Chapter IX

I slept alone that night, in one of the few tents that were still standing. Not that I slept much, my brain was too busy sending thoughts through my head, and when I did it was a restless sleep. I woke up breathing fast and realized that I was drenched in sweat. I could not remember the dream that had caused this reaction and I felt utterly confused. After that I could not fall back to sleep, and neither did I want to. Instead I got up and left the tent.

Outside men were already up and about, packing up the last things. They were all leaving, matching further south, as I was going back to the North, and they all looked tense.

I did not meet Lady Stark, or anyone else that I knew. Faces seemed familiar but I could not remember when or where I had seen them before. I guess they could have been men living just a few miles away, a butcher's son that I could have met as a young girl, or a carpenter that had made a table or a chair for Lord Stark. They were men of the North and I was essentially one of them. But I was not going with them, and they were not going home with me.

I did not know what I wanted and what I thought of the situation. I did know that I did not want to stay here, that was for sure, but did I really want to go back to Winterfell? As I walked around, without any plans, I felt like I should make a decision; did I like this or not, and if I did not like it should I do something about it?

But I never had the chance to make up my mind because it was too hard and I was taking too long, and all of a sudden I was getting up into the saddle of my faithful horse. I could not help but to look around for Robb. I looked and saw him just where his tent had stood this morning. When our eyes met he looked away and so did I.

I did not know that I would not see him again for a very long time and that when we would that it would be in such an important way. I had no idea that the next time I would see him, I would be on the other side of the fight; I would not even be me.