"I want her dead!"
"Relax Cersei. I don't see why you care so much about this girl."
The queen pierced him with her stare as she continued to pace in the dimly lit room, where Jamie and herself were currently in.
"You don't understand Jamie! That is no ordinary girl! She's going to cause us trouble; I'm sure of it! She managed to save that Stark brat. How did she even do that? How did she manage to catch him? He fell from so high above….a man grown wouldn't have been able to catch the kid, yet she did. How do you explain that?"
"She was just lucky" Jamie Lannister said shrugged, not really understanding what the big deal with this outlander was. She was just a youngling, nothing more; not much of a threat really.
"You know as well as I do that's not the case. That boy saw us! And he is alive because of that girl. What if he tells anyone?"
"Obviously, he hasn't told anyone yet or else we would have known. The boy might be a problem but I insist that the girl is just a waste of time."
"I remember the way she looked at us" said Cersei "She was accessing us, Jamie. And she obviously didn't think we were worth her time; nothing to be afraid of. I am the Queen yet she didn't bow before me and she didn't even spare a glance at you even though you're a renowned warrior."
"Come on, Cersei. A child's defiance is nothing to be worried about."
"That is no mere child. She has power, Jamie; I know it. I can recognize a powerful woman when I see one and her whole posture screams of power. There is something strange about her. No one knows where she came from or how. They said Lord Stark and his sons found her unconscious under the snow. But other than that there's nothing else. No hometown, no family name, nothing."
Jamie looked thoughtful as he stared at his sister "If what you're saying is indeed true, how is it that Lord Eddard allowed her to stay in Winterfell?"
"That I don't know. He would either have to be a fool or reckless and we both know that he is neither. There is a reason why he keeps her close."
"He probably wants to keep an eye or her, Cersei. Despite having saved his son's life, she still remains an outlander."
"If only you had seen the way she looked at me. As If I weren't the Queen. Yet she bowed before that Tully woman, Strak's wife. She is challenging me, Jamie. And we still don't know what she's capable of. And her appearance….I have never seen anyone with that hair color or so vibrant green eyes. Not even the people Across the Sea have such unique features. Also, the way she dresses…..She wears men's clothes most of the time and she carries that strange pouch with her."
"I see you have taken quite the interest in the girl. How did you learn all this?"
"I ordered a couple of our guards to keep an eye on her in secret and follow her around to see what she was up to; didn't last long. After a couple of hours they lost her. They came back to me with little to nothing and only a strange looking knife; they said it had come out of nowhere."
Cersei looked around to make sure that they were indeed alone. One could never be sure. It was safer talking out in the open than inside the castle's walls. There were ears everywhere; Ears that were ready to spill what they had heard for the right price. She put her hands in the waistband of her dress and pulled something out. The light of the many candles around them reflected on the shining metal as the Queen held the kunai in her hands.
Jamie Lannister approached her and took the knife from her hands. It was peculiar indeed. He had never seen anything like that before, in this Kingdom at least, even though he was sure none of the Lyseni merchants he had associated with had showed him anything like this. The shape of the small blade was strange and he couldn't understand what purpose the ring at the end of the handle served.
"The guards said that this came out of nowhere?" he said thoughtfully as he accessed the dagger. This new development changed everything. Maybe the girl wasn't as harmless as he had first thought. She was carrying weapons that she could most likely use and had escaped their guards easily without them noticing. But she was a mere child! How was it possible that she had escaped two fully-trained Lannister guards so easily?
"Yes, they said they were near the castle walls when they heard the air whistling and found this knife logged in the ground mere inches from their feet. They looked around but found nothing. The girl had just disappeared." Cersei answered and a frown appeared on her face. This outlander was beginning to be a real nuisance, like an annoying bug buzzing around her head. But while the bug she could kill, this girl seemed to slip through her fingers like water.
"Are you sure that they weren't drunk?"
"Those were Lannister guards, Jamie; guards who were trained by you. Supposedly perfectly capable of carrying out any task. As it turned out, they were unable to keep track of a mere female child."
Jamie paced around in the room still holding the peculiar knife, lost in thought. If what Cersei was saying was indeed true then they had a real problem in their hands. A Kingslayer he was but he was no fool. The blonde man was a seasoned warrior and had fought and won many battles in his life. He could read the signs. This was not just a knife. This was a challenge. The girl was warning them. She knew that Cersei had instructed guards to watch her and she was clearly telling them that she was aware and most importantly, not afraid. The dagger had 'threat' written all over it. But who would have the right mind to threaten the Queen of the Realm? Either a fool or someone who had power. And judging by the way the girl had so effortlessly evaded their guards, she was neither a fool nor weak. This was no mere child's defiance. This youngling was daring them to make a move. An open invitation to war it was if you knew to read the signs. And she was also in Stark hands. Who knew what kind of abilities she had and how the Starks would use her. And now Eddard Stark was the King's Hand. He had inside information and the power to keep even his father, Lord Tywin Lannister, at bay.
This new development was, to say the least, disturbing and wouldn't serve their plans. They had to find a solution before things got out of hand. Cersei was clearly concerned and Jamie knew better than to not trust her. Her instinct was rarely wrong and he was also starting to feel unnerved by this girl, whoever she really was. The though alone was disturbing. To think that he would be wary of a girl! Great men had not managed to make him doubt himself but here he was feeling unsure because of a female child. He cursed himself for not paying closer attention to her. He should have been more careful. But who could blame him? Why would he, a renowned warrior, care about what a female child was up to? It was not worth the effort and certainly not in his interests to stalk young girls just because they were a bit stranger than the others. As it had turned out though, this girl was not only an outlander; she was also proving to be quite dangerous. Who knew what kind of tricks she had up her sleeve if she had the guts to threaten the Queen? She had to be taken care of.
"What is the girl's name?" he asked Cersei before giving her the knife back.
"Sakura" the Queen spat as if it was venom on her tongue and hid the kunai in her waistband once more "Even the mere mention of her name makes me angry."
"Relax Cersei. Anger will get you nowhere."
"I want you to take care of this Jamie. I want her to disappear and never be heard of again. Do whatever it takes. I want this girl out of the way!"
"I'll take care of it, I promise" he said and gathered her in his arms "Soon, they won't even remember she even existed."
XxxOxOxOxxX
"Are you sure about this Jon?"
"Relax Sakura. She is not going to kill you, you know."
"But I've never done this before. In my homeland it's almost non-existent!"
"There is a first time for everything. Now follow my advice and everything is going to be fine."
"If I break a bone it's gonna be your fault! And just so you know, broken bones are a bitch to heal!"
"Stop complaining. Where is the tough ninja-Sakura?"
"Flew out the window! Why can't I just use chakra? It is going to make this much easier!"
"Because you have to learn properly! Also, you know you cannot use this chakra as you call it here so you must learn to rely less on it. Now stop being a baby and do as I say! Keep your knees tight so you won't fall."
"I hate you, just so you know" grumbled Sakura but did as instructed and tightened her legs around the snow-white mare's belly. Well, she could always use her chakra without Jon knowing but she couldn't do that to him. After all, he was right about her learning to rely less on her chakra in this world.
"Now, keep your heels down and don't pull too hard on the reins. You don't want to hurt her mouth."
Sakura did as she was told and lightly patted the horse's neck when the mare didn't make any sudden movements. "Good girl."
"Now, let's start with the basics. I showed you how to bridle and saddle her up properly so you won't have any problem with that. If you want her to start walking, you give her a light kick at the sides with your heels. Go on, try." Jon urged.
Sakura took a deep breath. She had never ridden a horse before since they were rarely used back in the Ninja Nations and oxen were preferred instead to pull carts and be used for farming. Of course, she had seen horses before and even petted a particularly playful colt while on mission to gather herbs but never ridden one.
'Come on girl! You went against Akatsuki and Madara and came out alive! Riding a horse can't be that difficult!'
Hesitantly, she gave a light kick to her mare's sides and almost squeaked when the horse started walking slowly. Her stride was sure and smooth and Sakura felt as if she was actually floating.
Jon smiled at her and nodded his head in approval. "That's it Sakura. Take it slow. You're doing great. Remember, keep your heels down. Use the reins to change her direction. Try it a few times so you can get the hang of it." he instructed and waited for her to get used to walking and turning before moving on to the next step.
After a few minutes of walking and doing different turns, Sakura started feeling more confident.
'Hey, this isn't so bad after all. It actually feels nice.' she thought as she lightly pulled the reins and the horse turned left. Even though she had little experience with horses she could tell that her mare was exceptionally trained. It was as if the white creature knew that her rider was a beginner and smoothened her strides even more. Even the lightest of pull made her go to the desired direction and not once did she spook even though they could hear the loud clang of swords from the training grounds some distance away.
"Now, let's try something else." Jon's voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"Like what?"
"Usually horses have four basic gaits; the walk, the trot, the canter and the gallop. You have gotten the hang of the first basic steps so we can try the trot. Bring the mare here."
Sakura did as she was told and come to a stop before Jon who lightly patted the horse's nose.
"Now, if you want to make her go into a trot you simply give her another kick at her sides. Keep your legs tight around her so you won't fall off and don't pull too much on the reins because that will confuse her. It would be like giving her the order to run and stop at the same time. Now, go. Give it a try." he said and stepped back to room for her to turn the mare around.
Sakura allowed the horse to walk a bit more and took a deep breath. Almost hesitantly, she pressed her heels a little harder in her mare's sides. Immediately, the pure white creature picked up her speed and went into a trot and Sakura couldn't help the small squeak that escaped her lips. She started bouncing slightly in the saddle and for a moment she was afraid that she was going to fall off. But as it seemed, her mare didn't want her to fall off as much as herself.
"Keep your back straight! Don't try to stop bouncing, Sakura! Allow your lower half to be free and relaxed!" shouted Jon and Sakura fought down the urge to snap up at him that it was easy for him to say and that he should try tree climbing and see how it would go! But she kept her mouth shut and instead concentrated on maintaining her balance. She came close to falling off a couple of times more before she finally allowed herself to relax and got the hang of it. Her body followed the mare's moves and they easily established a rhythmic pace that was comfortable for both of them.
'Wow….I never imagined that it would feel so good!' Sakura thought as she continued trotting around the small field they were in. It was a nice day on its own and the light breeze blowing through her hair served to make a smile light up her face. It resemble running through the trees back home and for a moment she felt homesickness creep into her heart but quickly shook it off. It wasn't the right time to start feeling nostalgic and the gentle sun rays were too good to waste thinking about something that for now was out of her reach.
She decided that she really liked horse riding and noted with no small amount of satisfaction the approving look in Jon's eyes.
Suddenly, the urge to go faster hit her and she grinned at the thought. Maybe she should try it….Trotting was no problem so why would galloping be? She didn't even give a second thought to cantering. As a ninja she was used to speed and she really wanted to see how it would feel when her mare's all four legs were off the ground. Without even asking Jon what she had to do or even warning him about what she intended to do, she gave a sudden kick at her mare's side.
Freedom. That was the only word she could think to describe this feeling. Everything else was just too little. Only freedom could feel this way. They were galloping away from the field and Jon but she couldn't bring herself to care. With the air blowing through her hair wildly and her white mare practically floating over the land, she had never felt freer in all her years. This was so much better than tree climbing! There were no braches to worry about or enemy shinobi lurking behind lush trees, ready to kill her at the first chance given. No; all she could see here were the vast plains of the North and even farther away, the snow-covered mountains with their white peaks reaching for the sky. It was magnificent to say the least and she was sure that she had never seen something so beautiful in her life.
Sakura could feel the horse's muscles moving under her and even hear her breathing as it came out of her nose in small, frosty clouds. It was amazing how her body had gotten used to the horse's movements so fast. Maybe she had a natural talent or maybe it just was that she was a fast learner. Either way, the feeling was incredible and she wouldn't be giving it up anytime soon. It felt as if she was flying!
"Come on girl, let's go back before Jon dies of shock!" she said at the white mare and gently pulled the reins right to turn her around. The horse obediently and without missing her stride or slowing down, followed her rider's instruction and quickly changed her course so they were once more heading to the small clearing where Jon was probably waiting for them with his mouth hanging open. Sakura allowed a giggle to escape her lips at the thought of his expression.
It took them no more than two minutes to reach the clearing. Sakura smirked. She had been right. Jon was indeed staring at them with wide eyes and mouth opening and closing almost comically. Sakura's smirk widened as she stopped the white mare in-front of him.
"Close your mouth, Jon. A fly might get in." she teased and watched as he tried to recompose himself.
"What…..How…...Riding?" Jon managed to choke out as he stared at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
Sakura giggled "Come one, Jon. Don't be so surprised. It's not like you saw me walking on water or something!" she commented and smirked at her words. Not even Jon knew the true extent of her abilities; mostly because there was no place secure enough to show him or hard enough to survive her devastating strength.
After a few moments of being the perfect impersonation of a fish, Jon straightened his back and coughed in his fist to get rid of the awkwardness he was feeling. He raised his grey eyes and rested them on the pink-haired woman who was stroking the white horse's neck.
"Are you sure you don't know how to ride?"
"Why? Was I good?" she asked with no small amount of smugness in her voice, mostly to tease the male before her.
Jon fought down the urge to roll his eyes at her wide, smug grin and instead focused on her emerald-green eyes, which were alight with mirth.
"No, I'm just surprised you didn't fall. Are you sure you didn't use that chakra thing?"
Sakura scoffed teasingly and crossed her arms across her chest "Yeah, right! You're just jealous that a beginner girl is better at riding than you!"
"Had it not been for the wonderful creature you're riding, you would have been with your face in the mud right now." he replied and smirked when he saw that her grin was replaced by a frown.
"Hey! Are you saying that I did nothing?"
"You did something; enough to keep you on the saddle but other than that, not much." he replied loving the way she bit her lower lip the way she did every time she was annoyed "Ghost can probably ride better than you."
Sakura glared at him "Get on that horse of yours and I'll show you what I really can do!" she snapped and motioned to where his horse was peacefully grazing what little he could find under the fresh blanket of snow. Jon sighed at her stubbornness and shook his head before mounting his dark brown gelding and coming to a stop on the girl's left.
"Ready?" he asked and saw her nod. Jon smirked as, without a warning, he dashed down the small road that led to Winterfell. He looked over his shoulder enough to shout "Set, go!" and see the snarl on her face.
"Come back you little piece of crap!" she barked after him and immediately kicked her mare into a gallop.
XxxOxOxOxxX
"Good girl" Sakura whispered and patted the mare's neck as she finished brushing her shiny white coat. The young woman ran her fingers through the horse's snowy mane to rid it of any knots and draped a grey blanket over her back to keep her warm. The nights were cold in the North even for the horses who were used to this kind of weather. She tied the chords that held the blanket around her neck and belly and patted her back once more before giving the mare a soft kiss on her warm nose.
Sakura turned to leave but she hadn't taken two steps when she felt something tugging at her cloak. She turned around and smiled affectionately when she saw the white mare reaching for her with her nose. The pink-haired woman moved closer and embraced the horse's neck, burying her face in her thick mane. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the peace that fell around her. She could feel the rise and fall of the horse's breathing and hear her heart beating against her body. It was relaxing and for some strange reason reminded her of home.
"She likes you" a voice broke the silence. Sakura was about to snap at the intruder to get lost but stopped when she saw that it was just Jon. The young woman smiled gently at the horse and scratched her behind her ear.
"I like her, too." she said and giggled when the mare nuzzled her neck.
Jon smiled warmly at the sweet scene playing before his eyes. Sakura was truly one of kind. It really shouldn't have surprised him that he had fallen in love with her in such a short time. It was amazing how one person could be so strong and determined yet so gentle and understanding at the same time.
"Come on, Sakura. Night has fallen and it's late. We should go get some rest." he said after a few minutes of just watching her and waited for her to join him before making his way for the castle.
Sakura started following him but not before giving the beautiful mare another long look.
"Jon?"
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Can I come see her again tomorrow?" she asked almost timidly and Jon had to keep back a chuckle at her hopeful expression.
"You remember everything I told about how to take care of her, right?"
"Of course" she replied with confusion written all over her face "But what does that have to do with what I asked?"
"Oh, my dear Sakura, it does. After all, a rider must know how to take care of their horse." he said and watched amused the way realization hit her and her emerald eyes widened.
"You mean…?"
"Yes Sakura. That mare is yours."
Without wasting a second, Sakura flung her arms around his neck and hugged him closer to her body all the while chanting "thank you" over and over again. Jon brought his arms around her waist returning the hug and buried his nose in her rosy hair breathing in her sweet smell.
Sakura pulled away and looked up at him. "But how…..Where did you find her?"
"Hullen, the previous Master of Horse, entrusted her to me before his departure with my father for King's Landing. He said that she is one of the most talented horses he has ever trained. Only two and a half years old and she already has completed her training. She is strong enough to be ridden into battle but she was not born for the rough hands of a man. This mare's reins need the gentle touch of a woman's fingers" he finished and intertwined their hands.
"Oh Jon! She is so beautiful! I don't know what to say!"
"Don't say anything to me. For now, I would suggest finding a name for your horse."
"You mean she doesn't have one already?"
"Most horses are given their names after a rider has been chosen for them."
Sakura nodded never taking her eyes off the beautiful horse.
"So, what are you going to name her?"
Sakura stared at the delicate mare. Under the moonlight her mane seemed like liquid silver and it was as if she was emitting a soft glow. Clever, warm eyes stared back at her and emerald clashed with ice-blue. In the night she could have easily been mistaken for a spirit of the wilderness of the northern plains. So beautiful she was that even the moon itself seemed to be less bright.
"Eclipse. Her name is Eclipse."
XxxOxOxOxxX
That night, after wishing Jon goodnight and giving him a parting kiss, Sakura chose to bypass the usual quick patrol she did around Winterfell to ensure everything was in line. After all, the North was wild and after Bran's 'slip' something had her senses on edge. She couldn't shake the image of something crimson flashing a second before Bran started falling. She inwardly cursed herself for not being so observant but no one could really blame her. She was more focused on saving Bran than anything else. But now that she had the time to think over the situation, it was surprisingly clear. She had only seen it in the corner of her eye but she was positive that it was no forgotten banner or old curtain. After all, she couldn't remember ever seeing anything that was even close to being that shade of crimson in Winterfell. She had her suspicions, of course.
Her mind immediately flew to flowing crimson and a golden, roaring lion. Scratch suspicion. She was certain that those damned Lannisters were behind it. What she had seen matched the red banner of House Lannister perfectly and the 'accident' had taken place during their stay in Winterfell. Now that she thought better about it, while she had passed King Robert and Lord Stark, she hadn't seen Queen Cersei and that brother of hers, the Kingslayer. Of course she couldn't accuse them openly. She certainly didn't find appealing the idea of being accused for treason and very much liked her head intact, thank you very much.
Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her or it was the fact that she was cautious by nature (sometimes too cautious), but she couldn't shake the feeling that that woman, Cersei, had something to do with this. Yes, just a feeling wasn't much proof and it was common knowledge that Sakura had a deep loathing for the Queen. But both her mentors had taught her to trust her instincts, and right now every fiber of her being was screaming at her that the deed was done by Lannister hands.
Feeling a headache approaching rapidly, Sakura channeled a small amount of healing chakra to her temples to sooth it. She wouldn't duel on it anymore tonight. It was late and she was really tired. As enjoying and exciting horse riding was, it was tiring and she could feel her muscles protesting being her very first time and all. She could have just used her chakra of course but it was nothing a good night's sleep wouldn't take care of. She wanted to conserve her chakra in case of emergency. Even though she hadn't done any serious fighting these past few months (other than her daily training routine), her experience had taught her that it was a fine line between life and death and that being prepared was essential to keeping your skin safe.
She stepped in her room and quickly shut the door behind her. It was dark inside the spacious chamber but she needed no light. The silver rays of the moon outside her window were enough. After all, ninjas were born to live in the shadows. Silence was their friend and the dark was their home.
She quickly undressed herself and slipped on one of the nightgowns Septa Mordane had given her first night in Winterfell. It was comfortable and soft to the touch so she didn't put up much of a fight; though she still kept the bandages around her chest and lower half. Somehow, she felt insecure without them.
She threw some wood in the hearth to keep the fire going for the rest of the night and closed the window to keep the cold wind out. Without wasting another minute, she slipped underneath the covers and released a satisfied sigh when her head hit the soft pillows. Her emerald eyes closed and soon she was drifting off…..
LATER IN THE NIGHT….
She was aware that she was not alone.
The fire was the only light provided but her heightened shinobi senses could detect even the slightest of changes in the air. She had kept her eyes closed and her breathing even, pretending to be asleep but she could feel the shifting of the shadows and hear the soft breathing of someone she had not invited in her room. Whoever this person was, they were quite good in staying silent. Had it been anyone else in her place, they wouldn't have even noticed anything. But Sakura was by far better and had taken notice of the intruder the moment their feet had hit the roof above her head. She was a light sleeper by nature and her years as a shinobi had taught her to always be on the lookout for any potential threat; even when asleep.
The intruder was coming closer. She could hear the soft tap of their boots on the stone floor. She shifted her position to get a better grip on the hilt of the kunai she always had under her pillow, making it seem as if she was just moving in her sleep. She heard the footsteps halted for a minute. But she still didn't give any indication that she was aware. A shadow fell upon her and through half-lidded eyes she saw the glint of a blade as the light of the fire fell on it. She couldn't see the face of this person but he was definitely a male. He was too board of shoulder to be a woman.
The unknown man positioned the shiny blade above her clearly aiming for her neck, an instant and silent kill and brought the dagger down. He hadn't expected her to react.
Faster than the eye could see, Sakura brought her kunai up and blocked the upcoming blade before shoving the man away from her using her inhuman strength. He flew back and hit the stone wall with a loud thud. Sakura shot up from the bed but so did he and in a couple of seconds he was on his feet, once again aiming for her. By the way he was moving he wasn't much trained in hand-to-hand combat; probably meant to do the dirtier deeds that required infiltrating skills and cunning. She smirked. That was a game she could play too. There was no man or woman, alive or dead, that could surpass her in cunning.
The man, in an attempt to stab her stomach, raised his arms a bit too soon, leaving an opening for her. Her kick caught him on the stomach and once more sent him against the wall. He got up with more difficulty than the previous time but still very much alive. It would be so easy to just slit his throat and go back to sleep. But questions were eating at her; questions that this man wouldn't be able to answer if he was dead.
In a desperate attempt to accomplish his mission he threw the dagger at her but she deflected it without as much as blinking. Faster than his eyes could detect she was by his side with her own blade poised at his jugular.
Steely emerald eyes stared in brown and Sakura could see fear swimming in them. Good…
"Who sent you?" she asked and pressed her kunai more against his neck.
He didn't answer. The part of his face above his mouth was covered by a black mask with only his eyes visible.
"I'll ask once more, who sent you to kill me?"
Again, no answer.
Sakura sighed frustrated. It could never be easy, could it? She didn't particularly enjoy torturing people (even though she could name a few individuals that she wished she could get her hands on), despite having taken the classes that were required from every ANBU member.
"Look" she said giving him another chance to save himself much pain "We can do this the easy or the hard way. I don't like torturing people but with you I just might make an exception."
He only spat at her in answer. Sakura felt her control begin to slip and she was sure that she would have just delivered the killing blow had it not been for the Winterfell guards and Lord Eddard bursting through the door.
Now, Lord Eddard had seen many things in his life. He had fought many battles, seen Kings rise and fall, and even felt the cold of the Wall and smelt the sea of the Iron Islands. What he had never expected to see was a sixteen year old girl in sleeping clothes holding a very sharp and pointy blade at an uncomfortably close distance to a full-grown man's neck.
Judging by the expressions on his guards' faces, they hadn't been expecting that either.
"Sakura" he spoke gently but surely "What is going on here?"
Without leaving the trapped man from her eyes she answered "Apparently someone either wants me dead or wants one of you dead and this is just a very bad assassin who mixed up the rooms." She already knew the answer to that, though. That blade had been for her and only her. That dagger had her name on it and had been meant to be dipped in her blood.
'Too bad' she thought 'I am not dying tonight or anytime soon'
"He came into your room? How?"
"Probably the window"
"If this is an assassin, how is it that you are the one holding the blade?"
This time Sakura turned to look at them, the fire in her never faltering. Lord Eddard and his guards didn't know much about this girl but they knew enough to not question her when she had that look in her eyes.
"I am always prepared for everything" she said coldly and the men around her knew better than to ask more.
"Who would want-" The guard didn't get to finish his sentence as the unknown man started letting out strange grunts and groans before he went completely still. Sakura's eyes widened and she quickly pulled the mask off. It was not a pretty sight.
The man's eyes face was and an ugly dark purple color with occasional black splotches and there was blood coming out of his mouth, his nose and even his eyes were bleeding. His whole face and neck was abnormally swollen and he reeked of something that Sakura was very familiar with.
"W-What it that?" one of the guards said shaken.
"Go fetch Maester Luwin" Lord Eddard ordered and the guard was more than willing to follow the command. The Lord of Winterfell turned his attention back to Sakura.
"Your face tells me that you know what happened to this man."
"Indeed, my Lord. I know."
The men looked surprised and with no small amount of disgust on their faces as the pink-haired girl placed two fingers inside the-now dead- man's mouth.
Sakura knew what had happened and only needed to be certain. After all, she had come upon situations such as this one many times back home, especially on interrogation missions. She pulled her fingers out after a short search in the man's mouth. They were covered in blood and at first the only color she could see was red. But as she brought her hand closer to her face, she could make out small pieces of green on her finger tips. Sakura allowed a smirk of triumph to grace her lips but it was short lived. Whoever this person was, who had ordered the assassin to kill her, had gone to extreme measures to keep their identity a secret.
"I suspect you have found something my Lady."
"Indeed, my Lord. I have." she replied and showed him the green substance.
"What is this?" a guard asked.
Sakura fought the urge to roll her eyes. Seriously, this people didn't even know their own plants.
"This is-or was- a pill made of a special plant that grows mainly in rocky terrains. It isn't potable as once chewed it releases strong toxins that cause respiratory tract constriction and suffocation. It is mostly used for situations such as this; assassinations and infiltrating missions. They keep this pill under their tongue and if the mission fails or the assassin gets caught, one small bite causes the toxins to activate. It is not only an almost silent and rather quick method but it is also very efficient as it causes deformation and the assassin cannot be identified." she finished as the guards' eyes widened in amazement.
"Which means that we won't have any luck trying to find out who sent this man." Eddard Stark said and looked at his guards "Gather the body and take it to Maester Luwin. He might find more clues."
Three guards rushed forwarded and scooped the body before hurrying out the door to follow their Lord's command. Lord Eddard and four more guards remained in the room.
"My Lady, the night was eventful and I know that you need your rest, but may I suggest that some guards are positioned outside your door for safety?"
"I am grateful for your concern my Lord and I thank you for your suggestion but it won't be needed. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I highly doubt that they will attempt a second assassination on the same night. Especially after this one failed."
Lord Eddard was skeptic at first and seriously contemplated ignoring the girl and stationing guards either way. But he had no reason to doubt her and he had already seen how capable she was of ensuring her own safety if tonight's events were any indication. After all she was right. Only a fool would attempt a second assassination after a failed one on the same night. At last he sighed and relaxed his tense shoulder.
"As you wish my Lady. Rest the remainder of the night and we shall speak more about this once the Sun is up."
Soon Sakura stood alone in her room. When she was sure that she was alone and no one was outside her door, she went and picked up the dagger from where it had landed after she deflected it with her kunai.
It was an impressive blade, to say the least. The hilt was golden with elaborate carvings and embodied with crimson rubies and some deep purple amethysts. The blade itself was magnificent. It was harder than any steel she had ever touched and yet, at the same time, flexible and light as a feather. The steel was as clear as water and sharper than any kunai or shuriken. It was probably sharper than her katana. She touched the tip of the blade to her finger. She hadn't even pressed the blade but there was already a thin line of blood running down her finger. She could only imagine how it would be if she put strength behind it. Whoever had forged this was extremely talented and gifted; even more so than the blacksmiths back home.
Her head shot up when she heard light footsteps approaching but relaxed a second later. She could recognize that gentle, rhythmic stride anywhere.
3…..
2…..
1…..
The door open and closed quickly but silently and not a couple of seconds later she found herself in a pair of strong arms that were hugging her tight against a warm body. Sakura turned around and returned the embrace, burying her nose in his chest. She knew that he would come and she had been expecting him. The young woman knew that he wouldn't be able to come right away. People already saw how much time they spent together and for now only thought that the bastard son had found a friend in the strange outlander. But for him to rush in her room while in the presence of his father and the guards….It would be too suspicious and they didn't want to risk it; they weren't ready to risk it.
"I was so worried Sakura" she heard him whisper "I feared that something bad had happened to you."
She looked up at him and smiled "Come on Jon. You should know better than anyone that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I have fought against the strongest group of criminals back in my land and I was the first one to actually kill one of them. This guy didn't stand a chance."
"Still… That doesn't mean that I can't be worried."
"Well, don't be. I am fine and the assassin is dead."
"Did you kill him?" he asked. Sakura understood that Jon didn't like the idea of killing people but she greatly appreciated that he understood her and accepted her life as a shinobi.
"No, I didn't. Something else did before me." she replied and proceeded to explain what she had told his father. "The assassin also left this behind."
Jon's eyes widened when they fell upon the blade "Where did you find this?"
"In a desperate attempt to kill me, the assassin threw it at me. I've been handling blades all my life but never have I come upon one such as this."
"And I am not surprised" Jon said and carefully took the blade from her hands "This isn't a common dagger. This is made of Vallyrian steel. You'll never find a finer blade. Whoever sent that assassin after you didn't just want to kill you. They also wanted to scar you beyond recognition."
Sakura heard the way he gritted his teeth and saw his fist clench around the hilt. Gently she pried his fingers open and took the blade from his hand before placing it on the bed.
"Well, it didn't happen, did it?"
"But it could have happened! You could have been dead!"
Sakura frowned "Your trust in me renders me speechless."
"Please Sakura. You know how much faith I have in you and your abilities. But I can't help but be scared. Scared that something will happen to you and I won't be there to help you."
She placed her hands on his cheeks and he leaned in to her touch. "I know you're worried Jon but please, trust me. I know how to take care of myself. I've been doing it my whole life."
"But what if it happens again? What if they sent another assassin?"
"I took care of this one, didn't I? What stops me from doing it again?"
"But you are only human!"
"Yes, I am. I am human and I have people to love. And I am going to protect the ones dear to me no matter what the cost."
Jon's eyes hardened "I want to find whoever did this. I want to find them and make them suffer." She had never heard Jon sound so…threatening.
"And you will get your chance. I can promise you that. I'll personally make sure of it. The moment they dared harm Bran, they sighed their deaths."
"Bran?"
"Don't tell me you don't have your suspicions Jon. Whoever did this is behind Bran's 'accident' as well."
"You can't openly accuse them Sakura. Not the Queen. They'll tear you apart before you even manage to blink."
"So you suspect her too, huh?"
"I don't know why but I have a feeling that she has to do something will all these. I wish I hadn't though. She is the most dangerous opponent you could have asked for. She holds power Sakura; enough power to crash us."
Sakura smirked "She might be but I can assure you that I am far more dangerous. And she just happened to play her cards wrong in a game that I've been playing all my life. She can threaten me all she wants. I am not scared. Not many things scare me anymore. But the attempt on Bran's life was the last drop. You want to fight me? Then do it. But touch the people that I love and I'll make you wish you were never born."
"Please remind to never be on the receiving end of your wrath" he said and chuckled before kissing her neck softly.
Sakura giggled and snaked her arms around his neck "I can't promise you anything!"
They stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's presence.
"You're playing a dangerous game Sakura."
The pink haired woman gave him a soft kiss before staring in his grey eyes.
"I will get to the bottom Jon. Not just for me, but for little Brandon. I will bring down the whole of King's Landing if I have to. Whoever did this will pay. With their lives. And let them try to stop me!"
And by the feral smirk on her face, Jon knew…She would keep her promise. Queen Cersei never stood a chance….
The End (for now)
So, this is the second part of the series "The Affairs of Kings" and I am quite pleased with how it turned out even though there isn't much action. But I promise that things will become more complicated from now on. As you have probably guessed I hold a deep loathing for the Lannisters (apart from Tyrion, of course!). Especially Queen Cersei! What I wouldn't give to have her right now in front of me so I can shove that crown down her throat and feed her to a pack of raging raccoons and- Errrr….Yeah! Sorry about that! Moving on! I hope you liked the chapter! Tell me what you think! READ AND REVIEW! Lots of love!