A Dragon Raised Snow

Prologue

Ned was not one to shy away from the truth or from doing the honourable thing. But what if the time comes when lying is the honourable thing and also the thing that protects your loved ones, the same people the truth is hidden from. It's a test and it can also be a burden at times but he knows he can sleep at night knowing he protected his family and also to the memory of his sister, Lyanna.

A bleak day it was, the day he found his sister. Death was prominent throughout, beginning in Ser Arthur's death along with other king's guard and not ending until it too most of the people he loved. Arthur's death still stays with him and he can picture the looked of disappointment and confusion in his eyes as he slowly coughed up blood and gargled his way to his grave. There was no honour in the way that man died and he still couldn't bring himself to not think of it whenever anyone muttered him being honourable or a great swordsmen for being the sword of the morning. He didn't and he wasn't...

He stood their in a blank daze looking right into his violet orbs, the exact replica of the women he loved. What would she think? He thought to himself his fingers gripping the hilt of his sword, his vice grip dangerously stiff. He took a deep breath trying to calm his furious heart, the guilt hitting him like a wave. Washing over him until he felt he would drown if he didn't find a way to come up for air. He did his best to swallow the guilt, looking Ser Arthur in the eyes like he deserved. 

He slowly reached down, the slight popping of air bubbled in the thick red liquid coming from Arthur's neck filling the calm air. With his fingers securely wrapped around Dawn's hilt, he lifted the blood stained blade relinquishing in the beauty of the man killer. The patterns looked like smoke floating around the blade and being embedded into the steel, the cooler grey's mixing with the lighter ones perfectly contrasting one and other. 

He looked from the blade to the man who owned it, taking in a sharp breath as he threw the blade through the air. It whistled lightly as it cut through the oxygen around them until there was a light screech as it sliced through Ser Arthur's breastplate and his chest making him fall with the blade. It was done so easily he didn't know if it had actually gone through until he saw the great Sword of the Morning fall. 

How ironic, he thought bitterly. The sword that made him was the same blade in which unmade him. It was a sad thought and he knew it would break her heart to know, but he had to do it quick. He didn't want the man to suffer a slow death along with a dishonourable one. He thought lifting the sword to clean with the cuff of his tunic. 

He looked up to meet Howlands fearful gaze, his green eyes showing just how much he regretted what he had done but also at the same time how much he didn't. He slowly fell to his knees, his fatigue evident from the paling of his skin and his sunken eyes. He let his bum fall to his calves and just sat looking down at what they had done. "I'm sorry." He whispered as he reached out and closed Arthur's oddly observant eyes. It was his way of paying his respects. 

Ned was about to say something when a scream erupted through the air, ripping through the deathly silence made by them. Pain was evident in the sheer desperation and lack of control in the scream, it made his skin prickle with goosebumps just hearing it. His neck hairs standing on end in awareness. 

He turned and looked to the tower, squinting slightly as the sun reflected down at him behind the large sandy bricked cylinder. He blinked a few times and swallowed, there was no reason to be afraid, he told himself over and over and he strode to the beginning of the slope that lead into the tower. 

Another scream echoed, louder and more urgent. His heart picked up it's pace his stomach dropping feeling the familiar weight of dread filling him as he gripped the sword in hand tighter and walked faster to try and release some tension. The last scream he heard held less life, as if the person behind it was slowly fading away like her voice. I'm coming Lyanna, he said.