Unknown Location
Two Years Earlier...
Falling out of the sky in nothing but pajama bottoms and a tank top did nothing for even the most stable person's mood. For someone that could be at best volatile, like Artemis Lian Crock, as she spat out green leaves and pulled out twigs from her long blonde hair, it was best to stay clear. Seeing a familiar red arc of electricity in the sky, Artemis couldn't believe her foul luck as she put two and two together. "Klarion! I'm going to make you pay for this you brat!" There was no familiar snicker, no speeches made by the witch boy. All Artemis got in reply was a chill wind that cut right through her to the bone.
"Last I checked it wasn't winter. What did Klarion do to us this time?!" Shivering as she looked up to the tree she had fallen into on her way down, wincing when she felt a twig she had missed stab her in the small of her back, Artemis growled as she ascended the tree as quickly as she could. She needed to figure out where she had wound up, and then figure out if any of the team were nearby. If they were, then they could come up with a plan from there. Otherwise, she'd have to find them, if that was even a possibility.
The problem with Klarion and his chaos magic, it was just that, chaos. Every spell he cast was steeped in the unpredictable, which made it impossible to truly know what he was capable of. The fact she was lost in the middle of some forest and that it was probably just shy of freezing, when back home it had been in the middle of July, made it pretty clear she was up a shit creek with no paddle.
Once she had reached the topmost branches, Artemis was taken aback by what she saw. While she could see the edge of the forest, it what she didn't see that bothered her more. There was absolutely no sign of a city or town having existed that she could see from her current vantage point. The air was also entirely too crisp and clear too, having none of the city pollution she was so used to breathing in.
As for how this had happened at all, that was easy to explain. The moment her head had hit the pillow last night, Artemis had been out like a light. It was the only way Klarion could have gotten the drop on her, which meant he had somehow followed them home. That didn't matter now though as the archer sighed and shook her head, having spent too much time exposed as she had. She needed a fire and warm clothes before she froze to death, and preferably before night fell. Her gray eyes had already seen one wolf wandering around as she climbed down her tree. Where there was one, there was always more.
She made it a point to break off a particularly long branch on her way down before tossing it ahead of her. She might not be able to make a fire out of it, but she could do something with it at least. Any tools were better than none at this point. A simple spear would be enough for now. With wolves around and who knew what else, any defense was better than none.
The pile of twigs that she had knocked loose originally were still close by, and after gathering them up, Artemis looked around for a sharp rock she could use to, if nothing else, sharpen the spear she planned to make. She didn't have the supplies or the time to make arrows and a bow, as much as she preferred them, but she had other skills which would serve her well. Between her father and Oliver Queen, her true father figure and mentor as far as the blonde archer was concerned, Artemis was better equipped than most to handle whatever awaited her out here.
Huddled by a fire and roasting a rabbit she had managed to catch, Artemis heard the wolves long before she saw them. Their howls were close, closer than she would have liked, but she remained calm as she picked up her spear and rose to her full height moments later. Cold, hungry, and about to be ate by wolves, could her day get any worse?
The snap of a twig close by answered that question for her, as Artemis spun around to see six pairs of glowing eyes not twenty paces away. "You're going to have to work for this meal!" The archer shouted into the night as the glowing eyes receded into the darkness. Just a hint of movement was enough to warn her as two more wolves came out of the inky blackness on her left side. "Who's first?!"
The vicious predators had expected a weakened target from the cold and the snow. What they got was something else entirely. The tip of her spear punctured one wolf in the heart as it leapt at her, dead before it hit the dirt. That seemed to be a signal to the rest as they charged her together. As she quickly climbed back up the tree, one wolf made the mistake of trying to jump her. Only to end up bashing its own head in when it hit the tree, instead of getting its jaws around her leg as it had intended. Safe for the moment, Artemis glared down at the six hungry sets of sharp teeth waiting for her.
"It's gonna be a long wait!" Climbing higher in her tree, Artemis settled in for a long and miserable night. "Mind if I borrow your friends' fur? Doesn't look like they'll be needing it." As the remaining wolves snapped and growled at her, Artemis thunked her head against the trunk in an attempt to get comfortable. "I figured as much." She planned to make herself a fur coat the first chance she got, but for now she just hoped she woke up in the morning with all of her fingers and toes still attached.
A loud shout abruptly dragged Artemis back to consciousness in the blink of an eye as she instinctively grabbed onto a nearby branch. "Hey, you there! Are you alright girl? How in the seven hells did you get stuck up there all night?" She looked down at a simply, but heavily, dressed man in dirty leather breeches, an old wolf fur cloak he had probably made himself given the holes she could see from her spot in her tree, and heavy brown boots and gloves. The man himself looked friendly enough, a slightly amused smile on his rugged face from her current predicament no doubt. "Are you a mute or something girl? You must be freezing up there, lucky you survived the night."
"I can talk just fine pal, but yeah, it wasn't exactly summer weather up here." Artemis was careful to slowly climb back down so as not to give anything away. She didn't trust anyone on first appearances, but that didn't mean she couldn't be cordial at least.
"Well, I was planning on cooking this..." The man pulled a good size skinned rabbit and two squirrels out of a satchel at his side. "You're free to have some if you like. Here, take this and cover up, need to warm your hands and feet properly, else you might lose them." The man pulled out a blanket as well and laid it near the bottom of the tree, before walking away and starting a small fire nearby.
"Thanks." She didn't need this stranger to tell her that as she settled her feet on the ground once again, and immediately wrapped herself in the blanket that the man had given her. "Name's Artemis, and again thanks for coming along when you did. I wound up trapped in that tree thanks to some wolves. How I got out here is a bit...of a long story." She doubted he'd believe a word she had to say if she decided to tell the truth, which Artemis had no intention of doing anyway.
"Nice to meet you Artemis, call me Hagan. Come on, I won't bite, warm yourself by the fire and you can share this long story." The man pointed to the ground opposite him by the fire, having long since noted the two dead wolves. "That your handiwork? Starks might take an issue, someone hunting on their land without their leave." It was the law of the land that the Lords of the North had the right to hunt their own lands. Everyone else had to either pay a fine to do the same or serve in one of their castles. Anyone else was considered a poacher and was subject to punishment if they were caught.
The young girl cautiously sat as close to the fire, and the stranger, as she dared. Even shivering from the intense cold, Artemis wasn't one to take chances. "I didn't exactly have a choice. I was the one being hunted." That was the truth in a nutshell. "And I see you have breakfast and a fur cloak, so who's been doing what now?" The smirk on her trembling lips made Hagan chuckle as he looked over his shoulder at the aforementioned cloak.
"Eh, you got me there. Best we don't get caught then. Lord Eddard Stark is a good man or so I've heard, he'd be more understanding than some folk out here in the North." Artemis couldn't help staring at the cooking meat the man had set over the fire while they talked. Hagan's green eyes flicked over the meat as well before he looked towards his companion. "That raises the question; how'd you even get out here? Was it that strange lightning storm I saw yesterday? Never seen red lightning before, made more than a few folk a little uncomfortable."
So Klarion's spell had disturbed the locals. She wasn't sure how far away the effects of his spell had been, but Artemis was sure she'd be hearing about it again before this adventure was over. "Like I said...it's a long story. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Alright, keep your secrets. Doesn't matter to me much one way or the other, you seem a nice enough girl and that's good enough for me." He grabbed one of the now cooked squirrels and tossed it over to the clearly starving young woman. While she ate her fill, Hagan helped himself to the second of his squirrels, planning to save his rabbit for later. "So wolf huntress, what do you plan to do with your prize?"
Artemis stopped licking her fingers for a moment to answer the man. "If I had a skinning knife, I had planned to make myself a fur coat, their pelts would work nicely. I don't take too kindly to being attacked in the night. They should have picked someone else to hunt." She shrugged as she went back to finishing the meager leftovers of her squirrel. It was a lot better than nothing. "You can have half the meat, if you want it. Least I can do to thank you."
"Generous of you lass, and I think I can help with that. Here, don't lose it, my only one." He carefully leaned over to hand her a simple leather hilted straight steel dagger. "Well go on, take it. You seem the trustworthy type, and I'm sure we could certainly use a week's worth of meat.
"It's 'we' already?" Artemis smirked all the wider as she took the dagger, gratitude easy to see on her face. "Thanks again. I'll give it back as soon as I'm done with it." If she somehow lost it between the fire and the closer of her two wolves, she didn't deserve to be called Artemis, or Tigress for that matter. She quickly set to skinning both of the wolves in an efficient and wasteless manner.
Hagan admired her work for a few minutes, wondering where in the seven hells she had learned to do a man's job. It didn't take long to figure out there was a lot more to the blonde young woman than met the eye. "You sure know your way around a knife. Where'd you learn to do that?"
"A...friend of mine taught me everything from archery to fencing, as well as hunting and skinning. Where'd you learn your trade Hagan?" Artemis asked as she rolled the wolf carcass she was working on over the rest of the way before returning to work. Cleaning it would be a pain in the ass, but it'd be worth it when it was done.
"Oh, my father taught me mostly, the rest I picked up along the way. Mind if I take a look at your style? Seems a damn sight better than anything I've tried over the years." Artemis shrugged and waved Hagan over to her side, never taking her eyes off of the task at hand. Another few minutes and she'd have herself a new fur pelt.
Hagan got up with a grunt of effort, before casually walking over to her. "Sure, whatever. See, the trick is-" The subtle glint of cold steel was the only warning Artemis got as she turned and saw that her new 'friend' had another dagger in his hand, and he was already prepared to use it on her. If not for her lightning fast reflexes, the dagger would have pierced her lung as it slipped between her ribs. Artemis grabbed a hold of his knife arm and surprised him with the level of strength she possessed as she pushed him away, the dagger coming out as easily as it had gone in as he stumbled back. The borrowed dagger in her other hand found a new home, lodged in the man's right eye before she or he had any idea of what was happening until it was over.
The pain that followed had Artemis on her hands and knees by Hagan's corpse. Tears formed in her eyes at the shock that threatened to overtake her senses, but she couldn't let it. She needed to bind the wound or at the very least, keep pressure on it until she got to someone that could help her. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! Ollie is probably facepalming himself right now!" The injured girl didn't bother reflecting on her mistake any more than that as she quickly cut up the man's shirt to use for a bandage. The dagger she had been stuck with was tossed into the fire before she quickly pulled the other one loose. It proved pretty useful for the task as she made herself a dozen leather strips in no time flat. What she had in mind however was going to hurt a lot, but the blonde knew she had no choice in the matter.
From what little she had seen thus far, Artemis knew that she was not in a modern world. That meant medicine was going to be real hard to come by. It was a good thing Ollie had insisted on teaching her the basics in wilderness survival. The last thing she needed to do was draw more attention to herself right now, so she grabbed a leftover piece of leather, and bit down on it hard. Okay...like Ollie said, don't think about it. Just act. This is gonna really suck.
The dagger she had thrown into the fire was already glowing red hot, ready for what she needed to do. The archer snatched the blade up and pressed it to her side in one rapid motion. Thankfully, only a loud grunt escaped her lips instead of a blood curdling shriek of pain. A few agony filled moments later, after the deed was done, Artemis slumped over and groaned weakly as she waited for the pain to stop. The smell of burnt flesh was thick in her nostrils but sheer force of will stopped her from retching, or passing out for that matter.
Before she let herself rest, Artemis stripped her would be killer, or worse, of his warm clothing and boots, and quickly covered her shivering form. Only after wrapping the blanket around her as well did she finally allow herself to pass out. The physical exhaustion of being stabbed and treating the wound was only part of the problem. The emotional wear and tear of taking another man's life, that was something else. There were only a few rules when working with the team, and keeping casualties to an absolute minimum was one of them.
Out of all the battles she had ever been a part of, Artemis had never been forced to take another person's life. Not a day had passed in this world, and she had broken that single rule. Her sleep wasn't easy, needless to say, but that wasn't anything new if she wanted to be honest with herself. Her dreams quickly turned into nightmares as they often times did. She dreamt of her father, standing over the man she had killed with a giant smile on his face. "Always knew you had it in you baby girl." His blue eyes were twinkling with murderous glee at the disgusted and guilty look she gave to him and the body. "Right through the eye too, didn't have to think about it either. Jade would be impressed. Never even saw your sister pull off a kill that clean, you should be proud."
"Go to Hell dad." Artemis's attempt at a rebuttal was laughed off by the career criminal in front of her. Her mother, her sister, and her father all were criminals in some form or another. Was it any surprise that she had found it so easy to kill Hagan? Killing was in her genes. She had never wanted to admit it, but at the end of the day, she was a born killer.
"You always were too hard on yourself Arty." Wally's voice interrupted her father's attempt at trying to drive his point home. The yellow and red blur she knew so well slammed into Sportsmaster moments later, making the man disappear into the woods before her old boyfriend stopped in front of her. "You're going to be okay Arty. If you could survive him you can survive anything, I promise. And besides, you and I both know that you aren't your family blondie. I fell in love with you knowing where you came from, and I didn't care. Now you get back up and don't think of yourself as another in the line of Crock criminals. You're a lot more than that Arty. You always will be, and I always loved you for it. Now, WAKE UP ARTY!"
Artemis's eyes flew open and she jerked her head to where Wally had been standing in her makeshift camp, only to realize he had never been there, not really. He had been dead for two months. "It was just a stupid nightmare...but at least I got to see him again." The tears she could feel falling down her face she chose to ignore as she let her gaze linger on the dying fire in front of her. Wally's presence in her dream had been needed though as Artemis held onto the hope she was far more than her family name.
With no idea of where she was going, Artemis started east. The road she had spied at the edge of the forest seemed as good a place as any to start her journey. With her two daggers tucked in her belt after both had received a thorough cleaning on the wolf pelt she had left behind, Artemis started on her way. She had made it a point to pack whatever meat she was able to salvage off of the two wolves and Hagan. At least I have something to keep me going. Now I just need water and I'd be set. She wasn't sure she could climb another tree again, not with her side still hurting. With the chance of opening it up again, Artemis didn't want to take the risk.
While she had found a leather water bag on Hagan's corpse, it was empty, and Artemis didn't want to chance another fire so she could melt down snow, not after the last time she had started a fire. If she didn't find suitable shelter however, she wouldn't have a choice in the matter. Not if she wanted to live through the night anyway. One night in this frozen land had been pushing it as it were. On the plus side, the warm clothes she had gotten from Hagan would help, but Artemis didn't want to rely on her luck.
I already got stabbed, I'd say my luck is pretty much used up right about now. With that thought in mind, Artemis was glad the edge of the forest came into sight at last as she continued to press ever eastward. The trees gave way to wide open country and gently rolling hills covered in green grass and snow. Unbeknownst to her, the current season was considered a mild winter, and while it was slightly warmer than she'd have imagined, there were still a great many snow mounds and the like scattered about the land. By the time she crested the hill she had aimed towards, the sun was setting once again and it was getting noticeably colder.
The dirt road she had just seen on the edge of the woods came into sight at least, but there was a castle just at the edge of her vision that she could make out overlooking the land on its own enormous hill. It was as good a place as any to head toward she supposed. She doubted whoever owned the place would let her in, but she had to try right? Then she remembered what Hagan had said, that someone called Eddard Stark and his family owned these lands. If what he had said was true, then chances were, they might just be willing to let her stay around long enough to get her bearings.
Unfortunately for her, there was no way she could make it before night fell again. There was a more pressing concern however. Setting up camp for the night, Artemis pulled back the bandage she had made from the leather strips, and saw her fears were coming true. With no way to clean the wound out before she had sealed it shut, there was already a dark red tinge around the stab mark that she knew would turn into red streaks before too long. "Great, just fucking great!" Artemis shouted as she beat her fist against the ground, which only gave her a sore fist for her trouble. She'd have to get some rest now, and hope that the wound wouldn't turn gangrene before she was able to get proper help.
When morning came around, Artemis knew her time was running out as she woke up with a fever and upon examining the wound, saw that the red streaks had started to spread outward like a spider's web. She'd be lucky if she died out here before the infection reached her heart. Okay...just calm down and get moving. With a little bit of luck, I should be able to get to that town in five hours. Hopefully. With a muffled gasp of pain, Artemis got to her feet and began walking as fast as she could force herself to.
She had been on the march only two hours before delirium started to set in. Hallucinations assaulted her almost every step of the way. Lawrence Crock was at the center of most of them. He casually walked beside her, and like always when he was on a winning streak, Sportsmaster was chatty. "At least you haven't fallen on the side of the road baby girl. Your mother would be so proud you haven't given up the ghost yet, but me? You got sloppy and got yourself shived not a day in this weird place. Why don't you just quit and take a nice dirt nap? Like I know you're going to, any minute now. Disappointing as always baby girl."
"Go...to Hell!" Artemis growled, defiance etched almost permanently on her face as she trudged onward, one shambling step at a time. As feverish as she was, the archer took a swing at the mental image of her father. Tears started to stream down her cheeks moments later as she found herself slumped on the ground in defeat.
"You aren't dying here Arty." Oliver Queen's voice reached her ears as the man himself stood over his protege, one of his rare warm smiles on his goateed face as he held out his hand to her. "Come on, I know you're stronger than this. Just take it one step at a time, take my hand Arty." Despite the fact she knew the image of her mentor, who she considered to be the father figure she had needed far more than the one she actually had, wasn't real, Artemis didn't care as she 'grabbed' ahold of Ollie's hand and forced herself up once more. "There's the stubborn Artemis I know. Help is close, you just have to go a little further and you'll be alright. Have I ever steered you wrong before?"
"Do you want me to answer that?" Despite the pain and the sickness that was rendering her almost immobile, Artemis managed a smirk at the offended look Oliver shot her. "Thanks Ollie." Artemis was able to take a small amount of comfort, having Ollie 'walking' beside her in his full Green Arrow costume. It was how she prefered to remember him, as the hero that had gotten her away from the life she would have otherwise been trapped in.
Even with her mind conjuring up an incentive to keep putting one foot in front of the other, Artemis felt herself falling to the ground once again less than an hour later. "Dammit...I'm sorry Ollie, I couldn't do it."
"You did great Arty, I wouldn't have made it this far." A smug look appeared on Artemis's sweat covered face. "That's my girl." Her mentor's image smiled before slowly fading away.
A soft whisper barely emerged from her dry, quivering lips. "Ollie... Don't go, please don't leave me alone..." Knowing it was a useless gesture, it didn't stop her from trying to reach out to him even as he faded completely from her sight. When Oliver was gone, Artemis couldn't stop her grey eyes from closing any longer as she slipped into a fevered sleep.
"My Lord Stark, there's someone here!" She didn't know how long she had been out, only that there were people around her on horseback. Her vision was blurry and her mind was sluggish at best, but she could swear one of the men in her line of sight had long white whiskers on either side of his face. Upon seeing her eyes were open, the old man almost fell out of the saddle in shock. "By the old gods and the new, she's still alive!"
"She's deathly ill and yet she wears the murderous bastard Hagan's clothing. Perhaps she did us a favor? It would explain why she's in such bad shape." She hadn't heard the young man approach until she felt her head being gently lifted off of the ground. She was far too weak to protest, but when she felt the first trickle of water touch her lips, resistance was the last thing on her mind. It wasn't until the water bag was pulled away did her eyes fall on Robb Stark's face. "You're among friends. Who are you?"
Even as Artemis managed to cough out her name, she felt another presence next to her before hands gently lifted her clothes out of the way to get a look at her wound. When he pulled the leather strips away, the look on Eddard's face was grave. "She's burned this closed, but it hasn't stopped the infection. We need to hurry back if she is to have any chance."
"We are to give up the chase for Hagan then my Lord?" Ser Rodrik hadn't expected that, but neither had they expected to see a girl in the middle of the field with a wound sealed shut by fire and steel. Pulling at his whiskers, Ser Rodrik wondered what would come next, as did most of the Stark men that had come along for the hunt for Hagan's head.
Eddard Stark had no intention of leaving Hagan to run free, but he had more pressing matters right at his feet. "Go on without us. Ser Cassel, my son and I shall see to the girl's well being." A quiet murmuring caught Eddard's attention as he realized the injured young woman was trying to speak again. "Easy now, save your strength, Artemis is it?" When she stubbornly gave him a weak gesture to come closer, he immediately did so. A slight grin graced the usually stern man's face as he listened to her soft whisper. The Lord of Winterfell quickly got to his feet, gently lifting the young girl tightly in his arms. "Rodrik, take two men with you and ride west until you come upon a rather large tree. I believe you will find whatever is left of Hagan there, if the wolves haven't ripped his corpse to shreds already."
Artemis managed to stay conscious long enough to notice Robb's impressed expression as he hovered over her, before she gave into her utter exhaustion. "So I was right then? Let's get moving father, it would be impolite to have our guest die after saving us a bit of trouble. Besides, from the look in her eyes, I'd bet she has an interesting tale to tell us."
They had no idea just how interesting, especially when they'd find out that the disturbance over the Wolfwood and the stranger were connected. For now however, they needed to get the injured young woman back to Winterfell. A litter was hastily created with what blankets they had brought with them and tied together behind two of their horses before they were ready to leave, an unconscious Artemis secured in the center of the makeshift litter. It wouldn't be the most comfortable ride, but she'd get to their destination all the same. Whether she survived was another story.
Slipping in and out of consciousness over the course of three days, and most of another, Artemis saw only flashes of faces both familiar and strange to her. Wally, Ollie, her dad, her sister, even her mother appeared before her eyes at some point or another. They never lingered for long however, save to give her words of encouragement and pushing her to live, or offer more torment in her father's case. Jade always had something to say about it later when she appeared again as she always did after her father had gone. One of the more memorable comments Artemis could dredge up had gotten a weak smile from the young Crock. "And you wonder why I ran away when I did. He is a walking, talking asshole, even in your subconscious mind he never stops running that mouth of his."
"Why did you leave me there? You knew what he did to us...what he'd do to me." Artemis was still mildly delirious and hadn't noticed Robb enter the small room they had set aside for her.
"I make it a point never to leave people in need." A dark frown settled on the eldest Stark's face as he pondered the rest of what she'd mumbled. "Who did what to you?" He had the eerie feeling he wouldn't like the answer, provided he got one there and now.
Perched on the foot of the bed like an oversized crow, Cheshire shrugged as the cat mask dropped over her face. Imagined or not, Artemis knew that Jade was just as elusive as she was when it came to honest answers. "Oh...I like him. Just look at the fire in those big pretty eyes. Doesn't even know you and I think he'd tear dad apart if he found out half of what he put us through." Hopping gracefully off of the bed, Jade wandered to the window and prepared to jump out of the room, but she could feel her sister's eyes on the back of her head. With a sigh, she looked over and looked to the floor briefly. "If you make it back Artemis, I'll tell you. Until then, live, and do what I couldn't. Escape."
"Don't...don't go. Please." Jade had already fallen backward out of the window, but Artemis didn't need to see her glide away to know that her sister would land on her feet as she always did. In that regard, Cheshire lived up to her name.
Robb couldn't help feeling utterly confused as he looked to the window and saw nothing. "I don't plan on going anywhere, I'll stay as long as you like." As long as I'm able at least. Winterfell might be run by his father, but he was the eldest of the Stark children, and that meant he had duties he had to attend to everyday. Even so, Robb had learned long ago that a man's word was more precious than any amount of gold.
Fever speak as it was, Robb wasn't about to let her die of thirst. Besides, Maester Luwin had given her a good chance of survival after the red streaks had started to slowly disappear on the second day. "Here, take some water at least. You look better than when you first arrived, thank the old gods. You'll be having to put up with me for quite awhile." Robb couldn't keep the grin off his face as he poured a cup for her and leaned over the bedridden woman. It wasn't until he felt his dagger from his belt being pulled out of its sheath that he realized she wasn't as helpless as he thought.
Artemis was fast, even with her senses muddled by whatever medicine they had been pouring down her throat and the lingering effect of her sickness. Her body was a blur as she got behind Robb with his blade at his throat moments later. Her strength hadn't fully returned, but she had more than enough to keep the young man in place with little effort as she grabbed a fistful of his hair. "Who, where, and why? You have three seconds to answer me before I give you a new smile." Robb was a little confused by her strange speech, but he got the message well enough as he surprisingly kept his wits about him and didn't try to fight her.
Even bedridden for almost four days, she is surprisingly strong and clever. I very much doubt I could have stopped her even if I had had more warning. A soft knock on the door only added to Robb's less than happy state. Oh no. Please let it be anyone but-
"Robb, how's the girl doing? I thought I heard...oh, I see you're awake." Opening the door revealed the truth of the current situation to the head of the Stark household. If he was at all phased by the young naked woman holding a dagger to his son's throat, he didn't show it. "Good to see you're definitely on the mend. Robb? I trust you were a gentleman?"
Artemis wasn't sure what was stranger; the fact that the older man hadn't yelled for help, or the fact that he still seemed more concerned for her than his son. As for Robb, his cheeks were as red as they could get given his current situation even as the girl behind him jerked his head a little to the side to emphasize her threat. "Just stay back, I don't want to hurt him, but I will if I have to."
"If I believed that, I'd be begging your mercy for his life by now Artemis." Something in the older man's eyes stopped her from moving as he slowly walked towards her and gently removed the dagger from her hand. Robb, despite himself, managed to walk towards his father's side even as he rubbed at his throat where the knife had been closest, his heart in the same place until he started to calm down. "Lose something?" Robb couldn't bring himself to look at the wry grin that was no doubt plastered over his father's face, as the blade's hilt was slapped into his hand. Eddard continued, even as Artemis draped the blanket that had been on the bed over her shoulders in an effort to cover herself as best she could. "I do apologize if he startled you, I'm sure that was not his intent."
The frightened look in her eyes was more than enough to make Robb forget about the fact Artemis could have killed him moments earlier. He held a hand out to her in a calming gesture as she started to head towards the only window. "That is not a way you'd like to go, I can assure you. It's a bit of a long drop."
"Maybe for you, but who said anything about falling?" Despite her words, Artemis wasn't strong enough for a climb out of the wall window, even if she didn't give a crap if she had to do it naked. Modesty had gone out the window after playing the part of an elite assassin in Black Manta's organization. Cramped quarters on a sub tended to do that.
"Ah, I wondered where you two had wandered off to, not that I'm very surprised. Get out. The both of you. Can't you see the poor thing is shaking like a leaf? Two men standing over her probably isn't that comforting right now." Catelyn Stark proclaimed, as she soon joined her husband and eldest son, who were wise enough not to linger with the matriarch pushing them out the door. Artemis couldn't suppress the small smile on her face even as her legs gave out on her. She was quickly caught in a surprisingly strong set of arms and gently placed back on the bed. "You would think after five children that that man would be smarter." Even in her weakened state, Artemis didn't miss the playful smirk on the older woman's face.
Any thoughts of escape, or even attempting to keep this woman from doting on her, quickly left Artemis's mind as she was forced to give into her exhaustion. The blanket was tucked around her and another soon joined it. The whole affair reminded Artemis far too much of her own mother that probably thought she was dead, again. "I haven't been tucked into bed in a very long time. Just asking...why am I naked? Some clothes would be nice."
"After your fever has broken, I will be more than happy to see that you get some proper attire. For now though, you willstay in that bed. Do I make myself clear young lady?" Again Artemis had to smirk at the scowl that was on Catelyn's kind face as the young archer nodded her understanding. Catelyn sat herself down in a nearby wooden chair that was covered in a simple blanket and cushion. "Now that that's settled, I've heard that we have you to thank for Hagan's death." She reached over and soaked a piece of cloth in a nearby bowl before placing it on Artemis's forehead. At least the girl was taking her order not to leave her bed seriously. At the uncomfortable look on the blonde's face however, Catelyn cocked her head to the side in curiosity, unaware that he had been the first man she had ever killed.
"Well, it was better than the alternative." Artemis shivered from more than just her fever at the thought of what the man would have done to her, had he been given the chance. The fact he hadn't immediately slit her throat when he had had the chance hadn't escaped the archer's notice, which meant he had wanted her alive for something. She had no doubt that it wouldn't have been good, whatever Hagan had had planned at the time. "I'm going to take a guess and say that your people didn't plan to take him alive."
"We aren't very lenient to murderers and rapists in Winterfell. Especially not to a man that was both. Hagan had already been caught once, but he escaped my husband's justice. I'll have you know my Ned sleeps far better at night thanks to you. He takes his duty to protect the people of his lands seriously, and the idea of that man hurting anymore of them troubled him deeply."
While she still didn't feel comfortable with the idea of slaying a man, even one as vile as Hagan had proven to be, Artemis could tell the gratitude on Catelyn's face was genuine. "I was just in the right place, at the wrong time. Guess I shouldn't bother feeling guilty for getting rid of him then."
"No, you should not. Get some rest now, I'll be back to check on you shortly. Besides, your bowl needs another block of ice, and I can think of at least two men perfect for the task of replacing it." The playful and teasing smile on the woman's face was back in force, and Artemis could only shake her head in amusement at the older woman as she stood up from her chair. Before she left however, Catelyn looked over to the bed. "Thank you for not depriving me of one of my sons, no doubt afraid as you were." The Lady Stark paused for a moment as a thought occurred to her. "You may be truthful with me, Artemis isn't it? If he acted in a manner any less than-"
"He just startled me was all." Artemis was quick to interrupt, feeling more than a little ashamed of her actions despite the circumstances that had forced her hand. "Besides, as your son can tell you himself, I can take care of myself just fine. He didn't even know he was in trouble until I was behind him and putting his knife against his neck. I...never had any intention of using it."
"Good." With that simple, curt answer Catelyn turned and closed the door behind her. She had heard the rumors about the stranger right from her lord husband's mouth, that Artemis had the marks of a warrior trained and tested. Calluses on her hands, scars on her body, and if they doubted those clues, all they had to do was look to Robb and the near brush he had just had. Dangerous as she was physically, Catelyn and Eddard both had come to the same conclusion, that Artemis was no threat to them unless provoked as she had been, and even then she was loath to take a life. A mother's intuition was rarely wrong, and Catelyn had faith that it wasn't wrong now.
Present Day
"Artemis." Shaking her head, only then realizing she had allowed her mind to wander back to when she had first arrived in the area. Robb's face had been just as welcome then as it was now as he rode beside her to what was soon to be an execution field. "Drifting off behind the reigns isn't the best idea. Are you alright?" Despite the humor that she could see on the young man's face, the worry in his eyes was of far more interest to the archer as she sighed but nodded.
He knew better than to press her for answers, and so he rode in silence until Artemis gave him something to respond to. "I guess this whole thing got to me more than I thought Robb. I know the laws of the land thanks to Maester Luwin and your folks, but I was never a fan of the death sentence back home." It wasn't what was truly on her mind, but it was part of the issue. Robb wasn't fooled, but he went along with it for now.
"Because of how you were raised, if what you can call what your father put you through as such?" Artemis never got used to seeing the shift from the stern faced Lord Robb Stark he was showing her now, and the smiling young man he had been moments ago. It was just one of the many things she found painfully attractive about the eldest Stark son. Even the young Lord Stark was a kind man however, and he displayed his gentler nature as his hand fell on her shoulder and squeezed it. "I know you know the reason why it must be done, but in these times, an oath breaker and deserter is a danger we can ill afford to allow to roam free."
Not so long ago, Artemis would have pulled away as soon as she felt his hand on her arm, but she drew strength from the contact. The rumors that circulated about them could go to Hell for all Artemis cared however, as she placed her hand on his. She knew there was no way that it could ever be more than this anyway. Robb was supposed to marry some Lady of high standing, just as Eddard Stark had married Catelyn Tully long before she had ever dropped in. That didn't mean she had to like it.
Besides the obvious lost love she had weighing her down, two things stopped Artemis from saying anything. The first was the simple fact that despite her acceptance into the Stark guard and their lives in general, she was still the strange outsider. Theon was quick to remind her and she was quicker to knock sense into his iron skull. There were others who were mostly kinder about it, but they still made it a point to say it anyway.
The second reason was that Artemis refused to upset or outright anger Ned, not in such a selfish fashion at least. She was, and always would be, honest with him, even if it did rock the boat to do so. But when it came to her heart and those she deemed able to trust without question, she kept her own counsel even if it made her miserable to do so. As long as she kept those feelings for the eldest son a secret, Artemis figured everyone would be better off.
If she thought she was fooling anyone though, she was sadly mistaken.
As much as Theon disapproved of her less than ladylike ways, even he kept his mouth shut as Robb and Artemis rode by to catch up with Ned and the rest of his entourage. Jon Snow marked their passing a little less quietly however. "Two years and you'd think they had known each other all their lives, the way they act around the other. It's almost strange to me, seeing them together."
"You really don't see it do you? The little tart just wants a good fuck from your dear half-brother. Maybe he'll let you have her when he's done?" The ever present smile on Theon's face grew wider even as Jon frowned at the man's rude comment. "Oh...right. You've never wet your prick, have you Snow?"
"You'd best shut your mouth Greyjoy, before I do it for you." Jon was quick to reply, his hand having started to fall to the sword he kept on his belt. A bastard he might be, but Artemis had never done him harm. Nor had she ever had an ill word for him as most everyone else did. Jon would not stand silent as Theon insulted her at every turn.
If he saw where Jon's hand had gone, the ironborn man paid it no heed as he continued to rave. "I take orders from Lord Stark, not you. Maybe the daring little cunt is too dangerous for you? I'm sure I could always get the other guards to tie her up for you-" It wasn't until he was forcibly turned in the saddle by Artemis herself that Theon realized he was in trouble, again. He saw stars as her gloved fist slammed into his face, shattering his nose for the second time in a little as a day.
Jon Snow could barely look Artemis in the eyes as he tried to hide his obvious embarrassment. Even as Theon fell from his saddle and wound up in the dirt face first, it took all Jon could muster not to blush crimson at what she had overheard. "Don't worry about it Jon, there are plenty worse people I could find myself in bed with." Jon was beet red now as he continued to avoid her gaze. Thankfully, her attention turned back to Theon quickly enough. "As for you, did you learn nothing from yesterday? I knew your skull was made of iron but I didn't take you for a stupid idiot. Guess I was wrong."
"He never learns." Bran simply shook his head as he rode by them, a disgusted expression on his face. Even he knew better than to test Artemis's patience constantly, and he was the second youngest of his family.
"He will, one way or the other." Artemis had no doubt on that as she left Theon to catch up when she took his horse's reins in hand, leading the animal away while forcing the ironblood idiot to walk along behind them.
"When you're all finished acting like children, perhaps we can see this grim business done?" With just one stern look, Eddard Stark had silenced them all and restored peace at the same time. He was no fool to believe that Theon would forget this latest injury to his pride, but Ned wasn't too concerned with him at that moment as they approached the field where the deserter had been tied down to the chopping block already.
Artemis had seen war on a large scale before, had faced down aliens and worse in her life, but not once had she seen a man so obviously terrified. Not of his impending death, but of whatever he had supposedly seen beyond the infamous Wall that had caused him to flee to begin with. She had heard Old Nan's stories, same as everyone else that listened to them, and while she found it incredibly hard to believe that they rode spiders as big as hounds, Artemis still knew enough about the legends of the white walkers to wonder if they were as terrible as they were said to be.
"They...they're coming. Monsters... Dead, pale demons from beyond the Wall. I saw them, the white walkers." Eddard could clearly see that the man was obviously not in his right mind. Even so, with reports of wildlings fleeing the North and stranger things besides, even the Lord of Winterfell briefly wondered if there might be a grain of truth to the deserter's rambling words as he prepared to deliver the killing blow. "My Lord...please...tell my family, I'm no coward. I saw what I saw, and would have suffered worse than this. That's the gods honest truth." Tied down as he was, the deserter was comforted by Ned's silent nod to do as he asked.
"You have sworn an oath to the Night's Watch, and broken it. The punishment for this crime is death. I hereby carry out that sentence." With one quick, clean stroke Eddard Stark beheaded the man with his massive longsword.
Artemis saw Bran flinch out of the corner of her eye and wondered, yet again, why Ned had insisted on bringing him this time. This world is violent enough as it is. Why couldn't he have let the kid keep some of his innocence a little while longer? She realized a moment later how truly naive that thought was, as Bran's father walked over to his son and quietly spoke with him. 'The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword' speech... I guess he had to hear it sooner or later. She knew in her heart that Ollie lived by a similar code, even if she hadn't agreed with him at times.
The ride back to Winterfell was too quiet for Artemis's liking, but even she couldn't think of much to say after witnessing the execution. She was sure she wasn't the only one that was curious about what the man had been ranting and raving about up until his head hit the dirt. It wasn't until they rode out to the edge of the Wolfwood on their return trip that they had reason to talk again when their company came across the corpses of a couple of wild animals.
Theon, even with his nose freshly broken only a couple hours before, was the first to open his mouth. "It's a freak." It was one of the biggest wolves any of them had ever seen, save for perhaps Artemis herself since she remembered a giant white wolf back home that had taken an instant liking to Superboy.
Eddard knew better as he pulled the antler out of the wolf's throat before casting it aside. "It's a direwolf." It didn't take them long to discover that the great beast had been heavy with pups which had had to chew their way to freedom from their mother.
"I know it's a direwolf..." Theon rolled his eyes as he sarcastically continued. "I meant that little black runt of her's. Should we kill the litter? Best to keep them from the livestock. They'll never survive without their mother anyway." He even drew his dagger, planning to do the deed himself as he reached for the nearest of the lot.
"No!" Bran was quick to intervene, having already picked up one of the pups before anyone could say another word. "Please father." Maybe Theon was starting to learn as he refrained from pushing the boy away. Getting hit in the face twice in one day was his limit.
Jon had caught the look Theon had thrown at Artemis when he had pointed out the black pup that had crawled its way to her horse before the woman hopped down and landed lightly in front of the black bundle of fur. Artemis gently lifted the small wolf by the scruff of its neck and looked it in the face, curiosity far outweighing anything else. "Lord Stark, there are six pups here, one for each of the Stark children and mayhaps even for her." Jon was quick to point out, unaware of a seventh just yet. "The direwolf is a sigil of your house. We were meant to have them."
Eddard only needed a moment to consider his course. "You will feed them yourselves, train them yourselves, and if they die, you will bury them yourselves." No one was willing to refute Eddard's stern words even if it was what they had wanted in a sense. Artemis didn't know the first thing about raising a normal dog, let alone a wolf that would grow to be larger than her, but she wasn't alone in that boat she was sure. She almost opened her mouth to complain, but it was the amused look in Eddard's eyes, rather than his stern countenance, that stopped her. Two years and he knows me better than I know myself sometimes. She had the feeling Ned had played her, but she wasn't upset over it as she tucked the wolf under her fur cloak and hopped back onto her horse.
"Well look at this! The runt of the litter, and I thought the freak was small. This one's yours Snow." Theon was back to smirking like a loon as Snow looked back and saw a small white bundle of fur trying to catch up with the bastard. Going back to claim his own direwolf, Jon gently lifted the yipping ball of fur from the ground. "A bastard for a bastard, who would have thought." Left behind by its litter mates, it was no surprise Theon had thought of the insult as quickly as he had. Even so, Jon didn't respond to the man's attempt at 'humor' as he followed Artemis's example.
Artemis was distracted from staring at the small bundle of black fur clutched against her as they started riding once again. "What will you name her?" She wasn't surprised to see it was Jon's horse striding alongside hers.
"I don't know...I think maybe...Cheshire." The grey eyes and the black fur reminded the archer of her sister, Jade, also known as Cheshire. The name seemed to fit as the young pup looked up at her new mother and licked the bottom of her chin, earning an amused giggle from Artemis for her trouble. "Yep, definitely Cheshire."
"The name fits. And I don't even know what it means." Snow looked down to his own pup, obviously wondering what a good name for the runt might be.
"Ghost." Artemis said without needing to hear his mind to know what Jon was having trouble with. "I think it fits. As for what Cheshire means...maybe I'll tell you someday."
"I'll hold you to that promise." Jon replied, earning a smirk from the blonde as she rode off ahead of him and Theon. He looked to his right and saw that Robb was staring at them oddly for a moment but the strange look on the eldest Stark's face disappeared when he realized he was being observed. Is there truth to Theon's mutterings about them? Perhaps I should tell him I have no true feelings for her, even if I would be lying. The truth of the matter was that she was a little too headstrong for his liking, but Jon like most people, couldn't help but admire the stranger anyway. Whatever the case, he had no intention of getting between whatever budding romance there might be between her and Robb.
"Ghost...it's a fine name." Robb said, before quickly riding on ahead to catch up with Artemis. Only Eddard saw the confusion behind his son's eyes when he looked back just in time to see him look towards the archer in their group when he caught up with her. As much as it pained him to admit it, Robb and Artemis were a good fit together, but Starks put their honor and duty first. In their world, true love rarely won out. War and family commitments didn't allow it, something he knew all too well even if he was happily married to Catelyn now. Love had come later for them however.
And winter was coming.
Closing Notes; Vergil1989; Flashbacks are also coming. This chapter is a little shorter than I thought it'd be, but all in all, I thought it shaped up pretty good. Archer and myself have plans to do flashback sequences for all of the so far revealed members of the team, meaning you'll most likely get to see Tyrion in all of his lecherous habits when two beautiful women fall in his lap lol. Joking aside, this is just the beginning.
Archer83; Yup, this is just the beginning of their adventure in Westeros. Oh the places they will see, oh the people they will see killed...or get to kill. We aren't exactly planning on making Game of Thrones child friendly. We might even be more sadistic than HBO, who knows.
Vergil1989; I think someone's hoping that a certain spoiled boy prince gets the axe lol. Joking aside, Archer is right, soon enough things are bound to get bad. We are merely setting up the stage before chaos reigns and Winter has come again. 'Insert evil laughter here.' In all seriousness, we hope that you have enjoyed this new if albeit late chapter to the unfolding Song of the Seven Kingdoms. D Thoughtful feedback is most welcome.