Quite a big chapter, but hopefully exciting enough to actually hold the attention. Enjoy! & Please review & lemme' know if you like the story so far - my fingers have serious cramp, ha!
Gara
-ooo-
It was a restless sleep Gara had that night, tossing and turning; she heard Gifu groan in annoyance at her sister's inability to keep still. Dreams of Wildlings barraged Gara's mind, fire raining from the sky and the Wall tumbling down and causing a great cataclysm. She saw Benjen Stark being crushed beneath the weight of the icy structure, and then she saw Jon running into the maw of the avalanche for his uncle. Gara screamed and bellowed for him to come back, but the sound of the falling stone drowned out her voice. There was a roar and a scream, whipping round she beheld Theon Greyjoy holding her sister; Gifu was covered in blood and sea water was foaming around their ankles, Gifu was crying as Theon held her by the hair Gara watched powerless as the Greyjoy ran his blade along her sister's neck. Gara screamed so loudly, she was deaf and blind to all things as she ran at him with a spear in her hand to attack with. Her breath came short when Theon fell away and before her knelt Robb, his head bowed before his sword and caked in blood in a foggy field, mud and blood everywhere; the stench of death hung so poignantly.
Gara stopped, eyed him and moved closer gingerly. His eyes were streaming tears as he looked up and withdrew his sword from the earth and stood to his full height. Gara reached out with a tentative hand and gently touched his haggard face, he did not look like the carefree boy in her waking life; he looked half-crazed, deeply saddened. He nuzzled into her hand and pressed his hand against hers and Gara saw another tear fall and then suddenly he threw her aside and parried a blow from a huge figure in gold. Gara's shrill cries echoed but he could not hear her, grasping her spear she threw it and it flew through the air and embedded its head into the chest of her own father, as he slumped to the ground Gara saw his circlet fall and become submerged in blood and filth. She fell to her knees as the Golden Auroch plunged his bronze blade into Robb's belly and he fell down dead. All that was left amid the destruction and chaos was the Golden Auroch and Gara. They eyed each other and she picked up Robb's discarded sword and without a care, harried the monster.
Snapping awake, Gara's hair was literally drenched in sweat and Gifu was standing at the bottom of the bed eyeing her; immaculate and dressed for the day in a smart riding gown with a little hat on her head. There was a wooden tub behind her steaming and full of hot water. Gara flopped back down and ignored her sister's inquisitive eyes.
"Gods bones, sister, lovemaking doesn't even bring on such a sweat."
"I had a terrible dream."
"Obviously," Snapped Gifu unsympathetically and Gara sat up. Her eyes were glassy and her skin waxy as her chest heaved up and down and she whispered,
"I dreamt everyone I loved died."
Gifu looked at her then, her straight black gaze puzzling as she did. Finally with a shrug, she said dismissively, "Dreams are dreams, Gara, nothing more. I dreamt last night that my sister wouldn't stop crying out in her sleep and kept thrashing around the bed like a bird in a cage," Gara watched as Gifu withdrew a pair of brown felt gloves from the chest at the bottom of the bed and then said,
"Oh, wait; I wasn't dreaming and I barely got any sleep because of you. Now hurry up and get in that bath – you look dreadful. We break our fast in less than an hour and then it's off to hunt with the King."
All Gara could hear once Gifu slipped out of their chamber was the hammering of her heart and the rasp of her shuddering breaths. What had that dream been about? Why was Robb fighting a golden giant? Why had her spear been the one to kill her father? The Wall falling...Gara had never seen the Wall, but she had heard tales from Old Nan about its gigantean size, could a structure that was fabled to be that big fall? And if it did, what would spew out from beyond? She was frightened, Gara never had nightmares. And that one had been so vivid; the way Robb had looked at her, it was almost as if he didn't believe she was standing before him, like she was a ghost that he'd seen so often that he didn't even bother registering her anymore. Benjen being crushed beneath the Wall, Theon murdering her sister, what had that meant? What had any of it meant? Fear gripped Gara like a vice and she jumped when she heard a tap on her door; the breath was taken from her when it was Jory who poked his head in and his face was serious the moment his eyes fell on her; her laboured breath, sweating and still abed. Entering without preamble, Jory asked concerned,
"Gara, are you ill? Should I get maester Luwin, or maester Kenelm?"
"N-no, thank you, Jory. I just had a bad dream, I'll have a bath and everything will be set to rights."
With that he ducked out of the room and left her to it and Gara rubbed her face and tried to scrub the memory of her horrific dream from her mind.
When she was done scrubbing herself, Gara elected to wear a pair of breeches and riding boots; all finery, of course, and on top she wore a long blue habit which was split all the way up from feet to collar bone. That would give her the appearance of elegance and still allow her to move freely and ride straight in the saddle should the need arise. Quickly looking at her reflection in the mirror, she nodded and hurriedly went from the room down to the hall where the King was seated with his Queen at his right side. Lord Eddard was to his left and Catelyn was next to him. Robb, Rickon and Theon were a little further down with Arya and Bran. Sansa and Gifu were seated further down on Robert's side across from Prince Joffrey and his brother Tommen. Myrcella was sitting next to her mother. Gara spotted her father on one of the floor tables with Benjen, the two were in deep conversation laughing and clapping shoulders. Gara couldn't see Jon anywhere.
Taking a seat next to Arya, she was sitting directly across from Robb who looked at her only fleetingly before returning his attention to his breakfast. Theon's sly eyes watched them both and he smiled but said nothing. The King smiled at Gara and roared,
"Are you always so late to the table, Blood Girl?"
Gara managed to blush and stood, "Don't stand, sweetheart." She sat back down as the King smiled down the table at her and winked. Gara smiled faintly and felt the Queen's eyes on her and turned to Arya as the girl wrinkled her nose at the King's wink. Theon could barely contain his glee at the frosty silence that pervaded the left half of the table thanks to Gara and Robb. Gara could feel her temper barbing at his silence. Quickly getting to her feet, the chat at the table stopped and Gara felt terribly aware that everyone was looking at her, as the moment she got up, so too did Robb. There they stood looking at each other, Gara's angry face softening at his idiocy of getting up and his; almost fearful because he knew he was the only one who got up with her. Gara heard Theon snigger and stepped back around her stool and said not a word as she left. Passing the table her father and Benjen were sitting at, she felt her father pull her aside,
"And where are you off to? No breakfast, pale, are you ill?"
Looking from Benjen's amused face to her father's, Gara shrugged and said,
"I'm just going for a walk father, to clear my head before the hunt." She lied and her eyes flicked up to Robb as she sank back into his chair – his eyes still on her. It was Benjen who followed her yearn-filled gaze back to his oldest nephew. Gara saw him do this and did not look at him as her father released her and instructed,
"Right, but don't wander too far and do something useful while you're out there. Saddle your horse or something, don't be idle."
With a nod and a curtsy Gara swept from the room leaving her father and Benjen to stare after her.
-ooo-
The horns blasted making everyone within earshot excited. Gara wasn't even in the saddle yet and she knew she didn't want to hunt. Her father was on his horse, the reigns gathered and looped lazily around his gauntlets, beside him rode Benjen Stark and Jon Snow. All three were laughing and enjoying the build up as their horses padded the earth and whinnied to be off. Gifu was on her gelding, her dress flowing beautifully down the horse's side, looking as elegant as ever. Up alongside her rode Theon Greyjoy and Thegane Lannister, and beside him; the unseemly man whom Gara did not know. At the head of the hunt was the King looking strong and mighty on his big-boned destrier. Lord Eddard had also taken the saddle today and was smiling most uncharacteristically.
Gara had heard that the Lord of Winterfell may be the new Hand of the King, she'd asked her sister what exactly that was but Gifu had merely shrugged and said that the job basically entailed everything the King should be doing.
"Then why's Lord Eddard doing it and not the King?" Gifu was about to mount her horse when her eyes slid over to Gara and she smiled,
"When you rule and have the power that King Robert has and have the freedom to do whatever you please, why would you concern yourself with small matters?" Gara shrugged,
"Running a Kingdom is hardly a small matter-"
"He has seven kingdoms to run, sister." Gifu corrected her before Thegane Lannister helped her get on her horse and smiled up at her. He turned a brief look to Gara but said nothing to her, only a mere nod. So much for considering me, Gara thought. Gifu looked down on her and said,
"Don't think on it too much, Gara. You might have another nightmare."
Gifu sneered snidely and then with a flick of her gelding's tail, she was off chatting with Lord Thegane. She seemed quite taken with the handsome man, Gara couldn't blame her – he looked even more knightly than Ser Jaime. But that was hardly saying anything considering she had heard at least a dozen Northerners mutter 'Kingslayer' more than a few times. The only ones not taking part in the hunt were the incapacitated and the very young,
Bran was to sit the hunt out and as was Prince Joffrey, little Rickon too was not to attend. Gara and Gifu had been given express permission by their father and she had heard the storm that the Prince had broken over his father's head for not being able to come along. Tyrion the dwarf was offered to come but chose to stay behind; Gara had been watching the small man curiously as he came to see the hunt off. In his stumpy hand there was a book, quite a large tome, actually. Bound in leather it looked rather pricey – but gold was cheap for a Lannister. He strolled over to the stables quite confidently despite his size, Gara decided that one had to admire that kind of charisma, so she smiled at him and he nodded his head,
"Young lady,"
"Lord Tyrion."
She greeted in return. He stopped before her, looking up; his hands were rested in front of him holding his book snugly.
"So, you're one of the Bloodhelm girls."
"How could you tell?"
She asked and the dwarf shrugged,
"Maybe it's something to do with the hair, I don't know. You rarely see hair that verdant outside of your family."
"Nor yours," Gara countered nodding to his own yellow locks. He smiled, dimples flashing.
"Indeed."
"You're not hunting today, my lord?" She asked conversationally and the small man shook his head,
"Nay, young lady; unlike men more than half my size, I do not feel the need to stick a spear into things to wake me up in the morning. Give me a good book and a horn of beer." She laughed then at his rudeness and turned to fix her saddle when suddenly the little lion dropped his book. Hearing him click his tongue in annoyance, Gara waved him away and said,
"Please, let me," The dwarf watched the girl closely as she bent to her heels and retrieved his book and wiped the mud off the leather bindings on her cloak.
"You're too kind my lady, but you should not have dirtied yourself."
Gara shrugged as he took his book, "Please, I shall be hunting and it's the rainy season. I'll look like a Wildling by the time I get back – I'm just getting a head start. And you shouldn't be bending down; this cold can't be good for your bones."
She was appalled with embarrassment when he frowned up at her and she waved her hands, she had an inkling that Gifu had just heard that unintentional slight to the dwarf's condition. Within moments Gifu was riding in and saying,
"How now, Lord Tyrion? It's a pleasure to meet you. So sad that you won't be riding with us today, please excuse my oafish sister. Did she knock that book out your hand with her lumbering hands?" The dwarf looked from one girl to the other, Gifu in her elevated grandeur and her sister meekly bowing her head and her eyes near enough embedded in the mud and he smiled and said graciously,
"You don't give your sister enough credit; I dropped the book and she very kindly spared my bones – which do get sore in this cold, by the way – from the taxation of getting it myself. Thank you for your consideration, my dear and I bid you both a happy hunt."
They both watched him stroll off, book in hand and Gifu turned and snapped at her sister,
"Really, can you not even speak to your betters now?"
"I didn't mean for it to come out like...that." Protested Gara with a sad bow of her head and Gifu shook her head while rolling her eyes and rode off away from her sister. There was another long note blown from the horn and Gara sighed and was about to get into her saddle when she saw from the shadows of the stables the man who was usually in league with Thegane Lannister eyeing her from horseback. She frowned and lost her grip on her black destrier's reigns and watched him as he watched her; he was a tanned man, he looked more like a sellsword than anything else, no gleaming armour and not a handsome face. He looked gruff and hard; a man who looked like he could kill easily and sleep soundly after it. He unnerved Gara and her own feeling of trepidation seemed to radiate to her horse because the stallion whined shrilly and reared back.
Gara gasped as the horse tossed its head back and kicked its hooves out dangerously. Dodging his metal shoes, Gara shouted,
"Whoa!"
The horse neighed and paid her no heed as dogs swarmed his strong legs only adding more to the commotion. The din was drawing the eyes of the King and Lord Eddard at the front. The Lord of Winterfell's eyes narrowed when he spotted Gara ducking and dodging the destrier's hooves and he climbed down from his horse deftly and quickly strode forward. He didn't get close enough in time as Gara totally lost control of the horse and it flew forward, with her hand caught in the reigns. Some ladies screamed as she was pulled along the hard ground and she grunted with a scowl trying to dislodge her hand. She began to panic as she was dragged along the mud and yelped when she felt her leg get cut as it grazed a sharp rock.
Throwing her gaze up wildly, she could see people moving out of the way and some of the braver guardsmen like Jory throw themselves out in a bid to slow the horse. It was to no avail however, and Gara knew the only way was to wrangle him back down and soothe whatever it was that was spooking him. Ripping off her glove, she felt herself come free and heard an exclamation as the lords and ladies saw her jerk back further down the horse's side. Grabbing his hindquarters, Gara grimaced and pulled herself up and on to the saddle as the horse came to a halt and began to buck like a filly.
All eyes were on her as she wrestled with the horse until it stopped bucking and then she fluidly dismounted and limped around to his head and stepped back when he reared again.
"Enough!" She cried and dragged the horse's head down and looked straight in his liquid eyes and blew gently in his nostrils to calm him. His ears were pressed back fearfully and his tail refused to stop twitching but he finally eased and she sighed against his velvety nose as Jory ran up to her, his face was full of wonder.
"Seven Hells, Gara! Are you alright?!"
Looking at him, she was caked in mud and her right knee was oozing blood.
"Aye, just got a spook is all," The King and Lord Eddard appeared then, Lord Eddard was on foot and the King was smiling down from his horse and looking concerned,
"Good thing I was wearing breaches today, my lord."
Gara joked and the King bellowed his laughter as Lord Stark eyed her and asked gently,
"Are you well? You got dragged quite far," Gara shook her head, "Just my leg, I think I'll have to forsake the hunt today and let one of the maesters look at it." The King slapped Ned on the shoulder as he rode in closer,
"Ah, don't fret, Ned! I haven't seen riding like that in years! Well done, lass, well done. You fell from your horse, got dragged about by him; but you still managed to get back on him and stay there. Good for you." Gara smiled and hissed in pain and from the corner of her eye saw Robb run out and stop just short of her, his eyes were blazing and she could see the concern burning in his face.
"Right...Robb," Said Ned with a vague wave of his hand, "Take young Gara back to her chambers and call for maester Luwin. Come join the hunt when you've done that." Robb nodded and with absolutely no warning, Robb swept her up before all of them and began carrying her inside. Ned frowned puzzled but assumed he was being chivalrous for the sake of the King.
With the excitement over the hunt began to leave through the gates and Gara felt safe and warm in Robb's arms. They stopped only when Gifu rode by them, Theon and Thegane at her sides and she said as if answering a question,
"It's mud, my sister."
She said with a nod and without stopping. Robb halted as she rode by and Gara piped from Robb's arms,
"What?"
Gifu didn't stop, the sway of her hips in the saddle was utterly sensual as she looked over her shoulder, flashing a wolfish smile and said to Gara; looking at her and Robb standing alone in the yard,
"It is mud that becomes you."