Hey, ya, I know, 3 months and no update :(

but there were a great many reasons why, and one of them is seeming lack of interest.
another is my lack of internet 1/2 the time *hysterical sobbing*

Chapter 14

"You keep that beast away!" She shrieked, her voice frightened.

Robb looked at her, watching as she tensed at Grey Wind's quiet growl. Her body was obscured by the thick trunk of the tree, but he could see that she, once again, was only in her nightly garb. A wool shift that fell to her shins with a bodice that clung to her midsection, showing her womanly curves delightfully. The collar was higher cut now for modesty but it was wide and showed to tops of her shoulders, and the long sleeves were loose and puffed a little, but he could clearly see the rise of her breasts and the soft curve of her bare shoulder. He ignored the leap his stomach gave and fixed her with a stern glare. A moment passed before he called Grey Wind to him, both man and beast still watching the woman with their careful eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. Adriena swallowed, still peeking out from behind the tree, and looked at Robb Stark. Alone there in the woods, with only him and his mongrel, Adriena felt the heat of fear chew at her heart, but because she was her father's daughter, she refused to show it.

"Walking." She said, repeating her answer from their last encounter.

Robb glared at her. "You walk too much. Next time it might get you killed." He warned. It was not a threat, but a real warning. Her people had killed many of his men and the ones left alive wanted retribution. Though this woman irked him every time they met, he wished nothing ill toward her. He supposed if he were in her shoes, he might be just as hostile.

"Don't threaten me." She hissed, her eyes narrowing angrily. Robb saw that her green eyes seemed to brighten with anger, but also with fear. Robb felt guilty.

"I'm not," Robb said. "It's true, lady, and I meant no harm in telling you facts."

Adriena eyed him up a moment, trying to determine if he was truthful. She watched his face, how his eyes seemed to look through her and at her at the same time, as if he wasn't fooled by the mask, but still couldn't see through it to what her real feelings were and what her real plans detailed.

Taking her bottom lip between her slightly crooked teeth, Adriena looked away from the Young Wolf.

"I'm not a lady." She mumbled under her breath. I am a councilwoman though, future anyway. Not that it matters to him; he thinks I'm just a stupid savage like the rest of his men. Although she hated to admit it, their words got to her. Constant whispers seemed to ring in her ears every moment she was awake and if it wasn't a whisper, it was a glare. It might have been easier if they were silent in their judgement, but they weren't. She was not made of stone, not incapable of feeling as they—the northerners—believed. Showing emotion to them could be twisted and made into a weakness. Perhaps as time wore on and their presence was old to them, she and Vyncent would not hear the slur 'Savage', spat at them at least once a day by some embittered soldier.

It was all Vyncent's fault anyway. Men turned into brothers in war, and Vyncent's aggressive plan had killed many of their brothers. It had alerted Robb Stark of their presence, and now there they were: hostages. It seemed stupid to her. The Realm was large and vast, and their village was small and secluded. What harm could they do to this army? Why so cautious? So fearful?

For a long while they stood there awkwardly, each expecting the other to leave and head back for camp. Neither moved.

"What are you doing here?" Robb asked suddenly. Adriena looked up. "Give me a real answer." He ordered.

Adriena licked her lips, eyes flashing toward the beast at his side before saying, "I wasn't trying to escape if that's what you're thinking." Robb said nothing, giving her his answer. "Where is it I'm to go if I ran? Why do you always think that?" she said, her eyes narrowing in a way that almost looked sad. She was not sad because of his assumption, she was sad because it was wrong. If she could, she'd run in a second, except there was nowhere to run to. This world was strange and foreign, his world. Not hers.

Robb knew she was right, he knew that she wouldn't get anywhere if she tried to run, but after so long of being on edge, worried over spies and traitors, it had made him cautious of newcomers.

"For the same reason your brother stares down those that look at you too long." Robb replied shortly. "I don't trust you." Adriena tensed at his words. He had been watching them?

"I don't trust you either." She replied.

"Then leave." Robb ordered. "This is a holy place anyway. You have no right to be here." Robb didn't want to be so cold, but he wanted to be alone, with his thoughts and gods.

Adriena was taken aback by his abrupt and harsh words, but quickly, anger arose. "I'm not yours to order around, Robb Stark." She hissed lowly, mindful of the creature standing at ready. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them, fearing whatever hidden and foul temper this stranger had.

She moved back a little.

"I am king," Robb stated. He had seen her tense up, but had no intention of proving whatever fear she governed right.

For some reason, at that, the wire inside Adriena snapped. Forgotten was the imposing beast at the Northern King's side, lost was her fear, and without meaning to, words spilled from her mouth without filter, a sudden rush of emotion pouring out from her, unable to hold back any longer. "Not my king!" she cried suddenly. For a moment, her face lost its hard mask and revealed the emotion beneath. Her brows pinched together in a sad but angry way and her cheeks flushed. "You've stolen me away from my family." Tears glistened in her eyes. "Do you have any idea how it feels to be so far from them? It's like losing a bit of yourself."

Her head was clouded, no rational thought, only blind emotion. There was a buzzing sound in her ears, making it difficult to think. The only thing she was aware of was how good it felt to get that out and how strangely satisfying it was to have Robb Stark's blue eyes staring at her so surprised.

Robb watched in fascination as the young woman drew in deep breaths. Her face held more emotion than he'd ever seen on her. Her eyes were wild, vivid and green, shining in the dark with sadness and anger, her pale face flushed red, the colour rushing down her neck and to her bosom.

She actually looked quite beautiful when she showed her real feelings, like back in Hoff the night before they'd set off. When she was not cold and stony as she always tried to be, Robb found himself wondering how gorgeous she would be if she were smiling. But he quickly dismissed the thought in a rush to respond.

"I have a family too, girl. Someone is hurting and killing my family so now I'm here." Robb snapped at her. His voice broke through the buzzing in her head and brought her back down. Her face remained downcast and angry, but softened a little in surprise.

'Liar!' she'd wanted to scream out at first, like an impudent child, but the look in his eyes startled her and stopped her line of defiant comebacks.

He was at war for his family...a noble cause but still, what lengths would he go to in order protect those closest to him? Would he kill armies, tear apart other families to get his own back, or to avenge them? What was even more shocking to her was that Robb Stark had told her what he was fighting for. Her! a hostage he hated.

"I know what I'm fighting for, because I have lost most of them, they're not safe in Winterfell. You know your family is safe, so don't talk to me about loss." Robb said his voice sharp as a blade. As a King, he had had to keep himself composed at all times, always cool always drawn up, this was the first time he was able to snap, to let emotions run bare. It was unnerving to let them out at the girl, this oddity.

For such a long moment, the woods were silent, letting their words hang in the air. Adriena shifted back, her summer green eyes once again flashing to Robb's wolf, before looking back to the young man.

That was an unexpected turn.

She looked at his eyes, finding that they held an emotion too deep to name. Loss or anger, sadness or spite—it made no matter what his eyes might have told, because at that moment, Adriena felt something strange: empathy for Robb Stark.

He loved his family that was certain. She loved hers. He had started a war for them, why, she did not entirely know, but it was for the people he loved. How many other men could make that claim? The lessons taught in Hoff said that most wars are started over greed, lust for woman or land, hatred, petty little differences that should never have caused a war.

It was disturbing this feeling of understanding. If it were anyone but Robb Stark, it would not have bothered her, but it was him. The man who stole her and Vyncent away, the man who was the root of all this pain and loss she felt. Still, he had a family he loved, as did she. He wanted his safe and she could relate to that, even if his ways of ensuring their safety meant the deaths of armies.

She was curious about his war; who they were fighting and what for, but never voiced her questions, not even to her own brother.

Awkwardly, she looked away from him, not sure what to say or feel. Several moments passed before either of them spoke.

Finally, the woman said: "I'm...s-sorry for your family." The comment shocked even her, but she boldly looked at his face, unwilling to show the slightest bit of shame at her earlier words. She wasn't sorry about saying what she felt, not now. It didn't look like he was going to sic his wolf on her.

Robb looked at her, both of their faces once again cautious and guarded, and grumbled a quiet, "Thank you."

Neither knew what to do anymore, they had never been in this situation. Robb didn't want to snap at her again, order her about and tell her what to do; it would just land them in a battle of wills, before she lost her nerve and remembered Grey Wind. He didn't want to threaten her, she was a woman and even though a savage, he had been taught to treat all women with respect and delicacy.

Adriena wanted to leave; this was making her very uncomfortable, and she wanted to smack herself for feeling something other than abhorrence for this man. But there were many things Adriena wanted: she wanted to go home, she wanted to argue with her sisters again, wanted to feel the sleek wood of a bow between her fingers, feel the arrow fly and hit its mark. But alas, none of that seemed to be coming any time soon, but it was her pride that kept her there with Robb Stark in this endless place of hostility and oddness.

Suddenly, Grey Wind's ears perked up and shifted as he listened. Neither man nor woman noticed, but when the grey dire wolf stood and leaped into the bush, they moved back out of surprise.

Adriena flinched back to the tree, her back hitting the rough bark painfully; her first instinct was that the large creature was coming at her, to attack. But she watched—with a sigh of relief—as the animal ran off into the woods, the darkness of the forest swallowing up his terrifying body.

The pain was quickly forgotten when the sounds of barking and growling, were joined by frightened cries.

Immediately, Robb set off, drawing his sword, he dashing towards his dire wolf's threatening growls and a man's frightened yips.

Frozen with shock and awe, Adriena watched as the man suddenly left her. He had been so steadfast about her leaving! It seemed so stupid that he would follow blindly with only a growl and a terrified yelp to lead him. Anyone would be terrified of that bloody mongrel of his! No need to get upset over another fearful face.

But mixed with her trepidation, was a certain need to be defiant, a need to annoy him and make him see that he didn't own her just because he was a King.

Her body moved automatically, her feet slugging forward, stepping over half rotted old logs and soft, wet moss and through a thorny bush and into darkness. Her side ached sharply as she twisted, her boots feeling the sharp lumps of rocks beneath the soft deer hide. It didn't bother her. If she was barefoot, there would not have been much of a difference, because as a girl she had spent so much time barefoot the soles of her feet had become as tough as leather.

She didn't like the dark, she abhorred the lost feeling it gave off. But she walked, her fears were forgotten again as the anger she felt once again shone through. If she was clear of head, she might have stopped and called herself a fool, but she was not and kept on, following the growls and frightened jabbering as Robb Stark had done.

"Who are you? A Lannister scout? A Baratheon spy?" she heard Robb Stark question.

"No! I-I have no idea—get that thing away from me!" Adriena froze. They were not far off; she could even see the back of Robb's handsome stupid head. Her legs sped forward, her injured side burning and flaring madly, but she ignored it.

"Symon!" she screamed as she neared them. Both men turned to her, one standing as his wolf growled down at the man on the ground, his leg bloodied.

Symon of the Oakswood could have laughed in relief at seeing his friend's sister come running toward him. Safety, he thought. She's safe at least. Where's Vynce though? I swore I'd keep them both safe. Gods forbid if either of them dies. I'd follow soon after. Then he saw he freeze when Robb Stark shot an arm out in front of her. He almost flinched, thinking he'd strike her, but he never did. The Stark King just kept her from coming any closer. He remembered at seeing this: she was just as much a prisoner as any, and could do nothing to help him.

"Who. Are. You?" The dire wolf King ground out.

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