Wolf's Blood (Lion's Wolf book 3)

Chapter 1 ~ Dark Wings, Dark Words ~

~Anaris' POV~

I huddled under my cloak and waited, I had rabbits for both Brienne and Jaime but not one for myself, I knew there was another rabbit out there in the darkness I could hear it quietly hopping through the undergrowth just in front of me, close by but too far to kill it, I waited as it hopped closer and closer, finally coming into view as it cautiously came from safety, I didn't move, couldn't breath as it came closer and closer then I struck as fast as viper trapping it in the cage that I had set up, it struggled as I snagged it and killed it quick and as painlessly as possible before grabbing the other two rabbits and going back to our small fire.

"Took you long enough" Jaime teased as i crouched down and began to skin and gut the rabbits before handing the to Brienne who skewered them with sticks and began to cook them.

"If you're not careful you'll be next" I looked at him and gestured with my dagger to the food.

"I'm much too dirty to eat" Jaime replied with a grin as I snuggled closer into my cloak, the nights were getting chillier and even the fire did little to stave off the icy tendrils that caused me to shake hard at night.

I looked down at my cloak and sighed, I was also filthy, a few months traversing the wilderness will do that to a person, but not as filthy as Jaime who hadn't had a bath in almost a year, his boots had seen better days and his hair was in need of cutting "you'd give us a gut ache" I mumbled as Brienne silently handed me a cooked rabbit.

~ The Same Week ~

"How did you come into Lady Stark's service?" Jaime asked Brienne after she ignored him successfully for a few days she was starting wear thin and was really letting get to her, Jaime saw it as a game but what I saw was a woman who would very happily skewer him if she hadn't sworn an oath to my mother "There's something we can talk about," I rolled my eyes.

"Not your concern, Kingslayer" Brienne fobbed him off, their back and forth, while entertaining, was getting on my nerves.

"It had to be recently. You weren't with her at Winterfell" he looked at me and I shook my head.

"How would you know?" I asked him "when you were in Winterfell you were indoors most of the time"

Jaime chuckled and shook his head "Because when we were in Winterfell, I would have noticed her dour head smacking into the archways" he leant towards me and winked "even though I was distracted by a certain woman" I pushed his face away from mine, "Were you pledged to Stannis?" He asked Brienne.

Brienne by all rights looked at him like he was absolutely insane "Gods, no" she looked at me like he'd just insulted her entire family.

"Ah, Renly. Really? He wasn't fit to rule over anything more important than a 12-course meal" Jaime remarked causing me to swiftly turn and punch his arm, he and Renly weren't on good terms but that didn't mean he had to insult the man.

"Shut your mouth," Brienne growled out as the trees that lined both sides of the path we were on began to thin slightly.

"Why? I lived with him at court since he was a boy, don't forget," Jaime chuckled as he continued "Could hardly escape the little tulip. Skipping down the corridors in his embroidered silks. I knew him far better than you" I turned to hit him again but he caught my hand and kissed it "you knew him better then the two of us, Wolf," his teeth grazed my knuckles and I pulled my hand from his.

"I knew him as well as anyone. As a member of his Kingsguard, he trusted me with everything" Brienne said with her head raised.

"He would have been a wonderful king," I commented quietly, it was true, he would've made a fine king, he cared for a lot of people and he was well loved by a lot of people.