Frozen Stone
FIFTEEN
“Do any of you ladies want to spend your last night with a prince?” a cocky voice echoed through the cells as boots strutted down the stony path. As Maranda approached the gate to see who it was, she heard Mavys snickering to herself at the thought. The man stopped at the cell to Maranda’s left and she caught a glimpse of Theon, the young man who had supervised her work when she was temporarily a prisoner at Winterfell. “They didn’t tell me you had returned. Couldn’t keep away from me, could you?”
“About your offer…” Osha began with an obvious smirk. “How many rounds do I get?”
“As many as you can handle,” Theon answered smoothly and Maranda saw Osha’s arms reach out of her cell to stroke Theon.
“Let me out, then,” Osha purred and Maranda frowned at her statement. Theon’s broad grin and enthusiastic way of opening the door was almost hilarious, but she was too busy pondering what Osha was doing. Once she was out, Theon gestured to the dungeon’s door and Osha nodded before glancing over her shoulder. She gave Maranda a wink before she left with Theon, and Maranda found herself smiling with hope. She waited for her friend’s return, drumming her fingers on the bed and picking at threads on the blanket until finally the door opened again. She rushed to her gate and was surprised to see Theon following Osha closely.
“Which one is she?” Theon asked and Osha stopped before Maranda. “Would you like to come with me, gorgeous? I promise I’m better than the bastard.” Maranda raised her eyebrows with suspicion, but after a quick glance at Osha she understood to play along.
“We’ll see about that,” Maranda said in the sultriest tone she could manage and Theon slotted the key into her door. Once he had turned it, Maranda grabbed the door and flung it open. Osha revealed the dagger she had stolen and she used the butt of it to smack the back of Theon’s skull, rendering him unconscious. Maranda grabbed the keys and freed Barra and Mavys, both of them following Osha to the exit. Still holding the ring of keys, Maranda stopped before Jon’s cell. He looked up at her, remaining sitting on the edge of his bed, sorrow written across his face.
“Leave me. I’ll take the blame for everything,” he suggested as she fiddled with the key, trying to reach a conclusion. His last spoken words echoed in her mind about how he was honest, and she knew it to be true. Right from the moment they had met he had not told a single lie and had been open with her. She slid the key into the hole and opened the cell door, offering Jon an escape. “Why?” He spoke softly, not shifting from his position on the bed.
“Do you want to come with us or not?” Maranda offered, avoiding explaining herself, and Jon decided that he may as well risk everything once again for her. He stood and they rushed over to the others, prepared to take on the two armed guards that were awaiting them on the other side of the door with just Osha’s dagger. With a swift cut from Osha and a twist of a neck from Jon, the guards fell and their weapons were taken. Jon directed them to one of Winterfell’s many underground tunnels and they slipped out of the prison undetected.
“Osha, you know your way around here. Go with the others to the armoury, take everything you need for yourselves, find Maranda’s bow, and get a good sword for me,” Jon instructed and Osha nodded.
“Where will you two go?” she questioned, slightly hesitant about leaving Maranda with Jon even though she had clearly forgiven him.
“There are two friends we need to find,” Jon replied and Maranda’s face lit up as she understood what Jon’s plan was. She hurried after him, darting between shadows and avoiding patrols until they had reached a pen that was intended for keeping smaller livestock in it but now held a chained shadowcat and direwolf. The animals rose and greeted their masters, Maranda patting them to keep them quiet as Jon searched nearby for the key. When he returned with it, he freed Umbra first and Maranda gave her a good scratch around the neck where the metal collar had been. Once Ghost’s shackles were also removed, Maranda met Jon’s eyes and smiled.
“Thank you again for helping me rescue Umbra,” she whispered and Jon gave a brief nod of acknowledgement, feeling as though it was the least he could do after the mess he had made. Pleased by his humbleness, Maranda reached out and forcefully kissed Jon, attempting to show him that she realised that he was on her side. She was relieved when he kissed back, gently entwining his fingers between hers before he reluctantly pulled away.
“We must hurry,” he reminded her and she nodded, prepared to leave Winterfell with the promise of staying alive and kissing Jon again.
“About your offer…” Osha began with an obvious smirk. “How many rounds do I get?”
“As many as you can handle,” Theon answered smoothly and Maranda saw Osha’s arms reach out of her cell to stroke Theon.
“Let me out, then,” Osha purred and Maranda frowned at her statement. Theon’s broad grin and enthusiastic way of opening the door was almost hilarious, but she was too busy pondering what Osha was doing. Once she was out, Theon gestured to the dungeon’s door and Osha nodded before glancing over her shoulder. She gave Maranda a wink before she left with Theon, and Maranda found herself smiling with hope. She waited for her friend’s return, drumming her fingers on the bed and picking at threads on the blanket until finally the door opened again. She rushed to her gate and was surprised to see Theon following Osha closely.
“Which one is she?” Theon asked and Osha stopped before Maranda. “Would you like to come with me, gorgeous? I promise I’m better than the bastard.” Maranda raised her eyebrows with suspicion, but after a quick glance at Osha she understood to play along.
“We’ll see about that,” Maranda said in the sultriest tone she could manage and Theon slotted the key into her door. Once he had turned it, Maranda grabbed the door and flung it open. Osha revealed the dagger she had stolen and she used the butt of it to smack the back of Theon’s skull, rendering him unconscious. Maranda grabbed the keys and freed Barra and Mavys, both of them following Osha to the exit. Still holding the ring of keys, Maranda stopped before Jon’s cell. He looked up at her, remaining sitting on the edge of his bed, sorrow written across his face.
“Leave me. I’ll take the blame for everything,” he suggested as she fiddled with the key, trying to reach a conclusion. His last spoken words echoed in her mind about how he was honest, and she knew it to be true. Right from the moment they had met he had not told a single lie and had been open with her. She slid the key into the hole and opened the cell door, offering Jon an escape. “Why?” He spoke softly, not shifting from his position on the bed.
“Do you want to come with us or not?” Maranda offered, avoiding explaining herself, and Jon decided that he may as well risk everything once again for her. He stood and they rushed over to the others, prepared to take on the two armed guards that were awaiting them on the other side of the door with just Osha’s dagger. With a swift cut from Osha and a twist of a neck from Jon, the guards fell and their weapons were taken. Jon directed them to one of Winterfell’s many underground tunnels and they slipped out of the prison undetected.
“Osha, you know your way around here. Go with the others to the armoury, take everything you need for yourselves, find Maranda’s bow, and get a good sword for me,” Jon instructed and Osha nodded.
“Where will you two go?” she questioned, slightly hesitant about leaving Maranda with Jon even though she had clearly forgiven him.
“There are two friends we need to find,” Jon replied and Maranda’s face lit up as she understood what Jon’s plan was. She hurried after him, darting between shadows and avoiding patrols until they had reached a pen that was intended for keeping smaller livestock in it but now held a chained shadowcat and direwolf. The animals rose and greeted their masters, Maranda patting them to keep them quiet as Jon searched nearby for the key. When he returned with it, he freed Umbra first and Maranda gave her a good scratch around the neck where the metal collar had been. Once Ghost’s shackles were also removed, Maranda met Jon’s eyes and smiled.
“Thank you again for helping me rescue Umbra,” she whispered and Jon gave a brief nod of acknowledgement, feeling as though it was the least he could do after the mess he had made. Pleased by his humbleness, Maranda reached out and forcefully kissed Jon, attempting to show him that she realised that he was on her side. She was relieved when he kissed back, gently entwining his fingers between hers before he reluctantly pulled away.
“We must hurry,” he reminded her and she nodded, prepared to leave Winterfell with the promise of staying alive and kissing Jon again.
♠ ♠ ♠
Will they successfully escape?