Duty or Desire // Jon Snow // Robb Stark

63. Alive

'Ramsey...' Jon muttered

'winterfell is our home.' Sansa told him. 'we have to fight for it.' But jon didn't want to fight anymore.

'I will fight for winterfell.' Odie informed him. 'you have done so much for this cause, you died.' Odie reminded him. 'let me get your home back.'

'It is your home to Odetta.' Sansa reminded her, Odie smiled over at her holding onto her hand.

'the Boltons are a force. We need more men then we have, better men.' Jon reminded them.

'or one. Good. Shot.' Sasha told him.

'you think you could take him down?' sansa questioned.

'I didn't come this far, kill a Lannister's assassination, just to give up now.' Odie told them. 'I fight, for everyone we lost. Getting winterfell back, that would mean a lot, give us back some of the power.'

'If you fight, I fight.' Jon said. 'Lets take back the power.'

+++++

They were all eating, finding some sense of normalcy when a letter arrived and the peace vanished and jon was filled with rage.

'its from Ramsey.' Jon said, he held the letter with a violent grip. 'Ramsey is holding Rickon prisoner... he is demanding the return of Sansa...' Odie looked over his shoulder as jon let out an exasperated breath.

'He says he will massacre Jon's allies, it is signed Ramsey Bolton... he was legitimized?' Odie questioned, 'I thought him a bastard?' Sansa confirmed that he was made a Bolton and looking over the signature she deduced that Roose Bolton was dead.

'Tormund how many men do you have?'

'2,000,' Tormund informed him.

'that is not enough to fight Ramsay's 5,000 by themselves.' Jon informed him.

'we will rally the Northern Houses, those still loyal to the Starks,' sansa suggested.

'lets get Winterfell back.' Jon declared.

+++++++

While discussing strategy with Davos, Melisandre, Sansa, Brienne, Tormund, Odie; Jon bitterly notes that they simply don't have the numbers to challenge the Boltons at present time, if ever. Even though the three most powerful houses are already backing the Boltons, Jon suggested rallying the weaker houses, as their combined strength would give them a numerical advantage when combined with his current forces.

'What about the Tullys?' Sansa questioned and Odies face pinched. Edmure tully had betrayed Robb who was to say they were not bought by lannisters or boltons already. 'surely they would support us.' Odie didn't know if that was a good idea though but what other choices did they have. 'Brynden Tully's recaptured the Riverrun,' sansa recalled 'with his support it would almost certainly guarantee the Tullys, their numbers would give us an advantage.'

+++

With the wildlings allegiance, their army was looking good, strong. Jon was confident as they prepared to set out.

'Lyanna Mormont has agreed to give us... this cant be right.' Odie said looking up from the note.

'it is.' Jon told her.

'sixty-two men,' Odie questioned incredulously.

'the remaining force of House Mormont, promising that each will fight with the worth of ten men.' Jon told her, relaying the message. Odie nodded, better than nothing she supposed. 'alright now onto the ramsey situation...' jon said thinking through their plans.

'Perhaps we can settle this one on one, if he is willing to fight, you could take him, I could take him.' Odie assured.

'That would save a lot of trouble, we wouldn't have to deal with the Bolton army...'

Ramsay, Smalljon Umber, and Harald Karstark meet with Jon, Sansa, Odie, Tormund, Davos, and Lyanna Mormont joined together at the battlefield the day before the battle. Jon offered Ramsay a chance to settle their dispute with a one on one combat but Ramsay refused.

'look at my army Snow. Look at yours.' Ramsey told him. 'why would I fight you when I know with almost complete certainty that you will lose... but if you surrender, I will pardon you, Jon for breaking your Night's Watch vows, as long as you hand Sansa over to me. she is my wife after all.' Ramsey sneered.

'I want proof that Rickon is alive.' Odie demanded. Ramsey nodded and one of his men brought forward the severed head of Rickons direwolf, Shaggydog. A gasp of horror escaped Odie's lips as he looked at Shaggy dog. Why did everyone want to take heads? It didn't make any sense, they were not some trophy. She had heard that the Frey men had sewn Robbs head... onto Greys... she couldn't breathe just remembering it. She turned away from Shaggy dog, trying to breathe. But her breath was stuck in her lungs as her hands resting on her knees unable to stand up.

'We refuse your offer of surrender.' Jon told him.

'you are going to die, Ramsey. Tomorrow.' Sansa informed him storming off.

Jon cradled Odie to him as she tried to breathe. He didn't say anything just rubbed a calming hand against her back.

'last moon I thought Bran and Rickon were dead... this moon both of them are alive but Bran is Gods knows where and Rickon... my little rickon is a young man now... I want to see him. We have to get him back.' Odie sobbed. 'he is probably so scared... all alone... in the hands of people trying to...' odie cried, she didn't feel brave or strong. She felt fragile. She felt her heart breaking all over again. 'we have to get him back.' Odie told him as Jon wiped at her eyes.

'We will. We will get them both back.' Jon told her.