Wolf Queen

chapter twenty two

I walk through the halls quickly to find Theon. I refused to leave without him. I would not let Ramsay continue to torture him.

I finally caught him and I took him by the arm.

"Come on," I say quietly, "we're leaving."

"I c-can't."

Ash begins to growl and I don't stop him. "You are coming with Sansa and I. Unless you want to continue being tortured by Ramsay."

He says nothing. I begin to walk and he follows me. I have to get out to the courtyard.

We were stopped by a girl. She was very pretty. She held a bow in her hand.

"Where do you two think you're going?" She aimed at us.

"Home." I say and keep my eyes locked on her.

I see Ash come up behind her. He doesn't growl. He keeps his eyes locked on the girl.

"I'm assuming you're Ramsay's bed warmer?"

Judging by the look on her face she looks offended. She draws back her bow and aims it at my head.

She laughs. "Any last words?"

"Yeah," I say through a chuckle, "jiōragon zirȳla."
(Get her)

Ash attacks her leg, almost biting her leg off. She screams and Theon pushes her over the rail. She screams on the way down and I think I heard her back snap.

I take the bow and put it over my shoulder, taking the arrow that she dropped. I have to make it count if I get in trouble.

I walk quickly down the steps and to the gates where Jaime, Sansa, and my guards were waiting for me.

I walk quickly to the stables and take a horse for Theon. I put the reins in his hand and mount my horse.

"We have to move. They're almost here." Jaime tells me.

I look at Theon. He looked out of it. I sigh and look back to Jaime and the guards.

"Go," I say, "I'll catch up."

"What? No, I'm not going to–"

"Yes, you are." I snap.

I look at Hans. "You will stay with me and the rest of you will ride to King's Landing."

Jaime looks at me with disappointment in his eyes and shakes his head. He rides off with four other guards.

"Theon, we are going."

He nods and it honestly surprises me. Sansa, Theon, Hans, and I ride out of Winterfell.

•

"I thought you wanted to get him out of Winterfell." Sansa says as we run.

"Your safety was more important."

Snow begins falling hard. Winter truly was coming. I could barely see through it. It was freezing.

I stop and so does Sansa and Theon. I'm now breathing nervously. I hear horses in the distance and people yelling.

Theon helps me over to a place that's away from the snow.

"I'll lead them away." Theon tells us and I take his hand.

"They'll kill you." I frown.

He looks to Sansa and she does nothing. She just sits there, shivering. Theon gets up and walks out and I can no longer see him.

Someone talks to him and I cannot see who it is. I want to intervene but I can't.

Ash sniffs my belly and lowly growls. I look at him.

"Shh." I pet his wet fur.

Sansa looks at him and then up to me.

"He's protecting you both." Sansa whispers in amazement.

I take the bow and the one arrow I had. I slowly walk out and aim it at one of the men talking to Theon. I release and it hits the man, knocking him off of his horse.

The remaining men run toward me. Ash stands in front of me, growling at the men. His weight against me was pushing me away from them.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone rides in and kills the man about to shoot me.

Another person rides up, but not to kill anyone. He takes me and pulls me on top of the horse. I instantly recognize him.

"Podrick?"

The other person was killing the Bolton men. I watched her in amazement. Ash ripped the leg off one of them.

"Your grace, are you alright?" Podrick asks.

I nod. "Yes, I'm fine."

Once all of the Bolton men are down, the other person, who I realized was a lady, approached us. I carefully get off of the horse Podrick pulled me onto.

The woman looks to Sansa with surprise written all over her face.

"Do you know her?" I ask Sansa.

Sansa nods. "We've met before."

Her name was Brieanne of Tarth. She swore herself to Catelyn and promised to find and protect her children.

Now, she was Sansa's. Brieanne looks at me. "You are her child too, your grace. I am yours as well."

I shake my head. "Oh, no. You're mistaken."

"Her parents died a long time ago but my father took her in as his own." Sansa explains and I mentally thank her for that.

"Oh, I apologize, your grace," she says, "even though you are not Lady Stark's, I still serve you as well."

"Thank you." I say.