✓ | 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝑻𝒐 𝑹𝒖𝒍𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 (R.STARK 2/3)

Chapter Seven::Old Friends

The crumpled parchment quivering in her grasp was patterned with copper, woven handwriting, that she'd never before seen so well presented from someone of Northern blood, not even her mother. Raina pulled open the letter nervously, yet quickly despite her caution, as curiosity got the better of her. It was from Wylla. The youngest Manderly daughter had known Esme relatively well throughout the years, not so well acquainted with Raina, but enough to be able to write to her in this time. Their King was dead, not just the Glovers', but the Manderlys' also. Raina had suspected it to be the similar dread filled rambles her mother had been going on about over the passing days, but Raina, instead, found herself pleasantly surprised to be met with a well composed letter, regarding Raina as a friend of Wylla's house, and always welcome if she ever were to need shelter or support. The Manderly's were sworn to House Stark, not just the Warden of the North, but the Starks. Any person bearing that name, or whom held high regard with any member of the family, were allies to House Manderly, of White Harbour. Raina supposed that had meant her, and her family, now.

Placing the letter upon her desk, Raina turned to the bed, where Asher lay fiddling with something sharp. Raina had learnt not to question his habits and new found interests, and in turn decided not to ask about the bladed object he so casually tossed above his head, aimlessly revealing his bordem as she watched him go about the task with gut wrenching sighs. She was bored too. The sun was still looming in the stone-grey sky, casting hardly any stabs of light on the ground below, yet providing enough daylight to warrant venturing into the landscape. If Raina could face doing anything that did not involve tears or violence. It had been almost a fortnight since the event they now referred to as The Red Wedding, and somehow Raina found herself fresh out of tears, and numb with the unending pain, and realisation, of it all. She'd lost him. Him. Robb. Her Robb. Her King. Her love...He was gone, and no amount of heartbreak could ever bring him back to her side like she so dearly wished it would. She'd prayed to be with him again since the day they had separated years ago, and somehow, someway, it had come true, maybe the naivety in her fought for the same magic to work twice. Though it was hardly likely it would, she just used it as a way to try and cope with the agony of the loss, and focus on something brighter than the darkness she'd grown accustomed to over the two weeks that had been and gone so quickly.

"Why not go home?" She turned to the blond boy a second time, finding her gaze to have wandered to the dull view from her open window. Asher shuffled to a sitting position, looking worn from exhaustion, and bordem, and lack of any enthusiasm. "I don't know..." He hummed, and went to lie down again, only this time stopping on his elbow and casting his fierce grey eyes to the small frame, hidden back in an ebony chair in the corner, only revealed by the floods of daylight pouring through her billowing curtains. "Why stay here?" He questioned nonchalantly, his eyebrow quirking upwards at his inquisition, knowing it would have her stumped. She thought about it, wondering why she had not, in fact, departed this dismal place when given the opportunity. But then it occurred to her. A year ago, on a specific downpour, occurring in the blinding darkness of a fall night, a clueless, and plain brave, desperate little girl departed from her confines, and ran like hell. Running as fast, and as far, as her little legs would carry her into the dark, risking nothing that might bring her back to the dump at which she had long since left behind. Only this little girl had hope. She had hope, even if but a small shimmer of it, hidden beneath a cloud of pessimistic thoughts; it was there, shining out to be noticed, a hope that her knight in shining armor, her brave prince, her young wolf might rear his head to the moon, and sweep her into his arms, keeping her safe from all that would dare harm her. She had hope of Robb. Her Stark. Her King. That had gone now, dissolved into ash in the back of her mind, swept away by the howling winds of depression seeping through her thoughts. There was no hope left in her, not anymore. Not after the Red Wedding.

"I have no where else." She mumbled, hands still linked around the tattered doll gripped in her cold clasp, the one whose hair had begun to fall out in matted lumps, and whose clothes had ripped in more than one place; whose arm was now dangling in it's socket, hopelessly pleading to be mended, but Raina found herself refusing to alter it at all. "What about Ironrath?" Asher asked again, his voice louder now, and his casual position now changed to him crouched over the edge of the bed, elbows on knees, and hands under his chin, as he stared at her intently. "What would they do for me there? It's not exactly a great hiding place for someone running from their family, when their own home is only up the road." Raina shot back quickly, not harsh at all, but weak. Her voice had altered drastically, replicating her lack of energy, or just effort for that matter. "Winterfell?" Asher chimed up, brow furrowed. "Seized." Raina replied quickly, blunt as she could bring herself to be, when thinking of her love's home, and a family she had so cherished long ago. "Why not go south?" "To the land of my King's enemies. You're smart, Asher."

"Your King is dead, Raina. You have nothing to fear from those people anymore. Besides, aren't you teaming up with the Baratheon one, the younger of the pair?" Raina fell short of words, her eyes widening at her friend's words. Her King was dead. He was, for that matter, long gone, but Raina was a northerner. And northerners did not run south, begging for protection from those under the Lannister, and Baratheon rein, not after this war started. And as far as Renly was concerned, he had lost his ally at the Red Wedding, no use keeping his squire around now the King had died. "Don't go there." Raina muttered under her breath, noting the twitch of sensitivity in Asher's eyes, as he realised he's struck an open nerve. He bowed his head, eyes only then catching sight of the letter perched upon the desk at Raina's side. "What about White Harbour?" Raina's hand released from the doll as she stood, head hot with something she hadn't felt in a while. "I am not leaving, Asher. You have a family to run to, to see after 4 years of being gone. Mine are here, I am home. I am not running after all this time, I've done enough of that in the past year, and I'm finally back. Whether I like it or not, Deepwood Motte is where I am staying. I'm done playing hide and seek." Asher nodded slowly, eyes failing to meet hers after the words she had just chucked his way. There was silence for a moment, deafening, unending silence that ate at the pair of them, until the Forrester spoke up.

"Gwyn..." He began, voice choking in his throat before he could continue. "We never-" He breathed, heavily. "Father had this idea, put in place by Gryff and his dull witted followers, and family. Me and Gwyn never...we weren't in love, like everyone was so convinced. She was a friend, helping with the anger and frustration of being in my place, second best to everything, and hated by a father who shouldn't even care what I was up to. You get it, you've seen what I was like. I don't want to have to go back to a family who think I betrayed them for a girl, for a Whitehill girl. I don't even know if father's-" He breathed again. "-home yet. Or Rodrik. But I haven't worked out how to face them, whether he's there or not. I don't want the shame of it. I liked the freedom in Essos, because I didn't have that man looming over my shoulder, glaring at my actions like I was a disappointment just breathing. I need time to..." "I understand." Raina smiled softly, as best she could considering the circumstances. He nodded, his eyes finally reconnecting with her's after a moment of the floor being more interesting them herself. "I know you do, that's why I keep you around." Asher scoffed, shooting her the same smirk she had seen upon his arrival. The Asher grin. It's all that his charm worked out to be. A stupid, lopsided smile that had girls swooning all over Essos, Raina thought. "Yeah, that's why."