eternity • Brandon Stark

chapter 25- leave

Valeria hums a little as she lays her head on bran's shoulders, his arm wrapped around her.

"You were right, I could get inside summer's mind" he said to jojen.

"Of course, north of the wall there are wildings that could control all sorts of animals" he said.

"I've been warging for many lives, i stopped four lives before this." Valeria started, earning their attention. "And I've never seen anyone— even I've never done it— warg into a human being" she mumbled before she turned to smile proudly at bran.

"You couldn't do that north of the wall?" He confusedly asked, turning to osha.

Osha could only shake her head as she looks at him.

She knows bran sould feel much more special after hearing that he's the only one who could do it. Heck even she felt a tad bit envious about it.

There was silence before bran suddenly gasped, turning to rickon. "When i was looking through summer's eyes, i saw jon".

Valeria gasp also remembering this, she didn't know why she even forgot. "That's right, he was with the wildlings, but he escaped" she said with an excited smile.

They missed jon very dearly, and that short glimpse of him made them miss him even more.

"Then he'd be heading to castle black. That's where we should go" osha piped up making bran sigh.

Valeria still didn't like the idea of crossing the wall, but she knows she can never leave bran.

Staying inside the wall whilst he was outside probably dying would never let her heart rest at all.

She'll just have to make sure that stupid three eyed raven won't kill him.

She snapped out of her thoughts after hearing bran's words. "What?" She mumbled.

"You should go with osha, take rickon. go to the last hearth. The umbers are our bannerman they'll protect you"

His eyes stared at her as he says this, and she can already feel her eyes sting as it tried to tear up.

"What—no! I'm not leaving you" she immediately said with a hard face and bran could only place a hand on her cheek.

"It'll be dangerous. Your my wife. Im suppose to give you the world not let you carry it." He mumbles as she closed her eyes shut, hands grasping his as his fingers caress her cheek.

"I don't care. Bran, no one knows that we married, unless they read the records. If you leave my side someone will take me as their bride— if you throw me away-"

"Im not throwing you away." He said to ease her.

"But you are! If you do i can never be your wife" she sternly said making him sigh. "Im coming." She finalizes.

"Im coming with you. Im your brother, i have to protect you"

The two turned to rickon. Valeria sighed before gestured for him to hug her and he immediately swooped into her arms.

His mother. The one who cared for him ever since lady catelyn left. And his only brother left, the one who didn't leave him.

He can't even imagine not having them.

He was only ten.

"Right now i have to protect you" bran softly said to him.

"Val— mother. Please" rickon said sadly almost making valeria tear up.

"I can't imagine putting you in danger. Just like catherine" she whispered as she rest her cheek on top of his head.

"Robb is at war and im going beyond the wall, if something where to happen to us you'll be heir of winterfell" bran further explained.

"He's right" valeria croaked out as she breathes deeply.

Bran asked osha if they would be able to find the last hearth she could only scoff.

"You southerners build large castles and never move, you're easy to find"

Rickon immediately stood up at this, tears already fell from his eyes. "We're not southerners! And I don't want to leave you" he turned back to bran and valeria.

Osha immediately placed him unto her lap, comforting the poor child, "we'll be fine, we'll have great adventures, you and me. And the umbers are good warriors even i heard about them— they'll teach you how to swing a sword."

"I know how to swing a sword" he immediately countered making valeria chuckle.

Osha kissed his head before helping him up.

"I- you're leaving now?" Valeria said as sadness overtook her.

"It's the middle of the night" bran also countered.

"I learned to walk in darkness. Say your goodbyes little man" she said to rickon.

Valeria wrapped her arms around rickon as soon as he lunged at bran and her. "Stay safe my dear, i love you" she whispered to him as tears finally left her eyes.

"Keep them safe, they mean the world to me" osha said to the reed siblings.

Valeria stood up, leaving the siblings to their farewell, immediately running to hug osha.

"You were like my mother— specially after vivian-"

"Shush now little lady. I hope I'll be able to see your little offspring with the little lord" she mumbled before kissing her head.

Valeria sniffed as she wiped her tears. "Be safe please" she mumbled to which osha could only nod.

The two left, with shaggydog in tow much to Valeria's relief.

May we meet again.