It took the rest of the morning to make a slow circuit of the castle. The great granite walls remained, blackened here and there by fire but otherwise untouched. But within, all was death and destruction. The doors of the Great Hall were charred and smoldering, and inside the rafters had given way and the whole roof had crashed down onto the floor. The green and yellow panes of the glass gardens were all in shards, the trees and fruits and flowers torn up or left exposed to die. Of the stables, made of wood and thatch, nothing remained but ashes, embers, and dead horses. Lyanna thought of her Dancer, and wanted to weep. There was a shallow steaming lake beneath the Library Tower, and hot water gushing from a crack in its side. The bridge between the Bell Tower and the rookery had collapsed into the yard below, and Maester Luwin's turret was gone. They saw a dull red glow shining up through the narrow cellar windows beneath the Great Keep, and a second fire still burning in one of the storehouses.
Osha called softly through the blowing smoke as they went, but no one answered. They saw one dog worrying at a corpse, but he ran when he caught the scents of the direwolves; the rest had been slain in the kennels. The maester's ravens were paying court to some of the corpses, while the crows from the broken tower attended others. Lyanna recognized Poxy Tym, even though someone had taken an axe to his face. One charred corpse, outside the ashen shell of Mother's sept, sat with his arms drawn up and his hands balled into hard black fists, as if to punch anyone who dared approach him. "If the gods are good," Osha said in a low angry voice, "the Others will take them that did this work."
"It was Theon," Bran said blackly.
"No. Look." She pointed across the yard with her spear. "That's one of his ironmen. And there. And that's Greyjoy's warhorse, see? The black one with the arrows in him." She moved among the dead, frowning. "And here's Black Lorren." He had been hacked and cut so badly that his beard looked a reddish-brown now. "Took a few with him, he did." Osha turned over one of the other corpses with her foot. "There's a badge. A little man, all red."
"The flayed man of the Dreadfort," said Lyanna.
Visenya howled, and darted away.
"The godswood." Meera Reed ran after the direwolf, her shield and frog spear to hand. The rest of them trailed after, threading their way through smoke and fallen stones. The air was sweeter under the trees. A few pines along the edge of the wood had been scorched, but deeper in the damp soil and green wood had defeated the flames.
"There is a power in living wood," said Jojen Reed, almost as if he knew what Lyanna was thinking, "a power strong as fire."
On the edge of the black pool, beneath the shelter of the heart tree, Maester Luwin lay on his belly in the dirt. A trail of blood twisted back through damp leaves where he had crawled. Visenya stood over him, and Lyanna thought he was dead at first, but when Meera touched his throat, the maester moaned. "Hodor?" Hodor said mournfully. "Hodor?"
Gently, they eased Luwin onto his back. He had grey eyes and grey hair, and once his robes had been grey as well, but they were darker now where the blood had soaked through. "Bran," he said softly when he saw him sitting tall on Hodor's back. "Lyanna...And Rickon too." He smiled. "The gods are good. I knew . . . "
"Knew?" said Bran uncertainly.
"The legs, I could tell . . . the clothes fit, but the muscles in his legs . . . poor lad . . . " He coughed, and blood came up from inside him. "You vanished . . . in the woods . . . how, though?"
"We never went," said Lyanna. "Well, only to the edge, and then doubled back. I sent the wolves on to make a trail, but we hid in Father's tomb."
"The crypts." Luwin chuckled, a froth of blood on his lips. When the maester tried to move, he gave a sharp gasp of pain.
Tears filled Lyanna's eyes. When a man was hurt you took him to the maester, but what could you do when your maester was hurt?
"We'll need to make a litter to carry him," said Osha.
"No use," said Luwin. "I'm dying, woman."
"You can't," said Rickon angrily. "No you can't." Beside him, Shaggydog bared his teeth and growled.
The maester smiled. "Hush now, child, I'm much older than you. I can . . . die as I please.
"Hodor, down," said Bran. Hodor went to his knees beside the maester.
"Listen," Luwin said to Osha, "the princes . . . Robb's heirs. Not . . . not together . . . do you hear?"
The wildling woman leaned on her spear. "Aye. Safer apart. But where to take them? I'd thought, might be these Cerwyns . . . "
Maester Luwin shook his head, though it was plain to see what the effort cost him. "Cerwyn boy's dead. Ser Rodrik, Leobald Tallhart, Lady Hornwood . . . all slain. Deepwood fallen, Moat Cailin, soon Torrhen's Square. Ironmen on the Stony Shore. And east, the Bastard of Bolton."
"Then where?" asked Osha.
"White Harbor . . . the Umbers . . . I do not know . . . war everywhere . . . each man against his neighbor, and winter coming . . . such folly, such black mad folly . . . " Maester Luwin reached up and grasped Lyanna's forearm, his fingers closing with a desperate strength. "You must be strong now. Strong. This is where you must choose a path"
"I will be," Lyanna said, though it was hard. Ser Rodrik killed and Maester Luwin, everyone, everyone . . .
"Good," the maester said. "A good girl. Your . . . your father's daughter, Lyanna. Now go."
She understood immediately...
Osha gazed up at the weirwood, at the red face carved in the pale trunk. "And leave you for the gods?"
"I beg . . . " The maester swallowed. "A . . . a drink of water, and . . . another boon. If you would . . . "
"Aye." She turned to Meera. "Take the boys." Osha nudged Lyanna's arm to go now.
Jojen and Meera led Rickon out between them. Hodor followed carrying Bran. Low branches whipped at Lyanna's face as they pushed between the trees, and the leaves brushed away her tears. Osha joined them in the yard a few moments later. She said no word of Maester Luwin. "Hodor must stay with Bran, to be his legs," the wildling woman said briskly. "I will take Rickon with me."
"We'll go with Bran," said Jojen Reed.
"Aye, I thought you might," said Osha. "Believe I'll try the East Gate, and follow the kingsroad a ways."
"We'll take the Hunter's Gate," said Meera.
"Hodor," said Hodor.
Lyanna stood while others were fathering stuffs and needs for the travel. She was in her father and mother's chambers that was half destroyed, and most things had been burned and turned black. But there was something hanging on her mother's wardrobe, it was a silver necklace, a silver coin that was carved on of a shape of a direwolf and the back of the coin was the words 'Winter Is Coming'. Famous saying in house Stark. She put it on and maybe to keep it. She recognized it, it was her mother's... She had changed into clean and warmer clothing, at least the ones that weren't burnt, brown trousers, black boots, grey sleeved tunic with a belt around the waist. A leather vest dark brown armour and then put on her sword belt. She grabbed her cloak before she left the tower.
Lyanna had to make a decision, Rickon and Bran has to be separated because it was safer that way and they can't be together if they get caught again. She had to choose which she has to go with, Bran or Rickon. Rickon was heading south, where the war is taking place and dangerous. Bran was heading north.
"My lady" It was Osha as Lyanna came out of the tower.
"What is it?" Lyanna asked
"You and I both know where Bran is going" Osha said, Lyanna knew... "He will want to go to the north, up north... beyond the wall, further into the north"
Lyanna sighed then nodded.
"Lyanna, beyond the wall is a very dangerous place, it far worse than where I'm heading with Rickon" Osha warned, "There are rumours about the Others, they've been sighted and they live beyond the wall... There's people like me that you won't fancy to like"
"What are you trying to say?" Lyanna questioned.
"I'm saying that you should go with Bran. He can't walk, he has to be carried by Hodor throughout the journey--" Osha looked back as Lyanna followed her gaze and Jojen was standing in the middle of the Courtyard with Rickon, "--Hodor is his legs. Jojen dreams, he sees the future, but a little hopeless, he is. And Meera, she's Bran's shield and hunter. I think Bran needs you the most than Rickon, you'll be his sword and fighter"
"If only Meera and Jojen came with you--"
"No, no" Osha shook her head, "they go with him and you go with him too. I will take care of Rickon. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to find your King brother and your mother. Better think quickly" Osha walked away to get more supplies.
Lyanna had to make a difficult decision. She was most likely to go with Rickon and look for Robb and her mother, but she was more worried for Bran. Beyond the wall was much more dangerous than south, east and west. Beyond the wall is rumoured to be filled with mythical creatures, the Others, Giants, wolves... There were also savages and Wildlings. And worst of all, it's winter up there and very cold.
She approached to Jojen and Rickon. She took a deep breath and said to Jojen, "Jojen, go help out with the others and I want to speak with Rickon"
Jojen nodded and left to the kitchens.
Lyanna kneed down and looked at her baby brother. "Rickon... You and I have to go away from each other for now, okay?"
"Why can't you come with me?" Rickon cried. "Bran has Hodor, and Meera and Jojen. I need you"
It got harder for Lyanna that she had to choke down her emotions. "Where Bran is going...is a very dangerous place than where you're going. We're going to the wall, beyond the wall... it's a very dangerous place that Bran will need me--" She placed her hands on his shoulders, "--Osha will take good care of you, she will protect you. And maybe you'll find Robb and mother"
Rickon nodded tearfully. Lyanna pulled out the dagger she took from the guard and hand it to Rickon.
"Keep this, use it only if necessary, understood?" She asked.
He nodded in reply.
"If you find mother and Robb, you'll be safe... and you'll be Robb's heir. Don't ever tell anyone but them who you are. Don't tell them your name, use a different name"
"Like Shaggy?" Rickon asked
Lyanna gave a half sob and half laugh "Yes, yes, like Shaggy"
As everyone came to the Courtyard, they left the castle, through the gates. Outside of the gates, they made their farewells. Rickon sobbed and clung to Hodor's leg until Osha gave him a smack with the butt end of her spear. Then he followed her quick enough. Shaggydog stalked after them. Bran was almost crying. The last Lyanna saw of them was the direwolf's tail as it vanished over the hill.
Lyanna took a last glance at Winterfell that had been burned, but towers still stood and smoke was everywhere around the Winterfell. Jojen nudged her arm telling her it was time to go, "It's not gone, Lyanna" he said as he also glanced at Winterfell, "It's only broken and it can be mended. You must hope that one day someone will come to rebuild it. Maybe you will reclaim it by your name one day, and you'll come back a whole new different person. More bolder and more stronger than ever"
Lyanna finally looked away and gazed at Jojen. He looked at her also, she half smiled, she wrap her arm around his arm, turning away from her home and they went to catch up Bran, Meera and Hodor.