Duty or Desire // Jon Snow // Robb Stark

40. Greyjoy

'We don't want Baylor Greyjoy as an ally!' Catelyn told robb

'I need his ships he has 200.'

'They say 1 million rats live in the sewers of Kings Landing shall we rally them to fight for us as well?' Cat asked incredulously

'We need Lord Greyjoy.'

'I do not trust Lord Greyjoy! Because he's not trustworthy!' Cat told him 'your father had to go to war to end his rebellion.'

'Yes.' Robb agreed 'and now I'm the one rebelling against the throne, before me was father he married one rebel and she mothered another.' Robb told her.

'I mothered more than just rebels .'she told him 'Something you seem to have forgotten.'

'If I trade the king slayer for two girls my Bannerman will string me up by my feet.' Robb told her.

'You want to leave Sansa in the Queen's hands? And arya? I haven't heard a word about arya? What are we fighting for if not for them!' Catelyn shouted at him.

'It is more complicated than that and you know it is!' he shouted back she stood speechless for a moment before sitting back down, her face in her hands, silent sobs escaped her lips.

'Perhaps its time for Catelyn to go home.' Odie told them 'You haven't seen Bran and Rickon in months.' Odie reminded her.

'Yes.' Catelyn agreed.

'You can't go to Winterfell.' Robb told her

'I beg your pardon?' Cat snapped

'I will send Rodrick to look over the boys because tomorrow you ride south to the storm lands.' Robb told her.

'Why in all of gods names would you-' Cat begin

'Because I need you to negotiate with Renly Baratheon. He has rallied an army of 100,000 men you know his family.' Robb told her.

'I haven't seen Renly Baratheon since he was a boy.' cat reminded him pacing the room 'you have 100 other Lords.'

'None of them do wish I trust more than you.' Robb told her 'If Renly sides with us we will outnumber them two to one, when they feel the jaws beginning to shut they will sue for peace.' Robb told her confidently. 'we will get the girls back and we will all go home. For good.' Cat looked Odetta

'Trust your king.' Odie told her simply. 'I do.'

'I will ride it first light.' cat told him

'We will all be together again soon I promise.' he whispered against her kissing her head

'You have done so well.' cat told him 'your father would be... Proud.'

'If Lord Renly-'

'King Renly,' cat corrected 'the king in every corner now.'

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'Well it's gotta be the mountain he's the biggest man out there.'

'I don't know I wouldn't want to compete with fangs and claws.'

'All right the mountain or Jamie Lannister?'

'If he ever gets out... Loras Tyrell?' The knights were talking bickering amongst themselves as the rain scattered down around them.

'He's prettier than the queen.'

'I don't care about pretty he's better with a sword than any of them.'

'how good could he be? He's been stabbing it Renly Baratheon for years and renly anit dead!" they joked.

'Do the horses seem a little spooked you?.'

'Their horses, they get spooked by the shadows,' but the horses were neighing kicking their hooves up. The Lannister soldiers got up looking around through the shadow of darkness around them.

'Do you hear that?'

'No.' the other knight admitted

'There's something out there...' they rose preparing themselves as the horses continued to make a fuss. Looking around in the darkened night they didn't see anything. But the men were slice down distracted by laughter thinking they were seeing shadow or ghosts, but Robbs army advanced.