The Long Winter | Jaime Lannister X Stark OC | GOT/ASOIAF

Lord Of Mountain And Vale

The last time Ross was in the Vale, she had been fifteen. She, Brandon, Lyanna and Benjen were travelling to meet Ned and Robert, before continuing on to Lord Whent's great tourney. It had been spring - a false spring perhaps, but none of them knew that then - and the ice on the road was melting, trees and flowers starting to bloom, a fresh breeze in the air.

Now it was autumn, and apart from a few days of sunshine after leaving King's Landing, the weather worsened the further north they got. Whilst Sansa was simply glad to be out of the city for the first time in almost two years, Ross did not enjoy the journey. Although Ser Davos was one of the best sailors in the Seven Kingdoms, she spent much of the time clinging to the rail with white knuckles as the ship lurched in the steel-grey waves. Dacey was not enthused by the sea journey either, and both of them were more than relieved when their feet were on dry land again in Gulltown.

Their party of fifteen travelled by horse through the mountains. Ross was struck by the beauty of the snow-capped peaks, that rose impossibly high in all directions, fir-forests and grassy plains growing beneath craggy rocks, icy rivers cutting through valleys like surging silver knifes, all under a sky that seemed to go on forever. The chill in the air had her feeling a sharp stab of longing for home.

Though beautiful, the journey could be treacherous. They were high enough to often be riding through a low-lying cloud, which could cause anything from a small amount of mist, to being unable to see her own horse's neck through the thick cloud.

"You'd think the main road between the Eyrie and Gulltown would be more passable," She remarked to Ser Davos, who chuckled in agreement.

Ross liked the man who had been Stannis' most trusted friend. Ser Davos was down-to-earth, intelligent and trustworthy, despite being a smuggler in days past. Dacey took everything in her stride, as ever, and remained cheerful company throughout. Cold like this was nothing to Northmen, as she and the guards joked to the shivering Southerners. Ross was expecting a litany of complaints from Sansa, but none came. The girl rode huddled in furs, and cuddled up to Lady every night, but didn't whine about being cold once, though she did politely enquire how much longer they had left every now and again.

The only castle on their route to the Eyrie was Ironoaks, seat of House Waynwood, which lay beside a great lake. Its ruler, Lady Anya, had greying-brown hair and crows feet around her eyes, but welcomed them in a stern, courteous manner. Two of her three adult sons were in attendance, and pleased Ser Davos by not scorning his low birth like many nobles did. Lady Anya's grandson, Ser Roland Waynwood, seemed taken with Dacey, who found the whole thing amusing, but remarked to Ross he was 'good looking enough, I suppose'. Mormont women were not concerned about keeping their maidenhead until marriage, and Ross suspected her friend would have a visitor to her chambers that night.

Elbert Arryn, nephew of the late Lord Jon, was also present, unexpectedly. Ross had met him before; he had been the youngest of the group who had ridden to King's Landing at Brandon's side just before the Rebellion. As he was only five-and-ten at the time, Aerys had not cared enough to murder him like the others, leaving him to languish in a dungeon. Despite the miracle of surviving the Mad King, and his weakened state, Elbert had been prepared to go running off to Dorne with Ned after the city had fallen. Ross had talked him out of it, and he had later thanked her; every man of that party save Ned and Howland Reed had died at the Tower of Joy.

Evidently that gratitude still held true, for Elbert greeted her with a warm smile.

"It is good to see you again, Lady Rosennis. Sadly under such unfortunate circumstances - I mourned for your brother's unjust death,"

They all dined together that night, and the longer Ross was there the more she was certain that Elbert's presence at the time of their visit had not been an accident. Despite the warm welcome, he looked like a man under a lot of pressure.