Among Lions and Wolves • |Book 1|

.chapter twenty-nine.

"Winter is coming," a voice sang through the darkness.

"Winter is coming," more voices sang.

Warmth enveloped her, covering her and protecting her. The darkness faded, the voices growing.
"Winter is coming!"
Louder and louder they squawked. A gentle breeze washing over here, tickling her. The flapping of wings filled her ears, feathers poured down upon her. 

And then it stopped. 

The warmth that surrounded her disappeared. It grew colder, the temperature change feeling much like ice kissing fire, melting the flames little by little. Drip by drip. 

Her eyes opened. A vision of white lain before her. She blinked a few times times until that white blur became two large feet. Rhaella sat up slowly, her body aching all over. 

"Ghost?" her voice hoarse and in need of water. She realized what sat before her was not Ghost. Eyes as blue as ice, this was not the same direwolf she remembered. 

The cawing began again, louder than it had been in her dreams. She hunched over, cupping her ears and begging it to stop, tears trickling down her cheeks. She remembered. She remembered everything. 

She remembered the men that took their time with her, that beat her until she could no longer scream out for help. She felt dirty. Her body was covered in dirt; twigs and leaves entangled in her raven black hair. She looked dirty. 

The night before replayed over and over in her mind. Their words, their laughter, the way they touched her. She remembered each and every one of their faces, the way they smelt, their body temperature. 

Tears poured down her cheeks, nails digging into her flesh as she tried to claw away at her skin. She felt dirty. Never again would she every feel clean. 

Something cold touched her, a gentle whimper coming from it. Rhaella sobbed, ignoring the creature, her vision too blurry for her to see even if she wanted to. And then another. 

She felt warm and cold all over, mostly warm. Her crying had stopped, her vision returning slightly back to normal. She turned, looking all around her. Wolves, hundreds of them, surrounded her. Two, in particular, were direwolves.

● ● ●

He rode on, his horse carrying him as fast as any large beast with four legs could carry a man. Forward he sat in the saddle, his chest pressed up against the beast's back, his heels digging into it's side. 

Grey Wind ran up ahead, living up to his namesake, and then he stopped. Robb sat back, jerking the reins with all his strength. The horse slid to a stop and reared up, neighing loudly as it stamped it's hooves and snorted. 

He patted his horse on the neck, sweat glistening off the destrier's bay coat. Without a second though, he swung his leg over and jumped from the saddle, letting go of the reins and running to where Grey Wind stood. 

Ears perked while he sniffed the ground, Robb keeping his eyes peeled for any sign, both wolf and man began walking side by side.

"What is it Grey Wind?" Robb asked when his wolf lifted his head, hackles raised and began to growl. 

They stood on the edge of the road just where the woods began, a thick veil of green obscured his sight, leaving him clueless as to what was beyond the veil. Robb removed his sword from its sheath, ready for what was about to come out. He was not, however, ready for what did. 

"Nymeria?" Disbelief coated her name. How long had it been since he'd last seen the wolf that belonged to his sister? The last he had even heard, Arya let the wolf go to avoid being slaughtered by the Lannisters, yet here she was, standing before him, her golden yellow eyes on him. 

A small bark came from her, almost as if she was calling him. And then she turned away, stopping only to make sure he understood what it meant. She didn't need to. Robb noticed Grey Wind following her and he knew what that meant. 

He sheathed his sword and followed the wolves. Pushing aside the veil, he entered in to the woods and hurried along after them. 

They didn't go far, in fact, Robb realized they had happened upon the encampment of Rhaella's party. He stopped walking, Grey Wind too. 

Men lain all around the camp, body parts missing, throats ripped out or their faces missing. Robb knew there had been too many men for Nymeria to act alone, he knew she had help. 

"Good girl," he said to the she-wolf when she turned back around and walked over to them. "Now where's our girl?" 

Another bark. She turned around and this time, she picked up her pace. Grey Wind followed, jogging along to keep up, leaving Robb behind. He didn't struggle much, in this part of the woods, the trees were dense, the bushes and vines grew so little. 

He found them without a problem, but what he saw, he had not expected. 

______________________________

I guess I originally thought this piece sucked, but after rereading it I realized I like it.

Also; I have declared Arya Stark my one true queen and I stand behind her if she'd like to take out the next Cersei to be and take up the title Queen in the North. Sorry Jon Snow, you're just not kingly for me. I mean he can stay King in the North if Arya can become Queen of the world.😋