Author's Notes: Hey everyone, sorry that it has been so long since I last updated. As always I own nothing. WARNING: Slight spoilers from the books.
For a moment Sansa just stared at her sister for a moment, a thousand questions running through her mind and her mouth hanging slightly ajar. Arya, for her part gave a mischievous smile, clearly relishing Sansa's surprise. After a moment she seemed to have tired of that form of amusement and began to speak.
"Well, Sweet Sister, I have received many welcomes, some pleasant and some not so much. However; I must confess that I have rarely received one so amusing." That succeeded in snapping Sansa out of her surprise and salvage her dignity. She shut the door behind her, thankful that none of her guards were there to see her sister. Once that was done she turned back to Arya, asking the first question which came to her mind.
"How did you get here?" Her sister arched a sardonic eyebrow.
"I rode a horse or in a cart when I could and walked when I could not and, before you ask why I am here, allow me to remind you that Winterfell is my home as well." She might have said more, but before she could Sansa ran to her an took her into a fierce hug. For a moment it almost looked as if Arya was preparing to strike, but then relaxed and embraced Sansa back. At last Sansa released her sister and, taking a deep breath, returned to business.
"So, tell me what happened?" Arya looked a little abashed.
"Well, it is rather embarrassing, but those Vale lords for their talk of chivalry, know a thing or two about assassinations and how to prevent them. That ass Harry the Heir, or Lord Harrold Hardyng, to use his proper title. Something must have had him spooked, or those around him and he had guards around him at all times.
"When it was clear that he was going to enter the war on the side of the Lannisters I tried poisoning him, but some clumsy fool of a servant delivered the wine to the wrong person and from then on he had at least two tasters.
"You told me to prevent them from going over to the Lannisters. When it became clear that nothing that I could do would prevent that I decided to come back. Even in the Vale rumors are reaching them of what is going on north of the Wall. Most of the nobles there are dismissing it as nonsense and some even claim that it is all something being made up by Stannis in an effort to win support by claiming to defend the Realm from scary bedtime stories." Sansa shivered, her visions coming unbidden to her mind.
"They are real." She said simply in a low and quite voice. Arya looked at her, clearly not wanting to doubt her, but at the same time not wanting to believe that what she was saying was true.
"How can you be sure?" She asked in a voice equally as quiet. For a moment Sansa considered telling Arya about her visions, but decided against it. Even if her sister were to believe her Sansa doubted that Arya would approve of what she was planning to do. So, she told a different truth.
"Jon thinks so." That was the truth and Arya had always been close to Jon and would trust anything that he said. For a moment they sat in silence and then Sansa went to the table where the servants knew to keep a pitcher of wine and poured herself a glass.
"So, what do you wish me to do now?" Arya asked as Sansa poured a glass for her as well.
Sansa considered this as she drank. On the one had she wanted to keep Arya with her, both because she could make use of her abilities and because she wanted to keep her sister with her. The time that she had spent with Mally had shown her how much she missed her sister and the thought of her leaving again, possibly forever, sent a stabbing pain straight to her heart. However; dark times were coming and sacrifices had to be made, even by her. Especially by her, that was what Father would have said. So Sansa took a deep breath and spoke again.
"I wish that you could stay here, but I think not.
"With the way things are going I feel that Jon could use you up at the Wall and he would be glad of your help." She paused and found herself wondering if Jon was as lonely and afraid as she was. Probably more so.
"And I think that Jon would be glad to have you with him." Arya looked as if she too was happy at the thought of seeing her brother again, but also did not want to leave Winterfell again. Still, she knew where she was most needed and would go where Sansa told herself.
Despite the need Sansa kept Arya at Winterfell for a week. They took Brienne and the Wildling guards, who for the most part seemed to think far more highly of Arya than they did Sansa, into their confidence, but for the most part they kept Arya's presence in Winterfell a secret. A few breaks in the weather allowed them to go out hunting once or twice and Arya quickly fell in love with Silver Fang. Sansa supposed that her sister missed Nymeria, though considering the circumstances of her sister's parting from her direwolf she decided not to bring the matter up, though it did cause her a flash of guilt at the memory.
Arya left in the early morning when there would be few people to see her. Sansa was concerned due to the fact that it had begun to snow again, but Arya insisted on going. She assured Sansa that the snow would not trouble her and that it would help ensure that no one saw her coming or going. So Sansa stood at the gate and watched her sister ride away and wondered if she would ever see her again.
After that all she could do was wait and she hated it. She found herself thinking of the Battle of the Blackwater, how then all she could do was wait for her fate to be decided by others. Then she had been a powerless hostage, but now that she had power, she found that once again able to do nothing but wait. It was ironic, but she was not in the mood to see the humor in it. She found her previous hope that Barth would not return fading. She was still not thrilled to start taking Shade of the evening at least she would be doing something, even if it proved to be useless.
She received several letters from the Wall and some of these helped to ease her mind. One from Jon informed her that Arya had arrived and that he had sent her beyond the Wall, where he dared no longer send Rangers, several times. He also wrote that the Watch and the King's forces had been busy repairing the Wall and many of the Golden Company now garrisoned the Wall alongside the Watch and the Wildlings. They still needed more men; however, and Jon wrote that if food should grow short Sansa should send the old men and boys to the Wall. It went unsaid, but was understood, that if they were to die it would be better fighting the coming threat. If these letters were not always the most comforting, they were like the tales which she used to love when compared to the letters which she received from the King.
These seemed to consist of nothing but demands. Demands which often Sansa had to struggle and rely on Maester Dontin to find solutions as to how to meet them. There were demands that more men be raised and sent to the Wall, there were demands that she fortify against an attack from the south and demands that more supplies to be sent to the Wall.
Fortifying the south was the easiest. She had already ordered Moat Cailin to be both repaired and regarrisoned, the other demands were harder to meet. Many of the Northern lords had had their strength bled in war and were angered to be called upon again to supply men, though at least many of them recognized the threat coming and did not grumble overmuch, the supplies were another matter. Many worried that they already did not have enough stored for the winter and several indicated that Sansa might find herself facing a rebellion if she were to attempt to take from them. Now that the Vale had ceased selling their excess grain Sansa had to look across the Narrow Sea, a source which was far more demanding in time and Sansa's far from endless supply of coin. Finally, there was the matter Iron Islands.
Though the lands in the North that they had taken had been reclaimed they Ironborn had taken many hostages, including Lady Glover, her children and many members of House Tallhart, including the current head of the house, Lady Eddara Tallhart. In an effort to improve relations with lords and prevent fighting over territory Sansa had written to the Iron Islands offering ransoms, but had so far received no replies.
Sansa was sitting at her desk when Maester Dontin entered. As Sansa looked up she saw that he had a letter in his hand. At the sight of it she sighed. Guessing her mood he smiled in a reassuring manner.
"Fear not, My Lady, it is from your brother. She smiled and took it. As she broke the seal and began to read he spoke again.
"There is another matter that I must bring to your attention." Sansa did not hear him.
She was staring at the letter, her hands gripping the paper so tightly that it was tearing. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt as if it might break out of her chest. Her breath was coming in short shallow gasps. If she had not been sitting she was certain that she would have fallen to the floor. There were more words, but her eyes kept reading the first line over and over again.
Dead things in the forest near the Wall.
Author's Notes: Hello everyone, sorry that it has been so long, I hope that this made up for it. What did you think? Being in charge can suck can't it? Well, hopefully things will get going and the next update will come more quickly. Till then please pray for a friend of the family who has cancer, those who suffer for their faith and all who need it. Bye and may Jesus bless you.