Theon reached out for me as the guard's words tumbled from his mouth. He was speaking my language, but my mind refused to let me understand, muting the man in my own head.

I felt Theon's grasp on my arm as he pulled me into him, letting me cry on his shoulder. I grasped him tightly, knowing that although his father by blood was still alive in the Iron Islands, Theon had just lost the only man he truly knew to raise him.

When I raised my head, Theon had no tears in his eyes, just a lost look like he didn't know what to do or say. I pulled him into a tight hug once again, but soon pulled away.

"I need to find Robb," I added, knowing that the throbbing in my chest wouldn't stop until he was holding me although I was terrified about what state he would be in himself.

Theon nodded in silence as I pulled away and followed the guard's direction to find Robb. The wind whipping at my face was my only reminder that this was real. Pulling my cloak further around my shoulders, I tried to hurry towards the woods. When I did, I found him standing in front of his mother.

"I will kill every last one of them!" he sword.

His face was red with anger, his eyes pure blue as tears streamed down his face. I felt paralyzed in place, caught between desperately wanting to hold him and feeling so sick with empathy at seeing him like this that I might vomit.

"Robb, we cannot, not until we have Arya back," Lady Catelyn insisted, her voice waivering with grief.

"We need proof they have her!" Robb exclaimed, through heaving breaths. "They killed Father; why would think they would keep Arya? We've heard nothing from her, no letter from her hand, nothing! She's gone, Mother."

"I cannot believe—"

"They are all gone. This is it! This is our family now!"

Catelyn was rooted in place; her mouth lay open but no words came out. With one step, Robb pulled her into an embrace as she cried on her son's shoulder. I watched for the longest time as Robb tried to stay brave, tried to hold off any more tears that were edging into his eyes.

Quietly, I moved towards them. Robb's expression seemed to soften with just the smallest hint of relief as he caught my eye. He wrapped me into his shoulder as I hugged both he and Catelyn.

For a long time, none of us moved until Catelyn finally raised her head to pull away. She did not brush away the tracks of her tears but still somehow looked composed. There was misery in her eyes but strength in her expression as she stood without support.

Robb turned to look at her, still keeping an arm tightly around my shoulder.

"Take your time. We will be waiting when you return," Catelyn added, smoothing the cloak on her son's shoulder.

As she stepped away, I fell back into Robb's arms, trying as much to comfort him as to let him comfort me. I knew there was nothing I could say. When my father died, there were no words to set me back to myself; it was only time that could do that.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, feeling a stabbing guilt for not being there the moment he found out.

Robb pulled me tighter to his chest, unable to say what he was thinking. I remembered how agonizing this was – to have lost someone, to be close enough that you feel you might have done something, to know you'll never speak with the person again, and wishing to the gods that you had a moment to tell them you loved them. Just once more. Tears began to sting my eyes for Robb, for Eddard, and for my own father.

After a long while, Robb's tears stopped falling on top of my hair.

"Where were you?" he asked softly, hoping for some sort of distraction.

"I was hunting with Theon, but we ended up catching a lion rather than a deer."

Robb's expression hardened, "What?"

"We found a scout," I began to explain but Robb's eyes were flashing with fire.

"He took you out into the woods. Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"It's fine. I'm safe. Theon is safe. I actually repaid a debt to him, and—"

"—This is not fine. He should know better," Robb returned angrily, turning heel towards camp.

"Robb!" I called after him. "Robb! You are overreacting!"

He moved so much quicker than me as he strode towards camp. He was so used to walking in snow, and here, I felt loose limbed from my life in the plains. This was only a distraction to Robb, but later, I knew he would be angry with himself if he pushed Theon too far.

I saw the Ironborn, sitting in front of Robb's tent, his head in hands.

"Theon!" Robb roared, causing his friend to turn around in shock. He did not stand immediately, but as Robb stormed towards him, he got to his feet as did Grey Wind, who padded next to his master. The Greatjon watched with curiosity along with a few other lords, including Lord Whyte.

"How dare you?" Robb demanded.

Theon's eyes grew to an abnormal size, "How dare I what?"

"You took my wife out there, put her in danger, and—"

"—She is fine, Robb."

"She might not have been!" he yelled, taking hold of Theon's cloak in his hands.

"Stop this!" I exclaimed, momentarily breaking Robb and Theon's concentrations so that Will could pull Theon out of Robb's hands and quickly step between them.

Robb turned a cold expression to Will, "What are you doing?"

"Stopping you from doing something you will regret when you are less angry," Will returned very quietly.

"He shouldn't have put Ana in that situation," Robb added, pointing towards Theon.

Theon looked at him in shock, "Do you think for a moment that I will ever let anything happen to her?"

Robb stared at Theon for a long time, then Will, and finally me. I could feel my furrowed brow and only imagined the panic in my expression, largely thinking he might hit my brother, but also from concern about what Robb would do to his friendship with Theon.

"This has been an emotional day for all of us," I spoke up before I even realized I was saying anything. "Robb, you lost of a father; Theon, you a man who might as well have been. Although in different circumstances, Will and I know just how difficult that is."

I glanced towards my brother, who drew a deep breath, looking away from me. To this day, I couldn't imagine the pain he went through to see my father in his last moments of life. He was much stronger, much more controlled, than even I gave him credit for, but no matter how strong, it still hurt. I pulled my gaze away from him and look back at Robb, whose eyes grew softer, a glassier blue.

"We should all rest for a while and come back together tonight," I suggested, nodding Will towards Theon.

I took Robb's hand and let him lead me to our tent, hoping I might be able to calm some of the rage filling within him.

"He is so arrogant; he thinks he can walk into any situation, any battle and walk out without a scrape. So much so that he means to drag you along with him!"

"Robb," I pulled his arms away from his curly hair, forcing them to cup my face. "I'm here with you. You can feel me, can't you?"

He breathed a soft sigh of relief, "Of course, I can. I just can't lose you, Ana. Even if today had never happened…I can't lose you."

His blue eyes melted into mine as I pushed my lips to his. Robb moved his hands from my face, down my shoulders and back, pulling me into him as shivers chased up my spine. My body heated under his touch, and my hands explored his chest, slowly moving down his stomach to his breeches that tightened underneath my fingers.

His breathing grew heavier just before I pulled away, promising, "You will never lose me."

His eyes met mine, filled with desire and need, as he lifted me off my feet and carried me to the bed. We didn't emerge until well into the evening. By that time, most everyone had eaten supper. And, it seemed the men had mostly been waiting nearby for their leader to reappear.

"Bring me the scout," Robb ordered.

Almost instantly, Will and Theon appeared. Will cast a curious glance towards me; with a simple shake of my head and an intent stare towards Robb, I had silently communicated that I was just as unsure of what my husband would do as Will was.

The scout was brought in front of us and tossed to the ground. He raised himself up just enough to take hold of his shoulder.

"How long have you been scouting our forces?" Robb demanded, his voice booming with more authority than I had ever heard.

"Not long," the man replied.

Robb tossed a glance towards the Greatjon. "And what have you seen?"

"Very little," the man added quietly.

"What have you seen?" Robb demanded again, his voice building with anger.

The man bowed his head further, not wanting to see what might come next. "20,000 men I counted."

Robb was silent for a long moment, casting a stare between his lords and finally resting it on me. There was something mischievous in his gaze; it was a look I hadn't seen on his face, at least outside of our chamber, in far too long. I found myself smirking at him even as I nodded him on.

"Tell Tywin Lannister that twenty thousand men are coming for him," Robb said, his voice eerily calm.

"My lord—" The Greatjon and Lord Karstark both spoke up but were silenced with Robb's raised hand.

Robb turned an icy stare towards them, "He will go. None shall stop him, and Twyin can try to prepare, but know this." Robb turned back to the scout, who now stared at him in wide-eyed wonder, "My family has lost enough because of your lot, and I will kill every last one of the Lannister house before they take anyone else from mine."