"Are we still in the New Gift?"
"No, not anymore. This is Brandon's Gift"
"Really?" Meera's mouth widened and turned into the greatest of smiles. "Finally, my Prince!"
"Glad that you enjoy the news" Bran replied, smiling back, "but we're still quite far from the Nightfort"
Not like it matters for you, since you don't have to walk, thought Jojen.
He was tired and in a very bad mood because he hadn't slept at all. He had had a terrible dream, a green dream.
Nothing he wanted to share with his friends though, and keeping it all inside was not helping.
"Brandon the Builder must have been really devoted to the Night's Watch for giving them such a huge strip of land" observed Meera, looking all around her as she walked.
"I told you, he wanted to thank them for their support" said Bran, his arms wrapped around Hodor's neck.
"Hodor" he added.
"Yes, but this.. this is a real Gift!" exclaimed Meera. "I believe he was a very generous"
"Or very stupid" commented Jojen.
Both Meera and Bran looked at him, surprised.
"Such a waste of space" Jojen explained, "and no one who uses it"
"The members of the Night's Watch use it"
"Do they, my Prince? And where are they now?"
"They.. they're at their castles, I think" answered Bran, abashed.
"Three of their castles, you mean.."
"Hey!" Meera exclaimed, as she stopped walking.
Jojen turned around and stared at her.
"What?"
"That's not how you speak to your Prince"
"Why, I just said that only three out of the eighteen castles are actually in use"
"You were kind of rude" she insisted.
"Meera" meddled Bran, embarrassed, "it doesn't matter.."
"I'm sorry, my Prince" hissed Jojen, "I won't do it again"
"It's fine" the child assured him, "you were right"
"Brandon the Builder was not stupid" stated Meera.
"Point of views.."
"Jojen!"
"What?" he yelled, annoyed. "I didn't call our Prince an idiot, I simply expressed the opinion that if a man has such a wide fraction of land and decides to give it away to someone who doesn't have a clue about what to do with it, well, that man can be very kind or very stupid"
"Brandon the Builder was a Stark" replied Meera, offended, "you shouldn't insult him!"
"Hodor!"
"Can we please go? There's still a lot of walking to do"
"Hoooodor! Hodooooor!"
"Not until you'll have apologised to Bran"
"Hodooooooooooooor!"
"You do not command me.."
"Come on you two, stop it" said Bran, distressed, "you're scaring Hodor"
"Forgive me, my Prince" Meera replied, bowing her head, "Hodor, please, calm down"
"Hodor.."
"Yes, calm down, Hodor" added Jojen, "there's nothing to be scared of"
"Shall we go on then?" asked Bran, doubtful.
"Absolutely, my Prince"
"Hodor!" agreed Hodor.
As he started to walk carrying Bran along, Meera approached Jojen.
"What is your problem?" she whispered. "Why are you upset?"
"Nothing" he lied, shrugging.
"I know you, you're my brother. It's something"
When Jojen didn't reply, Meera understood what it was about.
"You had a green dream, did't you?"
"I.." he hesitated, making sure Bran couldn't hear them. "Yes, I did"
"What did you see?" his sister asked, biting her lips.
"A ship"
"A ship?"
"Yes. A ship in the shape of a horse"
"What?" she asked, confused.
"Yes" he repeated, "it came from the East"
"A Eastern horse.. what does that mean?"
"Dothraki"
"Dothraki?" Meera covered her mouth with her hands. "They're sailing to Westeros?"
"They already have, I'm afraid" continued Jojen, "the horse in my dream was striking down two identical towers"
"Lord Frey's Crossing.."
"Exactly"
"Jojen!" she squaled, looking at her brother, then at Bran, then back at her brother. "The Dothraki will take the Neck!"
"Probably they will"
"Father.. Greywater.. we have to go home!"
"We can't" Jojen replied, serious, "we have to stay with Bran"
"The Dothraki will destroy our house and kill our people!"
"If they find them. The crannogmen are goof fighters, and Greywater is almost impossible to spot"
"Almost" she echoed. "We must go"
"We must stay"
"Our father needs us!"
"Our Prince needs us" Jojen decided, giving Meera solemn look. "We won't go anywhere Bran can't follow us"
"You mean Hodor can't follow us"
"Now who's insulting our Prince?"
"I didn't mean to.."
"Our Prince needs us" Jojen repeated, hissing his sister, "let's go"
As if the matter was settled, he walked away, leaving her behind, frightened and doubtful.