Carliene Stark

III Chapter 10

Jamie

I polished my sword. Then I adjusted my armour. Then I made sure my golden hand was fastened tightly. Then I polished my sword again. Then I relight the candle that had burned down. Then I checked my hand again. 

And the hours dragged on. I thought I heard wolves howling somewhere in the distance, but I might have just imagined it. Nervous and near paranoid I was. Still the guard did not come. So I paced a bit. I thought about sharpening my blade, only to remember that it was valyrian steel and that there was nothing sharper. So I swung it a few times. It still felt awkward. It still felt wrong. Still the guard did not come. 

I could feel my agitation slowly make way for exhaustion, as my body demanded for me to take a rest. I could shut my eyes, just for a little while. Surely the guard would wake me. But I shook my head. I could not miss my window. My chance at saving Marbrand. My phantom hand clenched tightly again. Every moment I spent here waiting, might be his last. 

Maybe I should have been more insistent with the Stark girl. Maybe I should have made her listen to me. Stupid, there is no getting through those Stark's thick heads.

I sheathed my sword and touched my golden hand again, the belts holding it in place were so tight that they already cut into my skin if I moved my arm strangely. I swung it a few times. What a useless accessory, I should have attached a hook or a knife instead.

My heart jumped when the guard finally came. "And?" I demanded. He took a few breaths, recovering from his hasty approach. He nodded and a weight lifted from my shoulders. I wasn't so stupid after all. I had read the terrain just right. "Where?"

He pointed behind him, leaning heavily on his spear. "Heading north-west into the forest" he mumbled. 

There was nothing else he needed to say. I pat his shoulder awkwardly with my replacement hand and pushed past him and out into the night. The snow had stopped, but the sky was still covered and dark. Not exactly the best condition for travelling through the night. Even less so when heading into a forest. But I knew where to start and the thick blanket of snow revealed the coming and goings of the camp inhabitants like a map.

All I had to do was follow three sets of footprints north-west into the forest. Only three. How careless, what could the girl possibly be planing? By some luck I remained undetected. It seemed no one had noticed the missing prisoners yet. 

I was about a league into the trees when I caught up to them, with snow crawling into the top of my boots and weighing down the end of my cloak. They heard me long before I reached them, the snow crunching like a creature of itself beneath my heavy steps. 

The Stark girl was the first to recognise me. "What the fuck are you doing here Kingslayer?" she hissed alarmed when I was within earshot. 

Saving Lord Marbrand? Bearing witness to your careless naiveté? She knew why I was here. We had been over this. "I could ask you the same question" I growled back, though I could not help feel a little amused. "What was all that talk about not going behind Ser Jorah's back?"

She balled her fists. "Go back to the camp" she ordered like one might order a dog or a squire. At least she had had the good sense to don her armour again, even though the leather piece seemed more fashion than function. Clearly a Tyrell gift. 

"I think not, these bastards no doubt know where Lord Marbrand is" I eyed the two captives. There was no longer anything to justify calling them that. They were not bound, nor chained, nor did they have any kind of weaponry pointed their way. What did this stupid girl think she was doing?

She was still glaring at me. "Seriously" she clenched her jaw. "Go back, you are going to ruin everything, they won't-" 

"It is alright my Lady" it was the northerner that spoke, a strange kind of pleased expression on his simple features. "Let him come" I did not like that he looked at me with such contempt, as if this was all working out in his favour. "It would be an honour"