ZIRTYS PERZYS → podrick payne

CHPATER FOUR | steel

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ZIRTYS PERZYS
CHAPTER FOUR
steel

❝THERE WAS NEVER A GOOD KNIFE
MADE FROM BAD STEEL.❞ 

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ELIA WASN'T SURE IF she liked Brienne in this moment or not, she definitely admired the woman. She had proudly and bravely thrown aside everything that was expected off her, marriage and motherhood, to be what she wanted to be, a knight. Elia didn't know another woman like that, except the Mormont ladies of Bear Island, they were as fierce as their namesake. Brienne was as fierce as them, it was a sight to behold.

That didn't make Elia's landing on the ground any softer, her sword slipped from her fingers and landed on the earth softly. She was left scrambling for her dagger as the cold blade of steel kissed her neck, Elia swore and laid out on the ground.

"M'lady, you really need to focus-"

"I know, Brienne." Elia took the hand Brienne held out and pulled herself up. "I'm trying, I really am."

"Try harder." Brienne turned a took the flint from a struggling Pod, it was far colder where they'd make camp. It had started snowing not two days after they'd left Woodend and now snow covered every inch of earth and wood, it was a daily struggle to light a fire.

Elia had near thrown herself in the snow when she'd seen it, born a summer babe she'd never seen anything so white. It's beautiful, Elia had whispered in awe, Brienne struggled to hide a smile.

BEAUTIFUL, YES, Brienne had pulled her horse to a stop next to Elia and smiled wistfully, BUT DANGEROUS TOO, M'LADY.

ARENT MOST THING NOWADAYS? Elia knew her father had the right of it, EVEN THE PRETTIEST ROSES HAVE THE SHARPEST THORNS.

The snow blanketed every stone and every stick but the heat of the fire left a small space of dirt, snow melted away. They'd taken to sleeping closer to each other the further north they got, body heat essential in the cold. Pod, as awkward as ever, stayed as far as he could away from Elia until he'd nearly frozen.

"You'll get better at it." Pod spoke from next to Elia as she started to run a whetstone over her sword.

"I wasn't meant to ever hold a sword," Elia sighed, "I was meant to be at Winterfell, or be round with a child to some fat lord by now." She slid the sword in its sheath and took the offered rabbit from Brienne.

Brienne's voice was steady, "I was to be a lady, not hold a sword but I'm not. We go through trials to be who we are meant to be, we grow. This is your trial."

Elia didn't have words for Lady Brienne, she could only nod across the fire and eat quietly. She didn't like to be selfish, she couldn't be after all she'd gone through but hadn't she had enough trials? Her family dead and house destroyed, Elia truly had nothing but the clothes on her back and her sword at her side.

Her eyes swept over Brienne and Pod, she had them until she'd reached Winterfell at least. Brienne wanted nothing but for Elia and her sisters to reach Winterfell safe, her mother's last wish before she died. Elia had been away from Winterfell for close to six years and in that time she'd learnt that it wasn't a place that she called home, it was the people.

It was her lord father's deep laugh as she mumbled under her breath at her mother, it was her mother's soft touch as Elia laid in bed ill. Home was in Sansas glare and Aryas warm smile, it was Robb and Jon as they rode through the wolfswoods. It was Rickon and Bran throwing food over the dining table while their mother scolded them, home was not a place. Home was her family.