Naveena TARGARYEN :||: Queen Series #3

6) You die, I die.

Rhaenys
"Oh gods," I gasped out, almost choking on the amount of air I tried to inhale at once. My lungs had emptied at the shock of seeing Rickon in the hands of that monster.

Jon stared across the plain, stretching for nearly half a league between us and Rickon, his face slackened with fear. The horse beneath me began pacing on the spot as I loosened it's reins, my anxiety not helping calm it.  We watched as Ramsey dismounted and dragged Rickon a few paces to the front of his army, holding up a sharp, nasty-looking dagger in the air. Rickon lowered his head, no doubt praying to the Old Gods his family worshipped, as Ramsey lowered the knife.

"Jon," I whispered in terror, my voice hoarse. No one moved as the knife was brought down and cut through the ropes binding Rickon's hands.

The boy looked up at his captor in surprise and we saw their lips moving, Ramsay grinning at Rickon with wicked delight, but we could not hear what was being said. Then... I blinked. Rickon was walking towards us. No, running.

I sat up straight on my horse, eyes wide. "Jon,' I breathed, every muscle in my body tensing painfully. One of the soldiers flanking Ramsey, had stepped forward with a magnificent-looking longbow.

Jon spun around to look at me with wide fearful eyes the same time I dug my heels into my horse's ribs and we launched forward. "Naveena!"

Jon's cry disappeared behind me as the wind ripped away the sound. My horse did not stumble nor falter as we raced across the acres separating me from Rickon as he ran down the hill towards me. Another pair of hooves beat behind me and I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Jon only a few paces away, his determined and fearful gaze focused on his brother. My fingers were stiff from the cold as they gripped mane, the horse's powerful body propelling us forward at astounding speed. I silently begged, urged it onward, screaming 'Faster! Run faster!' in my head.

He was getting closer now and I could make out the petrified look of utter terror on his face as he literally ran for his life. "Rickon!"

Using all of my training, I let go of the bridle, gripping hold of the horse with my legs and leant as far over to the right off the side of the horse as I dared. Such speed on an untrained horse was dangerous enough. Rickon saw me reach for him, my arm outstretched ready to snatch him up, Jon's horse gained speed behind me, I could hear the thundering hooves and the heavy pants of the horse.

I heard the whizz of the arrow cutting through the air before I saw it protrude from the teenage boy's chest. Blood spewed from his mouth and he went down. He was only five paces from me. The horse knew to stop, as I slide unceremoniously from the saddle onto the cold, wet, muddy plain and watched as the life left Rickon's eyes, his laboured breathing stopping.

"Noooooooooooo!" I screamed, taking his lifeless body into my arms, cradling him to me.

Jon's horse came to a stop beside us, panting heavily and moving nervously about on its feet. I lifted my head to look at Jon but only a blurry outline greeted me. Blinking furiously, brown eyes looked back at me, full of anger and sorrow. But he looked away from me, gaze narrowing into sharp revenge. My eyes followed, focusing on Ramsey and his sick, satisfied smirk. Suddenly, it was like everything around me disappeared, Jon, his horse, the body in my arms, the thick warm blood staining my hands. And all I could feel and see and touch and taste was the roaring fire that filled me up and up and up. It didn't burn me, but it fueled my anger and despair, it filled me up with a burning rage so intense I thought I might explode.

Standing on surprisingly steady legs, I carefully removed the mask covering my face, my blonde hair, washed and rebraided spilling down my back. I dismissed the shocked faces of the army before us, their surprise was not what I wished to see. I wanted them to be afraid. The same fear Rickon had felt in his last moments.