Sansa II

Joffrey's golden hair lifted gently as the breeze blew through the balcony. His mouth was moving, but the voice, the words, were all wrong.

"Shh, don't worry...I'll keep you safe."

Joffrey came closer, hand on her shoulder, and suddenly she was in the cafeteria, watching in horror as Arya smacked her crush with a tray, busting his lip open. He turned angry eyes on her, and then she was running, the janitor's hand clammy in her own as they fled down the hallway, busting through the doors into a clear blue day-

-Suddenly she's choking, she can't breathe, and bright swamp eyes fill her vision and she can't breathe, can't talk, there's nothing but void, not cold not chilly just nothing pain pain stop!

Sansa screamed as she jerked awake, bonking her head painfully against the wall. She scrambled out of the blanket until the corner of the wall was cool against her back, and struggled to control her breathing. A whining at the door caught her attention. Glad that her legs didn't betray her, the redhead crossed the small room and opened it, letting Ghost in. The huge canine took up most of the bed when he jumped on it, but she didn't care. Locking her door, she wiggled between the white fur and the wall. As Ghost whined again and licked her hand, she could feel her panic subside, faster than it usually did. Sansa buried her face against him.

"Thank you."


When Jon and Ygritte woke up, she had already made pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Jon stumbled in first, bleary eyed and shirtless. Sansa turned to greet him and almost dropped her skillet before recovering.

"Morning." He yawned. "Whatcha making?" Ghost barked at him, happily showing off the bacon in his mouth. "Oh man, soon he's going to love you more than me if you keep that up."

Sansa laughed. "Can't help. He's a good boy." She looked at him again and rolled her eyes, smirking. "Up late last night?" At his confused look, she pointed at him.

"What?" He looked down at himself and his pale complexion turned bright red as he noticed the bite marks across his torso. "Shit! Uhm." He took back off towards the bedroom, and Sansa giggled as she noticed the long scratch marks that ran down his back. Barely a minute after he left, she heard Ygritte's loud laughter explode from their room, and Sansa giggled harder.

When he returned a few moments later, He was wearing a shirt and trailing behind Ygritte, hand in hand. Sansa nodded at them in greeting and motioned to the table. "Everything's ready, just help yourself." They did so, Ygritte playfully bumping his hip as they maneuvered through the too-small space, and Jon more than once took the opportunity to play with her hair or hands, drawing more and more shine into her eyes as she pretended to be unaffected. Their not-quite-subtle antics ended with Jon getting her a glass of juice and Ygritte switching their plates while he did so he got the bigger portion of eggs.

As they fixed themselves plates, Sansa grabbed herself a cup of coffee and dropped another piece of bacon beside her chair to bribe Ghost over to her side as she ate. The group was silent for a while, digging into the food as if none had eaten in weeks.

"This is good, Sansa." Jon commented, finally breaking the comfortable silence.

Absently thanking him, she asked "What do you have going on today? I was hoping we could figure out which contractor we are gonna use and then set up an appointment for when we get to the house."

Jon thought for a moment. "I have to do some work, but I should be free in a few hours." He looked at Ygritte. "Wait, what's today? Is today the day we said we'd help Tormund with his busted fence?"

Ygritte didn't bother swallowing her egg before she responded. "Yes, Jon Snow, that was today. But it doesn't matter, you can enjoy being stuck inside on a sunshine day, we can handle it without you."

Jon frowned. "I said I'd help, it doesn't feel right going back on that."

Shaking her head, Ygritte patted his cheek. "We can manage without you. Work with your blasted crows. It'll be fine."

"Are you sure? Because I can-"

"I said it's fine, Jon." Ygritte snapped coldly. Jon stared at her, hurt clear on his face, and Sansa hoped her flinch had gone unnoticed. Her fingers dug into Ghost's fur and he nuzzled her leg. Ygritte sighed and her tone turned apologetic. "Help your sister, okay? That's all I meant.." She stared down at her plate for a moment before she stood up. "Thanks for breakfast…I've got to get dressed and head over." The curly haired woman made a motion to touch Jon but then hastily turned it into taking care of her food before she left. Jon stared after her in bafflement, and Sansa tried hard to not show that she had noticed.

They finished eating in silence. Sansa made her cousin a cup of coffee before she left to get dressed and he opened his small laptop. He flashed her a small smile and she couldn't resist. Sansa grasped his hand and squeezed it, giving him what she hoped was a comforting look.


Later, after she had showered, she remembered the dream. Even with Ghost cuddles, she had not been able to get back to sleep, and had given up when she heard the morning birds.

"You're a right pretty singer, aren't you little bird?"

"Little bird...your voice has a sweetness in it."

Sansa shook her head, pinching the skin of her arm sharply. She did not need to think of those words, nor of those people.

She needed to get to work, to get home. Where the only voices she would hear were the memories of her parents, and her family, in days long gone.


Rickon I

"SCHOOL IS STUPID!"

"Hush, child."

Scowling, the lean boy with a curly mop of reddish hair glared at his companion. "I'm not a child, Osha, stop calling me that."

Osha scowled back. "Stop screaming like one and I wouldn't use the term, child." She passed by him from where he sat at the table, his workbook spread in front of him, and grabbed the milk from the fridge before grabbing the measuring cups. "And don't make that face at me."

How does she always know Rickon thought even as he denied it. Her snort made it obvious she didn't believe him. He transferred his angry gaze to the absolutely useless assigned homework in front of him.

Meera usually helped him understand literature, but she was at one of her club meetings today, and wouldn't be back until much later. He leaned back, crossing his arms and pushing the chair on its back two legs. He hated school. It had been bad enough when he was taught at home with Mr. Luwin, learning sums and dead names that he didn't care about instead of exploring the woods their house had backed into with Shaggydog. And then he had to go to school via bus, where everyone was always talking and pushing and the teachers were always tired and muttering…

No, thanks. He hadn't realized how much freedom was out there until he had left this house, and he did not like having to wake up while it was still dark, did not like having to spend the days in a stupid broken desk that your knees bumped into, did not like carrying his bag home with six books every night… There had only ever been one time he liked school and that..

He jammed his pencil into his workbook, the lead tearing into the thin paper satisfyingly.

Osha took the pencil out of his hand and tapped his knuckles with it softly. "Enough of that. Show a good effort, and when the muffins are done I'll let you have first pick."

The boy nodded sullenly, accepting the pencil back. He let out a small huff as she ruffled his hair, but set the chair down and diligently went to work.