The Dance of the Ocean and Moon [Book One]

Chapter Eleven | Brienne

BRIENNE

"Where to next?" Brienne asked Podrick over her shoulder. The three of them had been traveling for nearly three weeks since leaving Bear Island, village to village, looking to recruit for the Night's Watch and spread the word about The Others and the long winter. Most southerners sneered at them, treated them like they were insane. Those there the heads of most the houses. Some of the simpler villagers were more receptive to the idea. But they were also idiots that would believe anything told to them; that's how one survived living under Lannister tyranny.

It was almost pitiful to Brienne-though she knew The Others to be real-when villagers believed them straight away and eagerly signed up for the Night's Watch. But Brienne only believed in their existence after she had seen them for herself. These poor fools knew not of the horrors that waited for them at the Wall. She most likely just pitied them because she knew they would die. She had been leading them south, but trying to keep away from her home for as long as possible, though she knew they would have to go there eventually.

They hadn't recruited many, and of those they had convinced, she had no idea how many would actually reach the Wall. "We have about a day's ride past the Iron Islands to be in the Riverlands. According to the map...there's a place called Wendish Town. We should probably go there first and see about surrounding villages," Podrick called up to her. Brienne debated this for a few minutes, trying to picture the map in her head. They had to be careful about houses that were allied to the Lannister's; Jaime wouldn't be around to protect her and Podrick all of the time, and house alliances changed like the winds.

Saga, who was riding next to Podrick, galloped up next to Brienne. "Are the Riverland friend or enemies?" she asked. "Some of them are friends. Catelyn Stark's family is from the Riverlands. They might be more receptive to us. Though the last time I was there...things didn't go so well. We'll have to be more careful this time, is all," Brienne responded, still thinking. Saga nodded and looked on down the road for a moment before saying, "Du är så vacker, Brienne." Brienne looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "What does that mean?" she asked suspiciously. "You are beautiful," Saga grinned.

Brienne took in a deep breath and groaned. Saga laughed in response and said, "A small three week and you are back to an annoyed by me so soon. At Bear Island you are so soft but now this day you like me not anymore." Brienne rolled her eyes, "I never liked you and at Bear Island I thought you would die and it would be my fault. I just didn't want that on my conscience." Saga gave her a strange look for a moment then asked, "What is a conscience?" She shook her head in response, "Never mind that. Just keep moving."

They rode until the sun dipped behind the treetops then made camp for the night. Brienne lay awake for some time, staring at the stars in between the leaves. The south was beginning to feel winter's coming. The trees were starting to shed their dead leaves and there was a briskness in the night air that was uncommon to anywhere south of The Neck, though they weren't nearly as south as Tarth just yet. She figured the trees all had their leaves in Tarth still.

She rolled over to look at Saga. She was curled up in her cloak over a patch of leaves she was using as a pillow. She was facing Brienne as well. The light of the dying fire traced the curves of her face so elegantly; she was sleeping so peacefully. Brienne felt a sudden stab of guilt. She felt guilt for how she had been treating Saga as of late. Saga was right about what she said earlier-Brienne had been acting mean toward her again since they left Bear Island. She couldn't quite put her finger on why she had been doing it again.

She certainly didn't mean to, and seeing Saga's beautiful face now reminded her of the feelings she had been denying. She continued to deny them. But that didn't mean she had to be bitter and distant. Brienne surmised that what happened at Bear Island had to do with why she was getting so angry at Saga again. It wasn't Saga's or her own fault that the man attacked her. But perhaps it was the thought of losing Saga. Brienne didn't often care for people, not deeply, anyway.