12th Month of 281 A.C. The Eyrie
Eddard Stark
The raven had come that morning, and Jon had pulled him inside to discuss its content. When he had not replied and when he had not come out of the castle again, Robert and Jon had come looking for him, and now they were trying to talk to him but the words were not sinking in. He could not honestly believe it, what his father wrote could it truly be real? "I do not know whether to cry or scream. I do not know what to believe, anymore. Only that my brother is dead and now my father is planning something." He said his voice hoarse.
Jon of course was there straight away providing reason. "It is perfectly normal to feel this way Ned. Do not try to rush into anything, let the grief come before you try and comprehend it. And your father has merely asked you come home as a precaution. Now that Aerys has shown his true hand and colour, your father does not wish to risk you. You are his heir now."
His mentor's words hit him even harder and he remembers not for the first time that he is now heir to Winterfell, a position he never wanted, something that was always supposed to be Brandon's. "I do not know what to make of that Jon. I do not know whether I want it, it was always supposed to be Brandon's. He was father's heir, he was father's favourite he would know what to do now. He would not be standing here, he would be doing something anything."
His mentor's voice is soft when he says. "He did do something Ned. And he paid the price for it. Brandon is dead and you are the heir to Winterfell now. You must accept that and move on from this, you cannot allow it to haunt you. You must do as your father asks and return to Winterfell with great haste."
"And what about the search for Lyanna?" Ned asks, his other major concern coming forward. "No one is looking for Lyanna, we do not know where she is. None of my father's men have found any hint or trace of her. She might very well be in King's Landing, something has to be done and yet my father does nothing but sit and wait. I do not understand."
Jon once again provides a soft rationale. "The king has shown just how unstable he is Ned. Your father is merely making sure he has all of his bases covered before he moves to answer the summons. It is a smart move and something that I would, were I in his place. As for your sister, there is nothing you could do, that others have not done. The very best of your father's men and mine own men have looked for her, even Lord Hoster's men have looked for her and found nothing. You could not do anything different."
Ned looks at the man he considers a second father and then asks. "And what would you do if you were in my place Jon? What would you do if your sister was missing and your brother had been burnt alive by the king, the man supposed to bring justice to the realm?"
His mentor considers this for a long moment and then says. "I would think very hard about what I wanted to do before I acted on it. And once I decided I would not waver from that course of action. But there is another reason you must head back to Winterfell Ned. A raven has just come from King's Landing, Aerys wants you and Robert to come to King's Landing as well."
Ned looks at his mentor completely shocked by this and asks. "Whatever for? I have done nothing wrong. I have been here this whole time, what reason could Aerys have for wishing for me let alone Robert going to King's Landing?"
Jon looks at him his expression tired and sad. "What your brother did was reckless and foolish Ned, I will not lie to you. His death has only further ignited the king's paranoia it would appear, he wants to have leverage over your father should he consider gaining justice. And as to why Robert, Robert is Lyanna's betrothed, should something happen he wants to remove Robert from contention."
Ned looks at his mentor then and asks in a soft voice. "What do you plan to do Jon? Will you send Robert off to King's Landing or not?"
Jon Arryn looks at him a moment and then laughs. "I have no power over Robert Ned, he is a man grown and a lord in his own right. But what Aerys is asking is too much for any man to bear. I will not have my kingdom threatened by a mad man. Things are being put into work to ensure Robert gets home safely, but you too must go home safe and sound."
Ned nods and departs for his rooms, and begins packing, his heart thumping in his mouth as he does so, all of this, this is happening too soon and too quickly. He knows not what to think or whether to blame anyone, he could blame Brandon for being rash and stupid, but he knows that in that situation he likely would've done the same. He worries and panics and only hears Robert when his friend says. "So Jon told you about the raven then did he?"
Ned nods and says. "Aye he did. What do you plan on doing Robert?"
His friend looks at him a moment and then says. "I intend to return home to Storm's End and call the banners. The Targaryens have gotten too lofty about themselves, Rhaegar has more than likely kidnapped your sister and insulted both of our houses. My ancestor the laughing storm did not stand for it when Duncan Targaryen broke his own betrothal, and I will not stand for it this time. This is more than that though, the king has threatened our lives Ned, this can only be resolved with war."
Ned nods and then asks his friend a question he has been wanting to know the answer to for a very long time. "Will you continue to stand by my family and my sister, even if it turns out Rhaegar has despoiled her Robert?"
His friend is silent for a long moment and Ned fears the worse and then he comes over and lays a hand on Ned's shoulder and says very seriously. "Of course Ned. You are my brother in all but blood, and Lyanna, she is to be my wife, and I would die before I forsook either of you."
Ned nods and then his friend leaves the room and he finishes packing. Soon enough he is ready to go, and early the next morning he sets out from the Eyrie making his way across the treacherous pathways and mountain tracks to get a boat to the three sisters and from there to White Harbour. He manages to get passage on a small fishing boat going to the sisters, the man commanding the boat is old, older than his own father perhaps of an age with uncle Brandon, and as such seems genial and willing to allow Ned on for a certain price. The man's daughter certainly is very pretty and Ned has to remind himself of his honour to not try and do more than speak with her. When they come across a storm that rocks the boat and throws the girl's father overboard, Ned holds the girl as she cries, and later he comforts her as best he can, but that still leaves him feeling uneasy when they come to shore two weeks later in Sisterton.
He is brought before Lord Osgood Borrell, Lord of Sweetsister and shield of Sisterton, the man is big and broad a warrior and a pirate, and a conniving man. "Eddard Stark I presume. My sources tell me you wish to book passage to White Harbour? Tell me why should I allow you to pass and not hand you over to the king?"
Ned is silent a moment and then says. "Because the king is a mad man, and there would be no honour in handing me over now. Not when I have taken guest right in your hall."
The man laughs then a booming sound that reminds him of Robert. "Oh yes that is true, and yet my maester here would see you sent in chains to King's Landing so we could claim the reward the king has put out for you. Wouldn't you maester Daegon?"
The maester has a shocking mop of silver hair and violet eyes and Ned guesses he is a Targaryen though from whom he knows not. "Yes, the Targaryens are the only ones who will come out of this mess none the worse for wear. After all they have Prince Rhaegar the man who has more skill than even Daemon Blackfyre did with a blade. They have the royal armies and three hundred years of loyalty to their beck and call. What does this savage have?"
Ned bristles slightly but manages to keep his voice calm and even when he responds. "The right for justice. My brother was unlawfully murdered by the king and as such the king has forfeited any right to respect that myself and my father and the lords of the north owe him. He has shown himself to be a mad man and someone incapable of rational thought. Such a man does not deserve the throne."
The maester bristles and Lord Osgood laughs somewhat. "Well this wolf certainly has some bite. And he does speak the truth Daegon. No one has seen or heard from Rhaegar Targaryen since he abducted Lady Lyanna, and King Aerys grows worse and worse with every passing day. His decrees and laws are more erratic than a storm coming into bay. Besides, Robert Baratheon has already beaten the Graftons and taken Gulltown. That is what a king is, someone who fights his own battles not some ninny who hides behind a harp."
Ned is stunned by this and asks. "You have news of Robert Baratheon?"
Borrell nods and says. "Aye, your friend Baratheon and Jon Arryn marched with half the strength of the Vale to Gulltown where they did battle with some of the Valemen declaring for the Targaryens. Robert was the first over the walls of Gulltown and killed Marq Grafton. I believe he is sailing for Storm's End now. Which leads me to decide that you will be allowed safe harbour to White Harbour and if you fail to win this little rebellion then you were never here."
Ned nods his head in acceptance and says. "Nothing is ever certain in life my lord apart from winter. But I thank you nonetheless." And with that he departs and later that day boards a ship bound for White Harbour, thinking of the girl from the boat and how she is faring. Of course when he arrives in White Harbour he finds Lord Wyman Manderly and his two sons and a score of men waiting for him.
"My Lord Eddard, we had been told to expect you by your father." Lord Wyman says his voice booming.
"I can see that my lord, might I ask why there are so many armoured men here with you?" Ned responds.
The lord of White Harbour is silent a moment and then says. "When your father received word of your departure from the Vale he called the banners, it seems we are to be marching for war to avenge Lord Brandon. As such we are marching to meet your father and the rest of the northern bannermen in Moat Cailin."
"I see," Ned says. "I would be more than willing to join you my lord, but if I could ask one favour from you, I have not got my armour with me, and as such might need to borrow a suit from you."
"Not to worry my lord, your father sent someone down to White Harbour with a suit of your armour for you." Lord Wyman says and calls out and Ned is surprised to see his father's advisor Martyn Cassel riding towards them.
Martyn Cassel is a tall man, broad shouldered, a giant really. He smiles at Ned and says. "Well young one, here you go, your armour is in there. get dressed and then we shall ride out."
Ned nods and does so rather quickly, his armour feeling somewhat awkward on his body as it has been sometime since he had worn it. Still he is ready to go and so they ride in silence for most of the journey, Ned feeling something gritting in his stomach, unable to put a name to it and so it goes until they reach the Moat. He sees Bolton, Dustin, Ryswell, Umber, Karstark, Hornwood, Glover, Mormont, Flint of Flint's Finger, and various mountain clan banners and now the banners of the Manderlys, the Flint's of Widow's Watch, the Lockes and Woolfields all added to the collection. The direwolf of house Stark flies proudly in the centre of it all, and when Ned finds his father, he is sat alone contemplating the maps in front of him. He looks up when he hears Ned, and says. "Son, so you survived." There is something akin to relief in his father's voice.
Ned nods emotion making it hard to speak. He swallows and then says. "Aye I did father. Might I ask what all these men are doing here?"
His father laughs somewhat then and it sounds somewhat bitter. "They have answered my call to arms. Aerys has asked for me to go south to answer for Brandon's crime. I decided I would not go south alone but with the strength of the north. 25,000 men have come now that the Manderlys and their bannermen have joined us. We shall march south to get justice for Brandon and find Lyanna. Furthermore we shall need to remove Aerys from power, and with Rhaegar having shown his colours, it does seem your friend Robert might be more the option."
Ned is blown away by all of this. "You mean to seat Robert on the throne? How will you get to King's Landing when the riverlands stand in your way?"
"Robert is as good as any right now. And as to the riverlands, you shall marry Catelyn Tully as your brother was supposed to do. Now either help me in planning this war or leave, I have much to do before we march for Riverrun." His father says.