverrun, because... …because…the Twins…it is now in Lannister hands…”

At the mention of Twin River City, the atmosphere in the study suddenly became heavy.

After a while, Arya glanced at her father, who was frowning, and broke the dull atmosphere: "If we take the sea route, we can join the Earl of Seaside City's army first..."

As she said that, her little face wrinkled, and she suddenly remembered that her father had just repelled the iron race's invasion of the north, and the sea was very dangerous.

Duke Eddard tapped his chin and said: "Yes, the Ironborn are enemies in the north. If we want to support them, we can only go overland. Sansa, please continue."

Sansa hesitated for a while with her childish face, and then she said cautiously: "Father, mother, can we make a truce with the Lannister?"

As soon as Sansa's voice fell, Arya was startled for a moment, and then said angrily: "Sansa, you want to be a traitor again! I'm going to beat you up!"

Upon hearing Arya's rebuke, Sansa burst into tears: "I am not a traitor, the Lannisters are all liars, and I hate them so much!"

She threw herself into her mother's arms: "Mom, I can only think of this way to save my uncle and grandpa. I don't want him to be killed by the Lannister too."

…………

After Sister Mordane took the wolf cubs away, the study became unusually quiet. Duke Eddard's voice was slightly pleased: "Kate, the children grow up very quickly."

Catelyn Tully nodded and said: "Especially Sansa, although she is not mature yet, she has learned how to think about problems from an overall perspective."

Duke Ed also nodded, with a trace of his old father's smile on his face, and said, "Yes, she is very clever."

"Ned."

Caitlin came to her husband's side, hugged him, buried her face in his broad chest, paused, and said, "I know what decision you made."

Her voice gradually choked up: "If... your decision is ten years later, I can wait for Rickon to grow up with peace of mind. If... you can't give me this time, I hope you can consider Sansa, only her Your oldest child...Arya and Rickon are too young."

Duke Ed's chest rose and fell slowly. He reached out and patted his wife on the back, sighing: "I'm sorry, Kate, I have to restore Stark's lost honor. I will consider your suggestions."

Lady Caitlin shook her head in her husband's arms and cried: "I'm sorry, I didn't teach our child well...promise me...let me get pregnant...don't let me wash my face with tears every day... …”

"I'm sorry, I'm not a good husband."

After hearing her husband's self-blame, Kate said firmly: "But you are a good lord, and I am proud of you, Ned."

As the two hugged each other quietly, a voice came from outside the study door: "Lord Eddard, Maester Luwin wants to see you."

The two separated and arranged their clothes for a while before Duke Eddard responded: "Invite him in."

The door was opened, and Maester Luwin walked in. He said respectfully: "Lord Ned, the mercenaries from White Harbor have sent an important letter."

After taking the letter and looking at the sealing wax with the flaming red heart printed on it, Duke Eddard couldn't help but frown slightly: "Is this Stannis's new coat of arms?"

Maester Luwin shrugged: "This is the faith from across the strait - the Lord of Light."

Duke Eddard unfolded the parchment and said: "What have Mia and Gendry (Robert's illegitimate children, Chapter 176, Chapter 258) been busy with recently? I haven't seen them for several days. ?”

Maester Luwin smiled and said, "The shy Gendry asked his instructor to practice his sword skills in a remote corner, while Mia went to the Wolf Wood with the hunt in Winterfell. She should be back soon. ”

"Very good, it seems that Winterfell will soon have an outstanding swordsman and an excellent hunter." After saying that, Duke Eddard lowered his head and read the letter.

After a while, Catelyn saw her husband's face becoming serious and asked with concern: "What's wrong? What did Stannis say in the letter, Ned?"

Duke Eddard seemed to read the letter again and was silent for a while before he said, "Carter, Maester Luwin, Stannis told me that he plans to lead his army to the Wall in order to save the Seven Kingdoms."

Bachelor Luwin said in surprise: "The Great Wall of Despair?"

Caitlin, knowing her husband, asked, "What else did he say?"

Duke Eddard glanced at the two people at the table and said: "In the name of the king, he ordered me... When he arrives at the Great Wall, let me go to see him immediately and swear allegiance."