(a lot of povs in this chpt so pls bare with me!!)

EIGHT DAYS LATER:

The snow grew heavier. The sun grew dimmer. Ravens flew back and fourth through the yard of Winterfell with no one to receive them. Fires grew dull with no coal to burn. The only sound that could be heard throughout Winterfell was the harsh winds.

Cregan often found solace in the Crypt. When he was a boy, he would spent days down there. He would watch as the candle burnt down to it's last flame and would relight it once more, repeating this for hours. Yet ever since he met Aly, he spent less and less time there.

But now since she had fled eight days ago, he found himself back here. As he stared up at the statue of his brother Bennard, he felt weak. He felt like a boy again. None of this was for him. It was all meant to go to Bennard. If he was in Cregans position, he would know what to do.

The candle began to grow dim as Cregan relit it once more. "Father?" a voice called out. Cregan turned to see Rickon standing with his head low, his heir. "Come, lad."

Rickon slowly made his way over to his father, his hand clutched to his sword. It seemed to have been glued to his sword for days ever since he received the news of his twins death. He had tried his best to keep the North together in his mother and father's absence.

He has been taking over meetings with the Northmen, he had sent men to go to the other Northern houses to ensure their support for queen Rhaenyras cause, he has been consulting the farmers on how much cattle they will need for the war that is brewing. He has done everything in his power not to break.

"Myke said you i would find you down here... He said you have been here for a while" Rickon muttered. Cregan stayed quiet as his eyes never left Bennards statue. "We have a duty to the North. And that duty will carry on until the long night comes and all anyone will know is the dark."

Rickon was confused. "I did not come here to speak to you of riddles. Eddwyn is looking for mother" he said. "But that duty... Or rather burden, it was never meant for me. And it was never meant for you either. That was all for my brother. He always knew what to do. it was all meant for him. Your mother, Winterfell, everything. He was born to be Warden of the North and he was born to take part in wars. I never asked that cip to be passed to me."

"Is that truly all you have to say?" Rickon interrupted. "Mother has been gone for days, Ned has gone ever more mad than ever, Lyarra is... And Eddwyn is running around winging to everyone that will listen about how lonely she is. She does not understand what has happened. She doesn't understand that Serena is-"

Rickons lip began to quiver as he cut himself off from speaking. Cregan finally turned to his son who was barley able to hold himself steady. "I don't know what to do" his voice cracked. "I don't know what else to do."

The boy then fell into his fathers as Cregan caught him before he fell. "I failed you" he whimpered. All Cregan could do was hold him. He didn't understand his words nor their meanings. "Serena was the best of us."

Cregan held him tighter. "I know" is all he could mutter. Rickons sobs grew louder. He had been holding it all in for days. But his other half was gone. And she wasn't coming back. "We must wait for your mother to rerun" Cregan said. "And then we will kill them all."

Whilst the others grieved, Lyarra raged. She had ruined three of her best swords whilst practising her skills. She began with pretending that the trees were Aegon Targaryen, the man who threw a feast after her sister death. But her fury was not enough.

She then went on to mummy's and pretended they were Aemond Targaryen. This worked for a while, but slowly her arms grew weak and her fingers blistered. Lyarra now had ripped open those wounds, her own blood dripping onto the pale snow as she striked the stone wall, pretending it was herself she was fighting.

She was the one who forced Serena to go after Lucerys. She sent her off to face her death. And their argument would be her final memory of her sister.

As the wall began to be covered with marks, Lyarra continued. She wouldn't stop. She couldn't stop.

Eddwyn wrapped herself up in her mothers blanket as she made her way towards her sister. She had been watching her train for days and days, but no words had left her mouth.

"Lya" Eddwyns said meakly. Lyarra ignored her as she continued to fight. "Lya" Eddwyn spoke with more urgency. She was once again ignored. "Lyarra!" the small girl roared this time. Lyarra finally laid down her sword and paused.

"What?" she questioned in almost a whisper. Eddwyn clutched her mothers blankets closer to her, hoping it would give her some comfort. Maybe even some strength. "Ned is acting strange" the girl said.

Lyarra stormed towards her little sister, a scowl written all over her face. "Ned is always strange.
Why are you speaking to me about this now? I am busy" she snapped. Eddwyn jumped back with fright. "No... I think there's something wrong. Truly wrong."

Lyarra shivered slightly. "Go fetch father. He will deal with him" Lya muttered under her breath as she picked back up her sword. Eddwyn chewed on her bottom lip as her sister went back to training. Eddwyn had tried to speak with her father before but he had buried himself deep inside the crypt.

Eddwyn always hated the crypts. She knew her ancestors were buried there and she heard her sister would be buried there too soon enough. Why would she wish to visit such a ghostly place?

The little girl began her walk back to the safe compounds of her home once she realised her sister was of no use. She always felt safe here , for she never knew anything different. But now, her mother had fled in the middle of the night to gods only knows where, her siblings had isolated themselves and all the Northmen and women would now only speak to her in riddles of grief.

She did not want condolences, she wanted her family.

Neds door had been locked for days, plates upon plates of untouched food left outside it. Eddwyn put her ear against the door, trying to listen to what her brother was doing. But all she could hear was the meek sound of scratches and indescribable whispers.

Her heart began to beat faster and faster, her face growing as pale as the snow. But she wanted to help him, if he was the only one she could help.

As his siblings grieved, Ned remained in a labyrinth of torture. He felt as if his thoughts and dreams would drown him. Ever since he received the news of his sisters death, they only grew worse. The whispers in his head telling him he could have stopped it. "He was not going mad" he thought. "He was only finding the truth."

What if these whispers and dreams he had were true. They had to be. Why else would they keep coming to him? So instead of trying to speak to anyone about them, or trying to keep them inside his head, he began to write them down.

His grey walls now covered in strange drawings and riddles. He had carved them all out with stones to try and make any sense of them. As Ned continued his drawings, he heard a faint knock on his door. He presumed it was the maids fetching his breakfast.

But he was not hungry, he hadn't been hungry in days. The only thing he craved was answers. Another weak knock almost distracted him from his thoughts as she shook it off. "Ned... It's me" the voice called out. "Eddwyn" he whispered to himself recognising her voice.

He dragged himself to the door and swung it open with haste. Eddwyn was wrapped in their mothers blankets, clutching to it with all her strength. "Come, sister" he said as he quickly ushered her inside.

Eddwyns eyes were immediately dragged to the drawings that covered the walls. They frightened her yet everywhere she looked there was more and more. "You are apart of this. You have your part in this story also. Come look" Ned said.

Eddwyns eyes grew large with terror. "I can't yet figure out which one you are. But you are here somewhere. Maybe this one" he said unphased of his sisters fear. Eddwyn almost whimpered at the sight. The drawing was a body with a severed wolfs head attached to it. "Or perhaps one of these could be you."

Tears streamed down the girls face as she saw a weeping woman falling from what looked like a tower onto sharp spikes below. Another, a child falling from a dragon. "These can't be me" she whimpered.

"I will find answers" he said. Eddwyn noticed that her brother had changed. His once loving brown eyes were now blood shot from lack of sleep, his body so thin she believed he could snap in half and a dazed smile. A smile that made her shiver with fright.

"You are scaring me, brother" she said. He shook his head. "No i am saving you. Saving all of us" he said taking her hands in his. "You're hurting me" she whispered. She could not recognise the boy in-front of her. This was not her brother, it couldn't be.

She tried to pull herself from his grasp but her brother was adamant that she stayed. "No sister. You must help me. If i learn what these dreams mean, no one else will have to die. You must listen to me. You must!"

"No!" Eddwyn shrieked finally getting away as the blanket she had wrapped herself with fell to the ground. Ned grew limp. "You are scaring me. I want mother!" she shouted. As the scream left her mouth, Lyarra came running through the door. She stood frozen in the doorway to see her sister with tears streaming down her face and her twin brother laying weakly upon the floor.

Her eyes then fell upon the drawings that covered the walls. "Wyn? What's happened?" she asked picking her up into her arms. "I don't wish to have my head torn off!" is all Eddwyn could get out. Lyarras eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "Lyarra please you must-"

But before Ned could get any closer, Lyarra took several steps back. Seeing the terror on both his sisters faces, Neds heart grew heavy. "Leave me" he whispered. Lyarra could find no words to speak. "Just leave me!" he shouted this time.

Lyarra did not wish to scare Eddwyn further so she hurried out of the room with her in her arms. Ned paused for a moment looking around at his room, his chalked up hands, his thin bones. He truly had gone mad. He then saw his mothers blanket.

He felt a sob build up in his throat as he picked it up and pulled it towards his chest. He was now left alone, just as he should be. Little Eddwyn was now afraid of him. Just as he should be. The boy curled up in a ball, surrounded by these spine chilling drawings and his deranged thoughts. Alone.

Alysannes Pov:

The winds were cold, chilling my bones. Saphira felt even colder. Perhaps it is because she is an ice dragon. Perhaps it was because she hadn't eaten in days. She refused to in fact. I stood by her, sheltered under her shadow upon the hills of Runestone.

"Lady Stark?" one of the Runestone men said meekly as he dragged himself up the hill. His head was hung, refusing to meet my eye. I turned to the man, or boy i should say. He looked barley ten and seven.

"I was wondering... Many are wondering..."He could not gather up the courage to speak. "Wondering what?" i asked coldly. He cleared his throat trying to gather up the courage to speak.

"Many are wondering what to do about the bodies, my lady."

I gulped slightly as i tried to hold myself steady. "Bury them. But make the grave shallow. And no headstone is to be placed" i said. The boy nodded. "And place those graves outside the walls. I wish for people to see them before they step inside."

The boy flinched. "Did you hear me or must i repeat my words?" i asked. He shook his head immediately. "No, no lady Stark. I understand."

"Good. Now leave me please" i said. The boy took his leave hastily. And once he did, i let out a quivering breath. I held myself steady against Saphira, resting my head against her. Perhaps i made a mistake.

Perhaps i didn't. I could not know... I did not wish to know. Those who remain in Runestone may call me a tyrant or they may call me a leader.

But they could not call me a mother.

The only remains left of my child was her dragons wing. A bloody, shredded wing that had washed up on the shores of a beach close by. Vhagar had left no other trace of her.

I clutched my stomach at the thought of what i had seen. As i did, Saphira began to grow restless. She shook and grumbled whilst i tried to calm her down. "Shhhh" i hushed as i laid my head against her snout.

But she continued to fidget. "Hey girl" i said with more caution now. But it did not ease her. A growl left her mouth as she began to show her teeth. She was tired. Tired of this place. Tired of my grief.

I was selfish to keep her here for so long. She was loyal, my most loyal companion. But was also a wild beast. I nodded to her as i continued to calm her. Perhaps she knew why i did not wish to return. The shame i felt that i had left my children.... How i had left Cregan.

"I am sorry" i whispered. I then climbed upon her back and felt no need to give her direction. She wished to go home. I wished to disappear. But we could not have both.

(Authors note: Next chpts will follow the show i just wanted to show how all the Starks were grieving differently. All will make soon🫶)