It was decided that Robb would go to join Stannis and his army to fight against the king and all the Lannister lions who still clung to the throne with their claws. Before departing, however, he gave his men a choice. Continue to march with him or return to their own homes with no word of complaint or utterance of treachery. They were free to go, for they had already sacrificed so much for Robb's sake, he could not in good conscience demand of them their loyalty and commitment any longer. Some left, more than he would have liked, but still a number of his men remained. They had fought long enough that they had their own agendas they wished to fulfil, scores to settle and vengeance to take, all of them feeling so keenly the loss of Lady Catelyn as well as her husband Lord Eddard Stark that they were determined to see them avenged. Their numbers had now dwindled into a mere few hundred, but it was still enough to be a considerable addition to Stannis once they reached him and pledged to fight for him. Robb knew already he would most likely be forced to renounce his kingship, but it was a price he was more than willing to pay. Now all that mattered was avenging his family's misfortunes and betrayals. It was all that drove him forwards. That, and the strong desire to protect the family he had left. Sansa still had made no uttering of sound, but she seemed less distant than before. She had even looked at Robb at one point, seemingly seeing him for a moment before fading away once again. It was enough to give him hope, and knowing that Rhaena would be with her as well as Lady, Robb felt satisfied his sister was in good hands. He had every intention of securing them safe passage to Essos himself, to ensure they had an honour guard of men who would protect them in the strange and foreign lands, but their plans soon unravelled.
Were it not for Grey Wind and Nymeria, they would have had no warning at all. Their howls woke everyone and rallied them to their feet, lunging for weapons and their armour as Rhaena also leaped to her feet from the bed of furs she had slept upon. Lady was snarling on her feet, staring at the flaps of the tent entrance and it was enough to tell Rhaena that the enemy was upon them. She dressed in moments, wearing soft britches and the squire boots Lord Jason had given her, dragging her jacket over the shirt she had been sleeping in before dressing herself with her weapons. Rhaena was no good with a bow so she had no real idea why she had asked for one in the first place, but it was better to have the option of one than no bow at all, she supposed. Right now her only concern was getting Sansa away from danger. She dragged the girl from her bed and shook her as awake as she would get in order to throw a cloak around her shoulders and grasp their belongings together just as the first sounds of battle began to rage outside.
Steel against steel rang against the shouts and curses of men as Rhaena rolled up several of the furs with the blankets and lashed them up. Everything else was already still packed ready to be thrown over a saddle as Rhaena had not dared to become too comfortable, and now she was glad she had thought ahead. Staying as calm as she was able, Rhaena told Lady to stay with Sansa and guard her whilst she went for their horses which were tethered outside. One would have to be left behind as Rhaena would not be able to keep Sansa in her saddle on her own horse whilst trying to defend them from attackers. They would have to ride together. Breathing heavily and constantly glancing over her shoulder, Rhaena saw fires and smoke pillars beginning to rise on the outskirts of their encampment. Whoever was attacking them they were doing their best to scatter Robb's troops, but they were now seasoned warriors. They did not scare easily. It was thanks to this that the invaders were held off from swarming the camp for as long as they were, giving Rhaena enough time to saddle and bridle the horse even as it danced nervously and whickered with its ears set flat against its skull. Rubbing the mare's velvet nose, Rhaena hushed it as a warmth spread through her, looking into the creature's eyes and willing it to be calm, promising that it would be safe so long as she stayed quiet.
Surprisingly, the beast quietened and stopped its prancing, going still and lucid with its ears slowly turning forwards. Rhaena had no time to think about it now. She returned to the tent in order to pull Sansa out, tossing their saddlebags over the horse's rump and latching them on as swiftly as she was able though her fingers trembled. The sounds of fighting were growing closer and more intense by the moment. Lady growled in warning and Rhaena snapped her head to see three men pick their way through the tents, stopping when they saw the young women. Instantly their eyes lit up in delight and they charged forwards even as Lady snarled. Abandoning the saddlebags, Rhaena turned and pulled her short sword free from its scabbard, hearing the metal sing as she tested its weight. It was heavier and longer than what she was used to, but it did not matter. She was not afraid. The warmth spread through her body and burned like wildfire, giving her the courage she needed to face these soldiers who wore Lannister colours. The red caused her blood to boil and next thing she knew, Rhaena had rushed at her opponents with Lady at her side, who was no longer a quiet and well behaved little thing. Lady became ferocious and brutal, taking down one of the men herself as Rhaena faced the other two. She ducked under the first swing and parried the other, her entire arm reverberating from the clash but she was quick to continue moving. All she had learned from Ser Barristan went flooding through her mind at once until it was utter silence, her body reacting for her and instinct took over. Slashing with her sword she forced the first soldier to quickly guard himself as she then turned and dropped down, cutting through the back of his leg at the knee to fell him where Lady then finished him before Rhaena then twisted her body to avoid the strike of the other, rising quickly to her feet with a flurry of movement. Her strikes were so quick the soldier only saw the flash of bright steel in the firelight before everything went dark, head rolling before he even knew he was dead.
Blood splattered Rhaena's face and body but she merely wiped it away with her sleeve, breathing heavily as she looked down upon her handiwork. She felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. She had killed men before and this was no different. So without a further thought to their faces or their expressions, Rhaena used one of their cloaks to clean off her sword, sheathed it, then returned to her task. With their belongings secure, she then somehow managed to get Sansa up into the saddle, guiding her hands to grip on and lift her before guiding one leg over. "Lady, find a safe way out of here." Swinging herself up into the saddle behind Sansa, Rhaena gathered the girl close to her then took up the reins as she clicked her tongue, drawing the mare around as Lady sniffed at the air then began to lollop away into the dark where Rhaena followed. The fighting was everywhere now so there was no escaping it, but each was facing their own battle and did not take any note of a pair of girls fleeing the encampment on a horse with a direwolf leading the way. Rhaena guided the mare as they raced, guiding her to dodge away from soldiers locked in battle as they stumbled and grappled with one another as well as steering her away from the fires. It was all she could do to keep her seat. Rhaena was still a novice rider so this wild riding was not suited to her skill. For the most part, she just clung on with her legs and urged the mare to run faster and hoped the horse knew not to run into swords or fires.
Even as they ran she looked for Robb, searching for him amongst his men as Lady led them towards the edge of the encampments where the thickest line of battle lay between them and escape. She was about to give up and turn away when she caught sight of him, fighting with only half his armour on but swinging his sword with such ferocity that it hardly mattered. His eyes were wild and alive, sweat glistening from his skin as he cut through a man in a single swing before then taking a moment to breathe, turning. Their eyes met across the field. Rhaena had instinctively reined in her horse to stop, mouth beginning to shout out his name but Robb had instantly flung out his arm to signal them to get away. "Run! Take Sansa and go, Rhae! Get her far away from this land!" Her face contorted with pain, biting down on her lip but Rhaena could not argue. Forcing herself to look away, she dug in her heels and the mare charged forwards once more. Robb shouted an order, bellowing for his men to make way for the girls to escape and they immediately lunged for their enemies and wrestled them out of the horse's path to make a clear road. An opening appeared as the Lannister men were forced aside and Rhaena focused upon it, not daring to look back. They burst through and the horse galloped into the cooler air which hit Rhaena all at once, forcing her to breathe as Lady released a long howl into the night, answered by her siblings. It sounded as if they were saying goodbye for a final time. Perhaps they were. Even so, Rhaena did not look back. She could not. Because if she did, she might be tempted to go back for Robb and force him to escape with them.
Such a thing would be foolish and, in any case, Rhaena knew that Robb would live and die beside his men, so instead she simply focused on Lady and guided her mare to follow her as she was the only one who knew where they were going. Arrows flew after them but missed their marks, and both she and Sansa fled from capture once more and melted into the darkness where they became nothing more than a memory, fading from the mind as unimportant figures in a far grander game. Or at least, that was the mistake of their enemies. To forget two simple girls who would one day return with a vengeance that would shake the Seven Kingdoms to their very core. First of all, however, they needed to avoid being caught and find their way east to get to Essos. The last rumour of her sister Rhaena had heard was that she had started a campaign against the cities of Slaver's Bay and was releasing the slaves there one city after another. To reach her, they needed to find a ship sailing east and board it. After that, Rhaena had no clue how they were going to pay their way all the way to Slaver's Bay. Their silver would not last long and Rheana did not even know if Essos used the same currency as Westeros. There was so little preparation in their desperate flight, but this was nothing strange to them. They had fled with less before. Hardening herself to fear, Rhaena spurred the horse forwards once again to take off further into the night.
Even when dawn awoke from its restful sleep Rhaena did not stop pushing forwards. She feared so greatly that they would be pursued that she kept the horse moving even at a slow amble until they were far, far away from where they had fled and left Robb behind. Guilt gnawed at her conscience even as reason convinced her that there had been no other choice. The only reason she stopped was because the horse looked as if it were about to collapse right underneath them so Rhaena found a place to rest and dismounted, drawing Sansa down with her who continued to drift aimlessly. "We will be safe here for a little while. We have good cover here and we are not near the road. Get some rest, Sansa. I am taking you east to Essos, to find my sister. If there is anyone in the world with the ability to protect us, it is her. She has dragons, do you remember I told you? Three dragons. Perhaps you might fly on one some day soon." Stroking at her hair as she lay Sansa down upon a blanket so that she did not have to rest upon the dirt, Rhaena made certain she was comfortable before seeing to the horse.
The poor thing was sweating profusely and there was foaming white saliva at the mouth. Guilt struck Rhaena again as she began to rub down the creature as best she could but not really knowing how to help, whispering her apologies as she loosened the saddle so that she could breathe better. The mare's legs were shaking and, in the end, seemed to decide it too needed to lie down in order to rest. Rhaena continued to rub at the mare's neck and flanks, using her cloak to wipe away the sweat whilst continuing to whisper, praying that it would rest well and wake up full of energy as warmth danced through her fingertips. Both Sansa and the mare slept whilst Rhaena kept watch with Lady, sat beside her and stroking her fur, jumping at even the smallest sounds. "We seem to always be running," murmuring to her as she flexed her fingers around her dagger hilt, Rhaena shifted her gaze to glance at Lady who was also resting beside her. "When will it stop?" But of course, Lady had no answers. No one did. They would continue running until they had the means to return and take down all their enemies who hunted them, and they could only do that with an army at their backs. Dragons too. With dragons, Rhaena imagined no one in the Seven Kingdoms would be able to stand against her. She could burn armies and castles to the ground, and all would cower before her in fear. Her enemies would know what it was to be afraid every moment of their life. Perhaps Rhaena might set them free only to hunt them down so that they would experience what she and Sansa had. Sleeping in the dirt, rationing food and scavenging just to eat, constantly looking over their shoulder, barely resting at all…she would take everything she had experienced and return it tenfold. Or perhaps she would be merciful. Dragon fire would be painful but relatively quick, after all.
Checking the sky to see how much time had passed, Rhaena judged that it had been a little over an hour. Long enough to stay in one place, they needed to move once more. Waking Sansa gently, Rhaena whispered that it was time for them to go before then rousing the horse who woke with a start then climbed energetically to its feet as if it had never felt tired in the first place. Relieved, Rhaena tightened the saddle strap then helped Sansa back up into the saddle, patting Lady affectionately on the head before mounting up behind her. Turning the horse in the direction of the rising sun and listening for any sounds of running water, Rhaena resumed the journey this time at a slower place as she did not want the horse to break underneath them and they still had a fair way to go. All the same. Rhaena did not stop looking back over her shoulder.