The Last Stag • Game of Thrones

10.

Chapter Ten.
Using Your Head

Renfri wondered if she was eighteen yet. 

Their camp sat at the base of Riverrun, with Renfri sitting so close to the drawbridge that she wondered if she could tilt her cage over and fall in, allowing the current to drown her. While she had certainly entertained the idea, she could never do that to sweet Goji, who was so antsy and stir-crazy that he had taken to pacing their cell in circles. 

Renfri looked up as footsteps approached, leaning her head against the bars of her cell. To her surprise, the door swung open, and she stumbled forwards onto her face. Looking up through her matted black curls, she pulled a face.

"Your grace." She sniffed. "Finally come to kill me?"

"You know I'd never, Ren." Robb mused, hauling her up by the crook in her shoulder. Her head hung low, long black curls hanging in her eyes. She had been in the same filthy night shift for what she knew had to be months, and her bare feet were now calloused and cracked from ages of elemental exposure. The chains around her wrist clanged as she gained her balance, and behind her, Goji let out a low growl.

She turned, seeing a group of nervous-looking men holding a chain collar, regarding her bear with unease. 

"I could kill you all right now, if I wanted to." She mumbled. "Only takes one word."

"Renfri." Robb's voice was a warning. "Tell him to stand down."

Ren sighed, blowing her hair out of her face.

"'Ts alright, Goji. They won't hurt us."

That felt like a lie. Goji knew this too, and gave Renfri a look that was so humanly annoyed that she almost wanted to laugh. Nonetheless, he submitted to the men, allowing them to fasten him with the chain collar.

Robb gently tugged Renfri along. She tried not to wince as her bare feet padded across the drawbridge, splinters digging into her skin. 

"I thought you were selling me to Walder Frey?" She asked as they entered the large castle. Robb shrugged. 

"We still might be, though I haven't made a final call. For now we're staying here. Your cousins are here, Talisa thought it would be a kindness to keep you all together."

"Ah," Ren mused, rolling her head back. "How is your lovely bride?"

"I'm not going to tell you, because you're going to say something snarky about it." Robb tugged her down into the dungeons. "And I'm sick of hearing snarky things out of your mouth."

"Learning, I see." Ren sighed as Robb pulled her to a stop in front of a wrought Iron door. The guards moved aside, opening the door as they went. 

Robb moved to push her in, but Ren stiffened, turning to look at him with narrowed eyes. 

"What about Goji?" She asked. "We can't all fit."

"He'll be in the one right next to you." Robb reassured. "He'll be safe and fed, you have my word."

Ren said nothing as he pushed her in the room, closing and locking the door behind her. She had a sinking feeling in her chest, like she had just made a very poor decision. 

"Who are you?" Came a young voice. 

Renfri turned, seeing two boys no older than Tommen looking up at her with scared green eyes. 

"I'm Renfri Baratheon." She answered matter of factly. The two boys scurried to their feet, scrambling to bow. "There's no need for that. I'm told that we're family. What are your names?"