Chapter 101: Better a Wolf than dead fool
After the conversation with the family the night has settled
The feast had ended, the halls had emptied, and the castle had sunk back into the cold hush that always seemed to linger in its stones. Firelight still burned in a few windows, and the sounds of servants putting away the remains of the royal meal drifted faintly through the corridors.
Artos found Ned in his solar.
His brother was standing by the fire with a cup in hand, looking older than he had the night before, though perhaps that was only the burden of the decisions they had made.
For a time neither spoke.
At last Ned gave a quiet breath and said, "You are growing into Father in ways I did not expect."
Artos looked at him a moment smiling before answering. "I will take it as a compliment."
"It is," Ned said, and there was a small, tired smile at the corner of his mouth. "When we were boys, he was the one who carried the North on his back. I used to think no man could ever resemble him especially with Brandon 'The Wild Wolf' he was . "
Artos laughed "Aye, Brother Brandon was a different beast, if not for me doing things that angered father even more than Brandon , he would be in quite a pressure though You shielded me when I was child and after you were gone . Brandon and Lya were always there to protect. In the end father had to sent me to Umbers "
Ned laughed "Aye, he was always in tension about you and your adventures. But he always adored you more than others . He knew you were the brightest of us all and still the wildest too. He thought Brandon and Lya would be more responsible if he let them raise you but you become more like them. "
Artos smiles remembering it " Aye, those were the days. Though it has become good with the kids and all. We have Arya , Little Arty and even Bran . Though rest are bit serious."
Ned shook his head smiling" Because you spoil them and have teach them various things that I know you do to annoy me " Ned complains
Artos smirks " It's just your imagination brother. I am a changed man. Even you said it."
Ned smiles "You are . So much i can't believe it. Father would be proud to see you right now. To be what he saw in you , here you are, speaking like a lord, thinking like a lord, and sounding more like him than I sometimes do."
Artos snorted softly and took the offered cup. "I hope you do not mean I have his temper."
Ned almost smiled. "You do. All Starks has temper. Only now you know when not to use it."
That earned a short laugh from Artos, though the sound carried more warmth than amusement.
Ned went on. "You have changed, Arty. Not just in manners. In patience. In judgment. You once would have told Robert to go to the seven hells and meant it. Now you speak to him, and even when you curse him, you still hear what he means beneath the noise."
Artos leaned back against the table and looked into the cup. "Marriage, children, land, years. They do something to a man. Or perhaps they simply strip away what was foolish in him or I don't know but I did got you why you did that what you did. I should have been more patient with it and not left Winterfell .I was foolish"
Ned gave a grunt of agreement. "You were never foolish. Not truly. Reckless, aye. Proud too often. But foolish? No. "
For a moment the two brothers stood in the firelight like men who had weathered too much not to understand one another.
Then after a Time Ned said, "I will write to Mace Tyrell and Lady Olenna."
Artos looked up.
"Ned, is it the right time , with me being in King's Landing. Lady Tyrell is quite something"
"The matter must be settled," Ned said. "Robb and Margaery. The match is wise enough, and if it binds the Reach to us more firmly, so much the better. The Tyrells are not fools. They will understand what this means."
Artos nodded slowly. "It is a good way to confirm their loyalty. If the Reach is tied to us, Robert will have one less trouble to think on, and the North will have one more strong ally to lean on. I would have a easy time being a Hand."
Ned gave a small hum. "Aye. And I suspect Olenna will have something to say but after what you did in Reach . She won't be that reckless."
Artos almost smiled in embarrassment, his reckless days. Even his love Seraphine was quite angry.
That drew a brief, quiet laugh from Ned, and for a moment the mood eased. They forget the King's and politics and talk about thier childhood.
But the king was not far from their thoughts for long.
The next morning, Robert wished to hunt.
Winterfell was stirred at once. Men were saddled, hounds were brought out, cloaks were pulled tight, and the old rhythm of the hunt began to wake through the castle.
Ned agrees to go and preparation are being done
Artos was roaming and saw Bran climbing the castle he always do , trying to climb a broken watch tower. Artos smiles and shook his head
"Bran, Come down here for a moment " Artos shouted
Bran looked at his and Uncle and came down
"Why don't you come on the hunt with us. " Artos said
Bran nods and said " I want to but I don't know if Mother would to be too happy about it. "
Artos smiles" Come on lad, I used to go alone on hunts when I was your age, i used to go on so much that your Grandfather had to sent me away to stop entering Wolfwoods. I will cover for you, prepare yourself. You should experience the hunt. We are wolves. What would we do if not hunt ,"
Bran nods happily and runs to go ready himself.
Artos said to all Starks men and children to be ready for Hunt as it would be good for them to experience it.
Now the Ned, Robert, and Artos rode with the others, along with , Ser Barristan, Robb, Jon, Bjorn, Aldric, Bran, and little Arty, yes little Arty who had begun loudly insisting that he too was old enough to go.
He was not.
Artos had told him so twice already.
"I am not leaving you here because I think you are too small to ride," Artos said, crouching in front of him near the yard. "I am leaving you here because a hunt is no place for a child your size if things go wrong. I will take you next time myself."
Arty crossed his arms and looked offended. "I am not that small." And putting a show for Artos that says if you don't take me , i will do something.
Arty turned his pleading eyes toward his uncle . "Please?"
Artos held the look for a moment too long.
Bjorn, standing nearby, muttered, "He will never stop , it's your fault father. "
Aldric gave a small, knowing sigh. "He gets that from someone. Always given what he wants."
Artos shot both of them a flat look, then finally gave in with the weary air of a man who knew a losing battle when he saw one.
Even Ned "see, now feel it what I do due to your spoiling nature"
"Fine," he said. "But you stay near me. You will ride with me. You do not wander. And if I say stop, you stop."
Arty's whole face lit up at once. "I will!"
Artos did not look convinced, but he ruffled the boy's hair and turned away.
Ned watched it all with a faint smile. "He has a way with you. Though I trust you but keep him away from main hunts"
Artos gave a grunt. "He has a way of wearing me down. I will, we will just hunt rabbits or other small animals"
That earned a low chuckle from Ned.
Bran had been watching the exchange with open hope. "Can I come with you?"
Artos looked to him and nodded. "Aye. You can hunt small game with me. You are old enough for that much and you are not ready for the deeper woods yet, but you can still learn. I will teach some pointers "
Bran nodded solemnly, very pleased.
So the hunt moved out beneath the pale northern sky.
The dogs bayed, the horses breathed steam into the cold, and the company rode past the woods that ringed Winterfell and into the snow-dusted trees beyond.
At first it was only a hunt like any other.
Robert was loud. He boasted. He laughed.
He cursed when the cold got into his joints.
Ser Barristan kept a steady eye on the younger riders. Robb stayed close to the center, already trying to watch how men moved in the hunt. Jon watched everything and try to get any prey can he , he already knows how to hunt, drilled by Artos himself. Bjorn looked most at ease in the wild than he ever did indoors, he is raised by Skagosi men and then DemonWolf, it is as wild as any man can get raised and Aldric kept pace with the others, alert and quiet trying to learn from Jon and Bjorn as his father instructed.
Bran and Arty rode with Artos exactly as ordered, though Arty chafed at being kept on such a short leash.
Bran rode a little apart with Artos when the older men began to spread out.
A hare broke from the brush.
"Take it," Artos told Bran.
Bran was quick, but not quick enough for a clean shot. The child's first throw went wide, and the hare vanished into the snow.
Artos only gave a nod. "Again. You do not get a second chance in life. You are thinking too much . It's about feeling the wind and nature. Insticts as important as practice. Don't overthink and shoot."
Bran nodded, flushed with effort, and kept his eyes forward.
Then the dogs barked.
Not the sharp sound of a rabbit or stag.
Something deeper.
Something that made the horses near the front begin to shy.
The answer came in the form of a great brown bear crashing from the brush.
It was huge.
Bigger than the boys expected. Bigger than some men dared imagine. Its fur was thick with old winter grime, and its breath smoked from its jaws as it rose from the snow with a roar that shook the trees around them.
The party broke at once.
It was coming towards Artos and party who were a little far from main party but still visible. They haven't seprated yet
Horses screamed. Men shouted. One of the hounds lunged and vanished beneath a paw.
Robert laughed in the first instant, half in delight and half in drunken battle-hunger, but the beast's charge was too close, too sudden.
"Back!" Ned shouted.
"Move!" Ser Barristan barked.
But Artos was already in motion.
He had taken a spear before the ride, although he hadn't held a weapon in a long time but his nephews were going to ride with him . He couldn't compromise with thier safety at any cost.
He told Snow to move and met the bear head-on. Little Arty still on Snow and Bran just little behind.
He didn't have any time to keep them in a distance as bear has came too fast as if somebody manipulated him to attack them . His main focus on Bran .
The spear struck with a sickening force, driving deep into the beast's shoulder and turning its charge just enough to keep its claws from tearing into him. The bear roared, wild with pain, and swung hard.
Artos ducked under the blow, shifted his grip, and drove the shaft up again, this time hard beneath the jaw and into the neck.
The bear stumbled.
It came still at him anyway, thrashing and snarling, but Artos did not retreat.
He stepped in close, almost under the beast's weight, and thrust the spear through again, hard and clean.
The animal gave one last terrible roar, then crashed into the snow.
For a moment the woods went silent.
The men stared.
The boys stared harder.
Even Robert looked almost pleased in the way only a warrior could when violence had ended in a decisive stroke.
Artos dismounted
Artos stood over the bear, breathing hard, his spear planted in the snow below, his cloak half torn by the struggle. He looked once to the side and saw all the eyes on him — Robb's, Jon's, Bjorn's, Aldric's, Bran's, and little Arty's wide and shining face.
The old fearsome thing in him stirred again, just for a moment.
Not as a lord.
Not as a husband.
Not as a father.
As the man the songs had once feared.
Robert let out a booming laugh. "Seven hells, Arty! There's the wolf I remember!"
Artos gave the king a tired look, though there was a faint smirk at the corner of his mouth.
He realising this how much he needed this . A calm feeling entering him with something of a excitement mix.
"Better a wolf than a dead fool." He said.
That drew laughter from Robert and a few of the others, though Bran still looked stunned.
Arty stared at the dead bear as though he had seen a legend made flesh.
Bjorn's pride was plain on his face. Jon looked quietly impressed. Aldric said nothing, but his eyes had gone hard with respect.
Ned said too, though his gaze rested on his brother longer than the others' did. Ned could not help but think that was the truest sign of how much he had changed but still the warrior deep in him ." Arty, it seems Wolf still lives in you. You can't help but being a warrior. " He laughed
A wolf still lived under the cloak of the lord of Sea Dragon Point.
....
Please, please join the Patreon
Thank you for your lovely support
Please join the patreon and join the pack
www.patreon.com/Cregantheblackwolf
Thank you for your support and I am really grateful