A few more years went by, and there were two new additions to the Stark family, Brandon and Rickon Stark. Brandon was three years younger than Arya, but she and he got on amazingly well after Lyarra scolded them about always taking care of family. Rickon was a precocious three-year-old that hung onto Lyarra skirts if he wasn't with Catelyn. Lyarra didn't mind; she loved her baby brother with all her heart.

As the years went by, Lyarra ensured that her sisters could use a weapon properly. At first, Sansa objected, telling her sister that it wasn't ladylike. Until Lyarra explained what had happened to her with Theon, “What do you think would have happened if I hadn't known how to defend myself, sister?”

Sansa's eyes widened when she realized the horrible fate that would have befallen her eldest sister. After that conversation, Sansa was determined to be as well trained in weapons as Lyarra. She wasn't going to be some helpless girl that had to depend on a man to save her.

It was much easier to convince Arya. She, like Lyarra, had Wolf's Blood running through her veins and felt that anything her brothers could do, she could do better. Ned was very proud of his girls, as was Catelyn. Lyarra had ensured they were warriors but ladies, which pleased Catelyn. Their knowledge of how to run a household would come in handy when they married a Northern Lord's son.

Catelyn had, at first, thought of marrying her daughters South, but she realized that Starks does not fare well in the South after thinking about what happened to Lord Rickard, Brandon, and Lyanna. She decided it was safer for her children to remain in the North close to her.

Ned couldn't have agreed more. He had received betrothal offers for Lyarra since she flowered, but he couldn't bring himself to agree to any of them. To Ned, Lyarra was still his little girl, and he wasn't ready to part with her. Now, Lyarra, Robb, and Jon were twenty years old, and Ned would have no choice but to start to consider the wedding offers seriously. But there was one thing Ned would not do; he would not agree to any marriage unless Lyarra agreed. The last thing he wanted was for the same thing to happen to his daughter that happened to his sister.

While Ned was in his Solar reading over the marriage offers, his older children were outside with Arya and Brandon. It was time for their archery lesson with Lyarra. Of the three oldest siblings, it was agreed that Lyarra was the best with a bow. So, it was left to Lyarra to show the little ones.

Lyarra was in the middle of showing Bran how to aim when Jon looked up and saw their mother watching them. Jon smiled at his mother, and she returned it affectionately. Jon loved his mother dearly, even though he knew Catelyn was not his birth mother. The day that Jon found out he was a legitimized bastard, he was five years old and had come crying to Catelyn.

“Jon, what's the matter?” Cat asked as her son barreled into her and hid his face in her skirts.

“Is it true?” Jon asked, looking up at the only mother he had ever known. His grey eyes filled with tears.

“Is what true, Sweetling?”

“That I'm not your son, that I'm a bastard.”

“Who told you that?” Catelyn asked, her face growing red with anger.

“One of the guards. He said that I might think I'm a Stark but nothing but a no-good bastard,” Jon said and burst into tears.

Catelyn kneeled and hugged Jon, “Jon, listen to me very carefully. You are my son. Indeed, you did not come from my body, but you are the son of my heart. I love you just as much as I love your brother and sisters, and you are not a bastard because I am your mother. You are a Stark no matter what.”

Jon sniffled, and Catelyn wiped his eyes, “Truly?” Jon asked.

“Aye, my love,” Catelyn told her son and embraced him tightly.

Later on, Catelyn found out which guard had told Jon that and had him executed. His head was put on a spike to warn the other servants to watch their tongues when it came to Jon.

Jon smiled as he remembered that day and whispered in Brandon's ear, “Go on, Mother is watching.”

Upon hearing that, Brandon looked up and accidentally let loose his arrow and missed the target entirely. Jon and Robb started chuckling, and Lyarra smacked Jon in the back of the head, “You made him miss, you oaf!”

Robb began to laugh harder until his sister glared at him.

“And which one of you was a marksman at ten?” Ned asked as he came into the practice field.

Robb and Jon turned and looked at their approaching father, “Lyarra!” They yelled.

Ned chuckled, “Alright, besides your older sister?”

Robb and Jon looked at each other, “Arya.”

Arya and Lyarra looked at each other and began laughing, “Can we help it if girls can do anything better than boys?” Lyarra inquired, “Nevertheless, it was still your fault that Bran missed, Jon,” Lyarra pointed out.

Jon knew that tone from his sister and immediately apologized to his little brother. Ned nodded towards his oldest child. He loved how she cared for all of her siblings and wouldn't let them feel bad about themselves no matter what. Suddenly, Ned frowned, Robb glanced at his father, and his brow furrowed, “Is something wrong, Father?”

“A guardsman just rode in from the hills. They’ve captured a deserter from the Night’s Watch.”

Robb knew precisely what that meant; his father would carry out the King's Justice.

“Gather your brothers and sisters, including Bran. He's old enough to witness this,” Ned told his heir.

Ever since the incident with Lyarra, Ned vowed not to hide the horrors of the world from his children. So, when he had to do executions, he made sure his sons and daughters were there. Nothing was held back from them. Catelyn initially protested, but after Ned explained his reason, she agreed it was for the best.

Once Robb had gathered everyone, including Sansa, the Starks rode out to where the deserter was being held. This would be the first execution that Arya and Bran had seen, but Sansa had seen it before.

When they arrived, the guards had the deserter on his knees. Everyone dismounted their horses, and Ned walked toward his men. The man, Will, kept muttering something Ned couldn't make out until he got closer.

“White Walkers. I saw the White Walkers. White Walkers. The White Walkers, I saw them.”

Ned and Will faced each other, “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. People need to know. If you can get word to my family, tell them I’m no coward. Tell them I’m sorry.”

Ned nods yes, and Will is positioned on the tree limb that serves as a block. Ned draws Ice from a scabbard held by Robb.

“In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, 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.”

Ned swings Ice and cleanly takes the man's head.

Ned hands Ice back to Robb, then walks toward Arya and Bran, “Do you understand why I did it?” Ned asked his son and daughter.

“Jon said because he was a deserter,” Bran answered.

“But do you understand why I had to kill him?”

“Lyarra said because our way is the old way. And the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword,” Arya answered.

Ned nodded, “Aye, that is correct,” Ned said, then put his arms around his youngest children and led them towards their horses.

They began talking about the White Walkers and whether or not the deserter was telling the truth, “A madman sees what he sees,” Ned answered.

As they rode back towards Winterfell, they came across a dead stag with its throat ripped out, but there was a trail of blood leading away from the animal. Lyarra suddenly felt the aura of a dying animal and rushed forward.

“Lya!” Robb and Jon screamed and rushed off after her.

When they finally caught up with her, Lyarra cautiously walked toward the most prominent wolf they had ever seen. The beast was growly injured and snapping its teeth at her, but Lyarra stayed calm.

“Lya! Get away from that; it's a Dire Wolf!” Robb yelled and drew his sword. He was about to run down the hill towards his sister when she whispered, “Robbie, stay back; she's hurt; I'm going to heal her.”

Robb paused and watched as Lyarra slowly inched towards the Dire Wolf, speaking softly to it. When the wolf calmed down, Lyarra removed the piece of the antler that was on the wolf's neck and placed her hands on the wound. She slowly started to push her healing powers into the animal, and the damage began to close.

Once the Dire Wolf was healed, Lyarra stood and stepped back. The Dire Wolf, on the other hand, stepped towards Lyarra and butted her head against Lyarra's chest and gently took her hand, and pulled her towards the woods.

At that moment, Ned and the others arrived; Ned leaped off his horse and ran towards his sons, “Where is your sister?”

“She followed a wolf into the forest,” Robb said, realizing how foolish that sounded.

“What?! And you let her go?!”

Ned signaled for his men to draw their swords and follow him. He told his children to wait, but of course, they didn't; they, too, were worried for Lyarra. The group cautiously stalked through the woods until they entered a clearing and stopped short. Ned's mouth fell open when he saw his oldest daughter sitting on a rock playing with Dire Wolf puppies while the mother was lying on the ground feeding the others. Upon noticing the intruders, the black female wolf was on her feet, standing between Lyarra, her pups, and the men, growling at them; her hackles raised.

Lyarra smiled, “It's alright, Midnight; this is my father, the one I was telling you about.”

The female, now called Midnight, turned towards Lyarra and then looked at Ned. She slowly started walking toward Ned, and Lyarra told her father to stand still. Ned was frozen in place as the Dire Wolf, almost as big as a horse, walked toward him. She stopped a few feet before him and moved her head from side to side as if examining Ned. Coming to a decision, the female wolf let out a yip and playfully lowered its front paws, startling Ned.

Ned looked at Lyarra, who smiled and nodded; he then took off his glove and held his hand out for the wolf to smell. The female sniffed his hand and then licked it. And that was how Midnight claimed Ned as hers.

After that, Ned allowed the rest of his children to go to Lyarra to see the puppies; it didn't take long for each Stark child to be claimed by a puppy. They thought they would get to pick out the puppies, but it didn't work out that way. Robb wanted the biggest one that was black like its mother but with blue eyes, but the pup growled and snapped at him and stayed with Lyarra. Instead, the second biggest came towards Robb and claimed him.

The children picked up the pups and headed back up the path with Midnight following Ned. They rode back to Winterfell, talking excitedly amongst themselves, asking what they would name their pups. Sansa decided to name her Lady, while Arya decided on Nymeria. Bran called his wolf Summer because of his light-colored coat, while Jon named his albino pup Ghost.

Robb held onto his pup Greywind and looked at Lyarra, “What are you going to name yours, Lya?”

Lyarra looked at the black wolf with unusual blue eyes and could see their mischief. She smiled as she remembered someone else with eyes like that.

“I'm going to name him Kouga.”