The wolves of Castle Black - Book 2 - GoT

The Boltons, the Freys, the Lannisters

Ylina wasn't entirely sure what she expected, but she definitely didn't expect that. Castle Black didn't have any kind of cells, so, instead, Locke had been locked up in a small room with nothing but a bed in it for almost a fortnight now. He had one meal a day, someone would always clean his chamber pot and he would get a big cup of water refilled every day. Many brothers of the Night's Watch didn't understand what he was still doing alive. Among those, was Jon Snow. If he had his way, Locke would have been killed a long time ago and he only didn't insist in killing the man himself because Ylina had begged him to let her talk to him first. Another part of the Night's Watch brothers didn't even care what happened to Locke, or Ylina for that matter. For them, the girl would be better off far away from them, but she was a lady, so no one would ever tell her that to her face. Regardless of anyone's opinion, however, Locke was still a prisoner and the only reason behind it was because Lord Commander Thorn, as much as he hated Ylina, knew she was still a lady of the North so it was his duty to make sure her stay in Castle Black was as comfortable as it could be, which included obeying some of her requests.

So if she wanted Locke alive, he would keep Locke alive.

In any case, whether people understood or not the reason behind Ylina's need of keeping her attacker alive, it wouldn't matter after that afternoon since, after days and days of postponing it, Ylina finally managed to gather enough courage to go talk to Locke and get the whole thing done with.

She knew both Jon and Edd were just outside the door and if she needed anything, they would quickly be able to help her, but still she didn't feel safe, so, for good measure, she brought with her Daria and as soon as the caramel direwolf set her icy blue eyes on Locke, it took every bit of strength Ylina had in her to hold back the wolf from pouncing on the man. As Ylina closed the door of Locke's room behind her and stood next to it, Daria sat down beside her owner, her head reaching past her shoulders as she bared her teeth at the man who was laying back in his bed, pretending not to be impressed by the direwolf.

"I wasn't expecting you to come and see me." Locke smirked, as he moved in his bed.

Daria growled loudly when he made move to leave the bed and approach Ylina and the girl would be lying if she said she wasn't thankful for the wolf in that moment. The last thing she needed was for Locke to be anywhere near her again. What she did need was for him to talk. But in order for him to do that, she needed to lead the conversation.

While in Winterfell, in the safety of her home with her brothers, her direwolf and her guards, Ylina deemed it easy to talk to people, whether it would be to challenge them or just have a proper chat, she knew she was always safe in Winterfell. Even during her time in Wolfswood. She wouldn't hesitate before speaking up. After all, those were Northerns she was dealing with and she was Ylina, of House Stark, daughter of Ned Stark and sister to King Robb Stark. She was untouchable with her guards and her wolf and her titles. But in that moment, in that bedroom, she had none of it. She was still Lady Ylina Stark. She still had soldiers just outside the door should she need them. She still had Daria beside her. Yet, for some reason, standing in front of the man who got so close to killing her not a month before, she felt powerless and scared.

She hated the feeling.

"Cat got your tongue, doll?" Locke asked, from his place on his bed, wary of Daria now. "Just came to see me off? How kind of you... I always thought that bastard brother of yours would kill me before I ever got the chance to see that pretty face of yours again. Glad he didn't. At least I got to see the lovely marks I left on you. Those things in your neck... The purple ones... They will scar, you know? You'll remember me forever, Stark."

Every word cut through her like a sword would. It hurt just as much, she imagined. Not like it hurt when he did attack her, but it hurt. And yet, she didn't seem to be able to say out loud everything that was in her mind.