Iron and Blood: a Theon & Sansa Story

Chapter 51

Sansa
It took only three days of riding to reach Saltspear. There, Sansa was mesmerized by the vessel Tyrion Lannister had arranged for them. Sansa had never been on the water before, not even when they visited her mother's home in the Riverlands. The prospect frightened and excited her, though she worried about what they might find when they reached the Iron Islands. It was meaningless to worry about it before they had even set sail, Sansa decided.

The ship's captain was a small, grumpy man with dark skin. He spoke little of the common tongue, but he knew their destination and the name Lannister, which was enough for Sansa.

The vessel was small enough that it required no crew besides the Reed party, who had agreed to see Sansa, Arya, and Theon safely to Pyke. They would ensure the captain received his payment upon the ship's return to the mainland, too.

As Sansa tied up her horse at the stable by the docks, Waldron Snow approached to tell her he would be returning to Greywater Watch to inform Howland Reed that their party had at least reached Saltspear safely.

"You're not coming with us?" Sansa asked. She had enjoyed his company: he was good at making people laugh—even Theon, who seemed not to stop worrying about the safety of Sansa and her sister. Waldron, like Meera, lacked the other Reeds' brusque nature, which made for a more enjoyable journey.

Waldron shrugged, helping Sansa with her horse. "My Lord Father will be anxious to know you made it here safely, and I can't imagine I would do very well on a boat."

"You call him father?" Sansa inquired. She did not mean for it to sound so unkind, but somehow it came out that way. She hurried to apologize but Waldron was unbothered.

"I was so young when the Reeds took me in," he explained, "so I don't remember any life before the Neck. I've no doubt Winterfell was a wonderful place, my Lady, but it was not my home."

"Your true parents," Sansa prompted, "do you know who they were?"

Waldron shook his head and sighed, "I couldn't even say if they still live. I'm sure my father knows." He paused and raised his brows at Sansa. "I'm sure your father knows."

Sansa believed it: nothing had ever happened at Winterfell without her father's knowledge. If Waldron Snow had parents left to be found, Ned Stark almost certainly knew where they were.

"Well," Sansa concluded, "give Lord Howland my thanks for his help. I promise I will return someday to repay the debt."

It made Waldron smile. "I'll tell him, my Lady, but you should know your family will never be indebted to the Reeds. We consider you one of our own, and we always look out for our own." He patted her arm gently and then clambered up onto his horse. "I hope to see you again, Lady Sansa," he concluded, and then he was gone.

Seeing him go made Sansa miss home: something about the young man reminded her of Winterfell and of her childhood. She hoped she would return someday soon, though the prospect seemed increasingly unlikely.

Theon was waiting for her at the edge of the dock, where the sun glittered like fire across the water. He asked Sansa if she was all right. "Yes," she assured him. "Is Arya on board?"

He nodded. "We can leave whenever you're ready, my Lady."

Sansa took a long breath, basking in the sweet air of the mainland. It would not be safe to return for quite some time. Theon did not rush her, even reached out to brush her fingers tenderly. Comforted by him, Sansa turned and decided that she was ready.

She held tight to Theon's hand as they went aboard, and when he left to help man the boat, he kissed Sansa's cheek and reminded her how much her loved her.

Sansa stayed at the railing, where Arya joined her when the vessel pushed off from the docks. Arya rested her head on her hands and sighed. "Are you afraid?" she asked Sansa.

"Only a little," Sansa lied. "No one will hurt us, though. We're to pretend we're locked away in a cell as the Greyjoys' captives, so we won't bother with anyone else."

Arya squinted into the sun. "What if I'm afraid of the Greyjoys?" she murmured. The sound of the waves lapping at the ship nearly drowned away her voice. "I trust Theon," she continued, "but his father has no reason to help us."

"He does," Sansa tried to assure her. "His only living son loves us. That would be reason enough for our father, wouldn't it?"

"I guess," Arya admitted, but Sansa could tell she was not convinced. "I guess nothing can be worse than what we would've faced if we'd stayed at home."

It was a hollow comfort, but Sansa clung to it. She knew that at least Joffrey would not be able to reach them on the Iron Islands. The only people who would ever come for them would be Northerners, but Robb promised to keep their heroism at bay. It would undoubtedly hurt his reputation as a lord—but with any luck, it would save his sisters.

Sansa put her arm around Arya and sighed. The mainland had all but disappeared in the distance. "Starks can survive anything," Sansa reminded Arya. "We will survive this."

They held each other tight, there at the edge of their ship, living a life Sansa could not believe was her own. Two years earlier, all was right in Winterfell and in the world. Now that world was dead. Should all else fall, though, she had her sister, and she had Theon.

Meera's voice rang out from the front of the boat. "A whale!" she cried. "Come see!" She waved at Sansa and Arya, beckoning them to her side. They ran to her, where, sure enough, a mass of blue emerged like a great rock from the water's surface. Sansa remembered a story Old Nan used to tell about a whale that ate a coastal village, and the town had to start a new life inside the beast's stomach.

In her mind, Sansa had envisioned some horribly ferocious thing—but as the great whale heaved up out of the water, it was clear she meant their boat no harm. Arya marveled at it, tugging Sansa's sleeve to indicate her amazement.

Sansa hoped it was a sign of good luck.