AN: I'm really sorry this took so long. A big thank you to "The guy from Ice and Fire" for kicking my butt and getting me back on this.

Dacey

The inn was loud and crowded. It was one of those places Dacey hated. She could not keep all the men in sight, the mood could quickly change, a fight could break out within a heartbeat and everyone was drunk. It was a nightmare if one wanted to protect his king. And the silver haired man next to said king wasn't exactly trustworthy, either.

But Dacey hadn't argued. Ever since they had met Rhaegar Targaryen, Robb seemed to have gained some will to live and fight again. He discussed possible plans, he started listening to news from home, he started training again. There was a spark in his eyes, anger and revenge and hope, and Dacey was so happy and relieved to see it that she could kiss Targaryen. Robb had been apathetic after the Red Wedding, there had been no will to live in him, only the obligation because he was to much his father's son to look for the easy end. Now, though, he and Targaryen had a meeting with a Piper man to learn more about the situation in Westeros. The Piper's were a house sworn to the Tully's of Riverrun, Dacey remembered. One of their sons, Marq, she thought, had been captured at the Red Wedding.

Nervously, she looked around the room. Nobody seemed especially threatening, but after the Red Wedding, she could not quite trust her senses as much as before. She knew that she had been wrong before.

Jon sat a few desks away, keeping an eye both on the door and the window to make sure he saw everyone that got in and out. She did not need to look at him to know that he was pretending to drink a beer, looking drunk while in truth he was completely sober. They had done this before, many times. They were a team, dedicated to the purpose of protecting their king, even if that meant going to exile with him and not telling their families about their survival.

Dacey did not think of her home often. Bear Island was a harsh but beautiful place, but home meant much more than just the keep and the island. Home meant her family, her mother and her sisters and niece and nephew. Home was mother sitting at the desk and telling stories about the Rebellion and the war against the Greyjoys. Home was sparring with Alysanne, home was watching Lyanna and Lyra learning to use their swords and seeing Jorelle reading. Home was telling Alys' daughter Lyessa how the stars in the sky were named and looking after Alys' son Beren. All of this was far away, they thought her dead. She did not know where they were, what they did. She did know that they would never bent their knees to Lannisters, though. It scared her, because if they did not bent, the Lannister might think to break them, to kill them and take Bear Island by force.

Quickly she shook her head and concentrated on the matter on hand again. There was nothing to gain by thinking of home. Maybe she would come back to see it, or she wouldn't. She could worry about that when it then.

Robb and Targaryen stood up and shook hands with the Piper man. There was a slight smile on her kings face, so Dacey supposed the news had been good. She shared a look with Jon and then they moved together, as if they were one. They left the inn, hand on the hilt of their swords and eyes on everybody who looked as if he could become a problem.

"Back to the house." Robb said, and Dacey and Jon obeyed. It was not a long walk, but it was dark and never quiet, so Dacey kept checking for enemies any few seconds.

The house they lived in did not have much furniture. They did not need much. It was not meant to be a home, just a place to sleep and eat and not look around for threads for a bit. They sat down and Robb told them what they had learned.

"It appears that most of the Riverlords are not quite as loyal to Emmon Frey as they have him believe. Nobody has forgotten the Red Wedding. My great uncle, the Blackfish, escaped from Riverrun before Uncle Edmure yielded the castle. He travels through the Riverlands, obviously planning to rally the lords to take back the castle. They are afraid, many of their sons are still hostages, but this man was sure that it won't take much longer before they will openly rebel. I told the man to give my uncle a message from me. He deserves to know I live. And he will be a great help if we want to fight the Lannisters again. Without him, I would have lost within the first few weeks." Robb was smiling now, a true smile like Dacey hadn't seen ever since the Twins. Hearing about his family and knowing that at least his uncle lived and fought did him good.

"The Blackfish was one of the knights when I was still in Westeros." Targaryen said. "I met him a few times. I was never a boy that wanted to be a knight, I loved my books, but even I sometimes dreamed of being like the Blackfish."

"Every young boy in the Seven Kingdoms wants to be like the Blackfish at least at one point in his life, I guess." Jon said. Dacey remembered the tales she had heard about the man when she was younger and silently agreed. He was certainly a hero for many boys.

"If we want to have a chance, we have to work with my uncle." Robb said again. The smile hadn't faded. He's proud to be the Blackfish's great nephew, Dacey realized. It was easy to forget that Robb Stark was very young still, just over seventeen. Nobody would call him a boy, nobody had done so after the Whispering Wood, but sometimes Dacey thought he should still be. He should have been allowed to be a boy for a bit longer.

"We should try to contact my brother-in-law, Doran Martell. He is a quiet man, and he does not seem dangerous, but I do not believe for one second he forgot Elia." Rhaegar Targaryen said, a slightly pained look on his face.

"The Martells have declared for the Lannisters." Dacey said, speaking up for the first time in this conversation.

"Yes, they have, just as the riverlords declared for Frey. Doran Martell is a man not to be trifled with. He holds his grudges, and he loved his sister. He is cleverer than most believe, and at least as dangerous as the Red Viper." Targaryen said.

"Then we should fear him, shouldn't we? The Martells have no love for Starks or Tullys, and you insulted Elia." Robb said carefully. This topic was still thin ice for them, as they had not discussed Lyanna Starks disappearance yet.

"Elia was fine with it. I liked her and she liked me, but we were never in love. We just weren't. When I met Lyanna... there was a spark. I fell in love and suddenly... Elia knew about Lyanna. She and Lyanna actually liked each other. Would you believe me if I told you that it was Lyanna who suggested to run away? She did not want to marry that drunk Robert Baratheon, and she decided that eloping might solve that problem. We … we had no idea what was going to happen. Lyanna never expected her brother to come to King's Landing. We did not want to start a rebellion." Targaryen finished quietly, an incredible sadness in his eyes. Dacey found herself wanting to believe him, his tale sounded like one of those songs she heard growing up. Carefully, she observed her king. Robb was silent for a long time, than he said:

"That sounds very much like something my sister Arya would do."