Winter Is Coming
033:
“You don’t want Balon Greyjoy for an ally,” Lady Stark said and I yawned again and laid my head on my paws, listening to their little argument and trying not to fall asleep.
“I need his ships, they say he has two hundred,” Robb said.
“They say a million rats live in the sewers of King’s Landing. Shall we rally them to fight for us?” Lady Stark asked and I pushed myself off of the ground and headed towards Robb, placing myself next to him and laying my head on his lap.
“I understand you don’t trust Lord Greyjoy,” Robb said and I felt his hand on top of my head.
“I don’t trust Lord Greyjoy because he is not trustworthy,” she barked and I whined, not liking when they fought, “Your father had to go to war to end his rebellion.”
“Yes. And now I’m the one rebelling against the throne. Before me, it was father,” Robb said and then sighed, “You married one rebel and mothered another.”
“I mothered more than just rebels,” Lady Stark said, “A fact you seem to have forgotten.”
‘…Why do they have to fight? Why do I have to be here when they always fight? I feel like a ref…’ I sighed and then felt Robb pet my head.
“If I trade the Kingslayer for two girls, my bannermen will string me up by my feet,” Robb said.
“You want to leave Sansa in the Queen’s hands? And Arya, I haven’t heard a word about Arya. What are we fighting for, if not for them?”
“It’s more complicated than that!” Robb yelled and I whined and backed away from Robb. He looked at me sadly and then sighed and looked back at his mother, “You know it is,” he said more softly and I shrunk low to the ground, not wanting to hear this arguing.
It was an awkward silence for a moment, I was about to leave the tent, but Robb called my back, looking at me sadly. Lady Stark told him to let me go to get some sleep, but I walked back over towards Robb and laid down next to him.
I heard Lady Stark sigh, “It’s time for me to go home. I haven’t seen Bran or Rickon in months.”
“You can’t go to Winterfell,” Robb said and I picked up my head and looked at him confused.
“I beg your pardon?” Lady Stark snapped.
“I’ll send Rodrik to watch over the boys, because tomorrow you’ll ride south to the Stormlands,” Robb said and I wondered what the Stormlands were.
“Why in the name of all the gods-“
“Because I need you to negotiate with Renly Baratheon. He’s rallied an army of one hundred thousand,” Robb said and I was a little impressed, “You know him. You know his family-“
“I haven’t seen Renly Baratheon since he was a boy. You have a hundred other lords-“
“Which of these lords do I trust more than you?” Robb said as he stood up and walked over towards his mother, “If Renly sides with us, we’ll outnumber them two to one. When they feel the jaws beginning to shut, they’ll sue for peace. We’ll get the girls back. Then we’ll all go home, for good.”
Lady Stark took a moment, but then sighed and nodded her head, “I will ride at first light.”
Robb hugged his mother and I stood up and looked at them, missing that feeling that I got when my mother hugged me.
“We will all be together again soon, I promise,” Robb said and Lady Stark nodded her head.
“You’ve done so well,” she said, “Your father would be proud.”
Robb looked like he didn’t know what to say, he sighed and then started to walk out of the tent, “Give lord Renly my regards-“
“King Renly,” Lady Stark corrected and Robb turned around and looked at his mother’s back confused, “There’s a king in every corner now.”
“I will have Cynthia go with-“ I growled and Robb looked at me.
‘…She’s not leaving this camp! I will not allow it!...’ I growled and Robb sighed, I shook my head and walked over towards Lady Stark and sat down.
“You will go?” Robb asked and I nodded my head and then felt Lady Stark’s hand on my head, “First light.”
“First light,” Lady Stark said and I stood up and followed Robb out of the tent and back towards his tent.
We walked out of the tent and Robb went one way, back to his tent, while I went another, heading towards Cynthia’s tent to get my clothes and tell her what was going on. I walked through her tent and saw that she was just about to fall asleep.
I walked through the flap and she groaned, “Won’t you let me get some sleep, Jess?!”
I changed back and walked over towards where my clothes laid on the table, “I’m leaving tomorrow,” I said as I threw my pants on.
“What?” Cynthia asked as she sat up from her bed and looked at me confused, “Where?”
“To the Stormlands with Lady Stark,” I said and then threw my shirt on and tucked it into my pants, “We’re going to ask King Renly to join forces.”
“King Renly? Robert’s youngest brother?” she asked and I nodded my head, “Do you honestly think that’s going to work?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed and then threw my boots on, “It’s worth a shot.”
“Well why are you going-“
“Because I won’t let him send you!” I growled as threw my vest on and started to lace it up when she jumped out of bed.
“Excuse me?” she asked annoyed, “You wouldn’t let him?”
“Cyn, the last time you went with Lady Stark, you ended up in a dungeon,” I said looked at her sadly, “I won’t let it happen again.”
“Jess! You’re not the boss of me! If I want-“
“You want what?” I asked annoyed that she was fighting me on this.
“What are you saying Jess? That you’re better than me?” she glared, “You might be stronger than me, Jess, but remember, I have the brains-“
“Then how the hell did you get in that dungeon?! If you have the brains,” I stated and then threw my cloak on, “I’m going with Lady Stark tomorrow and that’s that.”
“Then I shoulder go too-“
“No! Robb needs one of us to be with him-“
“Ah yes, your precious Robb-“
“Don’t be like that, Cyn,” I sighed, “It’s not his or my fault that Jon left for the wall.”
“I haven’t heard anything from him since he left!” she said sadly, “He told me he would write.”
“Maybe he can’t,” I sighed, “Maybe he did and the ravens took it to Winterfell thinking that you were still there.”
“Jess, what if he’s-“
“He’s not dead, Cyn,” I said and then walked over towards her and placed my hands on her shoulder, “Jon’s not dead; he’s too smart and skillful to be dead.”
“I wanna go home, Jess,” Cynthia said while looking at the ground, “I had my fun, it’s over now, I don’t want to die-“
“You won’t!” I growled and cupped her face, “You’re not going to die! I won’t let you!”
“Jess, you-“
“You’re not going to die!” I growled and then hugged her, “I won’t let my sister die!”
“Jess, you were obviously a warrior in your past life-“
“Oh, you’re going on about past lives again,” I smirked as I pulled away.
“I mean it! You’ve been in three battles with Robb, and had your own battle in King’s Landing,” she said and I sighed, “I might be the brains, but you’re the brawns, we need to stick together Jess.”
“We will,” I said and headed towards the flap, “After I come back from the Stormlands with Lady Stark.”
“Jess-“
“That’s the end of it, Cyn, I’m keeping you safe.”
“But what about you?! Who’s going to keep you safe?!” Cynthia asked and I sighed.
“I was a warrior in my past life, remember?” I smirked towards her, “I can take care of myself.”
“Don’t die, Jess! We still need to get home!”
“I won’t,” I said and then walked out of the tent and headed towards Robb, needing to talk to him about Lady Stark and my trip.
“I need his ships, they say he has two hundred,” Robb said.
“They say a million rats live in the sewers of King’s Landing. Shall we rally them to fight for us?” Lady Stark asked and I pushed myself off of the ground and headed towards Robb, placing myself next to him and laying my head on his lap.
“I understand you don’t trust Lord Greyjoy,” Robb said and I felt his hand on top of my head.
“I don’t trust Lord Greyjoy because he is not trustworthy,” she barked and I whined, not liking when they fought, “Your father had to go to war to end his rebellion.”
“Yes. And now I’m the one rebelling against the throne. Before me, it was father,” Robb said and then sighed, “You married one rebel and mothered another.”
“I mothered more than just rebels,” Lady Stark said, “A fact you seem to have forgotten.”
‘…Why do they have to fight? Why do I have to be here when they always fight? I feel like a ref…’ I sighed and then felt Robb pet my head.
“If I trade the Kingslayer for two girls, my bannermen will string me up by my feet,” Robb said.
“You want to leave Sansa in the Queen’s hands? And Arya, I haven’t heard a word about Arya. What are we fighting for, if not for them?”
“It’s more complicated than that!” Robb yelled and I whined and backed away from Robb. He looked at me sadly and then sighed and looked back at his mother, “You know it is,” he said more softly and I shrunk low to the ground, not wanting to hear this arguing.
It was an awkward silence for a moment, I was about to leave the tent, but Robb called my back, looking at me sadly. Lady Stark told him to let me go to get some sleep, but I walked back over towards Robb and laid down next to him.
I heard Lady Stark sigh, “It’s time for me to go home. I haven’t seen Bran or Rickon in months.”
“You can’t go to Winterfell,” Robb said and I picked up my head and looked at him confused.
“I beg your pardon?” Lady Stark snapped.
“I’ll send Rodrik to watch over the boys, because tomorrow you’ll ride south to the Stormlands,” Robb said and I wondered what the Stormlands were.
“Why in the name of all the gods-“
“Because I need you to negotiate with Renly Baratheon. He’s rallied an army of one hundred thousand,” Robb said and I was a little impressed, “You know him. You know his family-“
“I haven’t seen Renly Baratheon since he was a boy. You have a hundred other lords-“
“Which of these lords do I trust more than you?” Robb said as he stood up and walked over towards his mother, “If Renly sides with us, we’ll outnumber them two to one. When they feel the jaws beginning to shut, they’ll sue for peace. We’ll get the girls back. Then we’ll all go home, for good.”
Lady Stark took a moment, but then sighed and nodded her head, “I will ride at first light.”
Robb hugged his mother and I stood up and looked at them, missing that feeling that I got when my mother hugged me.
“We will all be together again soon, I promise,” Robb said and Lady Stark nodded her head.
“You’ve done so well,” she said, “Your father would be proud.”
Robb looked like he didn’t know what to say, he sighed and then started to walk out of the tent, “Give lord Renly my regards-“
“King Renly,” Lady Stark corrected and Robb turned around and looked at his mother’s back confused, “There’s a king in every corner now.”
“I will have Cynthia go with-“ I growled and Robb looked at me.
‘…She’s not leaving this camp! I will not allow it!...’ I growled and Robb sighed, I shook my head and walked over towards Lady Stark and sat down.
“You will go?” Robb asked and I nodded my head and then felt Lady Stark’s hand on my head, “First light.”
“First light,” Lady Stark said and I stood up and followed Robb out of the tent and back towards his tent.
We walked out of the tent and Robb went one way, back to his tent, while I went another, heading towards Cynthia’s tent to get my clothes and tell her what was going on. I walked through her tent and saw that she was just about to fall asleep.
I walked through the flap and she groaned, “Won’t you let me get some sleep, Jess?!”
I changed back and walked over towards where my clothes laid on the table, “I’m leaving tomorrow,” I said as I threw my pants on.
“What?” Cynthia asked as she sat up from her bed and looked at me confused, “Where?”
“To the Stormlands with Lady Stark,” I said and then threw my shirt on and tucked it into my pants, “We’re going to ask King Renly to join forces.”
“King Renly? Robert’s youngest brother?” she asked and I nodded my head, “Do you honestly think that’s going to work?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed and then threw my boots on, “It’s worth a shot.”
“Well why are you going-“
“Because I won’t let him send you!” I growled as threw my vest on and started to lace it up when she jumped out of bed.
“Excuse me?” she asked annoyed, “You wouldn’t let him?”
“Cyn, the last time you went with Lady Stark, you ended up in a dungeon,” I said looked at her sadly, “I won’t let it happen again.”
“Jess! You’re not the boss of me! If I want-“
“You want what?” I asked annoyed that she was fighting me on this.
“What are you saying Jess? That you’re better than me?” she glared, “You might be stronger than me, Jess, but remember, I have the brains-“
“Then how the hell did you get in that dungeon?! If you have the brains,” I stated and then threw my cloak on, “I’m going with Lady Stark tomorrow and that’s that.”
“Then I shoulder go too-“
“No! Robb needs one of us to be with him-“
“Ah yes, your precious Robb-“
“Don’t be like that, Cyn,” I sighed, “It’s not his or my fault that Jon left for the wall.”
“I haven’t heard anything from him since he left!” she said sadly, “He told me he would write.”
“Maybe he can’t,” I sighed, “Maybe he did and the ravens took it to Winterfell thinking that you were still there.”
“Jess, what if he’s-“
“He’s not dead, Cyn,” I said and then walked over towards her and placed my hands on her shoulder, “Jon’s not dead; he’s too smart and skillful to be dead.”
“I wanna go home, Jess,” Cynthia said while looking at the ground, “I had my fun, it’s over now, I don’t want to die-“
“You won’t!” I growled and cupped her face, “You’re not going to die! I won’t let you!”
“Jess, you-“
“You’re not going to die!” I growled and then hugged her, “I won’t let my sister die!”
“Jess, you were obviously a warrior in your past life-“
“Oh, you’re going on about past lives again,” I smirked as I pulled away.
“I mean it! You’ve been in three battles with Robb, and had your own battle in King’s Landing,” she said and I sighed, “I might be the brains, but you’re the brawns, we need to stick together Jess.”
“We will,” I said and headed towards the flap, “After I come back from the Stormlands with Lady Stark.”
“Jess-“
“That’s the end of it, Cyn, I’m keeping you safe.”
“But what about you?! Who’s going to keep you safe?!” Cynthia asked and I sighed.
“I was a warrior in my past life, remember?” I smirked towards her, “I can take care of myself.”
“Don’t die, Jess! We still need to get home!”
“I won’t,” I said and then walked out of the tent and headed towards Robb, needing to talk to him about Lady Stark and my trip.