Chapter 35:

A/N: I'm still here! Are you?

"Many men have died before. Men we all knew but this was not an honourable death for these men. They were taken from this earth under falsehood and have left cries of vengeance in their wake." Lord Blackfish said as he stood before the giant memorial that had burned all morning for those who had been lost at the Red Wedding. "I lost my family to a man who dishonoured everything we stand for and his day shall come. I swear this before those I have lost." He thumped his chest and cried out "Vengeance!"

"Vengeance! Vengeance! Vengeance!" was the cry that lifted up from Riverrun and all Spencer could do was cry, small quiet tears. Her true family was now gone. Her father, mother, brothers, sister…only Clay remained and even that she doubted. She would rejoin Ashley's army, but first seek her revenge.

That had been a few days ago. Now Riverrun prepared for battle. After long discussions with her uncle, Spencer had joined the battlement at the walls of Riverrun and she now stood by the walls, waiting for the onslaught on its way. The wind continued to howl around the soldiers posted to sound the alarm. Not many people spoke and those that did made passing remarks intended to soothe fears.

Spencer was not one of them that grunted out laughs through nerves. Her mind wandered to the last night of her family's life. Scenes of merriment melded with scenes of blood and slaughter. The Red Wedding they now called it. To Spencer, this name meant more than gossip and a tale of betrayal. The name represented the end of her former life and all that was connected to it. Tears stilled in her eyes and she forced them back, not willing to cry in front of the men around her. Jhogo stood beside her, silent and stiff, his disdain for the Westeroi around him still present even now. Spencer had not tried to dissuade his views, she even understood them. Not many nations betrayed one another like the Westeroi and not with such frequency. The bloodrider was shiver slightly in the cold weather than stand strong again but most times, Spencer felt his eyes on her, as if assuring himself that she was still unharmed. Physically she was, but inside her, she felt fractured.

"Have there been missives sent to the Khaleesi?" Jhogo asked in the silence.

Spencer faced him slightly, "Yes. I do not know when they will reach her but they have been sent." Ashley, she thought in despair, maybe it would have been best to stay with you as you had wanted. Her tears returned again at the thought of her…there was no word for what Ashley was to her nor had they even stated what they could e to each other. All Spencer knew was that Ashley made her…feel.

"We shall have to see this out without my brothers though I doubt we shall last long with these…" Jhogo stopped at Spencer's glance and cleared his throat before continuing, "your people at the walls. They are not trained well. They talk when they should be watching, they laugh when they should be silent."

"If one does not laugh then one will cry in the face of battle Jhogo," Spencer answered. The bloodrider beside her grunted in answer.

"Man the walls!" A cry came through the air.

Spencer tightened her grip on her bow before checking her sword was still strapped to her back.

"Do not stray too far from me," Jhogo told Spencer.

"How can I? I shall be at this wall just as you will. We shall survive then look to the new day for whatever may come."

Jhogo's answer was lost to her as Spencer witnessed riders coming towards the castle. They seemed to swarm over the distance before the first few stopped at the banks of the Trident. The land before them began to fill with men and some began to push wooden beams along the banks of the Trident. A call echoed from the back of the castle. Her uncle had been right. The army would circle them and try to attack from behind them rather than run the risk of being all swept away by the Trident.

Those beside stood steady, tense at the sight of their foe. The warning had been echoed throughout the castle and all had gone to their positions, awaiting the first attack. The wind had stopped blowing around them. As if it knows what is to come, Spencer thought silently. She was as tense as those around her. Her hands felt numb around her bow as she watched the now slow procession of the Frey army now on either side of the Trident.

"They have stopped. They mean to camp in front of our eyes. As if we shall fear them and their numbers." Jhogo scoffed.

"We may still be overcome with fear Jhogo. Not all here are of Dothkari blood and will."

"No but neither are you and you still shall stand strong in front of them."

"I no longer feel as though I am a Westeroi. You and those of your clan have turned me." Spencer answered simply.

"We? Or more my Khaleesi I would think."

Spencer glanced at the Dothkari, seeing the slight smile on his face. Now he decides to tease me, she thought incredulously. "How do you...fine. Both I think."

"I thought as much. As for how I know, we all knew, no we all heard." The bloodrider then laughed at the blush now on Spencer's face. "It is nothing to be ashamed of. Most of our rulers were known to passionate in both battle and love. You should be honoured."

Spencer could feel the heat rise in her face. "I am but I did not think that…we had been heard."

"How could we not hear you? Our friends made it quite clear what was going on as they echoed you both."

Spencer glanced down, fighting her embarrassment. "Stop. We cannot speak of such now."

"Then we shall speak of it when we return to our Khaleesi. I am sure she will be pleased to know that she has affected you so." The Dothkari felt a well placed elbow in his side as he chuckled silently.

Spencer looked around her and saw that none had paid attention to their quiet conversation. "Not another word Jhogo or I shall place you with those that you despised for laughing at a time of duty."

Jhogo gave her a small bow in mockery before facing out again. " Yes, my lady."

This is not the time to be recalling on such even though I can still feel her breath on me, her skin, her heat…Spencer shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, this was definitely not the time but she would survive this and the coming days to feel that again.

Kinda weird change of tone there but I didn't feel like writing anything dark and gloomy today so there you go. Oh and for anyone wondering, Riverrun is located on the Trident river which splits into two forks behind Riverrun. Hope that explains a few things.