WE MIGHT FALL (J.SNOW 2)

CHAPTER FIVE

THERE WAS A CAVE AT THE BACK OF THE KEEP; just below the surrounding wall lay an alcove in the rocks on which Stillwater had been built. A waterfall concealed it from plain view, especially on days with heavy rainfall, but on normal days it was a mere shadow in the landscape, showered by the cascades and not worth a second look - not from anyone who would not know of it's location. The Iris children, being the adventurous lot they were, had discovered this cave quite early on in their childhood, and they were not entirely sure their parents even knew of it. It was their own hideout, their own safe haven. It was just their's. Cynthia, more than any of her siblings, came her most frequently; for some time Livia had avoided it like the plague, deeming it too immature for the likes of a lady, but since visiting Winterfell the 3 eldest had spent a great deal of time hiding down there from their parents. It seemed silly to still go down there, to still revive an old childhood tradition given their ages, but Cynthia felt wrong just letting it go like it had never meant anything to her. It had always been, and probably forever would be, her favourite place at Stillwater - The Keep was not nearly as spectacular as other castles in the North, nor was the town surrounding it worth any interest, so besides the woodland a few miles away this was the only good place worth visiting.

Though she had not been partial to him at first, after spending a great deal of her day in his company, Dickon Tarly was apparently not nearly as intolerable as Cynthia had first assumed he would be. In fact, it was quite clear that he and Alec were very much alike, so it was no surprise he would be worthy of Cynthia's attention, given how much she liked her brother. He was also a lot like Cynthia, though she would not openly admit it.

They had brought him to the cave because there was no better place in which to avoid their searching parents, nor was there a better place in which to talk openly without judging ears prying into their conversations, like it would seem there were everywhere in The Keep. But also because Dickon was a good laugh, and whenever wanting to spend quality time with someone entertaining, the Iris children brought them to the cave. Cynthia also thought, though chose not to count it as an 'excuse' per say, that it would not be so harsh on Livia if the trio of newly formed friends were not lingering below her window for hours, where she could plainly see how well they all got on. No that wasn't fair, so at least where they were, out of the way, Livia's feelings would be spared.

"Is that a challenge?" Dickon cocked an eyebrow jestingly, though Cynthia was too competitive to let it go as such. 

"You bet your ass it is." She sniggered. They'd been having this conversation for nearing half an hour, about whether Cynthia was in fact a better swordsman than both of the boys. Alec, being the one out of the pair that could see sense, agreed with his sister, even against his pride, that she would beat him with any weapon. Dickon, however, would appear to be equally as unrelenting when it came to competition as Cynthia was. 

"It is your funeral, my friend." Alec laughed, enjoying the ongoing banter of his company. 

This had been the first time, though Cynthia had not given it much thought at the time, that she had laughed this much in many long months. She hadn't really been enthusiastic about anything really since departing Winterfell, and with Robb at war there was never really much time for the enjoyment of life with the looming potential of his death, which inevitably came. Not to mention Alec had left, and he was predominantly Cynthia's source of humour and laughter when she needed it, with him away there was just silence. And the children were growing up, maturing, so what fun was there to be had anymore?

"We'd best return before our mother scours the whole Keep." Alec stood, and dusted flakes of the cave floor from his breeches carefully. Dickon followed, offering a large, calloused hand to Cynthia when she, in turn, began to clamber clumsily to her feet. "Come on."