Carliene Stark

II Chapter 55

Carliene

I lay on the small cot, staring up at the wooden ceiling. My breastplate was digging into my shoulder blades, but I did not want to take it off. It gave a layer of protection that gave me just a little bit more confidence. Earlier I had tried to clean it of the blood that still clung to my front and my throat, but without water I didn't get far. All I could do was feel the dried flecks off with my fingernails, and that didn't do much. I desperately tried to listen to what was going on around me. But the walls were thick and the voices from bellow where so distorted that i could never make out what they were saying. I tried to warg into a raven in order to fly about the castle and see what was happening, but I could not find any raven for miles around. I only managed to find myself inside one of the falcons in Willas' aviary. All the cages were closed though and all I could see and smell and sense was the smoke, still rising from the labyrinth that instantly made my head ache and caused me to pull back into my dark cell. At least it was raining, that would take care of the fires. 

I found myself wondering again about what had happened to Lady Olenna, old Lord Garth, or Willas and Vortimer or Desmera and Elyn. All those I hadn't seen since the attack or since before. There was no one else in the cells on my floor, that much I had been able to figure out. Maybe they had been more compliant and were thus allowed to remain in their chambers. It calmed me a bit that maybe Elyn and Des were sitting somewhere and knitting in front of a fire in a guarded room, complaining about their circumstances. In contrast I was left to my own devices. No one came to talk to me for the better part of the day. Not even the men that were interrogating all the prisoners in the lower cells for the location of Willas Tyrell.

It was past midday when a set of footsteps approached and I was uncertain wether to be excited to see someone or concerned about who it may be.

"You're supposed to be dead" I nearly had to smirk when Bronn's face appeared in the square window of my door.

I rose into a sitting position, turning to look at him, planting my feet on the ground. "Sorry to disappoint" I tilted my head slightly, careful with my words as I did not know if there was anyone with him.

"This puts me into a bit of a prickly position" he pointed out a little displeased and by the way he gazed along the hall I could tell he was on his own.

"That must be inconvenient for you" I gave him a pitiful look and crossed my arms.

He sighed in slight annoyance. "Why couldn't you just have disappeared or went north?" he demanded. "Why did you have to get involved again?" If I had been completely honest, that was a question I had asked myself more than once as well. 

"You wouldn't understand" I decided more bitterly looking away from his gaze. This was more important than anything he could ever grasp. "You are motivated by gold and-"

"And you are motivated by some brave idea of revenge" he observed.

Was I? I halted for a moment. I still wanted Cersei dead, that much would never change, but I also knew in my heart that there was something more important. Something i would have to discover for myself, now that I had blocked out Bran. "Why are you here Bronn?" I asked the knight as I looked back at him.

He cleared his throat, gazing around again before speaking. "I told them that I found you covered in blood and all pale in a forest infested by man-eating-wolves. I would just like to request that if they asked you about how you came to survive that you leave me out of it" he urged in a more hushed tone. 

I had to chuckle unamused and rose. "So you want me to save your skin?"

"You owe me that much don't you? For saving your life" he reminded me.