A dreamlike turn

Lyanna was discussing the journey to Riverrun with her elder brother Brandon, her father, and her mother.

The moment she heard that Robert Baratheon would also be coming to Riverrun, her expression soured. Turning to see an identical expression on Brandon's face, Lyanna burst out laughing. "What's wrong, big brother? You don't look very happy."

Brandon sighed helplessly. "You're laughing at me? You know I don't like those... overly proper, uptight young ladies."

To him, Catelyn Tully of Riverrun was beautiful and demure, with lovely red hair. Yet whenever he faced her, he felt as though he were looking at his own mother-proper, stern, mature, and composed... without any of the youthful vitality a teenage girl ought to have.

The siblings sighed in unison, leaving Lord Rickard both annoyed and amused. He put on a stern face. "What sort of behavior is this? Your mother and I only grew closer after we married."

"You're making that up..." Brandon muttered under his breath. "Mother clearly said you used to sneak beneath her window every day to bring her flowers, and secretly give her fox pelts you'd hunted yourself."

"Ahem!" Lord Rickard sat up straight and changed the subject. "Your younger brother will be coming with you to Riverrun this time. After the festivities, he'll return to the Vale for a while."

Rickard looked at his eldest son. "Brandon, you're nineteen now. You must take responsibility and look after your younger brother and sister. Your mother and I will set out ahead of you."

"Yes, Father."

"Lyanna, you..."

Hurried footsteps sounded, and Ned rushed in as though a dog were chasing him, bending over and gasping for breath.

"Lyanna... huff... Ghost, she..."

Lyanna's heart lurched, and a strange premonition suddenly came over her. She shot to her feet. "What happened? Is something wrong with Ghost?"

Ned panted heavily, not daring to look at his father or elder brother, only desperately signaling to Lyanna with his eyes. "Come quickly. Ghost, she's... not doing well."

"Papa, carry on. Ned and I will go check on Ghost." With that, Lyanna grabbed Ned's hand and ran off without looking back. Even Brandon's calls couldn't stop her.

Lyanna lowered her voice, her expression anxious. "What happened? Is Ghost in trouble?"

Ned's face and neck were scarlet, and his mind still felt like boiling water. His words came out in a jumble. "I don't know if that was Ghost. I mean, only Ghost was there at the time..."

Lyanna grew excited, her eyes lighting up as that secret suspicion slowly surfaced. "She transformed? Didn't she?"

Suppressing her excitement, she dragged Ned along at a sprint, racing toward the underground hot springs.

While Ned was running off, Ghost had slowly regained consciousness in the warm spring water. She rubbed her forehead wearily. The strange changes in her body had put her through quite an ordeal lately.

The first things she saw were human hands and feet, a petite body... How had she suddenly turned human?

This small pool was where the Starks bathed and recuperated, but there was no one in sight.

Ghost quickly stood up in the water and examined her current appearance in the dim light around her.

Perhaps because she had been living well lately, she looked much older! She had almost caught up with Lyanna.

Still, she was a long way from her age in her previous life...

A slender waist and long legs, more developed features, a higher, straighter nose, eyes whose green had grown deeper still, and a figure that had already taken on a young girl's delicate curves.

What happened?

Ghost grew a little panicked. Someone might come in at any moment; she had to change back quickly.

But this time, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't turn back into a wolf. Her mind went blank. What should I do?

The footsteps were almost upon her. Ghost hurriedly hid behind the changing screen. Was Lyanna here?

Ned didn't dare enter and stood guard outside the door, his face flushed with embarrassment. Lyanna thought nothing of it and slowly pushed the door open.

There was no one in the pool, but a sliver of bright gold gleamed through a gap in the screen. Lyanna cautiously approached, one step at a time, calling softly.

"Ghost? It's me, Lyanna. Are you all right?"

Ghost had no idea how to explain her current situation. She couldn't turn into a wolf now; she couldn't even run away. What should I do? Lyanna's coming. She shrank into the corner, hoping in vain to hide herself.

Calling softly to Ghost, Lyanna slowly walked behind the screen...

"My gods!" Lyanna's eyes widened...

Ned felt like a boiled egg. A strange feeling burned through him, making him uncomfortable all over, and the sight he had seen in the spring was seared into his mind.

"Ned, Ned." Lyanna's soft calls interrupted his wandering fantasies. "Ned, go to my room and bring a set of my clothes. Everything, underclothes and outer clothes."

"A-all right..." Ned ran off without stopping to ask any questions.

Once everything was sorted out, the three returned to Lyanna's room and sat facing one another in silence. Ned's gaze was nailed firmly to the floor, as though there were a gold dragon there. Lyanna, meanwhile, kept staring at Ghost with shining eyes.

"You are Ghost, aren't you? I wasn't imagining things that day. You turned from a little girl into a wolf."

Being a pet had been so wonderful that Ghost felt a little unused to suddenly being human again. The moment she opened her mouth, she wanted to howl. Fortunately, she held it back. "Ahem. Yes, it's me."

"This is wonderful! Are you a wolf or a human? Can you transform whenever you want? Is your whole race like this?"

"Um, probably. I don't really know much about my race..."

"Then how did you..."

"Lyanna, wait." Ned had finally brought his turbulent emotions under control and interrupted the restless Lyanna. "Perhaps you should think about how we're going to explain Ghost disappearing and a person appearing out of thin air."

Lyanna froze. She had been so excited that she had completely forgotten about that. The two frowned in thought, neither suggesting that Ghost leave for now. After all, they had lived together for so long that they were already family.

"Why don't I leave for now?" Ghost offered. Ned and Lyanna both cut her off.

"No!"

"You can't!"

Lyanna asked Ned tentatively, "What if we pretend she's a distant relative?"

"They'd see through that at a glance. Who in our family has hair or looks like hers?"

"Then what do you suggest? Hide her in another town?"

"No." Ned shook his head and frowned. "Her looks make it too dangerous. Who in the North besides House Stark could protect her?"

After a long silence, Ghost couldn't help saying, "Let's ask Lord Rickard what to do."

"Ghost, are you willing to tell Father your secret?"

Ghost considered it briefly, then nodded. She trusted Lord Rickard's character-or rather, that of the wolf family. Besides, becoming human might make it easier to change their future fates.

"Don't call me Ghost anymore. Call me Arya."

It was late at night, but Lord Rickard was still ensconced in his study. He was a conscientious, patient lord who often lost track of time when he was busy.

The study door was gently pushed open, revealing a small head. "Papa, can we talk?" Lyanna asked softly.

The guards outside the Lord of the North's door were giving young master Ned strange looks as he huddled in a distant corner, a slender girl beside him.

They wondered what sort of matter required young master Ned to ask Lady Lyanna to speak for him. Had he found a girl he liked? Was she someone of low birth?

The two stood straight and solemn, but their minds kept churning with gossip. They even imagined that the girl was pregnant and wanted a shotgun wedding. Who would have thought young master Ned, usually so composed and innocent, could be so bold?

Ned had no idea he had become the subject of gossip. All he felt was that the spot on his back where Ghost pressed against him was about to catch fire.

Leaning against Ned, Ghost craned her neck in anticipation, waiting for Lyanna to prepare Lord Rickard first. She never noticed that she was practically plastered against Ned.

A fresh scent of plants lingered around Ned's nose, like flowers wet after the rain. His heart pounded wildly, and his back burned. He couldn't help shifting forward a little.

The door creaked open, and Lyanna's face appeared. She beckoned them over. The two hurriedly straightened their appearances, only entering the lord's room once they were satisfied everything was in order.

Lord Rickard narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw Ghost's human form.

That appearance... she looks rather like a Targaryen. Or rather, she has the typical features of the Valyrians of the ancient eastern continent.

Lord Rickard took one look, then lowered his head and continued attending to his duties. "Lyanna has explained the general situation. House Stark will shelter you for the time being."

The anxiety Ghost had been carrying slowly eased. Her greatest fear had been that she would be treated as a monster and driven back into the freezing wilderness.

"Ghost, has anyone else seen you looking as you do now?" Lord Rickard asked slowly.

Ghost thought for a moment before saying, "No. My human appearance has changed a great deal."

Lyanna interjected in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Ghost lowered her head and did some calculations before answering, "I'm not sure. I've grown about six or seven years older in two months."

Ned's eyes widened, and he cried out, "What? Will you keep changing at this rate?" If so, wouldn't she soon grow old and die?

"Probably not..." Ghost had a vague feeling that she was only maturing faster now because she had enough nourishment, and that she would remain in that state for a long time after reaching adulthood.

"I was just malnourished before, so I didn't change much..."

Rickard pondered, then told Lyanna and Ned, "You two should go and rest. There are some things I need to discuss with Ghost alone."

The two younger ones could only head toward the door, looking back every few steps. Lyanna couldn't resist adding, "Papa, don't make things difficult for Ghost."

Rickard smiled and nodded. Once the two children had left, his smile swiftly vanished, and he stared fixedly at Ghost until her heart pounded with apprehension.

"There was something that had been troubling me greatly..." Rickard began tapping his fingers on the armrest. "But seeing you has given me some ideas."

The old lord's imposing presence gradually grew stronger, like an invisible mountain pressing down on Ghost until she could scarcely breathe.

"Ghost, House Stark can back you. In return, can you offer us something commensurate?"

So Ned's father, the old wolf of House Stark, could be this intimidating? Ghost guessed at what he might ask as she stammered her reply. "Please tell me. As long as it's something I can do."

As a Stark, he probably wouldn't ask me to do anything bad, would he?

Rickard's expression softened considerably. Seemingly pleased with her forthright attitude, he smiled slightly. "Then work hard to become Crown Prince Rhaegar's betrothed."

"...Huh?"

Huh?