Winter Is Coming

“How’s Bran?” I asked Robb and he sighed and shook his head.

“He’s still not awake,” Robb said and I placed my hand on his shoulder.

“He’ll wake,” I said and Robb nodded his head.

Cynthia and I have been in this world for almost two months, it’s been almost a month since Brandon fell, or was pushed from the towers, and he still hasn’t awoken. Lord Stark accepted the King’s offer in becoming the Hand of the King and was set to move out to return to King’s Landing today. Arya and Sansa were going to be going with Lord Stark, and Jon was going to be following them with Benjen, because Jon was going to be joining the Night Watchers. I knew Robb was sad to see his sisters, brother and father leave, but that left him in charge of Winterfell.

Robb was called away, so I decided to head into the castle, back to my room; although, when I got to my room, I heard noises. I was confused and opened the door only to feel the heat burn to my face and my eyes were wide, “Uh-“

“Out Jess!” Cynthia yelled as she threw a pillow towards me, she and Jon were in the middle of making out and he was shirtless.

“Sorry!” I yelled and then closed the door and looked to see Ghost, Jon’s direwolf sitting outside the door, “Should have seen you first,” I smirked as I bent down and scratched the back of his head and then walked down the hall towards Arya’s room. I knocked on the door and opened it to see Arya packing her chest.

“Jess, come to see me off?” Arya smiled and I smirked and nodded my head, “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too,” I smiled as I closed the door being and walked over towards her bed, seeing her direwolf, Nymeria helping grab someone of Arya’s things, “Smart wolf.”

“Isn’t she!” Arya smiled and I nodded my head, “We leave in a little bit,” she said and I nodded my head, “Jess, can I ride on your back one last time?!”

Before the King and Queen entered Winterfell, when I would go out into the woods to change, Arya would come with me sometimes. I would allow her to jump onto my back and we’d run around the woods, and I’d listen to her laugh and see Nymeria trying to follow behind me.

“I would, but with the King’s guards all over the place…” I started but then sighed and saw Arya nod her head, “The next time I see you!”

“What if you’re home? What if I never see you again?” Arya said and I looked at her sadly, stood up and hugged her.

“You’ll see me again,” I muttered into her head, “I promise, you’ll see me again.”

“When was the last time you changed?” she asked and I sighed and sat back down on her bed.

“The morning the King showed up,” I groaned and Arya looked at me shocked.

“That’s over a month! Aren’t you itching to change?” she asked and I nodded my head.

“It’s weird, but I’ve grown accustomed to this power,” I said and Arya smiled and nodded her head.

“So have they found any information about the witch?” Arya asked and I shook my head.

“She had a brother, he managed to get away that night, but no one’s been able to find him,” I said and Arya sighed and then placed her hand on my knee.

“Everything will be all right,” she said and I smirked.

“You sure you’re eleven,” I smirked and Arya shrugged her shoulders and laughed.

There was a knock on the door and I looked to see Septa Mordane walk into the room, she was the woman who tutored Sansa and Arya on their history and taught them how to be lady like. She tried to teach Cynthia and I some history, but I ended up leaving her because everything was just confusing. Robb ended up showing me the history, and some of it made sense, but I left things like that to Cynthia, she was the smart one.

“Jessica, I did not know you were in here,” Septa said and I nodded my head.

“Just saying goodbye to Arya,” I said and she nodded her head and then walked over towards Arya’s chest and sighed.

“This is not good child, you must redo this, it is not ladylike to have thrown clothes,” she said and then argued with Arya for a little bit before leaving.

I laughed because that was a woman who seemed to have a stick up her ass, Arya and I both didn’t like her too much. Arya took all over her clothes out of the chest and laid them on the bed next to me, complaining about how stupid this was.

The door opened again and I looked to see Jon walking in. I smirked towards him and then saw him look down and his face was red, “There’s the soldier!” I laughed and he smirked and rolled his eyes, “I know what you’ve been up to,” I teased and he waved me off.

“Septa Mordane says I have to do it again,” Arya complained as she started to roll her clothes up and throw them into the chest, “My things weren’t properly folded, she says! Who cares how they’re folded? They’re just going to get all messed up anyway!” Arya barked and I smirked and tried to hold back a laugh as I saw the confused expression on Jon’s face.

“It’s good you’ve got help,” Jon said and then looked towards Nymeria.

“Watch,” Arya said proudly and then looked at her wolf, “Nymeria, gloves,” she ordered and I snorted when Nymeria didn’t move from where she was sitting. Arya nudged her head to move, but Nymeria just whined. I laughed and clapped my hands, earning an annoyed look from Arya.

“Impressive,” Jon said and Arya growled.

“Shut up!” Arya said and then looked back at the wolf, “Nymeria, gloves!” she ordered again, but the wolf just cocked her head to the side and groaned.

“I have something for you,” Jon said and Arya looked at him, giving up on her wolf, “It has to be packed very carefully.”

“A present?” Arya asked, a smirk plastered on her face.

“Close the door,” Jon said and he looked at me as Arya walked over towards the door, “Will you not say a word about this?” I nodded my head and he sighed and then laid the present on the bed next to me and moved the blanket around it.

‘…A sword!...’ my eyes widened and I looked up towards Jon and then back down towards the sword, “Is that the best gift for her?” I asked and he nodded his head, “All right.”

Jon turned around, the sword in his hand and Arya’s eyes widened and a smirk was on her face, “This is no toy,” he said and Arya nodded her head. Jon unsheathed the skinny sword and handed it to Arya, “Be careful you don’t cut yourself.”

Arya stared at the blade in awe, “It’s so skinny.”

“So are you,” Jon said and I smirked, “I had the blacksmith make it for you special. It won’t hack a man’s head of, but it can poke him full of holes if you’re quick enough.”

“I can be quick,” Arya said and I smiled, knowing full well that she could be.

“You’ll have to work at it every day,” Jon said and Arya nodded her head, “How does it feel? Do you like the balance?”

“I think so,” Arya said and I looked towards Nymeria and called her up on the bed. She sat down next to me and I leaned against her and scratched her back.

Jon bent down and placed his hand on her shoulder, “First lesson,” he said and I smirked, “Stick them with the pointy end.”

I laughed a little and Arya looked unamused, “I know which end to use.”

Jon smirked and then stood up, “I’m going to miss you,” Arya wanted to hug him, but she started to put the blade by his head. Jon stepped back, “Careful.”

Arya placed the sword on the table and then smiled towards Jon, ‘...This is so cute…’ I smiled and then watched as Arya jumped up into Jon’s arms and hugged him tight.

“All the best swords have names, you know,” Jon said and I started to name some well known ones in my head.

“Sansa can keep her sewing needles,” Arya said and I smirked, “I’ve got a needle of my own.”

Jon put Arya down and then walked over towards me and pulled my into a hug, “I hope you and Cynthia find what you’re looking for.”

“Thank you,” I said and held him close, “Be safe out there, Robb told me what it’s like, please be safe.”

Jon nodded his head and then pulled away and walked out of the room. I sighed and then looked at Arya and hugged her, I knew that she was going to miss her brother, hell, I was going to miss Jon, and since I found out that Cynthia had a thing for him, she was going to miss him too.

“We’d better get going,” I said as men came into the room to start taking Arya’s things out to the wagons, “You’d better pack your needle.”

She nodded her head and placed her new sword at the bottom of a chest and filled it with clothes. I walked her out to the gates and saw Robb and Jon hugging. Arya walked away towards her father and I walked towards the boys.

“Good luck,” Robb told Jon and he nodded his head. I walked up towards Robb and he smiled
towards me and looked at Jon, giving him a sad look, “Stay safe.”

“You as well,” Jon said and looked at me, “You too.”

“Thank you.”

“Where’s Cynthia?”

“Waiting to say goodbye to you at the gate,” I said and Jon nodded his head, mounted his horse and rode towards the gates. I heard Robb sigh, he watched as Jon road off, “He’ll be all right, they’ll all be all right.”

“I hope so.”