Vikihungerrgame1 - For now, I think Ellaria is just worried that Oberyn's interests are going to shift to another woman, and knock her out of the picture; but of course, Ellaria doesn't know the bigger picture. Then again, neither does Oberyn; he has his idea of how things may plan out. I'm trying to put more Shoras in because they won't be together for much longer and I love writing them together. Since I've started writing different 'POVs', I am considering having a Kings Landing POV following Loras; there'll be one for Shilo & Luca as well as Dorne, as perhaps Jon. Not sure, but there will definitely be one following Shilo & Luca as well as Dorne. I can kind of imagine Jon getting semi angry at Shilo for giving herself to Oberyn but backing down when she mentions Ygritte. As much as Oberyn wants to just get on with the plan, he did say to Cersei that his people don't hurt little girls, and I think in his eyes he would still see Shilo as a 'child'; he'd have daughters her age. And the Dornish don't hurt children, from what he said. I hope yours tests went/go well!
She was in Winterfell, by the old tower. Shilo walked around the keep, she could see Jory Cassel speaking with some of the guards. A slightly younger Rodrick Cassel was being shadowed by three small boys. Robb, Jon and Theon; they were going for their sword play lesson, being only six the boys were still using wooden swords. It wasn't time for them to move onto steel, even if it was blunt edge of sparrow steel; Catelynn Stark demanded that wait until they were at least ten. Shilo walked on, and saw her aunt Cat walking with Maester Luwin. It wasn't until she came across a small girl that only came up to her waist did she stop. The child wore a dark blue dress and her long, dark hair pulled back in a loose braid. For a second Shilo thought those grey eyes were looking right at her, until she turned to see her Uncle Ned walking towards the child. He took her hand and started to lead her on a familiar route to the Godswood.
Shilo walked around the pond of deep, black water and watched her uncle take a seat at the base of the heart tree. A six year old Shilo perched on his knee. The Gods wood had always fascinated Shilo, the large white bodies and blood red leaves; When she had first seen them it had creepy her out, but the second she stepped into the wood, she felt relaxed and calm. Her aunt Cat would sometimes enter the wood with her, but she confessed that the faces carved into the trees somewhat disturbed her. Sometimes Jory would follow her into the wood by request of her aunt Cat, he would stand or sit nearby; only there to be sure she was safe. Mostly it was Uncle Ned that would come and sit with her, sometimes they would talk and sometimes they would sit in silence; it calmed the two of Nan would tell her stories that the heart trees had faces because the Children of the Forest would crave them into the trunks; Robb had asked why the trees cry which made Theon laugh. It was only sap, but a little Shilo was convinced the faces allowed the old Gods to see the world and they would cry because they were so sad. Theon laughed all the more, and Old Nan had smiled at the little girl. Old Nan told the little girl she had a sweet soul, and had conveyed the afternoon onto Lord and Lady Stark.
The older Shilo could see her Uncle Ned and her younger self talking but she heard no words, she knew what they were talking about. It was the morning her uncle had taken her to the Godswood and he asked about her dreams, the ones that would cause her to wake up screaming and in tears or the dreams she had when her eyes were wide open and she was awake. The dreams that shook her so much that she didn't want her Uncle, she just wanted Cat. Catelynn would sit for hours holding Shilo, cradling the girl and wiping her tears away. This day, Ned was asking her about her dreams. When did they first start? She didn't have them when she lived with Lord Arryn and Shilo told him she remembered playing hide and seek with the boys; Jon was seeking so she ran off away from Robb and Theon. She entered the Gods wood and followed the path to the heart tree, she placed her hands near the face and after that she would have the dreams. She remembered Ned saying that was odd and then hugging her.
An echoing roar erupted from the skies, and as Shilo looked up she noticed the roar wasn't echoing, it was three separate roars. Three large beasts she could only call dragons. They looked like the dragons in her story books, three of them. Large ruby wings, large emerald wings and large golden wings. The dragons flew around Winterfell screeching, but they did not breathe fire. Shilo ran to the front gates of Winterfell, now all the people she knew were gone and people she could only call Wildlings filled the keep. The big wooden gates opened and a woman stood there. She wore a blue dress and her hair was almost white or silver, she looked beyond Shilo into the keep, the woman looked around at the wildlings. Shilo followed the silver haired woman into the keep and the great hall; there she saw seven people. Shilo saw herself, she looked a bit older and she wore a cloak with the Stark Direwolf on the strap. As did Jon and Sansa; they were both a bit older. Jon's hair was longer and fell in tangled curls. Sansa sat in her mothers old seat and looked tired. The woman she met in Kings Landing was there by Sansa's side, Brienne of Tarth. Luca stood by the other Shilo, and there was a woman by him. Shilo could tell the woman was Dornish by her tan, she suspected one of the salty Dornish; and she couldn't help but notice that she looked rather like Oberyn. A family member perhaps, maybe one of his daughters or he had a niece?
Shilo turned around and everything had changed; now she was in a large tent. She saw her Aunt Cat talking to a young man she knew as Renly Baratheon. The young Baratheon had walked with her on occasion when he had resided in Kings Landing, he was a bit older then she remembered and sported a beard. Behind him was the knight in sapphire armour she remembered from her last dream, and now she knew it was Brienne of Tarth. Cat looked behind her and a shadow floated into the tent. It was odd, and sent a shiver down Shilo's back. Brienne stepped forward when the shadow took form, and it looked like Stannis Baratheon, the shadow stood behind Renly and a blade pierced him. Blood poured out as the shadow disappeared and Brienne caught Renly as he fell. Cat turned and walked out of the tent, she stopped outside and Shilo heard her aunt's voice,
"Come child, there's much for you to see yet."
Shilo followed Catelynn out, and the moment she stepped out of the tent she was now in the Eeyrie. She saw Jon Arryn; he was a young man, perhaps in his thirties and stood in front of two young boys. Looking closely at them, Shilo recognized one of the boys to be her uncle Ned and the other to be Robert Baratheon. Shilo circled the two of them, and when she faced them once more, the two boys were now in their teens, about sixteen maybe. They were good looking boys, Shilo had to admit. She walked past the two boys who stood there still as stone statues, and continued onto the trail. There she saw a woman cradling a child with jet black and striking blue eyes. Shilo began to walk down the trail and the mist blinded her, she could hear screams and disembodied voices.
"The Children of the forest carved the faces into the trees, they thought the trees were Gods. Now the trees are sacred to those who believe in the Old Gods Still."
That was her uncle Ned.
"Thank you, Shilo. You've been a good friend. I'll miss you."
Loras.
"There isn't room for both of us, no please. Shy, I can't go without you, please!"
Sansa.
"I'll always look after you, my little girl. I love you, I'll protect you from the dreams."
Aunt Cat.
"Come on now, Little Lady, it's time to go back now."
Jory Cassel.
"Always yours."
Jon.
"I look after my family."
Jaime Lannister.
"Kill the boy and let the man live."
Shilo wasn't sure who that voice belonged to, but she heard a wolf howl. No ordinary wolf, she knew these howls were from the direwolves. She wasn't sure how she knew, she just just did. She heard Greywind first and then Lady. Greywind and Lady sounded distant; when she heard Nymeria, the wolf sounded like she was moving. Then she heard Summer and Shaggydog, they were behind her somewhere. When she heard Ghost, she almost jumped; he was loud and so close to her, she felt Ghost move next to her. He was close, she could feel him up against her skirts.
Shilo and Ghost walked down the trail together, and she noticed she was back in Winterfell. Ghost led her to the Old Tower, and a small Summer by Bran, lying on the ground. Shilo and Ghost ran to Bran, who opened his eyes and smiled at her.
"I've missed you, Shy." Bran spoke softly to her, "We need to go somewhere, can you carry me?"
Shilo lifted Bran up and carried him bridal style like Jory had done with him once when she had sprain her ankle. Bran directed her towards the Godswood again, and the two stopped in front of the black pond. Across she could see Bran and Rickon, accompanied by Hodor and a wildling woman, next to Maester Luwin. When Hodor took Bran and Rickon away, the woman stayed with the maester. Bran and Shilo heard Maester Luwin speak to the wildling woman.
"Make it quick."
Shilo and Bran walked around the Godswood, before Bran asked her to put him down. She lay him down on the ground and sat down beside him. When she turned to Bran, he looked older. Bran gave her a somber smile,
"I never thought your dreams were like this. You're different to other people Shilo, but you're like me. We're special. You and me, and Jojen. We're rare, in this time. We have a place in this world, but it's learning what your place is."
Shilo nodded.
"Have you ever seen a three eyed raven in your dreams?"
She nodded once more.
"Follow him." Bran told her. "He will lead you. If you don't trust him, then trust me."
Bran managed to move himself closer to her, he wrapped his arms around Shilo and hugged her close. Shilo felt Bran nuzzle her neck, and small tears dampen her hair. She wrapped her arms around him and returned the hug.
"I've missed you so much Bran. It broke my heart when you fell." Shilo wept. "I wished I cold have been there when you woke."
"I've missed you too, Shy. You're like my sister." Bran pulled away slightly, and smiled at her. "Father was right. You are a Stark."
Shilo woke up in a cold sweat, and she was vaguely aware that someone was in the room with her. A hand on her shoulder, trying to shake her awake. When the figure realized she was awake, they moved to light the candle by her bed side and Shilo saw Jaime Lannister by her bed side. He almost looked worried, and sighed in relief when she started to sit up. With her sat against the bed rest, Jaime sat next to her on the bed.
"You were tossing and turning." Jaime told her, "Is this what I have to look forward to?"
Shilo sat there, she was still in shock from her dream. She panted slightly, and then became aware it was night time and Jaime Lannister was in her room. "Why are you here?"
Jaime laughed, "Thank you Jaime for helping me, no? I couldn't bring myself to leave you tonight. I thought about it, but when I heard the guard outside your room mention the queen had requested Meryn Trant to stand outside your room, I knew that no good could come of it."
Shilo nodded. "Thank you."
Jaime gave her a small smile and stood, "I'll just go back to my chair."
"Actually, would you be able to do me a favor?"
"Already asking favors of me? We're not even married yet." He teased.
"Could we go to the Gods wood?"
He shook his head. "Not this late at night. I'll take you in the morning, but not now. Go back to sleep."
Shilo lay back down and Jaime considered blowing out of the candle but left it lit. He decided he would blow it out when he knew she was asleep; as far as he could tell she'd had a bad dream and he remembered when he was little his mother used to leave a candle lit in his room after. Jaime sat on the other side of the bed and decided to sleep like that, if she did have another bad dream, he'd be there. He didn't love her, but he felt this need to look after her. And he didn't know why, it confused him, why should the well being of this girl even matter to him? Jaime blamed Tyrion, remembering talking to his brother about Shilo and Sansa. Tyrion told Jaime he was kind of the girls because they were not responsible for the actions of their family. Whatever Ned Stark had done, it wasn't because of Shilo and Sansa. Whatever Robb Stark did, it wasn't due to Sansa or Shilo. Tyrion explained that the girls had been through enough, he told Jaime that he knew Shilo had probably done a lot in order to keep Sansa safe but he could understand why; Tyrion told him not to put the blame of Robb or Catelynn or Ned Stark onto Sansa or Shilo.
True to his word, Jaime had escorted Shilo out to the Godswood. They broke their fast together, and made a short detour to Jaime's room so he could change before he took her over to the Godswood. Shilo sat in front of one of the trees, the Gods wood in Kings Landing was nothing compared to the one in Winterfell. Jaime sat down next to her, the old Gods meant nothing to him but he supposed he might as well get used to these quirks of his soon to be wife. He knew she had been named in the name of the seven, but she had been brought up in the North. It was understandable that she felt more to the Old Gods then the seven.
"You prefer the Old Gods?" Jaime asked.
Shilo gave him a teasing smile, "You don't have to whisper, Ser Jaime."
"Alright, I don't often enter the Gods Wood; I barely enter the Sept."
"I only entered the Sept in Winterfell when my Aunt Cat asked it of me," Shilo told him. "I didn't really care for the seven, still don't but Aunt Cat thought it was important that I knew about the seven."
Jaime nodded. His mother thought knowing about the Gods was important, but when she died, he stopped caring. "You think a lot of your aunt."
"She was practically my mother."
"Because Lysa didn't want you." Jaime held his hands up in a surrender motion when he caught the glare she directed his way, "Sorry, but it caused quite a gossip when you were sent North as a child. Lysa Arryn didn't want her daughter, she was sent away. It caused a bit of tension between your mother and father, but your little brother still turned up a few years later."
"I was better off with my cousins." Shilo shot back. "I much prefer the North to Kings Landing."
Jaime smiled at her, he knew in her own way she was trying to make a dig at him, "Hopefully, you'll enjoy Casterly Rock. You miss Lady Stark?"
"Yes, and my uncle and my cousins." She confessed.
"I still miss my mother, Johanna." Jaime spoke honestly, "You never stop missing the ones you loved."
"Does the pain go way? Like Eventually? Does it go away?"
He shook his head. "No, you just learn to hide the pain."
She remained quiet, she thought that might be the case. She still felt the pain of being told Jon Arryn was dead; she felt the pain of watching her uncles death and Tyrion telling her about her cousin and aunt. She wasn't good at hiding the pain sometimes, she was glad there was a Gods wood here; it reminded her of her home. Of the place that calmed her, but this one didn't . This wasn't home. She didn't have her aunt and uncle, there was no Jory following her into the Gods Wood to keep her safe, she didn't even have Sansa anymore.
"I'm looking forward to leaving Kings Landing." Shilo told Jaime.
Jaime Lannister stood up and offered her a hand up, which she took. "I know, my lady."
Okay, so I know I've made Jaime kinda soft but he's not so bad when he's not with Cersei! So not long now and Shilo will be leaving Kings Landing, I'm considering where Shilo and Luca will go first. I'm thinking about sending them to High Garden to meet Willas but obviously, it'll take a little while to get them there.
Let me know what you thought about this chapter!
