Sample Lore: Whisperings

“You can’t catch me!”

Lyanna’s laughs came in happy, breathless puffs of air as she raced around the godswood, skirts and hair and all thoughts of proper behavior flying freely behind her. Her little brother Benjen was in hot pursuit; his face was red from the effort, grimacing, since she was beating him.

The day was such that the children could not help but be wild. The sun shown prettily in the sky behind plump white clouds and a breeze gently drifted through the wood. At any other time the godswood would have been silent, but at this moment the leaves of the great weirwood tree seemed to rustle overhead in indignation, fidgeting from the unholiness of their hoots and hollers.

Lyanna leaped atop a rock and turned to slash at her brother with the broken branch she wielded as a sword. Benjen was no match for her; though he was quick, she was cunning. She hacked a vicious cut at his thigh that sent him tumbling into one of the blackish pools of water. He splashed about, sputtering and shouting.

“You be quiet, stupid,” she said bossily, tossing her branch aside. “It’s just water. Do you want Old Nan to hear and run to tell Father?”

Benjen’s lower lip was sticking out. She knew what that meant. Sighing deeply, as if it was beneath her to aid one she had defeated, Lyanna grabbed him by the collar and pulled him from the water. He reminded her of a wet cat, sopping wet and seething with frustration. She smirked.

“I don’t care, I’m telling Father that you--”

“Quiet,” Lyanna commanded him suddenly. She whipped around and searched for the source of the strange noise she had heard. “Did you hear that?”

“What are you talking about?” Benjen asked fretfully.

“Hush.”

She stared into the face of the weirwood tree, and it stared back mournfully. The sound had seemed to come from the weirwood itself, but how could that be? The hair on her arms stood on end, and she scanned the wood again, as if making sure there was no one lurking behind the trees.

“Let’s go inside. I don’t want to play swords anymore.”

Benjen whined and pleaded that he wanted to stay out, but Lyanna started off briskly toward the keep, and he followed her reluctantly. When she reached the edge of the wood, she had an urge to look back, but something frightened her. She took off at a run to avoid the prickly feeling, and was glad when she was within Winterfell’s walls again.

[meta] Based on a quote from ADWD.