Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I hope that you liked the last chapter. I was told it was a bit short, I apologize. I will try for longer with this one, as always I own nothing.
Sansa's eyes slowly opened. For a moment she was not sure where she was, but by turning her head about she saw that she was in her pare…her room. She tried to sit up, but the effort left her nauseous and she felt a pain in her shoulder. Looking at it she saw that it had been bandaged heavily and underneath was a poultice. She tried to remember what had happened, but the details were fuzzy. She remembered that she had been in the courtyard with Brienne and that they had been talking, or she had been talking, Sansa's memory were a bit fuzzy on that. She remembered there being pain, but she did not know what had caused it.
Her movements caused someone sitting in a chair. They rose and hurried from the room, ignoring Sansa's calls. Shortly after the person had gone Maester Wolkan entered the room. He bent down to examine the bandage on her shoulder, making satisfied sounds as his examination progressed. At last finished, he looked up and smiled.
"I am pleased to report, my lady that the wound is healing nicely."
"What happened?" Sansa asked. Her throat was dry and her voice raspy. Maester Wolkan went to a nearby table and poured a cup of water from a pitcher and handed it to her. As she drank he continued to speak.
"I fear my lady that you were shot by an arrow." It made sense, but that raised another question.
"Who shot me?"
"I fear that I do not know my lady. Sir Massey has instituted a search of the castle, but so far nothing." Sansa thought about that. She had thought that she was safe in Winterfell, the home of her family for thousands of years. The thought of threats lurking even in her home made her sad and angry all at once. Then she thought of something occurred to her which took her mind away from her own problems. Turning to Maester Wolkan, enduring the lance of pain which flashed in her body, she asked the question which had forced its way to the front of her mind.
"Where is Brienne? Is she alright?" Maester Wolkan gently, but firmly, eased her back down on the bed.
"Easy my lady, or you will undo all my good work. The Lady Brienne is fine, the archer fired only at you. She is without and glares at all who come to see you, most furiously too I might add." This last being said with a slight chuckle. Her mind put ease, Sansa lay back on the bed. She was glad that Brienne was alright. Now that that matter had been settled she could turn her mind back to the far less pleasant matter of how to find out who had shot her.
While she had committed a murder or two in King's Landing, she had no skill in investigating one, she would not even be sure how to begin such a thing. She knew how the Queen or Joffrey would react. They would torture and brutalize everyone that they get their hands on till someone told them what they wanted to hear. Sansa could not even bring herself to think about taking such a course of action. Father would never have done such a thing and she would not either. Still, if she did not wish to be murdered she would have to find out who was doing trying to kill her. She turned to Maester Wolkan.
"Send Sir Massey to me." He looked unhappy, but nodded his assent.
"Very well my lady, but not for too long as you must rest. After you have spoken to him I would like to give you milk of the poppy to help you sleep." Sansa nodded and the man departed. It was likely that whomever had killed Sir Gower was also the same person who had tried to kill her, or at least she hoped so as she really did not want to think that there were two separate killers running loose in Winterfell. If he had had any progress in finding the knight's killer then it was likely that meant that the mystery of her own attack would be solved.
She did not have to wait long for Sir Massey. He came in and gave her his dazzling smile. Despite everything, including her own best efforts, she felt her face flushing at his smile. Seeing this his smile grew, if possible, even wider. Sansa shook her head to clear it and focus on the matters she had called him in.
"Sir Massey, has there been any progress on the search for Sir Gower's killer?" At her words his smile departed from his face.
"Not as yet my lady. Neither have we yet managed to locate whomever it was who shot at you. We inspected where we think the archer shot from, but whomever it was left no trace. However; we are continuing to investigate and I am sure that we shall locate whomever is responsible for these outrages." Sansa nodded and signaled for him to depart. She was feeling tired and did not want to think about it anymore for the time being. She closed her eyes and was soon asleep.
She was not sure how long she slept, when she awoke she saw a faint light outside through her window, though she was not sure if it was morning or evening. The effects of the milk of the poppy were still making her weak, but the pain had receded and she was hungry. She tried to get out of bed, but found that she was still too weak and flopped back down on the bed. Fortunately the sounds of her efforts drew a servant standing outside.
"Are you alright my lady?" The youth, little more than a boy, asked her.
"Bring me food and drink, and send Lady Brienne to me at once." The servant bowed and departed. Brienne must have been standing just outside the door and was in almost at once.
She looked worn, as if she had not had much sleep in the last couple of days. Still, her face seemed to light up when she saw Sansa. She came up to the bed and went down on one knee to look Sansa in the eye.
"My lady, thank the gods you are alright! When you fell I feared the worse."
"It is alright. Maester Wolkan has assured me that I shall be alright. Hopefully, I shall be up in a day or two." This seemed to calm the larger woman somewhat, as she relaxed somewhat. Seeing her Sansa remembered that Brienne had been about to say something when Sansa had been shot.
"Before this happened," Sansa began; "You were about to say something. What was it?" Brienne looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then gathered herself and spoke.
"It is nothing my lady, it can wait. For now ensuring that you are safe is all that matters." Sansa nodded. It was clear that whatever was bothering Brienne was not a minor thing. Still, if Brienne was not willing to talk about it Sansa would not press her. If it was important then she was sure that Brienne would talk about it when she was ready. Brienne made to leave, but Sansa had her take a seat and talk about what she had been doing since Sansa had escaped from King's Landing.
It seemed that Brienne had stayed in the city for another few days after Sansa's escape in the hope that Sansa would seek her out. Once it became clear that that was not going to happen Brienne decided to leave the city and begin to look for her herself. She had feared that the Lannisters may try to stop her, but in the uproar over the Queen's arrest and the preparation for the arrival of Tywin Lannister, none in the Red Keep had paid her much mind as she slipped out.
Her only difficulty had been from the Faith Militant. After Sansa's escape and the arrest of the Queen the Faith Militant had apparently feared that Sansa and others targeted by the Faith Militant might flee the city and had placed members at all the gate. Brienne had been recognized by the three members of the Faith Militant at the gate that she was trying to leave through. They had tried to seize her, but she had knocked them to the ground and had been on her way. There had been half a dozen Gold Cloaks there as well, but they had merely stood by and watched, it seemed that there was some resentment between the two groups and they were quite pleased to see some of the Faith Militant beaten up a bit. Sansa had enjoyed that part and had Brienne repeat it several times.
After leaving the city Brienne had decided to head north, thinking that Sansa would attempt to rejoin her brother at the Wall. Her efforts had been hampered due to the fact that she had to avoid Tywin's army, including its scouts and outriders. By the time that was accomplished, and the equally difficult task of making her way through the River Lands, she had been halted by the problem of getting through the Neck. She had been forced to make her way to the Vale and take passage on a ship to White Harbor and from there to Winterfell. Just as she finished speaking the door opened and Maester Wolkan, a tray with food and drink on it, came into the room.
"That took a while." Sansa said, made slightly petulant by hunger and thirst. Maester Wolkan bowed.
"Forgive me my lady. In light of the possibility that the person who attacked you might be the same person who poisoned Sir Gower I had a sample of all the food and drink fed to an old dog we found and I oberseved the animal for several minutes to see if there were any effects before I brought it up to you." His words made Sansa stare at the food for a moment, but then hunger drove her to eat. As she did so there came a ferocious pounding on the door. Sansa tensed and Bienne went for her sword. A guard opened the door and said that a man was here with important news who begged an audience, Sansa agreed and the man entered.
He was not one of her people and from the look of him he had clearly ridden hard, as he was sweating even in the cold had his breath came in heaves. After a moment he regained enough breath to speak and bowed.
"My lady, I bring important news from the South. There has been a great battle in the South off the coast of Dorne. The Ironborn attacked the fleet of the Dragon Queen. It is said that they took her ships unaware and even now her fleet is burnt and sunk."
Author's Notes: Hello everyone, I hope you liked this chapter. I was not sure how to handle the whole Brienne thing so I used the assassination as an out, her loyalty trumping revenge, at least for now. Ok, things are going to get interesting next time. Till then please pray for the victims of modern slavery and all who need prayers. Bye and may Jesus bless you.