Winterfell - Year 300
Robb was leaning against the railing with Jon as they were trying to help Bran with his archery. Jon chuckled as Bran missed, again, and leaned forward to give him a little pat on his shoulder before he looked around and realized that Eddard and Catelyn were watching the spectacle. Jon straightened up and helped Bran reposition before letting him know.
"Go on. Father's watching." Bran stiffened up but tried to not let it show as he glanced over at Jon. Jon gave him a soft smile and nodded quickly before talking again.
"And your mother." Bran huffed and straightened up and tried to shot it again, and missed, again. Jon and Robb couldn't help but let the laughter out as their little brother missed yet again. Ned was apparently getting frustrated with his elder sons behavior as his voice rang out over the yard.
"And which one of you was a marksman at ten? Keep practicing, Bran. Go on." Jon glanced up at his father before looking back at Bran who was trying to be strong and not show his frustration.
"Don't think to much, Bran." Jon said softly as Robb walked up on his other side.
"Relax your bow arm." Robb rumbled out in his deep voice as he finally tried to help his brother. Bran pulled his arm back and was about to let the arrow fly when an arrow came shooting out from behind the boys. Jon and Robb turned with their little brother to see Arya standing on the other side of the rail with a bow in her hands. She let a grin fall over her face as she did a quick curtsy for her perfect shot. Robb and Jon started to roar their laughter out as Bran dropped his bow and leaped over the rail to chase after his sister. Arya took off as well with laughter trailing behind her.
"Quick Bran! Faster!" Robb yelled out between his chuckles as his parents laughed from above them. After their laughter died down Robb assisted Jon with putting away the gear that Bran had left laying on the floor when he ran off, until Theon Greyjoy, their father's ward, came up to them with a grim face. Robb glanced up at him from where he was kneeling to put away the arrows before rising with a sigh.
"What is it Theon?" He rumbled out. Theon let out a little sigh before answering.
"The men have captured a deserter from the Night's Watch a few leagues outside of our walls. Lord Stark wishes you, Jon, and Bran to saddle your horses. You will be riding out with him." Robb nodded before looking over at Jon who got the hint to saddle the horses while Robb found their little brother.
Outside Winterfell's Walls - At the Execution Block
Robb and his brothers watched from near the block as a dirty, wirey man, who could not have been more than five years older than Robb, was walked to the block in chains. Eddard was standing near the block facing the deserter.
"White Walkers. I saw the White Walkers. White Walkers. The White Walkers, I saw them." The man was mumbling in a crazed manner as he was dragged. Robb shot a glance over at Jon over Bran's head as concern settled in his mind. He thought the White Walkers were gone. When the deserter arrived at the block, he turned to face Ned. The man looked around before looking back at the Lord of Winterfell.
"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 nodded yes at him, and tried to hide the confusion spreading across his face as the deserter was lain on the tree limb that was serving as the executioner's block. Ned turned towards Theon who was holding his scabbard, and withdrew his Valyrian steel sword, Ice, from the scabbard. Ned lowered the point of his sword into the ground as he bowed his head, almost in prayer. The deserter looked over at the sword and then back to the ground, and Robb thought he heard him speak.
"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.