Carliene Stark

II Chapter 53

Carliene

It felt like I was flying again. Above a harbour of burning ships and a city burning with tree fire and a castle drowning in the snow. I saw a frozen field and a terrible storm that rolled over it like a wave. I glance at a place that knew nothing but winter and a pace that was always spared of it. And suddenly I stumbled through the foggy meadow, looking around frantically and trying my best to get out. To open my eyes and regain control of my body so that I may face my foes again. But I couldn't something had a tight grip on me and kept me here. 

"Bran!" I called and clenched my fists, knowing it was his doing. "Bran!" I called again impatiently when there was no response. Then I felt him and turned around to face the boy, calm as ever. "What is this" I demanded of him angrily, "Send me back"

He folded his hands behind his back and studied me for a moment. "You need to calm yourself sister" he told me sternly.

"Oh spare me the lessons for later, I need to wake up" I told him. "The Lannisters have the castle, they have me!"

Somehow none of this seemed to worry him in the slightest. "You are angry" he pointed out concerned. "You need to tame it, lest it gets dangerous, or have you forgotten what happened with Ser Vortimer Crane" Of course I hadn't but why was he bringing this up now. These are my enemies, they were our enemies. Why shouldn't I unleash all my pent up anger on them?

"The lions are not the true enemy" he told me as if he could read my thoughts. "It is time for you to see that"

"How can you say that?" I glared at him in disbelief, once again wondering if this was even my brother I was facing. "Bran, we are talking about the man who pushed you out of a window and crippled you for life" I reminded him sternly. "These are the people who killed father, who killed mother and Robb and who killed my-" I quickly trailed off. I could not slip back into despair, I needed to cling to my anger. "I could beat them" I realised then. "With what you have shown me, I could use it on them maybe overpower them, contro-"

"No!" his sudden outburst nearly made me swallow my tongue. "What you talk of is dangerous and will only get you and others hurt or killed" he spoke scoldingly. "I told you to trust in me and to be patient, it is all going according to plan"

"You knew this would happen?" the realisation caused me to take a step away from him. I shook my head in disbelief. "You knew they would attack and you did not warn me" I did no longer recognise my brother in the boy in front of me. "You just let it happen" I stated louder. 

"Carliene, I-"

"No" I stepped away further feeling confused and betrayed. "I thought I could at least trust you" I admitted with pain in my voice. It was all falling apart again. Everything I had worked on, everything I had built up, its as all spilling from my fingers again.

Something shifted in the meadow and it almost seems like it worried Bran. "Carliene, calm down, you are upset" 

I stepped away again when he tried to approach me. "I want to leave" I told him as a gust of wind tore across the meadow. "Let me leave" I demanded sternly. 

He shook his head. "I can't let you do that yet sister"

"Release me Bran" I clenched my fists and planted my feet, ready to challenge him. "Get out of my head"

He looked around as the wind tore at his leather tunic and he looked more concerned than I had ever seen him. "Don't do this, you need me" he urged and tried to approach but something held him back this time. "I am the only one who can get you through this"

No, I thought with determination. There was something that didn't feel right about this, that didn't feel right about him. maybe I had just grown overly paranoid with all the betrayals I had faced in the last couple of days, but I knew I wanted no part of this anymore. He had pulled me right out of my body while I was aware and awake and trapped me in this place and I would not go down with a fight. "Get out of my head Bran" I warned him again, concentrating on his aura and what it felt like. He tried to approach again, opening his mouth to plead with him but I cut him off. "I said: out of my head!" I yelled at him until my vice ached and suddenly the scene fell away.