Among Lions and Wolves • |Book 1|

.chapter thirty-three.

The sun was rising by the time Rhaella stirred. By then Robb had been nodding off in his chair, head slowly drooping toward the table his arm rested on.

Her eye's fluttered open, for a second she felt as if she had woken from a nightmare that had not been true. For a second she had hoped.

Slowly, she sat up once the groggy feeling faded away. She found herself wrapped in layers of cloth and fur pelts. A direwolf slept at her side while another at her feet. And there he was, just across the tent with his head on his arm and a faint sound coming from his parted lips.

She wondered just how tired he must have been and when she realized time was ticking away, she pushed aside her covers and rose.

Grey Wind's head popped up, but only before lazily placing it back on his paws. The white direwolf, however, had jumped up, ready to go just as Rhaella had been.

"You're up!" a female voice called from the tent's entrance.

Startled, Rhaella gasped and fell backward onto the bed. Her direwolf jumped forward, a snarl rippling from the back of her throat.

Robb sat up in his chair, his blue eyes wide open as he registered what was going on.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Talisa cleared her throat and stared directly at the white direwolf. "I was only just coming to see if you were awake and if you needed anything."

Rhaella pulled her legs up to her chest. She wrapped herself in the fur pelt and stared at the ground before looking up to Talisa, "Easy, Winter," she said.

Just as the white direwolf relaxed, relief washed over Talisa as her shoulders relaxed and she made her way further into the tent.

"Are you hungry?" She asked as she began placing food on the table Robb sat at. "I brought things I thought you may like to eat, things that won't be to harsh on your stomach."

She watched Talisa in silence and so did Robb. A look of awe had been fixed on his face as he stared up at her with his mouth slightly agape. And then he turned his head to look at Rhaella.

"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately. "I know this is the last place you want to be, but this is the only place I could think to bring you." He rose from his seat and walked over toward her, hand out to take her's in his own.

Rhaella cowered back, pulling the pelt further up toward her face to shield herself from him. Winter didn't move, but she did offer up a warning growl, one that Robb knew was just an empty threat.

"I will never let you go again," he said as he stopped short, his hand dropping to his side. "I promise you, you are safe."

"Robb, if you could give us some space," Talisa appeared beside him, "please." She added when she saw his expression.

Robb sighed deeply, "Alright," he said. And trying to lighten the mood, he jokingly added, "I can see when I'm not wanted."

Rhaella kept her eyes on the bed while Talisa's unamused look sent Robb leaving the tent without his direwolf.

"You have no need to be afraid with me," Talisa stayed put. "I know what it's like..."

"Do you?" Rhaella lifted her head slowly, her cold blue eyes finally meeting Talisa's for the first time.

"Believe it or not," she turned to occupy the chair Robb once sat in, "I do. Robb doesn't understand, so he will be a little rash, but if you're ever uncomfortable with his presence, you can tell me."

"He deserves you," she clung to her cover. "Not me. Not someone who can never love him. You, you love him. I'm sorry, I was so stupid. It is all my fault. I shouldn't be here! I must go..."

Talisa crossed the tent in a matter of seconds, "Shhh," she cooed softly as she pulled Rhaella into her arms and held her securely. "It's alright. Everything will be alright. You are safe, Robb was right about that. He and I will never allow harm to come to you, never again."

"You're a bigger fool than his sister if you believe that," she replied, her intention never to be cruel despite the way it had sounded.

Talisa had brushed away the comment, not showing a single sign as to whether she took offense or not. Instead she kept quiet, only holding on to Rhaella.

"How did you overcome it?"

"Everyone of us is different," she pulled away, a smile on her face as she looked at Rhaella, "but there are some who are willing to help."

"And what if..." she couldn't bring herself to say it. She didn't want to.

"There are ways to prevent it."

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