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

Chapter Eighteen::The Hunt Begins

A/N: Just a quick note, I am sorry I haven't been updating that much over the past couple of weeks, I've had a lot on at school. However, I have now got a week off from school and intend on writing a lot (hopefully every day) until I go back. I hope you enjoy where the story goes from here on, it is supposed to get a lot more exciting for all of you that are still reading. Thank you for all your support and love :)

"So, tell me, what is life like back at Deepwood Motte - since she returned?" Ramsay asked eagerly, as his dark mount trotted alongside Raina's steed that resembled the same colour as the furniture within Winterfell's Great Hall. "Quite quiet, m'lord. My father and brothers have only just returned from the war, and not much has been occurring around the keep during these months," She replied honestly, trying not to bring attention to the lack of a certain sister, or that she returned with her brothers - or Asher for that matter. "Ah yes! Your family fought in the war," Something in Ramsay's voice contradicted the enthusiasm he spoke with. The words seeped with venom, yet the bastard seemed happy enough to talk of the subject. "And where were you, exactly, before you came home? We were told you ran away, but your whereabouts was never confirmed," That had Raina stuck, if she said she was with Robb, they'd have her head, if she mentioned the Forresters, they'd kill them quicker than Raina could imagine, and if she said any other family, they could disprove her just as easily. "I...Was venturing South. I didn't want to stay in the North, and decided that perhaps the sun of King's Landing would be more appealing than the Winter that is so near," That should do. And Ramsay seemed to accept it well enough, with no further questions on the matter.

Relief flooded Raina as her betrothed moved the topic onto something regarding his new pet, Theon, who he had recently renamed as Reek; quite fitting, in Raina's opinion. That was probably the only decent thing Raina could think that Ramsay had ever done, in her books - that Greyjoy scum deserved to be castrated for all that he did to the Starks. They raised him, treated him as one of their own, and he killed two of them - the two youngest - and turned his back on his brother, and his King, for the potential of getting somewhere in his father's regard. Ramsay mentioned Yara, Theon's sister, and how she had apparently organised an attack on Winterfell a week prior to Raina's arrival, but had failed to get anywhere with her brother, and had left empty handed. If that didn't boost Ramsay's ego even more, Raina didn't know what would.

As they carried on through the woods, the trees waved above them and blocked most of whatever dim daylight would have flooded the trodden path on which they rode. It wasn't a cold day, or at least there had been colder in the passing days, however the wind was enough to keep the limbs of passing trees arching and aching with every swift breeze that swept past them. That was mostly the only sound that could be heard in the woods, along with gentle whispers of distant leaves, that's' voices hushed in the draft. It was quite peaceful, and would've been savoured, had it not been for the company Raina still held.

"Ok, Miss Glover. How about we test your hunting skills?" Ramsay chirped, a devilish smile toying with his pale features. "Alright..." She replied hesitantly, reaching for her bow. "I would like you to hit a few targets for me, simple enough." With that the pair continued to trot further into the woods, Ramsay occasionally pointing at specific branches or trees and watching as Raina easily hit them without hesitation. It was almost enjoyable, or rather it was at least a decent distraction from everything that had happened. Raina simply wished she could use Ramsay's face as a target instead, for all the he had done to Ethan.

As the pair continued deeper into the woods, Raina became more distantly enthralled by the surroundings, only vaguely listening to Ramsay's voice as he prattled on about something that was barely interesting. All she could listen to, that wouldn't drive her out of her mind, was the gentle flow of leaves and wind rustling overhead, the brisk chill moving the trees with a subtle groan that echoed with every slow stretch of a branch. Twigs crumbled under the hooves of the horse, pounding into the stones and mud of the path, all still damp from the weeks rain and morning dew. Had Ramsay not been at her side, Raina would have almost found it tranquil. Yet here the bastard was, the dull, resonating sound of his voice consistently bringing her out of any sort of picturesque daze she'd fallen into, that only lasted seconds before collapsing with the shrill tone of Ramsay's voice.

"When did you first start training with a bow?" The bastard inquired casually, his steed trotting ahead of Raina's by about a foot or two. "When I was 7--I think. I learnt from...my brothers, my father wouldn't allow me to be taught by the guards, so my brothers trained me instead. And you?" Raina tried hard not to grimace at the conversation she was making with such a monster, and desperately prevented herself from speaking of Robb or Jon, whom had been the real ones to train her - them and their father Ned. "7? Quite young for anyone to learn how to fight--I was a young man when father taught me, 15 I believe." Ramsay replied coolly, as though he almost resembled some pride in his answer. Raina had been very young when it came to practicing long range and close combat, in fact she'd learnt at the same time as her older brother Finn, who was almost 3 years older than her; she couldn't remember exactly why she'd been so desperate to pick up the skills with weapons, but she'd insisted quite eagerly when she had decided upon learning. Perhaps it was watching Robb and Jon learn from their father that had her so eager, they'd been quite adept when she'd started to be taught, they'd had years of training before Raina began, and watching them progress made her want to learn and take part alongside them. They inspired her, and trained her to be even better than they were. What she said was somewhat correct, as when they weren't at Winterfell, Finn and Delvin assisted Raina's training just as avidly as the Stark boys had, however she'd be wrong to thank them for all of it, as it was mostly Robb and Jon that had trained her to be so good.

Ramsay did not reply, neither did Raina, they carried on their route in dim silence, hardly looking away from the scenery that passed them. In the distance, beyond the whispers of leaves or the moaning of arching branches, there was something that the bastard didn't hear, something that had only been noticed by Raina - something that would only mean something to her. A howl. It wasn't any normal howl, not any standard wolf cry, this was something else. Something desperate and pained, something calling for help. But it wasn't a wolf, not any normal one anyway, this was something far more dangerous, and large, and something that's' howl meant more than ever before. A howl that she'd only heard on numerous occasions, and would recognise again in a heartbeat. A Direwolf.