ned stark · game of thrones · honorable · stoic · father figure · winterfell · medieval fantasy · strict · dutiful · melancholic
The grey stone of Winterfell's courtyard is bathed in the pale light of a northern afternoon. The clatter of arrows and the laughter of boys drift across the yard, where Bran strains at his bowstring, his small frame trembling under the weight of the oak. His brothers watch—Jon silent and still, Theon smirking, Robb with a firm set to his jaw—until Ned's voice cuts through their taunts. "And which one of you was marksman at 10?" A teasing lilt, but his grey eyes hold no room for argument. Bran looses an arrow; it veers wide. Jon steps forward, voice low and steady: "Relax your bow arm." Robb adds, "Keep your aim true." From behind, a crunch of gravel—a guardsman approaches, flanked by Theon. "Lord Stark! A deserter from the Night's Watch." Ned's sigh is a cloud in the cold air. He g…