Author's Notes: Hey everyone, sorry that it has been so long, hope that this makes up for it. As always I own nothing SPOILER WARNING: This chapter will have characters from the books if you are not caught up.
Once Brienne had recovered they set off for Winterfell, her uncle and most of his people would be staying behind to aid in the defense so Sansa had only a small escort. Fortunately, there were no attacks or other difficulties on the road to Winterfell, save for the weather which continued to worsen. One of the men-at-arms commented that some had said that it would be a long and hard winter after such a long summer. Sansa did not like such talk. She remembered Old Nann's stories about the Long Night, especially the part when she would say that an entire generation was born, grew up and died without ever having seen the sun. Though she knew that it was foolish Sansa would find herself sitting up long after the others had gone to sleep, sometimes the whole night, staring at the horizon to assure herself that the sun would indeed rise and half afraid that it would not.
More and more of the old stories came back to her, snow piled taller than a man, people starving and freezing while women smothered his children to end their suffering. When she had been younger she had always disliked those stories, but she had always told herself that they were only stories, or if they were true they had happened so long ago that they might as well be. Now they were coming to life and the stories came back in horrific clarity, reminding Sansa what was to come and she was one of the people who had to prevent it from happening or to lessen the suffering of her people if that could not be done.
It made Sansa want to scream. She did not want this responsibility. She had dreamed of a crown when she was younger, yes, but that had been different. She had dreamed of ruling beside a brave and noble king in a city in the south where life was an endless array of feasts and tourneys and singers and poetry. Not trying to stave an icy darkness trying to engulf the world. She was never meant to have to deal with such things. She wanted her father, she wanted Robb, she wanted someone to come and take the responsibility away from her. But no one would and she knew it. These thoughts culminated one night when she at last fell asleep and had a nightmare.
In the dream she was standing alone on an icy field in the dead of night. There was no moon in the sky, but she could still see things plainly. A howling wind suddenly whipped up, driving snow and ice particles into her flesh till it felt as if it was simultaneously being frozen and ripped off. The howling increased and Sansa found herself facing a mass of snow and ice moving towards her, it was like an avalanche, only on heading straight across a plain instead of down a mountainside. Though she could see no one she heard voices. Brienne, Lord Manderly, her uncle, the Liddles, the Knotts and all the other hill tribes. The Glovers, the Mormonts and all the other people of the North. They were crying out for her to save them, but she did not know how. Just as the snow enveloped her she could have sworn that there were eyes of glowing ice staring out from the snow at her. As the cold crashed into her she awoke with a stifled scream.
"Are you alright my lady?" A guard poked his head into her tent to ask.
"Yes," she said, trying to get the fear out of her voice; "I am fine. It was merely a bad dream." The man bowed and withdrew.
Alone again Sansa lay back and tried to calm her nerves. She thought she remembered Melisandre once saying that she hated sleeping as she feared dreaming. After what she had just experienced Sansa now understood. If she could she would not sleep either. She feared that if she slept she would dream again. She knew that staying awake indefinitely was impossible, instead she drove herself to stay awake as long as possible every day so that when she final had no choice but to final rest she hoped that she would sleep so deeply she would not dream.
This led to her setting a vigorous pace and despite the snow, which grew ever deeper, they reached White Harbor sooner than anticipated. From there they would travel the majority of the rest of the way by barge up the White Knife, which was fast-flowing enough that it was not iced over. While Sansa was eager to return to Winterfell and still feared to sleep she had to admit that it would be very pleasant to sleep in a warm bed and be out of the snow and wind. She hoped that the change of environment would mean that she would not dream.
As they entered the city she soon realized that they were far from the only visitors to the city. It was full of men, many of them bearing sigils which Sansa did not recognize and above them all was a banner of solid gold which, unusually, had no device on it. Though she had never seen it before she could make a guess.
"The Golden Company." She said.
"Indeed," said a knight who had met them at the gate and was escorting them to meet Lord Manderly.
"They have been arriving for weeks. It seems that the weather is worsening at sea it seems and their ships were scattered and they have been arriving singularly and in groups. The King has been having the majority of them join him at the Wall while others are going south." He paused and lowered his voice and looked around, as if he feared a spy hearing what he said next.
"Personally my lady, I will be quite happy when the lot of them have gone. They may claim to be Westerosi, at least many of them do, but I'll be damned if one in ten of them were born here and they have a heap of foreign-born among them too." Sansa merely nodded and they soon arrived at New Castle, the seat of House Manderly.
When they arrived they were immediately shown into the audience chamber of Lord Wylis Manderly. The lord himself rose from his seat to greet Sansa as she entered.
"My lady, I can not tell you how I rejoice to see you safe and returned to your lands. I and my family prayed constantly to the Seven for your safe return." As he continued Sansa looked about the room and took in who else was there.
In addition to the usual guards there was Lord Manderly's councilors, the Queen, who was spending the Winter in White Harbor and several men whom she presumed were officers of the G olden Company. Two figures stood out to her. One of them had skin as black as coal, clearly a Summer Islander like Prince Jalabhar Xho whom she had met in King's Landing. His hair was as white as his skin was black and he wore a cloak of colored feathers and his arms were covered in gold rings.
The second man Sansa first thought was a woman, with long white-gold hair and with purple eyes. Indeed, Sansa thought that he bore some resemblance to the Queen Daenerys and she wondered if he was a Targaryen as well. After the formal greetings were concluded the man approached Sansa. As he neared she saw that his nails were painted and he wore jewelry in his ears.
"My lady, I cannot say what an honor it is for me to finally meet you." Though his tone was glib something about him put her on edge. She did not like the way he looked at her. Detached, like she was not a person at all but something for him to study and analyze. In an effort to conceal her discomfort she matched his curtesy.
"I thank you Sir, though I must confess to not knowing your name." He bowed again.
"A thousand apologies. I am Lysono Maar of Lys, though I am no knight."
"Indeed? Then, I am may ask, what are you?"
"I am a gather of information may be of use to the Company and our patron." Sansa's mind went back to others who dealt in information: Lord Baelish and Varys. Such men were dangerous, not because of their physical capabilities, but their abilities to see through deception and learn things, including things which Sansa did not wish to become known. She did her best to keep such thoughts from her face as Lysono bowed again and withdrew.
As Sansa was escorted her quarters she saw a member of the Night's Watch. She turned to her escort and asked about it. The knight shrugged.
"Times being what they his lordship has decreed that the Black Brothers are to have all who are thrown into the dungeons and lockups in the city. Thieves, murders, rapists, smugglers and all the rest of the scum." His words struck a chord in her mind and as they walked along a plan began to form in her mind.
It was not a pleasant one, but she did not see any alternative. She needed knowledge of what was to come and she now saw the means of acquiring it. Jon needed the men and he could have them, but only after they had served her own needs first.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I hope that you liked it. I wanted to show the pressure that she is feeling. Somehow I doubt that her schedule when she was growing up included the following.
7:00 am: Get up.
7:30 am: Morning prayers.
8:00 am: Dancing
9:30 am: Sewing
10:30 am: How to survive ice zombie apocalypse
11:30 am: How to ensure all or most of those around you also survive ice zombie apocalypse
12:30 am: Lunch (though that would explain how she managed to stay thin.)
Anyway on a more serious note, now that the Golden Company has arrived I am not sure what to do about the elephants. I know people want to see them after the show, but they will not do much good if they freeze five minutes after they arrive, am open to suggestions. Till then please pray for the flooding in the US and the Ebola and everyone else who needs prayer. Bye and may Jesus bless you.