Jamie didn't really have sea-legs… he had never needed them. His travelling was by carriage when young and on horse-back once he was of age. And though Casterly Rock overlooked the water, he had no interest in boating. And so, he supposed, that was the reason he had never developed any appreciation for sailors and shipmen…
Until now.
How did they do it, every day for all their lives?
The Lord of Casterly Rock felt a wave roll through the ship and pass into him as he hung his head over the bow of the ship, amazed there was anything left of his insides to throw out!
He decided he hated boats. But, as agreed, they were sailing in one of Tarth's finest ships, along the coast and north… to The Wall… Or, at least, that's what Jamie assumed the plan was.
Brienne had hardly said five words to him since the ordeal at Evenfall.
Jamie had delivered proof of their joining to his Father as undeniable evidence Brienne was not responsible for the murder of Loras Tyrel… and so she was unchained as Jamie helped her to her feet, surrounded by cheers of onlookers.
He had wondered if there was a chance he could kiss her then, being swept up in the drama of it all, but had had enough wits about him to remember exactly who Brienne of Tarth was when she was angry; formidable.
The house Lannster issued a formal apology to Tarth and left later that day, saying the King had recalled them to the capital. Sir Selwyn wasn't sorry to see them go; he had dismissed their audience and whisked Brienne away before any further questions could be asked.
Which would be fine… but it had been days before his father-in-law would even grant him a meeting… and when he did Jamie could not find the words for an apology and, it seemed, Selwyn wasn't interested in one.
He had told Jamie that he had hoped to stand for his little girl at her wedding to a man who would honour her… and as Jamie felt wretched, Selwyn admitted that the revelation of their elopement was his best way to save Brienne and honour her… even if showing the used bed sheets was a little much for a father to see.
Distasteful as it was, Selwyn tried to accept that Jamie was only saving Brienne; but it was she who would judge him the most harshly.
Jamie controlled another rush of sickness from the waves to think on how she must despise him.
Cersie had attempted to see him before she left Tarth, but Jamie had little time for his sister now… He was certain she had killed Loras. He was just as certain that she and their father would find another to take the blame for the young roses death.
In truth, he no longer cared for her; she shouldn't have tried to hurt Brienne.
And Jamie marvelled; no one had stood between him and Cersie before…
Another gurgling roll in his stomach opposed the direction the sea was pitching his body and he gripped the hull of the ship a little tighter.
"Should you be above-deck, my Lord?"
Gulping down, Jamie couldn't move his body to face the voice of Podrick… so he simply shut his eyes and said, "I wouldn't have thought you cared."
"You are married to my Lady Brienne," Podrick said, steadying Jamies right side as the ship pitched over another stomach-churning wave… "I couldn't have you fall over-board."
Jamie huffed, "That would rather complicate things, wouldn't it?"
"Sire?"
"Accused of the murder and drowning of Loras and then her husband goes missing during a trip at sea…" Jamie went to laugh, but the feeling made the smile fall straight from his face, "she would be quite the little black widow."
"Come, my Lord," Podrick soothed, taking Jamies golden hand and weaving it over his shoulders to help support his weight.
"What's the point?" He asked, "She won't talk to me when we're on solid ground, she won't talk to me at sea…"
"Perhaps not," Podrick admitted, "though, during our short service, the Lady has proven kind, generous with her sympathy and quick to think the best of people."
"You're saying that she may pity me enough in this state that she might speak to me…"
"No," Pod admitted, half-carrying Jamie through the door and down the stair, "but she may listen."
Jamie doubted it, "She hasn't so far…"
()()()()
"What are you doing?" Brienne asked; it was the first fully-constructed sentence she had spoken to him in almost a week…
"What does it look like?" Jamie asked, giving a groan.
Pod had told him to 'be one with the boat' – so Jamie now lay, prostrate, on the floor of their honeymoon suite as Brienne stood over him.
"Well… move," she instructed, giving his boot a kick with her own, "We're about to dock and I want to get my armour."
Giving a groan, Jamie shifted… "So we're finally there?"
After the clanging of metal and familiar sounds of leather bindings, Jamie heard a brief silence before… "Are you getting up?"
Jamie breathed… the only comfort he had felt for days was lying on this wooden floor, he wasn't so willing to let that feeling go and moaned, "Well… that's it… you're my wife for only a few days and you're already abusing me."
It earned another, not so light, kick in the leg.
"We aren't married, though," Brienne pointed out, "that was a lie."
Jamie groaned all the louder.
"Did you hear me?"
"Yes!" Jamie admitted, pressing his forehead against the cold wooden planks, "I lied, alright. Now leave me be."
"No," she insisted, "some of us have oaths to keep."
His groan became a growl, "What would you have me say, Brienne? I've tried explaining it but you don't seem to accept my thinking. Lies are sometimes necessary."
A sarcastic huff sounded and Jamie tried to keep his eyes closed… "It's true. True that I lied to save your life. I lied to ensure your freedom and keep your honour, not un-worthy goals, I might add." Gods, the cold made him feel good and he seemed to be on a roll, so continued, "Let's not forget you had a task-force at your back and a whole host of shocked on-lookers ready to believe any latest scandal that might present itself in order to make their dull lives all that bit more exciting and you weren't exactly vindicating yourself… So, yes… I lied about us being married. And I would do it again, to save you."
Silence.
"And what does it matter if we said a few words before a collection of people either of us can barely tolerate," he reasoned, letting the truth flow, "we agreed to be together for the oncoming days and have no other… we sealed that in the woods, in your bed… So what if we didn't have a pompous old priest there to say meaningless words nobody in the seven kingdoms truly abide by."
More silence…
"But we will," Jamie admitted, unable to raise his head to look her in the eye, "because the bond we share is important and more meaningful than most people can ever hope to understand."
There! It was said… Perhaps now she would let him rest.
"Brienne?"
Then the world about him shifted.
He tried to keep his stomach in its rightful place…
"We've docked," Brienne informed him… "Get dressed."
As the click of the door sounded Jamie gave a small smile; it wasn't much, but it was a start…
()()()
Two days riding north-west of the dockland and Jamie stood in the burnt-out wreck that was Moles-town… the stench of it… he tried to look as though it wasn't bothering him; especially as Brienne stood tall, observing the horror with a distant look about her.
The embers of fireplaces were still warm in the hearths… this was a fresh kill.
"So much for food and respite," his wife said…
"My Lady," Podrick called from further in the charred devastation, "there are none alive… and Castle Black is but a few hours away."
Brienne hardly heard him… Jamie watched her heart crack open and bleed for the lost souls of the town. Any other might look about the remnants of the town for food or gold… but she was not a scavenger. She was all things a knight should be; honourable, merciful and just. All the things you get killed for.
And now, she looked about the dead bodies and he could tell she was thinking of how much time they had and if they could bury the dead.
She was coming to realise they could not. This thought was hurting her.
He felt her pain more keenly than his own; "There aren't many here," Jamie found himself saying, "I think the majority of the town may have escaped."
His words hit the cold air and dissipated… that was all they were… words. They all knew that it would have been a miracle if any had survived this brutal attack.
Brienne was still.
Gods; if he could ease the hurt in her…
"Yes," she nodded after a time… "There will be a time mourning the dead… for now we ride to the Castle."
Podrick was on his horse within the instant; Jamie had to admire his loyalty.
Brienne led the trio, against the wind, to Castle Black. She still refused to speak to him, barely looing in his direction. Jamie wondered how long the woman could hold a grudge.
With the castle in site, Brienne asked, "Can you see that?"
Jamie picked up his horses pace to draw alongside her…
"What is that?" Brienne asked again.
Jamie could make out a cloaked figure on the road, hunched over and travelling fast. "Small… carrying something to her…" it was a woman! A survivor of Moletown! Jamie broke his horse to a gallop and was ontop of the traveller in seconds.
The woman shrieked, and as Jamie heard Brienne and Pod catch him up, he soothed, "It's ok… it's ok… we're friends."
She was only a girl, but she was petrified… which was understandable.
"Did you come from the town?" Brienne asked..
"She has a child…" Jamie realised, stepping down from his horse as she recoiled, "We won't hurt you, girl." And as he wrapped a blanket about the slender girls frame, he asked, "What's his name?"
The woman looked nervously about the three surrounding her, before relaxing a little into Jamies arms, "Sam."
Jamie nodded, giving her a slight squeeze of approval, "A fine name. And yours?"
Again, she looked about them all before answering, "Gilly."
"I'm Jamie," he said, "this is Brienne and Podrick."
Gilly nodded, "Hello."
Jamie couldn't help but smile, "Where are you going?"
"To the Castle, My Lord…"
Jamie looked at the girl with some surprise, she had recognised his status so couldn't simple.
The baby in Gillys arms began to stir, bringing Jamie back to the moment, so he handed her his water bottle saying, "Here… he's hungry and you need to keep up your strength…"
She tried to protest, but Jamie shook his head, "I have been riding in that seat for hours, I could do with the walk," and he lifted her onto the horse. "We will take you to the castle."
"Thank you," Gilly said, drinking her water and holding tightly to Sam.
When Jamie turned to Brienne, about to ask her to lead the party on to Castle Black, he was surprised by the look in her eye… so surprised that he paused to take it in.
That look; she observed him with a warmth he hadn't witnessed from her in what felt like an age… she was even smiling as she looked on him.
It felt as though he had been wrapped in a blanket and not the young girl now rocking her baby to sleep on the back of Jamies steed.
Brienne caught herself after a moment and instructed, "Onward, then."
That was enough to keep Jamie puzzling until they reached the gates of Castle Black.
"Who goes there?" The watchman asked.
"Travellers from Moles Town," Brienne stated, "We need to speak with your commander."
There was a pause and then…"I can not let you pass."
But rather than the warriors or squire protesting, it was the young mother, babe in arm, who leapt from her horse and rushed the gate, "I need to speak to Sam, Pypar… let us in right now!"
"Isn't Sam the baby?" Podrick asked, only to be shushed by Brienne.
"Gilly," the voice behind the gate asked, "that you?"
"Yes!" She shouted, "me and little Sam. Moles Town is gone, Pypar. And they're coming! You to let us in."
"I can't."
"You can!"
"Gilly?" A second voice sounded from behind the gate.
"Who is this now?" Brienne rolled her eyes.
"Sam!" Gilly almost jumped on the spot. "It's me! I'm here!"
"Get that gate open!" The mad ordered.
"But…" the watchman stuttered… "but…"
"Now!"
With a creak of wood and clang of chain, the gate opened and Gilly rushed through into the arms of a portly member of the Nights Watch.
Jamie felt a little smug, making a sideways comment to Brienne of, "See… oaths are only words."
Brienne was stony-faced as she approached.
"Who are you?" The stout man asked.
"They helped me, Sam," Gilly rushed, "Moles Town is gone and they found me on the road…"
"This is your child," Brienne asked, seeming somewhat angered by the notion.
"No…" Sam replied.
"Then she is not your woman?"
Blinking a little, Sam replied, "Well… no. It's complicated… but we've never…" he looked to Gilly who blushed, "but no."
"So… I'm not..?" Gilly turned to him…
"I can't…" Sam said, ignoring all else about him.
Eugh… Jamie didn't have the time for this, "Where is the commander of the Nights Watch?"
"Preparing for battle," a familiar voice sounded from the second floor of the inner-keep. "I'm afraid you have left the house-call a little late, dear brother."
An odd mixture of relief, joy and anticipation washed over him as Jamie turned to see, "Tyrion!"
His young brother rushed to meet him as Jamie held out his arms and they embraced.
"It is good to see you," Tyrion smiled, before acknowledging, "Podrick."
The squire sat a little taller on his horse and seemed to well with unspent tears, "My Lord."
Tyrion nodded, "And this must be your wife…"
Brienne dismounted and, shooting a look to Gilly and Sam, replied, "It's complicated."
Tyrion frowned, but picked up the slight shake of Jamies head.
"How have you been?" Jamie asked.
"Oh… you know… Indoctrinated into a sacred order of cut-throats, murderers, rapists, bastards and thieves so that I might protect the seven kingdoms or die in the attempt."
Jamie nodded, "I had to sail here…"
"Then you know how I feel…" Tyrion laughed and beckoned them to follow to the stables. "Thanks to a previous visit, I had already made myself aware of those who may be my allies once I got here. I have been assigned to assist Maester Aemon… but soon ran into Sam, back there, and Jon Snow. You may recall meeting him in Winterfell."
Jamie paled slightly… "A Stark and a Targaryen… Ideal honeymoon spot for me, here, isn't it."
And as they tied their horses, Tyrion laughed, "I think they have bigger concerns than revenge at the moment."
Jamie doubted it, "How so?"
"Your timing is quite spectacular, dear brother," and with that, two blasts sounded from a great horn… "we are under attack!"