Game of Thrones: Kindred Spirits

Chapter 5 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

Reviews

Marina Ka-Fai: What? For doing their job? regardless of reasons, Lyanna attacked someone in school, that is not something that you just get away with, also note, nowhere does it say that such action wouldn't be taken against the other girls, if they were caught.
Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, well, we'll see.
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.


Chapter 5

After another day at school, Bran and Rickon were heading home. As they walked towards the front door, Rickon was in his usual despondent mood. Bran suppressed a sigh; he'd seen his brother acting like this for some time now and it always got him down.

'I've not really, spoken to Rickon much...shit.' He realized. 'I should've, I've been so wrapped up in my own problems that...'

He couldn't deny, he felt guilty at that; but before he could say anything, before Rickon could dwell on his apparent isolation from his family; they both got distracted. They had just got inside Winterfell and heard Sansa on the phone.

"Arya, hey...how are you?" She was saying.

They paused, listening in; they could see Sansa in the living room, saw her smile widely.

"That's great; I'm glad you guys are doing okay." She said; a brief pause and then. "No, I'm afraid not...yeah, I know."

They shared a look at that, the brothers had to admit, with everything that was going on, they were relieved Arya was doing okay. Ever since moving out, Arya only really communicated with them at school, leaving Sansa their main source of information on her at any other time.

"What?" Sansa said suddenly. "Oh, really...Are you sure, well, okay, but I still think..."

She looked up and spotted them, to their surprise she gestured for them, for Rickon specifically, to come closer.

As they did so, she hung up and Sansa turned to Rickon.

"Arya told me about school today." She said firmly. "What were you thinking?"

Rickon glared. "Excuse me, she's trying to blame me for…"

Sansa cut him off. "Nobody is blaming anyone Rickon; but you lost your temper, argued with her and..."

"Oh like it's not her fault! She abandoned me!" Rickon snapped.

"Rickon..." Bran hissed.

Sansa shook her head. "No one abandoned Rickon, least of all Arya."

"Bullshit." Rickon growled. "Who hasn't."

With that he turned and stalked off to his room. Sansa sighed, running her hands over her face while Bran, slowly, awkwardly, also left the room. Making his way up the stairs and entered his room he heard the sound of the front door opening and knew it was their parents, finally home. In his room he got changed out of his school uniform and into more casual clothes.

As he did so, he reflected. 'This...might not be the best time to talk to anyone about my...secret.'

With that decision he waited; instead looking forward to dinner. Meanwhile, in Rickon's room, he too had changed into more casual clothes.

'Urgh, finally out of that stupid uniform...' He thought; before glaring. 'Typical, when they're not ignoring me they're blaming me for everything. Of course Arya's abandoned me, she's abandoned all of us.'

Still locked in his thoughts, Rickon barely paid any attention to the raised voices downstairs.


Sansa glowered, but stood her ground, her parents were also angry.

"This is getting tiresome Sansa." Her father said severely.

She shook her head. "Then stop being so stubborn and accept you were wrong already!"

Her mother shook her head. "We are just trying to look out for our daughter and..."

"No, you're just trying to control her life!" Sansa snapped defending Arya.

"Your sister has run off with some...man and is now doing who knows what, and you think..." Catelyn began.

But Sansa rolled her eyes. "I don't think, I know, because I talked to Arya, I listened to her, something you both clearly can't do. She is happy, she is engaged and you are missing out on all of it, for being so...pig-headed."

She turned and stalked away, ignoring the outraged looks on her parent's faces. But then, suddenly her phone buzzed. Checking it she froze, she had just received a few messages from an unknown number, threatening her.

This worried her at once; especially as the most obvious suspect, her abusive ex-boyfriend, twenty-one year old Joffrey Baratheon, eldest son of Robert Baratheon, was currently serving a stint at The Wall, the strictest military school in the land. That ruled him out and left her with just one suspect, it was then however that the front door opened and Sansa remembered that for dinner today, they had guests, namely her older brother Robb and their cousin, Jon, along with their respective partners.


So it was they were all soon at dinner, Rickon and Bran ate, both of them surprisingly quiet. But everybody else was preoccupied at the moment. Namely Ned and Cat were talking to Robb and his wife Talisa; both twenty-four, Robb, like all his siblings except Arya inheriting Cat's physical traits, Talisa was somewhat tall with long dark hair and eyes and a dark complexion.

They were talking about Arya and her latest actions which worried Robb, but Talisa wasn't so sure Ned and Cat were telling the whole truth and that was what troubled him. Meanwhile Sansa was talking to Jon, also twenty four with predominantly Stark traits. He was with his own wife, twenty-four year old Ygritte, a tall brown eyes pale skinned woman with fiery red hair.

"Sansa, are you sure?" Jon was saying, worriedly.

Sansa nodded, showing him her phone, the texts. "Who else would do this, especially when we know it can't be Joffrey."

"So, let me get this straight." Ygritte was saying. "You reject this guy completely, the very first time he tries to get close to you, and this is how he reacts."

Sansa shuddered and revealed. "You can never tell...how Ramsay would react to anything."

Jon sighed but then shook his head. "Listen Sansa, I know this is scary, but we've got your back on this, alright."

Ygritte nodded in agreement and Sansa let out a slow breath; it was enough to make her feel, at least, a little better.


Clad in dark blue pyjama trousers, which was all he wore to bed, Rickon lay down with a sigh, he looked despondently at the ceiling.

'Another day gone by and yet again, the family seems to forget me.' He thought sadly. 'Where did it, where did I go wrong...did I do something to cause this? Did I chase Arya away, rather than her running?'

He groaned and tried to push the thoughts from his head, rolling over and trying to sleep.

Meanwhile, in his own room, Bran smiled. He wasn't dressed for bed yet. He was on his phone, talking with someone important.

"I know, it's crazy here right now." He said softly.

The other person replied. "Things seemed so good at school, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Bran smiled at the affectionate tone and the concern the other person had for him. For it was true, they were in love, this was his big secret, the one he couldn't yet bring himself to tell his family.

"I didn't know how to, but...I'm sure we'll figure it out." He said at last. "It's late, I have to go...I'll see you tomorrow."

The other figure gave a gentle laugh. "You bet you will, love."

Bran laughed and then spoke quietly, so only the person on the other end of the phone would hear.

"Love you too...goodnight, Jojen."


End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.