WELL FLAYED [Game Of Thrones: The Boltons]

19. The Archer

"THE BOLTON TROOPS ARE continuously searching the woods and some of our villages. They're looking for their lady."

"If they still think that she ran away with her own accord, we still have time to plan our first attack."

"No, we don't have enough time. Word got out that we abducted the Snow Bride. They're probably planning now how they could annihilate us for taking her."

"Fuck! We don't have enough men yet to support our cause!"

"And the blacksmiths are still working on the collection of weapons!"

"Our insurgence is still being made. We are not ready yet to face their troops, lest attack them."

"They will likely be on the offense, so we need to prepare to at least defend ourselves."

The heads of the insurgence conversed whilst standing around their meeting table where the map around Dreadfort was laid out. They went on to such matters from early morn to mid afternoon, trying to figure out how they're going to outsmart the Boltons with their small number.

"General!" A desperate yell cut their conversation. They all looked outside their tent then saw the young lad Rickon running toward them.

"What is it lad? Any news of your recruitments?"

"T-they killed them! My friends! We weren't able to recruit, they ambushed us! I was the only one they left alive to send a message..."

"What did they told you?!"

"They said that Lady Nisha Umber should be given back to them, alive, and surrender while we still can, or...or they will flay us all..."

"Shit." Cursed the general. "They are nearing in on us. If they attack us here, we're not going to win. Our insurgence is still new born. We are underdeveloped."

"Aye." His lieutenant at his side nodded thoughtfully. "If only those fuckers didn't abduct the Snow Bride then this wouldn't have happened."

"I beg to differ. It still bears significance. They wouldn't just attack immediately since we have their priced possession. However, we can't keep her any longer since we can barely hold our ground. If she stays, we will lure them here, and there would be a tiny chance that we will survive. We must know our weaknesses to cultivate our strength."

"Aye." The lieutenant gazed at the men present at their table. "I agree with the general."

They all nodded. "Aye, us too."

"So what should we do?" Asked Rickon.

"We will give Lady Nisha back to them, and we will leave this place separately and regroup somewhere else."

The lieutenant turned at Rickon. "Now where is Lady Nisha?"

Her thighs were sticky with blood and mud. Now her whole body ached. She felt like she fell from the sky and hit thousands of thorns that pierced her. Flies then started to fly around her as she lied unmoving on the filthy ground.

After assaulting her with a wine bottle, they left her in the stables near the horses' piled up shit. The gleam in her eyes slowly faded, along with it was her hope that everything would be better. She escaped the Boltons and now she's stuck here- another place of a hellish nightmare. Problems after problems. She didn't know if she could endure this long.

Then, she heard voices outside the stables.

"What do you mean they want to let her go?!"

"We are compromised because of her. If they rescue her, we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves. We are outnumbered!"