He dreamt of blue eyes staring back at him in the dark of the night. He dreamt of his hands, one of flesh the other of gold, holding tightly around a throat. And he woke at the feeling of cold valyrian steel against his neck.
"I need a word with you, Ser Jaime." the wielder of the weapon said.
"And, pray, does it need to be with you pointing your sword down at me while I sleep, Brienne of Tarth?"
The big woman looked down at her actions as if only now realizing how foolish they seemed. Jaime rose from his bed, builded a fire within his tent and served two cups of wine upon the table they were to sit at. Brienne refused her cup.
"Not a lover of Dornish Red? I could get you some Arbor Gold if you would like," Jaime said, "but not before you explain me your reason for sneaking into a Lannister battle camp at the Riverlands in the middle of the night. What is wrong Brienne?" His last sentence had sounding softer than he intended.
"Ser Jaime," she replied "You know I am a woman true to her word and would never lie. Not even to my enemies. You must trust me, for what I am about to say is hard to… comprehend. You're in grave danger, this place is not safe for you. I mean to… I am trying to…" she looked down to her fidgeting fingers. He could swear she was blushing, but it was hard to tell with such dim lighting. She stared back into his eyes, "You saved me once, so it is natural of me to try and save you too."
He caught a deep breath, genuinely moved by her words, but didn't show a single emotion on his face. "Pardon me but, from what exactly do I need to be saved from?"
And so Brienne told him the story of Catelyn Stark. The She-Wolf who rose up back from the dead. A living corpse who goes by the name of Lady Stoneheart and now leads the Brotherhood Without Banners, avenging any soul who ever hurt her family. And of course, he thought, she wants the blood of the Kingslayer to run cold. Jaime was about to burst into laughter in front of Brienne's face until she showed him the bruised marks of a hanging rope around her neck. He froze on his seat.
"Well, Lady Brienne, how do you mean to save me? I can't simply leave my forces behind. Not with the new issues at the Twins." he said sighing.
"But you must." she insisted, "You are not safe with the Lannisters anymore. Your sister… she… she blew up the Great Sept of Baelor. They say King Tommen threw himself off the top of Maegor's Holdfast. Cersei is now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and she… she has a price on your head, accusing you of treason for not helping the crown when requested."
I love you, I love you, I love you, he recalled from Cersei's letter, do you truly, sweet sister? "Well, if I am not safe here, and neither in King's Landing nor Casterly Rock, where do you mean to take me?"
Brienne glanced about the room nervously before looking back at him, "The Targaryen Queen has landed on Westeros."
Jaime was taken aback, "You expect the daughter of the Mad King to welcome with open arms the man who shoved his sword through her father's back after taking a vow to protect him with his life?"
"No, I don't expect that from her. Your brother, Tyrion, he's working as her Hand. He might keep you safe."
His eyes widened. He looked down from her gaze trying to organize the trillion troubling thoughts that swarmed around his head. "This is a terrible plan." he said. Yet he escaped from the camp unseen, Brienne guiding his new path.