Gara
-ooo-
"Brilliant, we're here before the King,"
Complained Gifu peering past the garishly pink curtains of the litter, Gara shrugged and asked, "What does it matter, as long as we weren't here after him – then it'd be a snub, and we'd be late."
"Are you stupid?"
Snapped Gifu as Gara stared vacantly out of her own little window. Gifu rolled her eyes and hissed, "Don't bother even answering that." Gara turned to her sister, eyes downcast, she began to fiddle with a ruffle on one of the many pillows that cushioned the litter and said, "Why, what's so important about showing up after the King?" Gifu gave Gara a sidelong look from one of her almond eyes and smiled beautifully,
"Because then we'd be making an entrance. Now, we need to greet the King and his Entourage like the common lot."
"The Starks aren't really common, though. Are they?" Gara stipulated with a frown, "They're higher than us, Gifu, so mind yourself." Gifu shrugged nonchalant, "They're a House, just like us. Only difference is that they own Winterfell and Lord Stark's just that – Lord." Gara's brows climbed her head, "Don't let Father hear you say that..."
Gara hissed in pain as Gifu gripped her wrist tightly enough to draw blood and growled through clenched teeth, "No one is above me, Gara. Not Father, not Lord Stark and certainly not you. So don't you dare berate me!" Gara was astounded at Gifu's vehemence and pulled away, but Gifu kept her fingers clenched around her wrist in an unbreakable iron grip and went on in a dangerous tone,
"I'm going to be marrying into the wealthiest Family in the Seven Kingdoms, I was born for greatness – you're just a pale copy of me, Gara. You will fade into nothing and I will be everything. Just you watch, little sister."
With that Gifu let go and patted Gara's sore flesh and grinned like a callous cat playing with a doomed mouse and said in an almost gentle voice, "Now, you just sit there and ask no more stupid questions and make no more redundant observations. We're coming up on Winterfell now." Gara's scowl was deep as she eyed her sister murderously,
"What did Father say about your scowl, Gara?" Gifu mocked in a light voice as they trundled along through the gates that lead into the town around Winterfell.
"Was it "it doesn't become you"?"
Gara nodded and Gifu leaned forward and brushed a stray lock of hair from her sister's forehead before sneering, "So get rid of it. Or I'll slap it off your face."
Gara watched as Gifu turned and stared out of her window blatantly ignoring her. Sighing, Gara looked out of her window and held the tender flesh were Gifu had pierced with her long nails. Winterfell was a dreary city; embodying all the qualities of the North. Grey, reserved, quiet; almost peaceful, but with the potential for danger, Gara felt. She liked Winterfell because of its greyness, in all honesty it meant once one was inside they felt the warmth more potently. When suddenly their litter came to a halt, Gifu turned and grinned,
"The whole lot's turned up to greet us!"
Gara nodded uninterested and yelped when she felt Gifu sit on her hand and gown to keep her from getting out of the litter,
"I'm getting out first – you must walk behind me."
"Alright, whatever, just get off!"
"You always walk behind me, Gara. It's non-negotiable.
Gara eyed her sister disbelievingly for a moment, but Gifu was serious. Her black eyes bored into her own and her face was as solid as stone as she glared at Gara.
"You actually look alright for a change, Gara..." Whispered Gifu with a flick of her eyelashes and Gara found it in her to summon a weak smile as Gifu leaned back and moved off of Gara's hand and dress. She started when Horn opened the litter door and the blinding Northern daylight flooded in, bathing Gifu in excellence, the light caught her hair which shimmered like newly spilled blood. She smiled and covered her eyes daintily before flashing a knowing grin at Gara. They were already dazzled by Gifu, who wanted to see the same thing twice? No one would be transfixed or dazzled by Gara.
"That means I look exquisite."
Gifu finished, taking Horn's large gloved hand and allowed herself to be escorted from the litter.
-ooo-
Gifu was right; all of them had turned up. The whole Stark family were standing on their front step gazing and squinting at the Bloodhelm's household. At the front rode Whykeham in his furs, his old face cracking into a smile as he beheld Ned and Cat. Beside him rode his squire, maester Kenelm, and Horn who had dismounted to escort the Bloodhelm girls from their litter. Whykeham smiled down on Ned and got down off of his steady old destier and strode towards Ned with his hand outstretched.
Ned Stark smiled, his stoic face breaking like stone underneath a hammer when he smiled and clasped hands with Whykeham and pulled the older man into a rough hug.
"Gods blood, Ned! You're looking as old as me!"
Laughed Whykeham as he turned to Catelyn and smiled very fondly at the redheaded woman. Catelyn had been a Tully before she married Ned; Whykeham's own wife had been a Tully, as had every generation of his family's women who weren't true-born Bloodhelms. Tully blood ran strongly through the branch House of Bloodhelm. Gripping her hands carefully, Whykeham's eyes were warm as he said,
"Ah, Cat; what a pretty girl. Is old Hoster still fuming about giving you up to this Northern wolf?"
Catelyn Stark laughed and bowed her head, patting Whykeham's gloved hand, she blinked up at him and said graciously, "Not a girl any more I'm afraid, Whykeham. But your flattery knows no bounds." Whykeham laughed jovially and looked over to Ned, "Aye, flattery from a Northern man is more rare than a rabid bear, eh, Ned?" Ned returned the chuckle and retorted, "You wrote me off as a flatterer years ago, uncle." Whykeham nodded and squeezed Cat's hand, "Aye that I did, pet." He said to Catelyn with a wink. Letting go of Cat's hands, Whykeham turned and appraised the Stark children, beginning with Robb, Whykeham exclaimed and held out his hands and pulled the young man into another rough embrace as Robb smiled.
"Whykeham, it's been too long!" Said Robb as he shook hands with him and Lord Bloodhelm nodded, "Young Robb! Look at you! You look so much like your dear mother," Whykeham smiled down the line of Starks and commented, "Gods bones, they don't half have your colouring, do they, Cat?" The fiery haired woman smiled and thanked him for the compliment as Whykeham said with a nod,
"Aye, very handsome children, you two; well done!"
Ned's eyes squinted as he smiled in the pale sunlight, "Aye and what about your girls, Whykeham, are they here?" Whykeham beamed and nodded, motioning over to the litter. Ned looked over and saw the first of Whykeham's girls get out of the litter. Tall, young and fair; Tully colouring with a strange colour of hair, not gingery, but blood red; crimson, in fact, the same as all Bloodhelm girls. With black eyes, milky skin that seemed to be laced with honey and sweeping lashes, she stood before the Starks and smiled confidently and clasped her hands behind her back, thrusting her body forward, she presented herself in a fashion that was not quite wanton, for her eyes were downcast in a rich violet and teal gown. This one looked to be very regal, Ned thought. More Southron than he would have expected of a Bloodhelm girl.
Whykeham moved forward and took his first daughter's dainty hand in his own and kissed it very warmly and turned to Ned and Cat and said proudly, "May I present, my daughter, Gifu." Catelyn's eyes widened and she scooped up the girl's hands, "My, Gifu! You...You've grown." Gifu smiled and beamed under the radiant light of the attention. Catelyn was surprised by the swell of the girl's figure, Bloodhelm girls were lithe, that was their Tully roots, but Gifu appeared a little too full with rounder hips and a thicker waist. Ned smiled and kissed her hand,
"It is a great pleasure to have you here again, little lady."
"Thank you, Lord Stark, Lady Stark; it is an honour to be here."
Catelyn nodded and noted her demure; very polite, well trained. Her courtesy was well and balanced. Suddenly a frown dug into her brow and she said, "And your sister?" Gifu's eyes widened,
"Oh, Gara? She's probably hiding in the litter – she's terribly shy."
With that all the Stark eyes turned to the litter. Young Arya Stark leaned back and whispered to Jon – her half-brother, "Gara's not shy. She's a brilliant archer." Jon nodded and patted her shoulder meaning for her to turn around and pay attention. When there was no sound or movement from the litter, Whykeham frowned and mumbled,
"Where is that blasted girl?"
Gara's head was beading with sweat; she knew she must look so stupid. Tugging on her dress, Gara swore very profusely as she tried to free her dress from a nail which had pinned the fine fabric down.
Bitch! I hope the Seven Hells swallow that cow! Oh, come on...
Suddenly the silk came free and Gara fell back with a yip of fright – which she was sure everyone outside had heard. Flushing as red as her hair, she gasped when Horn appeared at the door and frowned,
"What in the Seven Hells is keeping you, lass?!"
"N-nothing, I'm ready. Horn, keep a good hold of me – I'm a little shaky."
He bobbed his head curtly and half-lead half-dragged her from the litter. Emerging from the pillowed enclave, Gara shielded her eyes from the sun and looked over the many faces in the courtyard. Arya's smiling impish face, Sansa's bored and impudent expression. Ned and Cat were smiling warmly in greeting, Jon smiling with barely concealed amusement at her flustered face, and little Bran standing by his mother's side with a shy look to her. Finally her dark eyes fell on Robb who was staring at her damned near maddeningly intently before Arya stood on his foot which seemed to bring him back. He smiled at her, and Gara felt her heart flutter. She'd grown up with all these people, for as long as she could remember, there had been little Arya always pestering her for archery lessons, Jon Snow – a bastard – was one of Gara's oldest friends. They used to ride out together on their steady palfreys when Ned and her Father allowed it. Catelyn was like a dear aunt to her, warm and friendly. Ned, she was ashamed to say, knew very little of her, but she admired his honour and reputation as a soldier and ruler. Then, then there was Robb. She didn't like to think about Robb too much, she liked to think what he felt for her and her for him a dream.
His grin was so warm, that Gara actually ducked her head and walked on, her hand in Horn's grasp. Her father smiled down at his youngest daughter and kissed her brow,
"Did you get lost in the litter, pet?" He joked casually and brought her over before Ned and Cat. Ned smiled down on this one too; plainer, she did actually seem modest, her flush was real and she had the look of his wife. Thin, a little gawky; just like Cat had been when she'd been brought from Riverrun. Ned took her hand and kissed it too,
"Young Gara, how goes your archery? My daughter, Arya, has spoken about naught else since she found out you were coming."
"Gara doesn't shoot any more, my Lord."
Gifu stipulated, and Ned frowned a little at the older twin's interruption, but let it go with a shrug. Passing the girl on over to Cat, Ned swept Whykeham away and lead the Starks and Bloodhems into his house. Cat appraised Gara and held her hands,
"How are you?" She asked quietly as Gifu was escorted in my Theon Greyjoy, leaving Gara and Cat alone for a moment. "I am fine; I do still shoot, by the way. Gifu asked me to stop when she had no talent for it." Cat frowned, "But she has so many other talents...I'm sure talents that you wished you possessed." Gara laughed, "No, I do not want my sister's talent for trouble!"
Catelyn laughed, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. They were alone now in the courtyard, the Bloodhelm squires were taking bags in from the carts, and minding their own business as Cat and Gara stood face to face laughing. Cat's embrace was warm and cosy as she whispered fondly into Gara's verdant hair,
"It's good to have you two back."