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[Entering Winterfell, gathered Stark bannermen are having a feast. We see Greatjon Umber who is having a conversation with Robb Stark.]
"For 30 years I've been making corpses out of men, boy. I'm the man you want leading the Vanguard."
"How will you deal with this, Robb?" Ned whispered, leaning forward to watch his heir go about war duties.
"Galbart Glover will lead the Van."
"The bloody Wall will melt before an Umber marches behind a Glover. I will lead the Van or I will take my men and march them home."
"You are welcome to do so, Lord Umber. And when I am done with the Lannisters, I will march back North, root you out of your Keep and hang you for an oathbreaker."
Ned inhales sharply.
"Oathbreaker, is it?!"
[Greatjon stands up as he is offended]
"I'll not sit here and swallow insults from a boy so green he pisses grass."
[While Greatjon Umber raises his voice to Robb, Grey Wind rushes towards him and attacks, biting off 2 of his fingers.]
Ned winced.
"My Lord Father taught me it was death to bare steel against your Liege Lord. But doubtless, the Greatjon only meant to cut my meat for me."
"Your meat...is bloody tough."
[Greatjon Umber starts laughing breaking the tension, and making everyone laugh along with him.]
"Your son did good, Ned" Rickard laughed, slapping his knee as well.
"He did" Ned smiled at his son, pride shining in his eyes.
Robb puffed up, grinning at the compliment.
[Later that night, Robb is having a short visit with Brann Stark. Upon entering his room, Brann is still asleep. Robb wakes him and a conversation follows.]
"What is it? What's happened?"
"Shh, it's all right."
"Where are you going?"
"South. For father."
"But it's the middle of the night."
"The Lannisters have spies everywhere. I don't want them to know we're coming."
"Smart lad" Brandon the Elder nodded.
"They have more men than we do."
"Aye, they do."
"Can't I come with you? I can ride now. You've seen me riding. And I won't get in the way, I..."
"There must always be a Stark at Winterfell. Until I return that will be you. You are not to leave the castle walls while we are gone. Do you understand? Listen to Maester Luwin. Look after your little brother."
Bran perked up at his brother's words. He was the Stark in Winterfell, the Lord until his brother returned with their father.
"You're speaking like Father" Jon whispered to Robb.
"I can only hope to lead like him as well" Robb muttered.
"I will."
"I'll send letters whenever I can, but if you don't hear from me, don't be scared."
[Robb leaves the room, but as soon as Robb leaves, Rickon appears.]
"Since when has Rickon been that good at sneaking up on people?" Sansa raised an eyebrow.
"Rickon's always been good at it when he wanted to" Arya spoke, her voice still a little raw and eyes a little puffy. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
Sansa bit her lip as she stared at her sister. She had never seen Arya so... well like that. She didn't know what to say. Lucky for her Arya put her face back on their father's shoulder.
"How long have you been hiding out there? Robb will be looking for you, to say goodbye.
"They've all gone away."
"They'll be back soon. Robb will free Father and they'll come back with Mother."
"No, they won't."
Rickon turns around and leaves the room.
Ned turned to look at Jon. "Is Rickon a greenseer?"
"Ned... How can Rickon be a greenseer? Neither of us are" Catelyn argued beside him.
"He has the gift" Jon Snow nodded. "The Starks have the gift of warging and greensight from marrying the daughters of the Swamp King centuries ago. Throughout history, there have been a few wargs and greenseers amongst the Starks" he explained to Lady Stark. "All your children can become wargs if they train that ability of theirs. Brandon has the strongest ability of them all after me of course."
Catelyn reeled from the information dump while Ned pondered thoughtfully. Would his children practising this keep them safer? For sure they'd know things that he wouldn't. And if they did....
Ned shook his head and sighed.
[The next morning, Brann is sitting affront of the Weirwood tree. While saying his prayers, Osha approaches him.]
"She's still there?" Robb grumbled in displeasure.
"Please watch over Robb. And watch over all the other men from Winterfell. And Theon too, I suppose."
Theon felt a little warmed hearing Bran pray for him specifically.
"You hear them, boy? The Old Gods are answering you."
"And she's a crazy woman!" Robb grunted.
"Not exactly, Robb" Jon cut in. "People beyond the Wall are more in tune with nature and all its mysteries than those South of it. When they say they can hear the gods, they mean they can feel a shift in the air. Magic, Robb, is very much alive and you have simply not learned to feel it yet."
Robb wasn't sure he wanted to feel it at all.
"What are you doing here?"
"They're my Gods too. Beyond the Wall, they're the only Gods. Even slaves are allowed to pray."
"You're not a slave."
[Osha points out to her chains and wiggles her foot.]
"Prisoner, not slave," Robb said indignantly. It certainly answered his question as to why the wildling was still there. That was probably his order, and he would not enslave anyone.
"Well, your friend did put a knife to my throat."
"I'm not complaining, Little Lord, just telling truths."
"What did you mean about hearing the Gods?"
"You asked them, and they're answering you. Open your ears."
[Brann is trying to listen and looks up the Weirwood tree. He hears the wind blowing through the leaves.]
"It's only the wind."
"Who do you think sends the wind if not the Gods? They see you, boy. They hear you. Your brother will get no help from them where he's going. The Old Gods have no power in the South. The Weirwoods there were all cut down a long time ago. How can they watch when they have no eyes?"
"Is she speaking the truth?" Robb Stark asked.
"The South does not have many Weirwood trees" Jon Snow nodded.
"So the gods can't watch over us there?" Bran asked
"I do not know what the gods can or can't do Bran. I am afterall, still human." Jon replies
Bran frowned at that as he wasn't sure if Jon was telling the truth about not understanding the god.
[Catelyn Stark and Ser Rodrik both arrive at Robb Starks camp.]
"Oh another jump" Sansa noted.
"Marching to war is no fun or interest. We march, we eat, shit, piss, sleep and some of us fuck. That's all there is to it" Robert explained, much to the disgust of the child. Reality was... disappointing...
[Entering Robb's tent, we see Robb and his bannermen discussing tactics.]
"The River Lords are falling back with Jaime Lannister at their heels. And Lord Tywin is bringing around a second Lannister army from the South. Our scouts confirm it's even larger than the Kingslayer's."
"One army or two, the Kings in the North threw back hosts ten times this large."
"And the Kings in the North have been dead a long time" Brandon the Elder muttered. He hadn't said it out loud for everyone to hear. No reason to make his brother and sister by law worry.
Not that he needed to think that. Ned and Catelyn both thought along the same lines.
"Mother!"
"You look well."
"Lady Catelyn, you're a welcome sight in these troubled times."
"We had not thought to meet you here, My Lady."