5. The Eyrie.

"The Eyrie?" asked Stannis. "It's impregnable. We cannot attack. It's out of the question."

"We do not need to attack. Just get me there and I'll get Sansa." Catelyn pleaded with Stannis.

"No. End of discussion"

"Do you want the North? You need Sansa" she insisted.

"Lady Stark is right" interjected Lady Melisandre. "But you cannot risk going. You need to stay here in Dragonstone. Lady Stark and I can go alone. R'hllor will protect us. The Lord of Light will guide us."

Catelyn was back in her room when she heard a voice again. Be careful, my Lady. The Red Priestess is not to be trusted. "Who are you?" I'm Ser Davos. That Lady is not to be trusted. She has dark powers and she uses evil magic. "But she's helping me. She brought me back. She helped me kill Cersei." Yes, she did. Do you feel better now, Lady Stark? "Please do not ask me that. You know the answer. Besides, Lady Stark is dead. She died when she heard her husband had been executed. She died again when she heard Bran and Rickon had been killed. She died yet again when she saw Lord Bolton butcher her son. There's very little of her left in me." Do not say that, my lady. Your daughters need you. "Yes, and that's what I'm going to do now. I'm going to get my daughter."

Catelyn and Lady Melisandre sailed to the Eyrie and then continued the journey on foot. Catelyn did not really wish to bond with her travelling companion. She did not fully trust her. She did not like her dark magic and powers. She did not like what she was doing to her. She was a murderer now, and to make matters worse, she did not feel any remorse.

"We should reach the ascent to the Eyrie by evening today" Catelyn told Melisandre. "When we get there you will help me again, won't you? We do not need to climb. If you help me get there, I will make sure Sansa leaves with me."

.

She was a shadow again. Floating. Flying. Rising up into the air. She could hear commotion inside. Voices arguing and fighting. The shadow recognized the voices, but could not put a face to them. A woman. A man. A young girl. The shadow entered the Main Keep. The woman was threatening the young girl. The young girl was scared. The man tried to interfere. As the shadow entered the room, all three voices fell silent. The woman panicked and started praying. The young girl hid behind the man. Then the shadow materialized into Lady Stark. She recognized all three people immediately: her daughter Sansa, her sister Lysa and her former friend Petyr Baelish.

"Cat? They told me you were dead. What sort of magic is this?" cried Lysa.

"I was. They killed me. But I was brought back. I came to take what is mine", she said.

"Mother, is that you?" asked a frightened Sansa.

"Yes, sweetling, it's me. I came to rescue you. Sorry I couldn't come sooner. I wanted to take you out of King's Landing before, but I couldn't."

"I don't understand. How did you do it? You're a shadow"

"Yes .. and no. I'm alive sweetling. I came for you. Come with me" and she extended her hand towards her daughter.

"No! This is madness!" excalimed Lysa.

"No, it isn't. Sansa, dear, I want you to leave this place and come with me. Wait for me outside while I talk to your aunt Lysa and Lord Baelish. We're going home, sweetling".

Sansa started walking towards the door but was held firmly by Petyr Baelish.

"Let her go" Lady Stark said sternly and Petyr Baelish obeyed. "Sansa sweetie, keep going. I'll be with you shortly."

When Sansa had left the room, Catelyn turned to her sister. "What is my daughter doing here?"

"No, no, no! You're dead. The gods are punishing us. No, no, no!" Lysa kept repeating. "It was him. It was Petyr. He forced me to kill Jon, he made me kill my husband and lie to you. It was because of him that I never sent my men to help your son in the war. It was him. It was him. He's always loved you, not me. I did everything for him, but he never loved me. No, no, no! You're dead, you can't be here."

Trying to ignore her sister's rambling, Catelyn turned to Petyr Baelish.

"Is it true?", she asked him.

"Cat, I'm so happy you're alive! No, of course it's not true. I really did try to help your husband. I was secretly rooting for you and your son. I wanted him to win the war. I was so sad when they told me you were dead."

"That's a lie! You betrayed my husband and he was killed. You lied to me and misled me. You drove my sister crazy. Because of you my family is in ruins, my children dead or gone, my house is gone. I died because of you" she said and slowly started walking towards him. She extended her arm.

"Cat, stop it! Please! What are you doing? I love you Cat, I always have. Come with me. Let's run away and start over. I can help you!" he cried.

"You do not love anyone but yourself, Petyr. May the Stranger take you to the deepest of the seven hells and make you pay for your crimes" she said as she thrust the blade protruding from her arm into his chest.

Petyr Baelish looked down at his chest and saw the blood oozing out. With a confused expression on his face he started stumbling towards Catelyn. She backed away and, as he continued stumbling forward, he fell through the Moon Door into the abyss below.

"Oh, Petyr!" cried Lysa. "You killed him. Murderer! He's the only one who's ever loved me. Wait for me Petyr. I'm coming to save you"

"NO, Lysa, wait!" Catelyn yelled, and grabbed her sister before she jumped. "Don't you see? He used you. He used us both. He never loved either of us. He caused this war that led to so many deaths, including mine. Dark powers that I cannot even begin to comprehend brought me back. But I'm not here for personal advancement, I'm here to make things right for my family. You are my family. Lysa please, listen to me."

"He did love me"

"No, he didn't. Come with me. Help me rebuild my house and we'll live together"

"I can't leave. My house is here now" Lysa said apparently coming to her senses.

"Then stay, but let me take Sansa with me" she pleaded. "Stannis is the one that brought me back with a Priestess that works for him. We agreed that if they helped me get my family back together I would help them to the throne, a throne that is rightfully his, I believe. Your husband, and then Ned, had found out that none of Cersei's children were Robert's. They were the product of incest with her brother Jamie. Therefore, Joffrey was not the rightful heir, and neither is Tommen. I really don't care who sits in that damned chair, I just want my family back. But I made a promise and I can't break it. Can I count on you to help me with Stannis? If you pledge men to us, we would be finishing what Jon and Ned started: getting the rightful heir on the throne."

"This is madness"

"I know it sounds crazy, but please believe me. I have never lied to you. Also, Edmure rots in a dungeon. By pledging men to our fight we can try to rescue him and restore him to Riverrun. Things will be back to what they should have been all along: Edmure in Riverrun, you in the Eyrie, me in Winterfell, and the rightful heir on the throne. We need to rid ourselves of the Lannisters."

"I need time to think about it" Lysa finally said.

"Alright. I will leave now with Sansa. We'll talk again. I have other business to attend. Bye Lysa. It was good to see you" Catelyn said and turned to leave.

"Cat, wait. I'm glad you're not dead" Lysa said as she gave her sister a hug.

Catelyn stepped into the hallway and found her daughter. She told her Petyr was dead, but asked not to press her for details for now. She would explain later, she said. She instructed a terrified Sansa to meet her at the bottom of the mountain. As soon as Sansa turned around, Catelyn dematerialized again. She was a Shadow.

The Shadow could walk through walls. The shadow could fly. The Shadow made it to the bottom of the mountain easily and stood next to Lady Melisandre. There was a person next to Lady Melisandre. The shadow thought she could recognize that person. The shadow crept into that person.

Catelyn opened her eyes and for a brief moment was taken aback. "It is done" she said. "Thank you. My daughter will be with us shortly."

"I saw a body fall from the castle" Lady Melisandre said.

She nodded but didn't expand. Sensing she would get no further information from Lady Stark, Melisandre let the matter drop and together they waited for Sansa.

.

"Mother! Is it really you?" Sansa asked still no fully comprehending what was going on.

"Yes, my darling, it is me."

"But you died. The Freys killed you."

"Yes, they did. But I'm back. I don't really understand it myself, but I know that I'm back. I'm doing everything I can to get us back together. Your father is gone, and so is Robb. And also Bran and Rickon. But I knew you were alive and I had to find you. Arya may still be alive and we may still find her."

"How do I know it's really you?"

"Ask me a question; something only your mother could know"

"What was the game I played with Arya the most?"

"You two never played together" she smiled.

Together they made their way back to the coast. Sansa and Lady Stark reminisced about their family and their losses together while Lady Melisandre just followed silently.

They settled for the night in a clearing in the rocky road out of the mountains. Exhausted after the day's events and the long hike out of the Eyrie, Sansa closed her eyes and was asleep almost immediately. Lady Melisandre decided to go for a short walk before turning in. Catelyn tossed and turned but sleep evaded her.

Cat, what have you done? "I got her back, Ned. I did, just like I said I would". Aye, you did. But at what cost? I worry about you, and what this is doing to you. "I'm fine, Ned. I miss you." I miss you too. "Is Robb with you?" He's not with me now, but I've seen him. "Oh, Ned. They killed him right in front of me. I tried to save him, but I couldn't. I tried Ned, I really did!" I know. Don't cry. "And the boys? Bran and Rickon? Are they with you? Did they suffer much?" They are not here. And neither is Arya. "Gods Ned, they're alive! I'm going to find them!" You do that, but be careful. I worry about you. I love you. "I love you too".

TBC

x x

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