Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable except for Ly and Athena

Chapter 5

Lya ran her hand across the smooth wood of the chest. The scenery of wolves running across the wood was more detailed than her memory had recalled. The carving magnified every leaf of the trees and whoever had made it had carved a smiling face into the central tree and made the leaves of that tree red in comparison to the plain wood of the trees surrounding. There was a bronze key sitting within the lock of the chest and she didn't even need to turn it to lift the lid open.

Athena glanced up from her place curled by the fire on one of the many fur rugs in the room. Seeing the cause of the noise she lowered her head rolling onto her side. Lya shook her head fondly as the wolf lazed about in front of the roaring flame.

On the top of the chest were a few boxes of various sizes. Opening a few she realized there was an assortment of jewelry and ribbons of various color many having a variety of embroidered designs on them. She opened one of the larger ones to find a bound book filled with blank parchment and within another she found paints in a variety of pigments, charcoal sticks, and a pair of plain wood pencils.

She set those to the side and sifting further into the chest found dresses that certainly wouldn't fit her now made of wools and a few even of silk. She found a soft blue cloak that looked like it might fit Sansa and she made a note to give it to the girl later. She'd find more use out of it and moments later found another further down that would fit Arya. Given the state of her current one, Arya definitely needed it.

She set both cloaks on the bed so she wouldn't forget and only turned at a knock at her door.

Sansa opened the door looking around curiously at the organized mess Lya had created.

"Oh, you opened your presents already", she said a little sadly.

Lya looked at the boxes around her with a small 'ooh'. "I didn't realize they were presents"

"Those were from other Lords and Ladies", Sansa said. "You never had a chance to open them on your name day"

Lya glanced thoughtfully at the arts supplies, remembering the multitude of arts supplies she had received as gifts while at Hogwarts.

"Do you still draw?", Sansa chirped moving closer.

"Uh" Lya cleared her throat. "Yea, it was- it helps me clear my head" Art held a familiarity that little else did. It relaxed her and put her ahead in ancient runes when it came to crafting runes. Thinking of runes, she recalled irritatingly that she was further behind on the ward stones than she had intended to be. She'd planned to be finished or near to by the time they had reached Winterfell. Oh well, she could fix that later when everyone else was in bed or something.

"Oh, you're drawings were always amazing. I know I still have some of the ones you made me", Sansa said excitedly.

"Really?", Lya asked softly looking up at Sansa who nodded smiling.

"Are you coming to supper?"

"Yes, I got a bit distracted", Lya stood a brushed off the skirt of the dress she was wearing. Catelyn had given it to her, one of her old ones with the promise they'd get some of her own.

Following Sansa down the halls she was glad the pain potion had calmed the headache she'd had when she'd first arrived. Winterfell was full of noise and nothing else.

Walking down the halls with a clearer head she felt an echoing of magic within the walls, not unlike Hogwarts. It settled within her easily and she felt welcomed by the magic flowing around her.

Sansa complimented her on the dress after getting over her surprise at seeing Lya in one.

"Is that one of Mother's?", She asked.

"Don't expect me in dresses all the time", Lya said. She didn't hate dresses to the extent Arya seemed to, but she wasn't going to stop wearing trousers either. Peace offering of wearing dresses occasionally without being asked seemed like a decent plan to not get into a pointless argument over the way she dressed.

"You still plan to wear trousers?", Sansa asked shocked.

"Where I was, I wore them all the time", She always felt uncomfortable wearing the school skirts without thick leggings underneath and looking at how everyone here dressed she wondered if maybe it had been because she had never worn something that short before. Thank the gods Aunt Minerva didn't care and there was no explicit rule saying she couldn't wear trousers at Hogwarts.

Arya stomped almost into her side. She was cleaned up as well but looking irritated in the dress she wore.

"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine", Lya said wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her from storming off.

"Why can't I wear trousers like you?", Arya grumbled, slouching into her.

"I'm not wearing trousers right now", Lya pointed out though it only got a glower from the girl in question. Lya sent Sansa a look having heard the irritated sigh the girl made.

"Why not?", Arya demanded.

"We're going to supper? I didn't realize I was required to always be wearing trousers", Lya teased lightly, making a mental note to ask Catelyn or Ned if she could be allowed to teach the girls how to use a small dagger or bow for defensive purposes.

"She wouldn't even let me bring Needle"

"I didn't realize we would need weapons at the dinner table, I still have a lot to learn I see", Lya teased, squeezing her shoulders lightly. "She's letting you keep it?"

"Father talked her into it", Arya grumbled.

"Ladies don't need weapons", Sansa primped.

"Everyone needs a weapon", Lya rebuffed before Arya could attack their sister. "You never know when you'll need one"

"Our brothers or father will protect us, or the guards", Sansa argued.

"And if they aren't around?", Lya asked, raising a dark brow at Sansa. "Learning how to defend yourself was expected of the ladies in Britain." That was a lie outside of the wizarding community, but Sansa couldn't pinpoint when she was lying like Catelyn could. "You never knew if or when you'd be cornered by unsavory characters."

"Battle isn't a place for ladies", Sansa said.

"I'm not talking about battle", Lya stopped, turning Sansa to face her. The girl's bright blue eyes widened at Lya's aggressiveness. "I'm talking about you protecting, defending, yourself long enough to run to safety. Battle isn't the only part of war, Sansa"

Lya took a deep breath trying to calm her mind, pushing back the memories of the dark years at Hogwarts. "Innocent people, not just soldiers – women, children, elderly – get kidnapped, held for ransom, tortured and worse in wartime." Lya's voice dropped to a whisper, "I saw a lot of good people, girls younger than you, get taken and tortured because they came from families that didn't want to teach them to defend themselves because they thought the same as you and others."

Sansa's – and Arya's – eyes had widened to astronomical size.

"I don't want to learn how to use a sword, but- maybe"

"I was thinking about you learning sword, a dagger would be more suitable. Easier to hide under clothing no matter the situation. Or jewelry weapons but that would take a bit more time to make."

"Jewelry weapons?", Sansa asked slowly as the three began moving again.

"Jewelry that functions as a defensive weapon, small and inconspicuous, very pretty.", Lya explained, before tilting her head in thought. "I might have a few in my bag"

Supper had been uneventful outside of Bran pestering her with questions about magic. Rickon had dragged her over between him and Bran much to Arya's irritation, who was only appeased by taking the seat across. Sansa sat closer to Robb, sitting thoughtfully throughout supper.

The room was full of Lords and Ladies that had been traveling with them. All set at different tables. The Great Hall was familiar despite its differences to the one at Hogwarts. Chairs on both sides of the high table hosted her and the Starks. Ned had made a speech at the beginning and Lya wondered if she was the only one who noted the distinct lack of information being given out.

Jojen sat with his father and sister near the front of the hall and the minute people began moving about the hall, he came up to where Lya was sitting with the youngest Starks, just as Lya waved Sansa closer.

"Okay, think the pair of you can sit next to each other and not argue for a few moments?", Lya asked the sisters with a raised brow and a smirk.

"If I may", Jojen asked gesturing between Arya and Sansa.

"Of course, Lord Jojen", Sansa replied primly with a kind smile towards the boy, shooting Lya a look that made her twitch under the younger girl's strange gaze.

"Thank you, Lady Sansa.", Jojen said before looking eyes with Lya.

You're welcome he thought with a quick upturn of his lips. She was surprised he'd become comfortable enough to allow a small legemency link, but he had pointed out that the book mentioned using legemency to build up occlumency.

Lya gave him a small smile of gratitude before, Rickon tugging on her dress sleeve dragged her focus back.

"It's really not that amazing", Lya said.

"You said you can make a silver animal out of thin air", Bran said with wide eyes.

"I want to see", Rickon begged tugging on her sleeve again.

Lya laughed and pulled out her wand whispering a patronus charm under her breath. The resounding gasps from the kids around her as a large silvery wolf sprung from her wand and raced around the room and all of the children. The resounding laughter carried through the hall, turning heads in their direction as the wolf ran around their heads.

Lya caught Ned's eye as she followed the wolf down the table. He hid a chuckle, along with Catelyn as the silvery figure startled Robb and Theon at the other end of the table talking with some of the other Lords' sons. The Lords and Ladies who witnessed it from further away were laughing as well, as Smalljon Umber and Clay Cerwyn were both surprised into knocking over their chairs. Both heirs were less used to Lya's capabilities and surprises than Robb and Theon.

Lya shared a quick glance with Jojen across the table, both quickly looked away as the wolf ran between them delighting the kids near them.

Sansa quirked a brow at Lya. Narrowing her eyes at her sister's strange look, Lya elected to ignore it in favor of watching Rickon try to catch the silvery wolf as it went passed, his little hands passing straight through the patronus's ghostly fur.

After dinner Lya managed to escape to her room. Not because she wasn't enjoying being with everyone, but because she needed to finish the warding stones. The sooner the stones were available the sooner they wouldn't have to worry as much about the Lannisters.

Lya lined up the carved stones in front of her on the table, the finished ones behind her in a bag on the bed. Athena laid on the floor near the hearth watching Lya move about the room setting up.

Twenty stones shouldn't be difficult to power given the runes on them were low level. She'd been working on stones two at a time since they'd devised the plan to ward the North and, in hindsight, could have been doing five.

She started slow, knowing better than to rush, allowing her magic to flow into the stones smoothly, taking in deep breaths. She could feel herself start to sweat as she pushed on, a low pounding beginning in her head. She recognized the sign, but she could go just a little longer. She was so close.

Almost finished. She closed her eyes to focus on her magic.

She did not expect to open them to Robb and Ned kneeling above her, Athena nudging at her face with her cold nose.

"Why am I on the floor?"

"That's what we would like to know", Ned asked, his grey eyes like stone.

She slowly sat up, though both Ned and Robb seemed to want to make her lay back down. "I was working on the warding stones", she said slowly glancing at the table on the other side of them. Reaching her magic out, which proved mildly difficult, she could feel the power emanating from the stones. At least she managed it. She turned to her focus back to them and with a sheepish smile asked, "Any way we can keep this between the three of us?"

"Are you asking us to lie to Mother?", Robb asked with raised eyebrows, as if the thought was unspeakable. Ned just narrowed his eyes at her.

"Not lie, just don't bring it up", Lya amended hopeful.

"Lya-"

"No more of those stones", Ned demanded, cutting into her and Robb's debate.

"Okay, I finished them all anyways" Lya rubbed her sore head as Athena came and nosed her hand with a whine.

"What?"

"These were the last ones." Lya explained pointing at the stones on the table nearby. She ran her hand to wipe the sweat out from under her nose only for it to come away red. "Well that's new"

"No more magic either", Ned demanded, his tone as hard as the stones of the castle.

"What?", Lya asked feeling her heart stop. No more magic? Didi he even realize what he was asking of her?

"No more magic", Ned repeated himself.

"Why? Because I scared you once?" Ly couldn't keep the growl out of her voice. He didn't have a clue.

"This is not up for discussion, Lyarra"

"You're wrong, it is up for discussion because I don't think you understand exactly what you're saying"

"I will not lose you to this", Ned growled out standing up.

"And if you stop me from using magic, you will be signing my death certificate.", Lya argued standing to face him. "Do you want to know what happens to witches and wizards who attempt to block their magic? The magic will build inside them. It will continue building until it demands to be released and if it isn't released, the magic will force its way out of the person."

Ned was watching her with hard gray eyes as she continued on.

"and if the magic doesn't kill me, it will kill those around me and destroy everything when it explodes, and I will never be able to stop or control it again."

"It's that dangerous?", Robb asked in a whisper behind her.

She softened her tone as she explained.

"When repressed, yes. The condition, Obscurus, is violent and volatile and it won't just vanish when I die. It'll keep causing damage after I'm dead and there is no one here that would know or be capable of containing it. It's why we go to schools for magic, repressing it is far more dangerous than using it"

Ned took a deep breath, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"You're lucky, Robb was with me when Greywind came looking for us and not your mother"

"So we aren't going to tell her about this?"

Robb looked at Ned in surprise. Lya was just glad she had managed to get him to see reason on the subject.

"So long as you do not attempt to injure yourself in a similar manner"

"If I think whatever I plan on doing might cause magical exhaustion, I'll have Robb or Jojen nearby, promise"

Ned raised a brow at that.

"What? He's a friend and I'd rather not frighten any of the little wolves", Lya defended. First Sansa, now Ned, why did everyone keep giving her looks when Jojen was involved.

"You're fine with frightening me?", Robb asked irritated.

"You can handle it, Robbie", Lya rolled her eyes pushing the strange reactions to the back of her mind.

"What are signs of 'magical exhaustion'?", Ned asked.

"Headaches, bloody nose, fainting, vomiting blood but that usually doesn't occur until after you've pushed yourself past fainting and decide to continue on" Lya listed, in order of how the symptoms progressed. "I'll probably keep to smaller spells for the next day or so. There isn't exactly another mediwitch around that could help me if I got past that point."

"Is a 'mediwitch' necessary?", Robb asked watching her with worried eyes as if she was about to start spitting up blood.

"Only if you're stupid enough to try and push yourself after passing out", Lya shrugged. "I survived a magical war, I'm not keen on killing myself through sheer stupidity."

Ned gave her a once over, as if trying to make certain the bloody nose, which he had passed her a handkerchief for, was the only injury.

Given how much she pushed her luck and succeed already, Lya decided to push a little more. In for a knut, in for a galleon

"Oh, um I might have broached the subject of learning self-defense with Sansa before dinner and wanted your permission to teach her and Arya"

"Why? We'll be there or one of the guards", Robb asked, confused by the idea. Sweet merlin, first Sansa, now him?

"And how well did that work out in King's Landing?", Lya pointed out turning to stare into her brother's matching eyes.

His narrowed at the reminder, as Ned cut in again. "The girls do not possess the same magic as you, Lya"

"It wouldn't be magical. Arya already has a sword, and daggers are easy to hide under a dress or in a sleeve. Not to mention Aunt Minerva's good-sisters had a tendency to gift the girls in the family with defensive jewelry"

"The only jewelry you wear is the necklace Jon and I gave you though", Robb pointed to the necklace hanging outside of her dress.

"Well I normally had my wand, bow and dagger on me so I never felt a need to wear them."

"You don't have a bow or dagger"

"Lost them in the Battle of Hogwarts", she shrugged. She didn't have time to find the exact death eater the dagger had imbedded itself in and well, the bow was a lost cause by the time she'd been sent to King's Landing. Not to mention she had been out of arrows.

"Your mother will not be pleased", Ned began slowly, "However you'll do it with or without my permission-"

"With is preferred", she admitted politely

"Defense only. No battle tactics."

"Understood", she said, a smile growing on her face.

So this chapter took way longer than I had originally planned, but it's here now sooooo...

I've got classes and work so, as usual, I can't promise when I update but I'm thinking Fortune Favors the Bold will be next. We shall see how that goes.

I'm currently bouncing around Ned/oc and Jon/oc stories and will potentially rewrite pieces of the princess and the bastard because I'm stuck on where to go next with it and it probably has to do with some of the starting points. Princess and The Bastard will not be an overhaul rewrite and if it happens I'll make note in that story specifically.

Check out my other stories if you are so inclined to do so.

I hope you enjoyed and please stay safe out there during these crazy times

Hugs!