Duty or Desire // Jon Snow // Robb Stark

29. Dont go Detta

'I will take my men and march them home!' Umber declared. Robb stared back at him, anger rising in his chest.

'You are welcome to do so Lord Umber.' Robb said calmly, 'But after I am done dealing with the Lannister's I will march back Lord North and push you out of your keep.' he said rising up from the spot 'and hang you for an oath breaker.'

'Oath breaker!' Umber shot up outraged umbers men rose as well. Odetta and Theon rose too ready for a fight but Gray attacked lunging at the man.

'My father told me it was a crime to go against your lord but Grey only meant to cut my meat for me.' Rob said confidently as his wolf came back to Odies side. She stroked her fingers along his soft fur. Grey moved around her pushing his nose through her legs, looking up at her happily. Odie smiled over at Robb, he was a good leader, he was a lot like Ned actually.

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'I don't want you to go Detta!' Bran pleaded.

'I don't want to leave you.' Odie told him, 'but I have to go with robb, to protect him.' Odie said kneeling before him pulling him to her. 'To get your father and your sisters back... we have to fight, Robb needs me with him.' Odie said pressing a kiss to his head.

'But I need you!" Bran told her.

'you are to be Lord of winterfell and the Lord of winterfell gets whatever he wants,' odie reminded him. 'You just need to send word and I can travel back... to be with you.'

'I don't want you to go.' He repeated clinging to her.

'I am so sorry honey.' Odie coed in his ear. 'but you have Rickon and Hodor-'

'Hodor,' hodor agreed from the corner of the room.

'You have a castle full of people that love you and are going to be looking out for you, protecting you.' Odie went on.

'But not the person I want most.' Bran told her.

'Oh Honey.' Odie didn't know what to say, she should stay. After everything with Bran, his fall, the attack, he woke up and now she was leaving him. 'I will talk to Robb.' Odie told him and he smiled hopefully through pitiful tears.

'I want you with me.' Robb reminded her.

'I know but I said I would ask.' Odie told him.

'I don't know how long this is going to take, I don't want to be apart from my wife for moons.' Robb reminded her, pulling her to him, she nuzzled her face in his chest.

'I'm just going to miss Bran and Rickon. Perhaps Catelyn should stay then?' Odie suggested.

'Mother is mother and she wants to be in the action even if all she is going to do is criticize me.' Robb reminded her.

'She just wants to help.' Odie reminded him. 'but I don't think that the boys should be alone.'

'they wont be alone.' Robb assured running a calming hand up and down her arms. 'they will have a full castle of people, guards and knights alike protecting them.'

'I know, I just... I want it to be me.' odie told him.

'you don't want to come?' Robb questioned a hint of pain in his voice that his wife would rather be with his brothers then him.

'No, I do.' She said immediately. 'I want to be with you but I wish I could be with them too. They are young and scared, your mother worries but she doesn't... I shouldn't say that.' odie said silencing herself.

'Say what my love?'

'she makes these witchy things of sticks and twine.' Odie told him. 'but she doesn't spend any time with them. she is always focused on the problem and not her children.'

'when Bran-'

'when he was... as he was.' Odie began. 'your mother wouldn't leave his side, but it was like she forgot she had another son. Then when Bran woke she was onto the next problem.' Odie reminded him. 'her focus switched from staring at Bran to ignoring him all together her mind racing with vengeance for the lannisters.'

'Her husband-'

'I know and I would be a mess if anything happened to you.' Odie told him. 'but she needs to be rational, she sees the dangers in the world yet she doesn't seem to cherish her children while they are here.' Odie added softly. 'they are going to grow up to be young men, then old men before we know it and she is missing out on their youth...'Odie looked to Robbs face processing what she had said. 'I shouldn't have said anything, I'm sorry. Forgive me.'

'No,' Robb said immediately. 'you are right... she has always been absent... all our lives, focusing on the future, not the present.'

'I did not mean to sound as though she does not love you. She does.' Odie added meekly.

'you are right, she needs to stay with Bran and Rickon, we can handle the war without her.'

But Catelyn being Catelyn did not listen.