"We found two more deserters from the Night's Watch, my lord," Ser Rodrik Cassel said as Lyvia sat in Lord Eddard Stark's office.
"What is happening?" Lord Stark muttered as he gave Lyvia a chilly glance with his cold grey eyes and stood up from his seat.
Lyvia lowered her eyes, but listened carefully to their conversation.
"Two, you say?" Lord Stark asked.
"Aye. They were dressed in black and they seemed confused. They will bring them to Winterfell, if you so desire, my lord. But I don't see what they could possibly say," Ser Rodrik replied.
"Law is the law," Lord Stark stated. "But I have to wonder what is driving these men away from the Wall? What could possibly up there that frightens them so?" His voice lowered. "Ask Jory to come up, Ser Rodrik," Lord Stark said as he returned to his seat.
"Two more deserters?" Lyvia asked. "I thought… that man you executed earlier. I thought he was the only one found." She searched her memories for any mention of more deserters in the book. Of course, there were always deserters, but the one she remembered was already dead. Will, the ranger who served with Gared and Waymar Royce, was the one Lord Stark beheaded… at least in the television show.
Her eyes flashed up to Lord Stark's face as he observed her.
"What do you know of the deserter, who was executed?" he asked.
"I just know that the Brothers of the Night's Watch take an oath to protect the realm on the Wall. And if they leave without permission, they are labeled a deserter and they are punished by execution."
"And where did you find this knowledge?"
"I read," she said quickly as a knock sounded on the door.
"Enter," Lord Stark called.
The wooden door opened silently and Jory Cassel stepped in. He gave Lord Stark a short bow and nodded to Lyvia. "My lord, you sent for me?"
Lord Stark nodded. "I am going to question the two deserters they found once they are brought to Winterfell. I need you to keep an eye on our guest, here. I'm sure she won't be any trouble."
"My lord, should I put her in one of the cells?" Jory asked.
"If you feel she is a threat to our safety, you may," Lord Stark replied.
Jory was at a loss for words as he took a quick glance at Lyvia. "What am I to do with her?"
"My lord, these two deserters - were they dressed in the black of the Night's Watch?" Could they be the two guys who slept in the back of the van? She couldn't remember what they wore, nor could she remember their names. What about Peter or Maureen or Mandy?
"I suspect as such. They were identified as members of the Brotherhood by the guards," he gave her a calming stare. "Why do you ask?"
"I am missing members of my party, my lord," she replied. "And I am trying to locate them so we could all go home."
"And where is that?" he leaned forward and his eyes turned cold once again.
"You would think me mad, my lord," she replied. "It's far away… too far to know the exact distance."
"Like in the Free Cities?" Jory asked with his arms crossed. "That would explain the strange clothes."
"I would say beyond the Free Cities," she said. "Way beyond, the Free Cities." She didn't know how to explain that she was from another time and place, especially when she didn't understand it herself.
Jory looked confused as she said those words and he gave Lord Stark a strange expression.
"I just don't belong here. There are seven of us here and we don't belong in this world," she said to Jory. Turning to Lord Stark, she sighed. "I know it's difficult to understand, my lord, but please… I need assistance in finding my companions. I don't know the lay of this land and they could be anywhere. I know the location of only one of them, and I pray she's still there and safe."
"Where?"
"I left her in the van… in the woods, my lord, before I came across your riding party."
"Jory, take her back to the woods and find her friend and bring them back here," Lord Stark said. "I want to keep control of the situation as much as possible."
Jory nodded. "Yes, my lord," he replied. "Come along." He led her out of the office and down to the courtyard where the Stark boys were sparring with their swords.
Lyvia stopped for a moment to watch them. The tallest boy with dark auburn hair and grey eyes swung his sword at a dark-haired boy with a cocky smile. The two smaller boys, both with dark auburn hair, sat and watched with smiles on their faces. "Those are the boys, right? Robb, Brandon, and Rickon?" Lyvia asked Jory.
Jory nodded. "And Theon Greyjoy, Lord Stark's ward."
Lyvia nodded with a groan.
"You don't like Theon Greyjoy?" he asked.
Lyvia pressed her lips together and didn't say a word. "I guess I don't know him," she replied. She knew him. She knew what he was capable of doing and what he would eventually do. But she knew that if she breathed a word of the future of this world, she might inadvertently change it. Even a fictional world has its timeline and she didn't want to mess it up.
She followed Jory to the stables, where a giant of a man lumbered forward. "Hodor," she breathed as she looked up at his face. She stared into the brown eyes and his blank expression.
"Hodor?" he asked as Jory passed him.
"Oh my God!" a girl screamed.
Lyvia turned to find Mandy racing towards her. She felt relieved to see a familiar face. "Mandy? What is it? Where have you been?"
Mandy was breathless as she doubled over. Her dress was torn along the hem and her red hair was in disarray. She caught her breath and pointed at the guardsmen, who slowed down and then stopped when they saw Jory behind them. "They were chasing me through the woods!" she said with a gasp. "They kept calling me a wildling! Do I look like a wildling? Really! I worked hard on this Sansa costume!"
"Sansa?" Jory asked with a raised eyebrow.
Lyvia quieted Mandy down. "This is Jory Cassel," she said to her. "The Captain of the Guards in Winterfell."
Mandy gave her widest smile. "Wow, you really did a great job on your costume," she said to him. "I didn't know they were having a full-sized role playing thing going at the Con. Why didn't you tell me, Lyvvie?" She fussed with the nest of hair on her head as Jory looked confused.
"Costume?" he asked Lyvia. "Is this woman one of your companions? She may have hit her head and become delusional. I can send for Maester Luwin if you'd like."
"It's not necessary, believe me," she told Jory. "Mandy, where are the others? Where did you go after the accident?"
Mandy thought for a moment. "I don't know… I remember Kate screaming and then everything went dark with the lights going out in the van. I woke up in the middle of nowhere! And I got chased by some thing in the woods and it got the hem of my dress." She pointed at her light salmon colored dress and lifted the hem to examine the tear.
Jory turned his eyes away from her, sending Hodor into the stables to fetch another horse. "Will you not be needing a horse to go search for your companion?" he asked Lyvia.
"I need her to stay here and be watched while I go with you," she said.
"You suspect she may cause trouble?" he whispered in her ear.
"I think she may be trouble," Lyvia replied as Mandy fussed over her dress. "Mandy…"
Mandy sighed and turned towards Lyvia. "What's happening?"
"I need you to stay here while I go find Kate. Can you do that?"
"Well, of course I can… but where's Kate?" she asked.
"I left her at the van. And I left her a note to stay there," Lyvia said. "You can stay here in Winterfell and keep out of trouble, all right?" She paused for a moment and thought of one more thing to tell her. "And do not under any circumstances reveal any spoilers."
"I don't reveal spoilers, unless they ask me," Mandy said.
"I could have one of the guards watch her," Jory suggested.
"Is Septa Mordane busy?" Lyvia asked.
"Septa? Seriously? I'd rather spend time with Sandor. Is Sandor here?" Mandy moaned.
Lyvia's face turned pink as her face twisted into an exasperated expression. She glanced at Jory, who stifled a smile as he checked the saddle on his horse. Turning back around, her eyes narrowed on Mandy, who didn't seem to understand the concept of keeping a low profile. "Look, you need to keep things like that to yourself."
"Why? We're all cosplayers here… well, except for you," she commented.
"This is not a cosplay role playing theme park," she said in a hushed voice. "I think we're really in Westeros and this is Winterfell. We don't belong here. And the sooner we find everyone and get out the better off we'll all be."
Mandy released a cackle of laughter that attracted the attention of the Stark boys and Theon Greyjoy as well as the other workers around the castle. "You're pulling me leg!" she said aloud with a loud laugh that pierced Lyvia's ears.
"Are you sure you don't want me to call the guards to watch her?" Jory asked.
"She'd probably be safer in one of the cells in the dungeon," she replied as Hodor appeared with a horse. "Thank you, Hodor."
Hodor gave her a quick grin and replied, "Hodor!"
Mandy squealed. "Oh! A Hodor!" She pointed as though she had seen a movie star.
Hodor dropped his grin and stared at the girl with a confused expression.
"Oh! Can you carry me? Like you did Bran…" she started when Lyvia gripped her under the arm and pulled her aside. "What…?"
"You can't say things like that! It's not happened yet! We don't want to change anything in the timeline… we can't do anything that would change the story!" Lyvia said.
"What are you going on about?" Mandy asked with a frustrated expression. "Oh! Is Peter here? Is he playing Jon Snow? Where's Jon Snow?" She glanced around the courtyard to find a dark haired boy standing with the two youngest Stark boys as they watched Robb and Theon spar with their swords. "There he is! Jon! Jon Snow!" She waved frantically.
Lyvia had to grip her by the upper arms and shake her. "Mandy! Are you crazy? What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm enjoying myself while I'm here. Westeros or fake Westeros, it doesn't matter. This is supposed to be my fun weekend." She waved as the dark haired boy with a flirtatious smile.
Jory checked the saddle on her horse before turning to her with her reins. "Are you ready to go?"
Lyvia shook her head. It was clear that she couldn't leave Mandy alone in Winterfell for fear that she may say something stupid or worse something that would change the story. She glared at the red-haired girl as her mouth twitched with irritation. "I can't leave her here alone," she told Jory.
Jory laughed at her and for the first time she saw the softness in his eyes. "Did you want me to get another horse saddled?"
Lyvia sighed and glanced at Mandy. "Can you ride?" she asked.
Mandy shook her head. "I hate horses. They smell." Her nose crinkled.
Lyvia shook her head. "Perhaps the Septa could watch her…" She turned to Mandy before she could say a word and snapped at her. "No arguments," she said.
Mandy opened her mouth to protest but closed it again.
"I'll go and inform the Septa to expect a new student," Jory said with a smirk.
"I'll come too!" Mandy ran after him and hooked her arm in his. She glanced back at Lyvia with a wide grin as Jory led her back inside the castle.
Lyvia shook her head and hoped that Mandy would remember her requests and not open her big mouth when she was with the Septa and her students. Fat chance of that ever happening, she thought. Her eyes caught the passing glance of Jon Snow as he stood with his half-brothers. What's going to happen when the King arrives?