The Other Lannister * Discontinued*

Chapter 5: The Recovery

The hound's barking got louder and louder as Tori's labored breathing became more difficult. A thick substance poured down her neck and back. Her body shivered in the harsh cold, as the blood drained from her teenage body.

Tyberion hurried over to Tori, sensing her waking somewhat. He began to lick and paw lightly at her face and torso, trying to rush her consciousness. The lion's tongue was quite prickly and he hoped the weird sensation would cause Victoria to stir. 

Tyberion could only use his tongue on human skin a few times before it became an open wound. On the last lick, her eyes shot open. Tyberion could tell that she wouldn't be up for long, she was weak and could barely hold her eyes open.

A faint sort-of smile crossed Tori's face as she briefly saw Tyberion there, guarding her. She was fading, fast. She sighed and the lion let out a small whimper before a deafening roar escaped his throat. 

She struggled to keep her eyes open, as her blood drained quickly from her body. The crunching of the branches under a layer of snow could be heard as harsh footsteps approached. She heard them yelling out for her and she opened her mouth to yell out, but nothing came out. 

In her head, she screamed for anyone that could hear: for Robert,  for Lord Arryn, Tyrion, Jamie or Cersei, for her father, for Ned.

She passed out just as they approached her body, her quivering lips now blue in color. 

...

Not too far in the distance, the distinct roar of the lion could be heard. There weren't many lions around here so they knew it had to be the one Tori rode in on.

They trampled expeditiously through the woods with heavy hearts, fearing the worst had happened. The hounds raced along the trail barking the whole way, following her scent. Ned's heart swelled with worry and grief. He felt like he was going to cry, he never cried.

'Over some random girl that I just met, really? What is wrong with me?' Ned thought to himself. He'd never been the emotional type, he had no idea what was going on.

His chest tugged, suddenly he felt as though he could feel her. It was as if he was being drawn toward her; Ned's chest began to ache. He decided to separate from the search party to follow the pull of his chest, running fast through the forest. 

After a brief stint of running, he stopped. He knew that he was close. Ned stood there in silence, listening for any sign of Victoria's presence. He could hear the heavy, pacing footsteps of the lion, and, listening more intently, he could hear the ragged breathing of the girl.

He turned to his left and dashed through the woods in the direction of her breathing. He came upon a small clearing to find Victoria's body leaning against a Weirwood Tree. This was a heart tree, Ned could see the face engraved in the tree's bark. 

Weirwood Trees were extremely long-living, and could never rot. They are a symbol of the Old God's religion and just a few still exist. Ned let out a quick sigh of relief as he knew the tree had helped to keep Victoria alive, before rushing over to her body. 

As he approached the body the lion standing guard let out a roar, before moving to the side. Tyberion recognized Ned from their meeting the night before and cautiously trusted him to care for Victoria.

Ned saw that her lips were blue, her wheat-blonde hair was now stained a dark red. The same dark red liquid pooled around her body. 

He knew she was alive. He felt it in his heart and soul. Just like he knew she'd survive this, and just how he knew where to find her.

He carefully placed his arm behind her head before sticking the other arm in the bend in her legs. He cradled her smaller body, nestling her into his chest hoping to warm her some. He felt the need to cry, as she whimpered and cried out in pain while he moved her body.

Her blood ran down his chest, staining his clothing as he carried her. He ran, Tori in his arms, back toward the noise of the search party. Tyberion followed closely behind snarling as Victoria wept in pain. The lion knew that Ned wasn't trying to hurt her, he just couldn't help but growl.

As he neared the search party, many people let out praise, screams of joy, and sighs of relief that Ned had found Victoria. Some of the huskier men approached him, arms extended as if offering to take the girl from him. 

He refused. He didn't feel comfortable handing the girl's body to anyone else. He didn't want to cause her any more pain than she'd already endured, but also he didn't want them touching her. 

He insisted that he would keep her and run ahead of the group. He needed to get Tori to the infirmary.

...

Tori woke up surrounded by soft furs and cloth, unable to open her eyes. She wiggled her toes and flexed her fingers, concerned. Assured that all of her extremities were still in working order, she relaxed her body. She tried hard to open her eyes.

A few moments later, Tori was able to get her eyes open. She found that a thick wool bandage covered her right eye, along with the entire top of her head. 

Towards the end of her cot, she could see a blurry figure. The young man was dressed in black cloaks and furs. He was hunched over with his head in his hands, his long sandy-blonde hair falling perfectly around his face.

She scanned the room looking for her protector. Tori knew her lion would be by her side no matter what. She began to panic as she couldn't see him.

She tried to speak but her voice came out in a low raspy, whisper tone.

"L-L-i-," She muttered, her voice going out before she could finish. Her throat was too dry to speak. Luckily, the mysterious man understood that she was asking for the lion and informed her that he had left for the woods, likely to find some food. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't remember who it belonged to.

"C-n -ave so-e water?" She choked and coughed through the whole sentence. Her body struggling to talk after she failed to use her voice for so many days.

The young man jumped to his feet quickly, turning to look at the cot. He almost fell over because of how fast he stood up.  He recovered his footing and walked swiftly to a table located on the other side of the room. He grasped a pitcher from atop the table, tipping it to the left and pouring the crystal clear liquid into a small cup.

He turned around, walking fast and carefully across the room toward Tori. He brought the cup to her dry, cracked lips. The cool liquid flew with great speed down her throat, hydrating the whole way. 

She looked up at the young man. He was closer now and she realized who it was.

"N-Ned?" she stuttered.