Carliene Stark

II Chapter 59

Carliene

I stood in the lone field, rubbing my wrists that were slightly chafed from the shackles. I was alone. Completely alone, but for the grass and the sky above me. And suddenly all my options were open once again. I could go anywhere, I could do anything and this time I could decide for myself and wouldn't let myself be lead astray by someone pretending to be my brother. It occurred to me now that even that could have been a trick. If he could enter my dreams and even take me out of the waking world, surely he could also alter his face and his appearance. Could I trust none in this world?

I sighed, trying to orient myself using the rising sun. South was Oldtown, the Lannisters the Iron Fleet, west was the Sunset Sea, east were the Dornish Marches and north was Highgarden, and the Westerlands and the Riverlands and somewhere further on the North and Winterfell. It would take me months getting there, I realised bitterly as I started walking. I still wasn't sure where I was going, but standing still the cold of the morning began creeping into my bones. The cold reminded me of my dreams and of all that Bran had told me. No matter if he had led me astray or not, I felt that the threat of the Others was real. And none of these quarrelsome lords here in the south would be able to realise the threat until it was too late. Should I have told the Kingslayer? No, I decided balling my fists. He thinks I murdered my son, he would never be able to grasp the weight of the impending doom of a threat such as the Long Night. Let alone relaying that threat to his sister in a way that was believable.

I crossed my arms against the wind that pulled at what thin layers of clothes I was wearing. I scoffed at my inability to tolerate the weather, reminding myself that this was hardly a real winter yet. "What will you do when the snows reach higher than yourself and your drinks freeze in your cup" I muttered to myself. "Damned Lannisters" I cursed then, kicking a lump of grass in front of me. "Just leaving me in the middle of nowhere" I was well aware that I should maybe have been grateful for being released, but my pride kept me for feeling anything positive for the likes of the Kingslayer and his pawns.

But when I thought of Addam Marbrand my stomach twisted with guilt. I had seen him burning, just like I had seen Randyll Tarly with his bloodied arm. He will die, a pessimistic voice in me told me. Should I have warned him? Would it even make a difference? 

The wind blew my hair into my face for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Frustrated with it I loosened one of the straps that held in place my breastplate and pulled it from the nooses. Then I tied back my hair as best I could, defiantly facing the cold breeze. The clouds once again blocked out the sun, which gave me some trouble in trying to keep the right direction. I tried to see if I could recognise anything from when we traveled north from Oldtown, but that had been weeks ago and I could have been miles from the Roseroad. At one point there was a terrible screech from above, unlike anything I had ever heard. But when I looked up, nearly stumbling to the ground there was nothing but grey clouds above me. I stared up into the sky for a long while, keeping completely still in order to see if I could hear anything else. Had it just been the wind? It howled in my head and pulled at my clothing, causing my fingers to feel numb, but no more scream was heard. I tried to look through the eyes of any animals around, but all I found was a small bird in a nest on a hedge nearby and a mole underground, which made me feel claustrophobic as soon as I entered its mind.

So i continued on, with no sense of where exactly I was going or how long I had been travelling or how far. Was I going to Highgarden or was I going North? Daven had predicted that the castle would not be held unchallenged for long, which meant I could reunite with Daenerys' allies, be they Unsullied or Tyrell. It would surely be safer and more comfortable than the long road back to Winterfell. But if I made it I would be with my family again. where I belonged, where I could help them face the cold that all these southerners did not care about.