Editing Bran Stark (section)

==History==
[[File:Ned Bran.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Eddard Stark]] and Bran, by Amok ©]]
Born at [[Winterfell]] in {{Date|290}} at the height of summer, Bran is the second son and fourth child of [[Catelyn Stark|Catelyn Tully]] and [[Eddard Stark]], head of [[House Stark]]. He is [[named after]] his late uncle, Eddard's elder brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]], whose death was one of the major events that led to [[Robert's Rebellion]] in {{Date|282}}.{{Ref|ACOK|69}}

Bran has three older siblings ([[Robb Stark|Robb]], [[Sansa Stark|Sansa]], and [[Arya Stark|Arya]]) and one younger ([[Rickon Stark|Rickon]]). He also has a [[bastard]] half-brother, [[Jon Snow]]. As a child, Bran was educated by Maester [[Luwin]] and trained with [[armament|weapons]] by the master-at-arms, Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]]. A year before Bran's birth, in {{Date|289}}, Eddard brought to Winterfell a hostage, [[Theon Greyjoy]], the last surviving son of [[Balon Greyjoy]], [[Lord of the Iron Islands]]. Although Robb and Theon became close after [[Greyjoy's Rebellion]], Bran never warmed to his father's ward.{{Ref|AGOT|38}}

Bran enjoys exploring the castle, as he believes it allows him to know its secrets. Since he was a babe, Bran often climbed the walls of Winterfell, scaring Catelyn to death. Once, she pleaded for him to stop, and extracted a promise for him to do so, which he kept for barely a fortnight. When Bran, wracked with guilt, confessed this to Eddard, he ordered his son to the [[Winterfell godswood]] to cleanse himself, where Bran was eventually found asleep in the tallest [[sentinel tree]]. Ned then accepted his climbing, but told him to try to not let his lady mother see him.{{Ref|AGOT|8}} Lady Stark then turned to others in the castle: first, Maester Luwin, who once made a boy out of pottery and threw it from Winterfell's walls to show Bran what would happen if the boy were to fall while climbing, then, to [[Old Nan]], who told him a story of a boy who climbed too high, was struck by lightning and had his eyes eaten by [[crow]]s, and finally the castle guards, who chased Bran from tower to tower in an attempt to haul him down. Each attempt was fruitless, and Bran continued his climbing.{{Ref|AGOT|8}} The boy enjoys swinging from the [[gargoyle]]s of the [[First Keep]]  and feeding corn to the crows atop the [[broken tower]].{{Ref|AGOT|8}}

Bran loves hearing Old Nan's stories, preferring the scary ones above all else concerning the [[children of the forest]], the [[Long Night]], and the [[Others]].{{Ref|ACOK|2}}{{Ref|AGOT|28}} He is also enthralled by tales of [[mystery knight]]s and the [[Kingsguard]], and asks to hear their stories over and over until their names become like music to him. However, he is disappointed to be informed by his father that the new Kingsguard is not as it once was.{{Ref|AGOT|8}}