Thorn of Winterfell

My Aching Bones

Dinner at Harrenhal was an eventful experience that Syana did not think she would live to see anything like it again. Leagues of men sat all around here at tables stretching impossibly long. The combined body heat and torch light made the air stuffy despite the state of disrepair the castle was in. A massive fireplace sat at the back of the dining hall, the flames licking up the stone and shooting out the occasional cinder. The noise level was boisterous and all around her she could hear different stories being swapped around. As the night grew on, the tales only grew taller.
Syana was sat beside her brother and perhaps most unfortunately the Lord Blackwood on her other side. She had hoped to talk with the prince Jacaerys again but he had not shown up for dinner. Her brother had dismissed her worries, telling her he'd sent word he wouldn't be joining them. That did not assuage her fears though just made her more anxious. So she sat staring across the hall at the fireplace spitting ash and bits of burning wood onto the stone floor. The food kept coming in waves of workers. They would clear dishes and replace them at the same time so no spot was ever free of a full dish. She forced herself to eat despite the pit in her stomach. She could not go into the yard another day if she did not eat right.
The lord beside her was quiet, his braggadocious attitude seemingly left behind with his sword, which was for the first time absent from his person. The three of them ate quietly, thinking their own private thoughts while the table talked around them. In comparison to the reserved lord was his aunt the lady Alysanne who was vibrantly animated. She talked loudly and laughed often. Sometimes she would break into random bits of song as the music played on. Syana thought she would get on well with the lady Sabitha. Perhaps after they could all enjoy a real dance together. Syana had not ever been so far out of the north and she was finding the people to be fascinating if not a bit odd. The energy in the riverlands was so much larger than in the North. The northmen were stoic, serious and didn't tend to waste effort that wasn't needed. While the rivermen were loud, braggadocious, and willing to start a fight over the smallest slight.
Syana felt restless, sitting at the table watching the merry men drink and talk. Her skin was sticky with sweat and the noise level in the hall was giving her a headache. It had already been an hour of this nonsense and she was ready to leave. She could tell her brother was in a similar mood but Alysanne had managed to rope him into a conversation about the merits of different bowstrings. She threw her brother a sympathetic look and his eyes gave away his betrayal as she left the table. She walked along the blackened walls of Harrenhal, nearly hearing the screams of the burned as she did. This was definitely not a place for a Stark, she thought as she walked. The riverlands were soft and moist, burning with the weight of the sun above and the water below. She was made only of ice but felt like a thick fog rolling in as she made her way into the godswood.
She hadn't meant to come here. She had set her mind on returning to the archery range but fresh air was fresh air. So she walked towards the gnarled face of the heart tree instead. She hadn't forgotten the last time she was here and the strange way time had gone swiftly, slipping through her fingers like a broken string of beads. The forest was much more menacing in the darkness as she walked towards the weirwood tree. The shadows were more pronounced but a gentle rain was falling. The sound was soothing to her as she crouched down to watch the raindrops hit the water of the creek. It was mesmerizing to her.

"Careful you don't fall in."

"Ah!" She yelled as she slipped forward at the unexpected voice suddenly behind her.

A hand shot out to grab her by the bicep and pull her upright effortlessly. She took a moment to catch her breath before turning on the man.

"What's your deal? Are you following me?"

Benjicot stood there barely containing his laughter at her ire.

"It's not smart to wander these walls alone." He said, looking concerned. "Surely you can feel it?"