A Shadow and a Wolf

Tyrion XXI

Tyrion Lannister awoke at the sound of the rain hitting the roof of their tent. His face went immediately to Sansa. She was lying on her belly, her face turned to him. She was a little paler than usual. Ever since they arrived before Moat Cailin, Sansa hadn't felt very well. She wasn't the only one to be ill these times. The cold rain and the swamps that surrounded their long camp made many men sick. It was obvious they were going north, and winter was coming. The rain didn't stop for three days now, and this rain couldn't have been worse. It was a mix of melting snow and cold water. Nothing worse to demoralize the troops.

Tyrion removed the furs that covered him. He almost regretted it immediately. It was very cold. He put on some clothes hastily. He went to the brazier not far from their bed and fueled it a little to make the air warmer in the tent. That was a difficult exercise with his short height. He looked at his wife in the bed, her shoulders uncovered. He moved some furs on their bed and added them to the ones that already covered her. Sansa would be better this way. Then Tyrion went to the guards before their tent and asked one to fetch Podrick. His squire arrived a few minutes later and helped Tyrion don his armor like every day. Sadly, with his clumsy ways and the sound the armor made, they woke up Sansa.

"Tyrion," she said in a faint voice, both from tiredness and from the cold she had.

"Excuse me, my lady. I didn't want to awake you," he apologized.

Sansa rolled a little in the furs. Podrick seemed very eager to look away. Tyrion found the boy's shyness funny, though he would probably relieve him from his functions as a squire if he started to look at Sansa in an interested way. Anyway Sansa didn't leave the furs. Podrick, on his side, left quickly as soon as Tyrion was clad in his whole armor. He turned to face Sansa.

"You're very handsome," she said, smiling.

"All courtesy like always." He climbed with difficulty on the bed in his armor and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "Try to rest for today. Heal yourself."

"I almost forgot how cold it was in the North. I'm no longer used to it. I spent too much time in the south," she said on a regretful tone.

"Just make sure you get better. I'll go speak with your granduncle." He kissed her again, on the lips this time. Her eyes were shining when he walked away. He wondered if Sansa shouldn't wear a nightgown while sleeping like before. She would be warmer this way, and that would have the benefit the reduce the risk of someone walking into their tent without warning and seeing her naked. Sadly, one of the disagreements with a coldness was that you always felt it was too cold or too hot. Not that Tyrion knew it from experience. He wasn't sick very often. He couldn't even remember precisely the last time he had an illness. All he knew about this came from his readings and the siblings he saw with a disease.

The rain was falling heavily on him when he left the tent. How much time would that last? He put on his helmet, but the protection it provided against the rain was quite dubious. It was a helmet after all, not a hood. Armors were made to protect against swords and arrows, not against snow and rain. Men who were on guard duty stayed under tents or any other shelter they could find. That wouldn't be good if they were attacked, but there was no way they could force their men to stay under the rain. Anyway, they could die if they did force them. Tyrion walked to the Blackfish's tent.

The old knight was already awakened like Tyrion expected, talking with some of his commanders including Lord Karyl Vance. They were leaving as Tyrion entered. The Blackfish barely acknowledged the intruder. Despite the last weeks where they almost commanded the army together, Ser Brynden Tully was still cold towards Tyrion like the rain outside. Tyrion dropped his wet helmet on a nearby table.

"We lost three men last day," Tyrion announced.

"And we lost two," replied the Blackfish. "The Freys lost one, because he was foolish enough to venture into the swamps."