I came to see the men off for the hunt. Since the king was taking his son, Robb and Theon were allowed to go, much to their pleasure. Robb in particular wanted to spend as much time as he could with his father before they left the next day.
"Robb, your wife is good with a bow is she not?" the king asked as I walked near with my husband.
Robb looked upon me with a grin, "One of the best I've seen."
"You must come along then too, Ana," King Robert insisted.
My eyes widened as my mouth fell open a bit in surprise, "Your grace, please, this is for you and your men's entertainment."
Both the look of panic from Lady Catelyn and the promise of sword fighting with Jon made my wish to stay far outweigh my curiosity to go.
"I believe my wife has need for Ana to stay here," Lord Eddard spoke up.
Lady Catelyn gave her husband a grateful smile as King Robert added, "Gods, Ned, taking the fun from everything."
Robb gave me a disappointed half smile and kissed me softly, leaving a smile on my face.
"Next time," I whispered, squeezing Robb's hand before he mounted his horse.
I could only imagine the fun of the hunt, but I knew this was the last day I would have with Jon. He would leave with Uncle Ben the next day – along with the party to King's Landing.
"No one to slow us down," Joffrey said, loudly enough for those nearby and me to hear but not the king.
Robb gave him a once over, "Are you sure of that?"
Joffrey returned a cool glance as Robb kicked his horse to gallop with the leaders of the party. I grinned at him as he rode off before turning back to the Keep. Jon and Ghost were waiting for me.
"So, last day…what is our plan?" I asked softly.
"Our plan is for you to stop giving me those sad eyes and get ready to fight. Balance is what we need to work on now. The footwork is closer to what we need, so I'll start on balance with you. Robb and Theon will continue it," Jon answered.
"My balance needs work?" I asked.
Jon shrugged, "Not quite. We can work on your strength, but you'll never have the muscles the men you may fight will have."
"Robb probably prefers it that way."
Jon's face brightened with a laugh, "Yes, so, you'll do best through surprise and getting your opponent unbalanced."
I nodded, "Okay, let's start."
Jon and I practiced for a long while, running drills as he offered suggestions. We took a break, sitting down to drink some water and wiping the sweat from our brows.
"Are you excited?" I ventured.
Jon smiled softly, "It will be so different. I can't even begin to think what the Wall will look like, be like."
"It sounds unreal. I—"
A horrible, moaning howl forced Jon and I to our feet. Ghost shot to his feet and replied with a low, heart breaking yowl. It had to be the cry of a direwolf. I looked at Jon in confusion, but he was already running out the door.
I chased after him towards the howl. The poor direwolf never stopped crying, so it was easy to find our way. It was below the tower, but when Jon and I got there, Maester Luwin was directing two men to carefully carry something inside.
"What happened?" I demanded, pushing closer.
My mouth fell open, seeing Bran, limp on the plank. For a moment, it appeared that he was not breathing, but as the color began to drain from my face, I saw the shallowest of breaths cause his chest to rise.
"Oh gods," I whispered.
My hand was suddenly at my mouth as I stared at Bran. My warm breath beat erratically against my palm as my eyes began to sting. I felt Jon's hand enclose around my shoulder while one million thoughts darted through my mind.
"Did he fall?" I asked, surprised at the airy, distant tone in my voice.
Maester Luwin nodded, but Jon spoke up, "Bran never falls."
The maester looked at Jon with sad eyes before following as two men lifted the plank.
"Carefully," he instructed. "Our next few actions are the most important. Ana, tell Lady Catelyn, and Jon, keep the direwolf away from our feet."
Bran's direwolf padded around; his eyes had the same wildness to them that Grey Wind's had when Robb was so upset. He continued to howl, causing all of the wolves to howl. I wondered if Grey Wind did the same on the hunt.
"What is all this noi—"
Sansa stopped suddenly. The words froze in her throat, and all she could manage to choke out was a painful scream upon seeing her brother's near lifeless body. Her knees started to give way.
I stepped forward and pulled her into a strong hug. Sansa was taller than me, but I still managed to support her weight as she sobbed on my shoulder, shaking.
Arya was not far behind her. Her face went pale but she stepped towards Bran quickly, crying, "Bran! No! Please!"
Jon swooped in, scooping Arya up and holding her to his chest. The men walked away with Bran. Arya struggled to reach him, but she could barely get a hand lose from Jon's grip. I hugged Sansa tightly, my shoulder beginning to soak with her tears.
"He is still breathing. Maester Luwin has not given up," I reminded her, stroking her hair.
It did not seem to help. Sansa continued to sob. I looked up to Jon. His brown eyes swam with concern and fear. I returned the same look, but as Sansa lifted her head, I hardened my expression into a look of confidence. I took her face in my hands, forcing Sansa to look at me.
"Do not give up hope. Not ever."
Sansa nodded; her tears never stopped, but I could tell she was trying to believe me. I hugged her again. Before long, Septa Mordane arrived to take the girls to their chambers. I looked back at Jon, who fought with Bran's wolf, attempting to keep him near. Ultimately, he let the wolf go. Although the door was long closed, the wolf ran towards the entrance to Bran's room.
I turned tail as well in a search for Lady Catelyn. She was not hard to find, coming down to see what had caused all of the commotion. When she saw my face, I could see her heart sinking as her expression fell.
"What happened?" she demanded, her tone cold.
"It's Bran. He fell while climbing, but he's alive."
She said nothing. Her expression an odd mix of anger, fear, and sadness. I remembered my mother looking at me just the same when I fell from my horse and broke my arm, trying to jump a gate. It was the look of saying "I told you as much" while wishing you had been completely wrong.
I took her arm, silently leading her towards Bran's room. Her blue eyes seemed to be searching for answers the entire way. When we reached the door, however, she removed her arm and walked into the room with her head held high, a look of confidence upon her face.
It disappeared when she looked saw her son, though. Her face went white, and she froze no more than ten steps inside the chamber.
"My lady, you should not be in here," Maester Luwin stated as he worked over Bran's body.
My stomach began to twist in knots, seeing his legs so broken, fractured in so many places.
"I should be with my son," Lady Catelyn returned with a strength that was totally missing in her expression.
He nodded her towards a chair. Moving slowly, Lady Catelyn sat down and watched, her face creased with worry. I found a chair next to her and pulled it next to her, holding her hands. The tears streamed silently down her face as she struggled to keep from sobbing. We sat like that for gods knew how long as the maester worked over him.
"Your husband will return soon, my lady," Maester Luwin said, looking at us for the first time since we had sat down.
She did not answer, lost in her own thoughts.
"My lady?" Maester Luwin tried again, but to no avail.
Lady Catelyn was gone, staring at her son. I squeezed her hand, knowing it would do little good, and let go.
"I will tell him," I stated.
Maester Luwin offered me a soft smile.
"Is there any news I can give them before they come up here?"
"Tonight will be the test. If he survives this night, I believe Bran will live."
I nodded and stood. My legs shook as Maester Luwin took hold of my shoulder, trying to impart his confidence into me. Now, it was my turn to give him a grateful smile, nodding at him before I stepped outside. I stood in the courtyard without a cloak, letting the cold wind whip at my face, trying to numb myself before the hunting party returned.