Note: Don't own Game of Thrones, Song of Ice and Fire, or any of the characters from the series. All characters from those series belong to GRRM.
Chapter 1
A Dream
Jojen had dreamed of her before they met.
It had been one of the first dreams he had following his near-death experience with greywater fever. He had been young then, possibly only six or seven. He was alone in the forest, frightened. And, right when he had given up hope of finding his way home, she showed up.
She was about the same age, with long dark hair flowing to her waist and creamy pale skin. He hadn't had the opportunity to meet girls besides his sister before, so he was awestruck and how beautiful she was. She held out her hand and beckoned him, wordlessly. But right when he took a step toward her, she disappeared, and he regained consciousness.
That dream plagued him the worst of all his early greendreams, yet he never shared this one with Lord Howland or Meera. This one felt more like a secret, and if it was trying to tell him something, he didn't know what it was.
But suddenly, something happened. Meera was out hunting with Lord Howland one day, and they arrived home with a surprise. Howland carried in his arms the girl from Jojen's dream, unconscious and drenched with swamp water. They set her down inside and wrapped her in blankets by the fire.
Jojen sat and observed her for a few moments. Where had she come from? How had she gotten here? He was so caught up in his musings about how the girl from his dreams might have ended up in Greywater Watch, that he almost didn't hear her mumbling. However, as soon as she spoke, his ears perked up.
"Father...don't make me go...please, I'll be good...she's...vicious..."
Was she being forced to go somewhere against her will? Jojen swore that once he found out who her father was, he would talk some sense into the man, for violating his daughter's trust.
She thrashed about, and wanting to soothe her, he gripped her hand. As soon as they touched, she instantly stopped moving and settled peacefully back into unconsciousness once more.
He would let her rest for now. And when she awoke, he would inquire who she was.
Juliette awoke to find herself on a cot in a very strange little hut in who-knew-where. As she examined her surroundings, taking in the rusticity of it all, her first instinct was to scream.
An arm came out of nowhere and swept her into an awkward embrace. She looked up to see a gangly red-blond boy with intense green eyes staring down at her with concern. She fought the instinct to scream once more, instead stuttering out, "Wh-who are you?"
"I'm Jojen Reed," the youth said, releasing her. "My father and sister found you out near the swamps, drenched."
Swamps? "Where am I?"
"You're in Greywater Watch," he explained calmly. "Meera has gone to fetch something for supper."
Then, a girl with short, dark scraggly hair and a man with a strong resemblance to Jojen entered the hut, both bearing armfuls of dead rabbits and frogs. "Oh, you're awake," the girl said cheerfully. "Father began to worry, because we couldn't pull Jojen away from you. But I told him, it's better that he was fixated on something the present for a change."
"Howland Reed." The man held out his hand. "And this is my daughter, Meera. And you've met Jojen already."
"Juliette Cromwell," she said nervously. "I understand I owe you my gratitude, Lord Reed for saving my life."
"I don't know about that," Howland said modestly. "Jojen did all the hard work, looking over you."
"Where did you come from, Juliette?" asked Meera.
"Near White Harbor originally. But I was traveling with my step- , er, the rest of my family from King's Landing, while my father remains busy at King Robert's court." She had to stop herself before she could say her new stepmother was her traveling companion. Lady Viviane Cromwell was the most likely reason she was abandoned and half-drowned in the first place.
"Will they be looking for you?" asked Lord Howland.
"I don't think so."
"We should let her stay here with us," Meera suggested. "At least until her family comes looking for her."
Lord Howland turned to Jojen. "What do you think?"
Part of him immediately wanted to declare yes, she should stay. And what if that was what his dream had meant? But he still felt the pull to be rational and not make a hasty decision. And what if he got too attached to her? What then?
"She can stay. But we should start looking for her family as well."
