Chapter 10:
The days after Jon's nameday, leading up to his own were agony for Robb.
Not only was Hermione still angry, she was just too furious on him to even be in his company. Both the witches had stopped sharing their meals with the family. His mother had asked after their absence on the first day, but since then no one mentioned them. If luck shined on him, he saw her sprinting away from everyone's eyes but most days even that was too much to ask. It was almost as if they had gone back to their world.
Robb was lost to the world, hunger, thirst, swordplay, archery, family, Grey Wind, nothing interested him anymore. All he wanted, needed, was her, the one woman bent on avoiding him like a great curse that was set upon the world by the Stranger himself.
Only one other person looked as miserable as him. Jon.
Robb had always prided himself on being a good brother even to his half-brother, but now, he wasn't so sure anymore. Hermione's words had hit their mark.
He picked up a bottle of mead from his Father's store and went to Jon's cabin, intent on repairing every relation in his life. If that's what she wanted of him, that's what he'd give her. Anything to win her back. He wouldn't stop till he had her back in his life.
That was that.
He wouldn't lie, he had thought of giving up on her, he had thought that he had ruined everything beyond repair, but the fact that his going to a brothel had hurt her so much, gave him hope. Maybe she did feel something for him too. Sometimes, he thought fondly that it was only her jealousy making her act up like that. Then he would chide himself for his wishful thinking.
He knocked on Jon's door. By his second rap, the door swung open. Jon scrunched his nose at his visitor.
"Robb? What are you doing here?"
"I got us mead to share," Robb shrugged his shoulders in reply and pushed past Jon to enter his chambers.
He stopped on seeing a small circular cake that was missing a piece, on the table near the windows with a small gift box beside it.
"The witches had thought of surprising me on my nameday. Arya brought it in the next day and insisted that a cut a piece of it for her. Lady Ginerva baked it and Arya wanted to try it."
Robb nodded, then jutted his chin towards the gift box.
"Arya said Lady Hermione made it herself. I haven't opened it yet."
"Go on, open it," Robb urged. He knew it was something forged with the steel he had procured for her, but he wanted to see the finished product.
Jon sighed and opened the box to reveal a small wolf pin. A shiny silver wolf made of steel with ruby red eyes. He smirked, it was Ghost. The only one in his life who really needed him, who was all his.
Rubbing his face furiously, Jon groaned. "What have I done, Robb? How did I land myself in this? I had it all, a love in Ginny, a friend and confidante in Hermione, and I messed it all up..."
"We both did, Jon," Robb rubbed his back. "We both did."
"Lord Stark, may I please have a word," Hermione broke into the library, she rarely ever ventured here these days but today was different. Both, Ginny and her had realized there presence was not helping anyone here and so they had taken the decision to leave.
For the first time, without actually finishing their mission. With no news of the White Walkers to take back to Kingsley. They were ashamed but they were realists. Staying locked up in their room was not helping them get anywhere near their goal, so they had decided to go back where they belonged.
Back home.
Funny how hollow that felt when talking of their long lost lives. But all the weird feelings of not
belonging there anymore were quickly squashed by both the witches.
Robb, Jon and Maester Luwin were in a consultation with Lord Stark when Hermione burst through the library doors. Robb's heart launched itself in his throat at her sight and the sound of her voice while Jon looked discreetly beyond her to check for another's presence.
"Yes, Lady Hermione. What is it that you wish to discuss?" That startled her. "You want me to speak here? Now?"
"Whatever you say will go back to them either ways," Ned said, eyeing the girl carefully. Something seemed off.
"We've decided to go back. Your guests will start arriving soon and as much as we do not wish to cause you any problems, we definitely don't wish to be married off to strangers either. Once we go back, we'll inform our superior and he will ensure that an eye is kept out at Westeros at all times. If there ever is any news of White Walkers, we'll be back to help you fight them."
"You're leaving?" Robb looked at Hermione in shock, then turned pleadingly to his father. "Father, I do not want nameday celebrations, if it's making them leave." I do not want another gathering in my life, for any of my future namedays, just make them stop, he pleaded to his father with his eyes.
"Of course, you don't," Hermione smiled tightly, giving Robb a fleeting glance that didn't quite let their eyes meet. "You'd rather be out with your friends, gallivanting and making merry."
"Hermione, I told you..." Robb began helplessly but his father cut him off, not wanting to witness a debacle between his love-sick son and the witch.
"Coincidentally, that's exactly what we were discussing," Ned looked at the girl.
"Our departure?" Hermione turned towards Lord Stark in surprise.
"No, my lady, the White Walkers," the Maester said. "Some of our men have found a deserter who claims to have seen the Night Walkers. They are getting him to the clearing for his punishment. The Lord and his men were just about to leave for there, actually.."
"I am sorry, are you implying that you will be executing him?" Hermione stared Ned right in his eyes when she asked him the question.
"A beheading, yes, Lady Hermione. He deserted his station, he has to pay for it with life," Ned answered just as stoically.
Hermione's eyes slightly widened.
"Between all your past wars and the future ones, don't you think there've been enough deaths that you wish to raise the number?"
"That's enough I think, my lady." There was a fair warning in Ned's tone.
Hermione breathed in, counting backwards from ten and then twenty for her own stresses. "Then I must insist you to take me along."
"A chopper's block is no place for womenfolk," Ned replied.
"I think we all must stop putting Gin and me in the same bracket as the rest of the womenfolk of Westeros. I need to speak with this man and if he is not going to brought down here, then I'll go to him. While you, my Lord, can look me in the eye as you take an innocent life," Hermione challenged the Lord of the Manor.
Ned's eyes narrowed in anger but he held his emotions in check. She was not from here, she didn't understand their ways. In her own ways, she was brave enough to stand up to the Lord of the Manor, he rationalized. Foolhardy, yes, but brave. He sighed.
"As you wish, Lady Hermione. We'll be down at the stables in a moment."
Dismissed, Hermione left the library, shutting the door off as she left the room she had once loved the most in the castle and walked down towards the stable where they kept their horses.
First that, now this, then a beheading. Oh joys of the unkind era!
She looked over in concern at the horses, her nose creasing in her frustration.
"Not a fan of riding, my lady?" Theon asked, leaning casually against a pillar of the stables.
"No, can't say I am. I haven't really ridden a horse ever before, actually," Hermione replied.
"And are you intent on riding one now?"
"I think I'm going to have to, really."
"Share with another rider then. That way you can learn how to control the reins." Theon offered, "Why don't I teach you? I am a fair rider, give it a go with me, I'll teach you a thing or two."
Hermione loathed to admit it, but she was unsure if there was some sort of double meaning to his words. And she had never really liked the way he eyed up every girl, Ginny and herself included. So..
"I think.." she started.
"That's a good idea Theon, but I think she can do with a better rider than yourself to teach her the art of horseback riding. She can share with me as we go into the woods to the executioner's block."
"You're bringing a lady along? To a beheading? Does Lord Stark know?" Theon looked his best friend in shock.
"She sought his permission herself," Robb deadpanned, without looking at any of the habitants of the shed, at the moment. He only walked to his horse and pulled at his reins after checking the security of the saddle.
"Will your friend be joining us, my lady? Can't imagine her being any better at horse riding, she could share with me then," Theon offered.
Jon clenched his hand tightly around his horse's reins, but Hermione put him out of his misery when she said, "No, Lord Theon. She won't."
"I haven't seen her around for a few days now, is she alright?" he pressed, in a rare show of concern.
Hermione smiled tightly. Yes, Ginerva Molly Weasley was just peachy! A ball of nerves, pulled so tight that she only snapped, cursed, cried, blamed, ranted, sobbed and then repeated the whole thing again, but right as rain otherwise. Her magic overload was making everything in their room burst into pieces at random moments, and she was using her magic to put the broken pieces back together with a heart-breaking expression on her sad face, but besides that, she was just perfect! Thank you very much!
"She's been a little.. indisposed?" Hermione's statement came up as a query instead when she saw Lord Stark enter the stable with his young son, Bran, in tow.
"Jon, look after Bran," he pushed Bran towards Jon and Robb went and stood in front of his father.
"Lady Hermione is not a rider. Would it be alright if she shared with me? For her safety.." Robb politely sought his father's permission.
Ned gave a look behind Robb, correctly deduced the situation when he saw Theon standing near Hermione and nodded at Robb. "Look after her," he said cryptically and mounted his own horse, kicking it to make it move forward, his entourage following behind him.
Robb stood before Hermione then, her eyes stoically avoiding his. "Let me help you up, my lady," he said formally and with an absolute 1800 flip on his behavior, he brought his hands around her waist to lift her onto his horse.
He felt her tremble at his touch, her face turning to his as she instinctively brought her hands to his shoulders. His eyes darkened and he felt himself swallowing his tongue at her nearness, but he held himself in check. Propriety demanded that he treat with respect in public, he couldn't allow any foul words about her circulating Winterfell, after all.
So he quickly lifted her off her feet and placed her on his saddle with both her legs on one side. He then jumped in behind her and his party left for the clearing near the mountains for the beheading.
His father brought the front, Jon the center since he was riding with Bran, so Robb stayed at the back of the congregation. When he saw none paying them any attention, he tried talking to Hermione again.
He brought his one hand away from the reins, controlling the horse with one hand alone and pushed the hair framing her face behind the ear that faced him. He then proceeded to gather her hair and drape it over her shoulder that was away from him. His light touch across her back made her shiver again.
She frowned, but his heart swelled with hope. She wouldn't be reacting thusly to his touches if she hated them, right?
"My lady, please don't leave for a world I can't follow you in.." he started and tried his best to convince her to stay till they reached the clearing; but much to his dismay she said precious little all through the way.
'The Deserter' as they all seemed to call the undernourished lad, stuck to his words, stressing vehemently that he knew what he had seen before he was beheaded.
Lord Eddard Stark looked Hermione in the eyes and said, "For desertion of his duty..." before he brought the sword down.
She would probably never tell him, but Hermione was thankful for the light touch of Robb's shoulders on her own. When Ned Stark brought his sword down, she instinctively reached for Robb's hand, squeezing it tightly in her own, as she watched a man being executed, his head falling straight off his body into a basket kept in front of the large stone slab.
She refused to let the tears fall, but when Robb pulled her into his chest and rubbed her back, she let him, letting the warmth from his boiled leathers seep into herself, taking strength from his jerky comforting gestures, as she continued to refuse an outlet to her tears.
"You are a very brave lady, Hermione. Not many could have stomached that," he was whispering softly when she heard herself say, "Unfortunately, I've seen worse."
He stiffened at her words and she knew her minute of respite was over. She stepped back from his arms and walked towards his horse mutely while he traced her steps.
He lifted her off her feet again, but on the journey back, neither spoke a word to the other.
He understood her somber mood and did not press her to stay, instead he used that time to feel her shoulder and arm as it brushed against his chest and thought of other strategies that he could use to make her stay back with him, and not leave his world.. not yet.. not ever, if he ever had a say in that matter.
He would beg to all the Old Gods and the New ones to keep them together in life and even in death, he promised, as the walls of Winterfell came in to view.
"We're home, my lady," he whispered softly in her ear, bending his head down and then kissed the side of her head. "I won't let you go back, Hermione," he promised as he picked her off his horse and set her back on land. His lands. And soon, he'd make them hers too..
He promised.
AN: Visit to The Wall coming up next!