Gone but close - Game of Thrones [Bran Stark fanfiction]

Chapter 23

Jojens pov:

Bran wasn't happy, not when he explained that he was a warg, not when Meera talked to him, not when Summer wanted to cuddle with him. Jojen suspected it was because of his family and Toria.

Bran never spoke of her, he noticed his face would turn sad within a second. When he did he said he wasn't convinced she was dead, but at the same time he was preparing himself for the dark truth.

'Jojen,' Meera started like she did everyday when Bran and the others were sleeping, 'are you sure we won't tell him?'

'Yes, it would distract him and he has to focus on getting North of the Wall,' he replied, 'if we tell him he will go South.'

'Maybe he won't, maybe it wil, cheer him up and he will still continue the journey North.' Meera said hoping Jojen would say yes.

'Believe me, he will not continue his journey if we tell him,' Jojen replied getting frustrated by his sister.

'But I hate to see him so sad all the time, he gets a little happy when you two talk about warging but most of the time he seems sad.' Meera continued.

'Meera, he's stubborn, if we tell him he will go South,' he said hoping his sister would let him sleep, 'once we are at our destination you can tell him. After he did what the three-eyed raven wants him to do.'

'That could take years,' Meera said still stubborn enough to tell Bran.

'He can not know about it,' Jojen replied, 'and if he does what the three-eyed raven wants him to do, he can figure it out himself so he won't get angry at you for not telling him sooner.'

Meera was taken aback and stared at Jojen for a few seconds.

'You have a point,' she said, 'but you told him that his sisters are alive and his brother and mother. It cheered him up, but not as much as we both wished. Even after knowing that he was still willing to ho North. So why not after you tell him?'

'Thats different, I know he'll go South once I tell him, and he has to go to the three-eyed raven. We have to keep him focused on getting there. Which means we can't tell him,' Jojen replied, 'do you understand that Meera? If we tell him he'll be happy but he won't go anywhere else but South.'

Meera nodded and sighed. 'Tell me at least something about her.'

'I get why he likes her,' Jojen said smiling slightly as he looked at Bran, 'she's fierce, determined, caring, clever, cunning and kind. She is very strong willed and she thinks Bran is dead, but as stubborn as she is she won't believe it. She is beautiful and very attached to her brothers. At least what remains of them.'

'Remains of them? You said three boys survived something.' Meera replied.

'Yes, two of them are with her,' Jojen continued, 'four are dead. And the other one is with her best friend away from Westeros.'

Jojen stopped talking and looked at Bran who sleeped peacefully.

'But in total there were eight children?' Meera was annoyed by the fact Jojen didn't tell much. Bran wouldn't speak her name and neither would anyone else. Meera on the otherhand was very curious about her and why she was special to Bran.

Jojen nodded.

'How did the others die?' Meera asked.

'Murderd by Lannisters,' Jojen answered and Meera got frustrated by the small answers.

'And now she is forced to serve Tywin Lannister as somebody else,' Jojen said but it didn't get Meera's frustration away.

Jojen sighed. 'I'm talking about Toria Darkerly.'

Meera's jaw dropped. 'She survived?'

'Yes, and she is South,' Jojen said, 'Meera you must not tell Bran.'

Meera stared at Jojen for a minute with a straight face.

'He can not know she survived,' he told his sister, 'he loves her, and she loves him.'