"Why does he always do that?" Bran asked Meera as they sat around the fire.

She was absent minded whittling a piece of wood, receiving great joy from the distraction away from the tense atmosphere that surrounded them as they took camp for the night. Bran had been sat by the fire as Osha and Rickon spoke of adventure and knights, Hodor away in the distance. He had been awaiting Jojen for a while now, wanting to discuss his dreams further, the three eyed raven, the wolves, but Jojen had disappeared into the tent over an hour ago, and he still hadn't emerged.

"Do what?" Meera finally looked up with a sceptical eye, briefly stopping the movement of the small dagger in her palm.

"Stay with her. Why?" he glanced briefly at the tent and Meera sighed.

"It's not like that. She's just, a bit, volatile. She needs to be kept calm, and only Jojen is capable of it with enough effect. Otherwise things get a bit…hectic" she began whittling again.

"Why?" Bran wasn't convinced.

"What difference does it make anyway? If it wasn't for you we'd all be back in the Grey Water watch, safe, not risking our lives with travelling and going north, not risking setting her off"

"Her temper can't be that bad"

"It's not her temper we worry about" Meera sighed and got up, storming off from the small group, probably to find game in the nearby woods. Earning an angry glance from Osha.

"Don't worry Little Lord, I've heard of girls like her up north. We're safe, so long as the frog boy keeps her calm. It's all fine" Osha smiled, her eyes betraying her.

"But I don't understand!"

Meera stormed through the forest, using a branch to hit the tree trunks as she passed. She didn't need the Stark boy to know about the girl, they needed to keep her a secret. If word got out about what she could do then she'd be hunted, they'd rather her dead than taken by the wrong hands.

It had all started three years ago, Jojen is who found her, in the swamp water naked and cold, barely alive. They'd carried her back to their modest home, fed her, clothed her. Their father seemed to know of her capabilities before they'd experienced it.

"I'm taking her in as a ward, we need to keep her safe" he'd said to them. They soon understood why.

It was about four moons into her stay when it had occurred the first time, Jojen had been out walking when a wolf had approached him snarling. This was of no worry to him, he was good with animals. The animal pounced and he moved easily, but before he could calm the beast he heard it whimpering, curling onto the ground with its eyes shut tight. It stopped breathing.

Jojen turned around to search for what caused it, he was confused to say the least. He heard it, a snapping of twigs, and from the corner of his eye he saw a flourish of matted auburn hair disappearing behind a tree. It was her.

This kept happening, she protected them all even if the threat was miniscule. They didn't understand it. They didn't understand her. They didn't know from who or where she came. But they kept her safe, like their father said.

"It doesn't have to be like this you know" Jojen said, looking at the girl that sat opposite him in the small tent.

"What do you mean?" her voice was airy and soft.

"You don't have to hide all the time, you can talk to them. They're not bad people" he tried to reason with her, she was too protective.

"You know how I am, all I need is a funny look and I'm set off. I don't want to risk it"

"But you've been doing fine! You only broke two men on the journey here, criminals they were, it was fine"

"No. I don't want to risk it Jojen" she sighed, looking at her palms.

"What if I leave right now? Get up and leave this tent, you can't pretend you won't follow, you always do. And then you can meet them, they're good people, they can help!"

"You wouldn't do that."

"And why wouldn't i?"

Jojen regretted saying it as soon as the words left his mouth. This could either end extremely nicely or extremely badly, and at the current place and time he didn't want either. She looked up at him, making the first eye contact of the evening and smirked.

"Not here" he reasoned

"You didn't complain last time"

"That was different"

"Was it?"

Before he could retort he felt it. It started like last time, warmth tightening in the pit of his stomach, a fluttering feeling, his palms got clammy and a layer of moisture emerged on his skin, he growled, he bit the inside of his cheek to avoid it. She sat there, smirking, eyes not leaving his face as he endured her torture. The tightening continued, it was more evident now, burning. His breath became short pants. It was inevitable now, he'd have to hope the others wouldn't notice and endure the uncomfortable moistness in his trousers for the remainder of the evening. He hated and loved the sensation too much, he wanted it to end but at the same time his conflicted thoughts willed it to continue.

Then suddenly it stopped.

She let out a soft chuckle as he calmed slightly, tasting copper in his mouth from the grip his teeth held on his flesh. He opened his eyes to look at her. Her head was tilted to the side, eyes wide and deep blue, small mouth stretched into a grin. Her slender shoulders were covered by the matted tendrils of hair that overwhelmed her small frame. He sighed.

"Do you still want to leave?" her voice floated between them.

"I never do" he sighed and flopped onto his back, extending his arms to engulf her and willing her to sleep. She needed to be kept calm, it was getting worse.