Theon was only young when it happened. He was too young to take part in it, so he was kept home with his older sister, Yara. His father and two older brothers all left the Iron Islands, though. He was told they would be coming home soon, and that he and Yara shouldn’t worry.
They were down by the water when they saw the ships. Someone was coming, and they hoped it had been their family and their army. They were hoping things would go back to normal now. Things did not go right, though.
Squeezing through the crowd who had all gathered on the docks to see the ship in, Theon managed to get to the front, right where people were exiting the boat. He grinned, happily when he saw his father was still alive and one of the people getting off, but he didn’t look happy. He was having a very serious conversation with some of his higher up men. Theon was about to run over to them, since he missed his dad, but then the bodies began being unloaded. The bodies lost to war. His brothers were among them, Theon noticed. Rodrik and Maron Greyjoy. They were both fine swordsmen, and were not meant to die.
Theon stopped trying to get his fathers attention. He watched as his brothers were carried away, and his father followed the men carrying them. Things would be a lot different around here now.
Each night after that, Theon would cry alone in his room. He didn’t know why his brothers had to die. They were both good to him. He remembered when they would help him train a little more after each of his lessons. He remembered when they would play with him and Yara, even though they were a little too old to play. He remembered when they would comfort him when he was upset. If he would lose a practise fight, fall from his horse, or just think about their mother. They were always there for him. Now they never would be again.
Balon Greyjoy changed after they died, too. He was colder towards Theon. Almost as if he somehow blamed Theon for Rodrik and Maron’s deaths. He could understand where the correlation came from, but then again, he was 9. He knew he didn’t know a lot just yet.
Then one day, about a week after their return, things changed again. If you had asked Theon if things could have gotten worse before, he would have said no, but he would have been wrong. Things did get worse. At least, that’s how he saw them at first. He was in his bed chambers. It was very early in the morning, and he was just waking up. It was a cold morning, that morning. Maybe that should have been a clue to what kind of morning it truly would be.
He door was pushed open and in came his father. ‘Get up,’ he said, bringing his torch to light up Theon’s bedroom. ‘I need you packed and ready to go. Pack everything. You won’t be coming back here for a while.’
Theon was confused. Why was he leaving? Before he could ask anything, his father left again, leaving his bedroom door open and the torch in his bedroom lit. He shivered as he got out of his bed and began packing. He would never try and argue with his father. He was more stubborn than Theon and always won any arguments.
When he was finally packed, Theon brought all his stuff with him out to the dining room in their Castle in Pyke. There, he saw his father, some of his father’s most trusted advisors and then some men he didn’t know.
‘What’s going on, father?’ he asked in a small voice, gaining the attention of the men in the room.
‘Is this him?’ one of the men he didn’t know asked. His father only nodded. Theon felt tears in his eyes as he was approached by that man. He knelt down before Theon, looking at him in the eyes. ‘Hello, Theon,’ he said in a soft tone. ‘My name is Eddard Stark. You can call me Ned. I’m going to take you back with me for a while, okay?’
‘Why? Why can’t I stay here?’ His voice trembled a little. He bit his lip to try and keep the tears at bay. He couldn’t be seen crying in front of his father. He remembered Maron warning him of that before--
‘I know this is going to be a confusing time for you, but please trust me. You will be safe.’ The man- Ned- looked up from Theon, towards the other men in the room he didn’t know, and nodded. They went and grabbed Theon’s belongings, bringing them outside with them, likely to get on one of the boats that were waiting for them.
‘Wait. I need to see Yara,’ he said, thinking about his sister. ‘I need to say goodbye.’
‘She is asleep,’ Balon said, standing up himself. ‘She won’t like being woken up.’ Without another word, Balon left the room, his men following him. Theon watched as he walked away, not even getting a goodbye from his own father.
Ned didn’t look happy about how Theon was treated by his father just then, but he didn’t say anything, standing up, himself. He held out his hand towards Theon, who hesitated for a moment, before he took the hand in his own. They walked out, going towards the boat. It was only a small boat. Large enough for only Ned, his men, Theon and Theon’s stuff.
Theon curled up in a corner of the boat, hoping he could be left alone to mourn the life he was losing. He was confused about what was happening but knew not to ask. His father never had time to answer questions Theon had, so he never did ask adults about things.
When they arrived back on land, away from his home, Ned Stark shook Theon awake. He had ended up falling asleep again. It was still dark out, and still very cold. ‘Have you ridden before?’ the man asked Theon. His mind hazy from having just woke up, all Theon could do was nod, as he sat up. The men began to load his belongings in a trailer that was being drawn by a horse, attached to a rope that was tied to the back of one of their horses. ‘Good.’
Ned helped Theon mount a smaller stead than the others and they made the three-day ride to where Theon learned was his new home. He was told over dinner on the second night of their travels that he was being taken back to Winterfell to live as Ned’s ward. It was punishment for his father’s failed rebellion. If you had asked Theon, losing Rodrik and Maron to the battle would have been a bigger punishment to Balon than losing Theon, but no one asked him, so he didn’t verbalise it.
When they arrived at Winterfell, it was about midday on the third day. Theon was grateful. He was beginning to get saddle sores from riding his horse for so long, and muscles he didn’t even know he had were hurting. He was shown to his bed chambers and left alone for the rest of the day so he could get settled in. He was told his schooling was to begin the next day, so to be ready.
Just as he finished unpacking, and decided to lay down on his new bed, he heard a soft tapping on the wooden door. He peered up as the door creaked open. Another little boy poked his head inside, looking at Theon.
‘Hello,’ he said in an unsure, little voice. ‘My name is Robb.’ He opened the door a little more as Theon sat up on his bed.
‘Hello. I’m Theon,’ Theon replied.
The other boys smile grew. ‘It’s nice to meet you, Theon. I heard you’re living here now. I live here, too. My bed chamber is right next door. We’re like neighbours!’ Without waiting for a more formal invitation, like when he opened the door in the first place, Robb walked into Theon’s bed chamber and came over to sit on his bed.
Back home, Theon was always given privacy. If he was in his bed chamber, he was left alone, unless his father wanted him. It was weird for Theon to be disturbed while he was laying in bed. He didn’t hate it, though. He smiled as Robb went talking about his brothers and sisters, and about his home, and how he would be Lord of Winterfell one day. He talked a lot, but Theon didn’t mind. It helped him forget about everything for a moment and he was able to just relax. One thing was for sure. He and Robb would be best friends as they grew up. He knew it.
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