Dark Wings (Sandor Clegane)

Chapter Forty-two

"The girl need to learn strength. You can protect her all you like, but she needs to learn how to protect herself as well" Sandor grumbled as they continued marching north.

"She is still removing. The things that have happened to her, they won't be lessons she forgets soon. She just needs time to recover from them" Jaslin insisted.

Sandor just grunted at her but didn't say another word. They had waited until the early morning for the rest of the brotherhood north of Winterfell, but after they never showed up sandor assumed them dead or long gone and forced the other three one. With no horses the walk up to castle black was hard. The bitterly cold snow and strong winds made each step feel like three. No one complained though, not even Sansa who remained at Jaslins side the entire time.

"Look Sansa, can you see it. We're nearly there, you'll be warm soon" Jaslin tried to smile as the shape of Castle Black slowly appeared in the distance.

By the time they had reached the castle gates the sun had slowly began to lower in the distance sky, bringing with it a further bitter coldness.

Jaslin spoke first as she banged on the wooden gates of the castle and called out. "I, Lady Jaslin, niece of your Lord Commande Mormunt request entry. I travel with my husband Sandor Clegane, Theon of House Greyjoy and... and Lady Sansa of House Stark".

"Lady Jaslin, I'm afraid to be the one to inform you, but our Lord Commander passed some time ago" a voice replied back from the top of the gate.

"Then whom shall I take to call Lord Commander?" She asked, swallowing hard at the news of her another passed family member.

Slowly the gates opener and another man who Jaslin did not recognise stood smiling."That would be young Jon Snow m'lady. Although his watch ended two moons past".

"Jon's dead?" Sansa asked Jaslin in a tearful whisper.

"No m'lady, I did not mean to cause distress. Young Jon will want to be explaining it himself though. Come, I'll take you to him".

"And who are you?" Sandor grumbled.

"Ser Davos Seaworth" he smiled.

Ser Davos lead the group towards the Lord Commander private chambers, where Jon stood by the fireplaces talking with another brother of the nights watch.

"Who's this?" The man asked with a look of annoyance at the disruptions to their private conversation.

Jon slowly turned back around, first his eyes fell in Jaslin and the quickly to Sansa. Not a word was required between either of them as Jon ran over to his half sister and pulled her tightly into his arms. He held there for a moment as she heard gently cries escape her lips.

"And you... you're still alive?" Jon smiled at Jaslin as he quickly pulled her into a hug.

"Us Frosts are almost as hard to kill as you Starks" she sighed.

"Aye, that'll be true. I have some stories for you sweet friend" he scoffed.

Suddenly his eyes went to Sandor with suspicion, but then quickly fell on the last guest at the back. "You" he roared with anger.

"No...No Jon. He is no longer the boy you use knew, the Boltons have killed him but left his body alive" Jaslin shot out as she tried to stand before Jon.

"He killed Bran and Rickon. Took Winterfell and hung their burning bodies for all to see" he hissed at her.

"No he didn't. He allowed people to believe it. The bodies were off two small farm boys. Still no better, but our brother still live somewhere" Sansa explained in a whisper.

Jon continued to glare at the Greyjoy boy. He had never liked him, the way he would follow Ned and Robb around Winterfell like an equal, thinking himself more of a brother than he. No, Theon may not have killed his brothers, but he had played a part in the downfall.

"Take him to the cells. Leave me with my family and guests" Jon ordered the watchman and Davos.

Then they were finally alone, Jon called them to sit with him, passing them a horn of warmed cider. Finally he sat down by the fire and looked into the flames as he explained to the three of them how two nights ago he had been dead.

"We should have never left Winterfell" Jon smiled at Jaslin once he had finished telling them his story.

"I want to go back to the day that we left. I just want to scream at myself, don't go you idiot" Sansa sighed as one of the stewards brought them all bowls of warm meat stew.

"How could we know" Jaslin shrugged.

"You did. You said that morning in the tower as we watched the royal party arrive. I remember it like yesterday, you telling me how nothing would ever be the same after today" Jon added.

"I sometimes wonder, wherever Arya is, if she's still alive, whether she would forgive me. I was also so cruel to all you, I hated how close you three were. I was so stupid, wanting everything to be so pretty, like some stupid silly girl" Sansa continued on.

"You were a child Sansa, as was Arya. I am sure she misses you dearly" Jaslin replied and pulled her into her side.

"Do you both forgive me though?"

"There's nothing to forgive" Jon smiled.

"Please... Just forgive me"

"Aye alright, we forgive you" Jaslin chuckled.

Slowly the group fell quiet as Jaslin looked back over to Sandor and smiled softly as the flames flickered orange light across the room.

"So where will we go now? What do we do?" Sansa asked.

"Well I can't stay here, not after what happened" Jon sighed.

"There's one place we should go... home" Jaslin whispered and looked over at Jon to study his reaction.

"Oh right, shall I send a raven and tell them to pack up" he snorted.

"We take it. Winterfell is our home and we have to fight for it" Sansa nodded.

"I'm tired of fighting. It's all I've done since I've left Winterfell. I've not stopped and I still lost" Jon spoke with a raised tone.

"As have we all. We have all fought, we have all lost, but so long as Winterfell lays in the hands of our enemies we will never be safe" Jaslin shot back with equal volume and anger in her voice.

Jon glared back at her in silence. Never had she ever spoken to him in such a way. Never had either of them truly argued, but he also realised in that moment that she was no longer the sweet and innocent child he had grown up with.

"I want you to do this with us Jon. There may not be any blood between us, but we are family, we all are. But Jon, we will do this, with or without you" Jaslin continued, this time her voice a tone calmer.

Slowly Jon nodded and stood from his chair to get more cider.

"Is that a yes then. Will you help us?" Sansa asked.

"Aye Sansa. Its a yes" he sighed.