The Dalyngridge Girl ➝ Bran Stark

Chapter 11

        Mare was awoken the next morning by Summer moving at the foot of the bed. It wasn't much, but he crushed her foot and it was enough to make her yelp in pain.

        "Summer. get off me!" she whined, pulling her legs up to her chest and rubbing her foot. Summer whimpered and rested his head against his paws, looking at her and Bran carefully. She reached over to pet him.

        "You're a good boy, Summer," she murmured, scratching behind his ears. He relaxed enough, and she laid back down. 

        It was morning and the sun was shining. Actually, to her dismay, she noticed that the sun wasn't out, and it was cloudy, cold, and windy like it always was.

        A perfect day to spend with Bran.

        "Bran, wake up, it's time to get up!" she said excitedly, shaking him.

        "It's too early, please just let me sleep," he whined, rolling over and hugging her waist. She sighed.

        "Alright, I'll make you a deal. I'm going to the bakery, and getting two pies; one for me, and one for you. They'll take a while to make, so you can sleep. But when I come back, I expect that you'll wake up easily," Mare said, her tone more gently commanding than questioning. "Is that a deal?"

        "Yes," he grumbled, his arms going slack around her waist and his breathing slowing. Boy, he could fall asleep quickly.

        "Brandon, you still have to move your arms."

        "Right," he mumbled, falling back against the pillow with his eyes still shut.

        "I'll be back," she said, walking to the door. She had quickly gotten on his cloak and her boots. He was beginning to grow bigger than she was, and their bodies were both developing. They were't small children anymore; she was developing into a woman, and him a man.

        She walked out into the cold air, smelling burning wood. The burning wood of fires that were keeping her people warm.

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        "I told you you'd like it," Mare said, taking a bite of her apple pie, chewing it thoughtfully.

        "Well, you're always right, there's no surprise there," Bran muttered, taking a whole spoonful of rhubarb pie in his mouth. He ate it fairly quickly; she was glad she could get him to try something new.

        "So, what do you have planned for today?" Bran asked her, looking up from his pie. She stopped in mid-chew. She hadn't gotten that far yet.

        "Well, what would you like to do? I definitely don't want to lay around anymore. It's so boring," she sighed. Then, an idea popped into her head. "How 'bout we take some horses and go riding?"

        "I can't, Mare," he said, his voice signaling that he was losing patience quickly.

        "Well, lucky for you, Tyrion Lannister sent up that saddle he promised you today," she smirked, getting up from the bed and putting her pie aside.

        His eyes widened. "Really?"

        "Yes. I'll get Maester Luwin to help you dress, and then, we're getting out of this chamber, Brandon Stark," she said, walking over to his chest of clothes.

        "Are you really picking out my outfit?" he asked from the bed, amusement lacing his voice.

        "No, I'm picking out clothes for me," she winked, finding a shirt and trousers. When she caught Bran still looking at her, she clicked her tongue. "Well, turn around!"

        "Oh. Right," he mumbled, bringing a wolfskin up over his face to shield his eyes. She changed quickly so he wouldn't have to be under a blanket for long, and when she was done, she got on her worn knee-high leather boots and fixed her braid.

        "Bran, I quite like wearing trousers," she said, inspecting them. "They're much more comfortable than a dress." This was one of her first times wearing actual trousers, and she really liked it. It was much more free than a dress, she thought.

        Bran peeked from under the covers. "The shirt is a little big on you," he said, "but otherwise you look good." Then he blushed and looked away; she did the same. She tucked the shirt into her pants so it would seem less baggy and inspected herself again. 

        "Better?" she asked Bran, who nodded.

        "Yes," he said.

        "Alright, I'll get Maester Luwin."

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        That night, they had dinner in the castle with Rickon and Maester Luwin. No one else was there to accompany them, so they had dinner by themselves.

        "How was the ride today?" Rickon asked, throwing a piece of food on the ground for Shaggydog.

        "It was wonderful," Bran said, his eyes lighting up. "We saw a small fawn today, with its mother by a stream in the Godswood. But they ran off before we could get close to them."

        "Does the saddle work?" Rickon asked. "Does it really work?"

        Bran nodded. "Yes it does, I'll take you to see it tomorrow."

        When they all finished dinner, Hodor brought them outside to see the stars, to Mare's request. They sat together on the ground, leaning against Summer for support, and also warmth.

        "No, see? That one is the brightest," Mare argued, pointing to a particularly bright star on her left. 

        "No, it's the other one, to my right!" Bran chuckled, pointing to his star. 

        "We're fighting over stars," Mare said after a while. "How nutty are we?"

        "Apparently, very, if we're arguing over such a thing like stars," Bran sighed, and Mare leaned against his shoulder.

        "Sometimes I wish I could explore the world. Or maybe fly. Flying would be good," Mare said quietly. "There are so many things to learn about and see, in such a short lifetime."

        "What are some of the things you want to see?" Bran murmured, looking down at Mare. She thought a moment.

        "I don't know, Bran. I don't. Dragons, oceans, herds of beautiful wild horses..." she sighed. "And the stars. One day, I would love to see the stars." Her eyes lit up every time she mentioned the stars. She had been intersted in them her entire life; she wished she could see one up close to see if it was as beautiful then as it was far away.

        "Well, if it's the stars you want, Milady," Bran said quietly, "then it's the stars you shall get."

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A/N: Hey guys! The pie part is dedicated to @Luna_Targaryen because we have too many inside jokes about pie xD But this chapter was supposed to be a little milestone in Bran and Mare's relationship and how they're growing together in a romantic way (I know, they're just eleven, but still). I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!