Winter Is Coming

“Stay behind me!” Robb demanded as he unsheathed his sword.

“Not complaints here!” I said as I pressed my chest to his back and clung to the fur. People ran out of the woods and headed straight towards us. I gasped when metal hit metal and I tried to keep up with him moving around. I heard something behind us and turned to see people coming. I cursed and called out Robb, “You got another blade?” I asked and he handed me a dagger, “Really? A dagger?”

“All I have,” he said and I growled and held the blade part and threw it at the first person that came at me.

“Well all righty then,” I said happily as I got the man in the throat and watched as he fell to the ground.

I ran towards the fallen body and grabbed his sword. Quickly turning y body just in time to be attacked by another guy, I wasn’t quick enough to dodge and the blade collided with my side. I hissed at the pain and felt the blood drip down my side and turned, brought up my leg high, and kicked the man under his chin. I cried out as my side burned and I collapsed to my knees. I heard sword fighting next to me; I couldn’t do anything other than fall to my side, and feel the burning sensation throughout my body.

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‘…What in Gods name?...’ my eyes were wide as I watched as this girl seemed to be changing, “What are you?!”

I watched as the girl arched her back and cried out, but it wasn’t a normal cry, it was this animalistic sound that made my blood run cold, it put a shiver in my spine, and the hair on the back of my neck stand straight. That cry got the attention of the people attacking us; they stopped and watched as the girl pounded on the ground.

The hearing of cloth ripping, and seeing the girl become bigger, as she grew, her body changed shape. A man took the chance to try in attack her, I ran in and pushed him away and swung my blade up his chest. I heard growling and turned around to see that where the girl once was, stood a wolf, a large wolf, a direwolf.

‘…What-…’

The wolf growled and then jumped at me, I ducked and went to throw my blade at it, not knowing whether it was friend or foe, but stopped when I saw that it went for a man who tried to sneak up on me.

One by one, the wolf went after the people around us, well, at least the ones that didn’t run. When there was no one else, I still on the ground, looked at the wolf, it had the same eyes as the girl.

‘…Could it be? What was her name? Jessica?...’ I thought as I sat myself up and looked at the wolf, “Jessica?” I called, not sure if I was right or mad. The wolf looked up at me and then scrunched its head down low, tucking its tail between the legs and crouching close to the ground, whimpering, “Who did this to you?”

She shot up and looked around, ‘…She hears something…’ I thought as I jumped up and readied my sword. I didn’t hear anything, but I also didn’t hear when those people attacked, ‘…Who were those people? I’ve never seen then before, never on these lands…’ the wolf growled and I snapped my head towards her to see that she was running at me. I took a step back and she was at my side, her head just at the tip of my shoulders, ‘…She’s very large…’

“Who goes there?!” I called out, my sword ready, no reply. The wolf snarled next to me and crouched down low, baring her fangs in the direction that we were gazing at, “Who goes there?!” I called again, but no reply.

There was something in front of us, two little lights off in the distance, almost looked to be eyes, but the color was blue, not yellow. The wolf started to whimper again and I looked at her to see that she was stepping back, ‘…She’s frightened…’ something flew at us and I batted it away with my blade to see that it was an arrow, ‘…So, someone is out there!...’

As I readied myself, I was being pulled back and I fell to the ground. I growled and was about to strike when it was the wolf, she wasn’t looking at me, but she knew that whatever was there, was not good. I stood up again and she whined at me.

“Go, if you’re frightened!” I spat and she barked and tried to push me back, well, she did, but I pushed her head away and readied my sword again. She growled and I gave out a little cry when I felt something between my legs and looked down to see her head popping out and I was lifted onto her back, “What are you doin-“ I gripped onto her fur as she started to run, ‘…Does she even know where she’s going?...’

I didn’t know what we were running from, but she was running fast. I had to sheath my sword in fear of losing it while I was trying to hold on, “Do you know where you’re going?!” I asked, then wondering why because it wasn’t like she could reply. I looked ahead of us and saw some light from the moon, we were close to something. Another arrow flew past my face and I looked back to see what was there, but there was nothing.

As we got closer to the light, I recognized where we were, my eyes widened, she didn’t know what was ahead of us, “Stop! Stop! You must stop!” I yelled and she yelped and then skidded to a stop, just in time too. I breathed out a sigh of relief and looked to my side to see that we were on a cliff, and just off to the side of me was a fall down to one of the rivers that flew near Winterfell. I found myself breathing heavily; I didn’t realize that I was holding my breath before.

The wolf growled and I looked to her and then followed her gaze to see that there were the two blue orbs again, ‘…What is that?...’

And arrow appeared in front of the wolf, stabbing into the ground, this must have spooked her, because she backed up, only find that there was no place to back up, her back foot found that there was a cliff there. Another arrow appeared, she tried to back up again, she began to panic.

“You must stop!” I yelled because she was going to go right off the cliff. I groaned when I felt a shot of pain in my shoulder and looked to see that there was an arrow there. I looked up to see another arrow coming at my face, I moved my head, but not fast enough, the blade from the arrow grazed my cheek and there was a cut there now.

I groaned as I pulled the arrow out of my shoulder and then threw it to the ground, two more arrows appeared in front of her and she jumped back. She growled and I gasped and grabbed onto her fur as I felt her sliding back. Before I knew it, my feet were dangling and my arms were holding onto her shoulders. I could hear her claws digging into the rock, trying to pull us up, but she could get her ground. When she lost it, we were falling back; I turned my head to see the water below coming closer and closer. I looked back up towards the cliff to see someone standing there, glowing blue orbs piercing down at us.

Water consumed us, and I remember to breathe a deep breath before I went under. The water wasn’t that deep; I was pulled to the bottom rather quickly because of the large load I carried. I kicked myself up off of the bottom and broke through the top of the water, gasping for air. I searched around, thanking the Gods for the moonlit night, I looked for the wolf.

Although, when I found her, she was no longer a wolf, but a girl, a nonclothed girl. I broke through the heat in my face and swam over towards her, seeing as though she was not conscious. When I made it to her, I wrapped my arm around her waist and then looked back towards the cliff to see that the space that was once taken by the blue eyed mysterious person, was now empty.

I sighed and swam to the edge; pull myself and the girl out of the water. I was thankful to find the girl breathing, but she was frozen to the bone. The most I could offer her was my soaked fur, and a fire. I covered her body with my fur, she had no clothes on, when she woke up, I didn’t think she wanted to be found naked.

I searched for some wood and built a small fire, only big enough for warmth. I made sure to make it close to her and then sat down next to her, my hand on the hilt of my sword, and my ears opened to the wildlife around me, listening for enemies. It was too late to travel now; I would have to wait until sunrise, or at least until the girl awoken.

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I heard birds chirping, water rushing, a slight snore, and felt like I slept on a pile of sharp rocks. I groaned a little and then opened my eyes to see the sight of burnt wood in front of me. I lifted my head and looked around to see that I was in the woods, I pushed myself up to find that I indeed, slept on a pile of sharp rocks. The birds were on the trees around me, it was early in the morning, sun just coming up, the river behind us roared to life, and the slight snore came from the man near me.

‘…Robb was his name?...’ I thought as I looked to see his back propped against a tree and his head down, hand on the hilt of his sword, ‘…A warrior…’

I pushed myself up more and found that the fur cloak that was once on the man’s back, was laid out over my body, I thought it was just for me to keep warm, but when I felt the fur drop and felt the cool morning breeze against my skin, I figured out that I was naked. Everything rushed back to me, the people attacking, I changed into a wolf, more people attacked, I ran with Robb on my back, the arrows, the cliff, more arrows, falling from the cliff. I don’t remember changing back, I don’t even remember changing, I don’t even know how I was able to change.

“That bitch must have done something!” I growled and then snapped my head to the side to see Robb waking up. I hurried up and covered myself and looked at him.

“You’re awake,” he said and I nodded my head, “I have many questions.”

“If it has to deal with the fact that I was a wolf, I have nothin’ for ya,” I said and he sighed and stood up, “Although, the woman who had us, Lyra? She could probably explain.”

“Lyra?” he asked and I nodded my head, “I watched my father place his blade through her belly.”

“Oh,” I said and then sighed.

“She had another woman with her though,” he said and I nodded my head and looked at him.

“Darca,” I answered, “Maybe she has some answers.”

“Aye, I believe the men took her with them, so we'd better be heading back to Winterfell,” Robb said as he stood up and then winced, placing his hand over his shoulder.

“You’re hurt?” I asked and he looked at me and shook his head.

“Just a scratch, nothing to worry about,” he said and I nodded my head.

“Do you know where we are?”

“Aye, just West of the Winterfell wall, a half a day’s walk,” he said and I sighed, “A half a morning if we had a horse.”

“Yeah well, we’re fresh out of horses,” I informed and he nodded his head.

“We have a wolf,” Robb said and my eyes widened.

“No! I’m not going through that again! I don’t even know how I did it!” I yelled and he walked over towards me and bent down in front of me. I caught the smell of his blood from his opened wound, the smell made me feel sick.

“Try,” he said and I sighed and nodded my head.