First thanks to my new lovely beta: HeartRose

I own nothing

Jaime's hand grabbed the bark of the old tree to balance over the wet root under his boot. His entire body felt cold, his muscles sore and the morning dew didn't make it any better. To top it all he then nearly slipped on the leaves covering the ground of the thick wood.

Behind him his silent companion let out an unamused exhalation, following him on their way north. Jaime turned around to see if he could offer help, knowing she wouldn't take it, she never did. Brienne of Tarth still wore her armour with the blue cloak, making a rattling sound whenever she moved. Jaime had let everything behind what could have slowed him down, but she was too stubborn.

Unmoved he watched her climbing over the root as ungraceful as a straw doll, her armour handicapping every move she made. Jaime thought about making a remark but decided against it. He was too hungry, too cold and it was too early in the morning to affront her already. So he waited patiently for his expected glare from her before turning around and continuing on their way.

It was the seventh day of his journey with his unlikely travelling companion and so the tenth after the battle of the Kingswood. They wandered through the large forest from dawn till dusk, avoiding the paths and tiny roads, as well as villages and other sorts of dwellings.

This course would stretch their journey but it was safer. Jaime had no doubt he was searched for, but not only by Cersei's men, but by Stannis', as well as was Brienne.

They camped in caves or earth holes, being careful with open fire and hunted if possible or ate berries. Nonetheless their little adventure was accompanied by hunger and the constant cold of the night. Brienne was to frigid to even consider warming each other's body.

A grin flitted over Jaime's face when he thought about it. She still didn't trust his intentions even if they were sincere, the warmth was all he wanted. He had done it before, with his brother's in arms, during his last expedition in the Kingswood.

To be honest, she wasn't such an unpleasant travel companion. She didn't talk much, which suited Jaime all too well, he had enough time to be alone with his thoughts and images, mostly of Cersei. She hadn't even complained again since they had agreed on their destination but on the other hand what really bothered Jaime was her righteous and contemptuously attitude towards him. For her he was the Kingslayer, an honourless creature in her eyes.

It shouldn't bother him, why should he concern himself with her opinion, but he did.

Ser Jaime Lannister, caring for the opinion of Lady Brienne. The thought alone made him chuckle, causing him to feel the already familiar tingle of her glare on his back. She always suspected him of making fun of her because of the armour she wore, she couldn't be more wrong.

He had never seen her without it and by now he couldn't imagine her without. The thought of her being a 'Lady' on the other hand was very much amusing to him. He once imagined her wearing a gown, he had to stop and leaning against a tree so he wouldn't have collapsed on the ground, laughing. If she wanted to be a knight, so be it. She had already proven she wasn't unskilled nor did she lack bravery, if she didn't lack a cock the knights of the Seven Kingdoms would most likely celebrate her on the tournament field.

A cold wisp of wind blew through the treetops making Jaime shutter in his damp clothes, making him confirming the decision he had made this morning. They would search for a village, so they could get proper food and a good night sleep in a warm bed. By now they had to be close enough to King's Landing to dare it.

They had no money but Jaime's name was worth enough and what villager would try anything? Jaime would offer them gold and they greed would lead them to help him and his companion. If they were lucky they would even find horses. It ought to be their lucky day, because he had already spotted the smoke of a nearby village this morning. He could be back with Cersei in less than a week, depending on how much they had wandered off.

His sister was his drive, the one that pushed him forward no matter how cold, sore or tired he was, he had to reach her.

The battle might be won and her life wasn't endangered but he still had to find her, ripping her from the clutches of this grim northern rock. Jaime's jealously only increased over the days he was separated from her, even if he never truly was, he had shared a womb with her, they were two sides of the same coin, the same golden coin.

But this didn't change his feelings, imagine her meeting with this humourless, honourable fool of a man. What if Cersei thought he was dead? Would she search solace with Ned Stark? Who else would be there? Nobody. He had to reach her, and then everything should be different, he would take her and then he would make her his Queen.

This was what he thought about during the silent walks and the cold nights. He had shared his twin far too long, he would make it visible to the entire realm, proclaiming his love for her. Who would stop him?

All, of course, but he didn't care, if necessary he would strike down everyone in his way. As for Ned Stark, he could run back in his cold castle in the North. Tyrion would help him. His brother never judged him for his love for Cersei, never questioned it or doubted it he would help him.

Jaime dove in his fantasy, Cersei in his arms, forever, like it was to be since they came into this world, blanking out the forest around him, with his smells and sounds, trees and leafs as well as his companion with her armour rattling with every step. He imagined Cersei's smell, her soft flawless skin and her golden hair.

And the time went by.

When it reached him he stopped in motion, his stomach turned by the all too familiar scent. A human shouldn't know this smell, but Jaime did all too well and he was used to it.

"What is it?" Brienne asked behind him, her voice sounding mistrustful, as if he would try something. Jaime just held out his hand behind him, twisting his arm. The smell came from the direction of the village, it couldn't be far.

"Can't you smell it?" Jaime asked, his senses roaring to life. He tightened his hand at the hilt of his sword, his eyes, scurried from right to left scanning his surroundings. His companion only sniffed audible.

"A fire, and meat." She deducted, sounding perplexed. "Maybe they celebrate something, a great feast. I would say a wedding of sort. Why does it concern you?" A trace of anxiety showed itself.

"You never smelled something like that before, have you?" Jaime asked, not insulting her. He drew his sword and carefully made his way towards the source of the smell. "There is only one thing in this world smelling like this." He explained turning his head over his shoulder to look in her waiting face, memories of screams echoing in his head. "Human flesh burning"

-##-

The little hope Jaime had to be wrong was blew away as soon as the little village appeared through the scrub. The cluster of perhaps twenty close together standing huts smoked in the sky. The wooden beams were blackened by fire and corpses littered the ground.

Jaime stepped out of the scrub with great care, his sword at his side, ready to strike down anyone coming at him. But after a close look he doubted anyone would come. The fires had burned down nearly entirely, only blaze in a wet thatched roofs remained.

It seemed the wetness of the last days had prevented the fire from consuming the entire village. It looked like whoever had attacked couldn't be gone long, maybe a day. The smouldering wood explained why he had spotted the smoke so easily in the morning. So much to his luck.

The rattling of Brienne's armour behind him startled him. He turned around to glare at her, only to receive an equal glare back.

"Can't you be silent wench, this isn't a tournament." Jaime whispered, his nerves on the edge. Even if whoever attacked here was gone, there could still be survivors, not caring who they were. And the last thing Jaime wanted were desperate traumatised villagers with axes and pikes coming after them in a blood spree.

"Silence Kingslayer", she replied, her voice trembling a bit. By that Jaime examined his companion thoroughly. She was pale and her eyes went around over the scattered corpses.

Jaime tried to take a deep breath, as good as possible in the stink, and whispered calmer: "Let's find the town square, and stay close" Her eyes narrowed but he received a short nod.

On their way through the smoking huts Jaime briefly examined the corpses in the way. There were only a few dead, maybe five, way too few for an attack. If whoever did this simply stormed the village and slayed everyone on their way there would be more, no that hadn't happened. What concerned him was, that here weren't men under the death. Women, children, no boys over the age of twelve, and old people. Their heads were bashed in or deep cuts of swords had butchered their bodies.

The wounds were too deep, to clean for the work of bandits, Jaime had enough experience to know only men at arms could do something like this, but and why?

Brienne didn't look so well, rather sick. She was visible dismayed about the sight. He face showed her disgust and desperation. 'A human reaction' Jaime thought, something he couldn't have any more, too often had he seen such.

Reaching the town square a horrified gasp reached Jaime's ear from behind him and he could sympathise with her reaction.

In the middle of the square a big horizontal beam was lifted on another one and at it, three mutilated corpses were nailed. At the foot of this display rested the corpses of at least fifty people, like the one he had seen, women, children, elderly, dead and some not in one piece. Others were spread over the entire square. Jaime spotted an old man, sliced in two pieces by something.

He slowly made his way over the blood soaked ground to the display, looking up to the three men, confused by what he saw.

"By the gods" He heard Brienne gasp from behind him accompanied by the squelching sound of her heavy boots in the mud. "Who would…"

"These aren't like the others" Jaime observed, sheeting his sword. There was nobody to fight left.

"What?"

"Their clothes, this man's skin colour." Jaime pointed at the slightly brow tanned man on the right. "This man is a Tyroshi, look at the colourful clothes. All of them wear much too expensive fabric to live here. And the holes" Jaime now pointed at the sleeve of a man's arm. "Somebody took pieces of metal from them. And their fingers, whoever did this took their rings. These men weren't peasants, Sellswords maybe, bounty hunter or pirates, the sort of men Stannis has called to his aid."

"Stannis?" Jaime didn't pay attention to the question, he had bend down, a corpse, a woman curled in a ball over something. Jaime carefully removed the stiff arm, finding a baby, pale and dead as its mother.

"My best guess" He answered in a low tone, his stomach knotted. Viewing over the square he had a misgiving thought who was responsible for the massacre and seeing the state of the nailed men he suspected he also knew why. "We should leave whoever did this will…"

He started turning to the pale Brienne when a sound interrupted him. In the blink of an eye his hand was at his sword and he was turned to the origin of the rattling. In the corner of his eyes he saw a small figure scurried in between the shadow of two huts.

Jaime nodded towards Brienne to follow him, slowly they approached the bashed door he had seen the shadow disappearing in.

Jaime went first, ducking under the door he stepped in the dark room. The interior was totally destroyed, the shelves shattered the floor and a chest lid cracked in his way. Brienne followed him, her sword drawn as well but less quietly.

Another sound from his left, the shadow was crawling to the end of the room and Jaime jumped after it, landing near it a loud shriek made him stop. His eyes widened by what he saw and realised who was in front of him.

A little girl with dirty brown hair, not much older than fourteen pressed herself against an overthrown bed, shaking terrified she tried to cover herself with the torn rests of her dress. Jaime starred at her, in her frightened pale brown eyes until a loud rattling followed by a shriek of the girl drew his attention to his left. Brienne had let her sword fall to the ground, her eyes fixed on the girl.

Jaime sighed loudly because of her before sheathing his sword and kneeling down beside the girl, carefully to keep a certain distance. He hoped his unarmoured appearance would help. He showed her his empty hands and spoke gently:

"We are not here to hurt you. What's your name?" But only a small whimper escaped her lips. "Talk with her" Jaime turned to Brienne nodding towards the girl.

Brienne knelt down as well but looked insecure at him.

"Why me?" She whispered uncertain, her eyes moving between him and the crouched girl.

"Because you are a woman" Jaime hissed at her. "And after what happened to her I am the last person she wants to talk to." He explained, his eyes wandering over the cuts, and bruises on the girls wrists and the destroyed gown before returning to Brienne. She looked confused and Jaime was already thinking how thick she was after all when her eyes widened in shock, understanding and revulsion.

"Can you tell me your name?" Brienne addressed the girl, much gentler than Jaime had thought she would be capable of. With so much sympathy. "I am Brienne. Brienne of Tarth. We are not here to hurt you, but help."

"Alora" The battered girl stuttered terrified, curling up in a ball, she pressed herself further against the bed.

"Hello Alora." Brienne replied unsure what to say. Jaime didn't say anything but slowly reached for his bottle and offered it to the girl, holding it far from his chest in her reach. She looked horrified at him, so he shot a short glance at Brienne who luckily understood him and took the bottle holding it at the girls lip so she could drink. While slowly gulping Jaime could see her red and blue bruised throat. When she choked at the water Brienne removed the bottle. A small drop of blood fell from her mouth.

"Can you tell us what happened here?" Brienne asked, still sounding not very comfortable in her skin but better. In any other situation Jaime would be amazed by her sudden change from this uncommunicative ungracious manwoman to such a gentle compassionate person. But this was not the time.

"Three men came in the village." Alora began to speak hesitantly, still covering her nakedness, curled in a ball, fearful eying both of them. Brienne took her blue coat and offered it to the girl, but she didn't take it. When she continued her voice sounded empty. "They said they searched for Ser Jaime Lannister, and that King Stannis would pay well for information. They said he could have come through." Alora shot both of them terrified glances. "But he didn't."

Jaime looked over to Brienne, beheld her blue pools and found them accusing. The poor girl only confirmed what he had suspected. Stannis searched for him, because the bloody wench hadn't killed the man on the clearing.

He hadn't to be a genius to figure out why Stannis wanted him. He most likely had the delusion he could make him talk, admitting to fathering Cersei's children to back up his claim. How wrong he was.

"They asked for a place to stay and food, they paid us. The men of the village are away, to cut wood." Alora continued, not letting her guard down. Jaime watched Brienne, she looked anxious. "The next morning the other men came, more than I could count. One of them was a giant. They searched for the man as well."

"Who were they, what banner did they fly?" Brienne asked impatiently, Jaime feared she would scare the girl, she leaned forward, causing the girl to back up again, tears streaming down her cheeks and sobs escaping her.

"I don't know! A yellow one, maybe. They found the other men, they, they did that to them." He fearful gaze wandered to the door in the direction of the square. "They didn't believe that we didn't know where the man is. They didn't believe us. They thought we would know, but if we knew we would have told them!" Alora screamed, sobbing wildly. Jaime nudged Brienne, gesturing her to do something, holding the girls hand or so. "They did … did"

"We know" Jaime said, his voice low.

"They thought I was dead too, when they killed them, we couldn't fight there were too many and when they didn't get their answers, they." Finally Brienne reached out for the girl, lying her hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn and then Jaime saw it.

Her stomach, he saw purple bruises under her skin, together with the blood he had seen he now knew what would happen. He leaned over to Brienne and pulled her a bit beside and whispered:

"She won't make it"

"What?" She glared at him angrily.

"Look at her. They raped her, and probably worse. She bleeds in her womb. She will die and we can't do anything. She has a night, at best." Jaime hissed in Brienne's ear, she looked at him devastated. Jaime didn't feel better to but he couldn't do anything. "She should sleep, it will be easier for her." With these words Jaime rose to his feet and wandered towards the girl, who crawled away from him.

He set up the bed for her and left, he couldn't do anything.

Jaime waited outside the hut, starring at the hill of death in the town square, waiting for his companion to accompany him. It didn't take long for her to appear out of the shadows.

"Ser Gregor Clegane, the Mountain that rides. A Lannister Bannerman" Jaime spoke when she stood beside him, starring revolted at the hill. "My brother must have sent him."

There was no reaction from her, she ignored him and approached the middle of the square.

"We must bury them" She finally proclaimed after a long stretched silence, anger filled her voice.

"Not our duty." Jaime explained her. "The villager will do it when they come back, and we shouldn't be here when they come." Jaime had no interest in burying the people after puzzling them together.

"We must" She was stubborn and insisting and perhaps Jaime knew why.

"It's not your fault." He tried to assured her. But she turned around glaring angry at him.

"My fault" She asked "It's yours" She accused him with loathing.

"I didn't let the man live so they knew where to search for us" Jaime defended himself, glaring back at the blue eyes, burning in anger. But again she didn't lose her composure. "Don't make me responsible, wench."

"It's your fault Kingslayer" She glared at him, Jaime let out an angry sigh and turned marching away from her, not listening to the words she called behind him. "Lannister men did this, because of you."

-##-

Jaime dragged the corpse of an old man over the ground towards the square. He had accepted the woman would be too stubborn to give up and if he helped her it would go much faster and they could go as soon as they were done. Nevertheless he feared he would be stuck in the village for the night. Not what he had imagined for the day.

But worse, her words didn't leave his head, why should he be responsible. He hadn't slaughtered these people, the Mountain and his group of monsters did it. It was the reason why Tyrion had sent them, nobody would stand between them and their goal. But Jaime also felt the need to scream at his brother. He could be so reckless it had cost these people their lives.

He reached the square when he suddenly felt the tip of a sword between this shoulders.

"Again?" Jaime asked with a sigh.

"I will bring you to Stannis." Brienne's voice sounded from behind him, again filled with old determination.

"Will you?" Jaime replied pert, turning around, his hands near his hips. "And how?" She hold up a piece of paper, glaring at him.

"I found this on them" Brienne nodded behind her and Jaime saw she had removed the three men from the beam. "Stannis' ships cross at the coast, I will bring you there."

"And I thought we had an agreement?" Jaime mocked her, fixing her with his eyes. There was no use to fight, she would cut him down before he could drew his sword. "So much to your honour."

"We never had an agreement. One can't have an agreement with one without honour, Kingslayer." She stepped closer, her sword at his throat. "If I bring you to him this won't happen again." She gestured around, her eyes not leaving him."

"Stannis doesn't like you very much as well, did you think about that?" Jaime asked grinning, reminding her what would wait for her.

"I doesn't matter, if you are found and in his hand, the men who did this will leave the Kingswood and the people will be left in peace."

"So you think you sacrifice yourself, wench. How thick are you?" Jaime spat out having enough of it. "If you think Clegane's rampage will suddenly end if you deliver me to Stannis then you are wrong. There are only two possible ways he will stop: He finds me or my brother calls him back and that won't happen."

"What makes you so sure, if Stannis has you…?"

"Then my brother will order Clegane to get me back, no matter how and the Mountain will continue. My brother isn't one to give up so easily. Believe me." The woman in armour glared at him, but sudden uncertainty was back in her and Jaime planned to exploit it. "Let me tell you a story about my brother. He is considered the ugliest man in the seven Kingdoms, given all I know it's most likely true. And still he somehow managed to make one of the most beautiful Ladies love him utterly. He is very persistent and won't give up if he wants something." Jaime smirked in her face. "So think what you do, we can take the road to King's Landing, even on foot we can make it in little more than a week. From there I can end it. My word."

He raised his hands, showing her he had no intentions to attack, hoping she would see reason.

"Your word means nothing Kingslayer"

"Perhaps. But it's all you have." He retorted, ignoring her continuing insults. He had gotten use to her righteousness. Jaime tilted his head, holding her gaze and indeed, she let her sword sink to the ground. "Good decision"

All he earned was an angry gruff before she left, clearly frustrated.

They didn't talk for the rest of the day. Jaime had been right it took all day for at least lining the dead up to bury them the next day. Brienne then retreated in the hut with Alora while Jaime searched his own little hut, he even found some old cheese before he went to bed.

-##-

Two rough hands hauling him up by his collar startled Jaime out of his sleep. Before he could react he was crushed in the wall of the hut. His head hit the hard wood and it took him a moment to focus. A bearded dirty face glared at him, foul smelling breath made him choke.

Before he could have another thought he was thrown out of the hut in the mud of the towns square. He looked up and realised the villagers had returned.

Desperate cries of sorrow filled his ears, he saw men bending over the corpses, he and Brienne had lined up, boys age twelve and older curling at the sides of their dead mothers, or siblings crying their heart out, sobbing loudly.

Now Jaime was grabbed again and turned around, a mud tainted boot landed on his throat. The ogre of man was about to press but Jaime gasped:

"Wait, we haven't…"

"Barin, stop!" An older man, maybe fifty approached them, his face a stony mask of resentment. "Who are you?"

"I am Ser Jaime Lannister" Jaime answered with as much pride as he could, there was no use of lying "And I didn't harm any of your people. My companion and I found your village yesterday."

"Put your boot down Barin" The man ordered, to Jaime's satisfaction a bit of terror had found the way in his tone. Jaime could sit up. It had its advantages to be a Lannister, everybody knew it was a bad idea to mess with you. "Tell me, do you know who did this?"

"No" Jaime lied. "But if you bring me to King's Landing, I promise you the King's justice and a reward, even vengeance if you wish. You have my word as a knight of the Kingsguard and a Lannister. A Lannister always pays his debts." Jaime appealed at the man's reasonable side. He seemed more controlled and he hoped to exploit that.

"A big pile of shit if you ask me" The man named Barin commented. "We should..."

"Nobody asked you Barin." The man cut the words off.

A loud noise drew all their attention to the hut with Brienne. She was brought out held by two men who had visible problems holding the tall woman in her heavy armour.

"Your companion?" The old man asked surprised. Jaime nodded. Then the man turned to Barin: "We will bring him to Mirk, he will decide." Jaime had no idea what was going on but it didn't sound like he would reach King's Landing soon.

"And her?" Barin asked

"Her not." Was the only reply, even if some regret lied in her? "Two prisoners are too much" The old man gestured to one of the men holding Brienne. He drew a dagger and Jaime's eyes widened. He decided quickly:

"WAIT!"

Sorry for the darkness, I am not even sure if I can hold the T rating