Author's Notes: Hey everyone, glad that you liked the last chapter. As always I own nothing.
Led by the crannogmen Sansa and the others moved into the Neck. She had never been there, save for the kingsroad and so she had not seen much of it. The ground soon became marshy and they were forced to travel by boats, the horses and the majority of the men with them being led by a different path while Sansa, her uncle and Maester Lawsen were going to meet Howland Reed. As they traveled further into the Neck Sansa soon realized that she had no idea how to get back to where they had first met the crannogmen.
It was like no place which Sana had ever seen or heard of. Strange trees grew out of the water, the chill of the Riverlands was replaced by air which seemed unnaturally warm by comparison. Trees grew out of the water and there were numerous plant flowers and other plants that she did not recognize. The air buzz with flies and mosquitoes and numerous snakes slithered through the water. On small islands scaled lizard lions lay, some raising their heads and hissed at them. Sansa had never seen a lion, but she had seen pictures of them and of course she had frequently seen the Lannisters' sigil. In her opinion the creatures before her looked nothing like lions. She thought that they more closely resembled wingless dragons. That thought made her shudder, remembering the Queen's dragons and the power which they could unleash, seemingly on a whim. Seeing some of them moving through the water looking more like logs she feared that the creatures would attack them, but their guides assured her that the lizard lions rarely attacked groups of people, especially when there were as many people as their group contained. She was not sure how long they traveled, they seemed to be going in a roundabout manner instead of a straight ling and the sun was beginning to sink when they at last reached Greywater Watch, the ancestral seat of House Reed.
It was like no castle that she had ever seen. It was situated on the island which appeared to be moving and instead of stone it was made of twigs, mud, moss and bank branches. Indeed, had there not been lights burning in it, Sansa would not have realized that it was a castle at all. She had known that it was like no castle in Westeros, but knowing and seeing were two very different things. As the boat came up to it they were met by a party of twelve men. They were armed in the same manner as their guides, with leather shields with the black lizard lion of House Reed upon them and three-pronged spears and several of them had bronze knives on their belts.
One thing which struck Sansa was their height. When she had met Howland he had been shorter than her. After Lord Tyrion she had some familiarity with being taller than men, but that had always been the exception, not the rule. Here the reverse was the case. So far she had not seen a single crannogman who was as tall as she was and they were all slender, some of them more so and looked malnourished. She and her uncle seemed to tower over those all around them. They were escorted through Graywater till they at last shown into the private quarters of Howland Reed.
He looked more worn than the last time Sansa had seen him, as if time and care had worn away at him, as it had for most people living in Westeros. Still, when he rose and bowed he was smiling.
"Lady Stark, Sir Tully, welcome to Graywater. It pleases me to see that you were successful in making your way here and escaping the notice of the Freys." Her uncle bowed in turn.
"My lord, I thank you for your kind words and for your hospitality."
"I could do no less for my liege lady and daughter of my closest friend." He then turned his attention back to Sansa.
"My lady, I offer you the hospitality of my home for as long as you wish to stay and I shall provide guides to lead you through the Neck to the other side."
"I thank," Sansa said; "But I am also curious. We saw no scouts, how did you know that we were coming?" He smiled at her in a manner which she could not understand.
"The trees told me." After that he would say no more on the matter.
That night there was a feast to welcome them. It was nothing like the feasts which had been held at Winterfell. The fruits vegetables were mostly unfamiliar to her. The food was mostly of fish and the main course was a thick stew which contained a strange form of meat which she found somewhat chewy and oily, but those around her seemed to enjoy it greatly. When she enquired of her host what meat it was Reed told her that it was the flesh of the lizard lion. Sansa remembered the creatures and marveled that anyone would dare to hunt them. As the feast drew to an end Howland expressed his desire to speak to her in private. They went to his private quarters and there he turned back to her and there was a serious look on his face.
"Lady, you have looked into the future." It was not a question and Sansa did not bother to either deny it or ask him how he knew it.
"Was that indeed the future?" She asked simply. "Maester Lawsen says that there is no truth in such methods."
"To answer your second statement, to the maesters of the Citadel if it is not in a scroll or book it does not exist or is not true.
"As for your question. In a sense. The future is a difficult thing to see. We may see what shall be, what could be and what we fear shall come to pass." He voice and face became grim and as he spoke the room seemed to grow darker and colder.
"And there are powers in the world, some long sleeping now awakening and others which wish to join them have the power to influence what we see. One should always be careful when one attempts to pierce the veil and see what is on the other side."
"But if we can see what is to come should we not? Especially now?" Though she did not say it the images of the Others and what she had seen in her visions came to her mind, causing her to shiver. He looked at her, old grief and sorrow on his face.
"Trust me my lady, as one who knows it for fact. Just because one can see the future does not mean one can change it. No matter how much one may wish to. And while we cannot always change the future, there is always a price for seeing it, always."
They departed two days later, a fact for which Sansa was grateful for. After their conversation he had become withdrawn and morose and had barely been seen. He did not even see them off, a fact which some in her party grumbled about. He did; however, provide them with guides to lead them out of the Neck. Sansa was grateful and she was sure that the others were well as the patches of dry ground seemed to be floating. However; the guides seemed to be able to find their way.
This went on for days, though Sansa soon lost track of time as it seemed that days and nights blended together. They seemed to be heading out as the trees began to thin and the air grew colder. At last they left the trees behind and all before them was an extensive marsh. In the distance was a hill upon which was a fortress and near it what could only be the kingsroad. She turned to the guide.
"Is that…" He seemed to know what she was going to ask and answered before she could finish.
"It is my lady. That is Moat Cailin." Sansa was home.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I hope you liked it. I got the ideas for Reed and his castle from the internet as the castle is not clearly described and I found a theory I read interesting. So, the show has come to an end. Are you sad to see it go? Anyway, Sansa is home now and things are going to liven up. Till then please pray for those in need and may Jesus bless you.