Winterfell (Part 3)

[POV BENJEN STARK – YEAR 271]

"He who?" Inquired Ned, turning his head to Benjen as he lowered the bow he held.

Ned, 4 years older than Benjen, also had black, straight hair, his eyes as black as the night sky. His pale complexion also revealed the marks of the cold, leaving his cheeks tinged with red. Although Ned was 4 years older, his height was only a little over a head taller than Benjen, but Ned was slightly more robust and muscular due to being older and training longer than his brother. Ned also wore thick woolen clothes, but his were gray in color.

"Aquiles, the man who saved Lyanna!" Benjen proclaimed as if stating the obvious.

"How do you know his name? Did you go see him?" Curiosity tinged Ned's voice.

Benjen's arrow momentarily halted on the bow, his gaze meeting Ned's before he answered, "Yes, last night. Mom took Lyanna to him to thank him, and after they left, I sneaked in, without them seeing."

Ned's curiosity only grew. "What did they talk about?"

"Lyanna and mother thanked him for the help, said they prayed for his recovery, and then they left. So I went in, and we started talking. Then he asked my name, my age, and I said I just turned 4 a few days ago. Then I asked him what it was like to fight the bear, and he said he didn't remember, but he told me two stories!" Benjen replied, still remembering the stories Aquiles had told.

"What stories?" Ned's eyes sparkled with interest; Old Nan had already told all the stories she knew, and he couldn't stand hearing the same stories over and over again.

"One story about a boy named Peter Pan who refused to grow up, the other about a dragon who had its chest crushed by a hammer." Benjen Stark's words had a touch of nostalgia, recalling the tale.

"A Dragon who had its chest crushed by a hammer? What nonsense, dragon scales can't be broken, and they don't exist anymore..." Before Ned could continue his sentence, his father's firm and authoritative voice interrupted them. "You must already be too good to not need training!" Rickard Stark spoke in a stern tone as soon as he saw the two chatting without training.

And after his father's reprimand, the conversation gave way to the sound of bowstrings being pulled and released, Benjen Stark's and Ned's focus returning to the accuracy of their arrows. In the midst of their exercises, their attention wavered as they both observed the figure of Lyanna emerging from the interior of the castle, fleeing from the old nurse who pursued her. The current old nurse was much younger than in the time of Ned and Catelyn's children, but she was still quite old, holding a pair of sewing needles, her instructional words echoing through the training yard: "Lyanna, come back here. You need to learn!"

Laughs escaped from Benjen's and Ned's lips as they watched the scene unfold before them. Lyanna ran back and forth, agile as a deer, avoiding the nurse's attempts, while stubbornly refusing to return. Her voice resonated with fierce determination, rejecting the notion of being a lady in favor of becoming a fearless warrior. Benjen's and Ned's laughter mingled with the sound of the courtyard, a brief moment of relief and joy.

As they watched Lyanna flee from the old nurse, Benjen and Ned heard Aquiles' voice behind them and turned around. Aquiles, standing next to Rickard Stark, maintained an upright posture, and his words flowed in a calm and respectful cadence as he conversed with the boys' father.

When Benjen saw Aquiles standing in the room for the first time, he was surprised by his size, but he had no adult to compare to other than his mother. However, now Aquiles was next to his father, and he could accurately see that Aquiles was more than a head taller than his father.

"He must have giant's blood!" Ned spoke in a low voice, not wanting Aquiles or his father to hear.

"Just like Hodor!" Exclaimed Benjen Stark in a low voice, his attention turning to the young giant laborer crossing the yard effortlessly carrying two bags of corn on each shoulder. Hodor had just turned 12, but he was already a giant, measuring over 1.80 meters tall and was known for the immense strength he possessed.

"Who do you think is the strongest?" Benjen inquired as he watched his father hand Aquiles a fat brown sack that jingled.

Ser Rodrik Cassel, the young and loyal knight of 30 years who supervised the training of the young Starks, appeared beside the boys as quietly as a ghost, his unexpected presence causing a brief startle in the boys.

"In a fight, the biggest and strongest is not always the one who wins." The calm voice of the knight cast a shadow of authority over the dialogue.

Ser Rodrik was a loyal knight who had served the Stark family since he was young. He was 30 years old, with black, straight hair that fell to his shoulders, and a slight stubble covering part of his face. Even as a child, he showed talent, but now he was the best fighter among the Stark household knights, tasked with teaching the castle's young ones the arts of battle. Ser Rodrik wore woolen clothes and over them a training armor made of leather, with his sword sheathed at his waist.

"Ah, Ser Rodrik, you are a knight, so you must know, who do you think would triumph in a match between Aquiles and our father?" Benjen's curiosity bubbled.

Ser Rodrik Cassel's attention turned to where Aquiles and his Lord were conversing. His expression momentarily faltered, the sight of the size difference between the two men causing a slight hesitation. However, his words were articulated with the confidence of a man who knew the essence of combat.

"Your father is a renowned swordsman, while that individual known as Aquiles is merely large, he bears no weapons and seems to lack martial skills... In a direct fight, your father would quickly subdue him! Now cease these questions and resume your training." Ser Rodrik ordered in a stern tone that left no room for negotiation.

Feeling the stern and unwavering gaze of the knight upon them, the two boys immediately returned to practice, their focus back on archery. After a few minutes of uninterrupted training, the two boys heard the heavy footsteps of Aquiles and his father approaching Ser Rodrik.

When they stood before the knight, a command came from Rickard's lips, courteous and direct: "Ser Rodrik, escort Aquiles to White Harbor and then assist him in finding a ship bound for King's Landing."

"I will do as you command, Lord Stark." Ser Rodrik nodded without any hesitation, then bowed slightly before heading towards the stables to fetch two horses.

"I am disappointed that you declined my invitation, but it was still good to meet you, Aquiles," Rickard spoke in a calm and friendly tone. Earlier, after paying Aquiles the gold, they continued to converse, and Rickard Stark proposed to make Aquiles a knight and his vassal. However, Aquiles declined, saying he could no longer bear the cold of the north and planned to use the money to travel to King's Landing.

Aquiles turned to face Rickard Stark as he bowed and then thanked him sincerely: "I will always remember your generosity, Lord Stark." Rickard Stark had been generous, giving Aquiles 1,000 gold dragons as a reward.

...

[POV AQUILES VIRIDIUM]

Upon hearing Aquiles' gratitude, the Lord nodded at him, turned, and began to walk towards the castle entrance. "It seems Ned's good personality and honor he inherited from his father. I'm glad to have met you, Rickard," Aquiles thought with a touch of sadness, thinking about the fate awaiting Lord Rickard Stark, who would be burned alive by the Mad King in a few years. Soon he pushed away those thoughts and began to walk away, slowly heading towards where Ser Rodrik had gone.

As Aquiles walked away, Benjen ran after him, with Ned by his side. When Aquiles heard their approaching footsteps and turned towards them, young Benjen spoke, "Are you really leaving?"

"Yes, it's time for me to go... It was nice meeting you, young one," Aquiles said with a smile as he tousled Benjen's hair and waved to Ned.

"Will we see you again?" Benjen Stark asked, still eager to hear more stories.

"In the future, I'm sure we'll meet again!" Aquiles spoke with confidence. Although he had decided not to save Rickard Stark and Lyanna, he had not yet decided if he would save Ned from his beheading. He needed more time to consider the implications of his actions, but as there were still many years ahead, Aquiles decided to think about it in the future.

"In the future when?" Benjen Stark asked again as he looked at Aquiles.

"When you two are already adults, we'll meet again at some opportune moment," Aquiles replied as he let out a sigh that created a bit of smoke due to the cold.

"Boys, I'd like to buy a sword and a leather armor. Could you take me to your blacksmith?" Aquiles asked, and the two boys nodded and began to lead Aquiles.