Nymeria

Alone, and Lost

Nymeria, after leaving Arya, wandered through the thick forest surrounding the castle of Darry, lost. No one saw her, she saw no one. She walked far and wide, but still all her paths traced back to where she and Arya had separated. The saddest moment of her life. 

One day, she heard the great booming voice of King Robert Baratheon reverberating through the castle walls, and she leaned close to hear. 

That was the day Arya was to be judged.

Nymeria heard it all, that Queen Cersei demanding the execution of Arya, Robert Baratheon exclaiming she was a child, and above all, the lying Sansa, who Nymeria thought lied for love of Joffrey. 

Nymeria could hear Arya pummeling punches on her sister, screaming, "Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!" with every punch. Peeking in through the window, Nymeria saw Sansa's face. She was no more than a girl. Her face was bruised from where Arya had hit her, and she was crying softly. She was so naive. 

Nymeria ducked out of the window when Lord Raymun Darry looked at her, but she didn't think he saw her. Right when Nymeria ducked, Robert's voice said, "Gods, Cersei, look at her. She's a child. Ned, you take care of your child, and I'll see about mine. It's done."

Nymeria couldn't have liked old Robert Baratheon more then. Until Cersei said, "What about the beast?"

Robert said, "I'd forgotten about the damned wolf."

Jory Cassel spoke up. "We found no trace of the direwolf, my lord," he said.

"We best kill the one who is here at the moment," said Cersei.

Though Nymeria couldn't see Sansa, she could hear her. "No," she said. "Lady didn't do anything, Lady was a good girl, don't kill Lady!" And with that she started to cry, real this time.

With an angry look on his face, Robert Baratheon stormed out of the hall. Cersei said, "A hundred thousand golden dragons to the one who brings me its pelt!"

Nymeria was shocked. How cruel can a woman be?

Sansa was still crying. Ned Stark gathered himself up, and said, "If this.. thing.. has to be done, I'll do it myself."

The queen frowned. "Is this some kind of trick, Stark?"

But before she could finish, Ned walked out of the hall. Everyone started to file out, and Nymeria hid back in the bushes. 

Eddard passed by the bushes, and walked to where Lady was chained up. And then he did the deed.

As Lady's shade passed out of the world, Nymeria let out a howl of pain greater than any she had received all her life. Her sister had died. 

Eddard sighed and put down the knife, and beckoned to Jory Cassel. "Take her body back to Winterfell," said Lord Eddard. 

"All that way?" Jory asked.

"Yes," said Stark. "Bury her in the crypts. The Lannister woman will never have this pelt."