Hi !
Here I am, finally, with a new chapter!
I hope you guys liked the end of season 3, I sure did, even though it was heartbreaking.
I felt lucky I had read the books...
Anyway, here's another chapter! It's the longest I've written, and we are catching up with the start of the show.
Thank you for the alerts, please review !
Enjoy ! x

CHAPTER VI
Raelyn

She winced in pain as she mounted her horse. After three weeks, her shoulder had mostly healed, but it was still a sensitive area, especially when she did things like riding. She had forced herself to get comfortable on her horse again and not let herself develop a fear of it. Of course, the first time had been hard. She remembered Robb's blood on her hands and the insurmountable pain that she had felt. But her father had helped her through it, and she was fine with it now. She had to be careful with her shoulder, but her wounds had healed, physically and mentally. Only a thin scar on her face remembered her everyday of what she had lived with Robb. The young man had surprisingly took less time to heal. Of course, he would wear the scars on his neck all his life, but his ankle and ribs were as good as new.

It had been a rough three weeks. She did not recall the first few days as she had been drinking milk of the poppy every hour. After a while she recovered enough to eat and sleep normally, and Maester Ludwin insisted for her to exercise her arm so it wouldn't become numb. It had been painful, but her father, her cousin Beth and Theon had been at her side to help.

She had not seen Robb much, except for the few times they let them visit each other. They had not spoke much of the attack, wanting the chase away the horrifying memory. But Raelyn knew very well the time had to come, they just weren't ready for it. Of course, Lord Stark had asked them to tell the story, and since then, Arya had been calling her «Wolfbreaker». The nickname made Raelyn shiver but it was sweet coming from the brown-haired girl.

As she rode silently beside her father in the cold, dim morning light, she noticed the worried glances he shot at her. Of course, Jory had been troubled by the recent events and seemed to take a closer eye at his daughter. She doubted he would let her go riding alone any time soon, even less if it was with Robb. She had tried to explain to him that it wasn't Robb's fault, but Jory wouldn't have it. «You won't venture off like that again, I won't let you» he had said. She knew he would be true to his word.

Still, a part of her was glad her father took care of her like that. With his duties, she usually rarely got to spend quality time with him. These days he was always making an effort, most of the time taking her with him at his early patrols around Winterfell.

"How's your shoulder ?" he asked.

"Better. I barely feel anything."

It wasn't completely true since she felt a sharp pinch everytime the horse made a step. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. Jory slowly nodded.

"I'm far better, Father. Don't worry." He shot her a look.

"You know I can't do that." She sighed.

"Well, try. Didn't you kill all the wolves in that forest?"

"There will be more. Winter is coming."

She frowned at him. Her father rarely said the Stark words, but as he did, she felt a shiver travel down her spine. It seemed to make it more real. She looked far ahead, gazing at the pale green mountains and the grey sky. It was a foggy morning, and as they went up a small hill, they could barely see in front of them.

She frowned as she noticed a dark spot a few meters ahead of them.

"Father," she said quietly, but he was already looking at it. The silhouette became clearer. It was a man, all dressed in black. Jory sighed.

"Isn't that the black of the Night's Watch ?" she asked, and her father nodded, his face dark.

"It is. And if he's running so far from Castle Black, he must be a deserter."

Raelyn stared at her father. She knew what fate waited the deserters. Beheading. She shivered.

"I won't stop him alone, he might fight. Go back to Winterfell, inform the other guards and stay there. I'll watch him closely. I don't think he noticed us." She nodded and turned her horse on his heels, quickly riding back to the castle.

She first found her uncle Rodrick who quickly informed his men before running to the castle. She looked at the small pack of guards leaving on their horses. As much as she wanted to follow them, she knew it was best to obey her father. She unsaddled her horse and guided him to the stables, where she asked the boy if he could take care of his toilet.

Her shoulder felt heavy as she walked back to the castle. She found Robb, Jon, Bran and Rickon in the courtyard practicing archery. Lifting her eyes, she saw her uncle talk to Lord and Lady Stark. Theon stood beside him. The young man, as much as he had been there while she was recovering, had pretty much ignored her since she had been up on her feet again. Sighing, she walked to Robb.

"What is it ?" he asked with a frown, probably reading the trouble on her face.

"We found a deserter. From the Night's Watch."

Robb's face hardened. He too knew what that meant. He opened his mouth but was cut off by Lord Stark.

"Robb, gather your brothers, except Rickon, we have to -"

"I know. You want Bran to come ?"

His voice was low, but not begging. Raelyn knew, even though it shocked her, that all the boys needed to assist their father in duties like this. But Bran is so young. His father probably thought it was the right time. She left father and son and walked to Rickon who stared at the group with wide eyes. The same color as his brother.

"Why can't I go ?" he asked, his mouth sulking.

"What your father has to do is not for children, Rickon," she replied softly at the young boy.

"But Bran is going."

"You will go one day. Soon, maybe. It's up to your father." She smiled at him.

"Want to play hide and seek ?" The small boy broke into a smile and nodded frenetically.

She took Rickon's hand and glanced at the castle doors. The group was already ready to leave. She met Robb's eyes. He smiled at her. How handsome is he. Her fondness of Robb had only grown since the wolf attack. She now felt attached to him, with an unbreakable link. Sharing something so horrible could have teared them apart, but it only brought them closer. I owe him my life. She smiled back, hoping he would know how to be careful. But he was far from alone, and she trusted the men he was with.

Rickon started to pull on her hand and she turned to him.

"Raelyn, can I touch your scar ?" The question took her by surprise.

"Why do you want to touch it ?" She wasn't ashamed of it, not really, but it still felt weird everytime she saw it or when somebody reminded her of it.

"Robb said I could." Raelyn couldn't hold back her laughter.

"He told you that ?" Rickon nodded with a wide smile.

"Well if Robb says it, you can." She kneeled to be at his height and he lifted his hand to touch her face. His touch was so light she barely felt it.

"It feels funny," he stated seriously. "But you're still pretty." She smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"You're prettier than me."

Then she sent him off to hide somewhere and he quickly ran away.

"Don't leave the courtyard, Rickon !" she yelled, rolling her eyes at the child's eagerness. As she looked for the little boy, Raelyn saw Lady Catelyn approach.

She had never been very close to Lord Stark's wife, but she knew her as a kind, just and loving woman. She loved her children more than anything. But her resentment towards Jon had always made Raelyn uneasy. She understood how the young boy reminded her of her husband's infidelity, but her hatred was exaggerated to Raelyn's eyes. She stared at the Lady's long, auburn hair as she got closer, a kind smile on her lips.

"He's a wild thing, isn't he ?" she said.

Raelyn smiled back at her but couldn't answer as she saw Rickon from the corner of her eye before chasing him down. She took him in her arms as he laughed hysterically.

"He is," she said at Lady Catelyn, who chuckled.

Raelyn put Rickon back on the ground and the boy ran off to hug his mother before taking back his small wooden sword, fighting an imaginary enemy.

"You're like a sister to him," said Lady Catelyn when Raelyn got closer.

She smiled. He's like my brother too. She had seen Rickon grow up, and even though she wasn't a Stark, it felt a little like it.

"He'll grow up to be as strong as his brothers," she said, looking at Rickon.

"I just hope he won't be as restless as Robb," chuckled Lady Catelyn before shooting her a significant look. Raelyn smiled awkwardly.

"I remember when you and Robb were children. Always taking off on adventures and taking back to the castle everything you would find. It drove Ser Rodrick and your father crazy !" Raelyn couldn't hold back a laugh. She could imagine it very well.

"Lady Catelyn, I wanted to apologize. For what happened. But I think you should know how brave Robb has been. He didn't think twice before fighting these wolves. I owe him my life." And so much more. The lady smiled warmly.

"I know. I'm just glad you're both safe now."

It took a few hours before they heard the sound of the horses approaching.

"It's them, it's them !" shouted Rickon before running back to his mother.

Raelyn stared at the riders before she froze. Wolves. Robb was holding one in his arms. It was small, though, so small, but it sent violent shivers through her body. She glanced at Jon, and Bran, and Theon. They all held small pups.

"What are those ?" she asked, keeping a safe distance. Robb smiled.

"Direwolves. Still pups. We found the corpse of their mother. They were on their own."

"And you brought them back ?" said Lady Catelyn in a weary voice.

"We'll take care of them ourselves."

"There was six of them," said Bran, holding a grey one in his hands. "One for each of us."

Lady Catelyn sighed deeply and Raelyn stared at the pup in Robb's hand.

"Don't worry. He's far from dangerous," he said at her quietly. She nodded.

When Arya and Sansa arrived, they gave one to each of them. The youngest girl screamed with excitement and immediately started running around with the small, brown wolf. She named her Nymeria, and Sansa named hers Lady. Rickon had Shaggydog, Jon had Ghost. Only Robb couldn't settle down on a name. It was nice to see the family reunited, laughing together.

Raelyn sat beside Robb on a small bench. He was holding the grey direwolf in his arms, looking thoughtful.

"Are you thinking of a name ?" she asked. He jumped slightly, but smiled.

"I'm trying." The wolf struggled in the young man's arms.

"He's restless, that's for sure. Like you." Robb chuckled and dropped the little beast on the ground, who started chasing the others.

"He's fast," he stated.

"As fast as the wind," she agreed.

"Greywind. That's his name." She smiled at Robb's bright eyes before standing up and leaving the courtyard.

She felt light headed as she thought of the small wolves. They can't hurt you. But she could still feel the wolf's jaw breaking and bleeding on her hands, even after three weeks. It will forever haunt me. She had been so close to dying. And yet she was still there. The gods let her live, and to Raelyn, there had to be a reason. Did they sent these pups to help me heal ? She knew she would grow to love the small beasts, as the Stark children already had. But not now. Not so soon.

She wondered how Robb did it. He's stronger than me. Did he already forget, or was it a way for him to chase away the dreading memories from his mind ? She wanted to talk to him, but he was too busy enjoying his new acquisition and she didn't want to disturb him. I owe him that.

She stopped near the entrance of the castle when she saw Theon walk in the same direction. Raelyn stared at him for a minute as she remembered the foggy memory she had tried so hard to clarify. He was there when I first woke up. She could only recall his presence and the light touch of his hand on her face. She needed to know why it had been him there, and why, for the past two weeks, he had ran away from her.

"Wait," she called out to him, her hair dancing in the cold wind that had suddenly risen.

The young man glanced at her. He gave her a undecipherable look without stopping.

"Theon, wait !" she said again, louder this time.

Still he kept on walking away. Sighing deeply, she ran to him. Stupid, stubborn git. She put a strong hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop and face her.

"What ?" he cried out.

"Stop running away from me !" she replied in the same voice. He shot her a dark look.

"I have stuff to do." She frowned.

"Yeah, like what ? Go to that stupid brothel and f -"

She didn't have the opportunity to finish her sentence as Theon took a step towards her, his eyes dark and menacing.

"Don't you dare," he growled between his teeth. Raelyn blinked. He is mad at me.

"Still, that's what you were going to do, am I right ?"

He didn't reply, but Raelyn could read it on his face. She sighed, feeling the urge to change the subject. Theon always reacted oddly when she mentioned Ros. He talked about her all the time with Robb, the Stark had said, but with Raelyn he'd go crazy in a second.

"Why are you ignoring me ?" He chuckled mockingly.

"Ignoring you ? You think the world turns around you, maybe ? I have other things to do than to follow your ass around all day."

"Then why were you were almost always there when I was hurt ?" He didn't reply, only shot her another dark look.

"You act like you don't care, Theon, but I know that deeply, you do. You care about Robb, and you care about the Starks, and you care about..."

She stopped mid-sentence. You care about me. She oddly couldn't bring herself to say it. Theon stared at her.

"What ? If you know me so well, what do I care about ?" She clenched her jaw. He scoffed at her.

"You think you're so wise, like you're the princess of this castle, parading around with your long hair and your handsome lord. But let me remind you of something, Raelyn.É

He took a step towards, his face now inches away from her. He towered over her. She had never noticed how tall he was compared to her. His eyes were so deep within her own, she shivered.

"You're not a Stark. You'll never be."

It was barely a whisper, but Raelyn felt the words sink into her chest like a dagger. Seconds later, he was gone, and she felt cold.

She ran back to the castle, tears burning her eyes. She wiped them away brutally and entered her chambers, slamming the door behind her. She shakily sat down on her bed, her whole body shaking with sobs. He's right. I'm not a Stark. His words had hurt her deeper than any other. She was no better than a common girl. She would probably be scrubbing the kitchen floors right now if her father wasn't Captain-of-the-Guards. She would never be a Lady. She would never have a castle. She would never - oh, she would never marry Robb. She brought her legs against her, circling them with her arms, settling her head on her knees, trying to control her tears. But they wouldn't stop.

She didn't even look up when she heard her door open with a cracking sound. Two strong arms enveloped her. She buried her face in Robb's neck, his curls tickling her nose. A sob escaped her lips. He didn't even say a word as the tears slid down her cheeks and fell on her dress, only stroked her hair and whispered that it was all right and that he was there. She calmed down after a while, her body still slightly shaking. Robb took her face between his hands and pushed her gently from him so she could sit. He smiled at her, his eyes bright with worry. She could only smile back as he wiped a tear from her cold cheek.

"Do you feel better ?" She nodded, blushing.

I've lost all control. She couldn't think of a time where she had shown herself so vulnerable to Robb. Of course, he had seen her cry before, but to the most silliest things when she had been a child. Now she knew and understood what is was to cry in front of someone. It's trusting them.

"What happened ?" he frowned. She shook her head.

"Nothing, really..." she whispered.

She didn't want to tell Robb. How could she know how he would react ? He had broken Theon's nose before, what would he do now ? Raelyn did not want to raise war between the boys again.

"Rae. Tell me." He was serious, his eyes staring intensely at her. She looked away. I can't look at him when I lie.

"It's just..." She sighed deeply. "I saw the pups, and I... I don't know, I panicked." She smiled weakly at him as his face softened. I hate to lie to him. He trusts me.

"They can't hurt you."

"I know. I know that now. I overreacted." Robb took one of her hands and squeezed it.

"It's perfectly normal. What happened... it wasn't easy." She lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Do you ever think about it ? Dream about it ?" He lowered his gaze.

"All the time." Without thinking, her arms flew to hug him. She pulled as much strength as she could.

"You saved me," she whispered in his hair.

"And you saved me," he replied, his arms softly squeezing her waist.

Raelyn smiled before gently pushing him away. He was so close, and she felt his hands on her like wildfire, and all she wanted to do was kiss him. But then it all came back to her. You're not a Stark. She blinked and pulled away.

"We should go eat," she said in a weak voice. Robb frowned at her behavior, but said nothing. He knows it too. And that hurt the most.

Robb insisted to sit beside her during the meal. His presence seemed to calm her down. Her father had glanced suspiciously at them but had not made a comment. Theon's usual place was empty. Raelyn couldn't help but feel distressed. She tried to chase away her thoughts as Lord Stark rose from his seat, a dark look on his face. His eyes gazed upon the big family and he sighed.

"It is my duty to inform you that Jon Arryn is dead."

Raelyn's eyes immediately traveled to her father. His face had hardened, but he didn't flinch. He knew. She knew the name, but she did not know the man. The Hand of the King. Robb stared at his father, undecipherable.

"Also, the King is riding for Winterfell, with his family and court."

Sansa let out a cry of joy and turned to her friend Jeyne Poole, her eyes bright with excitement.

"He will be here in two weeks. He is the King, and I expect him to be welcomed as such. Everyone's help will be required to prepare the castle. Thank you, and may the old gods bless us."

When he sat down, the table broke into conversation.

"Why is he coming to Winterfell ?" asked Raelyn, confused.

Her father shrugged at her question, deep in thought. But Robb gave her a dark look.

"He needs a new Hand," he stated in a blank voice.

The words echoed in her head before she lowered her eyes to her plate. He will ask Lord Stark. He will agree. He will go, and so will my father.