Author's Notes: Sorry that it has been so long since I updated, problems with computer of the having to get a new one variety. I hope that this makes up for it.
Sansa continued to trudge along the King's Road, the snow was getting worse by the day. She wished that she still had the horse, but she did not. She had traded it to another group of refugees for food. The increasing cold was making it harder and harder to use other animals to obtain food. Additionally, Sansa had seen others on the road, including a number of rough looking men, looking with envy at the horse and she feared that it would be taken by force if she did not find a way to be rid of it and she had decided to do so while she could still gain something from it. Forced to walk her progress was slowed; however, it did have the advantage of making her harder to identify in the event that people where hunting for her. That seemed to be an increasingly unlikely as the distance between Sansa and the various claimants to the Iron Throne slowly but steadily grew. Now that she had time to think Sansa began to reconsider her course of action.
She had planned to return to the North, but she had not truly considered how far away it was from King's Landing, a fact which she was all too aware of now. She had been riding and walking for days and she was not even sure that she was out of the Crown Lands and she still had the Riverlands, now ruled by the Frey, to cross before she even reached the North. She briefly played with the idea of going to the Vale instead, it was still some distance away, but far closer than the North and they, as far as she knew, still maintained their neutrality. In the end she decided against it. Though neutral now there was knowing when that would change and if they did decide to enter the war Sansa would make an exhalant hostage and she had had quite enough of that. In addition to that after what Araya had done with their aunt Sansa was rather skeptical that she would receive a warm welcome in the Vale. Thus she continued her long slow trudge northward.
Gradually the crowds of people on the road diminished, with some turning east towards the Vale and others turning west towards the Westerlands. Few were interested in going to the Riverlands, much of which had been destroyed by near constant fighting during the War of the Five Kings and fewer still were interested in heading into the North, were the winter would hit the hardest and the presence of Stannis meant there was a good chance of fighting in the future. On the one hand this was to Sansa's advantage, as the roads emptying meant that she could make more speed, hunt a little more with her abilities and reducing the fear of her fellow travelers recognizing her. On the other hand there were fewer who might help if she needed and it meant that a woman traveling alone was more likely to be noticed and remarked on. For this reason she began to avoid the few people who shared the road with her and even concealing herself whenever she heard people on the road, especially if they were mounted.
She soon lost track of how many days she had been traveling. The days were shorter and the nights colder and the snows grew deeper. She was now constantly hungry and would happily have eaten a horse if she still had one. The only good thing was that it appeared that she had at last reached the Riverlands, if the number of burned farms and general appearance of devastation was anything to go by. While bad for those who dwelt there, there was an advantage for Sansa, as she spent more than one night crouching in the burnt-out remains of various homes and barns.
By now there was no one else on the road, there being nothing for them in the Riverlands and the roads to the Vale and the Westerlands were behind her. Despite this, there were indeed other people about, men wearing the livery of House Frey and houses Sansa assumed were sworn to them patrolling the area, it appeared that the Frey were keeping a tight grip on the lands which they had been awarded for their treachery. Fortunately they were not very thorough in their efforts, seemingly content to simply ride through the area and so Sansa had little difficulty in avoiding them.
She was awoken one morning in the burned-out barn that she had passed the night in by the sound of men moving around outside of the barn. Cursing herself for allowing herself to be so careless she tried desperately to think what to do. Trying to be as quietly as possible she scrambled up to the loft, hoping that they would not hear her and soon leave. To her horror they began to come into the barn. Even worse, they seemed to know that she, or at least that someone, was in the barn.
"Why are we doing this? Wasting time looking for some half-starved refugee?"
"Because his lordship ordered it that's why!" The second said, in a tone of voice which said that this was the end of the conversation. Hearing this Sansa tried to move farther back from the edge. As she did this she disturbed a rat, which ran off squeaking loudly.
"What was that?" One of them said.
"It came from up there!" Said the other. There followed the sounds of them clambering up the ladder to the loft. She frantically looked about for somewhere to hide, but there was nowhere. A moment latter the first man's head came up and their eyes met. She was about to attempt to use her abilities when he spoke.
"By the gods! It is you!"
"You know me?" Sansa asked, surprise and suspicion in her voice.
"Indeed my lady, we heard that you had vanished from King's Landing and we were told to keep an eye out for you. Come, the Frey might come by here at any time." Confused Sansa went with them.
she was tired, cold and hungry. She decided that if it turned out to be a trap she could at least get some food and a warm place to sleep to allow her to gather her strength before she attempted to escape. So she made no protest as the men led her outside to where two horses were tied up. The men untied them and they mounted, Sansa climbing up behind one of the men. They rode for over an hour and Sansa was quite sore from sitting on the rump of the horse. At last they entered a small cluster of trees where around fifteen men were, some with horses and some without. Sansa paid them little mind, her attention was all on one man. She had not seen him in some time and he was older, but by his face and his heraldry. As the man too recognized her and moved towards her she dropped down from the horse and ran to embrace her uncle, Brynden Tully.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, what did you think? I was told by one reader that they were tired of her constantly being captures so I thought I would give you all a "not again" moment before the reveal. I will try to make the next longer. Till then please pray for a girl missing in my area, Asia Bibi, who is still threatened and all who need prayer. Bye and may Jesus bless you.