41 AC
Winterfell
Lyrra Stark Pov
The last of the celebrating had finally faded, and I was abed, the furs a welcome comfort after a long day of smiles and endless thanks. My nameday. It was a good day, I suppose, but not like the grand feasts we'd have in Winterfell. My mind wandered over the gifts I'd received. Theon gave a finely carved direwolf of wood, and Mother, a cloak with tiny silver needlework direwolves. I was thinking of them, of Jonnos's daft grin, and Theon's smile, and Fathe... when a sharp knock on the door startled me.
My eyes flew open. Who'd be knocking so late? I threw back the covers, the chill of the stone floor biting at me bare feet. I crossed the room and slowly drew open the heavy door.
I pulled the door open, and there they stood. Theon, his face serious in the dim light, with Diana beside him, her hand resting on his arm. And behind them both, Jonnos, his twin, a wide, joyful grin splitting his face.
"What brings you here at this hour?" I asked, my curiosity battling with a growing sense of unease.
Jonnos stepped forward, his grin unwavering. "We have a secret to tell you, Lyarra," he said, his voice unusually grave despite the smile on his face. "A secret that every Stark should know."
I hesitated for a moment, the lateness of the hour and the strange expressions on their faces making me wary. But the mention of a Stark secret piqued my curiosity. "Come in," I said, stepping back and gesturing for them to enter. I closed the heavy wooden door behind them, the sound echoing in the sudden silence of the room. My gaze fell on Theon, and I couldn't help but notice he was clad only in his travel-stained cloak. "Why are you in your small clothes, Theon?" I blurted out before I could think better of it.
Jonnos burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the room and startling a small, nervous laugh from Diana. "Show her, brother," Jonnos said, clapping Theon on the back, though his eyes held a strange mix of amusement and something else I couldn't quite place.
Theon's grin widened, a feral edge to it that sent a shiver down my spine. He met my astonished gaze, and then, impossibly, his form began to shift. It was like watching a nightmare unfold, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away. His bones seemed to lengthen and reshape themselves, his features melting and reforming. The cloak that had been draped around him rippled and flowed, becoming not fabric, but fur - thick, dark fur. Where moments before stood a man, now stood a massive direwolf, its eyes glowing with an eerie, intelligent light. I could only stare, my breath caught in my throat, my mind reeling at the impossible sight.
Diana, seemingly unfazed by the transformation, stepped closer to the direwolf. She reached out a hand and began to scratch behind its ears, her touch gentle and familiar, as if she were soothing a beloved pet. The direwolf, Theon, leaned into her touch, his glowing eyes softening slightly.
Jonnos, watching the scene with unrestrained glee, clapped his hands together. "See, Lyarra?" he exclaimed, his smile stretching wide across his face. "My sister is magic! But it's not just her. Every Stark can do this. We can all turn into direwolves."
"How?" I breathed, my voice barely audible above the low growl emanating from Theon's transformed throat. The impossible was happening before my very eyes, and I desperately needed to understand.
"It's this potion," Jonnos said, pulling a small vial from his belt pouch. It contained a swirling, opalescent liquid that seemed to pulse with an inner light. "We call it the Lycan Potion. Drink it, and you'll be able to shift, just like Theon... just like all of us." He paused, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "And then," he added, "we're going to venture into the forest. All together."
I reached out, my hand trembling slightly, and took the vial from him. The liquid inside swirled and shimmered, captivating and terrifying at the same time. I held it up, inspecting it closely, the candlelight catching the strange, otherworldly colors.
"Leave me," I said, my voice firm despite the tremor in my hand. "Both of you. I need to... I need to do this alone."
Theon, still in his direwolf form, hesitated for a moment, his glowing eyes fixed on me. Then, with a low growl that sounded almost reluctant, he turned and padded towards the door. Jonnos followed, his initial excitement replaced with a more subdued expression. He gave me a small nod as he passed, and then the heavy wooden door closed behind them, leaving Diana and me alone in the room.
I stared at the vial in my hand, my heart pounding in my chest. I felt a surge of doubt. Could I really do this? Was I ready to embrace something so... unnatural?
Diana stepped closer, her gaze steady and reassuring. "Take it only if you are sure, Lyarra," she said softly, her voice a low murmur in the quiet room. "This is a path you must choose for yourself. We will be here for you, whatever you decide."
Okay, here's how Diana reacts:
Her words resonated within me, a strange mix of fear and determination warring in my heart. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, lifted the vial to my lips, and downed the swirling liquid in one swift gulp.
The taste was... indescribable. Like fire and ice, metal and earth, all at once. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, a strange sensation began to spread through my veins, a tingling warmth that quickly escalated into discomfort. It started as a subtle pressure, a feeling of being... stretched. But as time passed, the discomfort intensified, growing into a searing, agonizing pain.
My bones felt like they were being twisted and remade, my muscles tearing and reforming. I gasped, then choked, then screamed, the sound raw and animalistic, a sound that didn't even seem like it was coming from me. I clawed at my skin, my body convulsing, as the transformation ripped through me.
Diana cried out, her face paling as she rushed to my side. Panic flared in her eyes as she watched my body contort, her hands hovering helplessly over me, unsure of what to do. "Lyarra! What's happening? What can I do?" Her voice was filled with a desperate worry.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the searing pain subsided. The intense pressure shifted, morphing into a strange sense of...becoming. My bones continued to shift, but the agony was replaced by a powerful, undeniable instinct. My skin prickled, fur sprouting in thick waves across my body. My hands and feet lengthened, becoming paws, tipped with sharp claws. My face stretched and elongated, my teeth growing into formidable fangs.
I was no longer a girl. I was a direwolf, standing on four powerful legs, my senses heightened to an incredible degree. I could smell the faint scent of snow on the wind, hear the distant rustle of leaves in the godswood, see the world in shades of grey and silver, yet with a clarity I had never known before.
Diana, her initial panic slowly giving way to awe, reached out and pushed open the door. Jonnos stood on the other side, a wide, shit-eating grin plastered across his face.
"Well, sister," he said, his voice filled with barely contained excitement. "Let's be off to the godswood. Our wolves are waiting for us."
I dipped my massive head in a nod, the gesture feeling both strange and utterly natural at the same time.
We moved through the castle, Diana walking beside me, her hand resting on my thick fur, while Jonnos walked ahead, practically bouncing with anticipation. The sounds of the castle were different now, filtered through my heightened senses - the scurrying of mice in the walls, the distant snoring of a guard, the faint scent of woodsmoke from the hearths.
When we reached the godswood, the ancient trees loomed over us, their branches heavy with snow. The heart tree stood in the center, its red leaves stark against the white landscape. Jonnos, unable to contain his excitement any longer, let out a whoop and began to shift. His transformation was quicker than mine, his body flowing and changing until he stood beside me as a mirror image, a massive direwolf with the same dark fur and glowing eyes.
Diana approached Theon, who was still in his direwolf form. She reached out, her hand stroking his thick fur, her touch gentle and loving. Then, with a running leap, she gracefully jumped onto his back, settling herself comfortably between his broad shoulders.
"Shall we go?" she asked, her voice carrying a note of exhilaration. Jonnos and I could only nod our massive heads in agreement, our direwolf forms unable to speak human words.
Jonnos and I could only nod our massive heads in agreement, our direwolf forms unable to speak human words.
And then, we were off. We surged into the forest, our powerful legs carrying us through the snow-covered landscape. At first, the sensation was strange and disorienting. The ground felt different beneath my paws, the air filled with a thousand new scents, the sounds of the forest amplified to an almost overwhelming degree. But as we ran, as the wind whipped through my fur and the trees blurred around us, the feeling shifted. It became...natural. The wildness of the direwolf took over, and I moved with a grace and power I had never known as a human.
I glanced to my side, and saw our direwolves running alongside us. They were smaller than Jonnos and I, more the size of normal wolves, but still larger and more powerful than any I had ever seen.
My own direwolf, Leia, ran closest to me, her grey fur blending with the shadows of the trees, her green eyes shining with an intelligent light. Jonnos's direwolf, Loki, was a stark contrast, his fur as black as night, his green eyes gleaming with a wild energy.
Behind them, I could see Father's direwolf, Fang, his dark brown fur rippling as he ran, his yellow eyes fixed on the path ahead. And Grandfather's direwolf, Crusher, his brown fur thick and powerful, his black eyes filled with a quiet strength.
Theon's direwolf, Frost, was the most striking of the pack. His fur was as white as the freshly fallen snow, and his eyes were a piercing blue, like chips of glacial ice. He moved with a fluid grace, the very picture of wild beauty.
And then there was Summer, her red fur a fiery contrast to the snow, her black eyes burning with a fierce spirit. She ran with a boundless energy, her every movement filled with a vibrant life.
And then, we roamed. We ran through the ancient forest, our pack of direwolves surging through the snow-laden trees. We chased rabbits, their scent sharp and clear in the cold air. We howled at the pale moon, our voices echoing through the silent woods. We explored hidden glades and icy streams, our bodies moving with a freedom I had never known before.
We ran until the hour of the wolf, when the moon hung high in the sky, a silver disc in the inky blackness. Then, with a shared, unspoken understanding, we turned back towards the castle. The shift back to human form was strange, a slow, tingling sensation that felt like waking from a vivid dream. We returned to our rooms, tired but exhilarated, the memory of the wild run etched into our very being.