Tormund slept for two days straight after the battle, between his injuries and sheer exhaustion he had slept like the dead. The healer came and checked his wounds a few times to ensure they didn't corrupt. When he woke Tormund rose and padded to the window and gazed out at the land around Winterfell. The vast grassland was coated in a thick blanket of white snow, it reminded him of the day he first laid eyes on Brienne. Tormund smiled at the memory but it quickly became a sad one. He moved away from the window and pulled his fresh clothes over his head, Tormund walked down to the courtyard to find Jon in the Great Hall. Jon sat at the top table with Sansa beside him, the little Lady Mormont had declared that Jon was their King in the North. Tormund smiled proudly and chanted with the rest of the room, "King in the North! King in the North". Tormund couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety about calling him 'King' as he remembered his conversation with Ser Davos.
Underneath their chanting a horn sounded from the gate that meant there were riders approaching. A flicker of hope sparked in his heart, he left the room hastily and left Jon to celebrate his new position as their king. He ran to the gatehouse and scanned over the expanse, in the distance two riders approached as fast as they could through the thick snow. Tormund's heart was in his throat; could it be? Tormund didn't dare move in fear that the riders were a figment of his imagination, he prayed to every god that existed that it could be Brienne riding towards them.
Riverrun was in utter chaos, the few that remained loyal to the Blackfish defended him till they were cut down with Lannister steel. He had led Brienne and Pod to a secret dock beneath the castle, Brynden ordered them to return to Sansa. He smiled at Brienne, "you will defend her far better than I can" he half smiled, "I have been dying for a good fight, now go before they figure out where you have gone" he ordered as Brienne reluctantly got into the boat, she pushed away from the wall and nodded a goodbye at the Blackfish.
The current carried them down the river, there were no Lannister scouts on the battlements which meant that Jaime was still organising his troops. He appeared on the battlements, Brienne froze thinking that he might call for an archer. Instead he raised his metal hand and waved her goodbye, the next time they will see each other will be facing one another on the battlefield.
As soon as Riverrun was out of sight, they beached the boat and went in search of horses. Nightfall had long since passed when they came across a small farm which had four or five horses tied up outside, Brienne approached cautiously with Pod following behind closely. She knocked on the door loudly, movement could be heard inside,
"Who goes there?" An old man spoke through the door,
"My name is Brienne of Tarth, I have with me my squire Podrick Payne, we serve Lady Sansa Stark the daughter of Lord Eddard Stark" she stated, "I have a need to buy two of your horses to get to Winterfell" she stated, the wooden door creaked open and a frightened man hid on the other side. His eyes widened with surprise at the sight of her,
"The Tully's are the bannermen of the Starks, anyone flying their banner is welcome in my home" he said as he swung the door open and welcomed them inside. "My name is BoreI, I was the horsemaster for Riverrun" he said as he closed the door behind them, "I have stew on the fire, you look like you've had quite a day" he said, Brienne nodded and sat at the bench that was placed in front of the hearth, "if you don't mind me asking, what brings you this far south?" he asked as he poured three bowls of stew and placed it before each of them. Brienne and Pod ate hungrily,
"I was sent her by Lady Sansa to recruit what was left of the Tully army, but negotiations went sour and here we are" she informed him, she finished her bowl quickly, it had been a long time since she had eaten a stew that had been made properly, "thank you kind Ser, you honour us with your hospitality" she said with a smile, Pod nodded inbetween mouthfuls. "Now, how much do you want for your fastest horses? It is a long way from here to Winterfell" she asked, the old man shook his head,
"I cannot accept payment from a woman loyal to the Starks, does Winterfell have a horsemaster?" he asked, a hopeful look in his eyes, "I only ask as Riverrun has no further need of my mounts, but I'm sure the new Warden of the North could use a few extra well-bred horses for their cause" he stated, Brienne nodded.
"You may come with us, but we will be riding hard. I cannot waste any time on returning to Sansa, you keep up or you get left behind" she informed him, "when is the soonest you can be ready to leave?" Brienne asked as she rose from her seat,
"Give me an hour or so to gather my things and pack the saddlebags" he said before hurrying away and started stuffing the large saddlebags full of supplies he might need. Brienne nodded and walked outside to examine the horses. Tied to a wooden post there were two mares, two geldings and a stallion that had been kept separate from the others. The stallion was a dark bay, his coat almost as dark as night itself. He nickered softly as Brienne approached, turning his head to look at her curiously. Brienne walked towards him without even a flicker of apprehension, she rested her hand on the horse's neck and patted the smooth fur. Brienne liked this horse, he was a good height and had a nice temperament, he would be a good mount for her. Brienne didn't hear Borel approach behind her,
"He's a beauty isn't he" he asked, a proud smile gracing his face. Brienne nodded, feeling suddenly shy that she had been caught off-guard. "You can have him, your squire and I will take the mares and release the other two" he stated, "I am ready to leave when you are" he said before turning on his heel to walk to his horse. Brienne was filled with glee; this beauty of a horse was now hers and he would carry her back to Tormund. Tormund… This was the first time since she left Winterfell that she even had time to think about her own wants, murmur trickled down that Jon had successfully taken Winterfell although there was no news of Tormund or Sansa. Brienne frowned deeply, she stared up at the starry night sky that reminded her of the glinting waters that surrounded the Isle of Tarth. Returning to the task at hand, she tacked her horse and mounted quickly. The stallion shifted underneath her, anxious as she was to get moving.
They galloped across the grassland between Riverrun and Winterfell as often as they could. Brienne was impressed that the old man was able to keep up with them. It took them a week to return to Winterfell, a thick layer of snow now lay between them and the gates. It was too deep to go any faster than walking, their mounts heaved with effort as they crawled their way to the castle. The gates swung open for them, the trio were slouched in their saddles, physically exhausted from riding so hard to get there as fast as they did. Pod fell from his horse and into the snowy mud, soldiers peeled him out and took him away to be seen by the healer. Brienne slid down from her saddle, her stallion's knees were shaking when the stablehands led the tired beasts away to be cared for. Gravity weighed down on her, she fell to her knees unable to keep her weight upright. Brienne felt arms wrap around her and her support her weight. Through half-lidded eyes she saw hair coloured the same as a fading sunset before she fell into unconsciousness. "You're safe now" Brienne heard through the darkness.
She woke that evening, her armour was on its stand and a hearth was lit. Tormund sat patiently at the end of the bed, he fidgeted with his hands and did not notice her wake. Brienne had to pinch herself to make sure this was real, she was here in this moment, alive and Tormund was too. She leaned forward, heat rushed to her cheeks as tears threatened behind her eyes. "T-Tormund?" she asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper, almost as though she expected him to vanish as she said his name. Tormund snapped his head round and his eyes met hers,
"Brienne..." He breathed, his eyes were awash with concern as he shuffled towards her and took her hand in his. "How are you feeling? He asked, looking from her hand to her face. Brienne frowned,
"I failed Lady Sansa, I failed you all" she stated as a tear rolled down her cheek, Tormund wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. He frowned deeply before pulling Brienne into his embrace,
"No Brienne, you didn't fail us" he said as he kissed the top of her head, his strong arms were wrapped around her, "You came back, that is all that matters to me" he murmured into her blonde hair. Brienne snuggled herself into his chest, allowing herself to be comforted in a way she never had before. She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes from her tears,
"I need to go and see Lady Sansa, she will be wondering what happened to me" she muttered, looking at the door but not really wanting to move. Tormund tightened his grip slightly,
"You can see that lot tomorrow, let's stay here before they have us off doing other sensible things" he said with a smile, Brienne returned the smile and buried herself deeper into his embrace.