Going Home to Winterfell
Torrhen Stark scrubbed his face with water in the stream. The bastard's crusted blood was hard to wash off. The water was freezing cold but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
He got out of the water after he washed his whole body and moved towards the rock where he kept his clothes.
The Septon waited there, he gave Torrhen a cloth to dry himself with.
"I noticed," Torrhen said, "that you were praying a lot for the bastard when I was taking care of him, Bennard."
"I was praying for your soul." Bennard said as he fiddled with the crystal about his neck. "What you did to the Bastard…. I can't speak of it. Why do you do things like this Torrhen. I know that there is kindness in your heart."
"The bastard deserved what he got," Torrhen said as he put on his clothes. "Which one did you pray to?"
"To the Father," Bennard said. "So that he can judge you justly not for your deeds but to whom you performed the deeds on."
Torrhen laughed. "If you want to pray for me Septon. Pray to the Stranger."
Bennard gave an angry grunt and started muttering to himself, "Who prays to Death. These days I don't know what I can do to change that mind of yours."
"Wake them up, Bennard." Torrhen said. "We need to leave."
"It has been only an hour since they rested." Bennard said. "The horses will die with exhaustion at this rate."
They had traveled non-stop from the place where they killed the Bastard and his Men. They were on the border of Bolton lands and Stark lands.
"We need to get on the road as quick as possible," Torrhen said. "We can exchange our lame horses for new ones on the way. The Bolton must have sent parties to search for us."
The Pack rose without complaint as Bennard woke them up one by one and started making preparation for the road.
The merchant came to Torrhen, "I must be on my way, my lord. I am heading south."
"Thank you for sending word of this business with the bastard." Torrhen said.
"Its my job ain't it," the merchant said. "I get paid well giving information to you."
"I would stay out of Bolton lands in the future if I were you." Torrhen said. "Do not hesitate to reach out to the Pack if you hear something like this ever again."
The merchant gave his thanks and was on his way south. By then the Pack was ready to leave.
Torrhen hopped onto his horse and picked up Rose and seated her in front of him.
"Where are we going?" Rose asked.
"Home." Torrhen said.
"Finally!" White beard Owen said. "After all this time I can get to meet my family once again."
"Winterfell?" Rose said, sleepily.
Torrhen nodded. "Yes."
"It must have been hard making this decision." Cleyton the Knight said. "Will your father accept the Pack into his home?"
"Don't know," Torrhen said. "We will see when we arrive at Winterfell."
The rest of the Pack didn't have the energy to talk, they were half dead with exhaustion as they started on the road again.
***
It took few days for the pack to stand in front of this huge castle of the north, Winterfell. Torrhen's home, the home he ran away from when he was just a kid. He remembered the warmth the castle walls provided, the hot springs in the Godswood, and the halls and yard where Torrhen, Robb and Jon played and made trouble to the castle's inhabitants.
It feels like only yesterday when they were throwing snow balls from atop the gate at fat tom and ran without a care when a visiting black brother caught them at it.
Torrhen couldn't say he didn't miss his family though he wanted to avoid ever facing them again after the things he had done away from home. Will they ever accept him if they heard what he had become.
"Its going to be okay Torrhen," Alys said, strange chirping noises came from the covered box she held in her hand. "They will come running to hug you and kiss you and slobber over you like Whitefoot does. Don't you girl."
Whitefoot barked in response as they moved to enter the castle.
"You are looking too pale Owen." Jax said, laughing. "Only a fortnight ago you were begging us to come to Winterfell with excitement . Now that we are here why are you so pale faced, its as if you have seen the Other."
"Just leave me be, Jax" Owen said. "I am not certain as before whether I will live to see another day or not."
A guard saw Torrhen and immediately recognized the Stark dark hair and grey eyes and ran to the Great keep shouting "He's back. The young lord's back. Torrhen's back."
The inhabitants of Winterfell gathered in the yard and started talking with others as they eyed the Pack wondering who Torrhen has stayed with all this time.
Ser Rodrick Cassel, the Master-at-Arms at Winterfell took his reins and helped Rose down.
Torrhen disembarked from the horse.
"We thought you had died," Ser Rodrick said, with his large white whiskers, "when we didn't receive word from you after you left Oldtown."
"I missed you too Rodrick." Torrhen said.
Rodrick said nothing more when he saw Owen among the Pack, his mouth frowned.
"Not now Rodrick, please." Torrhen said.
Rodrick nodded with his angry eyes and led his horse away to the stables.
Catelyn Stark emerged from the Great Keep.
His mother approached him warily like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her breath was shaking and tears fell from her eyes.
"You look beautiful mother." Torrhen said.
Catelyn slapped Torrhen hard on the face. The yard turned silent as the slap rang on the walls.
Torrhen caressed his broken lip with his hand and said, "I missed you too mother."
Catelyn broke into a sob and Torrhen gave her a good strong hug to make up for all the hugs he had missed. "I am home. Nothing happened to me see, your boy is home safe and sound isn't that all that matters."
Owen had gotten on both his knees on the muddy ground and bowed his head to the ground when he saw Lord Eddard Stark enter the yard.
Ned looked at Owen and the Pack before he set his gaze upon Torrhen. He said nothing but his piercing silent gaze told everything Torrhen needed to know.
Owen was no doubt going to beg for mercy, so Torrhen spoke before he could start his rant. "Can we share your hearth father, or has northern hospitality changed so much that they would let children stand in the cold."
Owen raised his head sharply at Torrhen wanting to kill him himself with the way he had spoken. "My lord… I…"
"Get the children inside," Lord Ned Stark said when he gazed upon Rose and Eric. "Vayon Poole have rooms set up… for his companions. And you two in my solar now."
"My lord…." Owen said his face paling.
"What?" Lord Ned Stark said sharply.
"Bread and Salt my lord. Please." Owen said
And when he had taken a healthy serving of the Bread dipped in the Salt Owen's fear of getting killed melted from his face.
***
"Where were you all this time?" Ned said.
Torrhen and Owen were in his father's Solar.
Torrhen took a seat as he said, "Here and there just traveling, father. Why did you miss me? I don't see you shedding any tears for me."
Owen stood still as a rock hoping lord Stark would not notice him.
"I had reports from my banner men." Ned said. "They have sent word that you visited their keeps when you were in the North. Didn't you think to come home, to visit your mother at least once. She had been without herself worrying about you."
Torrhen couldn't give any excuses to that.
"And you," Ned said, "I sent my child with you Owen, with the hope that you would look after him for us. Instead you conspired to run with him."
"I am sorry my lord." Owen said. "The young lord was gonna leave me behind one day if I kept stopping him so instead I followed him along so that I could keep an eye on him at least."
"I am disappointed in you, Owen." Ned said. "After all your years of service to Winterfell, you betray me when I entrusted you with the important task of looking after my son."
"Its not his fault father." Torrhen said. "If you want to blame someone, blame your own son."
Ned Stark settled his cold gaze upon Torrhen.
"I am not done with you." Ned said. "You won't ever leave this castle without my permission and if anyone helps you get away from home this time I will behead them myself with Ice."
Someone knocked on the door. Ned bid him to come in.
Maester Luwin entered the solar with a parchment in his hand. "I had a raven from Castle Black, my lord. It seems one of the black brothers has become a deserter. We received word from a patrol that they caught someone with his description."
Torrhen winked at Maester Luwin as Ned read the parchment. Maester turned his gaze away from him.
"Looks like he is still unhappy with what I did at the Citadel." Thought Torrhen.
"Have the horses ready," Ned said. "For Bran too."
"Bran's still a boy to witness a man getting killed." Torrhen said with his teeth clenched.
"He is old enough to face it. Winter is Coming whether we wish for it or not." Ned said.
Torrhen stormed out of the room in anger.
Torrhen found his siblings in the feast hall along with his pack. They were telling stories of their travels (of course leaving out the part with the Bastard) to his siblings when he entered the hall.
Arya and Bran were upon their feet and slammed into Torrhen hugging him. Rickon hung back with wariness while Sansa gave him a smile. But Robb and Jon frowned when they saw him from where they sat beside Theon who was trying to flirt unsuccessfully with Alys and asking about the covered box's contents which she guarded like a hen guards its chicks.
"Where's mother?" Torrhen asked.
"She has gone to the Sept to pray to the Seven for returning you safely back home." Sansa said.
"Well Sansa," Torrhen said. "Looks like you have become more pretty since I last saw you. And Arya and Bran the last time I saw you both were when you were babes I am surprised you even remember me."
"Of course I do silly," Arya said. "I remember you. Its Bran that was the babe not me. And we heard stories from Robb, Jon, Sansa and Mother about you."
"Is it true? did you fight a Knight in a tourney like Cleyton says." Bran said. "I want to become a knight too, will you teach me to fight with the sword and lance."
"I will if you can handle holding a wooden sword." Torrhen said.
Bran started telling his progress on learning the sword with Ser Rodrick.
Robb, Jon and Theon stood up and left the hall.
"What's up with them." Torrhen asked.
Sansa still blushing from his comment said. "Don't know. Only yesterday they were telling tales about you. Now they are frowning every time they hear your name."
Torrhen went to the Godswood after talking a bit more with his siblings. He knelt and prayed to the Old Gods. He thanked them for keeping his family safe and healthy. And warned the Old Gods that If they were to ever hurt his family and take them away from him he wouldn't spare them even if they were beings of thousands of years old.
What's in that covered box that Alys guards, when the Starks find their wolves will there be one for Torrhen and the secrets that Torrhen will learn, that lurks beyond the walls, from the deserter. Read the next chapter to find out.
Thank you for spending your time.