A different kind of Justice.

Summary: The assassin that came for Bran is caught alive and the Starks learn the truth behind Bran's accident and the assassination attempt much sooner. Cat does not leave for King's Landing, but they take care of things from Winterfell instead. As a result, the story changes drastically.

1. The Attack

Ned had just got up and brought breakfast for her in bed. Apple juice, biscuits, pieces of bacon, lemon cakes, orange cakes, bread, dried fruit. He could be so sweet sometimes. That was her secret. To everybody else he was cold and distant and impersonal. But not to her. She knew the true Ned Stark. Those grey eyes turned soft just for her. His lips twitched into a smile just for her. He crawled back into the cold empty space he had left vacant in the bed and they started digging into the tray. One by one the children started coming to her room. First Sansa brought Rickon who had been crying to her about some giant who had been following him while he was alone in the forest; another nightmare of his overactive imagination. Then both Arya and Bran ran in together yelling "She started it" "No, he did". Yet, as soon as they saw the tray with the food they forgot about their quarrels and started eating. Finally, Robb stepped into the room. The bed squeaked under the weight of the whole Stark family. –

No. Catelyn's head suddenly jerked awake. It was all a dream, she thought ruefully. Ned had gone south with the King and taken the girls with him. Bran was lying helpless in his bed, unable to wake, unable to move. All she could do was hold his hand and watch his chest rise and fall; still breathing. Robb was acting Lord of Winterfell and she hadn't seen Rickon in a couple of days. While taking care of Bran she had disregarded her youngest son. Her family had fallen apart.

Robb came into the room and started opening the windows.

"Mother, it's a bit stuffy in here. Let me open the windows"

"No!" she exclaimed. "Bran needs to be warm"

"And you need to sleep"

"I have slept"

"Not in a chair and not kneeling in front of Bran's bed. Mother, you need to go to your room and sleep in your own bed"

"No! What if he dies and I'm not here?"

"Mother, he's not going to die. Maester Luwin said so"

"He could be wrong. I need to be here. I need to stay here. Bran needs me"

"So does Rickon! So do I"

"No! I can't leave", she said, her eyes wide and unfocused. She looked pale, her face was gaunt, her lips thin and chipped, and her hair was a mess.

"Mother, you're not thinking straight, please-"

"No! And close the damned windows. It's too cold. It's too loud! Those wolves. I hate them. Make sure they stay outside. And shut them up. Please. I need to stay"

"The dogs are barking" Robb said as he approached the window again. "Fire. There's a fire! I'll be right back, Mother".

She never saw her son leaving, she only had eyes for Bran. She had closed herself to anything that was not Bran. So, she never heard the footsteps behind her. She saw a shadow on the bed and turned around.

"You were not supposed to be here" the man said and pulled out a dagger. "No one was supposed to be here."

He was a small, dirty man in filthy brown clothes and he stank of horses. She had never seen this man. She looked at the knife and then at Bran. "No!" she said and tried to push the man away.

"It's a mercy" he said. "He's dead already"

"No!" she cried and lunged at the man.

He pushed her aside and started coming at her with the knife. He wielded it right and left as she tried to protect herself with her arms.

"No! Go away!" she cried. "Help!"

"Shut up!"

He came at her again and grabbed her by the hair. He put the knife to her throat and the other hand clamped down over her mouth to keep her quiet. She reached up with both hands and grabbed the dagger with all her strength. She could feel the blade biting into her fingers and her hands getting slippery with blood. Twisting her head sideways she was able to free her mouth and bit hard on his hand. He let go of her with a cry and kicked her in the gut. Spitting a piece of flesh and blood she had in her mouth she barely had time to duck as he came at her with the knife again. He managed to cut her on her right thigh as his hand came down with the blade and then slashed upwards on her stomach and breast as he swung up. Blood was flowing freely from her hands, her body and her leg and she made one more attempt to push him. Yelling and cursing she lunged for him again, but he caught her and threw her on the floor. He straddled her and grabbed both her hands in his. The hand still holding the knife came down on her and she felt as the blade cut through skin and flesh on her side. The pain came a few seconds later. Yet, before either of them had time to react, the door to Bran's room burst open.

"Step away form her!" Robb said and he entered the room followed by Theon, Roddrick Cassel and three guards. "Get Maester Luwin. Tell him to bring his medical kit" he said to one of the guards.

Between the two guards and Theon they grabbed the mercenary and tied his hands. Robb was tending to his mother when the guard showed up with Maester Luwin.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Theon shouted at the man, who remained silent. "You can stay quiet now, but you will talk. Let's take him to the dungeons".

"Robb, you go too" said Maester Luwin. "Cassell, stay with me. Help me with the Lady."

As Robb, Theon and the guards left with the men, Maester Luwin told Cassell "I needed the boy gone. This may turn ugly. The second I remove the blade, blood will start flowing out. I need you to put your hand on the wound to prevent her from bleeding out"

She gave an ear-piercing shriek as Maester Luwin removed the blade and her eyes shot open.

"Lady Stark, easy. You have been attacked but you'll be fine. We're taking you to your chambers" Roddrick Cassell said as he lifted her in his arms.

"No! I need to stay here! Was Bran attacked? Is he alright?" she yelled.

"He was not hurt. But you, on the other hand-"

"Leave me! Go check on him! Please Maester Luwin, go check on Bran" she pleaded.

"Your boy is fine. But you're bleeding out. If I don't see to you now it may be too late. Let's go to your chambers" he said softly

"No! I can't leave Bran! I can't leave my son!"

Maester Luwin looked at Cassell and nodded towards Bran's bed. He was a small boy, there was plenty of room left on his bed for his mother. They put Lady Stark on Bran's bed and while Maester Luwin started to assess her wounds, Cassell started lighting all the candles.

Her eyes were closed and she was not moving. They removed her clothes and started cleaning the wounds. The most worrisome was the stab wound she had on her left side. Because of the location of the wound, Maester Luwin didn't think the blade had pierced any vital organ, but he wasn't sure. He applied stitches and moved on to the next. There was a long gash crossing her body diagonally from just above the left hip to her right breast. Stitching that up proved to be more difficult as she kept stirring and blood kept flowing faster than they could clean it up. Then they moved to the gash on her thigh, her arms and finally to her hands. The blade was obviously sharp. It had pierced her fingers to the bone. Maester Luwin was afraid she might never recover full dexterity of her left hand.

"I can see why you didn't want the boy here" Cassell said to Maester Luwin. "I almost wish I hadn't been here myself"

TBC