Robb

'What is this place, exactly?' Venom mentally asked.

'It was once one of the great watchtowers of the North,' Robb silently replied. 'Centuries ago King…' He paused, racking his brain to remember the name that Maester Luwin had told him. 'It wasn't one of the Brans, I know that. It was different from that…'

'There are too many Brans!' Venom complained. 'It is impossible to keep track of all of them!'

'Believe me, I know,' Robb said with a sardonic little shake of his head. 'I know. Now let me think…' He pressed his lips together; it bothered him to no end that he didn't remember. A Prince should remember the names of the Kings that had come before him, even if he had only been a Prince for less than a year. 'It wasn't Timmon the Tower, even though that would make sense. He was called that because of his great height; it was said that his mother was a giantess that had tried to seduce King Frodrik Stark with potions that made his memory hazy, only for him to be rescued by his brother Prince Jakub Stark, the babe taken with them when they fled. Rommel Stark? No, he built the Lost Seawall. Donnel! That's who it was, Donnel Stark!'

Robb was rather pleased with himself for remembering that. While he would be the first to admit that he hadn't been the best student, constantly allowing his thoughts to turn to the fun and adventures that he and Theon and Jon could be having were he not trapped inside the Maester's study, he had enjoyed the history lessons on the great structures of the North. Perhaps it was because his father had quietly admitted his own dreams of repairing the damaged and abandoned keeps, castles, and forts throughout the North; Moat Cailin was one that he had often spoken of as something he wished to put right. He never had been able to, as there seemed to be something else that needed his attention (Robb tried VERY hard not to think that it was all King Robert's fault, what with his two different rebellions that had bled the North… one didn't insult dead men who were only recently buried) and thus he never had the time or the funds to work on such things. The mere fact that he'd never been able to do anything with the Broken Tower had been evidence of that.

But Robb, during those lessons, had thought about when it would be he who was Lord of the North and had considered each ancient structure that Maester Luwin spoke of as possibly being his legacy. Something that all would speak of. His grandfather's only legacy was that he had died a horrible death. Same with his Uncle Brandon. Robb wanted more.

The repair of Moat Cailin. The rebuilding of the Great Docks that had burned along with the Northern Fleet. Renovate the Wolf's Den in White Harbor and make it a true prison. Reestablish White Cap, the lost town that had been swallowed up by the Great Storm of 1345 in the Northern Reckoning of years. See to perhaps opening up the Greater Copper Mines once more and, perhaps, push south and tap into some of the gold that the Lannisters were always able to find.

It was one thing to make something new. But quite another to return what was lost to the North. Southerners were obsessed with putting their name on something shiny and bright that would be forgotten within a few years. Northsmen had long memories and understood that it was far better to make do with what you had than waste proper gold on something new. A Lord… or a King… who brought back something that had been lost was honored and remembered. A man who remembered his history.

'Jon and I were supposed to rebuild the North,' Robb thought bitterly. 'We were supposed to work together, to build it back up. I was going to name him my second and when I was Lord of the North would have legitimized him. Made him a Stark. Then the two of us would have worked together to make us the greatest Kingdom in all of Westeros. He'd make his own cadet branch and in a few generations our great great grandchildren could have married, reforging our line.'

Robb would never forgive his parents for driving his brother away.

He felt Venom mentally nudge him and he smiled softly, shaking his head. The two were careful to allow each other their own thoughts. 'Sorry… I was lost in my mind. Anyway, this was one of the Great Watch Towers of the North. King Donnel Stark built them to keep watch on his recently conquered foes, to remind them that he would never turn his back on them again. Barrowton had just tried to rebel against the Starks… King Donnel's sister, Princess Kelya Stark, had married Lord Dustin-" he couldn't remember the name of that Lord Dustin, much to his annoyance, but pressed on as he didn't want to get sidetracked again in his story, "-and he had begun whispering in her ear that she deserved to rule over her brother. Of course Lord Dustin wanted to be king and never meant for Princess Kelya to be the Queen in the North… most likely she would have been set aside at best had he managed to overthrow her brother. But the Barrowmen warred with the Starks of Winterfell and it was only with the aid of King Donnel's uncle, Prince Jeor Stark the Copper Wolf, that the rebellion had been put down."

Jeor Stark had always been a favorite of Robb's. He had earned his name due to his bright orange hair and for Robb, who had always been a bit subconscious about the fact that he didn't resemble a typical Stark, it had been a relief to know there was a Stark that shared his coloring. He had pestered Jon to play with him The War of Wolves over and over until his mother had put a stop to it, horrified that Robb had allowed Jon to be King Donnel Stark while he was 'only' Prince Jeor.

'She sided against her own family?!' Venom decried.

Robb nodded at that, lips pressed together in thought. 'Sadly that is more common than it should be.' He reached down, meaty fingers gripping the stone he was perched on until it began to groan. Only then did he release it. 'But yes, Princess Kelya turned against her brother and it cost her dearly.'

'What happened?' Venom pressed. 'Did he gut her? Hack off her limbs so that she slowly bled before his throne? Force her to eat her own face?'

'Worse,' Robb replied with a chuckle; he knew that others would be horrified by Venom's words but after so long with his partner such things didn't faze him. He knew that Venom understood just where the line was and when one must stay away from it, when one could approach it, and one should cross it boldly. 'He took her son by Lord Dustin, Brandon Dustin who was only a few months old, and raised him as his own. And every day he taught him of the valor of House Stark and the treachery of Princess Kelya. Not House Dustin… while he made sure the boy knew that he must be loyal to House Stark he didn't disgrace his forefathers, as it would do no good for the boy to hate his lineage. He told him of his grandfather and great grandfather, who had been loyal to the Starks and been honorable men. But he learned of all the wickedness of Princess Kelya before releasing her into Lord Brandon Dustin's care upon him coming of age. Lord Brandon would visit her every day and tell her how much he hated her, thinking up new and creative ways to mock and insult her. Accused her of leading his good father astray. He made sure she was cared for, so that she lived a VERY long time, and got to watch as he had children and grandchildren who all spit at her feet when they saw her.'

'…would have been easier to just eat her,' Venom reasoned.

Robb forced himself to not laugh at that.

'Probably, but he didn't. After that though, other than a few minor dust ups, the Dustins remained loyal and all the Starks truly needed to worry about when it came to challenges from within were the Boltons.' He shrugged. "The Great Towers were manned by Stark loyalists and kept watch over the different towns and cities that might threaten them. But as rebellions slowed down and the rule of the Starks became as known as the sun rising in the East they saw less use until they fell into disrepair, mostly forgotten about by those nearby.'

And the tower he and Venom were currently in, just outside of Barrowton, was certainly forgotten. Countless winters had caused the ground to slowly rise up the tower while the winds and the rains had worn it down so that now it was no longer a tower to those that didn't know its past. No, it was a merely a ruined stone structure , only a few stories tall, with no proper roof and more spiders and vermin than windows and doors. One couldn't get into it easily, for someone had within the last 20 years boarded up the windows and the door had become buried in the encroaching soil. Only because Robb could quickly climb up the rocky surface had he been able to enter into the structure.

'There is no repairing this one,' Robb thought to himself, rather than to Venom. 'Couldn't even use what is exposed as a base… it wouldn't be able to handle the weight. And it can't be used for storage because the bottom levels have collapsed and merged with the hill itself. Far better to start over.'

Robb didn't doubt for a second that Barrowton needed another tower made.

"Anything?" Roslin said as she landed next to them, her own symobiote pealing back to reveal her face. Upon her shoulder the gooey form of Venom's mate appeared, tilting her head. Roslin was still using the name Spite and Robb supposed that this one was going to stick and remain in place. That there would be no changing of it. Which… well, he and his partner had gone with Venom so he wasn't going to judge her too harshly. And hey, it did have a certain ring to it…

'But I need to focus on settling important matters,' he thought even as Venom slid away from his head. "Nothing yet but I think its only a matter of time."

"I don't like leaving those people on their own," Roslin murmured. On their journey there they had encountered several small hamlets that simply weren't ready for Winter… and didn't know of the threat of the mysterious force that was killing villages. Robb and her had offered what support they could and sometimes the village elders listened to them. But other times they looked at Robb and declared he was a 'Summer Boy' who didn't understand hardships.

It had taken all he could not to bark out that he had been North of the Wall. That he had fought against the Iron Born with the Children of the Forest.

"I didn't like it either. But we warned them to leave… we couldn't force them to go to Winterfell."

"But we could have," Spite pointed out. "Rather easily."

"Yes but we didn't want to," Roslin said, reaching over and rubbing Spite's cheek, or what would be her cheek if she had cheekbones. After dealing with Drax both Robb and Roslin were used to beings who didn't understand metaphors and were. "We are trying to prove everyone wrong about us, after all." Spite merely huffed at that but otherwise didn't say another word.

Robb stared out into the night, looking down at Barrowton. 'Amazing how innocent it looks. You would even realize that it's a hot bed for traitors.'

His father had commanded Robb to take Barrowton. That doing so would win him back his honor, prove that he was loyal to Winterfell. And while he had at first agreed with the idea of taking Barrowton after his father had left it had gnawed at him greatly. Why had his father waited until he was in exile to approach him with his plan? Why not bring him to his solar and tell him that the exile was all a ruse, a way to try and get him close to Barbrey?

'Because it wasn't,' Robb thought darkly. 'He came upon the idea later… most likely after Arya made clear her wrath.' Oh yes, he had learned just how his sister had reacted when seeing their father and how she still treated him with utter coldness. 'He is trying to make it right but at the same time he sees me not as his heir and future king but as an attack dog. He was ready to force Venom into slaying Barbrey… he cares only for the present and not the future.'

That wasn't to say that Barbrey didn't deserve to die. Her actions were that of a traitor and worse they brought doom closer and closer to the North. She might have thought that she would win herself favor with the Crown, most likely with her named of the new Warden of the North, but all they would receive was death. Her. The Starks. All the Northmen.

'Tywin Lannister isn't a man who welcomes enemies with open arms,' Robb thought to himself. 'And the North will not embrace their rule… not with them embracing the freedom they have been given by my father.'

Despite their feud Robb openly saw that his father had done well to earn the love of the North, showing he wasn't going to be like the Southerners who didn't understand their needs. He had worked to prepare for the coming Winter, had made sure to pull as much of the Northern forces out of the Riverlands as he could, so men weren't dying for lands that weren't their own while their own families faced a slow painful death in the ice and the snow, and handed out titles and positions of power to those that proved themselves. Theon (and Robb hated he hadn't had time to speak with his dear friend when he'd encountered him… he had been so focused on Arya…) had been only the first of many who were given new lands and titles and sent out the prove themselves. All of the major families of the North were being given honors; Robb's father remembered well how Robert had failed to reward the North for putting him on the throne, choosing instead to honor the Lords that had fought against him more than the Northmen. The Manderlys were rather pleased with their rise, the Umbers were crowing about how they should have declared sooner, and the Forresters were pleased with Ned's promises to help them find the missing members of their family while at the same time rewarding those that had served him faithfully. The Mormonts had regained in full their honor, with Robb's father declaring that any question about them after Jorah Mormont's actions could be answered with 'loyal and honorable'. The Karstarks were building their own legacy, with the prickly Lord Karstark finding a way to move past his grief to build something that would separate the Karstarks fully from the Starks but without a risk of shattering peace.

'Even the Boltons have been neutralized,' Robb thought. 'Lord Bolton will not dare try and move against father with his heir newly born and his goodsister the future queen. That means that the only ones Lady Dustin can count upon are her own family. And I do not believe Lord Ryswell will risk his position in the name of his daughter's revenge.' His father had rewarded Lord Ryswell's son Roose for his actions during the Battle of the Whispering Woods and there was talk that he may perhaps see the young man given one of the castles close to the Neck as his own Keep. 'But all that will fade if he joins with Barbrey.'

That left the woman all on her own. The only one that might be spared by the Lannisters. The rest of the North would never stand with Tywin Lannister or any of his ilk ruling over them and would fight tooth and nail against any attempt to dominate them. Maybe… maybe if Lord Tywin offered to allow them to continue on with no punishment save for the holding of second sons? But no… Lord Tywin and especially Cersei would demand repayment, perhaps the lose of titles and lands, and the North would NEVER stand for that. Not without a strong hand to force them to bend the knee.

And Lady Dustin was NOT that strong hand.

'Lord Tywin will purge all of the North, with only the most minor of houses that see this as their chance to rise up agreeing to bend the knee, giving up their neighbor's full wealth if it means a chance to claim they have risen higher. But they will not be prepared for Winter and the Lannisters would let us all freeze than to lift a finger to aid us. And that is ignoring completely the others.'

'Which is why we must destroy Barbrey Dustin!'

Robb smiled and mentally nudged Venom, the thought equivalent of a shoulder bump. 'We will. But we will do it my way. I will not disgrace myself purely to make my father's life easier.'

'People will thank us though!'

But Robb shook his head at that. 'Will they? What proof do we have? Father's claims… but I do not trust Father. I don't know if I will ever be able to trust him again. He is far too quick to toss aside family all in the name of his own honor and the betterment of others. He sold Sansa to the Lannisters to appease Robert. He cast Jon away. He exiled me. I can't trust him not to, upon me doing this task, to proclaim we did so without evidence and order our deaths so he can put Rickon on the throne.' He huffed at that; it didn't sound like his father but his actions as of late had made it that Robb simply couldn't believe that his father WOULDN'T do something so… Southern.

He didn't begrudge his brother though. He knew that Rickon was working to clear his name and it had been the information he had only recently given him that had given Robb the first glimmer of hope. But it had been a trying time, waiting, and in that time he knew that his bitterness at his father had only grown. As had his doubts. His father, after all, had spent much of his youth in the South. Had married a Southern woman. Cared most about a Southern King. What did he know of the North? Truly?

'If we are to deal with Barbrey Dustin we must be sure that there can be no doubt of her guilt. That all in the North will be unable to do anything else but accept what we speak of. That father will not be able to claim that I somehow dishonored myself because I carried out his order.' He thought of the Kingslayer and found himself pitying the man; he had done what Father had set out to do and had been repaid by Eddard Stark with scorn. Robb did not believe his father wouldn't do the same to him, if his Small Council demanded it. No… he would protect the North but he would do it HIS way. 'And with her fall will come the proof of our innocence in one fell swoop.'

He clenched his hand hard.

'Then… we will discuss with father changes to the rule of our kingdom.'

And with that he returned to his watch.

Barrowton remained silent, as it had for the last 9 nights since Robb had begun his hidden watch upon it, and Robb slowly allowed Venom to cover him fully, so he could see through the darkness. He could spy the men marching along the walls, the people moving through the streets after a night spent drinking far too long at the alehouses and wine sinks, and even spot through one open window a whore slowly removing her shirt. None of that mattered to him (especially the whore… Roslin was far better than the dark haired woman as she and Spite were the only ones that could survive coupling with Robb and Venom); what mattered was watching for their prey.

The attacker of the winter villages.

'We should have realized it sooner,' Robb thought darkly. 'Whoever its been wants it to look like we're the guilty party. Only Lady Dustin would be interested in staging things like that in order to dishonor us.'

'And the only villages that have been spares so far are pledged to Barrowton,' Venom added, reminding him of what Rickon had discovered. His silly little brother… he had been the one to realize it after visiting the neighboring winter towns and villages. The attacks were coming to ones close to Winterfell and that included those that were pledged not to them but to their bannermen.

Except… Barrowton.

'Exactly,' Robb thought darkly. "We're going to make her pay for this," he declared, tensing.

Roslin reached out, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "The moment we have proof we will. We can't risk going down there and attacking her… it will only feed into her narrative."

"We know," Robb said. "Doesn't mean we are happy about it!" Father… it all came back to father. His foolish rush to save Lyanna and then his refusal to do anything to bring back the bones of Lord Dustin or all others that had died… it was the first link in a long chain that led to Robb's current exile.

"Then focus on how wonderful it will be when the killer returns and we are able to at last clear your name. All the North will know that you are their protector…" Slowly Spite slide over her face, merging the two together. "And then we will get back to providing you an heir."

"Promises promises," Robb said as he leaped in close, bumping his face into her's. He could feel himself growing hard, the symbiote slowly shifting to allow him-

"There!" Roslin suddenly declared, pulling away from him. But Robb wasn't disappointed that their chance for some rather pleasant sex had been stopped cold as his entire focus shifted to the dark figure that was rushing across the plain that surrounded Barrowton. The grasses were kept very short, to ensure that no threat ever had a chance to creep towards the walls, and that allowed them to easily make out the figure. Someone they both recognized as he rushed towards a gate.

"Euron Greyjoy…" Robb snarled before leaping from the watchtower, Roslin only a step behind him. The two raced silently across the field and even though they had been farther away from Barrowton than Euron had been their larger bodies allowed them to quickly eat up the distance. There was something so savage, so primal, about the run that it had him grinning quite literally ear to ear. The feeling of the wind whipping past his face, far quicker than any horse. The sensation of his toes digging into the earth, allowing him to push forward just a little bit more. Knowing that he was racing towards his prey and when he got to him he would finish what he had started at Hardhome and rip the Iron Born bastard into bloody chunks.

'We should give his head to Theon! He would like that!' Venom declared and Robb nodded in agreement, tongue darting out and licking his lips at the thought. Yes… yes Theon would like that and he'd STILL be able to eat Euron's heart as the bastard was still alive!

Robb growled low in his throat and continued on.

The wall of Barrowton loomed before them but Robb and Roslin, as one, easily leapt over it, soaring over the barrier and landing in the town that surrounded Barrow Hall, the seat of House Dustin. They barely let their feet touch the ground before they were leaping again, the two firing off tendrils to help launch themselves further into the city.

"We can SMELL him," Roslin hissed as she landed on the roof of a whore house. "He stinks of blood and saltwater."

"And he's headed to the Barrow Hall… reporting to Barbrey about his latest attack." He shook his head in frustration at that. "Bitch… traitorous bitch! Slaughtering innocents because she is still bitter about her fucking husband!" He held up his hand, showing off his claws. "We will make sure she sees Lord Dustin soon enough!"

With that he leapt towards Barrow Hall, knowing Roslin would follow him. The castle grew closer and closer and Robb braced himself, smashing down into the main courtyard that was just inside the inner walls of the keep. Several guards rushed out, startled by the noise, only to stop and stare at Robb as he looked about, glowering at them. He knew that Roslin was hiding in the shadows, waiting to attack only if she needed to; they had managed to hide her own state and Robb would only reveal it when he had no other options.

"Fetch your Lady and we will not harm you. Make us fetch her ourselves…" He opened his mouth, letting them see his long white fangs.

Several of the guards shifted before a foolish one let out a battle cry and raced right at him with a raised sword.

Robb snorted before he lashed out with his hand, easily cutting through the man's leathers… and his skin and muscle. The guard screamed as his arm began to flop about, barely held onto his body by a few pieces of stringy flesh. The other guards, far more wise, took a step back at that and murmured to themselves in terror. It took the man far too long to die but Robb merely watched him, waiting until he had screamed his last before he finally spoke

"Tell the Lady Dustin her prince is waiting for her."

At once several of the men rushed to do as he commanded and Robb smirked, pleased. He slowly began to walk around the yard, utterly casual and calm, and waited until he was behind a tall empty weapon's rack before allowing Venom to retract from his body, forming into a fine outfit. Perhaps not fine enough for a prince but it would impress all the same. He came around the other side and nearly burst into laughter seeing the guards do double takes, realizing they were looking a bit too high and he wasn't as tall as he had been moments earlier. He merely shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk around, acting as if he had been offered a chance to inspect the grounds. He didn't show an ounce of fear as the guards shifted about uneasily and he discovered that his aloofness was terrifying them far more than if he had postured.

Finally, after what felt like nearly a quarter of an hour, the Lady of Barrowton emerged with a far larger gathering of sworn swords.

Once she might have been beautiful, Robb believed. Oh, there were still hints of the loveliness she had possessed. She hadn't allowed herself to grow soft and fat as the years had gone on, nor had she like some old crones forgotten how to care for herself. But all gentleness that she might have possessed had long been ground away from her, leaving only a harshness to her features. She was much like the tower that he and Venom had used for their watch. The years and her own bitterness had weathered her face, slowly removing this piece and that until only the passing resemblance to a kind and fair noblewoman remained. All that was left was the hardest of stone, unyielding to all, refusing to be pushed back by the elements.

She was dressed in blacks, as Robb knew was her choice. Forever the grieving widow though he did wonder how much of that was for show. He had little doubt that a woman such as her, cunning and sharp, would know that such garb would always remind the people of Barrowton of what had been 'taken' from them by the Starks. If she began to wear bright colors people would forget about Lord Dustin and begin to wonder why they allowed a woman not of their lordship's blood to rule over them. There had to be a Dustin bastard somewhere, after all…

So Lady Dustin wore blacks and well made ones as well. A long dress with an equally long fur cloak. All of which were cut to show off her lean figure. It was not an outfit that could be put on quickly and the time that it had taken her to arrive hadn't allowed her to dress in such an outfit anyway. The hour was too late for her to have been having a feast so she had been waiting for someone.

More proof.

"Hmmm… you must be Robb Stark. Few in the North have such Southern Looks," she said, her tone almost bored.

Robb didn't rise to the bait. Nor did he return another insult. Instead he merely stared right at her. "Barbrey Dustin," he replied, refusing to use her titles as well.

"It is common for guests to make their way through the gate," she replied. "I would ask what your maester had taught you but I imagine that you are here for other reasons." She paused. "And I quite honestly do not care what that old gray rat might have taught you."

"Manners, for one," Robb replied. Barbrey didn't so much as flinch at the insult. "As for why I am here yes, it isn't to be a guest. But that doesn't mean I can't show you a kindness."

"Kindness? From an invader?"

"To a traitor?" Robb replied. "Oh yes."

"Those are strong words to speak," Barbrey told him.

"But they aren't any less true." Robb to a step forward and the men all raised their swords at the movement. He merely glanced at them before utterly dismissing them from his mind as unimportant. "Your men are loyal to you, Barbrey. They saw what I did to the last man that tried to rush me." He gestured at the still cooling body on the hard packed ground. She glanced at it with the same detachment one might use for a clump of dirt or a small pebble. "I wonder though if they will be loyal to you when they hear how you have disgraced their Lord."

"Barrowton has no lord, thanks to your father," Barbrey said frostily.

Robb though merely pressed on. "Lord Dustin would not have crawled on hands and knees to the Lannisters. He wouldn't have sold out the North to the Lions."

"You are-"

"He would 't have gone to Tywin Lannister and offered him the blood of his neighbors. Nor would he have put a chain around his neck and become their pet all because of a petty feud that is maintained by a single bitter woman."

"You Starks stole my husband-"

"Your husband was a man grown, able to make his own choices," Robb retorted. "Despite what you do to tear him down he was a good, just, and loyal man who gave his life to protect the daughter of his liege lord. You, on the other hand, meekly crawl to the Lannisters and beg them to achieve your revenge for you." He shook his head in disgust. "You don't even have it in you to do the deed yourself."

Barbrey didn't bristle. She didn't bridle or rage. Instead she stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head. "Idle words."

"I have proof."

"Proof that you have yet to produce?" Barbrey asked. "If you had it you would not merely claim to have it but have it brought forth. Let me guess… it is in Winterfell? Held by your father? And it will only be brought when I am marched through your city in chains, already disgraced?" She narrowed her eyes. "This was a rash move born of desperation and youth."

Robb admitted she was partially right. It would have been far better if he had obtained the proof his father spoke of. That would have required his father trusting him wish such things, though, and he knew that would never happen.

But… that didn't mean that Robb was out of answers.

"I suppose we could have one vouch for your character," he stated. "Euron Greyjoy, perhaps?"

"What are you on about?"

"I know he has recently entered Barrowton," Robb said. "Within the last hour. I know also he is the killer who has been slaughtering the smallfolk and pinning all blame upon me. You harbor our enemy, Barbrey… there is no coming back from that."

The woman merely continued to stare him down. "Euron Greyjoy isn't here, you fool. Whatever delusions that black muck they claim has infested your ears tells you… he isn't here."

"Then I am willing to wait."

"You'll wait forever."

"I think not." Now Robb smiled. "I was in Euron Greyjoy's company, Barbrey. I got to know him rather well when I was his captive. The man, in his own twisted way, came to like me… much like how a cruel child will delight in a stray cat, one day giving it milk and the next scolding it and telling it to go away. I spent much time with him… and I grew to understand him; well, as well as a man can understand that man and his madness. But I know he doesn't have the patience to wait for you to settle things here in the yard."

He began to circle her and in his mind he thought of the great white fish that Theon had told him about on Theon's Night. The terrible things that would suddenly emerge from the dark seas and circle around helpless sailors that had fallen overboard and become adrift. Their comrades would tell them to stay still, to just wait for them to return and scare the great beasts off even as the white fish slowly began to tighten the circle, moving in closer and closer… until they would suddenly dive down and disappear and all would think everything was safe…

Then Theon would clap his hands together and laugh at how high he and his siblings would jump.

"That is why it took you so long to come out here, wasn't it?" Robb pressed. "You were meeting with him when your men came and you had to convince him to not come and face me." He completed one lap and began again, making it a bit shorter, bringing him a touch closer to her. "What did you promise him if he agreed to allow you to handle this? He is a man of unique appetites. Did you promise to let him work his dark crafts upon your men? Maybe a strong warrior he can test his knives against? Or a young innocent maiden that he wishes to make mutilated and broken?" He glanced at several of the guards. "Have any of your sisters acted strangely recently? A bit more on edge?"

"You are a delusional fool," Barbrey stated harshly.

'What a liar denies…' Venom whispered and Robb quietly thanked his partner for reminding him of the words his father had once spoken.

"I do admit I was a troublesome child," Robb stated. "All boys are, I imagine. I got into my fair share of scrapes. Went off to places where I didn't belong. And when my father would find me I always tried to deny it and it always amazed me how he saw through my lies. When I was older he finally explained the trick: a liar will attack and strike at their accuser… while never denying what is true." Barbrey opened her mouth but Robb cut her off. "When you catch someone in a lie they are angry they have been caught so they lash out. Its their first instinct. You didn't deny that Euron Greyjoy was here. Nor did you deny that he has been asking for more and more of you. You just attacked."

"You are a delusional fool because he isn't here," she said but it was a weak argument and he could tell from the way she held herself that she wasn't pleased.

He tightened the circle.

"When you first made this arrangement with him you only thought of destroying the Starks. But as the days wore on and his payment to keep your secret grew you began to feel doubt. I can see it, Lady Dustin. You aren't not a wicked woman. You hold a hatred for the Starks yes and I will state you have every right to hate my father. To hate me. You dreamed of being the Lady of Winterfell but that was robbed from you by my mother. You then tried to have happiness with Lord Dustin but he was taken from you and my father didn't even have the decency to bring back his bones. It wouldn't have been that hard to make good on your wishes… Robert would have given anything to return to my father's good graces and if he had asked he would have held such a parade all would have remembered the Final March of Lord Dustin."

She remained utterly still and cold like stone. No sign his words were getting to her. But Robb was okay with that because with a woman such as her if she had burst into tears he would have known it was a trap.

"But… even in your darkest hours… you are not a cold hearted killer. You are not one for mindless slaughter. Especially when it comes to those nearby. Maybe you did order Euron to attack those villages but it is just as likely you simply asked him to cause panic and chaos in the North so that my father would look weak. And when you learned of what he did… heard of the men he butchered, the women he defiled, the sweet little children whose last moments were spent in agony, screaming for parents that could never come-"

"Stop it," Barbrey hissed.

'Got you,' Robb thought. "You are a good woman, Lady Dustin. And your story isn't complete. It is still being written. Tell me where Euron Greyjoy is. You know he's growing more and more impatient so I can wait… he will come to me. But if that happens then all will know you are his ally and the life you've lived will be over. You will be branded a traitor to the North. Your own father will curse your name and your only hope to see one of the Winter Cells will be if I pull your own guardmen from you.

"But… if you help me… there are ways of honor. Barrowton will no longer be yours but you may return to your father. Or perhaps a life of exile… allowed to take with you your own dowry and set up a life in Essos. You still have good years left, for you are only just now entering the end of your summer years. You could be happy. If you must atone then the Silent Sisters but I would not be that cruel to you."

"Your father-"

Robb allowed his eyes to go pure white. "My father is not the power of the North." He returned them to normal. "Now then, will you-"

It happened in an instant.

One moment he was looking at Barbrey. The next he was flying through the air, flesh feeling like he had dove into a cook's oven. Venom was snarling and raging but also howling in pain and at once Robb allowed him to overtake him. They crashed into one of the smaller stables that was just inside the main courtyard, where messengers could leave their horses to drink when they were in too great a rush to have them properly stabled. Grunting as he shook his head he slowly pulled himself from the wreckage and stared at where he had been standing, finding a crater roughly 6 feet wide and sunken about a foot. The ground was still burning with green flames.

'Wildfire,' he realized darkly. 'If it had been any closer we'd be dead.' Indeed several guards were currently screaming, their uniforms ablaze as they tried to find some way to douse the fires. They rushed about without thought or care and that forced the rest of their company to run too. One guard was a bit too slow and his fellow swordsman flailed his arm out and caught him on the shoulder, causing him to now be fighting back the flames. 'Whoever did that was either very sloppy… or very skilled.' He narrowed his eyes, tongue lashing out of his mouth as he turned to Lady Dustin only to see that she was currently being held by the throat by Roslin, his wife merged completely with Spite.

"You dare attempt to kill what is ours?" She said darkly, gripping Barbrey even as the woman fought to break her hold. "I am going to enjoy eating you."

A shrill cackling laugh filled the air and a quick look around proved that it was none of those currently standing in the courtyard. And it was moving around them, coming from one direct and then another and Robb realizes that a new white fish had entered into the ocean.

"I… I don't know…" Barbrey gasped out.

"That's right… she didn't know," a voice called out and Robb twisted around, raising his head up. "She was expecting Euron to assist… but I got here first."

The figure hovering above them looked to have emerged from one of Old Nan's tales. And not the ones that they normally asked for. No… Robb remembered that on a few rare occasions Old Nan would become melancholy and sad, thinking about that which had been lost to her and would never return. And when those moments came upon her she would turn to a strong bitter ale that always made Robb's nose burn whenever it was opened near him. She tried to hide that she was drinking it but there was no way to hide the stink of it. Numbed by it she would tell stories that were twisted and wrong, like a book whose pages had been torn out and reassembled in a haste.

He stood upon what looked to be a great black bat, like the kind that were said to have flown out of Harrenhal to snatch away wicked children and bring them to be bled. But somehow such a sight wasn't as bewildering as the beast's rider. His entire outfit was purple in color, from his boots to his gloves to his legless and sleeveless undergarment. A purple hat sat on his head, long and billowing behind him. All the flesh that was exposed was a brilliant green color, scaled and textured like lizard-lion's. And his face… his face somehow made Robb's own bestial features look charming and noble. Long pointed ears. Yellowed teeth that were spread wide in a massive grin. And maze colored eyes that burning with a demented determination.

"I needed to find out why dear Euron was taking so long… and I stumbled upon you two!" He cackled again. "Oh… what a treat we have found, isn't it?"

There was a roar and one of the high windows of Barrow Hall exploded out. Roslin dropped Barbrey as another symbiote, this one red in color and with sharp tendrils bursting from his back, flew through the air before landing on the ground, cackling in delight as he looked at the two ebony figures.

"My prince…" the distorted voice of Euron Greyjoy declared. "Oh… how I've missed you!"

And with that… the two attacked.