The Lions and the Wolves

Chapter 1: The Kingswood

"Are you mad?" She questioned as tamely as she could, a hint of frustration evident in the curl of her lip. They were draped in a coating of dust, blood and dirt. Cold and alone. "You want us to head towards the enemy?"

"Cersei." He warned, holding his abdomen gingerly with his one good hand, with each step he was grimacing with pain. "Where do you suggest we go? Hm?"

"South, East-" She paused, wanting him to jump in and say yes. "Anywhere but North. That smug little bitch Sansa will have us killed the moment she lays eyes on us." She halted all movement as he stopped suddenly. They were fumbling through the Kingswood, the city destroyed and what remained was now merely ash. The twins had been relieved to hit soft earth as they entered the woods, they'd escaped death and neither could explain how. They'd embraced one another, ready for impact, ready for certain defeat yet here they were. Although alive, they had come away with injuries. Jaime in particular. He'd taken a nasty blade wound during his combat with Euron but knowing he'd cut the Ironborn letch down made his battle marks sting a little less. Cersei was bleeding too, thankfully not as badly as her lover and as for the baby, who knows if an unborn babe could endure such stress and trauma.

"Be still." He whispered lightly, his free arm moved up in order to prevent her from walking on further. The tree they'd stopped beside was large and looming, an eeriness clinging to it's wise, old age. Cersei could see nothing through the darkness but she trusted her brother nonetheless. The moonlight was hazy, beaming down as best as it could through the thick clouds of ash and smoke still littering the air. Soon enough she could hear it, the sound of feet marching and no small amount either. "Unsullied." Jaime murmured, more to himself than anything. His eyes glistened in what little light the evening was offering them. He heard his sister's breath hitch in the cold breeze, her hands gripping at his arm.

"What do we do?" She breathed, a shake in her words. From fear, pain or the cold, or all three combined he did not know.

"We stay quiet and hidden." He turned his head toward the hungry forest, the closeness of the trees and their thick trunks swallowed all air and light. "We go through the woods, as quietly as we can. If we're caught here, by her men, we'll definitely be dead before the morn." The pain in his middle was growing worse by the second, the adrenaline clearly wearing off until he suddenly came to remember her state. "Do you think you can keep going? You're not hurt?" She could feel his eyes scanning her in the dark, assessing her for injuries even though he'd see none in such lighting.

"I'm fine."

"The baby?" His words softened, the sudden thought of losing a fourth child twisting his insides cruelly. The three they'd lost already he barely paid attention to, but this one he vowed to be a present father. A proper father. Her silence was deafening, he could feel her holding her breath before answering.

"I don't know." She whispered so delicately, he almost missed it. "I don't feel anything."

"We'll be okay." He reassured as best he could not quite realising that his words were needed until he heard her sniffle. She was as close to him as she could humanly get. "Listen to me." Cupping her face with his only hand, she felt the warmth of his blood marking her cheek. The metallic smell was stark in contrast to the smoky winds they'd been breathing in for the last couple of hours. They'd awaited the cover of nightfall before leaving the red keep, making their way tenaciously through the rubble, ash piles and dead bodies. So many dead bodies. "I won't let anything happen to you, either of you."

"You need a Maester, Jaime-" What started off as a whisper nearly grew into a sob before he could calm her.

"I'll be fine, I've had worse wounds and survived." He smiled, she knows this because the little moonlight they had flashed across his teeth and the warm air of his breath fogged the space between them ever so slightly. To feel a chill in the South was most uncommon. It was true, Winter really was here.