Little Red of Winterfell

Once upon a time, in a land far to the North there lived a small girl-child called “Little Red.” She was a child of the noble Stark line and lived with her family in a castle called Winterfell.

Now Little Red was not a timid child, content to stay at home with her septa crocheting doilies; instead she was oft to be found chasing after her older brothers in the woods, whether they wanted her or (usually) not…

One day she followed them into the woods, but her little legs could not keep up and she soon lost her way. It became dark, and still she wandered, lost and hungry. Finally she cried herself to sleep, curled in the roots of a Weir Tree. As the moon rose over the forest, wild creatures of the night crept out of hiding and surrounded her, snuffling and wondering would she be good to eat?

A Wild Cat was just about to pounce on Little Red to take a bite, when out from the thicket leapt a Dire Wolf, sigil of the House Stark. The Dire Wolf snarled at the Cat, and soon chased it and the other night creatures away. It then looked at Little Red, perplexed at what a small Stark child would be doing at night so far from home. But it curled up around her to watch over and keep her warm through the cold night.

When Little Red awoke, she was surprised but not at all afraid to find the Dire Wolf beside her. As the sun rose, she rode on its back and it brought her to the edge of the forest near Winterfell, where it left her. She was unable to tell her relieved family what had happened (because she was still too young to talk), but somehow she knew this was not the last she had seen of her Dire Wolf…