A/N Thank you to Auria for the beta! Thank you for continuing to read and the reviews!


Chapter 8

Dacey stumbled away from Robb, her tears blinding her. Benfrey Frey grabbed her arm as she moved away, but she was able to grab a flagon of wine and smash it against his head. She ran for the doors, all the while searching for Lady Stark. Suddenly Ryman Frey was in front of her, clad in full armor and swinging a battle ax at her stomach. She spun away from him at the last possible second and rammed her elbow into his nose as hard as she could, causing him to stumble forward.

"Northern BITCH," he snarled, dropping his ax and reaching up to stifle the blood streaming from his face.

Dacey's knee met his stomach and he fell forward like a sack of grain. Stepping around him, she made her way through the doors. She hadn't seen Lady Stark anywhere, so she hoped she'd escaped the hall.

Freys were coming from every direction, but none seemed to recognize her. They must have taken her for a servant or one of their female relatives fleeing the room. One man attempted to stop her, but received a fist to the face for his trouble. She found her way to the yard, where she saw that someone had cut Grey Wing loose. She was left unhindered as Frey men-at-arms focused on the direwolf and she prayed that Grey Wind could reach Robb in time. Dacey could barely breathe. This was a thousand times worse than any battle she'd seen or fought, but she had to find Deirdre. As she ran across the drawbridge into the camp, she saw that Frey men were slaughtering the Northmen out there as well. It was complete chaos, with tents ablaze and unarmed men being put to the sword. Her blood ran cold when she heard a man command, "Find the queen! Do not harm her!" Deirdre.

Dacey's thoughts were a complete mess as she tried to remember where Deirdre was. She knew she wouldn't be in Robb's tent. Robb always insisted she remain elsewhere when he wasn't in the camp, in case of attack. She bent down to retrieve a sword and dagger from a corpse at her feet and resumed running: there was a group of men moving north from the tents and she knew it had to be Deirdre's guards. Half of them were engaged in fights, and fury filled her as she realized that the men they were fighting bore the flayed man of House Bolton. The other half were trying to get the horses together. At last, Dacey saw Deirdre, who was struggling furiously to escape Ned's grasp.

"Let me go to Robb! I must find Robb!" Deirdre pled.

"Patrek, get my horse," Ned ordered as he kept a firm hold on his queen. His arms were around her, physically restraining her, at times lifting her off the ground as she fought against him.

"Robb is coming," Dacey lied, grabbing Deirdre's hands. "Come. He said he'd meet us on the road, but we must leave now. He didn't want us to wait for him."

Ned studied her for a moment and gave her a minute nod. Pushing Deirdre towards Robert and Adair, Ned mounted his horse and reached for the queen. Deirdre hesitated, looking at Dacey again.

"Do it for your child, Your Grace. If you don't leave now, those men in camp will find you. They will kill the babe," Dacey pleaded, pushing her toward Ned's horse.

"No. No…no…no…no…Grey Wind's stopped howling," Deirdre sobbed, taking a few steps away from the horse.

She was right, and Dacey's heart clenched in anguish. He had been Robb's last hope. "He's with Robb. Let's go now."

Deirdre froze, taking in the men around them. "No, I can't leave him."

A man screamed, "There's the queen! Get her!"

Robert grabbed Deirdre by the shoulders and turned her towards the horse. Before she could resist, he and Adair lifted her onto the horse with Ned and he took off. Tristan and Daryn had left already with a wagon full of supplies, riding north as fast as the wagon could go. Dacey didn't know where her horse was so she let Adair pull her up behind him.

"What about Lady Stark? Robb told me to help her, but I couldn't find her," Dacey asked, her voice laced with pain.

"They've probably taken her as a hostage. We can't help her now," Adair responded shortly, digging his heels into the horse. His eyes were hard as he urged the horse to go faster.

Deirdre's other guards mounted and followed shortly after them. As they rode away, Dacey caught sight of some of the remaining Northmen rush the men giving pursuit, weaponless but fierce none the less, sacrificing their lives for the queen and the heir of their king.

They rode hard for hours. They were pursued a few times by a handful of Bolton men but managed to put an end to them, as Ned continued on with Deirdre, flanked by at least three other guards. When two hours of riding had elapsed without pursuit, the small party stopped, the horses lathered.

Deirdre continued to ask after Robb and Lady Stark. Ned helped her off the horse and she almost collapsed. Gathering her up in his arms, he carried her to a copse of trees, placing her down gently. He crouched down and said softly, "Your Grace, the king knows where to come for us, and will meet us when he is able. You need to rest and keep your strength up. It's going to be a long journey, but he'll be there waiting for you once we reach the Wall."

Dacey sat down tiredly. Patrek and Robert were going through the trunks in the wagon looking for blankets. Deirdre watched them silently, hands shaking ever so slightly.

"I'm going to find some water. Dacey, walk with me," Ned said abruptly, taking a couple of buckets off the wagon. Stepping close to Robert, he whispered, "Make sure someone stays close enough to the queen that he can physically stop her from leaving your sight."

"I'll help you two," Adair said, grabbing a bucket.

As soon as they were out of earshot, finding a small creek a short ways from the camp, the men turned to Dacey to learn what had happened within the Twins. As she spoke, Ned grew as taunt as a bowstring. She could see the effort it took him to remain calm and knew he was a hair's breadth from full-blown rage. When she told them of her final conversation with Robb, she dissolved into tears, sinking to her knees on the wet ground.

Dacey wasn't soft; she was a Mormont of Bear Island and had trained as a warrior her entire life. She didn't cry when she was hurt or when a family member suffered some ill. She'd taken wounds with nary a tear shed. But she sobbed like a babe now, inconsolable. Ned sat down heavily beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"I left him to die," she cried. "I couldn't find Lady Stark and I panicked when the Frey men came in. I couldn't get back into the hall, so I fled. I failed him."

"You didn't fail him," Ned told her gently. "You got out in time to help us. If you hadn't told Deirdre that Robb had sent you, we wouldn't have gotten her away from there. She'd already tried to reach the bridge when Grey Wind began howling and the Bolton men turned on us. Seeing you had made it out, she probably believed Robb would too."

"No, I left him to die, alone and defenseless."

"Dacey, you did as he commanded. You helped save his wife and child. We did what we had to do. If Robb is dead, his child is in more danger now than before. And when the babe's born, he'll need our protection more than ever," Ned said firmly.

"We cannot tell her about the king," Adair said quietly. "This journey will be hard enough for her. If you let her know that Robb won't be waiting at the end of it, she could give up and lose the babe. I don't believe she could survive losing them both."

"Agreed. We cannot tell her that Robb is probably dead. We'll need to find out for certain though. The Freys might have taken him as a hostage. We should rest here for a few more hours and then make for Greywater Watch. It's not far, but we cannot reach it in the dark and risk the crannogman thinking we're the enemy. Hopefully they'll have news of the king. There are Ironborn at Moat Cailin and we don't know who in the north is aligned with Bolton. We can't trust the Karstarks or risk going into a keep for protection but King Robb assured us of Lord Reed's loyalty, though we will remain cautious. Your mother is likely there now. The king told us to take the queen to the Wall, so we will find a way somehow." Ned squeezed Dacey's shoulders. "Adair, can you fetch the water while I speak some more with Dacey?"

While the other man got the water, Ned let Dacey cry until she couldn't cry anymore. I must not have any tears left. She splashed cold water on her face and took a deep breath.

Ned regarded her with eyes full of concern. "She's going to want to question you most of all, Dacey. Are you ready for this?"

"Ready to lie to my friend and queen? No. But for her sake and for Robb, I will."

x-x-x

"Here's another blanket," Robert said, handing it to Deirdre. "Are you warm enough, Your Grace?"

"I don't think I'll never be warm again," she whispered, tears rolling down her face. "I don't understand why Lord Frey would do this. Robb went there to make peace with him. And why would Lord Bolton betray us?" Her legs and back ached, and her heart felt like it had been cut from her with a dull blade. Robb's face swam through her mind each time she closed her eyes.

"I don't know, Your Grace," the man said. "Power or gold is usually the root of deceit, but with traitors, who truly knows."

"Lord Stark was betrayed and murdered. Bran and Rickon were betrayed and murdered. Lady Stark and Robb suffered enough betrayal before tonight," she said quietly. The babe was quite active, sensing his mother's unrest, so she placed her hands on her stomach in an attempt to soothe him. "If Robb's dead, I would know it, wouldn't I?"

Ned rejoined them then. "He'll probably reach the Wall before we do. You need to rest now so we can start at first light."

"I'm scared to close my eyes. And the babe is kicking furiously."

"He's reacting to you, so you need to calm yourself. Dacey will share your bed. The extra body heat will be good for you both," Ned said as Dacey rejoined them. She'd swapped her gown for a tunic and breeches she'd found in the wagon.

"Robert and I will take first watch," Adair said. "Try to get some rest, Your Grace."

Dacey smiled slightly as she sat down beside her, tucking herself under the blankets. "It'll be like sleeping with my sisters again."

"What did Robb say when he sent you for me?" Deirdre asked and saw the pain in Dacey's face.

"There was very little time. Just that I needed to find you and the rest of your guards, and that we should head for the Wall," Dacey replied, looking up at the sky above them. The stars were out and glimmered as they always had, seemingly unaware of the horror that had visited them all tonight.

Deirdre remained uneasy. "But in camp, you said he told us he'd meet us on the road."

"It was chaos when I got back to the camp. I misspoke. Please, Your Grace, could we talk about this after we've had some sleep?" Dacey still wasn't meeting her eyes.

"Yes, of course. Dacey…I'm so sorry for whatever happened to you in there. I'm just grateful that you weren't hurt," Deirdre said gently and reached out to put her hand on her friend's arm. "I can't imagine what I would do without you all." Dacey took her hand and squeezed it tightly, but said nothing. She rolled to her side, facing away from Deirdre.

It took her a long time to fall asleep but when she did, she didn't dream. The babe woke her up after a few hours and she had to get up to make water. By then, Patrek and Balin were on watch. When Deirdre stood up to move, both Ned and Dacey sat up quickly, keenly alert. She assured them she was fine and they lay back down.

x-x-x

Everyone was awake by first light. Jace and Balin took full stock of the supplies they'd managed to take with them. Fortunately, they seemed to have enough food and they broke their fast on dried meat, berries, and nuts, though Deidre found it difficult to eat. She didn't care about food - she felt terrible anyway. The events of last night had taken a toll on her body and the babe remained restless. Her body ached from the hard ride to escape the Twins. But mostly her heart yearned for Robb. She couldn't wait to be in his arms again.

They reached the swamps that surrounded Greywater Watch before midday and decided to risk unfurling the banner of the king. It was a time before a few small men clad in greens and browns appeared, and Dacey and Ned rode forward to speak with them, handing them a sealed letter from the king.

The men took them through the swamps on foot as they led their horses. They reached an area that required pole boats to get through and Deirdre grew more and more nervous. It seemed like they were leading them to nowhere and she feared they'd slaughter them all eventually. Dacey had assured her that Lord Reed was one of Lord Stark's most trusted friends and that the crannogmen held no love for the Freys, but Deirdre could see that her guards remained watchful, eyes suspicious, no doubt on edge after the betrayals of the previous night.

They reached a small island and were greeted by Lady Mormont and Lord Glover. Dacey almost ran into her mother's arms.

"I feared I'd lost you," Maege said, holding her daughter against her tightly.

They spoke quietly for a few moments before Lady Mormont and Lord Glover approached Deirdre. "Your Grace, it does my heart good to see you again," Lord Glover said, giving her a small bow. Maege Mormont offered her much the same.

"Is Robb alive?" Deirdre asked bluntly.

Lady Mormont hesitated before saying, "We don't know. Come. Lord Reed wishes to meet you."

They were led to a strange building but it was so murky outside, Deirdre couldn't see much. Ned helped her walk through the slippery rocks that surrounded the keep. They were greeted at the door by a small quiet man and woman, both dressed plainly. "Your Grace, I am Howland Reed and this is my wife, Jyana. We are honored to welcome you to Greywater Watch."

"Thank you Lord Reed, Lady Reed," Deirdre answered. "We hoped you'd have news of my husband."

"Come inside and rest, Your Grace. We'll tell you what we know," Lady Jyana said leading them inside.

Greywater Watch was unlike any other castle or holdfast Deidre had visited. The entryway was a slab of rock that seemed like it should have been too heavy for the small crannogmen to move, and the walls were adorned with huge woven tapestries depicting weirwood groves, plant life, and all manner of faunae. Deirdre didn't recognize half of the beasts displayed, shivering slightly at the strange images of dark creatures with large ears, sharp eyes and long black claws. What stone she could see glistened faintly, but when she ran a finger across the surface of the wall, it was dry.

The Reeds led them to the Great Hall, which was actually fairly intimate. The furniture was made of wood and seemed ancient. The main table was small compared to most Great Halls and a fire crackled in an elaborately-carved stone hearth. The murals on the walls gave an observer the impression of being outdoors, of sitting amidst the lush forests that surrounded the castle, though it seemed almost unnaturally light in here, making the room feel friendly and welcoming in a way that the shrouded marshlands outside did not. Lord Glover held out a chair for Deirdre and once she had been seated, everyone else took their places, with the Reeds sitting at the head of the table. Dacey sat to one side of her with Ned on the other and Lady Mormont across from them.

After their party had been fed and rested, Lord Reed explained what they knew of the wedding. "We haven't had much information, but we do know that Lord Frey and Lord Bolton's men murdered most of the men and lords at the feast and camp. Lady Stark is dead and they're holding the Greatjon and Lord Tully as their hostages, along with a few of the other lords. We're waiting to hear which ones. We…don't know about His Grace. They haven't found his body, but neither Bolton nor Frey claims they have him as a captive."

"If they killed him, they would be telling everyone he was dead. They wouldn't want people still loyal to him to think that there was even the slightest hope that he was alive. Smalljon or one of the others must have gotten him out. Or Grey Wind found him and helped him escape," Deirdre insisted, her heart pounding hard in her chest. "I'd know if he were dead. I'd feel it."

"Smalljon is dead, Your Grace," Dacey admitted. "I saw him cut down myself."

Deirdre let out a sob, remembering the Smalljon's rich laughter and bear hugs. Her thoughts turned to Jeyne and their unborn child. At least she was safe in Seagard. But with the Greatjon a hostage, Deirdre would see that Jeyne was sent north to the rest of the Umbers. Perhaps she'd just want to go home though, rather than live with strangers. And her child will be without a father. Gods…let hers be the only one.

Dacey continued quietly, "Grey Wind and King Robb are together, I'd wager."

Lady Mormont gave Dacey a strange look before nodding slowly. "Yes, I'm sure Grey Wind protected him. We have to be careful, though, because King Joffrey has made Lord Bolton Warden of the North. If your child is a boy, you're a threat to Bolton's rule. He knows the Northmen and Riverlords will rally behind Robb Stark's heir."

"The Boltons are Northmen. Walder Frey is a Riverlord. We can't take anyone for granted," Deirdre retorted angrily. "This is Tywin Lannister's work or Bolton wouldn't be Warden. Neither Frey or Bolton would have done this without Tywin's involvement. Not only would they require royal pardons for their allegiance to Robb, but they wouldn't have dared to make such a bold move without a powerful friend to back them."

"It does seem likely that Lord Tywin or Ser Jaime had a hand in this. The men who attacked the camps were told to take the queen alive, and I heard some others talking about readying her to depart for King's Landing. If Bolton was trying to use her or the babe to manipulate the Northmen, he'd keep the queen at the Dreadfort, not take her to King's Landing," Dacey pointed out.

"Jaime wouldn't do this. This isn't his way. He'd attack Robb on the battlefield or fight him man-to-man. He wouldn't plan a massacre at a wedding. He's not one for schemes," Deirdre insisted. "Jaime would also have made sure I was safe before he risked sending men into the camps. I know it's hard to believe, but Jaime would never hurt me."

"The king wanted Deirdre to go to the Wall," Ned said to Lord Reed. "We'll need your help to get her there. We cannot travel by land."

"Wouldn't it be safer to remain here, as his letter indicates he'd planned to do before heading North?" Lady Reed suggested. "We have a midwife and no one would look for her here."

"I vowed I'd take her to the Wall, to Jon Snow. I have to honor my king's wishes, no matter how difficult," Ned insisted. "And we can't be sure of who His Grace told about the plans to remain here."

"Stay here tonight and rest, Your Grace. In the morning, the crannogmen with help us get your party through the swamps to a boat. Then I'll take you to Oldcastle myself to find a ship large enough to take you to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. My good sister is of House Locke. Lord Locke will give me a ship without too many questions. I do not think he would betray us, but we can't risk anyone knowing your identity or location," Lord Glover said.

Deirdre knew she had little choice but to trust them. She knew Galbart Glover and Maege Mormont were loyal and, if they trusted the Reeds, then she could as well. But she barely knew of House Locke. "Wouldn't it make more sense to go to White Harbor? Surely, Lord Manderly is trustworthy. Robb spoke of him very fondly and often said he was among Lord Eddard's most faithful bannermen."

"Lord Manderly is loyal but White Harbor is too large. Too many unfriendly eyes, I suspect. Your Grace, please, you must understand. If King Robb is indeed slain, you could be carrying the next King in the North. If the King is alive, you're still the most valuable hostage an enemy could hope to hold. The male Stark heirs are spent, other than your child if it's a boy. Bolton would do anything to have you as his hostage," Lord Glover stressed.

Tears burned her eyes and she had to look away from them all. Her babe might not even have the chance to draw his first breath if she was betrayed again. And if she wasn't careful, he could still be used as a pawn. Lady Mormont reached over and squeezed her hand, murmuring quietly, "We're going to protect you, Your Grace. You and your child will remain safe, I promise you."

x-x-x

The Reeds led them all to bedchambers and some women drew Deirdre a bath. As soon as she was alone, she wept until she exhausted herself and could cry no longer. Her heart felt as if it had been wrenched from her body and she craved Robb's arms around her as she would hunger for breath in her lungs. She couldn't stop thinking of Grey Wind's wretched howls last night. Her child was the only thing that kept her from going mad from the thought of it.

That night she dreamed of the wolves, and of Robb. Ghost was wounded and Grey Wind was a mere shadow. Summer and Shaggydog were so far away from the others. The Robb in her dreams was different. There were no wounds or shadows or distances between them. They were in Winterfell, laughing with Bran and Rickon, running through the trees and making love in the Godswood. She was at their wedding and he was looking at her with so much sweetness, in love with her already. Jon was there as well, angry and hurting and so very, very sad. And Lord Stark was comforting her before her wedding, promising her that Robb would be a good husband. When she awoke, her eyes were swollen and her insides ached from the emptiness. Never before had a bed seemed so cold as it did now, waking up without Robb beside her, cradling her against him and whispering her name as they set about to begin their day.

The babe within her stirred. The kicks were fretful and hard.

x-x-x

The Reeds and Lady Mormont saw them off that morning. Lord and Lady Reed took her aside for a few moments to let Deirdre know that their children, Meera and Jojen, had gone to Winterfell to visit Bran before the Ironborn took the castle. Deirdre took a shaky breath and apologized for their loss. Lord Reed smiled gently. "Oh, we do not believe they are gone. Jojen had a mission to complete and Meera will watch over him. They will return to us when they can. Until then, I am comforted by the knowledge that they are together."

Deirdre said nothing but privately wondered at their faith that their children were alive. She didn't think it likely, but still. Were they at the Dreadfort with the other survivors of the siege? Now that she knew of Bolton's duplicity, she wondered if Winterfell's survivors had been slaughtered as soon as they'd reached the Dreadfort, or if they'd even made it that far. She didn't want to think about the Reed children being dead along with Bran and Rickon, so she simply smiled faintly at the Reeds and remained silent.

Lord Reed promised that his men would be there for Jon Snow when the Northmen were ready to re-take Moat Cailin and the other lands in the neck held by the Ironborn. Lady Mormont was going to Bear Island to gather more men. She promised Dacey they'd meet in Last Hearth or Castle Black once Jon was ready to depart the Wall with Deirdre. Deirdre tried not to notice how they spoke of Jon as if he would be the one to lead them in the inevitable battle. They've given up hope that Robb's alive. She couldn't do the same.

Lord Glover and some of the crannogmen led them out of the swamps in pole boats and guided them to a larger boat. It wasn't big enough for all of their horses and the wagon so they left half of the horses behind. Dacey assured her that they'd find more in Eastwatch, but Deirdre didn't care about the horses. The only horse she cared about was Flame Dancer, the horse that Robb had given her as a wedding gift, and who she'd had to leave at the Twins. It infuriated her to think of some Frey perched atop him, if they hadn't slaughtered him already.

True to his word, Lord Glover found them a ship in Oldcastle that took them the rest of the way. He did not come with them though, and Deirdre didn't know where he was going next. She'd have to remember to ask.

Deirdre spent much of the time on the boat and the ship that followed abed. Between sea sickness and despair, she couldn't muster the strength to do anything but cry or sleep. She insisted on being left alone, not wanting the others to see how hopeless and weak she was. A queen should be strong enough to make it through the day without tears. But I am no queen without Robb. She had never felt so alone. He still lives. He must.

There was no one else on this ship save for a handful of guards. She had no family, no one else she could trust until she found Robb. Resting her hands on her stomach and her anxious babe, she prayed to the Mother for protection for her child and to the Warrior and the Father to bring Robb back to her.