Silver Stag

Trekking To The Wall

[North]

In the Northern wilderness, Sansa and Theon were running through through the woods frantically, the sounds of barking dogs in the distance.

Sansa quickly grew tired, but Theon ran back to her, pulling her onward.

"We can't stop."

The pair resumed running. They happened upon a large, snowy river.

"We have to cross here." He told her.

Sansa stepped on a patch of thin ice and gasped. "I can't."

"It's the only way to throw off the hounds."

"But it's too cold. I can't. I won't make it. I'll die."

"I've seen what his hounds do to a person. This way is better."

Theon guided Sansa into the water where she gasped at the cold. The both waded across.

Once they had made it across, they continued walking. Both were blue with cold. The barking could no longer be heard, but Theon spotted something in the distance.

"Over here. Come on." He led her to an overturned tree.

Its roots provided shelter from the snow. They sat down under the roots, shivering.

"Sansa. Sansa."

He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Dogs barking could suddenly be heard closeby.

"Stay here. I'll lure them away." He told her.

"No, I won't make it without you."

"You will. Go north, only north. Jon is Lord Commander at Castle Black. He'll help you."

Theon ran into the woods but was immediately confronted by House Bolton soldiers and hounds.

"Where is Lady Bolton?" One of them asked.

"Dead."

"Liar."

"She broke her leg jumping from the ramparts. I left her to die in the snow."

The dogs caught Sansa's scent and began barking. They lead the soldiers to SANSA under the roots of the tree. Sansa instinctually cowered from them.

"I can't wait to see what parts Ramsay cuts off you this time." The lead Bolton soldier told Theon.

One of the soldiers grabbed Sansa and pulled her to her feet.

A horse whinnied in the distance, causing the soldiers to draw their weapons. A blonde woman and young brunette boy approached on horseback, swords drawn.

"It's a bloody woman." The Bolton soldier informed his companions.

The woman cut him down as she rode past. The boy engaged one of the soldiers in mounted combat, while the woman faced off with another mounted soldier. Their blades clashed, but neither was hit.

As she rides past her opponent, another soldier knocked her from her horse. She dropped her blade but scrambled to retrieve it when she saw a soldier advancing towards her on foot. When she reached the blade, the soldier kicked her. She retrieved the blade again and stood, engaging him in a swordfight, quickly cutting him down.

A mounted soldier charges at her. When he was close enough, she jumped and struck him, causing his horse to fall over, trapping him beneath it.

While her companion continued his mounted sword fight, Theon grabbed the blade of a fallen soldier off the ground.

Finally the boy cut down the soldier he was fighting and they both fall from their horses. Another soldier advances on the young boy, and they begin fighting.

The female warrior crawled over to the man trapped beneath his horse and slit his throat with a dagger.

The soldier her companion was fighting knocked his sword out of his hand, causing him to fall to the ground. Just before the soldier was about to strike the boy, Theon stabbed the soldier from behind, allowing him to stand up.

The woman walked over to Sansa, who stood up to confront her, finally recognizing them as Brienne and Podrick.

Brienne placed her blade on the ground in front of Sansa and knelt before her. "Lady Sansa, I offer my services once again. I will shield your back and keep your council and give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new."

Sansa turned at look at Theon for confirmation and he nodded his head.

"And I vow...that you shall alwys have a place by my hearth and..." She halted, stuck on the next line.

"Meat and mead at my table." Podrick offered.

"Meat and mead at my table. And I pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new. Arise."

Brienne stood up and Sansa smiled at her.

After travelling for some time, they decided they were far enough away to allow them to take a break.

Theon, who was gathering wood, glanced back at Sansa and Brienne, who were in conversation, while Podrick was next to him making a fire.

"I saw her with a man," Brienne told her, speaking of Arya. "I don't think he hurt her. he didn't want to leave him, he didn't want to leave her."

"You don't know which way she went?"

"I spent three dais looking for her. She disappeared."

"How did she look?"

"She looked good. She wasn't exactly dressed like a lady.

Sansa smiled. "No, she wouldn't be."

"What happened at Winterfell?" Brienne asked.

Sansa paused and teared up. "I should've gone with you while I had the chance."

"It was a difficult choice, my lady." Brienne looked at Theon. "We've all had to make difficult choices."

Theon stood up and walked away from Podrick. Sansa stood and joined him.

"We shouldn't be lighting fires. It's not safe. He won't stop hunting us." Theon told her.

"We just have to make it to Castle Black. Once we're with Jon, Ramsay won't be able to touch us." Sansa told him.

"Jon will have me killed the moment I step through the gate."

"I won't let him. I'll tell him the truth about Bran and Rickon."

"And the truth about the farm boys I killed in their place? The truth about Ser Rodrik, who I beheaded?"

Sansa looked to the ground.

"And the truth about Robb, who I betrayed?"

"When you take the black, all your crimes are forgiven."

"I don't want to be forgiven. I can nevr make amends to your family for all the things that I've done. They'll keep you safer than I ever could."

"You're not coming with us?"

"I would have taken you all the way to the Wall. I would have died to get you there."

Sansa hugged Theon and they both began crying.

"May I take one of the horses?" He asked.

"Where will you go?"

"Home."

"Winterfell was your home. If this is about Jon-"

"I'm telling you, he'll kill me. He thinks I killed Bran and Rickon."

"I'll tell him the truth."

"It won't matter. I forced them to flee their home. There's no telling whether or not they're alive."

"You made a mistake. I think we're all entitled to one."

"What was yours?"

"Going to King's Landing. I was so caught up in the thought of becoming Queen, I ignored things that should have shown me I didn't want to marry Joffrey, including his own sister's warnings. I pleaded for my father's life, and was told he would be granted mercy. Like the stupid little girl I was, I believed him. Then he had my dad beheaded and forced me to look at his severed head."

"I didn't know."

"It's not exactly something I like talking about." She sighed. "You helped me escape Ramsay. You did that. You killed Myranda because she wanted to hurt me. Theon Greyjoy did that, not Reek."

"I am Theon Greyjoy."

"Yes, you are. You were my father's ward, my brother's friend-"

"Robb," he whimpered.

"Yes, Robb. He's dead and there's nothing we can do to change that. But, we can avenge him. Avenge him by taking back the North from those who stole it from us."

"I stole it from you," he muttered.

"Yes, you did. Then the Boltons did."

"I didn't burn Winterfell."

"What?"

"The Ironborn didn't burn Winterfell. The Boltons did."

"And they will pay for it."

She would see to it that they did. No matter what.