A/N: Don't you just hate it when you update and then all of a sudden you get the worst case of writer's block you've ever had? Yeah that is what happened to me. Sorry for the lack of updates, but I am trying to update more.

A/N2: Thank you everyone for the reviews they mean a lot to me. And reading them over and over has helped me get back into this chapter. Let me know what you think or would like to happen. Never know, it might actually happen!

A/N3: I don't own anything, but my characters...

Chapter Ten

As it normally was, the nights in Winterfell were growing colder. Robb was used to these nights as he had spent his entire life in the safety of Winterfell. At least he had believed it was safe. Maybe that was why Daena had left that day a year ago. He made her feel unsafe because he blamed her for an attack that was not her fault. At the time he truly believed that she had endangered Arya and Rickon. All he wanted was to keep his family safe, but he wasn't able to. But Daena did, she risked her own life to make sure his brother and sister were safe and not once did she ever complain about the wound that she received that day. A wound that she would carry for the rest of her life.

He should have known better than to think the shy beauty did anything other than protect his younger siblings. Not once in the whole time she was here did she ever show anything other than kindness and love for his family. It was like she had something to prove, not to him or his father, but the world. It didn't make sense, but it was just like that.

Everyday since she left, he sent a prayer to the Old Gods. He prayed that one day he would cross paths with Daena again one day. He had to ask for her forgiveness for the way he acted towards her after the attack from the wildlings. It took her quick disappearance for him to realize just how much she truly meant to him.

Making his way into the forest to meet with his mother, Robb carried his sword with him. He didn't trust anyone not to bring harm to his family. Especially after the attack on Bran. His little brother was in on position to fight back and yet someone sent an assassin to kill him in his sleep. Every single day he was grateful that Bran's direwolf had been able to get to him in time to save not only Bran, but their mother as well. As he reached the spot they had met at two nights ago, Robb noticed it wasn't just his mother. Everyone minus Theon, his father's ward.

"Am I late?" Robb asked as he looked around at the people in front of him.

"No," Lady Catelyn Stark told her eldest child with a small smile upon her face. "There is someone else we are still waiting upon. Someone outside of Winterfell."

"Outside of Winterfell?" Robb questioned his mother. "Who can we trust right now that isn't here? And why isn't Theon here?"

"Our guest has been riding for two days to reach us," Catelyn told him honestly. "We are all a bit early."

"Why isn't Theon here as well? Where is he?"

Meeting her son's eyes, Catelyn knew she couldn't tell him who was coming, not just yet. That was something he would see soon enough, but she didn't want him to over think about who was coming.

"This person that comes to us has a price upon their head and I don't trust Theon Greyjoy with a secret as deadly as this one can be."

"And who is it that we are waiting for?" Robb asked, his curiosity taking over.

Before Catelyn could say anything about being patient, they all heard the hooves of a horse that was running. Lady Stark, made her way over to the guest who had reigned in her horse when they spotted the group in the forest.

"I was worried that you would not make it in time."

The first thing Robb noticed was the rider wore a dress. So the mysterious guest was a woman that his mother knew and trusted. Seeing his mother wrap the stranger in a hug with the rider's arms hugging her back was a bit of a shock for him. He could not think of another woman that was a two days ride from Winterfell that he would say was friendly with his mother. His first thought was that Daena, but that was more of a wanting to see her.

"Come," Catelyn said taking her by the hand and leading her to the group. "There is much to discuss."

The stranger nodded her head in silent agreement and allowed the older woman to lead her to where the group had been watching the interaction between Lady Stark and the stranger that was hooded.

"It was claimed that Bran fell from that tower," Catelyn said repeating what they had talked about just days ago. "But Bran has been climbing for as long as he could. Never has he fallen before. Why now? Why when the King and the Lannister's are here?"

"He saw something." Maester Luwin said nodding his head in agreement. "I have seen to each Stark child and Bran never came to me for a fall. Not once."

"You truly believe he saw something that he shouldn't have," Robb said running a gloved hand over his tired face. "What could he have seen that someone would want to kill him for?"

"I searched the tower and found that hair. Lannister gold hair." Catelyn said.

"If we start blaming the Lannister's without more evidence-"

"I know, but she needed to hear all of this."

All of the eyes, turned to the figure that still had the hood of their cloak pulled up so no one could see a face.

"Trust me. Everyone here is loyal to the Stark's. No harm shall come from us."

Slowly raising her gloved hands, she pulled back her hood. Looking into the eyes of the men that she had gotten to know a year ago before her quick departure from Winterfell. They had been kind to her. All of them. But they hadn't know what she was. Her heritage was kept a secret from everyone in Winterfell besides Lord and Lady Stark. When she had first arrived, she expected disgust and hatred. She had been met with neither. After she realized that these people were the ones she could trust, life in Winterfell had been less stressful for her.

She knew that she had changed a bit from the last time they saw her. Her hair, although it was still curly, was not so dark. After leaving Winterfell with North she knew the time of changing her appearance was ending. The color was a light brown that was still fading from years of dying her hair.

"Daena…" Robb said finding his voice. "Lady Thorne."

"No." She said, her violet eyes meeting Robb's blue ones. "Thorne is my father's name, not my true name. There are many things you all should know."

"You kept things from us when you were here?" Robb asked her.

"I did and I don't regret it. Things have changed in many ways in this past year. You all knew me very well when I was here last year," Daena said as she took a deep breath. Catelyn took the young girl's hand in reassurance that everything would be alright as she told them who she was. "Lord Thorne and Lord Stark saved my life when I was just a babe. The Mad King is my grandfather. I am a Targaryen."

"My Lady?" Maester Luwin said speaking up. "There are no more Targaryen's left."

"Just me. I was to be killed, but from what I was told Lord Stark and Lord Thorne could not do it. Lord Stark had Winterfell and his family to think about and so the two of them agreed that Lord Thorne would take me away and raise me. We hid who I was by not living in a town. We used certain berries to color my hair. But I am a Targaryen."

"Why did you leave?" Robb asked the question that had been plaguing his mind since he found out that she had left without a word.

"Winterfell is no place to raise a dragon."

The grin on her face gave the men a moment to think that she was merely jesting. But when they looked at Lady Catelyn, she nodded her heading letting them know she was telling the truth.

"A dragon?" Maester Luwin asked clearly unsure if he could believe such a thing.

"Jon Snow had the same look upon his face when I told him as well."

"You have seen Jon?" Robb asked.

"Benjen Stark has been sending my letters and anything that comes for me, he delivers. We set times each week. It has worked well for the both of us," Daena said. "I think he was as unsure of my dragon as I was of his direwolf."

"Is the dragon here?"

With a small laugh, Daena nodded her head. "I tried to leave the beast back with my father. When I made camp on my first night I found him at my camp."

Walking towards a clearing, Daena took off her cloak and wrapped it around her arm. Motioning for them to stay put, she made a loud whistling sound. It didn't take long for the sound of something flying low to reach everyone's ears. When they watched Daena walk back to everyone with a creature on her arm, no one said a word.

"Last year when I came to Winterfell there was only one real purpose. It was a test."

"A test?" Ser Rodrik Cassel questioned.

"Yes, Lord Stark wanted to know if I was as mad as my grandfather had been. When he decided that I was not came as a relief to me. It was him that showed me what he had hidden away since he came back from Robert's Rebellion. He had a dragon egg in his possession."

"It was where you had disappeared to on some nights." Robb said as he interrupted her.

"Yes," Daena said as she nodded her head before looking at her dragon. "It took some time but I figured out how to hatch the egg. Lord Stark came with me into the forest and that was when he hatched. That was also the night we knew I could not return to Winterfell."

"We would have kept your secret safe." Robb said, the hurt was clear in his blue eyes.

"I do not doubt that. Not at all," Daena told him. "But a baby dragon would be hard to explain and keep from those who would want to see me harmed."

"You believe there is someone in Winterfell that would hurt you?"

"I do," Daena said. "Never fully trust a Greyjoy and always watch your back. Those are words you should take to heart."

"Theon would never-"

"He is a Greyjoy. You would be surprised what they are capable of. My father has had dealings with his father after his failed attempt at a rebellion. Like I said never trust a Greyjoy."

"Let us get back to why we are here," Catelyn Stark said. "This is about what happened to Bran."

"A climber as skilled as Bran doesn't just fall," Daena said as her dragon flew off her arm and carefully walked around the circle of men, eyeing them carefully before settling in front of Daena. "Is there any chance of Bran recovering his memories of that day?"

"It does not seem likely." Maester Luwin said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I am going to King's Landing to tell Ned of what has happened here." Catelyn said. "I would not trust a raven to carry my words. Not with how many ears there are in the capitol."

"It can be a dangerous road," Daena said. "We traveled it a few months ago when we were recruiting new men."

"Recruiting men for what?" Ser Rodrik questioned her.

"Protection. There was an incident where we trusted the wrong person and we do not know what they did with the information. But if they take it to the Baratheon King, there is no telling how long until someone is sent to retrieve me head for a spike."

"A live Targaryen would have the right to the North."

Flapping his wings, the young dragon took off. He soared into the sky and then there was fire coming out of this mouth.

"Why has it done that?" Maester Luwin asked, his curiosity peaked.

"He does that when he hears his name being said. Haven't broken him of that just yet." Daena smiled. "I named him North for it was he was hatched and I found myself with friends that I would never forget."

Looking at the sky, Daena knew that her time back in Winterfell must draw to a close. She needed to get back and report what she now knew of the troubles in Winterfell. "But I must return home. My father has taken ill and I do not wish to linger here longer than necessary."

"You will not stay the night?" Robb asked.

"I cannot," Daena said. "North will need to hunt soon and there are plans to make."

Whistling, it only took a moment for her steed to come trotting up to her. "I hope that you find out who has done this to Bran because I would love to give them swift justice of a Valyrian steel sword."

"I thank you for your loyalty, Lady Daena." Catelyn Stark told her.

"My arrows and the swords will fight for you if you do call upon us," Daena said. "But do not summon us to Winterfell while there is a Greyjoy around."

"My Lady Daena," Robb said looking at her, not sure what he should do at the moment. "A word before you leave?"

Nodding her head, Daena watched as the others left the forest so it was just her and Robb. Many times over the year she had wanted to run to Winterfell and speak to him, but now that she had his attention she didn't know what to say to him and had no idea what he wished to say to her.

A/N: There it is! I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!