Game Of Thrones:Lady Blackthorne

CHAPTER 25

In Jon's room, Jon and Sansa are sitting by the fire eating together. Sansa lifts a bowl of soup to her lips and drinks from it.

Sansa asked Jon, “Do you remember those kidney pies Old Nan used to make?”

Jon said, “With the peas and onions?” She nodded.

Sansa said, “Mmm.”

Jon said, “You know, we never should have left Winterfell.”

Sansa said, “Don’t you wish we could go back to the day we left? I want to scream at myself, ‘Don’t go, you idiot.’”

Jon said, “How could we know?”

Sansa said, “I spent a lot of time thinking about what an ass I was to you all those years ago. I wish I could change everything.”

Jon said, “We were children.”

Sansa said, “I was awful, just admit it.” Jon chuckles.

Jon said, “You were occasionally awful. I’m sure I can’t have been great fun. Always sulking in the corner while the rest of you played.”

Sansa asked, “Can you forgive me?”

Jon said, “There’s nothing to forgive.”

Sansa asks, “Forgive me.”

Jon says, “All right. All right, I forgive you.” Sansa laughs, then holds out her hand for Jon’s horn of ale. Jon gives it to her. She sips, then coughs. Jon laughs.

Jon said, “You’d think after thousands of years, the Night’s Watch would have learned how to make a good ale.”

Sansa grinned and asked, “Where will you go?”

Jon smiled and said, “Where will we go? If I don’t watch over you, Father’s ghost will come back and murder me. Besides, Aldarra gave me a threat that she would thrash me if I didn't realize that I am part of her group she calls family and I'm not allowed to be alone anymore.”

Sansa asked, “That’s Aldarra for you. Where will we go?”

Jon says, “I can’t stay here, not after what happened.”

Sansa said, “There’s only one place we can go. Home.”

Jon asked sarcastically, “Should we tell the Boltons to pack up and leave?”

Sansa said, “We’ll take it back from them.”

Jon said, “I don’t have an army.”

Sansa asked, “How many wildlings did you save?”

Jon said, “They didn’t come here to serve me.”

Sansa said, “They owe you their lives.” Sansa stands and walks to a table. She places her bowl down on it.

Sansa said, “You think they’ll be safe here if Roose Bolton remains Warden of the North?”

Jon said, “Sansa.”

Sansa said, “Winterfell is our home. It’s ours, Arya’s, Bran’s and Rickon’s. Wherever they are, it belongs to our family. We have to fight for it.”

Jon said sadly, “I'm tired of fighting.” He stands and turns to face her.

Jon said, “It’s all I’ve done since I left home. I’ve killed brothers of the Night’s Watch. I’ve killed wildlings. I’ve killed men that I admire. I hanged a boy younger than Bran. I fought and I lost.”

Sansa said, “If we don’t take back the North, we’ll never be safe. I want you to help me. But I’ll do it myself if I have to with Aldarra, but I'd rather have you with me as my brother.”