Theon balked at the first rays of sunlight that streamed lazily across the sky. He had hardly slept. He hardly ever slept. That night he strayed between thoughts of Sansa and death. They seemed so closely linked, now more than ever.
He lay curled in the kennels hoping desperately that if he closed his eyes again he would go far away from where he was. He opened his eyes after moments had passed, and sadly found himself exactly where he was before. However, someone had silently come into his kennel without his knowledge in that time.
Myranda stood at its entrance with another horrid smile that Theon realized made her look just as dangerous as Ramsay.
He knew why she was there. She was there to make him doom two innocent women. Myranda was ready to tell Ramsay's dog to go kill.
Theon had become so many things.
A traitor.
A murderer.
A liar.
Even one of Ramsay's dogs.
Am I ready to die?
"Are you ready, pet?" Myranda asked coyly.
Theon walked out into the moist morning air less ready than he had ever been before.
Sansa awoke with apprehension and fear filling her quarters. Doubt, her ever present companion, embraced her in the first hours of dawn. Her plan was a shot into darkness, but Sansa had her candle. She had hope. She was ready.
Don't look her in the eye.
Theon walked into Sansa's room with Myranda waiting for him in the corridor adjacent to the one that lead to her chambers.
Theon kept his head low and placed probably the last tray of food down for Sansa Stark.
Don't look.
Theon looked. Sansa was wearing a warm grey dress and her hair braided up the same way she had it as a girl. It looked like fire, and was light in a room so desolate of life and color.
She looks like her mother. Theon noticed.
Sansa didn't glance Theon's direction once. She stood by her window and watched the commotion of the courtyard below.
He stood there watching. Not daring to disturb the beauty in the silence.
Save the Stark?
Am I ready to be a martyr?
Theon took one last look at the Stark and turned his back on her. Then, before he reached her door, Sansa spoke.
"Thank you."
His conscience snapped. A heavy weight of guilt crushed Theon.
Would I ever be clean of conscience when it comes to the Starks?
He left without glancing back, or uttering a word. He closed Sansa's door. He stood transfixed by the same fork in the road, that had come once again in full circle.
All Theon had to do was leave the door as it was. Unlocked. Unsuspecting.
Shame. Shame. Shame!
If he left now he would live.
Traitor… Traitor… Traitor!
He was consumed with fear and guilt and death. He clung desperately to life, and yet it betrayed him so callously.
As you callously betrayed the Starks. He thought.
Then as if his hands were no longer within his control he reached out and locked the door. His hands shook, but he did it with no more wavering thoughts. He would die but Ramsay would burn with him.
Theon did not know what would become of Sansa, but he wouldn't stain his hands with another Stark's blood.
So he walked away; to his death, but also towards redemption.
A cloak, a candle, and a corkscrew. She hardly wasted a second after she heard the door close behind Theon. She took the corkscrew from the tray he placed down for her for the last time and held it tightly.
She could hardly wait another moment inside the confinements of her room, but she knew she would be caught if she did not. So she waited with her ear pressed to her door; waiting for silence to befall the halls.
Once she heard nothing at all, she began working on the door handle with her corkscrew. Picking locks was never something Sansa had been good at; it was Arya who had been able to open any door.
She wished now more than ever to have asked Arya to teach her how to pick a lock or use a sword. And how to do many things she had thought useless to a lady before.
But Sansa didn't need to pick a lock, she just needed to break down the door handle. She shoved the corkscrew into the keyhole and twisted with the intent of ruining the handle. And ruin it she did.
Sansa pushed and pulled on the weakened door handle but it would not come off. She looked around frustrated. Her eyes landed on the small vanity in the corner of her room. On it was a small metal jewelry chest. She didn't hesitate. She emptied its contents and then smashed it against the handle as hard as she could.
Within moments the door's handle fell off and outward. She pushed the door and walked outside looking out with caution. She took back her corkscrew as a weapon she was ready to use.
She pulled her hood up and walked swiftly through the halls not making eye contact with a single soul. There wasn't many people throughout the hallways, but once she was out in the courtyard there were people moving from one place to another helping prepare to fight Stannis's army that had come.
No one looked Sansa's way as she passed the kennels into Godswood. From there Sansa made her way passing the North gate and the crypts to the Broken Tower. She moved with confidence; not a step unfamiliar to her feet.
Once she reached the opening to the tower she lit her candle and waited. She waited for a sign, a signal, anything. As time dragged on Sansa's confidence wavered. She couldn't wait for someone to find her room empty. She couldn't stay in a tower with a light showing anyone who passed by where she was. Immediately she felt foolish. She was wasting time standing and waiting for someone to save her.
But no one gets saved in a world where little girls see their father's head severed from their body. No, Sansa knew deep down no one would come for her. No one ever had, no one ever would.
Her mind was reeling and she wondered if she could manage to simply walk out of Winterfell just as she had walked out of her room. It appeared too plain to consider possible, but then again Sansa was ready to die trying.
She left the tower and tried to calm her steps and she made her way towards the East Gate, an easy exit place. Although it wasn't from where she was then Sansa knew the likeliness of her being seen by someone who'd recognize her would heighten.
So she pulled her cloak tighter to her face and walked.
SHIT.
Theon thought he had gone insane. Surly he had to be. He could not be seeing Sansa Stark walking through the Great Keep. He had locked her door. He had secured her safety and now she was walking only yards away from him and Myranda.
His hope of Myranda not spotting her was short lived as he looked towards her, her eyes gleamed and with a biting smile she looked ecstatic.
Her eyes followed Sansa.
So did his.
Theon couldn't tell where she was trying to go. She went pass a wagon and two dogs fighting over a bone. Then suddenly she took steps leading up by the East Gate.
Myranda appeared to know Sansa's destination, for she hurried up steps as well while pulling an arrow from its quiver. Theon followed her. She stopped abruptly still smiling.
Myranda stood now with an arrow pulled taunt, waiting for Sansa. Theon prayed for gods to turn Sansa from this outer curtain wall.
As if by thinking her name he made her appear, Sansa walked quickly through a door right into Myranda and himself. She froze with open fear. Her cheeks flushed and eyes moving back and forth between him and Myranda.
"My lady, I've come to escort you back to your chamber." Myranda spoke in a sardonically pleasant voice.
"Go with her...please." Theon managed. If she left with Myranda now maybe, just maybe, he could still save her. She glared at him and he couldn't face her anger.
Sansa although frightened, did not shrink at the sight of either of them. She raised her chin high.
"I know what Ramsay is… I know what he'll do to me. If I am going to die let it happen while there is still some of me left."
Theon knew she was referring to him. Ramsay would take her and ruin everything that made her Sansa Stark. Just as he was Reek, she would become something else.
Myranda lowered her bow slightly, smile still intact.
"Die? Who said anything about dying? You can't die little wolf, Ramsay needs you, well not all of you I supose. Just the parts to produce his heir. Once you've given him that though...Oh he'll have fun with the the other parts...
So should we wait for him to come back or should we begin now?" She said raising her bow once more.
Now Sansa looked terrified. She didn't say a word, only breathed audibly in and out. This only furthering Myranda's glee. She took Sansa's silence as victory.
"You're leaving it to me to decide. Good. Let's begin."
Myranda pulled her arrow back tighter. Theon didn't think at all. He saw Sansa. He saw her give up to Myranda without fighting back, just as he had with Ramsay. He had only one promise left to keep. Protect the Stark.
He didn't think; he grabbed Myranda's arm causing her to let her arrow fly, missing Sansa by a foot. Myranda let out a sound of fury and surprize.
"Reek! Stop!" she shrieked as he pushed her off the wall. Both Sansa and Theon looked down as she fell. She hit the ground with a crack. She didn't move at all.
He looked on with shock. He didn't think at all, he just did. And now Theon was terrified.
What have I done?
Horns sound followed by "Open the gate!" not far away. Ramsay's men were back which meant he would not be far behind.
Theon looked at Sansa and she looked back.
"He's coming back." Theon said. They both knew who.
He grabbed her hand and ran with her up more steps further from the gate. They turned reaching the end of the curtain wall with the First Keep's turret. Theon let go of Sansa's hand and stepped onto the walls edge facing outside Winterfell.
She didn't hesitate to join him on the edge. They both looked down at the snow that somehow, even though most had melted, was there, and it could save their lives.
Theon looked at Sansa, and Sansa looked back to him.
He reached out his hand to her's. She took his hand in her's and held tightly. they both looked down without looking back.
If I am going to die, have it be now while there is still some of me left…
With his thoughts on Sansa's words they both jumped. Hands still entwined they didn't let go. Two caged birds flew towards the ground; free at last.
A/N: Long time no post! Well here it is, another chapter. I hope you all liked it because I really like it and I'm really excited about where this story is going to be headed after here, so please comment what your thoughts are, follow and favorite if you like my story because I promise it's only going to get more awesome from here.