Winter Is Our Fury

Chapter Twenty Six: Words Unspoken

Distant sounds of metal clashing could be heard through the trees, the sun was barely shining and the birds hadn't even begun to sing their morning songs.

Aris and Jelissa clashed blades, they danced around each other, attacking and defending. Jelissa would often go in for the kill, tripping Aris or holding the blade inches from her throat and they would start again. Randyl watched quietly sitting against a tree. His eyes followed them back and forth as they danced around each other.

"We need to get rid of that dress." Jelissa motioned to the dirty blue gown Aris wore. The ends were stained in mud and it smelt like smoke.

"Where do you suggest we find clothes?" asked Aris readying herself again. Jelissa lunged forward and slapped Aris' blade with her own causing it to fly from her hand and Jelissa held her blade to Aris' throat.

"No rest for the wicked." Jelissa sported a smile.

Aris chuckled, "How many times have you killed me now?"

A low clap sounded and both women turned to see Wyllim and Codyn watching. "Well done!" announced Codyn. "We were wondering where you two went. Wyllim here got anxious that you's had run off."

"I did not." grimaced Wyllim.

"You should have seen him. Screamed like a girl." teased Codyn and Wyllim wrapped him in a headlock and they wrestled each other.

"Boys." Jelissa rolled her eyes. "Randyl's well behaved, isn't he?"

Randyl smiled and nodded. It made Aris smile warmly, he worried her. The boy still refused to sputter a word since they left The Twins. All he did was nod, smile and shake his head.

"I don't know if going to The Eyrie is a good idea." announced Aris and Codyn and Wyllim stopped wrestling.

"What do you mean?" Wyllim dropped Codyn into the ground and approached Aris concerned. "Where else could we go?"

"We don't have to go anywhere." she said. "We can do what we want. I want to stay with you all."

"You don't want to go to The Eyrie?" Codyn questioned. "Why is that?"

Aris flailed her arms. "What's to do there?"

"It's the one safe place for you."

"Why, so the Bolton's or the Lannister's can intercept us?"

"There's a bigger chance of that happening on the way to River-run." Wyllim consulted. "Who knows if Arya is there already at The Eyrie."

"Or we could go to Kings Landing to save my other sister, Sansa. Have you forgotten about her? I don't even know if she's alive and she's promised to marry Joffrey! I would die before I let her marry someone like him!"

"Aris." Wyllim whispered placing his hands on either side of her shoulders. "You're second guessing. You're upset. You just watched your brother and mother die..."

"...Don't." she shrugged his hands off her shoulders. "I already watched my father die, you don't need to bring it up. Don't talk about them."

"What do you want to do." it sounded more like a demand than a question.

"I want to go home."

"The Greyjoy's still have Winterfell."

Aris scoffed shaking her head. "No... Roose Bolton has Winterfell now." Her eyes meet Wyllim's and there was a look she's never seen before. A cold lifeless look in his eyes. It made Aris uncomfortable.

"How do you know?" Codyn asked tearing her attention away from Wyllim.

"Robb... told me himself. He sent the Bolton's to take Winterfell back from the Greyjoy's. It only makes sense now that the King in the North is dead."

"And I was going to suggest taking it back." said Jelissa.

"Not if the North hands their loyalty to the Bolton's."

"They're all pledged to House Stark. This makes you Lady of Winterfell and heir to the North. You could rally them to your side..."

"Like Robb?" spat Aris. "Most of them were killed or captured at The Twins. They'll never follow me, a women!"

"That's why we can't stay here and argue." Wyllim stated firmly. "We're either going to The Vale or to River-Run."

"I hear the Soldier's of The Vale are rather too brooding for my taste." announced Codyn. "I say we go home. To River-Run."

"River-Run." agreed Jelissa.

"River-Run." Aris added. Wyllim sighed deeply and looked towards Randyl who gestured his hand towards the other three, agreeing with them.

"River-Run it is."