Summary: When the Northern Lords express their displeasure at Brandon Stark's betrothal to a southerner, Rickard Stark decides that the answer lies in his eldest daughter, Heddara. How will the Game of thrones change when the second Stark child is fostered in the North? Fem!Ned Fem!Eddard

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Chapter 1 (Age 12)

I

Rickard Stark put the letter from Lord Karstark down, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I expected the Northern Lords to be upset at Brandon's betrothal to the Tully girl, but not to this extent" He said to his maester, sighing.

"It will pass, in a few months they will have forgotten about it" Maester Cerran stated, confident in his analysis.

Rickard huffed, crossing his arms over the table and looking into the hearth of his solar.

"You certainly don't understand some nuances to politics in the North. 'The North remembers' is not one of our sayings for nothing." The Lord of the North rubbed his chin, bringing his attention to a map of his Lands hanging in a wall. "We need to give them something to assuage their worries, and prove that I have my bannerman in my mind when forging alliances."

Cerran hummed in agreement, considering the possible options. He had been advising his Lord to pursue matches in the south, in order to try to open up the North for more southern ideals, but it was true that it was also necessary to keep the local Lords happy.

"We can arrange marriages for Lyanna and Benjen with local heirs. There are some in their age bracket." He proposed.

Rickard shook his head. "You are underestimating the Northern Lords once more. Benjen has made it loud and clear that he intends to join the night's watch. He might change his mind yet, which is fine, but preventing him to join would make me lose honor in the face of the other Lords. And offering my youngest daughter? That would be like a slap in the face, when I have an older one to give away still." He picked up the letter from Lord Manderly and waved it at the maester. "There are already rumors that I intend to marry Heddara to either the Lannister or the Baratheon boy. If I offer a marriage alliance to the North it has to start with my oldest daughter."

The maester nodded, seeing the wisdom in the idea. He also turned his head towards the map, considering the various Lords and heirs to the various holdfasts, when an idea struck him.

"The Mormonts where one of the only houses to not send a letter of complaint, weren't they my Lord?" He asked. Seeing Lord Rickard nod in confirmation, he explained. "Why not send Heddara to foster at Bear Island, and state that she will marry in the North. This will give you time to choose your future goodson wisely. It will also serve to admonish the Lords that wrote these complains since none of them will be chosen as foster parents, while at the same time appease them, since your oldest daughter will certainly be marrying and growing up in the true North."

Rickard considered the proposal carefully. The Mormonts were part of his most loyal bannerman, and would definitely take care of his daughter. And Heddara would certainly fit in with the Mormont woman. At two and ten name days, she was already excelling with the bow, and had begged him to teach her how to wield a dagger. Knowing full well the dangers of the world, he had tasked his captain of the guard to teach her like he would teach any boy.

There was also something else about Heddara. He suspected that the old gifts were strong in his daughter. More than once had old Nan come to him with tales of how his daughter was making birds do her biding, bringing her little tokens and following her commands. If she wasn't a warg he would eat his hat.

He scrutinized his maester, while the man was inspecting the map of the North, no doubt considering possible matches. Cerran was relatively new in the North, having come from the citadel only three years ago, after old Maester Harrin had passed. He was knowledge in Economics and Politics, and Rickard appreciated his advice, but he most definitely didn't trust him. The ways he sometimes spoke of the Northern myths and stories was telling.

"Very well, I shall write a letter to Lord Jeor Mormont with this proposal" Rickard waved away the maester's proposal of writing the letter for him and sent him away.

Yes, his daughter would flourish in Bear Island, and would be safe from any possible rats from the citadel. He knew the maester of Bear Island personally, he was a known northerner himself, and would be able to help his daughter harness her gift, without babbling to those who had no business in the issue.

He let out a chuckle, imagining maester Cerran's face if he realized what Heddara would be learning in the Island. It would certainly go against the southerner's view of a proper Lady.

"Do you have to go?" Her brother Benjen asked, hugging her waist on her left sniffling. On her right Lyanna wasn't doing much better to contain her tears.

"Yes, I do. But you can write me as much as you want. I'm sure father will be happy to send a raven every other week" She told him, brushing his hair away from his eyes gently.

After reassurances to her younger siblings that she wouldn't forget them, and would always reply to her letters, she hugged Brandon fiercely.

"If any of those Bear Island boys try to get fresh with you, you tell me and I'll show them how wolves hunt, you hear me?" He asked scowling, no doubt imagining maiming some boy.

She rolled her eyes "If I have problems with a boy, I'll break his nose myself!" He laughed at that, giving her another hug, before moving aside so her father could say goodbye.

"I'm sending fifty men with you to Deepwood Motte. Twenty of them will go with you to Bear Island, as per the agreement between me and Jeor Mormont." Heddara nodded, hugging her father close, not knowing when she would see him again.

As they let go, her father put his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye and speaking softly so only she could hear.

"Dara, I want you to take this opportunity to grow. Grow as a person, a woman, a warrior and a warg" She started, surprised at his announcement. "Yes, I know of your gift. You haven't been as discreet as you thought. Old Nan caught you a few times, but she made sure no one else was around." Grabbing her shoulders harder he stressed. "Never be ashamed of the gifts from the Gods. Train them until you make them your own, and then you will be free to share them in the North. Until then you were right to keep them from southern eyes. At this moment it is not safe to possess any sort of magic in the south."

She nodded. There had enough stories about the King, and what he did in his mad quest for power, that she knew she should be careful.

"Go now, be safe and be happy" Her father said, smiling.

Saying one more goodbye to her family, she mounted her horse and left Winterfell for the foreseeable future.

"Lady Heddara, we will be anchoring soon" The captain of the ship provided by House Mormont told her. She nodded and gave her thanks, before going back to surveilling her new home.

Her studies with maester Harrin and then Cerran had thought her that Bear Island was rich in trees, hills and streams. The descriptions she had been given had not made the island justice. It's beauty was unmistakable.

As she got out of the rowboat that had brought them from the ship to shore, and made her way through the surf towards a waiting group of people, she couldn't help to admire the extremely tall gnarled trees.

"Welcome to Bear Island, Heddara Stark. I am Jeor Mormont." A slightly graying man said, nodding and extending his and in greeting. She extended her own hand and he grasped her forearm like he would do to another man. She smiled and copied the gesture. "This is my son, Jorah, and my younger sister Maege" He introduced, gesturing to the two youngsters standing beside him.

Smiling, she greeted the two nobles, and dutifully followed the Mormonts through the beach and into the woods, where horses waited to take them to Mormont Keep. As they rode, Maege and Jorah waited no time to talk about training, fishing and fighting against wildlings, asking her about what moves she could do with the sword and how far she could shoot an arrow.

It seemed like she just might fit right in with the bears.