Sansa

She'd already been riding faster than she had ever ridden in her life when she heard the first howls of the dogs, but at the sound of their barking she dug her knees into the flanks of Jon's beast of a horse and flattened herself on his back, urging him forward. She was flying alone down the path, with no idea where she was going, but she didn't dare slow her pace. She'd seen how fast those dogs could run, and they had only a few minutes head start. But gods where were they going? How could they possibly escape?

"Milady! Follow me!"

She rounded a bend in the road to see a fork with another crow, this one no more than a lad, waiting on a speckled gelding. At the sight of her he spurred his horse into action, thundering down the left fork, and she flew after him, catching him easily as he tried to urge the horse from a dead stop into a gallop. Still, his Gelding matched her horse surprising well and neck in neck they thundered down the trail.

Even at their insane speed, the barking was getting closer. In spite of her frenzied pace she couldn't help but risk a glance back.

Oh Gods. Ramsay had unleashed them all. The pack was sprinting full speed down the trail behind them, braying as they went. There had to be at least twelve of them; all trained to rip apart anything they caught. All coming for her.

"Where- where are we going?" she managed to yell over the sounds of their galloping horses and the dogs to the boy-crow.

"There is a ship waiting for us at the mouth of the Wailing Waters! Don't worry milady we'll be safe!"

Only four miles then. Still, even a great horse like Jon's couldn't sustain a gallop for more than two miles without needing to rest, and the dogs were already gaining on them.

She glanced back again, looking back at the black brother who had helped her onto her horse. Unlike the boy, his horse was struggling to keep up with her destrier. There was now almost as much distance between them and there was between him and the dogs. Seeing her looking back, the older crow nodded in acknowledgement of her gaze, almost as if to say that he understood the direness of his situation as well.

"Ride on milady! Ride and don't stop!" her older savior cried out, pulling on the reins of his horse, and bringing his tired mare around to face the dogs.

"What is he doing!? They'll kill him! Please don't!" Sansa screamed, but her horse continued to carry her forward at breakneck speed, as the man got smaller and smaller.

"He knows what he's doing milady, please, ride on!" the boy called to her. Her eyes flew back to the trail, but not before she caught a glimpse of the boy's face, which was white as a sheet with shock.

He slowed his horse into a canter to preserve its energy a bit and she followed suit. The trail had turned so neither the old crow nor the dogs were in view now, but as they rode the sound of the now fading barking was pierced with the eerily high-pitched whine of a dying dog. A few moments later, the cries of the dying dogs were drowned out by the much more jarring screams of a man.

The shock of it was enough to make her pull on the reins and pull her horse to a full stop.

"Oh gods. This is all my fault." She was horrified, she hadn't thought her life could get any worse but here she was, causing pain to her family and those who fought for them again. Gods if only she had half the bravery of her siblings she would've taken her own life long ago…

"None of this is your fault. Vero made his choice. But now Milady, please." The boy's voice was rough with emotion but his eyes were free of tears as he beckoned to her to continue down the path. "We're more than half way there, please milady come away."

She nodded. She would keep going. She had to. Too many people had suffered today for her to not try. She pushed the horse into a trot again and then into a canter and the boy matched her step for step. Together they rode on, trying to ignore the horror of the screams of the man and the mare in the background as they died away.

The sounds of the dogs remained distant for a time, but before long she heard the barking of a few, gaining on them again. Gods how she hated those infernal dogs!

They still had a substantial lead, but what on earth would they do when they reached the shore? The boy, evidently coming to the same realization glanced over at her, seeming to size her up as she rode.

"Have you ever handled a weapon before milady?" he shouted over the sounds of the nearly exhausted horses.

"No, I haven't. I'm sorry!"

"It's ok. Slow for just a second. I'm going to hand you my crossbow. It's the easiest weapon to handle, all you need to do it point it and shoot."

She nodded and slowed her horse momentarily, taking the proffered crossbow. The boy still wore a full-sized bow on his back and had a sword strapped to his belt, and he nodded at her briefly before pushing them both back into a canter once more.

They rounded onto a straight stretch of the road and Sansa could see the sea in the distance. For the first time since they'd taken her out of the cage she felt her mind actually entertain a flicker of hope. She was pained all over, with a special, heavy ache in her womb but all she let herself think about was the path in front of her melting away under her rides pounding steps.

A particularly loud snarl from behind her caused her to look back again. The dogs had rounded the corner too and now had them in their sights, though only seven of them were in view. The alpha male, his snout smeared with blood let out a howl and bounded forward, impassioned into a frenzy at the sight of her looking back. Suddenly, a white blur flew out of the woods besides the path.

Ghost. She thought in utter astonishment. The direwolf was at least twice the size he'd been when she'd last seen him, but he had to be one of the most recognizable creatures on the face of the planet. She'd remembered him as being among the better-tempered of her siblings' wolves, but now he was fearsome to behold, his huge jaws locked around the neck of the alpha.

He shook his head violently, breaking the dog's neck as easily as if he was a wood hare, and launched himself onto one of the other dogs in the pack. The dog, taken unawares was not prepared, and another earsplitting canine cry reverberated through the forest.

Still there were five dogs left, and one of them bit down hard on Ghost's back as another one went for his throat. He managed to pull back before the second dog could do any damage and swiped the lesser beast away with one of his enormous paws while shaking free the first dog. Still the damage was done, and as he circled back around the pack snarling menacingly Sansa could see a deep red stain seeping down through his snowy coat.

The dogs lunged together as a pack and Ghost caught one by the throat, killing it instantly, but two more landed hard bites on his flank and shoulder. Somehow, over the din of everything, Sansa heard the unmistakable whine of the direwolf.

Oh gods. They're going to kill him. They're going to kill Jon's wolf.

The thought was enough to cause her to pull on the reins of her horse and turn back to face the dogs, even though they were only a few hundred yards now from the shore. She charged back down the path, oblivious to the call of the young crow behind her.

Not one more. Her family had lost enough. They'd not get one more Stark casualty – not without her fighting to the death to stop it.

She tried to steady her arm as she rode, pointing her crossbow at the alpha female, who was circling Ghost, preparing to go in for the kill while the other dogs attempted to bait him into something foolish with antagonizing nips.

Just then a grey blur erupted from the trees, grabbing the alpha female by the back leg and wrenching her violently and brutally away from Ghost before tearing into her exposed underbelly.

Sansa stopped unable to breath.

It couldn't be.

The grey direwolf looked so much like her Lady that for a second she thought it was some trick, some supernatural vindication sent from the Old Gods, endorsing the Starks at last by bringing back the first of her lost kin.

But then the wolf turned, facing Sansa briefly before lunging after another one of the dogs, and Sansa could see that the great wolf had darker markings on her face than her own sweet Lady had.

Nymeria.

The other dogs were fleeing now, clearly out manned by the two direwolves, and Sansa made to turn back to the shore and heed the calls of her frantic escort when a rider rounded the bend.

It was Myranda. The girl's eyes locked onto her and she spurred her exhausted mount into a gallop, charging Sansa, her hatred and jealously making her somehow oblivious to the two direwolves partially obstructing her path.

The wolves, already snarling at the rider with their great teeth bared could have taken her out easily, but Sansa didn't hesitate. She raised the crossbow, aiming it strait at the bitch's chest, and fired.

AN: Yay! Can't tell you how much fun it it to write bad ass Sansa, way way better than shrinking violet Sansa. Also hurray for direwolves. The only problem is how will Ramsay react? Hmm...

(as always please review ;)