"God, is it ever not hot here?" Sam huffed.

"You just need to lose some of that northern insulation," Tormund said poking him in the side. Sam started, a giggle involuntarily escaping him. A second later he flushed a deep red, clearly embarrassed he'd been tickled.

"Are you ever gonna stop picking at him?" Brienne chided Tormund. He just grinned back at her. She shook her head and turned to Sam. "It's just extra bad today cause of the humidity. Hopefully it'll cool off once the storm breaks, probably today, tomorrow at the latest."

"You could always get in the river with the rest of them," Tormund pointed out. Sam flushed again and shook his head. Tormund stifled a laugh as Brienne glared at him once more.

They had all come down to the river today after church to cool off. The Tyrells, with some of the girls from High Garden were here, including Gilly. Tormund had been teasing him relentlessly about it.

Most of the girls were fawning over Theon, not Gilly though, she was busy talking to Sansa and Margaery. Sam was staring at her and the water longingly. "You know if things were to ever go the way you're wanting, she's gonna have to see you out of those clothes eventually," Tormund said.

"Would you leave him be," Brienne said swatting at him. Tormund grinned and caught her wrist gently. They regarded each other for a long moment and then Brienne drew her hand away and looked towards the river with a scowl. Sam sighed and left them in the shade, making his way to the river's edge. Jon waved at him and popped up from the water.

"Are you finally coming in?" Jon called shaking the water from his curls and smacking his hands on the surface of the water. Sansa and Marge shrieked and laugh it splashed them.

"Maybe after lunch," Sam answered and saw Gilly smile at him. The girls were whispering now, tossing side glances at him. Jon came towards him and then stepped on the bank to stand beside him.

"Are you really not going to come in?" Jon asked him quietly. Sam just fidgeted. "I'm not sure I can't spend another two months listening to you pine over her if you're never going to actually talk to her outside of a drink order."

"I'm trying, but she makes me so nervous. And why would she want to look at me when there's you, Theon and Loras? I'm just lucky Gendry's not here too." Gendry and Arya had gone over to Sierra Vista to get a piece of equipment for the blacksmith. Sansa and Marge had teased Arya it was a date, Arya had threatened to pull their hair out if they said that to her again.

"Well I'm spoken for, Loras is her boss, and she hasn't paid a lick attention to Theon. I'm fairly certain she only has eyes for you. Sansa and Marge said the same thing."

"They did?" Sam said, his voice coming out thin and high.

"I swear."

Sam flushed and fiddled with his hands. Blessedly Tormund bellowed lunch was ready and everyone got out of the river and headed for the shade. Jon waited on the bank for Sansa.

"Any luck?" she asked as he helped her up the bank.

"He's still working up to it." Sansa opened her mouth to offer advice. "He'll come around eventually, maybe not today, but eventually," Jon assured her.

They all gathered on the blankets in the shade and ate the lunch Sansa and Brienne had prepared. They talked and laughed and shared a jug of moonshine. After eating, most everyone headed back into the water. Sam was still hesitant, so Tormund focused on getting Sam to drink enough of the moonshine to loosen him up. Eventually he got enough in him to convince him to go put his feet in the river.

Everyone had hooted and hollered. Sam blushed as Gilly made her way over and sat beside him.

"About time. I thought we were all going to die out here before he talked to her," Marge said.

They all continued to swim and splash in the water while Sam and Gilly quietly chatted.

Tormund had just executed a cannonball expressly to soak Brienne when they heard thunder rumbled off in the distance. They had all been too carefree to notice the storm clouds building in.

"Guess that's the end of that," Loras said coming up beside Marge, Jon and Sansa.

"Oh, let's give them a little more time," Sansa said when she saw that Gilly was holding Sam's hand and tracing her finger across his palm. She looked to be reading his fortune. "The thunder didn't sound that close." As if to prove her wrong a bolt of lightning shot across the sky and the thunder cracked close by.

"Time to go folks. Monsoon's breaking," Tormund shouted.

Boos and groans were heard as everyone climb out of the river and began packing up. They loaded their blankets and baskets into the wagons.

"You coming back to town?" Marge asked Sansa.

"No, home. If I don't beat the flash I might not be able to get back in till tomorrow," Sansa answered.

"The flash?" Sam asked.

"The flooding. Sometimes the storms make the wash by our place run high. It can be nearly impossible to cross if it rains hard enough."

"I'll see you home," Jon said. "Theon can I borrow your horse?"

"Sure thing," Theon called and then turned to the High Garden girls, "Ladies, can I get a ride?" he asked with an impish grin. They answered with giggles. Loras rolled his eyes.

"You don't have to," Sansa said quietly to Jon as she suppressed a smile.

"I do actually," he said with a small smile. "My mother raised me to be a gentleman." The suppressed smile became a full one.

"Alright, let's roll out," Tormund called as the wind started to pick up.

Everyone said a final goodbye, the wagons headed back toward town; Jon and Sansa headed in the opposite direction towards Winterfell.

Sansa's horse, Lady, seemed rather skittish, whinnying loudly and startling with each crack of thunder. "She doesn't like being out in storms," Sansa explained as she leaned forward and petted the horse's neck.

The sky opened up then and began to pour down buckets of rain. It fell in nearly blinding sheets. It shocked Jon how quickly the weather had turned. They spurred the horses to pick up the pace. When they finally reached the wash near Winterfell they were soaked to the bone.

The wash was already running high, but yelling over the thunder and the wind, Sansa assured him they could cross it. She urged Lady forward, but the horse baulked and seemed very reluctant to cross. Lighting split the sky above them, the bolt hitting somewhere on the ridge. The thunder that followed was deafening and shook the ground. Lady reared back nearly throwing Sansa to the ground. Jon had no idea how she managed to stay on. When she landed back on all fours, the horse bolted alongside the wash. He could hear Sansa trying to reign the horse in, pleading with her to stop or slow.

Jon kicked his horse and gave chase. He had almost reached them when Lady's footing gave way. He heard a sickening crack that he knew wasn't the thunder. The horse went down, throwing Sansa hard to the earth. She let out a shriek as she hit the ground. She took a moment to get up, clearly dazed by the fall. Meanwhile Jon had reached them. He jumped down from his horse and intercepted her as she attempted to scramble to Lady's side. The horse was kicking and writhing in pain. He worried she might kick Sansa.

"Stay," he ordered her over the storm. Despite the rain he knew she was crying. He turned and made his way slowly to Lady, making sure to stay clear of her churning hooves. When he placed his hand on the horse's neck she calmed a bit, letting out a low whine and looked up at him. He accessed her leg, it had snapped, badly. He knew there was no saving her.

"Sansa!" he called. He looked back and she was visibly sobbing now. Her arms wrapped around her, shoulders shaking. She came forward at his call. He knew she knew what he would have to do. She knelt down next to him and patted the horse.

"Shh, girl. It'll be ok," she said, sobs chocking her words. The horse looked at her, still visibly pained, but seemed to relax more with its owner's touch.

"Sansa," he said. She sobbed and nodded.

"Just be quick about it," she said through her tears. Jon went back to Theon's horse and took the rifle from the saddle holster. He walked back towards Sansa and the horse. She was still petting it and promising her that it was going to be all better real soon. She met his eyes and nodded. He didn't ask her to step away, he knew she won't.

The shotgun blast was deafening, far more terrible then all the thunder. Sansa let out a broken wail as soon as he fired. The rain was still falling, the wash would be impossible to cross if they waited much longer. The storm didn't appear to be letting up anytime soon and it would be a mistake to stay out in it.

"We need to go," Jon said. Sansa patted Lady one last time and stood up. Still crying, she followed Jon back to the other horse. He helped her up and then climbed up behind her. He guided the now reluctant horse across the wash and then wrapping his arms tightly around Sansa, he kicked the horse to a gallop.

They arrived at Winterfell shortly after. He left Sansa on the porch and led Theon's horse to the barn. He tied the horse in the stall and then ran back across the yard to the porch as the rain continued to hammer down.

When he rejoined her on the porch he found that Sansa had stopped crying. She stood, staring blank faced towards the barn, clearly in shock.

"Are you alright?" he asked looking her over to see if she had been hurt in the fall.

"My father gave me that horse. Lady, he gave me Lady." She was looking passed him, her eyes a bit unfocused now.

"Sansa –"

"My last birthday, before he died. She was my gift."

"Sansa," he said again trying to get her to focus on him. He noticed then the red hue now covering the side of her neck, nearly hidden beneath her hair. He reached up and into her hair, bringing his hand back and finding it covered in blood.

"Jon," she said, her voice a bit slurred now. Her head lolled and she looked up at him. "I loved that horse," was the last thing she said before she collapsed.

xxxxx

Sansa blinked her eyes open as bright sunlight spilled into her room. She groaned at the way it made her head pound. She felt disoriented, unsure for a moment how she had gotten here. And then the memories rushed back, the storm, being thrown from Lady, Jon looking at her before he'd aimed the gun. She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears. She knew that breaking down into sobs would do nothing to make her head feel better.

After she took a moment to calm herself and get her breathing under control, she became aware she was not alone in her bed. Jon lay on his side next to her. She looked down and realized his hand was placed protectively over her middle. She further realized she was in one of her nightgowns. She felt the blood rush to her face. She did not recall changing herself, which likely meant he had. The thought horrified her a bit.

She looked at him again. He was a bit dirty, smears of red dirt were on his cheek and forehead. His nails had what looked to be fresh dirt under them as well. He was in a set of clothes that did not appear to be his own. She figured he must've taken them from one of the laundry bags. She wondered who they might belong to.

"Jon?" she said in a soft croak. He stirred but did not wake. She said his name again, this time a bit louder and he stirred and then bolted up.

"Sansa! Are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to doze off," he apologized and looked down at her.

"I think I'm ok. My head hurts, and I'm thirsty, but I imagine I'll survive."

"Wait here," he said and got out of bed, returning with a glass of water.

He helped her sit up and she drank from it slowly. "Do you remember last night?" he asked when she was finished.

"Most of it from before we left Lady," her voice quivered a bit. "I don't remember much from after we crossed the wash. It's a bit blurry after that."

"Yeah you passed out shortly after we got back here. You hit your head when you were thrown. I got the bleeding to stop, took longer than I expected, but I don't think you were in true danger."

"Did Arya come home?"

"No, haven't seen or heard from her yet. I would gather the storm might've kept them in town or Sierra Vista for a bit longer."

"So….. Did you change my clothes?"

Blood rushed to Jon's cheeks and he looked down at the floor. "You were soaked to the bone. I did my best not to look, to preserve your honor, but yes, I put you in dry clothes." Sansa felt her cheeks flame. "I'm sorry, I just didn't see another option. I did it without lighting the lamp if that helps. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she said softly. "What choice did you have?" He met her eyes for the briefest moment and then they both looked away. "We need to go bury Lady," she went on hoping to move them pass this awkwardness. "I can't bear the thought of the coyotes and vultures getting at her."

"It's already done. I did it at first light."

"You did?" She was blinking back tears now. It meant so much to her that he had thought of that and then done it for her unprompted.

"I did. I used Kraken to move her into the grave. The wash is still a bit high, so she's buried on the far side of it."

"Thank you," she said quietly and brushed away the few tears she'd been unable to stop.

"Are you worried about Arya?"

"No, not really. She's tough, plus she was with Gendry. I trust him to keep her from doing anything rash," she said with a soft brittle laugh. "She'll be home soon I imagine."

"I imagine so."

The light was still causing her head to pound and she felt tired again as she thought of Jon burying her horse, of Arya coming back across the desert. "Can you lay down with me again?" she asked softly.

"Are you sure you won't rather I get you something to eat?"

"No, not right now. In a minute maybe."

"Alright." He climbed in the bed and lay on his back. Sansa lay down on her side, placing her head on his shoulder and sliding tightly against him. He moved his arms and drew her nearer still. She sighed and burrowed her face little deeper into his neck. His warmth and scent instantly made her feel better.

"I'm sorry about Lady," he murmured as he carded his fingers through her hair.

"Me too," she breathed. She kept her next thoughts to herself though. She didn't want to upset the moment by telling him that she all she couldn't help but wonder is if her poor horse's sacrifice would be enough to keep the curse at bay for a little while longer.