Long Road Home
Chapter IX
"It's not The Red Queen's time."
"You're Stannis Baratheon." Sansa said intently as she and Lady walked towards the slumped warrior.
"Aye, first of my name." He rolled his eyes
"I don't know you." She looked at him with intrigue "We've never met."
"Not as such." Stannis nodded "But our paths have crossed, some would say you are a bad omen, my very own red sunrise."
"Why?" She asked with a raised eyebrow "Why am I such bad luck?"
"I was the rightful King by every law of Westeros, I had the superior army, I had the superior fleet. It was all a matter of time, sail into Blackwater Bay, storm the walls, take the city. You were promised to the usurper, Joffrey Baratheon… Cersei's bastard, at the time. I would have killed Joffrey and all the other traitors, and ransomed you to your brother, in exchange for returning the Northern half of my Kingdom. But that didn't happen, my fleet burned on The Blackwater, my army broke on their walls. Years later I found myself here, with the last of my men, you were wed to Bolton's bastard this time. I planned to lay siege to the castle, destroy the Boltons and name you wardeness of The North, to hold it in my name. But that didn't happen either, the last of my army, cut down, slaughtered like dogs."
"Hhhmmm , that is a coincidence" she conceded
"It's not The Red Queen's time." A woman's voice echoed across the landscape
Stannis brought his hand to his leg again and looked to the sky, as the voice echoed away. "Sounds like someone's still fighting for you." He nodded "That's good, loyalty is good. She's right, it's not your time."
"So I'm told." Sansa sighed as she ruffled Lady's fur "The woman talking… I've seen glimpses of her face, on this journey I mean. I think she's a witch."
Stannis grimaced for a moment "Be careful of them."
"I seem to remember her, I think she knows things."
"They usually do." He half scoffed, as he looked across the rolling fields to Winterfell. "You're almost home now." He pointed off into the distance "All you have to do is finish a journey I couldn't make."
Sansa took a deep breath and looked to the castle rising from the grass, as a thin spray of drizzle fell upon them "I lost my way, even now I can see it, I feel so lost."
"Follow the voice, Sansa Stark." He spoke firmly "Find your way home." He took a deep breath and looked Sansa up and down, his gaze rested on the Direwolf Crown upon her head. "There's more to life you know." His voice took a softer, sadder tone.
"I'm sorry?" She looked down at him
"Crowns, Thrones." Stannis shook his head after each word. "I pursued them with everything I had. The things I've done." He closed his eyes and banged his head on the tree he lent against. "My brother…. My wife…." He swallowed hard and closed his eyes tighter "... my daughter."
Sansa knelt down next to him awkwardly and rested a hand on his shoulder "Don't become like me." He spoke gravely as he leant over and rested a hand on her stomach "Remember what is truly important."
"I'm trying to remember." She nearly whispered.
"It's time to go home, Your Grace." Stannis nodded.
Sansa looked at Stannis with pity "Would you like me to stay with you, until it happens."
"No." Stannis shook his head "Go, do your duty."
Sansa rose to her feet and took several steps away from him, there was a grunt, she turned her head slightly and saw Stannis Baratheon's fate. With a deep breath she turned and faced Winterfell. Lady, sat at her feet, suddenly rose and began to bark. "Sshh girl" Sansa soothed her. Lady barked again. In the distance, something barked back. A black spec on the horizon appeared, Sansa held her breath as it got closer.
A huge direwolf, jet black untamed fur ran towards them, Lady broke ranks with Sansa and headed off to meet it, they met in the fields and began to tumble and chase each other. "Shaggy Dog." She said under her breath. A second figure emerged, rough spun furs and curly brown hair appeared in the distance. "Rickon" she whispered.
She broke into a run, the damp grass squelching beneath her feet, he ran towards her, they grew closer, ever closer. "Rickon" she called breathlessly as she out stretched her arm as far as it would go. Her little brother, running like a wild man stretched out his own. He grew closer, she could hear him now, she stretched her fingers, her little brother did the same.
The tips of her fingers reached his, then a whole hand, she gripped his wrist and pulled him into an embrace, throwing her arms around his neck she allowed herself to cry, the tears stung. She pulled away from him and slapped him on the chest, once at first, but then over and over "Why didn't you duck?" She near screamed at him "Or zig zag, or something?"
"You were always the bright one." He smiled softly "Come big sister…" He offered her his arm, which the Queen in the North took "... It's time to take you home." They walked across the sloping fields outside Winterfell, as a cold drizzle sprayed their faces. The two direwolves scraped and played as they ran along. The Castle seemed to move closer to them, as if it were gliding across the landscape.
"It's not the Red Queen's time." The woman's voice echoed again.
Sansa could make out the castle, the gates opened as she got closer, she hesitated as she went to cross the threshold "Come." Rickon spoke gently, "This is where you belong."
"I think I know what happens, if you cross the threshold." She gripped her brother's hand tightly.
"Do not fear little sister." He smiled "I have my part to play here."
Sansa looked at him and smiled sadly, swallowing hard she stepped into Winterfell's courtyard, followed by her brother. She breathed a sigh of relief as he remained standing. "Come." She said firmly, as she started across the courtyard to Winterfell's keep, to her Great Hall "I think I know the way now."
"No sister." Rickon called after he, as he pointed away from the Keep, to the walled Godswood "That is where you need to go."
"Why?" Sansa asked nervously
"Come sister." Rickon held out his hand again "Just a little further now."
She didn't remember walking, yet now Sansa found herself at the gates to the Godswood. "Time to go home, sist…." A wound opened in Rickon's chest as he fell to the floor, Sansa let out a cry and turned to Lady, who howled over the headless body of Shaggydog.
Composing herself Sansa looked into the Godswood, she heard voices, familiar ones. She looked through the groves to the sad face of the Weirwood tree. She knew she should not be able to see it from here, yet here it was, staring a hole in her, calling to her. She took a deep breath, and placed one foot across the threshold. A wave of blue light emanated from the weirwood tree, and washed over the Godswood like a wave. Before she could move, the wave hit her, it was cold as ice. She tried to scream, but was silent.
…..
As quickly as the light had come, it was gone again. So was Lady, so was The Godswood. Sansa Stark found herself in Winterfell's Great Hall, sat upon the Direwolf throne. She looked around confused. The room was full of people. The Maester she had seen in the sky was walking across the floor, he left the room, the woman, the witch she had seen was in a far corner. Over her right shoulder, a tall warrior, garbed in black, a heavy veil covering their face stood by her. On their sword belt were two Valyrian steel swords, they had names she remembered, Oathkeeper and Widow's Wail. They had once been her fathers swords. She remembered the names of some of the people in the room, Glover, Manderly, Cerwyn. A young girl in a blood red dress, approached her throne. "Would you like to retire now, Your Grace?"
Sansa looked around confused and nodded slightly. It was all coming back to her, but slowly, very slowly. She looked at the faces of the men in the room. "They don't look happy with me."
The young girl, her lady in waiting perhaps, looked confused "They want to know who the father is, Your Grace." She whispered "The matter of succession is of great importance to them."
"The father?" Sansa looked down and saw the swelling of her belly, she was heavy with child. "I will retire now." She nodded
Sansa rose slowly from her throne and made her way towards the doors, followed by her lady in waiting and the large warrior garbed in black. "The Queen in The North." Several people called.
"Your Grace." A young man called out
"Lord Cerwyn" Sansa replied, more a question than anything else.
"If I may, have a word." Sansa broke step with her guard and walked towards him, he moved to greet her with a warm smile.
Then she felt it, a burning pain in her chest. She looked down to see the knife. Horrified she looked to the young Lord, he brought a hand to his face and with one motion pulled it off, the face of a stranger now stared at her "The Many Faced God, was promised death." He thrust the knife once more "House Stark has been named."
Sansa's masked Guard had already lunged towards the attacker, the two began to fight, Sansa felt her feet give way, and she collapsed to the ground. She saw her Lady in waiting, rushing to her side and cradling her.
"Get the Maester." The girl screamed