End Game// Tormund Giantsbane (3)

53. Gossip & Ravens

"Where did she get it?" Sansa muttered

"I don't know. She seems very resourceful... You're worried." Petyr pondered knowingly. Sansa made sure they were alone, she didnt even trust Caro at the moment.

"We're asking 20 000 men to fight with us in the worst winter any of them have ever seen. The weather will be the least of their problems. Many of them will be happy to find a good reason to go home." Sansa agreed.

"You question their loyalty?" Petyr questioned.

" Their loyalty is to JON SNOW. JON SNOW is not here. I haven't heard from him in weeks." Sansa agreed. "Caro hasnt given up hope but..."

"You're the Lady of Winterfell."

"I'm not. Arya likes to make that clear. Jon chose Caro. The King chose Caro to rule in his absence." Sansa hissed

 "And yet... rule you have." Petyr added. "The men look to you. You ruled wisely. Ably. They see that. They respect you. Some may even prefer you." Petyr assured.

"Because they dont like that Caro trusts Jon. They dont want a bastard as king..." Sansa murmured. "Yes they trust me, respect me, they turned their backs on Jon Snow when it was time to retake Winterfell and then they named him their king and now they're ready to turn their backs on him again. How far would you trust men like that?" Sansa countered "They're all bloody wind vanes. If they found out I wrote that letter a woman who's already married not one but two enemies of her House. By the time Jon Snow comes back, he'll have no army left."

"Arya is not like them. She's your sister. You may have disagreements, but she would never betray her family." Petyr reminded her.

"She would if she thought I was going to betray Jon." Sansa corrected

"Is that what she thinks?"

"I don't know what she thinks. I don't know her anymore." Sansa admitted

"Perhaps Lady Brienne can help. She's sworn to protect both of Catelyn Stark's girls. Did she not?"

" She is." Sansa agreed slowly.

"And if one of you were planning to harm the other in any way, wouldn't she be honor bound to intercede?"

" She would." Sansa agreed

+

Gendry fell, exhausted. The gate opened before him and four men ran to meet him. "What happened? Where are the others?" Davos questioned helping him up.

" Raven. We need to send the raven." Gendry panted out.

"Get the maester! Now!" Davos shouted.

"My lady." Wolkan remarked handing over a scroll to Caro. "My lady?" he questioned as she read it over.

"It's an invitation. To King's Landing."  Caro remarked. "Find sansa for me." 

"Right away my lady."

+

'When you killed the white walker almost all the dead that followed it fell... why?' Mormont asked jon

'Maybe he was the one that turned them?' jon pondered.

'Maybe if we go for the walkers we will stand a chance?' mormont suggested

'No we need to take him with us, we need to take him to dragon stone, Daenerys is our only chance.' Jon pointed to the captured white walker.

'There is another chance if we kill him if we kill the knight king we killed them all.' Sandor suggested. The night king stared down at them, unmoving.

'The Lord brought you back, the Lord brought me back, did he do it to watch his freeze to death?' Beric asked jon.

'Careful Beric you lost your priest this is your last life' Sandor told him.

'The lord of light will guide us-' beric always the faithful servant.

'Everyone I've ever met has been a cunt. I don't see why the Lord of light would be any different.' Sandor told him, they stare down the night king he stood on the top perched high about everyone else watching them, waiting to attack. Sandor started throwing stones at the White Walkers hit one in the face.

'Dumb cunt' he said throwing another, he threw another stone but it stayed on the surface on the ice, the ice didn't break, the walkers noticed. 'oh fuck' he said as the ones started to move closer to him a single white walker walking across the ice and then more started to walk seeing it was safe their swords and boots dragging across the ground.

"Good going Clegane." Tormund mused.

Beric lite his sword quickly as they prepared. They were coming. They prepared for the worst. Swords and daggers and hammers and axes all being swung through the air all killing the white walkers Beric set his sword aflame again slicing them through the heart or their lack of heart. They were getting closer there was too many of them they were gonna die, too damn many. Closer and closer they got the harder they swung the harder they fight the smaller their little island of sanctuary became. The white walkers were getting the upper hand crashing down on top of them.

'Fall back' Jon shouted 'fall back' but where were they to fall back to? They were surrounded.

+

"What do you think?"

"A trap." Arya remarked. 

"I agree." Caro remarked. "But I want to go." 

"No you dont." Sansa corrected. Caro smiled back at her. 

"I have a few questions for Cersei." Caro corrected her and Sansa swallowed the lump in her throat. "I want to see her face after all this time... see how broken she is too." Caro offered. "But Bran said I need to stay. So I want you to go in my place." 

"No." Sansa corrected. 

"You want to be lady of winterfell, you and petyr gossip about it." Caro reminded her. "This can be your chance. Be the lady of winterfell." Sansa blinked back at her. "Brienne...' she stood to attention. "She can look after you on the journey."

"My lady." Brienne agreed. Caro smiled as she headed out but Sansa scoffed. 

 "You will represent my interest at this gathering as you see them." Sansa declared and Brienne blinked back at her confused. 

"They invited you and your aunt, they want you there."

"I will not set foot in King's Landing while Cersei Lannister is queen. They want another Stark prisoner, they can come and take me. Until then, I'll remain where I belong. I have work to do here." Sansa reminded her.

"It's not safe." Brienne corrected

"Ser Jaime will be there. You said he treated you honorably before." Sansa corrected.

" I'm not worried about me. It's not safe leaving you with Littlefinger. Your Aunt thought so as well clearly."

"I have many guards who'd happily imprison him or behead him whether or not you're here." Sansa corrected

"And you trust their loyalty? You trust he hasn't been speaking to them behind your back? Let me at least leave Podrick behind to watch over you. He has become a competent swordsman." Brienne offered hopefully.

"I do not need to be watched over or minded or cared for. I'm not a child, I am the Lady of Winterfell and I am home. This is the safest place for me." Sansa assured her.

"My lady. I sworn an oath to protect you and your sister. If I abandon you-"

"The trip to King's Landing is long, Lady Brienne, and you won't be travelling on summer roads. The sooner you leave, the better your chances of making it on time." Sansa corrected her.

" Yes, Milady."