The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Twenty One

Jaime

"Jaime, thank the Gods", she cries running towards my cage.
"Rayna," I exclaim as she falls to her knees and grips the bars between us.
"You're free", I breathe in awe stroking her cheek through the bars.
"My lion", she whispers sadly "What have they done to you"
"Are we free?" I dare to ask and she smiles brightly in reply.
"We're free"
She pulls my lips to hers and when I pull away all I see is a direwolf snarling at me.

I jolt awake and find myself not caged. Bound by the wrists but not caged. I'm going home. Soon I will be free. When I get out of the North I will be safe.
"Kingslayer, are you alright?", Brienne asks, she must have seen me jump awake.
"No, I've been wearing the same clothes for a year and I really want to take these shackles off and have a bath", I remark and she's not impressed.
"Don't be cocky, you know what I mean", she snaps. I flinch slightly as I know that is exactly what Rayna would have said and has said many times.
"Do you want the truth?" I scoff and she waits for me to elaborate "Well let's see, I haven't heard anything from the woman I love for months and she is trapped in a castle with my murderous sister"
"You have been a prisoner in a cage for a year yet you worry about her?" She asks genuinely bewildered by my love even though she has sworn to bring the girls home herself. Rayna may not have been in a cage carted around from camp to camp but Kings Landing is far crueler than the camps and Cersei is far crueler than Robb Stark.
"Of course I do, isn't that what love is, loving them that greatly you don't care what danger you're in?" I ask, knowing just how intensely I love "Loving her has been my only light in this big hole of literally endless shit"
"How lovely", she comments
"You loved Renly surely you understand" I taunt knowing how obvious it is.
"Go back to sleep", she orders coldly. It's still dark, a few hours from sunrise.
I lie back down and stare at the stars.
Silver glints in the moonlight as I stroke my finger along the ring I wear around my neck. It's been over a year and I still miss her every day. She must be about nineteen by now, Throughout my life I have rarely prayed to the Gods but for her I do. Only the gods could have put someone like her in my path. Someone who loves just as fiercely as I do, in her eyes I could see parts of myself reflected back to me, as if we shared parts of the same soul. Now I am free and I can bring her home to Winterfell or perhaps to Casterly Rock if she'll still have me.
I hope time has begun to heal the hatred in her heart I felt that final night together, her love and hatred for me were almost equal. What I would give to be clean and naked in bed with her, being able to hold her and feel like after all the shit I've endured that I've found the light. That is what she always felt like to me, a light to guide me to a better life. That after so long in that damn keep with Cersei, after all the mocking and ridicule, she was the light in the dark that guided me away from Cersei and the Kingsguard. And I still managed to ruin it.

Rayna

Enough time has passed since I jumped from that cliff and escaped Kings Landing for news of my escape or as some say my death, to reach outside of Kings Landing. I'be finally reached the Riverlands, my Mothers land.
I should feel safe but it's impossible with a bounty attached to your name. Although the Riverlands are sworn to Robb allegiances are still split between him and the crown.
Cersei the hateful bitch survived by some miracle and she has put a bounty on my head so large it is quite literally priceless. I'm sure whoever brings it to her will be awarded significant land and titles. I wish I was lucky enough to not be recognised but I have been. My sword has seen far more action than I expected. Any men who have recognised me have fallen victim to it. I knew that day in the ally way with Jaime and those rapists wouldn't be the last time and I was right.
Sometimes I wonder what my Father would think of me now. What he would think of all of us. I've heard of things Robb has done and he seems to be becoming quite a ruthless King.
I've heard little of Sansa but I've heard enough to know she is alive. Part of me wishes she was here but I know she wouldn't be alive if she followed me over that cliff. It's pure luck I survived that night.
The only reassurance of my safety I have is that that the men in the Riverlands respect my Mother despite their respective allegiances to Robb and the crown.
That evening I'm sitting in an inn nursing a cup of ale.
"You look awful, how long have you been on the road?", the lady who owns the Inn asks
"Far too long", I answer drowsily. "What is the news of the war?"
I almost choke on my ale as she says "The Kingslayer escaped Robb Stark"
"How long ago", I ask trying not to seem to eager. Jaime is alive and he's free. After all this time he finally escaped thank the gods.
"Few weeks, they haven't had any luck finding him, probably dead by now I bet"
It has been well over a year since I've seen Jaime. I had only just hit my seventeenth name day when we met, now I believe my nineteenth has passed and Robb must have just had his eighteenth name day.
"And Robb Stark, is he in Winterfell or fighting in the south?" I ask trying to come off as being simply curious.
"Oh no, you haven't heard", she gasps in shock by whatever news I haven't heard.
"What?" I ask gripping the cup tightly.
"Winterfell was sacked, Theon Greyjoy seized it and the youngest Stark boys haven't been seen since the Bolton's took Winterfell from the Greyjoy's, they don't know where the boys are but they are believed to be dead"
Next thing I know the liquid from the cups spilt all over the table and my hands are shaking violently.
Not Bran, not Rickon. Bran couldn't have made it far and Rickon is so so young.
Theon. Oh gods Theon why did he did this. Why the fuck did he do this. He was my brother, Winterfell was his home and now he's taken it from us. My brothers could be dead but it is the betrayal that leaves me in a state of shock.
"Oh gosh I didn't mean to scare you", she says as she mops the mess up with a cloth.
"Where is Robb Stark", I ask trying to keep my voice even as I fight tears.
"Just left Harrenhall I believe, for his Grandfather Lord Tully's funeral"
"Thank you for the drink", I stutter as I run out into the cold into the forest and fall to my knees where no one can see me and sob that loudly I am screaming into my hand to muffle the sound.
Arya, Bran and Rickon all gone and Theons a traitor. Jon is at the wall and Sansa is still trapped in Kings Landing. Robb is the only family I have left to go to.
Riverrun it is then.