Winterfell

Two moons later

"Jon?" Sansa Stark called out one last time, watching as her brother climbed atop his horse, his furs wrapped tightly around his body, as if they could protect him from whatever Daenerys Targaryen would throw at her brother.

He turned to face her, his gaze softening as it met her own concerned one.

"Just… please be careful."

Grey eyes met her blue ones and she knew Jon understood. He nodded, accepting the danger he would be in and rode away, emptying out Winterfell's courtyard as his men followed suit. Before long, Sansa could no longer see his form, even from the high towering walls of Winterfell where she now stood, trying to catch one last glance of her brother. So, Sansa Stark turned the other way, to face the castle she was meant to look after.

Despite their missing King, the people of Winterfell were as busy as ever, the Lords were going about their usual business, the servants were scurrying around like normal and the children were training just as hard as they had been yesterday, their arrows flying everywhere but the targets. Seeing archery practice casted a sad shadow over Sansa, who recalled how accurately her sister always managed to hit the targets that the other children simply just couldn't. Once, when Sansa had been young and naïve, seeing her sister do anything but Ladylike activities disgusted and irritated her to no end, but now, after years without seeing Arya's wicked grin, remembering her younger sister's talent with the bow and arrow caused a sad smile to tug at Sansa's lips.

Where are you, Arya? Sansa thought, turning back round to the vast emptiness of the North. It's so lonely here with only Little finger's company.

XXXXX

Sansa found she quite liked ruling, and though she suffered from a lack of decent company, except Brienne, she was easily able to occupy her time with duties around the castle for the past several weeks. Armour was made, people were trained, and through the gates of Winterfell, grain would flow through. Grain that was supplied to the North by Olenna Tyrell, who had agreed to assist Sansa Stark.

But it's not enough.

The Lady of Winterfell knew that one of her biggest responsibilities was keeping the entire North well fed, and she knew that now winter had come, soon even the fertile Reach would not be able to provide grain for the cold North. And although she never gave the common folk much notice in Kings landing, even that young, naïve version of Sansa had noticed their gaunt and hunger-stricken faces. Hunger; that was the reason they attacked her, tore at her fine clothes and cursed her. Hunger turns people into beasts, I must prevent that.

Just as the Lady of Winterfell was rising from her chair and leave her bedchambers to perform her remaining duties, the letter caught her eye once more. Sansa Stark had received the raven a few days ago, sent from the Twins. Remembering its contents, she couldn't resist and plucked the letter from her desk and read it again, smiling at the words written inside.

To the Lady of Winterfell

Sansa Stark

As maester of this castle it is my duty to inform you that a person whose identity is unknown entered the Twins and slaughtered every male Frey inside.

Following that event, the assailant is believed to have ventured into the dungeons and freed all of the Northern prisoners inside.

Currently, the North is in your hands, making it your responsibility to decide the best course of action regarding this new development.

Please note that many of house Lannister's soldiers continue to reside in the area around the Twins.

Signed

Maester Brennet

The Twins

Sansa couldn't help but smile at the thought that though the Freys had got her mother and brother, some Northerners had managed to survive the whole ordeal. The smile grew wider as she knew that house Stark still had supporters, even where the Freys had a hold over the lands and people.

But Lannisters? Her smile receded, being replaced by an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

I was left to the lions… I left myself to the lions, she thought, cringing at her past self's stupidity. The Lannisters tore me into pieces, I won't let that happen again, not to me and not to any Northerner anywhere.

Sansa read the letter once more, and then wrote a letter of her own.

XxX

Arya Stark

The Twins

Arya still couldn't believe it… Jon and Sansa are alive.

Jon and Sansa are alive! She had found out over a week ago, after going to the castle's maester, inquiring about any news, not expecting anything as surprising as what Maester Brennet had informed her of. Arya Stark was so shocked that she was frequently reminding herself of the fact, repeating it in her head.

Jon and Sansa are alive. Jon and Sansa are alive. Jon and Sansa are alive!

She was dismayed, she had to admit, when she learned of Sansa's still living. Each time she thought of her sister, she struggled to see a strong survivor. Instead, all Arya could picture was the stupid, annoying perfect Lady that had always gushed over songs about perfect princes heroically rescuing their perfect princesses, the naïve girl whose blue eyes sparkled each time Joffrey gave her the tiniest bit of his oh-so-precious attention.

But then Arya recalled the Bravoosi play, where it was she and Lord Tyrion who took down her perfect "one true love" Joffrey at his own wedding. Could Sansa really be a killer… like me?

She let her own question hang in the air, unanswered.

And then there was Jon… her favourite brother, with his rare but lovable smiles and brooding attitude that completely contrasted his beaming grins but only made him all the more lovable. She had longed for him and missed him, even in Braavos. Each time she had uttered the words "I am no one", her favourite brother's smiling face would appear briefly in her mind, always close to heart and her head, even when she could feel the rest of herself crumbling away and fading.

As soon as Arya had learned of Jon and Sansa and Winterfell, and convinced herself that they could truly be alive, she had rushed to tell her mother and Robb.

"Jon and Sansa are alive! They retook Winterfell from the Boltons and Jon in now King in the North!"

Robb's mouth flew wide open, her mother cried out. Both gave a sigh of relief. But Arya could see through her mother; she cried for only one of her siblings, felt relieved to hear about only one survivor, while her face darkened when she heard of the other.

XxX

"Mother?" Arya asked once Catelyn had finished crying, "Here is Sansa's letter, do you want to read it?"

Unsurprisingly, Arya's mother eagerly took the letter, her watery eyes feasting over Sansa's immaculately written words that brought more tears into her eyes and a smile to her face. Robb read her letter too, causing a smile to grace his own face.

"Sansa doesn't know we're alive. All she knows is that an 'unknown assailant' freed the survivors of the Red Wedding from their cells, I made sure of that." Arya informed them.

"Good. If the world thinks me and mother dead, best remain that way."

Arya agreed, having learned over her years in Kingslanding, Harrenhall and Braavos that words can have the potential to travel far and wide, often reaching the wrong ears.

"Sansa instructed us to leave the Twins as soon as possible, with a party that attracts minimal attention, there are lions lurking in the woods."

Robb and Catelyn nodded, and with that plans for their departure were put into motion.

XxX

Notes: I want to say that I am very sorry for leaving this fic for ages. I had a huge writing block and my Autumn was pretty hectic. Please review, you have no idea how much reviews motivate me! X