She was numb.

Her whole body had lost its feeling long ago- and not just from the cold. Though Brienne had tried to light the warmth back inside of her, Sansa was fearful it would never again return. Though she clutched the furlined cloak close to her shoulders, the chill of the wintry air bit at her cheeks, her neck. Though she had long since dried off, she could still feel the sting of the ice cold water of the river she had crossed. Though her fears were left behind her, she could still feel the ghosts of his hands moving across her body...

"Lady Sansa?"

She jumped, the sound of Brienne's voice breaking into her wandering mind. Sansa turned her head, peering across at the woman who had sworn to protect her. "We're just about there." Brienne raised a hand, pointing out at the top of a gate she could just see overhead the trees ahead of them. "Come." She kicked her horse back into movement and Sansa did the same, following after Brienne, lapsing back into the silence she'd grown so accustomed to.

It was hard to imagine that after all this time she was finally going to be reunited with Jon, with her brother. In the time that had passed since she'd last seen him, in the time since everything bad had begun to happen, she had thought of her relationship with Jon. She had never treated him as he had deserved and she of course regretted that now. After everything that had happened, she had a different outlook on her life, on her ideals, on her family. And now, potentially Jon was the only one left besides her. They needed each other. She needed him. And she needed his forgiveness.

"Open the gates!" A man was calling out overhead as she and Brienne approached the gate, she feeling increasingly more sick to her stomach. She could not believe this moment was finally here. But now that it was... Why did she feel like running? "Who are you?" Another man spoke as the gate opened, revealing to them the inner workings of Castle Black, the home of the Night's Watch. The man was looking from Brienne to Sansa, the latter looking as if she'd fall off her horse at any given moment.

"This is Lady Sansa Stark, we come seeking her brother, The Lord Commander Jon Snow." Brienne's tenor vocals rang out and the man blinked, before stepping back, allowing the two women on horseback to pass through the gates. They rode into the center of the courtyard, while most of the Night's men went on with their tasks- though some did have to stop and do a double take, as the presence of a woman within their walls was nearly unheard of. But to have two of them? Now that was unheard of.

Sansa drew her horse to a stop behind Brienne, slipping herself down, giving herself a moment to take in her surroundings. It reminded her of home, in a strange sort of way. It reminded her of Jon. As she turned back around, she suddenly caught sight of him, there on the stairwell with men on his either side. There was only a split second before he noticed her, standing there beside her horse. He stared back at her, as if he wasn't certain of what he was seeing, as if he had seen a ghost. And then... Then he was on the move.

Jon could not believe his eyes.

There she stood, in his own courtyard, looking pale and frightened. Even from such a distance, he could see the faded bruises on her face, could see the tension of her limbs beneath her cloak. What had happened to his sister? He nearly stumbled in his rush to reach her, rushing down the stairs to stand before her, drinking in the sight of her lovely face. How much time had passed? He could not believe that this young woman was Sansa, his own sister. But this was not the sister he recalled so well from childhood; this was a woman tainted by something unseen, this was a woman broken by the hands of men. He felt something rush through him, a twist of red hot anger and icy cold despair. Oh, just what had they done to her?

But then again, it didn't matter much, because now she was there and he could protect her from whatever was to come.

Jon took a single step forward just as she came rushing into his arms, throwing herself at him while from her lips fell his whispered name. He embraced her so that he swept her off her feet, the chill of her body against his own drawing only more concern. "Sansa..." He murmured, his voice muffled against the crown of her head, gentling his grasp on her when he felt her tremble. As he settled her back onto her feet, he cupped her cheeks between his palms, gazing into her beautiful blue eyes that had filled with tears. His own were damp, threatening to spill over, and he closed them a moment. When he opened them again, she was still yet there and her lips had begun to curve into the smallest of smiles. He recalled then a moment from their childhood, when she had woven daisy crowns into her hair and called herself Queen Sansa, when her smile had been as radiant as the sun. Now, her smile was half-hearted, as if she'd forgotten what it was like to be happy. He made a silent vow, right then and there, to break whoever had broken her. A silent vow to bring back the smile he remembered so well.