Game of Thrones: Imagines and one shots. Book three

The Witch of Winterfell - Part 3 - Starks x Reader

Ned listened, as his excited younger son told him all about the young woman that he had met. About how he had made his way into the woods to climb the trees, but then came across a girl by the name of (Y/n). The lord turning his gaze to the two sheepish looking older boys, as Bran went on about what this (Y/n) had told him; how she had shown him the plants that she had gathered, describing what she intended to do with them. How she had told him about the old gods, the spirits and all the things that called the woods home. The little wolf ending by asking his father if he could go back to the expanse of trees the next day, so that he could try and find his new friend again.

"We shall see. But you must promise not to tell your mother or anyone else about this. I don't want her to worry. Now, why don't you go and wash, we will be eating soon..........." Ned said, smiling at his son. Mussing up Bran's hair, before the boy left the room.

"Not you two.............!" The Lord Paramount of the North called out, as Robb and Jon went to follow after the little wolf. The pair stopping and staring at one another for a second, before turning to look at their father.

"We took our eyes off him for a moment, father. You know what Bran is like..........."

"That is not my concern at the moment. Though if your mother comes to learn that Bran was in the Witches' wood, then she might say something different. No, what concerns me, is that he actually met (Y/n)............." Ned interrupted his oldest son's explanation, the warden of the north slowly getting to his feet and making his way over to the window, through which he could see the woods in the distance.

"You know of this (Y/n)...........? Would she have hurt Bran.............." Robb asked. He and Jon looking at one another again. Robb not sure whether his little brother had been in far more trouble than he could ever have thought.

"I know of (Y/n), yes. She is the latest in the line of women that care for the trees and everything that lives under the shade of their leaves. The current keeper of the woods. A descendant of the Children of the Forest. I have never met her, nor her mother before she passed. All I know are the stories.........and no, I don't think for one moment that she would have hurt your brother. That is not what those women do; no, it is just that there has been a pact that has stood for the last few generations, that wolves will not enter the woods. Over the years, our ancestors tried to take the woods, sometimes by force; and the witch would do what she had to do to not only protect herself, but also the woods and everything in it. Some two hundred years ago, when the air above the capital was still filled with dragons, Rickon Stark signed a treaty with the then keeper of the woods. He promised that no Stark would go beyond the tree line, as long as the witches promised to cause the family nor Winterfell any harm and continue their care of the villagers. No Stark has set foot in the woods since then; well, that was until today, when three of my sons passed beyond the tree line. All I can hope is that (Y/n) does not believe that we meant any harm.................." Ned explained. The lord not sure what could happen if the young witch thought otherwise.

Robb and Jon were not sure what to say. They both knew the tales of the woods, both knew that they really shouldn't go in; but until now, they had not known that there was a pact between their family and the women of the woods. The two watching their father just look out of the window, unsure what to say.

"We.........we could go back and try and find (Y/n). Tell her that it was a mistake, that Bran.......that we didn't mean any harm............" Jon finally said, hoping that he could make up for their mistake.

"No........it is better that we stay away. If we go back, (Y/n) is sure to think that the treaty has been broken. The gods only know how powerful the wisdom of all the generations before her, could make her. Bran may not like it, but I will have to tell him that he will not be able to go back and see (Y/n)." Ned replied, giving Jon a small reassuring smile. The lord sure that if Catelyn was to get wind of today's little adventure, then she would blame the young Snow for everything.

"Well, don't just stand there; go and clean up for dinner." Ned continued. Giving the woods one last look before he and his boys made their way from the hall.

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Bran looked out of his window. The world beyond the walls of the castle was dark now, yet that didn't mean that he didn't want to go out. All evening he had been able to do nothing but think about the pretty girl that he had met. He had so wanted to tell his other siblings of his adventure into the woods, about what (Y/n) had told him; but he had promised his father that he would not say a word. Bran just hoping that he would be able to revisit the woods in the morning; yet after they had eaten, his father had taken him to the side and told him that he could not go back to the woods; that he wasn't allowed in the woods again, but (Y/n) had not told him that. She had told him about all the wonderful things, told him that if he listened hard enough, he might hear the spirits that lived in everything talk to him; and he so desperately wanted to do that. He wanted to meet (Y/n) again and have her show him more of the plants that she used, and all the animals that called the woods home. The little wolf deciding, that before the rest of the family woke in the morning, he would make his way out of the castle and back to the woods. That he would make his way back there, and find his new friend.