The Guardian of the North (Robb Stark) Completed

Battle of life and death - part 5: the ghosts in our hearts

"All that is gold does not glitter." Elena whimpered as she buried her head in her arms which were resting on her knees. The explosions seemed to get closer and closer, followed by anguished screams and rumbles. "Not all-" She looked up when a building right next to her fell due to the earthquakes.

She knew she had almost no time left to think of something, anything at all that would safe her children. Ethan's spell was complicated and she'd never heard of anything like it before. To create such an illusion, so powerful that it could trap 2 human beings was already complicated to cast, let alone to get rid of it.

Table, shiny gold, hole in the wall. Elena recited the things in her head that Gillian had said. They always had only one table in their house and the hole in the wall was where she would hide every time Ethan and she played hide and seek. They didn't have much but as a family they were happy enough together.

Shiny gold. Elena's eyes narrowed a bit. She could barely remember anything, but one thing she did remember was Damon selling false gold, made out of steel and paint. That was mostly how they got by until one time he got caught, which ultimately lead to their mother's death. "All that is gold does not glitter." Elena immediately stood up as realisation hit her. "Gillian, are you there?!"

"Mother?" His tiny voice popped up from right beside her.

"Can you get the gold?" Elena looked behind her to see if the explosions were already close enough. She didn't hear them anymore, which meant that it was over and that it hadn't reached them somehow. There were still earthquakes though and numerous buildings falling apart. "Hurry!"

"I got it." His little voice trembled.

"Good, good." Elena started to pace, her head aching due to the thinking. "Is there anything special about it, something that's not normal?"

"There... There's something written on it." Gillian answered. There was a silence, he was probably trying to read, something he still found hard. He was 4 years after all. "It says: the daughter of darkness."

"Daughter of darkness?" Elena mumbled but she was suddenly thrown back on the street, her back colliding with some of the debris that was lying there. She got up immediately, seeing how her former house suddenly build up again, the glass shatters flying towards the house, forming back into windows and the door jumping back in its hinges.

"Gillian, Lyanna?!" She tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. "Bloody hell." Elena cursed and tried to throw in a window but all it did was send the rock she had used straight back to her.

"Did you call for me?"

Elena turned around swiftly, seeing his light blue figure right in front of her. She had recognized his voice even before he said the second word, not only because of the musky sound of it but also due to the way he spoke, how he pronounced every word clearly and with care.

"Gillian?" She stuttered. There were so many memories that came with seeing him. Not only those where he was the other Gillian that Abigail had resurrected, but also those in Winterfell where they would just talk for hours in the Godswood. The familiar feeling she always felt when she was with him, the feeling of home, the feeling of warmth and comfort crashed down on her.

He smiled warmly while holding up the key he had obtained from Ethan. "I think I have something you need."

~

Robb Stark stood in the midst of the battle which was now taking place on one of the main roads that lead straight to the Red Keep. Somehow Liane still hadn't managed to blow up the two main gates, leaving Robb and his army stuck in the streets. Jon, Abigail and Louis had joined them after hearing the explosions which had blocked the gates which they were supposed to be defending.