A clawed hand struck his face. Torrhen gasped awake, Godsblood's face hovered just above his, the Children were all awake and armed. A bright red light shone in through the windows, set high in the walls, and Torrhen pushed himself up from the cot in the barracks Lord Ironfur had assigned to the Children. He turned to look at Godsblood. He nodded. Torrhen couldn't understand what he had just seen. The dream had felt so real, so vivid and yet...
He rushed to the door and peered outside. The sun had just begun to rise and King's Landing was already awakening, the rumbling of carts on the way to market could be felt from the Red Keep. He sighed and thought back over his night. Doe and Corwyn had been sat in a corner. She was rather swollen now. Corwyn had been massaging her, the creaking of her skin playing music into the small room. Spears had been sharpening his collection of spears and Godsblood had been speaking with the youngest Children, he served to be their teacher despite many of the 'young' Children being older than Torrhen was himself. Torrhen had fallen asleep, sure that the group were safe enough for the night. And then he had dreamt.
There had been a man with dark brown hair, nearer to black than a true brown. A small tray sat on a tripod beside him and a brazier in front of him. Behind him was a young woman with hair dyed red and a light cloak coloured like blood. The man reached for a leech from the tray. "Say the name," A voice came from everywhere at once.
"The usurper," A different voice filled the dream. "Joffrey Baratheon." The man tossed a leech into the fire. It curled up amidst the coals and burned. The sound of the fire grew louder. The man grasped another leech. "The usurper," the voice was much louder this time. "Balon Greyjoy." The leech landed in the flames, its flesh spilt and cracked. Blood burst forth, hissing and smoking. The last leech was in the man's hand. He watched it squirming for a moment. The woman's hand touched his shoulder. It was wrinkled. Torrhen looked at the woman. Her hair had lost its colour, turning a sharp white, her skin had shriveled and her back had curled. "The usurper, Robb Stark." He threw the last leech onto the brazier and left the room. The woman went to follow him, her wizened old body moving too well for its appearance.
Then she had straightened, her hair had darkened into red, her skin had become smooth again and she had faced him. Torrhen didn't dare to breathe, even whilst he was in a dream. She looked about the room a few times and went to the door. With a final glance at where Torrhen was stood she had left. The click of the door closing had faded into the touch of Godsblood's clawed hand on his cheek.
Torrhen reentered the barracks to find the Children men had been woken, he assumed that Godsblood was the one to disturb them. Had that dream been real? Godsblood seemed to have understood Torrhen's confusion, even before he had even known that he was meant to be confused. Had Godsblood and his people somehow granted him greensight? Torrhen was unsure whether he wanted to see such things or not. "What's going on?" Torrhen looked over at Corwyn, he too was armed and he already had his ironfur on, the others were already dressing.
Torrhen shook his head. "I don't know." Godsblood looked at him sharply. "Magic?" Godsblood's look softened. The door opened. Torrhen turned to see the Children already leaving. They didn't have any cloaks on, their armour wouldn't conceal their non-human appearance for long. Torrhen rushed out to catch up with them. The men assigned to guarding the Children followed after him.
It wasn't long before Godsblood was rapping on Lord Ironfur's chamber's door. The door opened quickly. "Torrhen, Chief Godsblood." Lord Ironfur nodded his head. "Why are you here?"
"Magic, Dark Gods. The burning stag." Godsblood entered the chambers, the Children entered with him. "A debt has been bound into blood. Three deaths, three names for the burning stag's Fire God."
"Which names?"
Torrhen answered. "Joffrey Baratheon, Balon Greyjoy and Robb Stark." Lord Ironfur looked solemn. He nodded once and went into his bedchamber for a short while. Torrhen could just hear the sounds of a conversation, he expected that Godsblood could hear it entirely. In his time amongst the Children he had come to understand that their senses were far superior to his own.
Lord Ironfur returned. "There is no immediate threat to us at the moment. I want the Children assigned to guard duty and bring Lord Tyrion and Lady Sansa here." He walked to a desk against the wall to Torrhen's right. Paper lay all over the desk and he cleared a small area in front of the chair. He glanced up at Torrhen and, seeing him still there, said, "Go!".
Torrhen commanded the men to take the Children back to the barracks and modify their robes so that they could be worn over the armour. He then went to run to Lord Tyrion's chambers. Lord Tyrion had visited the Children thrice since his first visit and Torrhen and Godsblood had both attended the second wedding. He struck the door twice before it opened. A handmaiden stood frowning at him, Lord Tyrion and Lady Sansa were having their breakfast. From this distance it seemed that they were having a rather amicable conversation. He suspected that the conversation they were about to have would be far less enjoyable. "Lord Ironfur requests Lord and Lady Lannister meet with him immediately." Lady Sansa seemed to almost flinch at being referred to as 'Lady Lannister'. Lord Tyrion grasped his wife's hand and began to rise.
"In his chambers?" Torrhen nodded. "We will be there right away." Torrhen wondered what they might talk about.