I dressed quickly the next morning, anxious to see if my brother would allow me to join him as he left to greet the scouting party and relay further instructions. I had no intention of doing so the night before, but now, I felt the need to get out of bed with Robb. Seeing him naked made it practically impossible for me to say no, and after last night's dream, I may not have wanted to but I suddenly felt the need to do so.
"I would rather you stay," Robb stated, rising to his feet.
I could feel my resolve weaken for a moment as I gazed at his muscular arms, chest, and stomach. As my eyes traveled further, I felt physically ill at the notion of walking away from him.
"We have other people to do this. I have no idea why your brother insists upon doing this himself," Robb added, walking towards me.
His hands landed on my waist, pulling me close to him as I instinctively rocked my hips against his. I cursed myself inwardly for incredible weakness before holding myself at a slight distance.
"I have to keep an eye out for Willem. You know he is reckless out there," I explained feebly.
Robb cocked his head to the side. "Is this truly your way of convincing me to let you go?"
"I did realize the mistake the moment I opened my mouth," I giggled.
For a moment, I simply smiled at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and staring into his blue eyes. It would be easy to get lost there if not for the niggling reminders of last night that danced through my mind.
"Willem and I have not failed you yet."
Robb sighed, "Well, at least not when it comes to war." His hands slid down my thighs as his expression fell, betraying his disappointment. "Tonight then."
"Of course," I replied, forcing a smile. I kissed him quickly and turned with haste to walk out of the door, but Robb called me back.
"Take Grey Wind."
"Robb, that is entirely unnecessary. I am—"
Robb's stern expression narrowed as he repeated, "Take Grey Wind."
This was not a suggestion. It was a command from a king.
"Fine," I conceded.
When I did step outside, the direwolf was waiting patiently. He soon followed me with only a few glances back towards the tent Robb still occupied. Although he seemed to understand that he was to accompany me, Grey Wind clearly had other priorities.
"You could go back," I said to him as though he could understand me.
The only response I received was a long stare, almost reminiscent of the irritated looks my mother would give me when I made some suggestion she did not approve of.
Willem waited as patiently as was possible for him at the outskirts of camp.
"Gods, Analysa, I thought you had died or something."
"Not yet. The direwolf is supposed to keep it that way."
Will shook his head, "Robb needs to put more faith in your dreams. You don't die any time soon."
"Do you think I would see that?"
My brother's eyebrows furrowed as we walked deeper into the woods with two of our men trailing. I could see the concern slowly knit across his forehead although he fought to keep the worry from his eyes. It was a morbid thought, but I had wondered ever since I had seen my brother die in my dream although that vision now seemed questionable. Sansa was calling for him and Robb in my vision.
"Ana, maybe you should not dwell on that. No one needs or wants to know when they die." His soft tone did not go unnoticed.
"Do you think Father knew?" I pressed, unable to keep the thought from escaping my lips.
Will did not meet my eye. He stared ahead, but his hand brushed my shoulder before he walked on quickly. I picked up my pace, trying to keep up without making much noise. I took my bow firmly in hand and periodically reached back for an arrow to steady my nerves.
The woods were dark even in the growing light of day. We were not terribly far from camp, not far enough to be truly ambushed by our enemies, but we still needed to be careful.
"The quiver is not going anywhere," Willem chided.
"I've always felt safer with a bow and arrow in hand."
"What does that say about you? Too guarded? Not willing to trust others?"
He was trying to tease me, but it did not feel like a jest. My brother and I always had a strong understanding, and he knew I was keeping something from him.
"You become a very deep thinker when you are hiding something," he stated, reading me like a book.
"I can't explain what I saw last night. We were home."
Will's brown eyes lit up for a moment, igniting with something I hadn't seen from him in a long time: hope.
It was gone almost as soon as it had appeared, though, extinguished as his lips fell into a thin line.
"What do you mean?" he asked with disarming calm.
"I was walking the steps when I was overcome with an incredible pain. Sansa came to me, and the last thing I remember was her running, yelling for you and Robb. She looked lovely, older than I remember…it's been so long."
"It's been a lifetime," he returned.
"Will," my voice was barely a whisper as I reached out for his shoulder. "Maybe we do go home."
I could hear the growing hope in my own quiet voice, but Will's expression was hardened as he tried not to grow overly emotional.
"Will," I opened my mouth again, but as I did, Grey Wind let out a deep, warning growl.
Instinctively, my hand was behind my back, pulling out an arrow and readying my bow. I heard a rustle to my right, almost perpendicular to my shoulder. With one swift motion, I bent down and shot up into the rustle of the trees. I heard a scream, followed by another arrow whizzing through the air from my left.
Will took no chances. He lifted his sword, prepared for the on-rushing men. There were only two coming towards us, but he was quick to dispatch them while our men came running to our side and Grey Wind tore through the nearby trees, leaving a wake of screams.
I kept my eyes along the tree line, watching for small rustles, anything that drew my eyes, and almost immediately, I caught the glint of an arrow tip. I let loose another shot that hit its mark, but it wasn't fast enough to prevent the man's arrow from whistling past my ear. I loosed one more for good measure as he fell from the trees.
With one final glance around our periphery, I shot the man foolish enough to rush out of the forest with a blow to the stomach just as a terrible pain penetrated my shoulder. For an instant, the wind was knocked from me as the stabbing feeling cut through my arm, radiating down to my fingers, while my entire body tensed and immediately regretted it.
My hands moved before my mind. I caught sight of the man just peering out from a tree and picked him off with a clean shot to the neck as Grey Wind pounced.
"Ana," Will's concern grated on my ears as I turned to him.
"Don't tell Robb," I pleaded as I grimaced. The sudden movement did little to help the wound.
My brother raised an eyebrow, his smirk revealing his amusement. "Betray my king? What sort of suggestion is that?" He turned to his men, adding, "See who is still alive if anyone."
Pain rolled down my body in slow shudders as I looked at the shaft sticking from my shoulder.
"Flesh wound," Will stated with a scoff.
I turned a dark stare to him, "Oh excuse me. Are you the one who has been s—seven hells!" The scream rang through the forest and even caught Grey Wind by surprise as he padded towards me cautiously.
"It wasn't enough deep enough to need to be cut out. I could see the edge of the arrowhead," Will returned, holding a cloth to clot the bleeding. "Stop being a child."
"I just took care of four men. What was your count?"
Will said nothing, but the dead expression in his eyes was enough to show that I had beaten him in that regard.
"We need to clean it out, wrap it." I looked to my brother's men and stood just a little taller. "And none of you may breath a word of this to my husband."
"Yes, your grace." The response still felt strange on my ears, but I preferred that discomfort to the one in my arm.
"We will return to camp," Will stated.
"Robb will know something went wrong. We have to keep going."
"Are you mad?"
"They were a band of vagrants, your grace, my lord," one of the men added. "None survived to confirm it, but by the looks of them, I doubt this was a group of Lannister men."
"See, this was nothing. Besides, you said yourself I only suffered a flesh wound."
"Well, I am not letting you suffer any more today, sister."
"Willem, Robb will know something happened!" I protested, grabbing onto his shoulder to prevent him from walking away.
With a long sigh, Will replied, "Then let's say we had a fight. That should be accurate enough as I am about to yell at you."
"You are already yelling."
"Excellent! Then it won't be a lie!" His voice was loud and booming, but as soon as he was done, the quiet felt almost eerie.
I watched his expression for a moment. The anger was only a mask, and it never touched his eyes. "Are you angry about this white lie or about what I said before this?"
"I do not want to talk about it, Ana," Will's tone was chiding as he turned away, leading the way back to camp.
"What is wrong with you?" I demanded, following at a close distance. "I gave you happy news."
There was no emotion in his response. "Happy? What part of this is happy?"
"The part where we could go home!" I exclaimed. "Why can you not believe that this could happen?"
"Because it is easier to think that I might die!" he screamed, turning back to me.
Will's words broke against my chest, and for a moment, it felt like something was still lodged there. However, the feeling grew into a burning sensation as my frustration came back.
"It is easier?" I demanded
"Yes." He nodded.
"Seven hells, Willem, how is that easier!"
"Because then I am not terrified every day for the rest of my life!" He yelled back, his brown eyes seeming to spark. "If I die, whoever wins, Philip takes Plenair. He can ride this out and pledge fealty to whomever wins, and Sansa and my child are safe. If I live, there is no forgiveness if Robb does not win! Not anymore…do you not see that? If I live and we do not find some way to win, she's an enemy too. Ana, it is easier for my family if I die."
I slapped him hard across the face. My eyes widened in shock as I suddenly comprehended what I did. I could tell Willem too was stunned momentarily, but his wits were returning, and I did not want him to have the satisfaction.
"You have a wife. You ask her what she would rather, Will. You have a sister. You ask me what it would feel like to lose you because it nearly killed me just dreaming of it, and you remember how much it hurt to lose a father, so don't you dare pretend that this would be easy for your child. You will fight. We will live, and damn you to hell if I see you give up for one moment, Willem! Don't you ever presume to know what is easier for your family."
I could not move quickly enough back to camp. Grey Wind strode by my side. I could hear my brother trailing on my heels, but he made no move to catch up with me, and I, no move to slow my pace.
The blood may have been clotting around my wound, but I still felt like I was bleeding.
I stopped shortly before camp and only long enough to wrap my wound and cover it with careful placement of my hair, quiver and bow. The wrap along the quiver rubbed uncomfortably against my still raw wound, but I did not let a grimace show on my face as I moved quickly through camp towards my tent.
"Your grace." Lord Whyte called my attention.
For a moment, my face almost gave away my irritation, but I maintained a forced smile. "Yes, my lord?'
"It is the King's mother. You must come quickly."
I felt the confusion crease into my forehead as I followed Lord Whyte towards the council tent. There, Robb sat with his closest advisors; all carried a perplexed and troubled look on their weathered faces.
"Robb?" I asked softly.
He looked towards me and shook his head for a moment. His blue eyes were vacant when he looked to the letter and then back to me.
"There is a letter, accusing my mother of slaying Renly Baratheon."