Chapter Text
277 A.C.
Ned was sick and tired of the Eyrie. He had been fostering in the Vale with Lord Paramount Jon Arryn since he was eight name days old. He was currently five and ten name days old and all he wanted to do was go home to the North and Winterfell and be back with his pack. He was currently in the middle of his morning routine climbing up the cliff the Eyrie was on. Many people would call him mad and crazy, but he found it to be one of the things that brought him joy, he was part Flint after all, and climbing was in his blood.
He was at the three-quarter mark of his climb, resting on a fairly large outcropping below the castle. It was protected from the winds but not the sight, the sight was one of the most incredible things he has ever seen in his life. That includes seeing Alys Royce in all her glory and spending the night with her. Here he was looking out at an unrestricted view of all the Vale. He could see the narrow sea and all the Fingers. He was watching the sunrise produce a myriad of colors, ranging from a deep pink all the way to a golden orange. Seeing this he started to think on how he even got here and what he has done and seen so far in his life.
He had lost his mother when he was just five name days old, she died in the birthing bed giving birth to his youngest brother Benjen. It was hard for him because his mother was the one who understood him and let him be who he was. His father and older brother, Brandon, didn’t. They thought him boring and simple because he chooses to be silent and observe. Once his mother passed away, he had to help take care and raise his only sister, Lyanna. He loved Lyanna like no other because she saw him for who he really was as their mother did. He was the one to help learn to read, write, her sums, language, how to ride a horse and most importantly how to swing a sword. Each night they would sneak out to either the Godswood or in his room.
But that all had to stop when he was eight. His father was sending him away to the Andal realm, the Vale. He was to be fostered with Lord Jon Arryn. Robert Baratheon , the heir to the Stormlands was also supposed to be fostered there as well. According to his lessons and his father, Lord Jon, Lord Steffon Baratheon and his father became friends during the War of the NinePenny Kings. That was how he ended up in the Vale and at the Eyrie. It wasn’t just Robert Baratheon there though, there was also Jon Arryn’s nephew and heir Elbert Arryn.
Robert wasn’t bad per say, he was like Brandon except he wasn’t indifferent. He always smiled and wanted to have fun and be loud. He also tried to get Elbert and himself into all different kinds of trouble. Elbert on the other hand seemed to understand Ned better than Robert, meaning that he could tell that Ned liked to be quiet, think first and observe. He didn’t need to be the center of the room. He was happy enough to just sit back and watch. They also talked about all different sorts of topics since they all had their lessons together. Robert tried to leave them as fast as he could, that boy only wanted to be in the training yard.
But for all that they could relate on many topics neither Elbert nor Robert could relate on what it was like being the second son. They were both heirs and to Great houses at that. He didn’t know what his future would hold, he was dubious about what would happen with him in the North with his father sending him to grow up in the Vale after all. So, when he made it to the Vale, he decided that he would become the best warrior that he could possibly become so that he could prove his worth and usefulness to someone in the future. So, he trained, and he trained in the yard with his friends and the master at arms and anybody that wanted to train either with him or against him. He trained in all manner of weapons and upon the horse. He favored the bastard sword and the great sword due to his size. The only one that he had any trouble against was Robert and that was because even though he was big for his age Robert was even bigger and his strength was something else. It was truly incredible what he could do sometimes.
It wasn’t just the training yard where he trained his hardest. He was also very smart and put his best into his lessons. He wanted to be the best that he could be. So, he learned all that he could, he learned about all the different histories of the different Kingdoms. He learned about medicine, plants, warfare, his sums and when that wasn’t enough, he learned about the different regions of Essos and their histories. But even though he learned and learned all that he could, people still thought him simple, all because he was from the North and for the fact that he was quiet. They started to call him the Quiet Wolf after a while. He didn’t see the problem with being quiet and only talking when he wanted to. Jon and Elbert at least knew who he truly was. Robert didn’t really care, and he talked more than enough for ten men.
But it was just last year when he got some news that was depressing. He had received a letter from his only living grandfather, the Wandering Wolf, Rodrik Stark. He traveled from beyond the wall all the way to Asshai in his lifetime and it was finally his time to move on. But before he passed on, he wanted to see some of his kin again. Who was Ned to disagree, so he did something admittedly rather stupid. He traveled to Essos to where his grandfather was. Granted he did tell Jon because Jon genuinely cares for them all and he thought he deserved to know. He met his grandfather in Bravos in a manse of his that he gained from his time as a sellsword and traveler. His grandfather thanked him for coming to see him off and taught him everything he knew because he wanted some of his kin to know what he had learned throughout his life. His grandfather introduced him to the sellsword company that he belonged to at one point, the Second Sons. He had them join the Second Sons because he wanted to die in battle, not in some feather bed. He got his wish, around half a year since he had left the Vale for Essos his grandfather was killed in battle with some other sellsword company. He took out the man trying to kill him though.
His grandfather had left him all that he owned. He had also entrusted him with some items to give to his family. He had left some personal items of his wife for his daughter, Branda, and some more of his wife’s things for Lyanna. He stayed over in Essos for another half a year traveling and fighting with the Second Sons, he even fought against a Dothraki kahlasar, what a time that was. They were some of the finest horsemen that he had ever seen. He then spent a month tracking down some of his kin, The Company of The Rose. They welcomed him and shared stories and asked about the North and how it was fairing. He stayed with them for a month before he traveled back to Bravos to go back to the Vale. Back in Bravos he discovered that he had inherited his grandfather’s account with the Iron Bank, it was a significant amount for a single person after a life of being a traveler and sellsword. He took out the items that his grandfather requested go to his Aunt Branda and his sister Lyanna. Finally, after a year traveling across Essos he was returning to Westeros and the Vale.
After he had returned to the Vale, his routine had started back up. Wake up early, walk down part of the Eyrie, climb up the side of the Eyrie. Wash and break his fast, train and train and train, lessons with Elbert and Robert with either the Maester or Jon, attend to his duties, training again, have fun with Robert and Elbert and then repeat again the next day. Occasionally it would be broken up when they were sent out to help take care of some of the mountain clans or to go to a tournament.
And that brought him to where he was now, watching the beautiful sunrise over the Narrow Sea and the Fingers of the Vale. Deciding he had enough of a breather, Ned decided to get back up before someone was looking for him. Looking up he could tell he had around a hundred feet to go or so. Reaching up with his left hand, he made sure he had a firm hold on the rock jutting out. Then grabbing the same spot as he always did with his left, he brought his foot up and started to slowly but surely make his way back up the familiar foot and handholds to the Eyrie.
Reaching a window ledge on the lower levels he peeked left down the hallway then to his right. Not seeing a soul, he hauled himself up and over the ledge. Planting his boots on the stone floor with a soft thud he wiped off his hands on his tunic. Then turning to the cloth and waterskin on the floor he had prepared before, he took a long drink. Feeling the cool water rush down his throat always felt nice after a good climb. Picking up the cloth, he wiped the sweat from his face and neck. Deciding to wash and dress before he broke his fast, he started the trek up the halls of the underbelly of the Eyrie. Passing some servants quarters, he made his way to the servant’s stairwell. He took this stairwell because usually the stairwell the servants used was hidden from view of the main rooms so that they were not seen walking about the keep.
He had managed to make his way to the living quarters with only a few servants being the ones to see him. Just as he was making his way up a small set of stairs, he heard a voice off to his left.
“Oh, if it isn’t Ned trying to make his way back after a little morning ‘stroll’.”
He knew that voice. Turning to look, he could see Elbert Arryn, the heir to the Vale, leaning against a wall to his left. He was a couple of name days older than himself. He had an air of confidence around him, always managing to make people smile from just a few words. He was around Ned’s height, maybe an inch taller being six foot one and filled out as only a man practicing warfare for all their life could be. Pale straw blonde hair cut just above his shoulders, and eyes the color of a blue summer sky. All around Elbert one of the more handsome men Ned had met in his life and an even better friend.
“Elbert, good to see this morning. I was not expecting to see anyone up this early in the morning.” He was hoping to not see anyone before he had made it to his room. But if it was anybody, he was happy that it was Elbert that had caught him because he had found out about Ned climbing before and all he had done about it was to call him insane and to not fall.
“Of course not, who in their right mind would be awake and this godsforsaken hour!? Only someone mad!” Elbert said while laughing. “Why don’t you go change and freshen up in your room. Robert wants us to go spar in the yard before we break our fast”.
“Aye, that sounds good to me Elbert, I’ll meet you two in the yard soon”. They started to walk their separate ways, Elbert walking off to the right down the hall, presumably to get to the yard and Ned walking off down the opposite side of the hallway towards the servant’s stairway so that way he could make it up to his room. Ned went up the three stories of stairs without seeing anybody. Finally coming to the guest wing with his and Robert’s room, Ned went into his room on the right.
Opening the heavy oak door and glancing about the room from left to right was his large queen sized bed with a nightstand on one side and the wall on the other. The bed had his wolf pelt covers that his mother gifted him on his sixth name day before her death. They were a patchwork of dark greys, black and browns. Above the bed was a large tapestry depicting a pack of wolves running through the Wolfswood. The wall opposite the doorway had a painting of the Vale landscape from the Eyrie. A door and a window was also on the wall, if Ned were to step out onto the balcony he would be shown an amazing view of the southern Vale, he could see all the way to Crackclaw point and the Mountains of the Moon. To the right was a bureau made of the same oak as the bed to hold his clothes. Then a doorway leading to the bathroom. Next came his ‘solar’, basically just a large desk with a chair. On the desk were half finished letters to his family and the letters he had received from them.
The tomahawk his grandfather had gifted him was sitting on the desk. It was a beautiful and deadly piece of art. The head and blade were a wolf with its jaw wide open howling away, the teeth connecting to make the blade. The ears were pointing back to create the hammer of the tomahawk.
If the tomahawk was a piece of art then the sword was a masterpiece, a Valyrian Steel bastard sword being just shy of four feet long, the blade just shy of three feet long. The pommel was a grey wolf head with sapphires to give it blue eyes. The grip was rich black leather and the crossguard was to wolves stretched out like they were running through the woods. This was his prized possession Frostbite. His late grandfather had gifted it to him before his death saying that it was to be wielded by a member of house Stark to protect house Stark. When Ned had asked him where he had acquired such a sword, he was simply told that he had taken it off of an enemy corpse that he had killed in battle. Ned did dare ask his grandfather again.
To the right of the door were the three chests Rodrik Stark had given him. They were made out of a dark wood called Ebony. The largest chest on the bottom contained some of the things his grandfather had gifted him. This included journals, books, gold, jewels, clothing, weapons and other treasures collected from his travels around the world. Ned and Rodrik had put most of his gold into an account with the Iron bank so Ned wasn’t walking around with thousands of gold dragons.
The second and middle sized chest contained things of his late grandmother. This chest was to be delivered to his Aunt Branda in the Stormlands. She had married into house Roger back before Ned or his siblings were born.
The third chest contained gifts and objects he was to give to his siblings when he saw them next. Some of it was weapons, some artifacts from around the world, and some of it was his grandmother’s that were to go to his sister, Lyanna.
He decided to change out of his undershirt and into a training tunic. Deciding he was ready he grabbed Frostbite and put it in its scabbard. After leaving his room he had to go through the throne room. There he glanced at the moon door and the Weirwood throne. He always had a sad and disgruntled feeling every time he looked at them. He knew the history, King Torren Stark’s daughter who was married to Ronnel Arryn was thrown through the moon door. As a Northerner and Stark at that it went against everything he had been taught growing up to see and use Weirwood wood in such a way. Finally leaving the throne he made the rest of his way through the castle to the training area where Elbert, Robert were waiting for him.
There were a number of guards and knights training, sitting around and coaching each other. Making his way to Elbert and Robert was easy because Robert was bigger than most men at half the age standing at 6 1/2 feet tall, thick, coal black hair, a thick bushy beard. And his trademark warhammer that he carried with one hand that most men can’t even pick up with two.
“Ned! There you are. You Took your sweet time I see.” Robert boasted across the yard with a voice as loud as a bard.
“Not all of us are as eager and willing to fight as you Robert.” Ned replied while making his way across the yard and through the men training. Finally arriving at Elbert and the towering form of Robert.
“Come on Ned! Lets spar, I need a challenge today. I need to let the blood flow, I want to feel scared when I’m fighting and you are normally the only one around here who can bring out that feeling in me.” Robert pleaded. “No offense Elby.” He added as an afterthought with Elbert just nodding his head in a sign of acceptance. Robert already had his warhammer in hand, a heavy and hulking weapon beautifully made with the Baratheon antlers inlaid on the side of the hammerhead.
“I have only just arrived, I am going to need more time to get ready than thirty seconds in order to face you.” Ned answered back. “Give me time to warm up first and then I’ll spar you. Do you have a preference on which weapon you want me to use?” Ned asked. He asked this question because sometimes Robert liked to test himself against different types of weapons and Ned also liked to keep up with his different weapons training that his grandfather had taught him in Essos. His grandfather had made sure he was proficient in all manner of weapons.
“Let’s go with the bastard sword today. I want to test myself against your speed with one hand and your power with both hands.” Robert replied while starting to stretch and loosen up himself with his warhammer.
Ned walked to his own corner of the training yard to start his stretching. Starting with his lower body, getting his legs and hips loose and open. Footwork was key to swordfighting. Next he moved on to his upper body with his arms, shoulders and neck. After Ned finished stretching her decided to warm his blood up with a round of jumping jacks.
Making his way back over to where Robert and Elbert were waiting he asked, “Are you ready to go Robert?”
“Aye, I am. Are you going to use that Valerian beauty of yours? I’ve been waiting for you to give the go ahead, I want to hear her sing!” Robert asked hopefully. Everybody in the Eyrie knew Ned had a Valerian steel sword, but he had refused to spar anyone with it. The only time anybody had seen it meet steel was when they had fought the clansman. In one instance Ned’s had cleaved through a clansman’s sword and neck all in a single blow.
Walking over to Elbert Ned took Frostbite off of his hip and handed it to him to hold for his spar. “Please hold this for me Elbert.” Elbert nodded his head in assurance. “Robert. I’ve told you, the only time I draw Frostbite on somebody is when I mean to spill blood. And I have no desire to spill your blood.” Ned answered. He now walked over to the training rack of weapons to pick up a dull training sword. Finally finding a bastard sword, he picked it up and made his way to where Robert was waiting.
“It's about time! Now get over here and fight me Ned!” Bellowed Robert as he got into his stance with his warhammer, his feet were slightly wider than his shoulders with his left foot slightly forward. He held the hammer with two hands with his left on the handle and his right up by the hammer head, just like how someone would hold an axe to chop wood.
Ned stepped up to face Robert and before he even had a chance to take a breath Robert was attacking him with a powerful overhand swing of his hammer. Ned turned to his right side to let the hammer swing past, missing him by inches and impacted the ground with a force he could feel in feet. Ned took a few steps back while raising his sword with both hands out in front of him in a defensive position.
He took a deep breath and centered himself like his grandfather had taught him. Letting the air out of his lungs he focused on only Robert and the fight. He let Elbert, the sounds of steel and the training ground fade away until it was just Robert and himself in an empty field. This was a trick his grandfather had taught him to do, but only while in a safe space. You put your whole focus on the person you are sparring with so that there are no outside distractions. But his grandfather told him to never do this in a real battle because in a battle you have so much more going on that needs to be paid attention to.
Robert had already pulled back and was reset. He was swinging horizontally at him now so Ned decided to deflect and direct the swing toward the ground. It was easier said than done since Robert was stronger than an ox, he could feel the impact of the hit all the way up his arms to his shoulders but he ignored it. He slashed diagonally at Robert from where his sword tip had ended up. Robert was able to lean back and out of the way of strike. It had the intended effect of making him back up.
Ned went on the offensive with a series of strikes that forced Robert to defend by blocking with his hammer, thus not giving him a chance to make any devastating blows. Backing off, Ned let Robert have his chance, which he took advantage of. Ned spent the next few moments dodging out of the way and redirecting strikes so that they would miss him. Robert did not give him a chance in all this time to attack after his first series of strikes. He knew he needed to end this fast before he made a mistake and wasn’t fast enough and got hit by that warhammer.
So Ned decided he needed to take it up a notch. After dodging a vicious horizontal slash from Robert, Ned switched to one handed. Here he attacked Robert with strikes quicker than he had been before. Hits from the right, hits from the left, from above and below and even switching hands when he had the chance.
‘There!’ Ned saw Robert lose concentration in his footwork and shifted them the wrong way. ‘This is my chance.’ Ned thought as he executed his plan. Ned took a quick step to close the distance between Robert, slipping inside his guard. From there he directed Robert’s hasty attack away with his sword and then brought it up in a diagonal strike stopping the sword by Roberts neck.
With both of them breathing hard Ned finally broke out of his focused state to speak for the first time since before the spar. “Yield?”
“Aye, I yield you crazy bastard.” Robert got out between heavy breaths.
The rest of the training yard started to come back into focus. He could hear the clanging of sword against sword, the cheering, grunting and cursing. He turned back to Robert and Elbert because the latter was trying to get his attention.
“Ned, Ned… are you listening to me now?” Elbert asked.
“Yes, I’m listening now. What is it?” Ned asked and he walked closer to his friends.
“You are absolutely terrifying, do you know that?” Elbert asked rhetorically. He continued on without letting Ned get a word in. “You just took on someone who is a good head taller than you and probably the strongest person in this castle and beat them all without taking a fucking hit! And that's not the terrifying part. You did it all while looking like a gods damn statue of the warrior! Look at you, you’re barely even breathing hard while Robert is over here chugging water.” Elbert ranted at Ned.
“Elbert, we Starks prefer the term ‘carved from ice’. It matches our house better. And I appreciate the compliment but please don’t compare me to the warrior, it just feels wrong for someone who follows the Old Gods.” Ned calmly answered Elbert. “And I’m only doing what my grandfather taught me, he said that it unsettles the enemy to see someone relentlessly attacking without needing to rest.” He added on.
Robert just started laughing while Elbert just stared at Ned, clearly unamused. “I’m going to go spar a little and finish my drills. Uncle Jon said he had some news for us so he asked that we break our fast with him this morning.” Elbert supplied both Ned and Robert before walking away to a different part of the training yard.
“I’ll go see if anybody wants to face the hammer.” Robert said to Ned.
“And I shall see if Eric, Derrick and Beric want to face me together, I could use the practice with multiple opponents. Then some of my sword drills.” Ned told Robert before they both went their separate ways in the yard.
…
Ned was now on his way to the hall to break his fast after finishing his training and then freshening up. He had faced Eric, Derrick and Beric all at the same time. It took some time and a little patience and creativity but he was able to win against all three of them. After he went on to do 100 strikes of each attack with each hand. He then had to go and freshen up.
He had changed into a navy blue tunic with the Stark sigil, a grey Direwolf head, on the left breast. A fresh pair of pants came on next, followed by his better pair of brown leather boots. He had also grabbed his block of oak wood and whittling kit, a hobby he had picked up from his grandfather over in Essos.
Entering the private dining room for the Arryns, Ned noticed that he was the last to arrive. Robert, Elbert and Jon Arryn were already mid conversion at the table, breaking their fast. Jon Arryn was a man a few inches shorter than Robert. His once blonde hair had started to turn silver blonde due to his age. But do not let his age deceive you, he was able to keep up with men half his age. He had cared for Robert and himself as if they were his own sons. It was nice to have someone care for him like that here in the south since he hadn’t felt that from his father in a long time. And speaking of Jon it seems he was the first to notice him enter the room. “Ned, nice of you to join us. Did the training go well?”
“It did, I beat Robert here.” Robert made a rude gesture to him. Ignoring it Ned continued on as if he never even saw it. “Eric, Derrick and Beric put up a good fight but in the end I beat them as well. Then I was able to finish my drills.” Setting his oak block and whittling kit on the table to pull his chair out, Ned was able to finally sit down for some food.
As they broke their fast they chatted about what was going on in the keep, then the Vale. There was the typical squabble of lords blaming their problems on others. There was a tournament in a few months and merchant traders from Essos. Just when they were about to talk about the interesting news of the seven kingdoms, Jon addressed them all.
“Robert, this next bit of news pertains to you the most but it also includes you Elbert, and you Ned.” Jon addressed them.
“What would that be Jon?” Robert was the one to ask while chewing on a piece of crispy bacon.
“I received a letter from your father this morning. It says here that he will be hosting a tournament at Storms End. The purpose being that King Areys has chosen your parents to be the ones to sail to Volantis to find a valyrian bride for Prince Rhaegar.” Jon finished reading from the letter.
“But why would the king have Robert’s parents be the ones to go to Volantis? And why is he even looking for a valyrian bride anyways, I mean if he wanted one that badly why didn’t he just have Prince Rhaegar marry his sister?” Elbert was the one to speak up and ask what everyone was thinking.
“Lord Baratheon and King Arey’s are cousins if you had forgotten so he trusts him to do this. And as for Princess Shaena, there are rumors that the church would act up if there were three generations of Targaryens marrying one another. And the princess is opposed to the match.” Jon explained to the three young men.
“Alright, I get why you would be telling this to Robert, but what does this have to do with Elbert and I?” Ned asked. He had finished breaking his fast and was currently working on carving the piece of wood.
“Well, it’s because you and Elbert shall be going to the Stormlands with Robert for the tournament.” Jon then took a bite of his eggs and continued. “Elbert, you shall be going and representing me and the Vale since you are my heir. It is time that you get some experience being the representative of the Vale in other kingdoms.” Jon then turned to Ned and addressed him. “And you Ned, you will go with them to represent the North.I also seem to remember that your grandfather left some items for you to bring to your Aunt who lives in the Stormlands. Now would be a good time for that.”
Elbert and Robert started to talk excitedly about all that they could do and would do on their way to the tournament and about the tournament and how they would fare in it.
Ned had a thought about the tournament while he was listening to Elbert and Robert imagine and plan what they would do. “Do you mean to send us off alone Jon? You wouldn’t be coming with us?”
“No, I will not be going with you three. You three already go all over the Vale alone so I thought it was time that I trust you and give you some responsibility by going to this tournament alone. And I am sure that other houses shall join you on your way.” Jon finished explaining.
Ned went back to whittling as he listened to Robert and Elbert talk excitedly about the travel and the tournament. Then Jon got his attention.
“Ned.”
“Yes Jon?” Ned asked.
“Lets try not to have any more Royce incidents, ok?” Jon asked hesitantly.
“I just did what I thought was right and I would do it again if it ever comes to it.” Ned told Jon with a voice and face like ice showing that he wouldn’t budge on the issue.
“I only want you to be safe while under my care but I understand better than most Ned and while I may disapprove of how you went about it, you did do the right thing.” Jon reassured him with a small grin. They then both went back to listening to how Robert was going to show them both all the best spots to hunt around Storms End and how Elbert was going to win the joust.
Ned just couldn’t wait to finally meet some of his only family in his Aunt and his cousins down in the Stormlands.