A/N: Sorry, this took a little longer than usual, but here's the latest chapter, hope you enjoy.
Thanks: Cupcakefreak96, WeasleyTwinObsessed, Lily of the Sun, LuCky-StAr-69, xxx. . .xxx, Naomi97, Kitastic13, Magby, everyone else who follows & anyone else who's reading :)
Name Day Ambush
The next few days exhausted me more than I had ever imagined they could; we had all prayed for Bran to wake, but now that he had we were faced with even more challenges that none of us had seen coming. I wished that Lady Stark was with us, I knew she would be thrilled that Bran was awake and I was certain that she would have been able to reassure him that everything would be alright. As it was everything I seemed to say to him made it worse; he was finding it so difficult to accept the fact that he would no longer be able to walk and the hurt that was constantly etched across his young face broke my heart. Each day I spent every minute with him, trying to coax him to talk to me, to just see the corners of his mouth turn up into a smile would have been enough. I even took my meals with him, I read to him, suggested card games, just spoke to him about everyday goings on in Winterfell but nothing I did made the slightest difference. I would stay with him until he fell asleep and then I would go back to my own rooms, completely exhausted and frustrated and cry myself to sleep in Robb's arms. On the morning of the fourth day I was brushing my hair through when Robb came and stood behind me, his hands lightly resting on my waist. "You've done enough Ailsa", he said softly.
"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my brow.
"You don't have to look after Bran all by yourself", he said, kissing my shoulder.
"I promised your mother", I explained, putting down the brush.
"You are coming to me more and more upset every night and I hate seeing you that way!"
"What would you have me do Robb? Leave him up there alone?!" I demanded.
"No of course not … but there are others who can take a turn sitting with him", he said soothingly.
"I just wish I was helping", I burst out suddenly.
"I'm sure you are!" he said, tightening his grip around my waist.
"I'm not Robb, I've tried everything! Nothing I say makes a damn bit of difference!"
"There is only one thing Bran wants and you cannot give him it", he said sadly.
"I know … but I can't do nothing …"
"All he wants is to be able to move again, perhaps you can think of a way he can?"
After Robb had left our rooms I sat and pondered what he had said, chewing on my bottom lip as I tried to think of a way that Bran could be mobile again when he did not have the use of his legs. I knew that the one thing he truly wanted was to be able to ride a horse again, if only I could think of a way to make it happen, I was sure that that would bring a smile to his face. All of a sudden it hit me and I sprang up from the end of the bed and hurried to the Maester's tower as quickly as I could without running. "Lady Stark!" Maester Luwin greeted with a bow, looking surprised to see me.
"Maester Luwin, I need your help", I said.
"Of course, anything you need", he replied with a smile.
"I need you to help me find some way of getting Bran up and about"
"My Lady, you know that there is much damage …" he began but I cut him short.
"I know he cannot walk! I know that, but does that mean he has to be confined to a bed?" I questioned.
"No I suppose it is not fair, him being so young", the Maester said gravely.
"There must be something, some way of getting him up", I said desperately.
"Yes … perhaps some kind of basket …" he said turning from me and pulling a scroll of paper and a quill towards him, I watched silently as he began drawing an idea quickly across the page. I smiled as I realised what he was drawing and when he finished it and looked back to me I was positively beaming; "this will work I know it!" I declared, clapping my hands together.
"I will have the men start on it tomorrow", Maester Luwin promised me.
"I must tell Bran! Thank you, thank you so much!" I said delightedly, practically skipping down the steps and all the way to Bran's room.
When I entered he looked just as he had since he had woken up, his eyes vacant and expressionless, staring up at the ceiling barely uttering a word. "I have some news for you Bran", I said happily, crossing to his bed and perching myself at his side. He blinked and I assumed he was listening to me. "The Maester has come up with an idea that will mean you can get out and see Winterfell again", I told him and he turned his face to me expectantly; "it is a sort of basket that you would sit in … and then it would be strapped to someone's back, Hodor's most likely as he is the strongest, but he could take you wherever you pleased", I explained.
"Truly?" Bran asked me, his voice raspy from lack of use.
"The men are beginning work on it tomorrow", I confirmed with a smile.
"Thank you Ailsa", he said, his face breaking into a smile that brought tears of joy to my eyes.
"You must thank the Maester", I told him, wiping a tear from my eye.
"Are you upset?" he asked me, concerned.
"No not upset", I assured him, "I am merely happy to see you smile again"
"I'm glad you're here", he told me, placing a hand on mine.
"So am I", I smiled.
"And I'm glad you married Robb"
"So am I", I repeated with a laugh and he smiled again.
"You should have supper with him", Bran told me, patting my hand.
"I will have it with you", I replied.
"You should have it with Robb, I bet he misses you, I know you miss him"
"I suppose you are right", I said with a sigh, I had been neglecting my husband.
"Rickon will have supper with me", Bran assured me.
"Then I shall leave you to spend time with him", I said, rising up from my seat.
"Will you come and see me tomorrow?" he asked.
"Of course", I smiled before taking my leave of him.
Robb's eyes widened momentarily when he saw me enter the dining hall and I smiled at him, making my way between the rows of men and women who were dining with us, stopping occasionally to have a word with someone or respond to a greeting another had sent. When I finally reached the high table Robb stood and pulled my chair out for me, returning to his own once I had been seated he took my hand and gave it a squeeze; "you have been missed", he told me, his voice low.
"I know, I am sorry, I have been an awful wife these past few days", I admitted.
"Not just by me by everyone", he told me, nodding towards the people of Winterfell, "they love you almost as much as I do … and you have never been anything but a perfect wife", he assured me, raising the back of my hand to his lips for a moment; causing me to blush slightly. "Even so, I have every intention of showing you what a good wife I can be after supper", I promised.
"Then I cannot wait for supper to be over", he said looking at me lustfully. Unsurprisingly we did not linger along with everyone else to enjoy the dancing and the drinking after our meal; we had other things on our mind and they were all I could think about as Robb pulled me up the stairs to our room, kissing me passionately at every opportunity. Consequently it took us at least twice the usual time to get up to our rooms and as soon as we fell through the door we were tearing at one another's clothes, desperate for each other. His clothes couldn't come away fast enough for me and by the time we toppled onto the bed I was begging for him and he was more than willing to satisfy my ache. As he pushed his way inside me we both moaned in satisfaction; it had only been days but it felt like a lifetime since I had had him like this. I met each one of his thrusts with everything I had until I came to the peak of my pleasure crying out his name as he shuddered against me finally reaching his own heights. "Gods I have missed you Ailsa", he said, hands tangling in my hair, his lips planting kisses across my forehead as I tried to return my breathing to normal. "I'm sorry", I managed.
"Don't be silly", he said capturing my lips in a burningly slow kiss, I melted against him again, his deliciously hot body pressed to close to mine. I snaked my hands around his neck, stroking his soft curls before letting them run down his back, causing him to arch closer to me and I felt him harden again against my thigh and smiled against his lips. It would be a very long night, I thought to myself as I shifted my body carefully so he could give me my pleasure all over again.
It took a few days to make the basket that would give Bran at least some of his freedom back; I couldn't stop myself smiling as Robb and I stood in the courtyard watching as Hodor carried Bran around it, Summer walking alongside them casting protective glances at Bran every now and again. "He looks like himself again", Robb commented, and I saw his smile had not left his face either.
"I know", I agreed, leaning against him arm, "Maester Luwin thinks that if we get the right horse and a good man to train him that he could design something so that Bran could ride again"
"Truly?" Robb said looking amazed as turned his gaze from Bran to me.
"He believes so, but we have not told Bran, in case it cannot be done", I said.
"Of course, I won't say a thing", Robb assured me.
"Not until it's certain", I agreed, and we both turned to smile at Bran as he and Hodor drew level with us. "How do you like it?" Robb asked him.
"Very much, so much better than being stuck in bed!" Bran answered happily.
"I'm so glad to see you smiling again", I told him.
"And I am glad to see you smiling, I'm sorry if I made you sad", he answered seriously.
"You did not make me sad, I was only sad that you were sad", I assured him.
"But now I'm happy!" he exclaimed.
"And that makes us all happy", Robb told him with a smile.
With his basket Bran could now join us at dinner and take walks out with Summer, with each passing day he grew more and more cheerful although Robb and I both knew that it would never be the same for him we were glad at least that it was better. Maester Luwin had also managed to have another contraption made that allowed Bran to seat a horse again and he practiced with it every day until he and the horse became as one, the horse responding to Bran's voice and the way he pulled his reins without hesitation. I was stood watching him one day, so engrossed in what I was seeing that when Robb appeared behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder I jumped. "Sorry", he apologised.
"Don't be", I assured, "I was just watching Bran; he has got so good now!"
"I know, I had been thinking about that", Robb said with a smile.
"You had?" I said curiously.
"Yes, it's your name day in a few days, I thought we could all ride out together", he suggested.
"That would be lovely", I said smiling up at him.
"Nowhere too far, perhaps just down by the river"
"It sounds perfect", I told him, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek.
On the morning of my sixteenth name day Robb and I were late to rise as he had insisted on kissing every inch of my skin, bringing me to my height twice before taking his own pleasure. We were both still a blissful state as we joined the others who were waiting for us in the courtyard, already saddled in their own horses. I managed to mumble an apology and saw Theon raise his eyebrows suggestively making me blush, Robb beside me merely smirked before helping my climb astride my horse before pulling himself up on his own. We set off at a slow pace, our conversation light and full of laughter as we made our way from Winterfell and down towards the river that flowed to the west of the hold. Our horses picked their way carefully through the trees that ran between the open fields and the river and I noticed after a moment that Bran was a fair way ahead of us atop his pony and my brow furrowed as I considered calling him back. "What is it?" Robb asked from my side.
"Nothing", I said turning to smile at him, "I was just worried about Bran being so far ahead"
"He's fine, he's still in our sights", Robb reassured me, reaching across to take my hand and place a kiss on it making my skin tingle. We smiled at one another for a moment before our moment was interrupted by Theon; "you two are sickening", he said, riding his horse between us.
"Jealous Theon?" Robb teased.
"Not likely!" he scoffed.
"Perhaps we should find him a wife Robb?" I suggested slyly.
"I think you might be right", Robb agreed, grinning widely at Theon.
"One woman forever! You must be mad!" he exclaimed.
"Not if it's the right woman", Robb said, sending a smile my way, Theon grimaced and I laughed.
"I have had enough of both of you, I'm going to find Bran", he said, digging his heels into his horse.
Robb and I watched him out of sight and then turned to one another and smiled; "This was a really good idea", I told him, "I'm having a wonderful time"
"I'm so glad", he replied, "You deserve it, you …"
But what I was I never discovered as at that moment a yell rose up into the air, followed immediately by others and, my heart dropped, the clash of swords. In an instant Robb had kicked his horse into a gallop shouting over his shoulder to me to stay where I was. That wasn't likely to happen though and he knew it as he showed no sign of surprise when I followed him down to the riverbank. It only took a moment to find the source of the commotion; three Wildlings had attacked Bran, one I saw lay dead on the ground while Theon was fighting furiously with another. Robb pulled his horse up immediately, jumping off him gracefully and pulling out his sword to engage the third. My heart was pounding and my eyes sought out Bran who was in the middle of it all, stranded on his horse which seemed too terrified to move. I slid from my own horse, darting passed Robb and the Wildling he was clashing with and reaching Bran, putting a firm grip on his horses reins so he did not bolt; "are you alright?" I asked him fearfully and he nodded to me, clearly too stunned to speak. I realised then that I had my back to the confrontation and turned round just in time to see Theon backing towards me, the Wildling he was duelling with using all his strength to smash his own sword against Theon's who was blocking him expertly. As he backed almost into us I noticed a dagger in his sword belt and in an instant managed to slide it from him; he caught my eye for a split second and gave me a ghost of a smile before turning his full attention back to his opponent. I turned to Robb and to my horror saw that although he was besting the Wildling in front of him a fourth that no one had yet noticed was creeping up behind him with an axe lifted above his head, ready to swing into his back. I had never moved as fast as I had then, I was behind the Wildling in an instant, I was so fast he did not have time to react to me and I plunged Theon's dagger into his side without hesitation. He screamed out in agony and I twisted the dagger, seeing the axe drop from his hand as his warm blood gushed over my hand and arm. Robb turned then, his sword ready as the Wildling he had been duelling had finally met his end, his eyes widened in horror as I let go of the dagger and the man fell to the floor dead.
"Blimey Ailsa, you finished him faster than either of us", Theon said disbelievingly.
"Ailsa, what were you doing?" Robb asked, voice barely more than a whisper.
"I had to do something or you would have been dead", I said stubbornly.
"She's right Robb", Theon agreed with me, nodding towards Robb. I moved my eyes from Theon to my husband, worried that he was angry with me but his eyes widened with horror as I met them and before I could say anything he pulled me roughly to the side, a sting suddenly shooting across the top of my shoulder as he did so. I had no time to take in what was happening as Theon pulled his sword up to meet that of another Wildling who seemed to appear from nowhere, Robb followed suit and the Wildling lay dead at their feet in seconds. Before I could react Robb was at my side; "you are hurt", he said, carefully pushing aside the slash in the material of my dress to see what damage had been done. "It's nothing", I assured him.
"Theon, do you have something I can put over it?" Robb asked, ignoring me.
"Here", Theon said, pulling a rag from inside his jacket. Robb took it from him in an instant and pressed it against my shoulder, I could feel it throbbing now, but I had barely felt a thing before. "What is it?" I asked Robb fearfully.
"He cut you", he answered me, anger lacing his voice.
"How bad is it?" I asked.
"I do not think it is too deep but we must get you to the Maester so he can see"
I nodded my agreement, it would be best to return to Winterfell, I saw Theon grab the reins of his horse and Bran's and pull them towards the hill when something in the undergrowth caught my eye. "There!" I shouted, seeing someone hiding in the bushes. Theon and Robb had pulled their swords in an instant and were pointing them towards where I had nodded someone was hiding. "Give yourself up, you have seen what happened to the rest!" Robb called out. My heart thrummed against my chest as I watched the woman step out from the bushes with her hands up in a gesture of surrender. To my relief Robb and Theon lowered their swords as she appeared and I breathed easy again, knowing that no more blood would be spilled.
We discovered the Wildling woman's name was Osha and she returned to Winterfell with us where she would be put to work as a serving girl as she had willingly surrendered herself to us. As soon as we were through the gates Robb ordered Theon to take care of Bran and hurried me straight to Maester Luwin so he could treat the wound on my shoulder. Robb hovered worriedly behind Maester Luwin as he peeled away the rag that had been pressed against it; "it is not deep", he concluded after a moment; "I will wash it and dress it, it will doubtless scar but you are lucky", he told me.
"Thank you", I said gratefully as he bathed my wound, truly I was not bothered about it scarring, it was part of my body that was usually covered, only Robb and I would see it. "My Lady will be fine?" Robb questioned fearfully, seeking reassurance from the Maester.
"Of course, it is little more than a scratch and I have cleaned it so there will be no infections"
"Robb, please stop worrying, truly I am fine", I reassured him, reaching out with my uninjured arm to
take his hand. He held it back for a moment before letting it drop and I knew that he was still fretting about me although he said no more, simply waiting for Maester Luwin to finish dressing my wound. "See me in two days and we will change the dressing", he told me.
"Of course, thank you", I said with a smile, rising to leave.
"Will you not want Milk of the Poppy?" Robb asked concernedly.
"I can certainly give you some for the pain", the Maester added.
"There is no pain, I assure you I am fine", I reassured them both.
"Then I will take you to rest", Robb said, indicating for me to leave the tower first, thanking the Maester as he followed me back to our rooms. He helped me undress and change into my night slip despite my insistence that I could manage it myself, and tucked me into bed before sliding in behind me and wrapping his arms tightly around me. "I love you", he said softly after a moment, kissing my bandaged shoulder lightly. I smiled and snuggled closer against him, already feeling drowsy as his warmth radiated onto me; "I love you too", I told him before closing my eyes.