ZIRTYS PERZYS → podrick payne

CHAPTER FIVE | oak

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FIRE AND ICE
CHAPTER FIVE
oak

"EVERY OAK TREE STARTED OUT AS
A COUPLE OF NUTS TRYING TO
STAND THEIR GROUND"

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SHE HAD SHAGGY RED HAIR, not nearly as bright as Elias, but it was red. A dark, russet red and it was beautiful. Elia missed running her hands through her coarse hair, if she remembered hard enough she could still feel her fur. Elia hadn't had her direwolf long, not two days into travelling south with the King, Maeri had been struck by a stray arrow.

The Kings hunters had foollishly mistaken her for a wild wolf while hunting, they dragged her into camp with her feet bound and head dragging limply across the ground, blood seeping into the dirt beneath her. Elia remembered the exact moment she knew something was wrong, her fathers hands were bruising her shoulders and Sansas scream hurt Elia's ears. She had throught her ears were bleeding, then she'd seen her wolf.

Maeri had the arrow still stuck in her ribs, tongue hanging out of her mouth and Elia screamed, she howled for her wolf. She tried to run to her, but her fathers hands grabbed at her amd she fell into the ground, sobbing as she tried to pull herself closer. Her tears fell from her cheeks as she threw herself over her wolf, she clawed at the red fur, bright red from her blood and cried, sobbed over her for all to see.

I'M SORRY, NED, the King looked full of sorrow later, after they'd buried Maeri, and hung his head in shame. Elia hadn't stopped crying, she clutched at her fathers vest with blood covering her hands, until she looked to the Queen. Her false apologies rang in Elia's head to this day, but it was the Lannister symbols plastered over bloody armor that dragged her wolf through the camp like a wild animal.

SHE WAS MY WOLF, MY PET. Elia was not afraid when she turned to the King and Queen, she raised her head and spoke like the true northman she was, AND NOW SHE'S DEAD, SPARE ME YOUR FALSE COURTESIES.

HE IS YOUR KING, ADDRESS HIM AS SUCH, the Queen barked at Elia, like a dog if she remembered well enough. But the King snapped back at her, SHE HAS LOST A LOVED ONE, LEAVE HER BE. He nodded at Elia then, and she swept from the tent without a word.

That memory was all she could remember as they wolves howled around them, their cries shattering the quiet night. Brienne had decided to camp for the night when the first howl sounded through the clearing, it was close Elia could tell and it scared Brienne enough to tell them to ride through the night.

The Forrester knights paid no mind, used to sleepless nights but Elia and Pod shared a weary glance before riding on. The nights along the road had taken a toll on Elia, more often than not Elia slept in her saddle and Pod had to keep an eye on her.

"I've always been a lover of wolves," the youngest Forrester, Garlan, spoke as he looked into the woods, spooked, ". . .but do the cries not scare you?"

"I've learnt to fear steel more than teeth, my lord." Brienne answered from beside Elia and shifted on her saddle to grasp her sword. Lie as much as she wanted, Elia could tell the wolves scared her more than she liked to admitted.

"You learn to fear both when it comes to men dressed with wolf skin." Elia scoffed slyly and avoided Garretts eyes.

Pod rode behind Elia and she struggled to hear the bite in his words, "Wolves are not the worst you'll find along this road." Elia snorted.

Podrick had warmed up to Garlan easiest, they were both inexperienced and not far apart in age. Elia quite like Garlan but she drew closer to Gray as he was full of laughter and smiles, he never hesitated to tell a joke. Elia appreciated it, the road was long and lonely to Winterfell and Brienne and Pod tried to fill the silence but they were enough.