Only A Northern Song ~ Game of Thrones / Willas Tyrell ~

Chapter Thirty Four: Farewell

Eddmina had been so focused on the fact that her father and sisters were going down south that she had barely considered the other realities. Not only was her brother joining the Night's Watch but for the first time since meeting she and Willas would be apart. Though they both knew that travelling north would do Willas good neither one of them wanted to separate, even if it would just be for a few weeks. They hadn't spoken about it, not since the morning with Garlan and Leonette, but the night before emotions seemed unavoidable.

"Are you sure you think I should go?" Willas asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper as they laid in bed, Eddmina curled around his body, her head on his chest listening to the steady drumming of his heart beat. "I don't want to leave you,"

"I want you to go north," she spoke gently, shifting her position to get closer to his face so that she could push a few soft kisses to his cheek. She raised her hand to his jaw, stroking along his stubble and moving his face to look at her. "Please, Will. This is important to both of us. If I wasn't with child you'd go without hesitation,"

"Except you are," he said, his grip on her back tightening to draw her closer, while his other hand stroked over her stomach where they had noticed only earlier the tiniest of bumps forming. "I don't want to go, not in case something happens and I'm not here,"

"Nothing will happen," she reassured him, pushing a few more kisses to his cheek before her lips trailed to his. It was a short yet sweet kiss, and in the meantime her hand moved to rest on top of his on her belly, intertwining their fingers. "There's nowhere safer for me than Winterfell, you know that. Besides, I'll have Leo for company, and Honour... and Robb too, I guess. Please go, go and have an adventure. Go stand at the top of the wall and try and remember every little detail to tell me all about it when you get back to me,"

"Back to where I belong," he whispered, squeezing her hand and pushing a soft kiss to her lips. "Gods, I love you, my Mina,"

"And I you, Will," she sighed, shutting her eyes as she fought away the emotions. "I'll miss you dearly, but I'll be here waiting for you,"

Somehow the two of them settled into uneasy sleep, Willas reliving age-old nightmares of very real pain, while Eddmina dreamt of running through the wolf's wood as if she herself was the Stark sigil.

The next morning Eddmina rose early before Willas had even woken. She had wanted to just lie there in his arms all morning, not knowing for certain when she would next have the opportunity to do so, but she had a list of things to do before the royals departed, and if she didn't at least see her family properly she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

The castle felt quiet, everyone else still sleeping, but there was one person Eddmina knew would be up, so she headed to the Godswood. At some point Honour joined her, her wolf previously off hunting, though she bumped her muzzle into Eddmina's hand to signal her presence, making her smile slightly as she scratched behind her ears. At least with Willas gone she would have Honour's company, and she decided to encourage the wolf to sleep with her on the bed that would surely feel far too big without her husband. The two of them continued the walk out of the keep grounds into the sparse woodlands until they finally got to the great red and white weirwood. Just where she had expected him to be, her lord father was knelt at the roots of the tree, and though he initially had his back turned to her, he heard her footsteps and immediately rose. The other Stark children took after his wife and followed the Seven, so he knew it would be her without even having to look, yet he still turned to see her, offering her a small, welcoming smile.

"Good morning," she spoke quietly, wary to keep her voice down in the presence of the godly tree. "I wanted to see you, before you leave,"

"Come sit with me," he suggested, gesturing over to one of the logs as he took a seat on it himself.