"How did it happen?" I asked Donnis, member of the Starks household guard, as he helped me load my belongings into the wagon I had to prepare for the trip south. My deliveries had taken longer than I had thought the would, and I only just got back in time to finish packing before the leaving feast. It didn't take long to catch on that something had happened, I had had my suspicions as I approached Winterfell and I could hear the wolves howling, but it wasn't until I found Bran lying unmoving in a bed while Catelyn sat beside him that I realized how bad it must have been. It took longer than I liked to find someone that wasn't either getting ready for the leaving feast, or the trip south, which led me to cornering Donnis for information as he helped me.

"No one is sure, Lady Hebert." Donnis looked pensive, before glancing around. "It only happened two days ago. The king wanted boar for the feast, so he and Lord Stark rode out for a hunt, and most of the guards and highborn went with them. Near midday there was such a clamor as the wolves started howling and took off running. A few of us followed them, and found Bran at the base of the first keep. We grabbed Bran, and got him to the Maester, with them wolves following us. They clustered around the Maester's tower, and just started howling, and they haven't stopped since. Lady Stark found us and asked about the howling while we were looking to tell her. She was in tears after we told her, and got over to the Maester after tearing into us about letting him climb. Well that went well, and it got worst when Lord Stark got back. Maddest we ever seen him, and we got ordered to search the first keep for anything. Found nothing, so the Maester said he must have fallen when he was climbing."

"Really?" I had seen Bran climbing in the time that I was here, and I didn't buy it. He was a good climber for his age; after the first time I caught him trying to climb the broken tower I had asked around, and according to the guards Bran's boast of having never fallen seemed true. "I've seen him climbing, and you say he fell? What do you think really happened?"

"Well lady Hebert," Donnis leaned a bit closer after securing the last chest on the wagon. "Me and the others were talking, and, not to go against the Maester, but we think he might have been pushed."

"Why?"

"We've seen him climbing since he was young, and he ain't fallen once. Even after Lady Stark told us to start going after him to get him down. He was faster than us, and up those walls like a squirrel."

"Even with you chasing, he never fell?"

"Not even once; seven hells, he even started treating it like a game, see how close he could come to getting caught. Pardon my language, my lady."

"Quite alright Donnis." I waved off his apology. "What made you stop then?"

"We stopped after Lord Stark talked to us."

"I see." We fell into silence as we tied everything down, and draped a tarp over the wagon. "Thanks for the help, Donnis."

"My pleasure, Lady Hebert."

We separated after, each off to get ready for the feast that night. It didn't take me long to get ready, and I made my way to the great hall when it was time. It was a lavish affair, the tables almost groaning under the weight of all the food, but it had a solemn air around the head table. I cut myself off early that night, and made my way to the final night in my chambers, while I was keeping track for anything interesting in the conversations that were still happening in the hall, and the different areas of Winterfell. I noticed one thing that stood out in just how early it was; a person who seemed to be a sleep in the back of the stables, probably passed out already from drinking too much.

The next day was busy for everyone, as they rushed to and fro for last minute preparations and goodbyes. I had waited till last minute to tell Luwin about the tunnels I had found under the tower "accidentally" while I had cleaned out my temporary abode. That went over well, and it seemed that once the group was gone, it would be explored by the guards, and filled in if necessary. It was no skin off my nose, and I just waved away the thanks for finding a potential back way into Winterfell.

I watched everyone one around me, glad that I had set my wagon up the night before, while I focused on the various conversations going on. I tried not to focus on the room that contained Bran's comatose body as his family said goodbye, but I head Catelyn telling Jon that she wished he was the one who had fallen. I gave a final goodbye to Luwin, Lyn, and a few of the guards I had grown close to, before moving onto the Starks. It was almost noon when we left Winterfell, with Robb watching the group leave, while Catelyn remained with Bran.

We followed the road south, stopping for the night at the various homes for local lords, or on the side of the road when there was nothing available. Every few days I would meet with Arya and Sansa after we stopped, and continue our lessons. This pattern kept up as we passed through the neck and the marshes within, and over the trident; until trouble found us at the imaginative named Inn at the Crossroad, when Arya left to explore the Ruby Ford with a friend.

I was aware of her leaving with her friend Mycah and her wolf who she had named Nymeria; and I kept track of them as the ventured to the edge of my range and beyond. It wasn't the first time Arya had ventured out to explore her surroundings, and after I caught her the first few times she started to inform Eddard about her little adventures. If it was a safe area Eddard would allow her to go by herself, but if not a few guards would go with her. It seemed to work, and I had noticed her talking with her father earlier, so she must have gotten the ok, and some time later I was aware of Sansa and the prince travelling in the same direction.

I wasn't really worried for either of the Stark girls; they were close enough they would be able to get back to the party if needed, and I felt Arya had a good head on her shoulders. Joffrey on the other hand was a different story, as from what I had been witness to over the journey I knew he was a spoiled brat and a bully, from his interactions with his family and those around. The queen Cersei allowed him to do what he wanted, even as he tormented his younger siblings. When ever I saw so much of a hint of bullying from Joffrey, I would make a moose fly I kept near by bite him on the back of his neck.

It wasn't long till I realized something had gone wrong, as the amount of activity in the area picked up as Joffrey and Sansa rode back into the camp around the Inn, and it was little effort to make out that Joffrey's arm was bleeding. I listened in while his wounds were treated, and heard his story about Nymeria attacking him, while I also paid attention to Sansa speaking to Eddard.

News spread fast, about the "savage Stark" attacking the "good prince", and when Arya didn't return right away, people were sent out to find her. We made our way to the keep of the local lord, and stayed there as the search for Arya stretched to over three days, and whole time tension grew between the Stark and Lannister parties. I volunteered to help search, but Eddard refused my help, and it would be annoyingly hard to sneak out, due to to the fact that there was only one specially trained horse for my personal use.

I was aware when aware when Arya was being led back back to the keep, and I was able to inform Eddard in time to delay her being presented to Robert and his family. Witnessing the spat between the Starks and Lannisters, I wasn't shocked at all really when Arya denied everything that Joffrey claimed, but it didn't stop anything as Cersei called for Sansa, who claimed not to remember, and then called for Nymeria's head.

There was nothing I could do as Lady was chosen to be killed in place of Nymeria, beside listen to the cries of Sansa as Eddard led Lady away, and then the Stark guards leave, to escort Lady's body back to the north. When the Hound came riding back with Mycah's corpse on the back of his horse, I didn't deny the surge of pleasure I felt when I started directing numerous insects to torment most of the royal family and their guards as we continued on our way south.

The lessons for Arya and Sansa grew difficult, and I ended up teaching them at separate times just to avoid their fighting. Sansa blamed Arya for getting Lady killed, while Arya said it was Sansa's fault for not backing up her side of the argument. I agreed with Arya, but it wasn't something I could really speak out about. The tension between the parties, let alone the sisters was so thick, I longed to reach King's Landing, even just so I could have some privacy.

I regretted that longing though, when on last day on the King's Road, we rounded a hill and could see the city in the distance. Reading about it from dusty old books and scrolls gave me a proper frame of reference, but to see the squalor that was outside its walls from the mass of people and the shantytown of huts that backed up against the wall, reminded me of something I had forgotten.

I had gotten lucky, ending up near Winterfell and being found by the Starks and healed by them. As we passed into the smell of the city, which seemed to be made from the combination of unwashed bodies, sewage, and dead fish; I looked at the state of my surroundings, from the buildings to the people , and was glad I hadn't wound up here, it would be far too easy to fall back into old habits. It was another thing I was thankful to the Starks for, they had given me a chance to unwind and face some of my mistakes and actions in a peaceful place.

With the number of insects around me I began to map the areas we were passing through, as we wound our way through the streets going up the hill the palace was on. I was aware of the number of people I couldn't see, while on either side of the party the crowd milled about, trying to catch a glimpse of the royals, while they were pushed back by people in uniform of gold cloaks and armor.

I continued to map the area once we reached the palace, and after reaching the bed I had been given in the tower of the hand, I focused on mapping out the secret passages that were hidden behind the walls, as well as their entrances.