Sansa

Even though it felt wonderful to be back home, things could not have been more stressing than they were turning into. With all of the soldiers pouring in from the south, many problems arose that were more than needed to be dealt with.

More than one hundred game wardens had to protect the wildlife in the forests within fifteen miles around Winterfell to keep it from dying out. But luckily many of the soldiers who came brought caravans of food and supplies from their own respective regions. The Reach was even bringing extra shipments of food to North, to what was hopefully a sign of good faith.

One of the bigger problems though was figuring out the best way to organize the camps so that one realm wouldn't be situated next to another that quarreled against each other. Even with help, such a task was far more difficult than it seemed given that near every realm has fought against the other at one point in time and some people are too stubborn to move on.

It was then determined that since the Night's Watch could not guard the Wall, they would act as peacekeepers long enough for everyone to remember that fighting amongst themselves was the last thing they needed.

Sansa joined Daenerys, Jon, and Tormund in Great Hall, sitting at a table discussing some minor things regarding the war counsel with every lord and commander that would be representing the armies. Ser Jorah kept his vigil watch over the Queen a few paces from them all.

"There will be over two hundred people gathered together," Jon informed, "The ideal place to do it would be in the courtyard, but there's not enough room and too many people will be at work."

"What about on the hill just outside the castle?" Sansa suggested. "You could stand at the foot of it and address them all."

Tormund shook his head at the idea. "There's not going to be any unoccupied land outside the castle for two miles when the rest of the armies get here. But there are some huts that are still empty. I can get the Free Folk and the Giants to rebuild them into a longhouse big enough to fit everyone of these commanders and six giants."

No one was objecting long enough to assume that would be the best course of action. "Then let's not delay any further." Jon said. Tormund nodded at him and got up from his seat to leave to his duties.

As he left the room, a Stark guard entered in his place. "Your Grace, Lord Edric Dayne is about to arrive."

"The Dornish are here already?" Daenerys asked.

"No your Grace, just Lord Dayne and four of his guard."

"This is curious, but by all means, let us not be terrible hosts and not greet him." Daenerys suggested to which Jon and Sansa both agreed.

Near the gates, Jon, Daenerys, Sansa, Rickon who joined them out of desire to meet Lord Dayne, and Ser Jorah stood by as Edric rode in on a Dornish Stallion followed by his men, one of which carried the Dayne banner. Ghost sat next to Rickon and earned a great deal of attention from many who were still not used to his presence.

"Your grace!" Edric addressed as he dismounted his horse and approached Jon. "I'm glad to have made this quick." He quickly bent the Knee to Jon and Daenerys and his men followed his example.

"Rise, Lord Dayne." Jon said before Edric obeyed. Something Sansa noticed was that Edric had not stopped looking happy since he entered the gates. "We thought you would be with your troops."

"No, they're still a few days away, along with a certain something I owe to you." Sansa felt a little excited to see the crown of Aegon the Conqueror herself. There were few relics of the Targaryens of old and that was one of them. "I hope I didn't cause I problem arriving early, I was just too eager to see Winterfell for the first time, let alone be in it."

"There's no problem at all, Lord Dayne." Sansa said, being ever so courteous as a lady should be. "Though I am afraid to say that we have no vacant rooms in the castle." Edric's smile died and he looked like someone beat him at his own game. "Is something wrong, my lord?"

"In my haste to get here, I did not have any of my men bring with us any means to camp. Those supplies are with my army I'm afraid. But I'm sure we can manage something."

"You can take my room for now," Rickon offered, looking full well ready to do so.

"My Lord Stark," Edric said, "I appreciate the offer, but I couldn't usurp the room of my host. And if I did, where would you sleep?"

"My bed used to belong to my older brother so it's large enough and I won't be using tonight anyway, so you might as well."

"What do you mean?" Jon asked, looking confused as everyone else was. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, I'm just going to spend the next few nights with some friends."

"What friends?" Sansa asked.

"The ones who were with me when we almost got killed by the bear before Ghost saved us." Sansa had a sudden flashback to when Rickon told her and Arya about that. Sansa become a concerned mother figure while Arya laughed the whole thing off.

"A bear," Edric said, "now that is story you'll have to tell me one day, my Lord. Very well, I accept your offer so long as it's alright with the King himself."

All eyes turned to Jon as he chuckled quietly. "I wouldn't want you to only keep Ghost as company." He said directly to Rickon. "I'll allow it, but only until his army arrives with his things." Rickon grew a large smile and looked like he was the happiest person in the world. Jon shifted his attention back to Edric. "I think we have some vacant huts in the camps your men can use for the nights."

"Splendid. I'll see that they get situated before I do. But when I return, I would properly like to meet that Direwolf of yours." Edric looked fascinated at Ghost whereas many others before him only looked afraid. He bowed his head to all of them before leaving with his men.

"Sansa," Daenerys said.

"Yes?"

"You haven't stopped smiling ever since Edric rode in through the gates."

Sansa's smiled disappeared quickly and her expression became slightly embarrassed. She wasn't even paying attention to herself the entire time. In fact, she was keeping all of her focus on Edric. "I'm just glad that I finally got to meet with him more than I did at the Dragonpit."

That was the best answer she could give at the moment since she didn't know why she was smiling at him to begin with.


A few days passed by and all around the castle were soldiers from all over the world. The only host missing from what was pledged to aid against the fight in the North was the last of the Dothraki from Highgarden, but word from a Wildling warg had reached that they would arrive very soon.

After finally getting comfortable being in Tyene's presence, Sansa found herself spending a lot more time with her in Winterfell along with Missandei of Naath, seeing as they were the only ladies around near her age. Daenerys was occupied with Jon and her duties as Queen so there was rarely anytime they could have leisurely with her. Arya spent very little time in the castle compared to Sansa though. Ever since Rickon told her that Nymeria was in the forest near the castle, Arya was determined to find her.

The three of them were standing on the balconies of Winterfell, watching Edric Dayne having a sparring match with one of the Unsullied soldiers that Missandei couldn't seem to take her eyes off of. The two of them had been going at it for near an hour now and neither of them could best the other. But even with all of their fighting, Sansa could tell that both of them were shivering from the cold. The three ladies were dressed in thick fabrics meant for the winter, but Edric and the Unsullied man were in fine leathers, only suitable for warmth in a Northern summer.

"My money's on the Unsullied," Tyene said openly. "Who's your money on?" When Edric learned of Tyene's survival and presence in Winterfell, he tried to get her to agree being naturalized and become the head of House Martell, but Tyene refused him, stating it wouldn't matter soon enough.

"I do not place bets," Missandei informed. "But if I were to, I have no doubt that Grey Worm will win." Ever since the Unsullied arrived, Missandei had been brighter and more cheerful, and she spent much time with the commander that made her suspect that the two of them were more than what they appeared to be.

"What makes you certain?" Sansa asked. "From what I've seen, Lord Dayne has a better offence, but his opponent levels the playing field with an equally skilled defense." She wouldn't place any bet either, but she had full confidence that Edric would win.

"There's a difference in their fighting," Tyene said, looking ever watchful at every movement, "Edric has better skill than Grey Worm, but he hasn't the experience of a real battle which is something Grey Worm looks like he has."

Sansa switched from looking at their fighting to looking at their moods. Edric looked very calm and determined, but he knew that this was only a sparring match. Grey Worm on the other hand looked composed and hardened, treating this like a real battle.

Edric had just parried a thrust made to him and tried to swing his sparring sword down on the wooden staff the Unsullied wielded to break it, but he was bashed with a shield before he could. Edric kept his distance and looked like fatigue was starting to wrap around him, but he could see that it was also happening to his opponent.

"You look tired Grey Worm," Edric taunted, "maybe you should rest."

"I can stand guard for days without food or water."

"Yes, but can you fight for days without food or water?" Edric twirled his sword in his hand before advancing on Grey Worm. The Unsullied commander made another thrust at Edric who easily dodged it and was able to grab hold of the shaft this time. Before Greyworm could push Edric away, Edric pulled himself under the staff and kept on the outside of Greyworm. Edric used his grip on the staff to create a barrier that Greyworm wouldn't be able to reach passed. But before he could bring up his sword in a position for a yield, Greyworm let go of his shield and gripped the staff with his other hand. With a powerful bash with the spear, Edric was knocked away and stumbled backwards. The next thing he knew, Greyworm swept the staff under his feet and he toppled over. In the split second he had before the end of the staff representing the spearhead was pointed at his body, Edric rolled towards Greyworm in the snow and managed to wrap an arm his Greyworm's leg and held the round tip of his sword at the location of an artery in the leg. Had it been a real sword in a real fight, Edric would've won and Greyworm knew that.

Sansa failed to keep a smile to herself as she looked over to Missandei and Tyene who looked beaten. "Aren't you both glad neither of you have any money to lose?" Sansa jested as she looked back at the two men.

"I concede." Greyworm admitted as he offered a hand to Edric who gladly accepted. "Well fought, Lord of the Stars."

"Thank you, my friend, but that name belongs to someone else I'm afraid." Edric brushed the snow off of him before wiping a cold sweat from his brow. "I think that's enough for the morning, wouldn't you agree?"

"No, the Unsullied are prepared to train at any moment of any day."

Edric chuckled as he patted Greyworm on the back. "Soldiers until the end. Come, I saw a barrel of ale in the other courtyard. Let's go share a drink of it." The two of them approached a weapon rack and placed their training weapons back where they got them.

"I have had wine before, I didn't like it at all."

"Wine, shmine," Edric scoffed, "I'm talking about a Northern ale. Wine is for fancy lords and ladies who drink to make themselves look fancier. Ale is warriors of every breed!" Edric noticed the cold stares he was receiving from the audience of ladies on the balconies and just shrugged his shoulders at them, as if asking 'Am I wrong?' He wrapped his sword belt around his hip and pulled it tight. Not only did he have First Light hanging from it, but he chose to bring Dawn as well. He did not claim it as the Sword of the Morning. But given the circumstances, the living would need every sword it could get. "Come!" Edric put one arm over Greyworm's shoulders and forced him to join.

"You were certain Dayne would win," Tyene said to Sansa as she rested her elbows on the wooden railing and leaned back, "but I can tell you're not knowledgeable enough in swordplay to have known."

"I didn't know he would win," Sansa replied, "but I've watched my brothers train growing up and just guessed from what I saw before."

"You watched boys playing while growing up," Tyene countered, "these were men sparring."

She made a valid point and Sansa could see that there was no way to give a good answer that wasn't the honest one. Tyene herself was a great fighter so she would know if what she said would be real input or just something to make her sound like she knew she was talking about.

"I guessed that Edric would win because I hoped that he would win." Sansa admitted, causing Tyene to arch her brow high.

"And why, pray tell, did you hope that the Lord of Starfall would win?"

That was a question that Sansa couldn't seem to answer for she did not know it. She couldn't deny that she admired something about him, but she couldn't figure out what. She thought about the way he fought and how he looked like a gallant knight facing his enemy. "I suppose it's because he reminds me of what I dreamed of when I was a little girl. A brave knight as honorable as my father and fearless in battle." Just saying that amused her as she shook her head. "But those were just dreams of a stupid little girl with stupid dreams before she learned the world is nothing that we learn it to be."

"The world is in fact shit." Tyene agreed. "But it's not shit enough to not want to dream of something better is it?" Tyene shifted her gaze to Missandei. "You were a slave before you met the Dragon Queen right? What was that like?"

Missandei shifted and folded her hands in front of her. "I'd rather not say. It's not so much as describing what living was like, but more of what it feels like to property rather than a person."

"But surely even you must've wished for something better."

"Of course I did. I would sometimes dream of being back in Naath with my family, or living with people I could call my friends. It wasn't long until I achieved one of them."

"My point exactly." Tyene pushed herself off of the railing and faced Sansa. "We've all faced some of the worst the world has had to give us, yet here we are. It's the gift of our dreams and hopes that make it so the world doesn't have to be the shit one we think we live in until we live no more. Valar Morghulis"

"All men must die," Missendai translated, "but we are not men."

"Indeed, we are not." The three of them walked together on the balconies surrounding the training yard and entered onto the battlements surrounding the main courtyard. They found Edric and Greyworm standing in their path, looking out to the armies.

"Tell me what you see." Edric said to Grey Worm.

Greyworm sighed as he gazed over the battlements. "I see the armies making camp."

"Yes, can you tell me what kind of soldiers you see?"

"The Unsullied, the Dothraki, Stark, Lannister, there's a banner for almost every house out there."

"Exactly. Isn't that the greatest thing you have ever seen?"

Greyworm looked at him, puzzled once again. "I do not understand."

Edric smiled at him for missing the big picture. "What you just looked at is probably the greatest army the world has ever seen, and probably will ever see. I can guarantee you that someone probably wants to kill someone else standing next to them, but that hasn't happened. All of these men come from kingdoms that have all fought with and against each other at some point in the history of Westeros. But for the first time ever, they fight together. One Country as one army with one purpose."

As Greyworm was understanding what Edric meant, he looked out to the encampment once more, but this time he really looked at it. To Edric's pleasure, Greyworm formed a proud smile.

Edric noticed the ladies approaching them and turned to face them. "My ladies, did you enjoy the match?"

"Very much, Lord Dayne." Sansa replied.

Tyene shrugged her shoulders at them. "It would've been better with live steel."

Edric gained some amusement from her. "Yes, but we don't anyone to die before the battle happens, do we?" Edric turned his gaze back to the armies, but something caught his eye. "Ah, if I had to guess, I would say that the last of the Dothraki are arriving."

Everyone turned their heads to look out over the ramparts and could see a large group of Dothraki riding on the road, a force of near five hundred. A small group broke off and continued onward to the castle while the rest turned to join the rest of the horde in the camps.

After looking closer at the smaller group, Sansa noticed a small detail about it. "Those two aren't Dothraki." Two of the riders approaching the castle were not dressed in the furs the Dothraki wore. Instead, one of them was in Lannister armor and the other in gold tinted armor.

"Finally," Tyene said with an eager face, "my man arrives." She departed from everyone and immediately went to greet the riders.