The Dalyngridge Girl ➝ Bran Stark

Chapter 10

        Mare was jolted awake by Bran sitting up in the bed and by the weight on the bed increasing. She thought it was Hodor again, trying to hug them both. It happened once before, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. But it was Summer, who had grown so much that he was almost as tall as her.

        Bran was gasping for breath, probably from another dream he had. They've been getting worse lately, Mare noticed. He would wake up in the middle of the night and lay awake because he would be unable to fall back asleep. It hurt Mare to watch because he wasn't getting enough sleep; he acted fine, so maybe it was just the motherly worry in her. Even at the age of eleven, she still acted like a mother.

        "Are you okay?" Mare asked, turning to face him. He looked to her and nodded.

        "Yes, just another dream, that's all. I'm sorry to worry you," he said, controlling his breathing and rolling over to face her.

        "Brandon Stark, don't apologize for something you can't control. It's fine, you can't help it," Mare said, placing her hand on Bran's arm.

        "Hodor...?" Hodor said slowly, a confused look on his face.

        "Hodor, can you please get Maester Luwin? It would be most helpful," Mare said sweetly. Hodor nodded and turned out of the room.

        Bran smirked at her. "Most helpful? Since when are you so polite?"

        "Listen, Lord Stark, I happen to be very polite!" Mare laughed, flicking his arm.

        "Oh yes, my bad. Sometimes you happen to be very polite."

        Before I could say anything else, Hodor came back with Maester Luwin. He looked slightly worried, but that's how he always looked when we were together. Slightly worried.

        But there was happiness.

        "Would you care to explain your dream?" Maester Luwin said, sitting down on the bedside. And so, Bran explained his dream.

        "I was walking. Running; but... I wasn't... I wasn't me. I was walking through the Godswood, tasting blood in my mouth after a kill. Howling," Bran explained. "I used to hear stories about people that could live inside stags, and birds, and wolves."

        "That's exactly what they are Bran. Stories," Maester Luwin said. "And your dreams are just dreams."

        "But my dreams are different," Bran shot back, "my dreams come true. I dreamt of my father dying. And Rickon had the same dream."

        "Bran, maybe you need something to eat..." Mare trailed off, trying to ease Bran's obvious tention. 

        Mare was expecting him to snap at her, but he didn't. "No, I'm not hungry."

        "Well then you better get back to bed, you still need rest. It's still early in the morning, I don't know why Hodor came in so early," Maester Luwin said, tucking Bran back into the bed. Mare curled up, clutching her dragon tooth necklace. She hadn't taken it off ever since she got it; unless she was taking a bath.

        "You two sleep well now, I'll be back with lunch," Maester Luwin said, closing the door as he exited the room. Bran turned to me.

        "Why don't you ever leave and roam around the village? Have fun with the other kids? Enjoy some pastries? I know you haven't had any in a long time," Bran said, his voice having a sad edge to it.

        "Because, Bran, I care for you. There's barely any village children to play with, and I can hold off eating pastries for a while," Mare chuckled. She wanted to care for him; she wanted to be with him.

        "Oh, the sacrafices you make for me," Bran said quietly, grabbing her hand.

        She whispered back, "Oh, the sacrafices I make for you."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

        That night, Mare got a raven from Luna. She was so excited that she nearly screamed. She said that her and Robb were doing well, and that her, Robb, and Catelyn missed them both. She also got a raven from Jon at The Wall, saying that he also missed them. Bran watched her reread the notes over and over again, the smile on her face growing bigger each time she read them.

        He then realized something be wasn't exactly aware of: he was smiling also. His smile matched hers, a wide grin from ear to ear. He realized that he felt happier than he had in months. Watching her get excited over the littlest things and seeing her smile really made him happy. He felt a strange feeling rise in his chest; something that he never had really felt before for a girl.

        It was affection. And a great deal of it.

        He found himself thinking of their betrothel, and he didn't feel one ounce of dread or anger.

        He felt happiness.