Game of Thrones

Long Road Home

Chapter V

"I need the witch."

The howl of the wind consumed her, the currents rushed around her body like a vortex, Lady continued to bark. She was mesmerised, the dancing of the clouds, the music of the wind, the sheer distance between her and the ground. She forced herself to step back, into the round vaulted chamber of the Eyrie's High Hall. She looked around, to the empty Weirwood throne, she half expected her cousin Robin to be sitting there looking back at her. But she was alone. She took a step away from the Moon Door, the drop seemed to call to her.

"I need the witch." A voice echoed in her mind.

The Eyrie sang with the music of the wind, she became lost in it for a moment. Only a moment though. A sharp pain knocked her off balance, her hair felt as if it was being pulled from her scalp. A hand took hold of her flaming locks and pulled the Queen down, she let out a cry as her fiery red hair was wrapped around a hand, over and over again. It hurt to fight back. "You little whore, what are you doing back here!?" A voice screamed at her.

"Aunt Lysa…" Sansa winced, "...let me go!"

"It wasn't enough to seduce him, was it you little harlot?" Lysa hissed "You had to kill him as well… my darling Petyr."

"Aunt Lysa please…" Sansa pleaded

"No, no more words…" Lysa let out a scream as Lady sank her teeth into her arm, she released her grip on Sansa's hair as the Queen in the North tried to untangle her locks and create some distance. "You're just like your mother." Lysa spat, as Lady pounced forward and sent her reeling back. Lysa staggered backwards on the stone floor, until there was no more stone beneath her. With a final cry she fell back through the Moon Door, plummeting to the rocks below. She cringed slightly, and let out a sigh.

"Alone at last." A soft, yet menacing voice greeted her. She froze, and turned slowly back to The Weirwood Throne. "What's wrong My Love? You did not truly believe you had come all this way to see your aunt, do you?" A thin smile formed beneath his neat, thin beard.

"Lord Baelish." Sansa greeted him coldly

"Come my love." He spoke softly as he rose from the Weirwood Throne, and began to descend the stone staircase to the floor below. "Call me Petyr."

Sansa rolled her eyes slightly "Tell me Lord Baelish, what lesson am I to learn from you today?"

"No new lessons to teach My Love." He smiled as he stood in front of her.

"No?" Sansa tutted slightly, "Well that's disappointing."

"I need the witch." The voice echoed again, Petyr smiled his wicked smile.

"You can hear that?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I can hear that." He nodded "A voice, I have heard before. Your Maester if I am not mistaken, My Love. Tell me, why would a Maester need a witch?"

"There's too much blood." She mumbled to herself "I can't stop it."

"Cryptic messages on their own." Petyr grinned and took a step closer to her "But put them together and the message is quite clear."

"I'm dead aren't I… I've seen them all, My Mother, Cersei, Joffrey… You. I must be in the Seven Hells."

"No… No…" Petyr took her by the hand and gently stroked her hair "My sweet, silly girl. Look around you. This is all a lie. It's not your time."

"I'm not dead?" She asked

Petyr grinned and glanced to the side "You're not dead, you're not in hell, you're losing your mind My Love. Only I can help you."

"How can I trust you?" She allowed herself to smile "Your whole lifes a lie. You're better at it than me."

"How can this be the afterlife My Love, after all, I'm here."

"Because you are dead."

"Am I?" He smiled "Come Sansa "My whole life has not been a lie, My Love, it has been a plan. Every detail meticulously mapped out, do you really think I would leave your judgment on me to chance. You know this is true, just as you know this is not your time. When this is done, when you have found your way home, come and find me."

"If I'm losing my mind. Then you are not here, and none of what you are saying is real. It's all in my head."

"Now you are learning." He smiled widely as he gripped her hands "What was the last thing you remember before waking up in this strange…. Strange place."

She closed her eyes tightly, and thought back to before The Eyrie, before King's Landing, Before the Twin's, before The King's Road. "Get the Maester." She spoke distantly.

"Before that." He spoke firmly "There must have been something before that." His voice dropped to a whisper "Why would they need a Maester?"

She closed her eyes again "I was in Winterfell." There was a sudden pain in her chest, she flinched and dropped to her knees. "Get the Maester." She cried out "Seize him."

"There's too much blood." Petyr spoke "I can't stop it." He helped her to her feet and stroked her hair once more "I need the witch." He took his hand from her hair, and gripped her hand again. "You are close, My Love, so very close."

"Can you help me Lord Baelish?" She breathed heavily "Petyr."

"If only I could, My Love." He said regretfully "But I'm not really here, nor are you. This is not your time, you need to go home, you need to leave this place."

"How do I leave?" She asked with wide eyes

"You use the door." He shrugged, as he nodded towards The Moon Door

"Of course." Sansa smiled and nodded "How else would I leave?" She turned and looked him straight in the eye "I'm still not sure if I'm dead. But I know you are. You are dead Lord Baelish."

Petyr grinned and kissed her hand "Of course I am." His voice was insincere "Who am I to argue with The Queen in the North? Go now My Love. I wish you good fortune in the wars to come. Both of you." Baelish released her hand and reached out to touch her, his hand was low, at waist height

"Both of u…" Before she could finish her sentence, a deep gash opened in Petyr's throat, all the way to the bone. A fountain of blood exploded forth, splattering on her face. He gripped his wound and dropped to his knees, before falling flat on his front. He still had his grin this time.

"I need the witch." The voice echoed again.

Sansa wiped the blood from her face, as Lady barked. "Come girl." She whispered softly as she ruffled her fur "It looks like it's time to leave."

She walked hesitantly to the moon door, stopping at the circular opening and looking down. The wind whipped up again, leaves and debris danced in the air as the vortex sang to her. The rocks so far below seemed to call to her. Lady jumped first, falling out of sight, disappearing beneath the clouds. Sansa swallowed hard. She closed her eyes tightly, lifting one foot off of the floor, she held it over the abyss. With one final step she went forward, the floor was gone, and she found herself falling, she could feel the clouds pass her by. She slowed, and slowed, no longer a free fall, now she fell as if time were slowing down.

"I need the witch."

She still landed with a thud, it hurt. She rolled over on her back. Her eyes were still closed tightly. She felt a shot of warm breath, and a wet rough tongue licking her face. "I'm fine girl." She winced slightly, she paused, the ground was odd, it was not right. She wasn't on dirt, or stone or grass. She was laying on wood, and it was moving, rocking gently back and forth. She slowly opened her eyes. Lady's face was barely an inch from hers, she licked her again. "I'm fine girl." Sansa repeated herself. She smiled this time. Lady moved aside and Sansa found herself looking at a dull sky, it was a black sky now, not grey. Still no stars, no moon, just empty sky and drizzle. Laying flat on her back she could see more than the empty sky, wooden beams and cloth. No. She thought again, masts and sails. She sat upright and looked around. She was on a ship. She pushed herself to her feet and walked around the empty deck. The ship was drifting, she was alone. She walked to the rail of the ship and looked overboard. The sea was calm and still, a dull grey with barely any life in it.

Sansa and Lady walked away from the rail along the deck. She saw something blowing in a breeze that had not been there a moment ago, as drizzle continued to fall. A banner blew violently in the breeze, a black banner emblazoned with a golden Kranken.

"Sansa." A voice greeted her as a cabin door opened.

"Theon." She breathed heavily

"I need the witch."