Sansa stared at the broach Pordrick had brought to her earlier. She spun it between her fingers thinking. It was a very specific symbol, a direwolf's head on a weirwood leaf. She couldn't seem to take her eyes away from it.
"What's wrong?" Jon asked, his face frowned as he put his sword down.
She ran a finger along the edge of the broach. "Rickon's lessons?"
"Good, he's got spirit in him." Jon chuckled. "Fights like the Free Folk. Wolkan is teaching him his letters."
Sansa gave a slight nod. "The Lords won't accept him if we don't make them. They hate the Free Folk too much."
"He's a boy." Jon protested, but sighed as he unhooked the cloak she'd made him, laying it over the back of a chair. "We can protect him till he's old enough."
Sansa let the matter fade. There was nothing to be done other than what they were already doing. "Pod brought me one of the broaches Daisy had made for her followers." She tossed it to him.
He easily caught it, his frown deepening as he looked at it. "Sansa what is this?"
"It's an entire religious order dedicated to House Stark by a god who regularly bows and dedicated her ruin of House Bolton to my name." Sansa looked up at him, catching his dark eyes as they widened in understanding.
Jon spoke slowly. "Is she courting you?"
"Mayhaps. According to Crann, the boy I have assisting Fitz, she has taken a female lover before." Sansa felt her brow crinkling. "Lord Manderly thinks so. But I...her motives confuse me."
Her brother moved the chair, so he could sit directly in front of her. "We're not selling you to her in exchange for a few victories."
"Lord Baelish plays a game when he tries to understand a person's motives. He assumes the worst, what's the worst reason they could possibly have for saying what they say and doing what they do." Sansa looked at her brother. "The scale changes when that person is a god."
Jon nodded, setting the broach aside. "The worst she could want is to destroy our world."
"But that doesn't fit her actions at all." Sansa replied, looking at the fire. "Unless she means to play with us, or gain something before doing so?"
Jon shook his head. "Why play with the children then? Or read books she clearly finds boring?"
"So at least our god most likely does not intend to destroy our world. Conquering it doesn't fit either." Sansa was unused to people with power being so uninterested in credit or recognition. Even Margaery only helped the poor because of the recognition. For all she thought Margaery did care in her own way, her actions were for herself.
Jon made a low sound. "Couldn't her goals be what she's said they are? Maybe I'm foolish, but she's done what she said she'd do."
"Build a beacon between worlds." Sansa had seen some of the notes from Crann. Whatever Fitz was doing was beyond her comprehension, as well as that of Wolkan's. "She said she was paying us back for our hospitality." She looked at Jon. "The Free Folk kidnap their brides don't they?"
Jon blinked at the change in topic. "Yes?"
"What would one of them think of a crown of flowers?" She had a feeling she'd found an answer she'd been looking for.
He seemed to catch on as well, his lips twitching. "They'd think it foolish. You think she doesn't mean it as a courting gift because it's not her people's way?"
"I believe I need to speak to our god." Sansa stood.
Jon stood as well. "Sansa, if you're wrong. If she means it…"
"She hasn't taken offense at anything short of being called a forgein, murderous whore." Sansa was still baffled by The Greatjon's survival. "And Lord Umber still lives. Bruised and a broken arm but he still draws breath."
He looked like he wanted to wrap her in a blanket and keep her from the whole world outside of the room. "I could come with you?"
"Thank you, but no." Sansa smiled softly at her brother. "You'll need to hunt down Rickon."
Jon huffed. "Aye, he'll of escaped his lesson's by now."
Sansa raised her hand and knocked on the door of their divine guest's chamber door.
"Come in." Came the muffled reply.
Sansa entered the room and her face flushed. Even the most daring of court ladies from the Reach and Dorne covered more skin than Daisy was showing. She shut the door behind her, her years in court the only reason she wasn't the color of an apple. "If you're indisposed I can come back later?"
Daisy's eyes were closed as she moved in a slow series of deliberate movements. Her garb was...strange. They must be the undergarments of the clothing she'd been wearing when she arrived because Sansa had never heard of, let alone seen clothing that stretched how this fabric did. Her breasts were covered by a tight black garment that covered them, and little else, thick straps over her shoulders. Clearly some form of support. Her legs were...a type of trouser perhaps? They could have been painted on however, the legs ending mid calf. The lack of clothing wasn't what Sansa noticed outside of a brief shock at it. It was the scars. The woman was a tapestry of silvery white and bumped skin from past injuries.
"You're fine." Daisy spoke, her eyes remained closed. "Did you need something?"
Sansa swallowed her embarrassment and disquiet. "I wished to ask you a question if you were amenable to such a thing."
Daisy's eyes opened. She must have seen something on Sansa's face because she lowered her arms, her strange movements stopping. "Alright?" She stepped towards the fire and lifted a kettle of water off and carried it to the side table. She poured the water into a clay mug. "Tea?"
"Please." Sansa had a feeling this conversation was going to take a while. Especially since she hadn't settled on how careful she should be with her words.
Daisy hummed, and filled a second mug before carefully lifting a strainer with leaves in it.
As she prepared the tea Sansa took in the room. Of course she knew what to expect, but it was interesting to see what her guest had done to these rooms in her time here. The answer wasn't much. Everything was neat, you could hardly tell there was a person staying within them. The clothing the god likely meant to wear later was laid neatly on the bed. There were several containers of what seemed to be tea, a wash basin sitting by the small mirror. Laying neatly on top of the chest were the strange gauntlets she'd been wearing when she'd first appeared.
"You have no idea how awesome it is you have tea here. I'd kill for some coffee, but tea's good too." She held out the second cup to Sansa.
She accepted the warm cup. "Thank you." Sansa considered the causal body language. "You've never spent much time in a royal court have you?"
"More like no time." Daisy scoffed, set her tea down while grabbing the white shirt laying on her bed and pulling it on over her head. "Not that this whole...thing isn't super interesting but not my thing." She waved at herself. "Sorry, if I made you uncomfortable. You guys are uh..way more conservative about your clothing."
Sansa raised a brow. "You typically wear small clothes in public?"
"Uh, oh no." She laughed. "But cramped living quarters and regular expected time in the gym, communal showers." Daisy shrugged. "And these aren't my underwear or small clothes? They're workout gear, meant to not keep heat in when you're training. Also not get gross with sweat."
Sansa sipped at the tea to avoid saying something stupid at that thought. "I saw the broaches you had made for your followers."
"Oh good." Daisy picked up her tea with a slight smile. "Do you think they'll work? Course the boys aren't trained enough for much of anything yet. But you know, once they've gotten a bit better."
Sansa had a feeling she'd been right to come here in that moment. "Are you courting me?"
Daisy chocked on her tea, her eyes wide. "What?" She was paying full attention to Sansa now as she wheezed. "No? I mean not that you're not great. Very crush worthy. Really you've got the whole intelligent woman in power thing going on. But uh..not what I was going for?"
"So you're unaware that's what your actions appear to be?" Sansa inquired, mostly amused now as a weight lifted off of her shoulders. She wasn't...dealing with the interest from a person she couldn't say no to. Which was a terrifying situation. One she'd been living with for years now, to actually be free of it was...she'd think of it later.
"Uh that'd be a no." Daisy set her tea aside, crossing her arms. "How am I courting you?"
Sansa's fingers were warmed by the cup in her hands. "You outrank everyone." Her voice was even as she explained, keeping careful focus on the woman to ensure she wasn't taking offense at it. "If you were a sworn sword like Brienne it would be to be expected. I'd likely have awarded you a title for the taking of the Dreadfort."
"Wait but...shouldn't I be expected to like..I don't know, make some gesture or something more than just helping?"
She raised a brow. "You've ruined my enemies, brought back the entire contents of one of the great fortresses of the North. You're dedicating your own religious order to me. There is hardly a grander gesture to be had. You bowed to me."
"And that means I'm courting you?" Daisy asked slowly.
"There are very few reasons for deferring to someone who you outrank as completely as you outrank every human in the world." Sansa saw understanding dawning on the woman's face.
"Oh." Daisy blinked. "How do I fix it? Cause I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark that having a woman romantically pursuing you isn't a good thing in this world."
Sansa wasn't sure how to feel about the easy acceptance and immediate offer of help. It was not what she'd come to expect. Though perhaps with Daisy she should. "Typically no. However if you were considered interested only a fool would attempt to make a proposal."
"And you'd like to not get married just a couple of months after everything." Daisy just looked understanding. She nodded, lifting her tea cup again and sitting down on top of the trunk of clothing at the foot of her bed. "How far do you want to take it?"
She paused. "Take it?"
"Well I can just keep what I'm doing with some pointers on how not to fuck it up." Daisy shrugged. "But if you want I'm game for faking a thing. Easiest cover in the business. I think I've faked a relationship with half my friends at this point. Fitz still gets grumpy about the train."
How the woman managed to be baffling so utterly just constantly was… "What?"
"If a young couple showed up looking to start a new life would you pay more or less attention to them than a single new person come to make a new start?" Daisy asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Sansa paused. "The couple."
"Exactly." Daisy grinned. "So if you want to scandalize everyone I'm totes game."
She opened and then shut her mouth. "That won't be necessary." Her mouth twitched upwards. "Though it would be amusing."
Daisy laughed, leaning back, her elbows resting on the end of the bed. The sheer casualness of it confusing, but reassuring. "So what do I need to know?"
Sansa paused as it clicked. "You're bored."
"So bored." Daisy agreed immediately. "I don't think I've just...it's weird. Which means I'm so down for like whatever." Her head cocked to one side, a slight frown on her face. She held up a finger as she stood, staring at the wall next to the window curiously.
Stepping to the window, the latch unhooked without being touched and opened as Daisy half lunged out of it, arm reaching out. She grabbed and hauled a very familiar looking person into the room.
Rickon rolled across the floor. As he looked up, his lips pulled back as he scrambled to his feet. He blinked, the half snarl falling off his face as he spotted Sansa's expression.
Daisy laughed. "Hi."
"RICKON!" Sansa barely resisted grabbing him by the ear. "Climbing and listening to conversations that don't involve you is unacceptable! What did you think you were doing!?"
/
Rickon sat on the ground, his legs crossed as he faced his very displeased sister and her apparent god. He was still unsure about that even if she didn't smell human. He knew the old gods, and they weren't...whatever she was. They were the wind in the leaves, the water in the earth, the creak of the trees. Not...a walking talking creature like this Daisy. His eyes flicked away from the...creature, to his sister. "I was just making sure you were ok."
"You can't climb like that! Especially with it getting colder. Once there's ice on the walls you could slip. Don't you remember Bran's fall?" There was a strange...stiffness to Sansa, as if she was restraining herself. It was odd to his eyes, like a hunter waiting, poised to strike but hesitating yet not that at the same time.
His jaw set mulishly. "Yes, but he was pushed."
"Rickon you're important, rightful Lord of Winterfell." Sansa lowered into a crouch before him, her dress pooled out around her. Her back easily open to the creature behind her. But her eyes kept Rickon's attention on her. "But more than that you're my brother. I can't protect you if you don't let me. And climbing like that is reckless and dangerous. I can't stop a rock from falling, or ice forming."
He crossed his arms. "How'm I supposed to watch you if I don't? You're all...secrets and saying stuff weird. And I don't know what she is but she's not human." He jerked his chin at Daisy.
"If you had asked I would have told you what I could." She held his gaze. "We are surrounded by enemies, and to survive we have to do things we don't want to do. But we can't be fighting each other as well. Or insulting our allies." She gave a pointed gesture towards Daisy.
Rickon wiggled slightly, he understood what she eyes flicked to the creature. "Sorry."
"No harm done kid." Daisy smiled. "And your wolf can smell I'm different can't it?"
He nodded. "You smell off...like...it burns slightly? But you're not a god. I know the old gods and you're not them."
"No I'm not." She grabbed her clothing off the foot of her bed and stepped towards the side door into the solar off the guest chambers. "I'm going to go get dressed all the way. Don't worry about finding someplace else to like talk." She shrugged.
Sansa looked fully at the creature, person. "Thank you, it's very kind of you."
"It's your castle." Daisy waved off, and then left the room, the door closing behind her.
Sansa turned back to him and sighed. "Join me?" She straightened, her movements elegant in a way he didn't even remember mother being.
He gave a jerk of a nod, and then climbed to his feet and followed his sister to the wooden table and chairs by the window he had been hanging on outside of. Slipping into the chair he looked at her guiltily. "I'm sorry."
"Do you understand what is happening?" Sansa looked at him, her gaze measuring though not unkind.
Rickon swallowed, it was a test. Like when Osha had left the hunting to him and Shaggydog. "You retook the North." His words were slow. "Our bannermen found me an' Osha. The Lannisters will attack to try and kill us how they killed Rob and mum. An' the dead are coming. It's not safe anywhere really. But the bannermen are loyal, you and Jon are going to fight the dead."
"That's true." Sansa reached out, taking his hand. "You're the only surviving legitimate son of father's left. We don't know if Bran's still alive. Which makes you 'The Stark' of Winterfell, the North is yours by right. One day, when you are a few years older the North will be yours. But our position is weak right now. We need to secure the North if we mean to survive. Our bannermen are loyal because our house made them loyal. They won't follow a weak house."
He felt a sick feeling in his gut. "And we're weak."
"Until they choose us once more as their liege Lords we are vulnerable." Sansa squeezed his hand. "I know we don't know each other anymore. Not really. But we're family and that means something."
Rickon felt a sick turning in his gut. This was familiar to words about duty and honor that Robb had spoken, and Father, and everyone in his vague memories of early childhood when he'd had a home. "You're leaving."
"I am, not for long." She looked...terribly sad, but unshakable. "It's necessary if we want to survive. And you will stay here. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell, and you're too young to go to war."
He shook his head. "No. You can't leave me! I won't stay! You'll die and I'll be alone again!"
"Rickon…" Sansa breathed in, her calm not cracking, her sorrow merely deepening. "I will do everything in my power to come back. Jon will too. But if we don't do this we'll never be safe. I need you to be strong. I know it's terrifying, and Winterfell doesn't feel like home. But I need you to be a Stark. And to do your duty no matter how much we might not want to."
Her words wrung something in his chest like a gong. He knew he was a Stark. Even scrambling over stones in the skin of Shaggydog he'd known. Osha wouldn't let him forget, his bones wouldn't let him forget. He hated it. "Bran saw the ocean come and drowned Winterfell and then left, leaving it to burn! We were hungry and cold and lost. And then Bran left! I was supposed to protect him, but he sent me away! And now you're leaving. It's not right."
"No it's not." Sansa cupped his cheek with her hand. "But it's necessary." She pulled back, her eyes releasing him. "Lord Manderly and Lord Umber will run Winterfell while I'm gone. Osha will be here to care for you. And I'm leaving Brienne to make sure you don't try to sneak out and follow us."
He crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair. The big lady Knight wouldn't let him go anywhere. And he doubted Osha would help him escape. "I could help! I'm a wolf."
"You're a warg." Sansa said the word 'warg' cautiously, like it was a term she was still accepting or learning. "And a boy. When the Long Night comes we'll all have to fight. Even you, but it's not here quite yet."
Rickon's frown deepened. "You can't protect me."
"No one can protect anyone, not completely." Sansa's face turned cold as she pulled back the rest of the way. "But I won't bring you to war and our enemies' doorstep." And her voice was unwavering now. It reminded him of his vague recollection of their father.
He bit at the inside of his lip. He wanted to rage and cry about how it wasn't fair. But he knew it wouldn't do any good. "You have to come back."
"I'll do everything I can to do so." Her face softened slightly. "I'll be with Jon and whatever Daisy is."
Rickon looked through his curls at her. "She's not human, but she's not a god."
"I'm beginning to understand that." Sansa paused before continuing. "Now, will you eat with Jon and I before we leave tomorrow? I would like to learn who you are now."
Rickon felt an ache at that. "I wanna know you too." And he did. She was a ghost returned alive. Only she was different than he remembered, more like his faint memories of their parents than of his memories of her. But colder, sharper then they'd ever been. She was more wolf than either of their parents had ever been. And he understood wolves. And maybe...maybe he was starting to understand the strange creature that was his sister.