Gone but close - Game of Thrones [Bran Stark fanfiction]

Chapter 26

Brans pov:

'So you can look in the past right?' He asked Jojen whom nodded.

He sighed, he wish he could do that, so he would be able to see what took Toria. He suspected Lannisters. How else would they be North so fast? And why would they even help doing a search for survivors?

'Can you tell me.. more about the Darkerly's? They were very isolated and secretive, that I know,' he said. He wanted to know more about the girl he was supposed to marry, he did know a lot but he wanted to learn the history of her house.

'Well.. ehm,' Jojen began quite nervous, like he was hiding something, 'Raydan Darkerly was quite a man of honor and equality. He was loved by his people for walking around the streets, asking what the people needed and if he could give it to them. Of course at Darkerly Castle there weren't many villagers, but he took care of them. His wife Lursia came from house Butterwell and was surrounded by people, you can understand going to Darkerly Castle was the biggest change in her life. Since they're isolated. Darkerly Castle was surrounded by woods.'

'Did.. you see her death?' He swallowed, frightend for the answer Jojen might give. Of course he had hope she was alive, she was fierce and determined but if she was dead he had to be prepared.

'I did not see it,' Jojen answered, 'and I prefer not to look at it, Meera and I walked past Darkerly Castle on our way to you and it was not a pretty sight.'

Bran stared at Jojen for a moment.

'I'll tell you this, it weren't Wildlings, nothing was taken and nobody was there,' Jojen said.

'The Lannisters. It was them,' that was the first time he said that out loud, and he didn't like it much. They gave the Lannisters their hospitality, they knew Toria would be a Stark soon and they went to kill her and her family.

'Yes. It were the Lannisters, Jaime Lannister truely has no honor,' Jojen continued, 'killing the only man willing to listen to him.'

Bran furrowed his brows together in curiousity. 'What do you mean?'

'You didn't know? The only thing my father ever told me was that Jaime killed the king. Thats why he's named the Kingslayer of course. But that day two men walked in on Jaime after he killed the king. Ned Stark and Raydan Darkerly. Your father and the others of the Seven Kingdoms would not listen to Jaime's side of the story. Not even Lursia Darkerly would want to listen to him. Everyone was full of judgement but Raydan walked in and asked what happened. If he was feeling allright. To this day nobody understands why Raydan Darkerly was the only man willing to listen to Jaime Lannister. And I suppose we never will.'

'How do you know this?' He asked surprised.

'Your father told my father,' Jojen answered, 'they both did not understand why Raydan would do that. Lursia didn't understand it either.'

'He did what he thought was right, I suppose. He probably just lived upon his house words,' Bran added. It was very bad of Jaime to kill the only man willing to hear him out, but he did it anyway.

'But enough about her and her family you should continue, we're staying here tonight,' Jojen said.

Bran recognized the sheck. A common story was told about it and it gave him chills if he thought about it.