Northern Conqueror

Chapter 7: Sealed Letters

Chapter 7: Sealed Letters

Brienne was suffering through another meal with Tormund gazing at her when the door opened and a brother held out two letters for Jon. "Letters for you, Lord Commander."

"I'm not Lord Commander anymore." When the man remained, relented and took them, letting the man leave. The others watched as he examined them, one with a flayed man seal and the other with a Karstark sunburst. Glancing at Sansa he opened Ramsay's letter.

"To the traitor and bastard Jon Snow,

"You allowed thousands of wildlings past the wall. You have betrayed your own kind and you have betrayed the North. Winterfell is mine, bastard, come and see.

"Your brother Rickon is in my dungeon..." Sansa's breath stuck in her throat as the words left Jon's lips, looking to her. He saw she was frozen in fear, imagining all the awful things the Boltons could be doing to their brother.

Turning back to the letter Jon continued. "His direwolf's skin is on my floor, come and see. I hear of your love for wildlings. Have you taken a lover? You bastards never were good at keeping vows. Come claim your brother, let him take the black with you and I will not trouble you or your wildling lovers.

"Ignore me and I will ride north to slaughter every wildling man, woman and babe living under your protection. You will watch as I skin them living. You-"

Sansa noticed his eyes darken as he stopped. "Go on."

"It's just more of the same," he assured, but she grabbed the letter and unrolled it.

"You will spend the rest of your days in my dungeon, until you are no longer yourself. You will watch as I peel the flesh from your brother. You will beg and smile when I end your hunger with his skin.

"You will ride with me to find your sisters and watch my men take turns raping them. You will watch as I cut their bastard babes from their wombs and feed them to my dogs. And you will smile and kneel as I spoon out your eyes and let me dogs do the rest. Come and see.

"Ramsay Bolton, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North." She let the letter roll into itself as she fought back the tears burning her eyes. "He has Rickon."

"We don't know that," he argued.

Sansa's eyes sank from his to the unread letter in front of him.

Jon reached for the sunburst letter and broke the seal, unrolling it. All the anguish that had filled him when he read the bastard letter faded, replaced by confusion as he shook his head before reading it aloud.

"To Lord Commander Snow,

"I will never forgive your brother, but I've learned there is worse than an empty headed Stark in this world. My daughter has married him. Every day she wakes with another scar. Every night I hear her screams. Some days I think of driving a knife into his heart. Others I think of driving one into hers to end her suffering.

"I'm not foolish enough to ask the mercy of a Stark, whether in blood or name. I only ask you spare Alys the pain I've damned her to. Give her a better life, one in peace in Karhold. She's suffered enough. I will give you my life and the life of every man I command if you come and free her.

"I saw Ramsay thrust a dagger into his father's heart. I saw the empty husk he's made of Theon Greyjoy. I saw your brother when Small Jon Umber brought him and gave Ramsay his direwolf's head. I'll do what I can for your brother, but I make no promises, not until you and your wildling army are here and Alys is safe. I can't risk it, I only have a thousand men to his four.