The Stag and The Frog - (GendryxMeera GOT fanfic) Part 3: Apart

Teaser: That's Winterfell?

Just as birds started to chirp and spring green buds appeared on the trees, they saw their destination in the distance. A field filled with melting snow and puddles surrounded grey rugged walls--that in parts still bore the scars from a recent battle--with an array of short stout towers enclosed inside. A fearsome direwolf proudly adorned the flapping banner above the gate.

As the rest of the rangers enjoyed their meager rations, Devan and Jon watched the castle from a rocky hill.

"That's it?" Devan asked grumpily, his mode perhaps affected by the fact that he'd chosen to scarf down his whole daily ration that morning and now--when his belly once again sang of hunger--regretted his decision bitterly "That's Winterfell?"

Jon nodded as his eyes glazed over the empty plains before them. It seemed he saw something Devan couldn't see. Something grand and spectacular.

"Storm's End's tower is probably three times higher than the highest tower down there," Devan bragged, for some reason proud of a castle that he hadn't built and that wasn't his. "And the walls are so much thicker. No one can take Storm's End. Not even the dead."

"The dead didn't take Winterfell either..." Jon mumbled and crouched down to stare at the castle before him. A place where he'd spent his whole childhood. A place he probably thought he'd never set foot in again. A place he didn't even know if he would be welcomed back to.

"I'm sure Winterfell has its benefits too..." Devan decided to take pity on Jon. "It looks very... grey and sturdy."

Jon shrugged. "It is what it is," he mumbled without letting his eyes stray from the walls in the distance. "It's my home."

Ignoring the hunger pains that bothered him, Devan leaned down and put his hand on Jon's shoulder. "Let's get you home then," he said in an unusually sympathetic tone.

The moment of recognition between the men didn't last long. Because that's when it started to rain pine cones and needles. The chittering of an annoyed squirrel and excited barks accompanied the unexpected precipitation.

"Ouch!" Devan exclaimed when a spiky cone from the tree behind him hit his shoulder. He turned around to investigate the cause of the downpour. "Moss! What are you doing?"

Behind them, the giant sled dog was halfway up a tree, in hunt of the non-amused squirrel. Moss still kept his back paws firmly planted on the ground but his front paws scratched high up on the tree trunk. This exercise made the tree bend beneath the dog's heavy frame, which had made it possible for the chittering creature to escape to another tree. This didn't halt Moss' enthusiasm for the endeavor as he tried--to no avail--to slither upward.

Beside the tree, Ghost watched the younger canine with an exasperated expression and a twitching tail. Apparently, Moss had forgotten that dogs couldn't climb trees.

"Take care of your dog, Seaworth," Jon snapped, seemingly as exasperated as his direwolf. He stroked a dozen pine needles off his curly hair and shook his jacket to remove needles from his hood.

"I will..." Devan sighed and picked a pine cone out of his own hood. He looked at it, wondering if perhaps it was edible. But the texture and smell didn't seem appetizing.

"I'll go tell the men to set up the tents," Jon informed Devan, as tree residue still rained down on them. "If we make camp here tonight we can prepare to arrive at Winterfell tomorrow."

Ghost tagged along with Jon, like the loyal and trustworthy companion he was, while Devan was left to convince his own companion--who was not as trustworthy and loyal, at least not when there were squirrels around-- that members of his species were in fact not climbers.

"Come here, boy," Devan called out and walked up toward the tree. He took a firm grip of Moss' tail to urge the canine to stop his doomed attempt. A whimper escaped the dog's throat and he put all four paws back on the ground with a pitiful expression. To show that he wasn't mad, Devan patted his furry friend on the head. An enthusiastic lick on the back of his hand was the response.

Devan's gaze fell at the tree. Firm branches ascended like a latter upward. Easy to climb, if you weren't a dog.

Steffon would have loved that tree.

Devan tried to not think of his family too often, because when he thought of them, he missed them. And he didn't have time to miss them. He needed to use his time to focus on getting back to them.

But now, he couldn't help himself.

Steffon, Stannis, his father Davos, his mother Marya. He missed them so much it hurt.

Brynda. Their child who he hadn't even met. He missed them so much he thought he would die.

The wave of emotion made Devan slump down in the cold moss below. A slew of affectionate licks from a canine creature--named after the soft bed underneath--attempted to comfort him.

Devan slung his long arms around Moss' neck. "I'll see them soon," he mumbled into furry ears and gazed toward the castle in the distance. Jon's home but not his home."First, we'll go to Winterfell. Then we'll go to King's Landing. And then we'll go to Storm's End." Moss gave out a light whimper, perhaps because Devan was holding him too tightly. "You'll like it there, boy," Devan assured him. "Maybe a bit warm for someone with your fur." He pulled his fingers through the thick coat, which was--unsurprisingly--the color of white moss. "But my mother might give both you and me a haircut when we get there anyway..."

First Winterfell, then King's Landing, then Storm's End. Many months later, Devan would stand there. He would hug his brothers, kiss his beloved Brynda, and finally meet his son. He would hoist the little boy up high in the sky, to rolling laughter and squees of delight.

And he would once again be held in the arms of his mother, Marya, who after releasing her grip of her son would berate his shaggy hairstyle and the fact that he was now the proud owner of an equally shaggy dog.

Part 3 is coming soon...

Author's Note: So I've finally finished my original stories (Iguanatopia and Sweet Little Birds, if you want to check them out) that have kept me sidetracked from working on this story. But now, it's time. It's time for this story to end. And I think the ending will be quite spectacular.

I can't promise exactly when the story will start for real but my estimation is that the first chapter will be up within the coming weeks, and after that new chapters should be published 2-3 times a week.