Bringing the Dawn

XXXIX.

Catelyn Tully Stark

The Northern Camp near Oxcross, 300AC

The sun was streaming in through a crack in her tent, that was the first thing she noticed. The second was feeling a large knot at the nape of her neck from not brushing her hair for days. Lastly was the dried tears on her cheeks. It felt like a dream, a horrible dream. One she desperately wanted to wake up from and she would be in her bed in Winterfell with her husband beside her to begin tickling her cheek like he did every morning. She took a deep breath at this, trying her best to keep her tears at bay before getting off the makeshift bed to change out of her nightclothes. It was a simple dress she pulled on, navy blue with golden accents.

It felt like she had a massive stone on her chest, pressing down to the point she was struggling to breathe. But she couldn't let it show. In a war camp, any sign of weakness cannot be shown. She had done so enough whilst still in Riverrun where she had the luxury of remaining cooped up in her childhood room. They were not in Riverrun anymore though, they were currently camped a few leagues from Oxcross after a roaring success. Not that it felt like that to her, but nothing felt like much anymore. The moment that letter had been read aloud the one thing she had hoped would never happen had happened.

Stark's don't do well in the south. It was a saying that was well known. Lord Rickard executed by being cooked alive in his armour, Brandon strangled by noose trying to cut his father free, and now her husband missing a head. How it had happened she knew nought, but it was common knowledge the Lannister's liked to display heads of their enemies on spikes on the walls. It angered her, knowing that was where he was when he should have been handed to the Silent Sister's before being sent back to the North to be buried alongside his siblings and father. It's what anyone honourable would do, but the golden haired shits were anything but honourable.

Anger swelled in her as she left the tent in search for either of her family members. Wanting to know what their next move would be. A part of her wanted to try and convince her nephew to head straight for the capital and kill every Lannister man they came across and then march up towards Casterly Rock to finish them for good. Gods, did she want to look Cersei in the eye in retaliation for not stopping her mad son. Especially remembering the gleam in her bright green eyes when she spotted her eldest daughter who looked exactly like she did when she herself was the same age. It wasn't difficult to deduce they must've been scrambling. Arya was last seen in Maidenpool, Sansa was missing, and now her husband was dead. They had nothing to use as leverage other than Ice. An insult of the highest accord.

Ice had been in the Stark family for hundreds- maybe even thousands of years. Had been wielded by every Lord of Winterfell and the Kings of Winter beforehand. They had no right to keep it at all.

There were three things on her mind now. The first was ripping that wretched family out root and stem. The second was retrieving her husbands body so he could receive the burial he deserved. And lastly it was retrieving the sword. She didn't look where she was going, simply following the words of the crowd as to where everyone was, people stepping out of her path with a slight hint of fear. Not that they had anything to fear from her other than a tongue that had been sharpened, a heart beginning to turn to stone, and with blood flowing through her veins filled with extreme hatred.

It had been three weeks since the battle had been won, a small swell of pride entering her before being quashed once again by anger. They had left the site of the battle after retrieving their own dead so they could be returned to their families. Ensuring to shoot down the ravens that were flown from survivors before any word could get out. Some did manage to escape, but it was much less than what it could've been which in turn kept their intentions to a controlled amount. Except, it wasn't exactly a controlled amount anymore as thousands now knew.