A Game of Ice and Shadows 4

It took them over a week to get to Winterfell. During that time, Will wondered how someone could be a witch—and yet so ignorant of well, everything.

When they hunted, she conjured spirits, talking to him about them.

“See,Wild Spirits, are older, more powerful, but they’re like people,” she said. “I can whistle up a normal spirit—but you gotta treat it nice—but a wild spirit? Gotta make deals.”

“Then why?”

“More powerful, know more and it’s…” Wendy paused. “Like, showing respect. Even if you’re showing respect to a conjured spirit, you still made ‘em show up. If I gotta do it, I do it, but if I can, it’s better to talk.”

Will shook his head. It sounded like madness but… But her magic had helped them move fast. Once, Will had twisted his ankle and she’d healed him. But now…

He stopped.

“What is it?” Wendy asked. “You getting tired, old man?” 

He shouldn’t have pointed out that he was older.

"I go to my death," Will said. I broke my oath. Lord Stark holds to the old ways and he will not stay his sword.

"Don't worry," she said. "I have an idea that will make um, Lord Stark give us a chance to talk to him."

"It's not talking I'm worried about," Will muttered, but the girl child shushed him and after a looking around, walked into a small copse of trees, sitting down and muttering to herself, before she made a little fire, the smoke spiraling around her.

"No, you don't have to fight," she said to the air. "Just look impressive. I promise you I won't make you fight any of these people."

Fight, what is she—"OLD GODS AND NEW!" Will shouted as a great glowing wolf as big as a horse appeared in front of her. It looked at her, then looked at him, and chuffed once.

"Right," Wendy said. "Get on him, Will."

"I—how did you, why didn't you do this earlier, we’ve been walking for a week!"

Wendy frwned. "I couldn’t do this everywhere do this without cost, and besides, what would you say if someone kept summoning you to do dumb stuff." She shook her head. "Big time runners, and wage mages, they summon spirits, bind 'em, make 'em fight, get 'em killed and then they wonder why spirits hate their guts. This fellow likes to snooze in the trees. His children spent time here raising their cubs, in the old days.”

"It… it can talk?" Will asked.  Some spirits she acted like they talked to her, but…

The spirit turned and looked at him, Will, stepping back. Then, before he could do anything, the great beast licked him. Will staggered back, and the spirit chuffed once.

"It likes you." Wendy grinned. "It says… it's been a long time since someone had called it. Interesting. But it's friends to the Starks, so it's happy I won't make it fight."

"Friends," There were stories that the North remembered, but Will had always thought they were just that.

You also thought the White Walkers were just Grumpkins and Snarks, and magic was what happened in the days of the Dragons.

But he got onto the big wolf, it's fur glowing in the light of dawn, and then they headed down the road to where Winterfell was. None were on it. It was early.

Before they got closer, Wendy was speaking to Will, reminding him of her insane plan. "Okay, nobody wants to hear that the guy they hired took off. So you weren't running, you were coming here."

"And he'll believe that?"  Will doubted it. He had deserted. A blind man could see it on his face.

"Maybe. But it's better than saying: I totally ran away, isn't it?"

Will shook his head. "I cannot believe you are so young."

"Grow up fast in the Puyallup Barrens." She said. "I—"

"What is that?"

The girl who had come onto the road in front of them was staring in disbelief at the great wolf.  Wendy leaned over the side of the wolf and looked down at her.

"He's a wolf. Are you blind?"

"No wolf is that big!"

"This one is. And how many wolves have you seen? What's your name?"

"Arya Stark!" She said. “Why have you come to Winterfell?”

Will went rigid. "That is one of Lord Stark's daughters. What is she doing out here?"

"Well?" Wendy asked. “Unless you’re the guard, but I don’t see any sword.”

The girl blinked, evidently now aware of the fact that she was in front of a wolf big enough to eat her.

Then she rallied. "I should be asking the questions."

"Says the girl without a wolf." Wendy smirked.

Will wondered if it was possible to be beheaded twice.

Arya didn't seem to have an answer to that. Finally she nodded. "I was… I went for a walk, so that the Septa can't find me and make me do my needlework."

"Without any guards?" Wendy shook her head.”Wow, that’s just begging for a bag-job by some enterprising runner. Well, good thing you ran into us, we just want to talk to your father. Have you ever ridden a giant spirit wolf?”

"I—spirits aren't… I mean."

The wolf chuffed and glowed a little more brightly. Arya stepped back.

"C'mon," Wendy said. "I mean, you're not scared, are you?"

That got a glare. "No." And with that, Arya scrambled up, sitting in front of Wendy, Will behind them as they continued down the road.

“You’re going to ride this into Winterfell?” Will asked.

“Sure. They ain’t gonna shoot us with the kid here, and first impressions are important. You’re here to tell your boss about the White Walkers.”

Will Blinked. “What are you here for?”

“My job interview, and it’s always important to make a good first impression.”  Wendy smirked and lightly patted the wolf on its back. “A really good first impression.”

****

"She's not in the castle, at least not in any of her normal haunts," Ser Roderick said. "She might have gone out…"

"Arya knows that she would have to be escorted," Ned said. "Get the guards—"

"Riders!" someone shouted, then in a different voice, "They're riding a wolf?"

"What?" Ned stared at Roderick. The two hurried down just as the gates opened and, Arya perched on it, a truly huge glowing wolf strode into the courtyard, two others on it sitting behind Arya, a man of the Night’s Watch and a girl.

"Hi!" the girl, her hair strangely colored, said. "Is this your foundling?"

Ned blinked as she slid off the wolf, followed by the man and then Arya. Robb was there, grabbing his sister and hauling her back.

Then the girl looked up, patted the wolf—and how could something be that large? On the nose and it…

Turned to mist and swirled away? She turned to him and smiled. "Hi! I'm Wendy and I hope that proves that magic is real. We could do with some food, and Will here has some important news for you."

"What is he doing here? He's a member of the Night's Watch."

"Well, when you see some White Walkers for the first time in living memory, makes sense to come right to the guy with an army, doesn't it? Will couldn't risk losing time reporting back."

"Is this true?" Ned said.

"Um, yes. I came here, yes, that's true." The guards were muttering, staying away from where the spirit had been.

But Ned could see the impressions in the dirt. It had been there.

And now it wasn't.

"Summon Maester Luwin," he told Roderick.

"At once."

"We were about to break our noontide fast," he told the girl and Will. "Would you join us? I must thank you for returning my Daughter."

"Great. We've been eating rabbits since forever," the girl said, next to her, Will winced at her tone. As they moved forward, Arya followed. Eddard held out his hand.

"You have classes with Septa Mordane—and apologies to make."

"But father—"

"And I will discuss your punishment for leaving the castle without word or guards with your mother. I would not give us any more reasons to consider your behavior between now and then."

Arya went white and nodded. "Yes, Father." And with that, Eddard Stark followed the man and strange girl into his home.