"Forgive me lord." And The Lord of Winterfell began to speak. 
                          
"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, first of his name..." Jon looked over at Bran before whispering in his ear. 
                          
"Do not look away." Bran glanced up at him before nodding as his father continued with his speech. 
                          
"King of the Andals and the First Men..." 
                          
"Father will know if you do." Jon whispered out again, and Bran did not look at his brother this time. 
                          
"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." Eddard did not hesitate before swinging his greatsword and beheading the Ranger who fled the White Walkers. Jon looked over at his little brother and gave him a small, sad smile when he looked up. 
                          
"You did well." Jon turned away to go back to his horse as Robb turned to their little brother and wrapped his arm around him to lead them to their horses. When Robb saw their father approaching, he let go of Bran and moved to his horse to check his saddle while he listened in on what his father was saying to Bran. 
                          
"You understand why I did it?"
                          
"Jon said he was a deserter."
                          
"But do you understand why I had to kill him?" Bran hesitated before replying, trying to find the correct answer. 
                          
"Our way is the old way?" Ned gave him a soft smile and a slight smile before explaining more. 
                          
"The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword." A moment passed as Robb heard Bran fiddling with his saddle. 
                          
"Is it true he saw the White Walkers?" Robb paused in his work so he could listen better, as he wanted to know the answer as well. 
                          
"The White Walkers have been gone for thousands of years."
                          
"So... he was lying?" Ned hesitated, before answering the only way he knew how. 
                          
"A madman sees what he sees." Bran nodded before letting Ned help him up into his saddle as he was still to small to mount by himself. 
                          
On the Road Back to Winterfell
                          
The party of Starks were riding back through the woods to their home, until they had to halt at a bridge, where a stag had been killed by a creature. After the men gathered around the animal, Ned leaned down to inspect it more closely. 
                          
"What is it?" Jon asked, trying not to be to annoying for his father, but he was curious. 
                          
"Mountain lion?" Theon barked out. Ned looked over at the boys before shaking his head. 
                          
"There are no mountain lions in these woods." Ned stood up as he drew his sword he gave the men the signal to search the area. Ned found the culprit first. It was a direwolf, it was huge, almost the size of a horse, and it had antlers dug into its neck, and there were pups whimpering around her. Theon froze at the sight, and his face twisted in disgust. 
                          
"It's a freak!" He exclaimed as his nerves seemed to get the best of him. Ned rolled his eyes at the boys before responding. 
                          
"It's a direwolf." Ned looked over at his man, Cassel, and they shared a wary look that Robb did not miss. Ned cleared his throat before looking back at the direwolf and pulling out the antlers. 
                          
"Tough old beast." He mumbled. 
                          
"There are no direwolves south of the Wall." Robb stated as he looked at the pups. Jon chuckled but responded as he picked one up.
                          
"Now there are five. You want to hold it?" He said as he offered the pup to Bran, who grinned as he held it to his chest. Bran looked up at their father, suddenly concerned over the pups wellbeing. 
                          
"Where will they go? Their mother's dead." He said. Cassel looked over at him and gave him a soft smile before answering. 
                          
"They don't belong down here." Ned agreed before adding on. 
                          
"Better a quick death. They won't last without their mother." Theon nodded, relieved before he unsheathed his dagger as he reached out to grab the pup from Bran's arms. That did not go over well for the man though as Bran jerked back. 
                          
"No!"
                          
"Put away your blade." Robb growled out at the ward in disgust. Who would kill puppies? Theon sneered at him in annoyance, and embarrassment. 
                          
"I take orders from your father, not you." Bran glared at the boy before turning to his father. 
                          
"Please father!"
                          
"I'm sorry Bran." Ned had turned away to walk back to his horse, and Theon was reaching for the pup with a glaring Robb standing between the two when Jon Snow decided to intervene. 
                          
"Lord Stark?" Ned turned to look at his bastard with mild annoyance. 
                          
"There are five pups. One for each of the Stark children. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. They were meant to have them." Everyone in the party turned to look at the lord, and at the hope in Bran's eyes, and the sacrifice of his bastard, Ned growled out in annoyance his reply. 
                          
"You will train them yourselves. You will feed them yourselves. And if they die, you will bury them yourselves." Ned spun around and mounted his horse as Bran beamed out his excitement as Robb smiled at Jon and accepted two pups that he handed over to Theon before taking two more in his arms. Jon was smiling to, but with a hint of sadness in his eyes. Bran looked up at Jon.
                          
"What about you?" He whispered quietly, so as not to offend his father. Jon chuckled before ruffling Bran's hair and gesturing towards the horses. 
                          
"i'm not a Stark. Get on." Jon began to follow the the others up the hill to the bridge where the horses were when he heard a whimper. He paused and turned to look in the direction it came from. Robb heard it too and turned to his bastard brother. 
                          
"What is it?" instead of answering, Jon knelt down and lifted up a albino pup by the scruff of its neck. Theon had stopped as well and let out a sarcastic chuckle. He winked at Jon before speaking. 
                          
"The runt of the litter. That one's yours Snow." he said before the boys walked back up to the horses, with a cute little puppy cradled in Jon's hands.