BROKEN THINGS
I know, it's been so so long. I don't want to get too into it, but I have been busy with school and life, and it's hard to write when you have a lot of stress blocking any inspiration. Those who read my Somewhere Over The Rainbow have a better idea of what's going on. I'm just tired of explaining.
But good news, I wont be disappearing again after this chapter, because I already typed up chapter three after this. And hopefully by the time I publish that, chapter four will be done, and so fourth.
ALSO, as I promised before, I made a tumblr where I'll be posting pictures of the characters, and info, and outfits. It's easier than to post links in my profile.
so it's kyra-athens dot tumblr dot com, and for the password, it is kyra.
if anyone is having trouble viewing it, please PM me, or saw so in a review if you don't have an account.
CHAPTER TWO,
Of Men and Mutts
KYRA'S POV
I shared a room with my nieces, Lyanna and Alia, who were both thirteen - they were twins - and Daena Karstark, who was also thirteen, and had a twin brother who was in another room. Needless to say I wasn't very happy sharing a room with three young girls that did nothing but squable over how attractive Lord Eddard's sons and ward were.
After I had unpacked my clothes and other belongings, I took this moment to leave the room. Supper wasn't to be served in a few hours, so I decided to use that time to play with the hounds. If memory served me correctly, they were across the courtyard. I changed from my breeches to blue and grey skirts, with a black jerkin. I was dressing kind of lightly, since there were no need for furs in Winterfell. The tall walls kept most of the wind away, and that's why it was always so calm. A feat I never liked, since the wind was always comforting. It meant a great deal in Noxtown. If the wind stopped blowing, it was an ill omen.
I picked up my skirts from getting dirty by the muddy ground; if I were going to supper wearing these, I didn't want to look terribly dirty. However, in heighnsite, visiting the hounds wouldn't be a very good idea. But there was honestly nothing else to do, unless I go to the library, and see those scrolls and books that I was so invested in as a child.
Nearly halfway across the courtyard, a voice made me stop. A voice that I wasn't looking foreword to be reinquianted with.
"Well, well, well, Kyra Athens..."
I turn on my heel and see Theon Greyjoy approaching me alone. He had hair on his lip and chin, the hair on his head had thinned but darkened, and he looked less as charming as I remember him to be. Though, he was just as arrogant, you could tell in his swagger, with one hand hidden in his jerkin and the other on the hilt of his short sword.
"Greyjoy." I lost my courtesies over the years. Especially around men like him.
It wasn't subtle the way he scanned me up and down and I didn't try to hide my eye roll either.
"Did you split in two over the years?" He asked with revolting smirk.
"What do you want?"
"You developed an attitude as well... You sure you're the real Kyra Athens?" He bit his lip and scanned me once again, "Where are you headed? I'll walk you there."
Again, an eyeroll, but this time I turned on my heel, picked up my skirts and started walking my own way without answering him. It didn't take me long to hear his boots crunch across the ground as he jogs to my side.
"Still running away from me, I see? Can't say I can complain. The view is fair."
"There will only be two instances in which you will see my backside..." I snapped.
"Once when I am riding you like a hound does a bitch, and another you are sitting on my face?"
When I spun around on my heel, he was smirking, his gaunt comely face twisted in a perverse smirk. "Once when I walk away from you, and another when I use your skin for the hide to my saddle."
His smirk fell slightly, and now his eyes were challenging, "A girl threatens me. I hope you realize that I am not a boy anymore, Kyra. I don't fight with wooden swords anymore..."
"You speak as if you're a man. But you're no more the boy than I last saw you. You play with your iron swords, Ironborn. And I'll play with my steel ones, and we shall see which metal breaks first."
His cheeky smile was completely gone now, and he looked like a wounded, pissed off puppy. With one last smile, I turned back around and walked towards the kennel.
I smiled at the sounds of their yips, whines, and barks. Farlen was grumbling as he swung open the door to the shack, and paused as he peered at me as if he could hardly see me. Though the Thunderbird on my jerkin told him who exactly I was.
"Kyra Athens," he chuckled. "It's been a long time. Came to see my hounds?"
I smiled, "Of course. I'm guessing that the ones I remember are long gone by now?"
"Ah well, we still got Blizzard, but he's old and blind. The others we lost in hunts, or died from illness. Come on, I was just about to feed them. One of the bitches just gave birth to a litter the other week."
And sure enough when he guided me into the kennel with his bucket full of scrap meat, I heard the little yips and barks of puppies, and all memories of Theon from seconds ago disappeared.
JON SNOW
It's been a few hours since the Athens had arrived, and supper would be served soon. Jon and his half brother Robb were walking across the courtyard when they spotted a sullen looking Greyjoy heading in their direction.
"Theon! What's got your face all twisted and sour?" Robb asked, a slight smile at the end of his lips. "Saw you talking to Kyra..."
"The fat bitch doesn't know what she's missin'," Theon grumbled and stood in front of us. "I miss the days when she would shut her mouth and run off cryin'."
Robb laughed and Jon just stood there, gritting his jaw, and trying not to be caught glancing over to the kennel, where Kyra was.
"I haven't spoken to her yet. I still can't believe it, though... Did she hurt your pride that much, Theon?" Robb asked jokingly.
Theon went red, "No. She's just a stupid girl. If she had any sense she would have fallen into my arms and begged me to take her into my bedchamber."
"Perhaps that is what makes her wise," Jon somehow found his voice, tearing his eyes away from the Kennels. "You did treat her terrible."
Theon scoffed, but Robb agreed, "He has a point, Theon. You were rather cruel to her. I don't see how surprised you can be about that."
The look Greyjoy gave Robb was expected. Even Jon wanted to give his brother that look as well. But neither of them did anything but open their mouth to gape at Robb. Did he forget he was also one of the reasons why Kyra never came back to Winterfell as well? Not even Jon was innocent in this case, but unlike Greyjoy and Robb, Jon was guilty the moment he said it, and have been regretting it ever since.
But unlike his brother and his father's ward, Jon had no courage to approach her.
"I'm going to talk to her. It's the right thing to do," Robb smiled. "You two head back to the castle, I'll meet up with you later."
Robb didn't wait for them to leave as he swaggered off towards the kennel. Theon rolled his eyes, "She's going to chew him out. I love Robb like a brother, but he's mad if he thinks that she's going to forget everything."
Jon turned slowly to look at him, "Just like you did?"
Greyjoy glared at the Bastard, "Don't start, Snow. You're not innocent either. Worst of all, wasn't she your friend?"
Jon grit his teeth, "I'm going to my chambers." He turned on his heel and stomped off.
KYRA'S POV
Farlen left me to the litter of puppies; I sat on a stack of hay with one hound on my lap, and the others yipping at my feet, some tugging at my skirts, and one attempting to climb on the stack of hay to see what I was doing. I was too preoccupied with the bundle of fluff in my arms to notice the sound of crunching as boots approached the shack, and the sound of the gate opening. The small hound bit on my thumb with tiny teeth, then tried to attack the rest of my hand but failed to get it all in his mouth.
"Silly mutt," I smiled, wrestling him with my hand.
"Don't think I remember you ever smiling," came a voice.
Looking up, that very smile turned into a straight line when I saw who it was, "Lord Stark... What can I do for you?" I may hate his guts, but he was still the future Warden of the North, and therefore my superior. The last thing I wanted was an ill allegiance between Stark and Athens after he takes his father's place, especially just because a lack of formality from me.
He smiled, which was a change from Theon's smirk, "You can call me Robb, you know... We're family after all."
"Distant," I reminded, "I'm your second cousin... And I haven't see you since we were young."
"I suppose that's true," he crossed his arms and leaned against a barrel. He changed the subject, "What are you doing in here all by yourself? Why don't you come with me through the Godswood; we can talk."
The pup in my arms seemed to notice I wasn't paying attention to him, and then curled himself in my arms, and placed his nose between my thumb and index finger. "There isn't much to talk about..."
"I'm sure we can come up with 10 years worth of conversation," he laughed a bit, but faltered when I didn't join him. His brows furrowed and his head turned to the side like one of the hound puppies. "Kyra, what's wrong?"
I blinked at him, not believing he's going to stand there and pretend that there shouldn't be anything wrong. "You're fooling me, Robb Stark. Why are you talking to me? Why are you being nice to me?"
If he looked confused before, he was even more befuddled now, "What are you talking about? We're family-"
"No, we're not. We haven't been family for well over ten years. You're a stranger to me as much as I am to you," I stood up, gently putting the pup on the floor with his brothers and sisters. "We haven't even been friends."
Robb stood straight, his arms swinging at his side, his face turning more serious, "Kyra-"
"You don't remember do you? Or do you even want to remember? Of course you don't... The Perfect Robb Stark cannot possibly be a vile spoiled little Lord, so it couldn't have possibly have happened," I picked up my skirts and made way past him.
I could feel his aura change, much more darker than I did with Theon, "I see the fat moved from your thighs to your head, Athens." He turned and glared at me. At the comment I stopped and turned around, and did a very unladylike thing.
I punched him in the face.
"Nice to see you again, Robb," I said spitefully, and stomped off.
Sorry it's so short, but it becomes more interesting in the next chapter, and by the fourth chapter, there will be more Jon/Kyra moments!
Happy Readings xoxox
