Jon sat with Sansa in their tent. Tomorrow him and Robb would be taking a small force to the Dreadfort to find and either capture or kill Lord Bolton. Sansa with the rest of the troops were to head back to Winterfell. She sat with her legs on either side of him, her arms wrapped around his torso and head on his shoulder.
"Please, don't let Robb do anything stupid."
"That's hard to do. Hes been doing stupid things since we were young. Never could stop him before." Sansa kissed his cheek.
"Try this time. Come back to me." Jon turned, pressing her back against the bed.
"Always." He whispered, embracing her.
Robb sat by the fire alone, his only company a cup of ale. Aurora came to sit next to him. Without looking away from the building flames, he held the cup out to her. She drank some of it before returning it back to him.
"Was Dorne that terrible when you were there?" She looked at him, wondering if he truly cared to hear about it.
"Not the Dornish. The people coming and going were the worst. You learn about the evils of the world too soon, you see it everywhere." Robb took another drink.
"I learned about the evils of the world too late."
"People who never learn on the fools who don't understand. They become the evils of the world." Aurora looked into the fire before looking at him. His eyes were red around the rim, she knew he was trying to keep from crying.
"Talisa was the good of the world. The first time I ever met her she was stitching up a boy who got caught playing soldier in a war that should never have had to have been in. All her life, she only wanted to help people. She came to a foreign land to do that. And I...I got her killed because I couldn't not chose her."
"Lord Stark-"
"I wish I had died with them. I wish I never was saved." He drowned the rest of his ale before stalking off to his tent.
The next morning, Robb was standing with his horse, calming the animal before the journey ahead. His vision was suddenly intruded by a light Blue ribbon. He looked at it, then over at the owner of said ribbon. Aurora waved it in front of him again, only for him to take it slowly.
"What is this?"
"It's a loan. You have to return it." His hands ran over the soft cloth of blue. "It's my favorite, one of the only things my mother ever gave to me."
"Why are you giving this to me?" Taking it back, she reached for the top few strands on his leather jerkin. Trying to take a step back, he went to grab her hands, but she smacked him away, pulling him back to closer to her. She found a loop near his heart, quickly tying it secure to the garment. She laced the garment back up quicker then he thought she would be able to.
"You are still the lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, the oldest son of Lord Eddard Stark. Let this stand as a reminder to you that you still have a life to live. Your people still need you, Lord Stark." She gave his hand a gentle squeezed.
"Your family still needs you." Before he could say anything else, Aurora stood up and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "For good Luck." She mumbled before leaving him alone. He watched her walk back over to his sister. Jon gave him a pat on the shoulder, nodding to his own horse.
"You ready?" He asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Robb mounted quickly. He reached up feeling the soft cotton of the ribbon once more, before following Jon to the Dreadfort.
It had taken them a few days to reach, but Robb and Jon were finally at the Dreadfort. The half dismantled once great house of the Boltons, was crawling with men.
"Theres to many of them for him not to be in there." Jon finished tightening his armour. Both of them were hidden by a the trees, watching closely as men came in and out.
"He has from the looks of it, 50 to 100 men for his protection." Robb felt the chain mail he wore rattle under his leathers. "They only way we are going to defeat him is to sneak in and defeat him inside the castle. Any drawn out battle will just bring people to him."
"I agree." Jon reached out gripping Robb's arm. "If Lord Bolton is caught alive he will be going south to face a trail in front of the Queen." Robb shook his head towards his cousin.
"This has nothing to do with the Queen or the south. He's the north enemy. He dies here and now." Robb had never been more vicious then when it came to Roose Bolton. Jon clasped his hand with his.
"I'm with you till the end brother. Just remember whats waiting for you after this battle." Robb thought about the ribbon and the promise he made attached to his jerkin.
You are still Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, the oldest son of Lord Eddard Stark.
It had only taken him a few minutes to find his way into the castle. Another ten to find the great hall, each quietly taking out guards one by one. His men fanning out to track down anymore roaming the halls. It wasn't until he was close to the great hall did the call ring out. Robb heard shouting from the courtyard, his sword blazing in fire light of the halls. When he finally crashed through the doors he met steel on steel as two men came after him. His blade catching both of their own steels. Kicking the one, he pushed the other off, before sliding his steel into the belly of the one. Dodging a blow from the one he pushed, he wretched his sword out of the man on the ground, only to land a finally blow into the face of the other guard. With both men either dead or dying, his gaze fell on Roose Bolton still sitting behind the table. A glass of wine in his hand. He poured out one more cup before consuming it in one gulp.
"Would you strike an unarmed man?" He questioned. Robb began to walk toward him slowly, his anger building with each step.
"You slaughtered a pregnant woman in her chair." He was now standing in front of the older man, him leaning back in his seat. The years had not been as kind to him.
"But I'm a Bolton. Brutality is my legacy. Not a Starks. Not the son of the most honorable Stark to ever leave. Would he do the same?" Without blinking, Robb plunged his sword into the heart of Roose Bolton pinning him to the chair. Blood came pouring out of his lips as Robb twisted the sword.
"You murdered him the same day you murdered my wife." He let go of the sword only after he was sure the old man was dead. It was a few minutes later that Jon stumbled upon Robb sitting on a step leading up to the table. Roose Bolton with a sword through his heart and Robb wrapping and unwrapping a blue ribbon in his hands.
"Robb?" He questioned. Seemingly breaking him out of his trance, Robb stood up, walking over to his brother.
"Let's go home." He gave a sad smile, clasping his hand on his shoulder. His sword and his past being left in the dead Lords heart.