(Male protagonist's perspective)
A piercing scream came from a maid. She had witnessed Rickon's daring attempt to plunge his head into the Sith's maw. Overwhelmed by fear, she began to run wildly, her frantic screams announcing that the monster was devouring Rickon. This was undoubtedly a major headache.
" Rickon, come here," I called out, my voice a mixture of concern and authority.
Although Rickon was familiar with the Direwolf and the imposing Shadowcat, he was still somewhat uncomfortable with the presence of others. The boy displayed a strange fear in front of people, which was the complete opposite of his fearlessness when facing terrifying creatures.
"You shouldn't act like that in front of wild beasts," I gently admonished him.
"But Sith doesn't mind," Rickon replied, his voice uncertain.
"It's not a matter of whether she minds or not," I explained patiently. "She allowed you two to approach her because she sees you as cubs. Although your comical behavior might annoy her, she tolerated it. In the wild, you often see cubs climbing onto adult animals to play. Because it sees you as cubs, it allows you to play with it, but that doesn't mean it won't get angry. Your Direwolf and Sith are different. If you encounter a wild animal, never do this."
As I was giving the boy this lesson, the maid returned with the guards and Ser Rodrik, their expressions a mixture of confusion and worry.
"For the sake of the Old Gods, what exactly happened here?" Ser Rodrik asked.
The maid was still in a panic. She recounted what had happened, vividly describing how Sith had devoured young Rickon.
"But... but I saw it. This beast is devouring young Rickon," she insisted, her terrified eyes fixed on me.
To protect Sith, Rickon stepped forward unharmed and was not intimidated by the woman's baseless accusations.
" Sith wouldn't even hurt a fly, so why would she hurt me?" he questioned, his trust in the giant Shadowcat unwavering.
Indeed, Sith wouldn't harm a fly, but the harsh reality is that she has killed thousands upon thousands, occasionally indulging in leisurely acts of feasting. Clearly, this young child is blind to the concept of danger, viewing the world without fear or suspicion.
I was thinking about how Rickon would survive in this cruel world. With his current mindset, he wouldn't live past his twelfth Name Day. If he ventured out of the Citadel walls with this mindset, he would likely be quickly dealt with by wild boars or wolves. I knelt beside Rickon and gently grasped his shoulders.
" Rickon! She's not a pet, and your Direwolf aren't pets either. They're wild animals. If we push them too far, they'll go berserk."
Rickon looked puzzled, while his Shadowcat, Sith, chimed in curiously.
"Master, you've really hurt me. How could I be a wild beast?"
-Sith, you know I'm not referring to you directly, but essentially you're a beast. How would you react if any of the guards here tried to do what those boys did, even a fraction of it?-
Her reaction was swift and unreserved.
Of course, I'll twist their heads off. How could those weaklings even think of climbing on my head?
-You might eat them afterwards, right?-
She suddenly realized what was happening, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face.
-Yes... Oh, you mean that? Oh... yes, in that sense, I am a wild animal.-
Sith ignored us, her back turned, as if the whole conversation had nothing to do with her, and she simply fell asleep. The commotion even attracted Lord Stark, Ser Rodrik explained the situation to him. Ser Rodrik was enraged by what he had seen, and his anger was directed at Rickon and Bran, because he had witnessed firsthand the destruction that Sith could cause.
"Sir, if you'd like, I'd like to prove to the children that Sith isn't a pet, although it might scare them a little."
Lord Stark pondered for a moment before agreeing. "For them, safety is always better than regret. Let them see."
"Very well, let's go to the barn then. Sith, come with us."
I went inside and returned with a sheep. Although the children had seen their Direwolf eat chunks of meat, they had never witnessed a real hunt. As soon as the sheep was released, it spotted Sith and scattered in terror.
"Kill!" I commanded.
Sith acted immediately, grabbing the sheep in one swift motion. Rickon and Bran watched in horror as the sheep was torn apart alive. I specifically instructed Sith not to aim for the throat, to ensure the sheep would scream in agony as it was eaten.
Both children turned their faces away, unable to bear witnessing this horrific scene. Sith devoured the entire sheep in less than two minutes, leaving only wool and blood. I knelt before the traumatized Rickon and spoke gently.
"That's how beasts behave, Rickon. That's how they hunt. Sith won't hurt you because of my orders, Shaggydog won't hurt you because... he likes you. He likes you, however, other beasts don't show the same restraint. Do you understand?"
Rickon nodded slowly, his eyes filled with fear, understanding, and tears. In this land, it was customary to teach children important lessons, often through potentially traumatic experiences. When we were around the same age, Lord Stark had shown us a decapitation operation that was no different from this one.
As a teacher and a modern man, I couldn't help but feel ashamed. In the North, there is no safe environment for children to remain innocent for long. After everyone had left, I treated the bruises and contusions on the Sith's body and then went to Lord Stark's sunroom.
As usual, the room was a mess. I don't mean dirty; the room was spotless. However, documents were scattered everywhere. Except for the floor, documents covered almost every surface.
The midday sun streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow on everything. Despite it being Summer, a cool breeze still wafted through the room. As Lord Stark struggled with the documents, my attention was drawn to the tapestry behind him, as always. Its beauty and peculiarity captivated me.
The tapestry depicted a fearsome wolf, much like the one on the Stark coat of arms, but this wolf's fur resembled fish scales. The wolf appeared to be wearing armor made of fish scales. Although it might be several hundred years old, it looked remarkably new and was in excellent condition. Lord Stark looked up and said, "Now that you are a nobleman, I think we should find a coat of arms for your family. Do you agree?"
His intentions were very clear, but I had little patience for these things at the moment, especially after learning of the existence of the Ice Zombie. Right now, I was filled with anger and fear; I didn't want to prolong the conversation, I wanted to resolve the problem at hand immediately. The thought of what had happened fueled my rage.
"I think we have more pressing matters at hand, you know that very well, sir."
As I said this, the temperature in the room seemed to drop to zero degrees Celsius.