C001

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!"

*THUDRR*

A shout sounded from a room behind a wooden door which prevailed over the sound of thundering stormy clouds from the outside. Hearing those shouts that belonged to a woman, a man dressed in a black coat and woolen cape was walking back and forth in worry.

*CREAK*

With the sound of creaking, the door opened, and from inside came a woman dressed in a midwife's garb. As she came out, she looked at the man who was previously walking restlessly and greeted him.

"Lord Stark."

"How is Ashara?" Eddard asked ignoring the greeting. In response to his words, mid-wife had a grim face as she spoke.

"Lady Stark is completely fine and healthy but…?"

"But what? Wait, what about the child?"

As Eddard asked the last sentence, the look on the midwife's face fell as she gestured inside with a lowered head which caused Eddard's heart to seize in his chest.

'Old Gods, please let what I am thinking to be untrue.'

Eddard prayed as he pushed the door hoping all of it to be a nightmare, but as his eyes fell upon the bawling face of his wife, Ashara, who held an infant in her arms that lay listlessly, all of the hopes we snuffed out like a candle in a cold.

"Ned…why?" Ashara managed to stutter through her shaking figure looking at Eddard for some explanation for the tragedy that befell them, but all Eddard could provide her was a pale face that looked as if he had seen a ghost as his gaze fell upon the still figure of his child.

"WHYYY?!?!?!"

Ashara screamed which caused Eddard to hug her and bury it in his chest for some shred of warmth in these trying times.

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! NED!! WHY…AAHHHHH!?!" Ashara wailed as some of her sound was muffled by the cloth of Eddard while he continued to shoulder it with a tired face as he gazed into the distance and thought 'Why have Gods abandoned me? First my father, brother, sister, and then my child?'

*THUDRRRRR*

As if hearing his question, the clouds produced a thundering sound in response. Taking his eye away from the window, his gaze fell on Maester Luwin who was standing with his head held down, too ashamed to meet his eye. Turning his head away, Eddard decided to look at the face of the dead child.

'He has Ashara's blue eyes.'

*CAW CAW*

Then sounded a crow that was sitting on the window sill, looking with his beady eyes.

*CAW CAW*

Then another.

*CAW CAW*

Another.

*CAW CAW*

Another.

*CAW CAW*

*CAW CAW*

*CAW CAW*

*CAW CAW*

*CAW CAW*

*CAW CAW*

Soon the crows flooded the window sill and completely blocked any light that was inside the room coming from the outside. The only source of light being the candles and lamps inside the room. Looking at this Eddard became vigilant as he saw those beady eyes staring at this dead child. Heeding true to his house banner, he held Ashara and the child protectively who still kept on weeping.

Same time, Maester Luwin shouted.

"GUA-GUARDS!!"

But no one came.

*CAW CAW*

The crows cawed once more and then became completely silent. This caused Eddard's nerves to tense up as he kept his hand on the hilt of his sword. Then one of the crows who sat motionlessly came down from the perch and jumped a bit forward at a desk, facing Eddard.

'Gods, what does this sign mean?'

Eddard thought looking at the strange behavior of crows.

But then all of his worries were relieved.

Depending upon the perspective.

"CAWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And as if with a war cry all of the crows launched themselves at the child.

"NEDD!!!"

"MAESTER LUWIN, TAKE ASHARA AWAY!!!"

Eddard shouted to the frozen Maester, as he prepared to fight the crows who dared to harm his wife and swung his sword at them. But crows acting with an intelligence far surpassing their normal one, dodged the sword and…

"NED!!! MY CHILD!!"

Shot themselves headfirst into the child.

Overcome with an exorbitant amount of crows that seemed to be almost infinite, Eddard and Ashara had to take residence in one corner of the room while Luwin was forced into another corner.

"MY CHILD!! AAAAA!!!"

Seeing the dome of black made from crows, Ashara wailed for her child's safety who was already dead, but was held back by Eddard to prevent herself from running to the child.

'What was our fault? Why do you keep doing this to us? I did not get either my father's body or my brother's, and now I am not going to get my child's too to bury in the crypt as well. What have I done? Why must I suffer?'

Then Eddard saw that the dome of crows seemed to be shrinking at a visible rate, seemingly going somewhere. And finally, he saw the place where they were disappearing.

The child's eye.

The fully grown crows were passing through the child's eye from his socket without any problem. And then finally the onslaught of the crows stopped, seeing which Ashara without care in the world shot for her child, as Eddard's grip loosened a bit.

"MY BABY!!!"

She cried as she held on to that body, seeing no visible harm to the child. But then her wails were drowned out.

"WUAWWWHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Drowned out by the crying of the child.

Seeing the scene that could only be described from the story of old Nan, Eddard walked forward in a stupor, while his wife just hugged the child for his dear life in a way to shield him from any sort of harm, completely ignoring a change in the child's body.

A change that did not escape Eddard's eye.

"By the Gods."

Eddard gasped as he looked at his child's eyes.

One of which was glittering blue over white.

Another had deathly violet eyes over pitch black, looking like ominous violet orbs floating in the dead of night.

But little did Eddard know that this was a sign.

A sign that winter was coming.

*** 

*Knock knock*

"Enter." Ned said as he was sitting in his solar, trying to wrap his head around what he saw today.

*CREAK*

In response to his words, the gate of the solar was opened by the guards, and in came Maester Luwin, who looking at Ned gave a bow and spoke, "Lord Stark."

"Maester Luwin." Ned said in acknowledgment.

Then he continued, "Maester, how are Ashara and the child?"

Maester Luwin replied with a tired look on his face, "Both of them are still sleeping as you saw them a few hours ago. Both child and lady Ashara are healthy but tired." Hearing those words, Ned took a mouthful of air and breathed out, and spoke, "Good."

Hesitantly Maester wanted to say something, but discerning what he was about to say, Ned spoke first, "Maester, what happened today must never get out. I do not know what I saw. I don't know if I ever will, but I do know that this was a sign by old gods."

Nodding slowly, Maester Luwin said, "As you wish my Lord. Though I still find it…hard to believe what I saw." Then looking Ned in the eyes, he continued, "In my years in Citadel, there were people who talked about magic, but seeing a stillborn, gaining life is unheard of."

Sharing the sentiment, Ned said, "Aye, that is why I am finding answers." He ended up pointing at the parchments on his table.

Maester Luwin then followed curiously up, "Forgive me my Lord, but I have read all of the records in Winterfell and I do not seem to remember anything that will give us the answer."

"I am not going through records." Ned said as he showed the Maester titles of the books he was reading. Squinting his eyes, Maester looked at all of them, and choosing his words carefully he spoke, "Lord, these are but the stories for children told by old Nans. I do not see how they will provide us with answers."

Nodding tiredly, Ned spoke, "You are not wrong. But what happened was nothing short of a story of old Nans. So instead of toiling away in sensible records, I think these childish stories might hold some answer."

Finding merit in the reasoning, Maester Luwin nodded before he asked, "Then my Lord, did you find something?" Releasing a depreciating sigh, Ned said, "No. All it speaks about is the age of heroes and that is it." Following this, there was a solemn silence in the solar that was broken, and in its midst, Maester Luwin's eyes shot open. Something that Ned's trained eyes did not miss.

"Maester, you found something?"

Nodding Luwin began to speak, "I think I may have found something, my Lord. But not about crows, but ravens. The three-eyed raven." "What of it?" Ned asked Maester with a look full of vigor but had to be disappointed due to his next words.

"It only briefly mentions them in stories of children of the forest. They are not explained properly." Having the only hope of his answer shot down, Ned sat down on his chair while massaging his head. Having decided to change this tense topic which seemed to have no answer at present, Luwin changed the subject.

"My Lord, you forgot to name the child." Hearing this, tension seemed to leave Ned's body which allowed him a feeling of reprieve.

"Hmm…Ashara and I had a talk where we decided to name the child either Alaric or Lucian. But seeing the circumstances of his birth, I think I will name him…" Ned turned to look at the stormy sky that seemed to be parting way and continued.

"Alaric, which means a noble regal ruler that he will become.

Emmanuel, a sign of the presence of gods that breathed life in his dead body.

Magnus, which symbolizes the greatness he is bound to achieve.

Lucian, for his life, became the light in the darkness that surrounded his birth.

Alaric Emmanuel Magnus Lucian Stark."

*THDRRR*

As if hearing those words, the clouds parted giving way to much-needed light in the glum castle of Winterfell.

Then Ned looked at the Maester who nodded in agreement and spoke, "A fitting name for the future warden of the north."

A fitting name indeed.

For the emperor of the world and scourge of the Gods.

*** 

"My Lord." A guard who was stationed outside the room of Ashara greeted Ned who gave a slight nod of acknowledgment and after knocking briefly, opened the door.

As he entered, his eyes fell upon the figure of his wife who was sitting on the bed and was gently moving his child. From time to time, she would bring the child close to her face, which made the child reach out for her face and lightly tap it with his hand. This gesture brought immense joy to Ashara, and to Ned who for the first time in a while properly smiled.

Moving her head to look at Ned, Ashara spoke, "Ned." As he gestured for him to come closer. Moving his feet without making any sound, Ned walked up to Ashara's bedside and gazed at the child who looked him in the eye.

"Hehehee" Giggling like a toddler would, the boy burst into laughter.

"Gowww~" Making a sound, the boy reached his hand out for Ned, which was followed by Ashara bringing the boy closer to him, afraid to let even the wind harm him.

"See Ned, he wants to meet his father." Ashara said in the faintest of voice, but in response, Ned did not say anything as he was entranced by the eyes of the child, both of which were deep blue, unlike the ominous purple back then.

Slowly taking the child in his arms, Ned looked at the child with a confused face since this was the first time he was holding a child.

"Hahaha~" This face caused Ashara to burst into a fit of laughter, and seeing his mother laughing, the child decided to follow suit and began to giggle as well.

"Heheh~"

'This makes all of the tension worth it.' Ned sighed internally, as he brought his finger close to baby's face and…

*CHOMP*

The child bit his finger. Though there were no teeth, still the child refused to let the finger go and tried to move his mouth as if eating it. This sight became more fuel for Ashara's laughter.

After settling down a little, Ashara looked at the child who was refusing to let Ned's hand go and trying various ways to eat it and Ned himself who was trying to take his hand back to spare it the fate of becoming a toy, she spoke, "Ned, what should we name the child?"

"Ah, I already named him, Ashara." And as soon as those words left his mouth, he felt an indescribably amount of cold which seemed to affect even him, a northerner. Finding the source to be his wife, he decided to tread carefully.

"I named him what we discussed. Both of the names we were confused in." The first sentence caused the temperature in the room to return as if everything was fine. Seeing the first aim was correct, he sighed victoriously.

"What did you name him then?" Ashara asked taking back the child from Ned's arms, who as if sensing her presence let his finger go and got into arms of Ashara. This caused Ned some internal damage.

Shaking his head off, he spoke, "Alaric Emmanuel Magnus Lucian Stark."

Frowning good-naturedly, Ashara spoke, "Isn't using that big of a name against Stark tradition?"

Nodding, Ned spoke, "No. There is no tradition in the North like the one Reach has. But we do tend to keep names in 3 words only. But seeing the…circumstances surrounding his birth, I find that this entire name fits the situation."

Humming in understanding, Ashara looked at the glittering blue eyes of her child as he spoke, "Hmm…nice name. My little Alaric. Our light in the dark, who is blessed by the gods and destined to became a great and regal ruler."

***

PS: Alaric's one of the eyes changed between his normal blue eye and black with purple one.

Words: 2393

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