Lady of Winterfell

Chapter Eighteen: Never the Same

"What are you telling him now?" Robb asked stepping into Bran's bedroom, it was the first chance that he'd gotten to visit all day and he was sure that Bran was bored out of his mind. 

It had been a trying time since Catelyn had left and Robb was only just getting to grips with his duties; he just hoped that his mother would be home soon, he wasn't sure how to deal with Bran. 

His brother had been dejected since learning that he would never walk again, Robb wasn't sure what to do to help him and he knew that Sanira was just as lost with him when it came to dealing with Bran. 

"Only what the little Lord wants to hear," Old Nan replied pausing from her knitting, she had looked after all of the Stark children and had been a loyal servant for as long as any of them could remember. 

She had been tasked with watching over Bran while Robb and Sanira were busy, Old Nan could be trusted to look after him especially with no sign of any movement in his legs now. 

Bran barely looked at Robb, he hadn't really seen his brother and he hated that his mother hadn't been here when he had woken up; no one would even tell him where she had gone. 

"Get your supper. I want some time with him," Robb murmured dismissing Old Nan, it had been a month since Catelyn had left and he guessed that his mother would just be arriving in the capital now. 

Old Nan nodded her head before getting to her feet and leaving the room, she muttered to herself about how she had once been the one to give Robb commands. 

Moving to sit down next to the bed, Robb knew that it wasn't safe for him to share where their mother had gone with Bran; he didn't want to scare his brother when he was still recovering.

"One time she told me the sky is blue because we live inside the eye of a blue-eyed giant named Macomber," Robb said trying to cheer Bran up, he hated seeing his brother so down and he wished there was something he could do. 

Robb couldn't imagine what was going on in Bran's mind, everything that he had ever wanted for the future had been lost and he would have to find a new path to follow. 

"Maybe we do," Bran mumbled looking away from Robb, he wasn't happy about being left like this and he wanted nothing more than to get up out of this bed and never return. 

However, it was never going to be the same, he stared up at the ceiling wanting to be left alone; he didn't know why Sanira and Robb insisted on coming to see him all the time.

"How do you feel? You still don't remember anything? I've seen you climb a thousand times. In the wind, in the rain... A thousand times. You never fall," Robb said trying to get some answers, he wanted to hear from Bran what had happened and he hated that Bran had no memory of what happened. 

It would have helped if they had some idea about why Bran was pushed, Robb wanted to know what had happened to cause all of this. 

 "I did though. It's true, isn't it... what Maester Luwin says about my legs? I'd rather be dead," Bran whispered trying to change the subject, he didn't want to talk about the fall that had taken everything from him. 

His life was never going to be the same again and he wondered why the Gods had saved him when he would be forced to be a cripple. 

No one would ever understand how he was feeling and it was even worse that his mother had abandoned him when he needed her most. 

"Don't ever say that," Robb said shocked by Bran's words, he had never seen him like this before and he wished more than ever that their mother was here to comfort Bran since he was sure she would be able to cheer him up.

***

"Is everything alright?" Sanira asked stepping into Bran's room, she had heard that he'd been having strange dreams and she had come here to see if she could help him in anyway. 

Things had been hard since Bran had woken up and Sanira did everything that she could to help Bran adjust to his new life; he'd gotten life changing injuries and he would never walk again because of that. 

Sanira knew that Robb was pulling his hair out while trying to find ways to comfort his younger brother; he had been distraught at dinner after his talk with Bran. 

Moving to sit down next to Bran, Sanira smoothed out her dress wishing that she could say something that would help; she knew of no one that could help him now that he was a cripple. 

"I have bad dreams to," Sanira started hoping to get Bran to open up to her, she hated seeing him so down and she wasn't going to allow him to sulk about what was happening. 

Sure she had no idea what he was going through right now and Sanira wished that she could tell him that it was all going to be okay; she could only hope that Bran would adapt to what he was going through. 

Bran was only ten years old and everything that he had ever wanted was gone; he wouldn't be able to become a knight like he had always wanted. 

Bran didn't reply and stared up at the ceiling, he knew that Sanira meant well but he just wanted to be left alone; he hated how everyone was trying to comfort him about this. 

"I see things that don't make sense," Sanira mumbled not wanting to say too much about her dreams, she only really felt comfortable talking to Robb about her dreams. 

Bran peeked at her, he was a little curious about what she was talking about and he knew that things weren't the best but he had a feeling that things were going to only get worse.

"I know there isn't much I can say to offer you comfort you," Sanira continued looking at Bran, she knew that he wanted his mother but they had to wait for Catelyn to return and then hopefully things would be okay. 

Sanira didn't know what Eddard would think about what his wife would say and she feared that her good-father had no idea what he would be getting into if he messed in Lannister affairs. 

The last thing that Sanira wanted was too see her family fall apart, she would never side with the Lannister part of it and she didn't know what her father would do if things went wrong. 

"But I want you to know... you aren't alone in this," Sanira mumbled gently, she moved to get to her feet and head to her own chambers; it was getting sleep and she was sure that Bran was tired and he would need his rest. 

Bran watched her start to leave, he guessed she was right and he hoped that his family would always be there for him; he was just saddened that his mother had abandoned him. 

No one would tell Bran why she had left or where she had gone and it didn't help that his father and sisters had gone to the capital without waiting for him to wake up. 

"What do you dream about?" Bran asked curiously, he looked at Sanira wondering what she could see in her dreams and if the raven plagued her as much as it haunted him. 

He had no idea why he saw these things now and Maester Luwin had told him that it was just his mind's way of dealing with what happened to him; something that Bran didn't believe at all. 

Sanira paused in the doorway and turned to look at Bran for a moment surprised that he had asked; she lingered for a moment before she moved back into the bed chamber. 

She was sure that it wasn't going to fix everything but it was a start and Sanira was sure that Bran would be able to make it through what had happened to him.