𝐻𝐸𝑅𝑂𝑖𝑁𝐸 | 𝐽𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑛𝑜𝑤

three.

"𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙚, 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚"

Time travelled slowly in Winterfell. Days felt like weeks, weeks felt like months and months felt like years. 3 months have passed since Sansa Stark became Sansa Bolton, and the months had not been kind to the fair skinned girl. Ashara had noted the pain that grew on Sansa's face every time she saw her. Ashara had been busy training or in council meetings with Lord Bolton.

It became apparent to Ashara that Sansa was more of a prisoner to Ramsay than a wife. She saw the bruises that littered the poor girls face and the limp that she had come to gain. Ashara didn't like Ramsay Bolton as it was, and her hatred had been fuelled even more.

Ashara wanted to bond with Sansa, she needed a friend to go to, so that's what Ashara did. The friendship started when Ashara noticed that the poor girl was starving. She always noted that Sansa was quick to eat her breakfast, but she noticed she was never there for dinner. So, one day, Ashara took a plate of potatoes and meat to the girl's room, which was tucked into a corner of the castle, away from prying eyes.

Sansa reluctantly opened her door, expecting Ramsay to be there, but was surprised to see the Dornish Warrior at her door.

"Lady Bolton, I saw you were absent at dinner, so I brought dinner to you." Spoke Ashara in a hushed tone.

Sansa looked around before pulling Ashara into the room. Sansa eyed her carefully as she held the bowl out in front of her, waiting for the girl to take it from her. Ashara moved forward to place the bowl on the desk, but her sudden movement caused the Stark girl to flinch.

"Sansa, please eat, I don't want to see you sick. I know what he does to you. Please do not be frightened of me. I'm on your side." Pleaded Ashara

"If you're on my side then why do you fight for the man that abuses me day and night?" Sansa cried out in anger.

"His father put a roof over my head, food in my stomach when I had no one to turn to." Replied Ashara, battling her side.

"Roose Bolton killed my brother. If it wasn't for him Robb would still be with us, living and breathing." Spoke Sansa.

"I know what he did was wrong, when I found out I knew I was in the wrong place. There was no form of escape for me." Said Ashara, showing her sensitive side.

"Do you believe I can escape?" Said Sansa, with hopeful eyes.

"I don't know, but if I can find a way for you, I will. If you can stick through the pain, I'll find a way for you and Theon to escape. Ramsay treats the man like a slave, he deserves to be free too." Ashara replied truthfully.

Sansa smiled, and walked over to Ashara, placing her arms around the soldier. Sansa was slightly taller than the other woman in the room. It took a few seconds for Ashara to move, as she's not been hugged in many years, but she soon encased Sansa in her arms, and let out a large sigh.

This was the first of many meetings between the two women. Ashara visited Sansa almost every night, with food, information or bandages from her battles with the Bolton bastard. Ashara had also brought Theon into the meetings. He would have to be brave for them both to escape successfully. They spoke all through the night, conjuring up all sorts of ideas about how Ashara could get them both out.

The plan was set in motion almost 6 months after the wedding had happened. Ashara had made sure she was on patrol that night. She wanted to see Sansa free without troubles. She had come to learn that the girl was sweet and kind, even though she had been through so much pain. She was a true warrior, to come through the other side with little emotional scars.

The night had come, and Ashara stood on the walls of Winterfell, with her hand on her sword, which she had come to name Protector of the Blessed when she was 16, when Roose gave her the sword. Looking out over Winterfell, Ashara watched the night come in. She watched the colours in the sky mix together to create beautiful hues of purple and blue.

She was waiting for Ramsay's dogs to return from a hunting trip, so they wouldn't catch the trail of Sansa and Theon as they escaped north towards the wall. Sansa told Ashara about her brother Jon. He was the bastard son of her father Ned. She told her about how awful she was to him when they were children. She told her about the regret she now held about her nastiness to her brother Jon.

"Ashara, come down here!" Screamed Ramsay, bringing Ashara away from her thoughts.

Turning on her heel, she ran down the steps leading to the courtyard. There sat Ramsay on his horse, with a handful of other men behind him. On the back of Ramsay's horse laid the carcass of a wolf, already ripped to shreds by his dogs.

"Put the dogs away will you Ash, oh and the horse. I must go back to my room and bathe." Spoke Ramsay whilst thrusting the reigns of his black horse into Ashara's hands, as he walked away with his cloak swaying behind him.

Sighing, she followed his orders, placing the dogs in the kennels and returning the horse to its stable. The night had soon turned cold as she returned to the top of the wall. The wind made her hair whip around her shoulders, and made her wish she had brought her gloves.

"Nice night isn't it." Spoke one of the regular guards that was on the post next to Ashara.

"Beautiful, every night here is beautiful." She replied with another sigh.

"Do you ever miss Dorne? I heard its all beautiful women and wine. My favourite combination." Laughed the guard.

Ashara smiled, thinking about her home again.

"It's the most amazing land I've ever seen. And yes, the wine is incredible." She smiled at the solider. Many of Ramsays soldiers were innocent boys that had been dragged into the wars of the world. Not many volunteered to be in the Bolton army, it was just unlucky if they were chosen.

They continued to make small talk throughout the night, until the time had come to kick the plan into action.

"You can leave, go to bed, I've got this shift covered." Spoke Ashara as she looked into the trees just beyond the walls of Winterfell.

The guard didn't need telling twice as he soon bid her goodnight and walked away from the stand. Ashara looked around and saw that there was no one on the side of her patrol. She quickly made her way into a room where she told Theon and Sansa to wait.

Bursting through the door, Ashara stared at both the almost broken souls in the room.

"Its time. We must go now." Spoke Ashara seriously, rushing back through the walls of Winterfell with Sansa and Theon hot on her tail. Ashara made sure she manned the side of Winterfell that faced the north and had the outdoor stables. She looked over the wall to see a long drop that both of them would have to endure, into a pile of hay that would hopefully cushion their fall.

"Quick, over the wall now." She rushed them both to swing their legs over the wall.

Sansa looked back and reached for Ashara's hand.

"Ashara I will see you again. I will return to Winterfell with my brother and we will reclaim our home. You can then fight for the honest and right side." Spoke Sansa with the most confidence Ashara had ever seen.

Ashara only replied with a nod, as she felt tears come to her eyes. She couldn't recall how long she had wanted to escape from the clutches of the Bolton's.

"Goodluck to both of you. Now hurry." Ashara spoke once more, as she watched the both slip off the wall and fall many feet into the hay beneath them.

She waited for them both to move, but she didn't see any movement. Ashara's heartrate quickened with worry. The wait seemed to last a life time, but they soon moved from the haystack and ran across the barren lands into the trees beyond.

Ashara looked up to the sky, sighed, and let here eyes fill with tears. She only wished that could be her escaping.