Flayer

53. Edda

Tormund carried me through the forest with ease. He was a strong man, and a brave one as well. Before we rode off he promised my sister he'd easily give up his life for the sister of the man who led the Freefolk south of the wall.

I could hear Lya's howls in the night, and Ramsay manically yelling out my name. I had half a mind to yell back and tell him I was alright. But it had been so long since I'd seen him... I didn't even know if i wanted him to find me.

"EDDA!"

"You stay silent little Lady," Tormund commanded, "I know what the little cunt's done to ye. If he comes anywhere near you I'm going to rip his balls off with my teeth."

He ran down the mountainside, heading the wrong way. "T-Tormund if you go down this way you're getting closer to Winterfell-"

"With all due respect I'm focusing on not getting eaten by a direwolf right now!" He snapped.

I held my tongue as my heart beat fast. Ramsay's voice was more distant now, but Lya's howl was louder every second.

"Fuck." Tormund cursed. He stopped suddenly. Gently placing me onto my feet he bent down so that we were face to face. "Listen to me Lady Edda. That direwolf is going to catch up to us even if we keep running."

"She's my direwolf, Tormund, she won't hurt us-"

"She won't kill you. But she will do anything to get you back to her new master," he said. "And I won't be letting her do that."

My eyes widened. "No, you can't leave me-"

He clutched my arms. "You. Need. To. Run."

"I can't," I looked down at my baby bump "I can't run!"

Lya's shadowy imagine could be seen running towards us. "GO!" Tormund pushed me away from him, turning to the direwolf with his axe in the air.

Lya leapt, and I ran.

I couldn't run very fast and so I pushed myself off any tree I could possibly reach to go a little faster. It's useless to run, I thought as I wrapped myself up in my fur cloak, Ramsay is an excellent hunter. He will find you. The fact that I hadn't heard Ramsay's voice in a while frightened me. Maybe he doesn't want me to know where he is?

I ran up the mountain, so steep sometimes that I had to climb on all fours. I passed a cave noisily, my heavy footsteps echoing inside. Panting and nervous I almost went inside when I realized a bear was hibernating in there. It was still asleep, but it's grunts of annoyance meant he was obviously aware of my presence.

Frightened I started to back away from the cave in hope that the bear wasn't a cautious one that wanted to investigate the mysterious sound. But I was soon to trip and  fall.

I went tumbling down, spinning and hitting myself everywhere. The rocks left various cuts and bruises all around my body. I landed near the bottom of the mountain and I screamed in agonizing pain. I'd hit my stomach against the mountainous forest floor on the way down.

"No, no, no," I sobbed as my water was forcefully broken by the painful event. "No, please!" I slammed my head against the snow behind me. "No!" I hollered.

"EDDA!" Ramsay's voice called out above me. When I saw him looking down at me from up the mountain I didn't know how to react.

I couldn't run. I couldn't even move. But if I could, would I? Would I run from him?

Should I run from him?

I came to the conclusion that, regardless if I should or should not, my injured body could not. But I could call his name out in desperation. "Ramsay..."