*I dropped off a little bit sorry, just dealing with some major episodes of self-doubt (I had this chapter and the following chapter in drafts for a few weeks, I just couldn't bring myself to post them but I can't fester on them any longer)*
It had been at least four hours since they'd set off from the refuge of the dank cave, their tied hands were joined on the same rope this time and Jaime could feel it pulling as Cersei started to lag behind. It didn't help that every time Brienne felt tension in the rope as one of them slowed, she'd give it a firm tug to speed them up. The rain hadn't stopped, even for a second and as a result all three of them were soaked, the ground beneath them puddled and sloshy. They weren't far off sunrise, Jaime thought to himself as he turned to check on his sister. They were both cloaked, making it hard to see her face beneath the shadow cast by the large, woven hood. The darkness around them was still heavy but the sun was trying to rise in the East, a glow starting at the lowest part of the sky. The hour of the Nightingale.
"Cersei?" He panted back to her, his breath laboured with the nagging pain at his side but she didn't answer. Her steps had slowed even more, causing a strain on his own tied wrists. Brienne still pulling him onwards but Cersei pulling him back. "Cersei, keep up." He coached kindly. "We're almost there."
The terrain underfoot was a rocky, pebbled road. Trying to manoeuvre that in low lighting was a tough quest, especially given their footwear and bodily states. They kept tripping every so often on the oddly placed rocks between deep, rain-filled pot holes. One forgets how much arms balance movement, when they're bound together in front of the body all sense of balance seems to be lost. This was exactly the case with the next looming crater. Losing her footing slightly, she came to an abrupt stop as she only just managed to stop herself from falling completely. Her legs ached with each step and her back throbbed with the extra weight of rain weighing down her clothes. The first few months of pregnancy were the least enjoyable she always thought. The sickness, the fatigue and the uncomfortable feeling of changes happening within. All of these things partnered together made for an extremely unhappy woman. As she steadied her stance, mentally and physically preparing herself to start moving again, Brienne's voiced boomed up ahead.
"We don't stop until we reach Horn Hill, we've wasted enough time!" Yanking the rope roughly as she spoke, she'd kept her focus facing forward as she continued to ride on. Her strong tug caused Jaime to be snapped forward, almost losing his own footing too whilst Cersei wasn't quite as fortunate to catch herself this time. She was too exhausted. Instead, she was jerked forward violently and fell hard. Her tethered wrists and forearms only just breaking her fall on the cold, muddied ground. Finally growing impatient with her behaviour at the sight of Cersei being thrown to the floor, Jaime swiftly moved his golden hand and wrapped the rope around it multiple times before mimicking her actions and heaving it back with as much force as he could muster.
He roared angrily with exertion, the heat of his breath steaming in the cold air. The moment he pulled with all his strength he'd felt the release as she lost her grip. The rope snapped away from her briskly and pulled her arm back with exertion. She panicked the moment he was loose. Sliding from her horse, she retrieved her end of the rope from the mud and moved quickly towards them but her panic subsided when she realised he wasn't fleeing, as she had initially thought. Then another form of panic started to rise within at the sight before her. He was down at her side instantly, trying to aid her back to her feet as she struggled to muster the energy to stand. She didn't get there, instead she barely made it upright to kneel in the drenched and freezing ground.
"Are you hurt?" He questioned quickly, his mind only focused on how hard she'd landed on her front. Brienne felt awful, she hadn't intended for that at all. She'd been riding ahead silently for hours in a cloud of gloom and misery, her mind sinking in her own sadness and bitter feeling. Now look what had happened. Quickly approaching him from behind she tried to remain composed.
"I didn't mean-"
"No but you still did it, didn't you?" He growled furiously, interrupting the start of her cold apology. He wouldn't even look at her. Cersei's arms were coated in thick, glistening mud as it mixed in with the blood from her existing wrist wounds and now the new ones she'd just sustained from falling so hard. Both Jaime and Brienne could see her shaking, her strained breaths hitting the sharp, cold air in bursts of mist. "Cersei, answer me." He pressed but she continued looking down at herself. Jaime turned to look up at Brienne, positively spitting with anger. "What were you thinking?"
"Let me help her up-"
"Don't!" Hitting her outstretched hand away roughly, she felt the emotional pain more than the physical as she gasped at the action. "Don't touch her, don't go near her. I can help her myself." She could see the absolute condemning fury flashing green in his eyes. Like he really wanted to hurt her for what she'd just done, whether it was an accident or not. His attention turned back to his twin, her gaze on him too now as she clutched her arms in close to herself.
"I'm fine." She finally mustered a delayed response. Her voice was quiet, subdued but beneath her eerily calm exterior she was bubbling furiously. She'd been kicked, choked, dragged, raped and tied. Now she sat in the cold, wet dirt, soaked and frozen to the bone.
No more. This is the last blow she'd take. She was Cersei Lannister of Casterly Rock, a lioness. This would be the final time she knelt, cowering in the mud.
Despite her hard fall, they continued on at the same pace. They had been silent before but now it was a stirring quietness. Brienne felt an overwhelming amount of guilt, she'd let her personal feelings and emotions get the better of her and now she'd failed Jon's simple orders. If anything was to happen to their unborn babe, she had no doubt she'd be held responsible by both siblings, maybe even Jon and Tyrion too. The look in Jaime's eyes wouldn't leave her mind. He looked murderous. Behind her, he remained silent and stewing. He knew he'd hurt her, done wrong by her but she needed to take that up with him and him alone. Not Cersei and the babe she carried. She could have miscarried following a fall like that, there was still a chance she could face complications yet. Thinking on it still, he turned to check on her. She looked as though she'd removed herself from her own body. Far, far away and deep in her fury tainted thoughts.
Thankfully, the rain had started to ease as soon as the sun greeted them. It's warmth still hours away as it peeked over the rolling hills to their side. That's when he finally saw it, way off in the distance. Horn Hill. It wasn't as majestic in appearance compared to High Garden but there was no denying it's presence. It looked structurally strong and stern in nature, just like it's previous lord had been. Randyll Tarly was a serious man, his allegiance remained true right up until his death and a part of Jaime hoped his family still felt the same way, though he knew of Sam's loyalty to Jon thus some frostiness was to be expected.
They'd been instructed to enter discreetly. Though everyone residing in the castle was loyal to house Tarly, nobody could be trusted. Not anymore. Brienne followed the orders to the very last word, escorting the twins to the first main gate.
"You need to put these on, your faces can't be seen. There are guards up ahead at the next gate. Nobody aside from Sam Tarly and his immediate family must know you're here." She'd dismounted, pulling two dark sacks from her saddle bag. Not only were they tied, but now they were to be bagged as well. Brienne lowered her head marginally, still feeling somewhat guilty about what had happened. In all fairness, Cersei didn't seem overly injured. Stepping towards the smaller blonde woman, she motioned to place the bag over her head but Jaime's bound hands reached out suddenly. The fingers on his left hand gripped at the woven sack, pulling it from her grasp with a fury filled flourish. He shot her a cold look, the air almost icing over with its frostiness before he turned and allowed it to melt away once his eyes landed upon Cersei. She looked tired.
"We're nearly there, we can rest soon." He breathed at almost a whisper, moving closer to her. Their eyes met only briefly, her face was smudged with dirt and grime. The only clear parts of her skin he could actually see were deathly pale and the bags beneath her eyes were dark and confronting. The lack of sleep heavily affecting her pregnant state. She blinked slowly, acknowledging his words before bowing her head for him to bag her. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes in a resigned manner as she felt him gently place the bag over her head as best he could with bound wrists. Once it was on securely, he turned back to Brienne and awaited his own bagging.
"For your head." She threw it his way with a disgruntled expression. "And for your hand." A second bag was tossed his way to conceal the golden digits attached to his disfigured arm. She made no effort to assist him, instead she re-mounted her horse and watched him struggle to cover his hand. He'd had to bag his head first and thus couldn't see what in seven hells he was doing, he eventually managed and stood still upon finishing. After this morning's accident, Brienne sounded that she was about to start onwards again, giving them fair warning they were about to move off.
The walk down the long, flat road toward the second gate was somewhat a relief. To finally be on even ground again, their feet and legs were grateful of the kinder terrain. Brienne's horse remained up front, it's clattering hooves guiding the way as she continued to lead the twins by the rope. Jaime could feel Cersei attempting to keep close, unsure of her footing now that they couldn't see either. Until, finally they came to a stop and a stranger's voice could be heard.
"What brings you to Horn Hill?" The gruff voice asked, his eyes instantly drawn towards the two rather unkempt and injured prisoners before landing back on the hardened female knight.
"Sam Tarly is expecting us, there are two prisoners to be in his care."
It was a short conversation, finalised by a loud whistle to signal for the gate to roll open. It's wrought iron hinges squealed and squawked as they were permitted entry. Cersei could feel her own heavy breathing beneath the dark hood concealing her. To her right, Jaime was purposely brushing against her as they walked to let her know where he was. It was strange when one of the senses was removed, the remaining ones grew stronger. The human body working at it's hardest to keep itself safe. The moment they were hooded, Jaime felt as though every noise around him had grown in volume. From the smallest of things such as the crunch of ground under foot to the breathy snorts of Brienne's mount. For Cersei it was the opposite, potentially down to pregnancy too, but everything smelled so strongly. The earth around them, still drenched with the scent of fallen rain and the air heavy with moisture. She could smell warm fires as a westerly wind rippled over them, carrying with it salty notes of The Sunset Sea, though miles away it still clung to the breeze desperately.
Soon, hard ground replaced their path, a soft carpeted rug lining the entrance to the keep. As they entered, it became clear they were shielded from the elements, the wind disappearing and a quietness surrounding them briefly. Noise returned when Brienne's iron covered body could be heard echoing loudly. Cersei felt the largeness of the room through this detail only. She could see nothing at all through the hood, not even a scrap of light. More footsteps could be heard in front, maybe two more guards leading the way? She couldn' tell anymore. Her wrists were throbbing and her fingers weak from the cold. She just wanted to rest. Beside her, Jaime was trying to assess the situation too. He'd pinpointed at least three guards accompanying Brienne, her steps large and spaced as though following behind someone.
"Wait here, m'lady-"
"It's Ser Brienne." She snarled. "I am no lady."
"Very well." The armed guard nodded courteously. "My apologies, Ser. If you'd wait in here, I'll inform him of your arrival." He lowered his chin and moved to the door, closing it behind him. They'd been ushered into a room. The solitude of it was oddly comforting. The silence, not so much.
"Surely, we can removed these now-"
"Not until we know we'll be alone." She hissed, cutting him off. She couldn't see it but she knew there had been an eye-roll under his bag.
Thankfully, it didn't take long until Sam entered the room, his panted breaths louder than his heavy steps as he closed the door behind himself.
"I was expecting you much earlier." He smiled, his chubby cheeks making his mouth look even smaller as he glanced at Brienne warmly. "I expect you got caught in the storm on the road?" He settled an armful of maesters supplies on the table to the side of the room. Jaime recognised the friendly voice having briefly met the clumsy character at Winterfell. As sharp as a tack, he could have given Tyrion a run for his gold in the department of knowledge but his fighting skills left a lot to be desired.
"One of the horses was spooked, we had to set her free and take shelter until the worst of the weather passed." Informing him diligently, Brienne had an inhuman quality about her sometimes but not all the time. Jaime recalled their night spent together in the North, bundled beneath the furs. A wave of regret trickling through his mind. He had succumbed to his sexual needs, never before had he done that. Even after months of not touching Cersei's body he'd never look to another for sexual fulfilment so why had he done it with her?
"I'm sure Jon will be relieved to hear you made it." He smiled again before finally looking to the dishevelled twins. "With some minor casualties perhaps?" His face distorted worriedly at the state of Cersei's arms. "Please, let's remove the bags. We're safe in here." He travelled towards them, slowing his pace when he noted Cersei stepping back upon hearing the quickly approaching steps. "It's alright, I'm just going to take this off." He cooed, tugging it over her cropped golden hair, the light nearly blinded her once the hood was removed. Immediately she was greeted with his warm and friendly face, his cheeks round and red like that of a young chubby child. "That's better." He turned to Jaime and did the same thing.
"He has a sword wound to the side, it'll need sewing again and the abrasions to her wrists will need tending to as well." Brienne ordered coldly. "I have delivered them, alive and well, as instructed. Now I must head to King's Landing-"
"Jon's asked that you remain here." He spoke confidently to begin with but his words soon lost their substance when he noted her furious expression.
"A word, in private." Storming towards the door, she exited and waited for him to join her. His hurried little steps took a few seconds longer to get there but he closed the door after himself. The twins falling into a soundless quietude.
"Something tells me our imprisonment here isn't going to be as bad as we'd expected." He spoke calmly, moving towards the table where Sam had placed the supplies. In the pile there were clean clothes for the pair of them and all manner of wound care ointments, milk of the poppy and other medicinal bottles. "I've met this boy before, he's not the fighter his father and brother had been but he has a big heart." He looked back to Cersei's weary face. "He fell in love with a wildling and brought her South of the wall." All colour seemed to have drained from her features, she was so pale she looked grey. It was only when he paid attention to her slightly hunched frame that he moved back towards her, his brows furrowed deep with concern. Upon reaching her, his eyes travelled to her bump. It was small and neat but growing more and more obvious each day, he grabbed the pleat in her gown, his suspicions strengthening with each passing second as he attempted to pull it up. But she stopped him with a tearful whisper.
"Jaime don't." Her tied hands tried to push the fabric back down but he persisted, pulling it up to see what could only be described as her moon's blood staining the insides of her legs and dripping down to her ankles, red and angry.
