The Demon of Winterfell

Chapter Twenty-Seven: On the Road Again

Emmelyne aimed the bow in her hands carefully, angling it to the head of the straw training dummy. She loosed the arrow, smiling as it hit it's mark. Arya was doing the same, Anguy at her side. As she hit the head of her dummy, Emmelyne heard her speak. "Joffrey."

Arya loosed another arrow, hitting the chest. "Cersei."

Between the legs. "Ilyn Payne."

"You're good," Anguy commented. "You're not as good as you think you are.

"Face, tits, balls. I hit 'em right where I wanted to," Arya stated.

"Aye, but you took your sweet time of it. You won't be fighting straw men, little lady. Show me your position."

Arya brought the bow up, aiming. "Keep your elbow high. You want your back doing the hard labor," Anguy said, raising Arya's arm.

As Anguy gave his advice, Emmelyne adjusted herself, following the movements he was showing Arya. "You're holding. Never hold," he told Arya.

"What?" she questioned.

"You're muscles tense up when you hold. Pull the string back to the center of your chin and release. Never hold."

Arya seemed confused. "But I have to aim."

"Never aim," Anguy shrugged.

"Never aim?"

"Your eye knows where it wants the arrow to go. Trust your eye."

Anguy stepped back, turning to Emmelyne. "Let's see what you can do," he said.

Emmelyne nodded, adjusting and aiming as quickly as she could. She loosed the arrow, hitting the dummy's neck. "Good," he said.

He looked to Arya. "One more time for you."

Arya raised the bow. "There's someone out there," she stated suddenly.

Anguy stepped to her side, and Emmelyne did too. They looked out into the trees, and Emmelyne heard the faint sound of voices. Armored knights rode along on horses, a woman in a long red cloak among them. Anguy took his bow from Arya's hands, walking toward the small party. Thoros stood. The Brotherhood men, along with Arya and Emmelyne, stepped out into a clearing. "That's about far enough," Anguy stated, raising his bow.

The woman in the red cloak pulled down her hood, revealing long, dark red hair. Her blue seemed to gaze into Emmelyne's very soul. She was ghostly pale. "We come as friends," she smiled, her voice laced with an accent.

"Begging your pardon, m'lady, but we'll be the judge of that," Anguy replied.

Thoros stepped forward. "Valar morghulis," the Red Lady said to him.

"Valar dohaeris," Thoros replied.

Emmelyne knew that this was in Valyerian. Their conversation continued as such. Even though the Red Lady was speaking to Thoros, Emmelyne felt her gaze. "My friends here don't speak High Valyerian," Thoros said suddenly, breaking away from the conversation.

The Red Lady did not answer. "Why are you here, my lady?" Thoros questioned.

Thoros led the Red Lady to cave to give her a private audience with Beric. Everyone else waited outside, trying not to think of what the Red Lady could be saying to Beric. Emmelyne returned to practicing with the bow. Anguy was quiet as he watched her, only speaking up to correct her if she did something wrong. Finally, Emmelyne gave up on occupying herself with the bow. She sighed as she sat down beside Arya. "Where's R'hllor?" the younger girl asked.

"Hunting," Emmelyne replied.

The next morning, Anguy had calmed down a great deal. He was showing Gendry different arrow points, seeing if the young man could forge them. Emmelyne hadn't joined the conversation, but she listened closely. "Bodkin point. Penetrates plate at 200 yards," Anguy was saying.

R'hllor had returned sometime in the night, his muzzle coated with blood and a dead rabbit in his mouth. The spoiled animal had watched Emmelyne cook the rabbit over the fire, only eating it when it was cooked to his liking. Of course, his liking meant that it was nearly blackened by the time Emmelyne was done with it. The Red Lady, who Emmelyne learned was Stannis's red priestess Melisandre, walked with Thoros and Beric along a path. "I don't like that woman," Arya said.

Anguy chuckled, looking up. Melisandre caught his gaze, smiling. "Thats 'cause you're a girl," Anguy said.

Gendry smiled as well. Emmelyne rolled her eyes. "What does that have to do with anything?" Arya asked.

Neither of them answered. Melisandre stepped up to them, smiling kindly. Beric and Thoros stood at her sides, almost like armed sentries. Emmelyne slowly moved to Arya's side, taking her sister's shoulder cautiously. "Forgive me, lad," Beric said to Gendry.

Two men in armor stepped forward, one of them holding a rope. Gendry seemed to realize what was happening. He started to run, but one of them grabbed him roughly around the waist. "What are you doing?" Arya demanded.

She grabbed the arm of one of the men, trying to pull him away from her friend. "Let go of him," she stated.

The man pushed her away with ease, and they quickly bound Gendry's wrists. "Tell them to stop," she urged Anguy.

"Come on," one of the men snapped at Gendry as they started leading him.

Arya turned to Beric. "He wants to be one of you. He wants to join the Brotherhood. Stop them!"

"We serve the Lord of Light and the Lord of Light needs this boy," Beric replied.

"Did the Lord of Light tell you that or did she?"

Another armored man stepped up to Thoros and Beric, two sacks of gold in his hands. He handed them to Beric. "You're not doing this for your god. You're doing it for gold," Arya stated.

"We're doing it for both, girl," Thoros said. "We can't defend the people without weapons and horses and food. And we can't get weapons and horses and food without gold."

"You told me this was a Brotherhood. You told me I could be one of you," Gendry said.

Melisandre stepped up to him. Emmelyne didn't listen. She stepped up to Arya, lowering to her height. "Do you want Gendry to be safe?" she asked.

Arya nodded. "Alright," Emmelyne said. "Then if you really want that, I'll go as well. I'll keep him as safe as I can. Do you want that, Arya?"

"Yes," Arya whispered.

Emmelyne nodded. "Then I promise I'll protect Gendry."

So she'd be leaving one of her sisters for the second time. She turned. "R'hllor, come," she stated.

The wolf hurried to her side. Arya made her way to Melisandre, Emmelyne following close behind. Arya grabbed Melisandre roughly by the side, turning her around. "You're a witch. You're going to hurt him," she stated.

Melisandre's eyes went wide. She took Arya's face in her hand, staring deep into the young girl's eyes. "I see a darkness in you. And in that darkness, eyes staring back at me- - brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes," her gaze flickered to Emmelyne. "Gray eyes. Eye's you'll shut forever."

She let go of Arya. "We will meet again."

Emmelyne slowly stepped forward. "Lady Melisandre," she said.

"What?" Melisandre replied.

"I would like to go with you. Arya wants me to keep her friend safe. I've promised her I will. So, if you'll let me, please bring me along with you."

Melisandre nodded slightly. "Yes. You may come. Get in the cart with the boy."

Emmelyne turned to Arya. "Goodbye," she said.

"Goodbye," Arya nodded.

She leaned close, kissing Arya on the forehead before turning and walking to the cart. Gendry seemed confused as she climbed in beside him, R'hllor jumping in after her. "What are you doing?" he questioned.

"Keeping you safe," she said stiffly.

The cart started rolling, and Emmelyne leaned against R'hllor's side.