"If I don't make it-"
"Don't talk like that, m'lady," her handmaiden, Anna scolded her. "You will live and House Stark will reclaim their seat in Winterfell."
"Yes, but if you think that the battle looks to be lost then you must run as fast as you can with Leo and go to The Twins, Jaime will be there. If not then Riverrun, tell him what happened here and try to be sympathetic. He may not like what he hears at first-don't be frightened if he tries to murder you. He will still be in shock when he hears this news."
Anna look shocked as well. "Of course, he will be, m'lady. Lord Jaime loves you and I think that no one wants to hear that they lost the person that they love. No matter, you will live and win this battle. I know it. The Little Lion won't be without his mother."
"How do you know," Maya asked, a look of fear on her face. "What if I do die? I wonder what will happen."
Anna fiercely shook her head. "I don't believe that especially after all those things you went through, m'lady. Why would the gods suddenly take you from this life when all you're a good person?"
"My father was a good man. An honorable man. Yet the gods took him."
"The gods are not done with you. I mean no disrespect, m'lady, but perhaps your father's purpose for this world was complete."
Maya shrugged. "You've given no offense, Anna. You are my dear friend-you and Malakhi. This is why I am giving you the task of protecting my child because I know that Jaime and I are the only people standing in their way of killing off the Starks."
Anna nodded. "I will do what you say, m'lady. I hope it just doesn't come to that."
"Me too...take care of him and try to be like a mother to him."
"I will, m'lady. Rest easy, we've got a long day on the morrow."
Maya, Jon, and Sansa all sat on top of their horses, glaring at Ramsay Bolton. Maya wore a crimson red cloak with golden lion dancing with a black wolf, there was fur near the top of all of their cloaks giving the look of true Starks. Sansa wore a dark blue cloak representing House Tully in a way and Jon wore a black one representing a wolf of the North.
Winter stood by them on one side while Ghost was on the other. Even Maya had to admit that the direwolves looked scary to her. Their eyes are what frightened everyone the most as Winter had only one good eye and the other was completely white, Ghost had eyes redder than the color itself.
Ramsay Bolton had a wide smile on his face that irked all of the Stark children. Maya suddenly knew that he was worse than Joffrey was. He kept on looking towards Sansa with a cruel smile on her face. Maya didn't need someone to tell her that Ramsay had done more horrible things to her than Joffrey ever had. He practically made Joffrey's cruelty look like a child playing with sticks and stones.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Stark children, well, a bastard, a Lannister, and now a Bolton," Ramsay teased. "Thank you for returning Lady Bolton safety. Now dismount and kneel before me, surrender your army and proclaim me the true Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. I will pardon you for deserting the Night's Watch. I will pardon these treasonous lords for betraying my house."
"We will never kneel," Maya told him coldly. "A wolf does not bow to men like you."
"Lady Lannister," Ramsay drawled out, making her skin crawl. "You are just as beautiful as everyone says you are. Where is your husband? I wanted to meet him. I had hoped that he was here with you. Guess you two are not as in love as you both claim to be. Pity."
"It's funny, I told him how you wanted to meet him and he laughed. Oh what joy you brought my husband that night," Maya laughed. "He laughed at you. You're not a Bolton, you're just a bastard with some daddy issues."
"Not anymore since I killed my father."
"I heard. How very brave of you," she replied sarcastically.
"Careful, my lady," Ramsay warned. "I still have your little brother and I know how much family means to you wolves especially since you all keep dropping like flies."
"I think that Boltons are dropping like flies as well, don't you agree? Your father was a powerful man one moment then the next he wasn't. Just like Joffrey. I've already met monsters so you don't frighten me. We will win this battle. I will make sure of it."
Ramsay laughed loudly at her. "You could never defeat me, Lady Lannister. I'm not scared of you either."
"That is your first mistake then in this battle," Maya replied. "My husband told me one time that once you cut someone, you realize that we're all just sacks of meat and blood held together by a couple of bones. Interesting, isn't?"
"Indeed," Ramsay agreed pleasantly. "I can see why the Kingslayer himself liked you. Your a interesting person. I bet he never gets bored of you-oh, wait. My apologies, Lady Lannister, he fucks his sister more than he does you. Poor thing you are, no wonder you had an affair with Oberyn Martell."
"Almost," she corrected calmly. "I almost had an affair."
"When I win this battle, perhaps I'll restore polygamy in the North."
Maya suddenly bursts with laughter and so does Sansa and Jon. Ramsay soon shouts at them, "Stop laughing!"
"You're a fool, Ramsay," Sansa told him. "Everyone knows that Jaime Lannister would do worse things to you than you ever did to anyone if you touched Maya. You're a fool and everyone from here from to Dorne knows it too."
"I understand you have hounds, Ramsay," Maya said. "I hear that you rape women and then you set them loose into the forest and set your hounds on them."
"It is true. Just ask Theon Greyjoy, I've shown him many times. Perhaps one day I'll show you and your sister. I wonder who is faster. I think that you are faster, my lady."
"You don't scare me. You don't scare any of us."
"You should be scared."
"Being scared of you is like being frightened of the wind. You realize that it's nothing and soon the wind will disappear. Just like you will too after this battle."
"Perhaps I'll kill your son in front of you then have my way with you, Lady Lannister," Ramsay told her in a charming way. "Then make you watch as I bed my wife."
"You aren't touching either of them," Jon defended them. "None of us will let you."
"Come, bastard, you don't have the men, you don't have the horses, and you don't have Winterfell.
Why lead those poor souls into slaughter? There's no need for a battle. Get off your horse and kneel. I'm a man of mercy," Ramsay addressed Jon.
"You're right. There's no need for a battle. Thousands of men don't need to die. Only one of us. Let's end this the old way. You against me," Jon baited Ramsay, hoping that he would accept. Though Sansa thought differently since she knew that Ramsay was a man who was able to control his ego and not let it get hurt so easily like most men.
Ramsay chuckled. "I keep hearing stories about you, bastard. The way people in the North talk about you, you're the greatest swordsman who ever walked. Maybe you are that good. Maybe not. I don't know if I'd beat you. But I know that my army will beat yours. I have six thousand men. You have, what, half that? Not even?"
"Aye, you have the numbers. Will your men want to fight for you when they hear you wouldn't fight for them?"
Ramsay chuckled then mused, "He's good. Very good. Tell me, will you let your little brother die because you're too proud to surrender?"
"How do we know you have him?" Sansa asked curiously.
Ramsay suddenly throws the head of Shaggydog at their feet. "Now, if you want to save-"
"You're going to die tomorrow, Lord Bolton. Sleep well," Sansa warned him in an impassive voice before riding away.
They all heard Winter growling as she steps forward, bearing her fangs. Jon looked to Maya for her to do something, but all Maya did was sit on top of her horse, staring at Ramsay. Maya nodded towards Winter who leaped towards one of Ramsay's men tearing his arm off and dragging him towards them quickly before Ramsay and his men had a chance to kill the wolf.
Maya winked at Ramsay before turning her horse around and riding away as well with Winter sprinting easily by her side.
"They're fine women, your sisters. I look forward to having Sansa back in my bed and trying out Maya. And you're all fine-looking men. My dogs are desperate to meet you. I haven't fed them for seven days. They're ravenous. I wonder which parts they'll try first. Your eyes? Your balls? We'll find out soon enough. In the morning, then, bastard."
Maya's eyes begged for sleep-desired it, but she did not want to rest right now. She couldn't. She didn't want to lose this battle because then she would either lose her life and her son would become motherless or she would be a slave to House Bolton for all eternity.
Maya continued with her task after kissing Leonardo's head. She sighed heavily, panting even as she continued. She kept on going. Never stopping because she knew that if she stopped or even took a moment to think about what she was doing then she would soon regret it forever. Maya had to live for the sake of her son, he was the only thing keeping her to this world.
She will get back Winterfell and reclaim what is rightfully home of House Stark then she would drive a sword through Cersei Lannister's heart once and for all. She couldn't recall having such dangerous thoughts until her son was born. She thought perhaps that maybe her vengeful thoughts were dormant then something awoke inside of her.
It was as if she were being reborn again and she knew that she couldn't sit there with her child as the darkness took over.
She had to fight.
She had to survive.
The lone wolf may die, but the pack survives, she thought grimly. Always and forever.
TBC…
THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! You guys are completely awesome. So Chapter 50 is gonna be where the Battle of the Bastards fight scene takes place, but I will tell you that it is a pretty awesome chapter because everyone is literally a badass. I'm so excited to see your reactions for that chapter.
I've already got that chapter in the making so now all I got to do is plan the next chapter which is going to go back to Jaime, Malakhi, and Brienne.
I sense a love triangle between Malakhi, Brienne, and the redhaired wildling named Tormund in the making...hint, hint.
I hoped you liked this chapter.
REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time...