Winter Is Our Fury

Chapter Seven: Torture

"Get up!" several voices began to shout. Aris peeled open her tired eyes and found herself still cuddled up next to Gendry. She quickly tore herself away as the Lannister soldiers banged their swords against the wooden structure of the pen. The prisoner's all quickly shot up from their cold sleep.

Aris rose to her feet, her legs aching from the stiffness of being cold.

A huge man, one bigger than Aris has ever seen, came strolling their way. He towered over the other men like a mountain.

"That's him." said Hot Pie worriedly. "The one who picks."

"That's The Mountain." Aris said quietly and turned her head away. Arya and Gendry followed her lead and turned their backs. Except HotPie who chose to bravely stare at The Mountain.

"What are you doing?" questioned Arya. HotPie was going to get himself killed.

"He told me, he stares at him everyday." HotPie referred to a man beside them in the pen. "That's why he doesn't get picked."

Aris heart beat faster in her chest with every step The Mountain took towards them. Gods be good if Arya doesn't get picked.

The Mountain stopped at the pen, he paced ever so slowly. Watching the prisoners shiver with fear. It was like a strange satisfaction making people fear you. The Mountain's beady eyes casted down the blonde man who stared at him everyday, annoyance began to fester. When was this man going to learn? And the little fat boy was stupid enough to follow.

"You." The Mountain pointed his armoured hand towards the blonde man. Fear finally struck him and The Mountain couldn't help but smirk with delight as the soldier inside the pen grabbed him.

Aris let out a breath. She turned back around and watched as the poor man was dragged from the pen and led away by a flock of soldiers.

Poor HotPie literally pissed his pants. The boy was so shocked that he nearly came so close to death. Again.

What struck Aris as odd was that The Mountain remained with the same bold soldier who took Arya's sword and killed Lommy.

"Told you she was a pretty one." the soldier smiled wickedly. Aris' eyes rose to met Gendry's who tensed up, as her heart picked its pace back up. She hoped to the gods he wasn't talking about her.

The Mountain hummed with agreement. "She'd be a waste."

The solider smiled wildly and stepped towards the pen, Gendry also went to step forward in front Aris, but stopped when The Mountain held a hand in front of the soldier.

"Not today." said The Mountain. The soldier's smile turned into a frown, he shrugged his shoulders off and marched away.

The prisoner's settled once The Mountain finally left. From a hole in the stone wall Aris could see where they strapped down the blonde haired man to a chair.

"Is there gold or silver in the village?" a soldier asked who sat on the stones of the broken wall eating fruit.

"I don't know."

"Gems?"

"I didn't see it."

"Where's the Brotherhood?"

"I don't know."

The man eating the fruit nodded his head towards his friend. The other man picked up a bucket and opened a cage and pick out a rat and threw it inside the bucket.

"Where is the Brotherhood?" the man eating a fruit repeated.

"I don't know. Please." the blonde man in the chair became restless trying to struggle against his restraints.

"Where is the Brotherhood?"

"I don't know!"

The man with the bucket lifted his shirt and put the bucket to his chest and tied it around the chair. "Which of the villagers aided them?"

"I don't know."

"Who?"

The other man picked up a torch from the fire and held it to the bucket. "Who?"

"I never saw."

"Who?"

"I never saw!" The rat inside the bucket began to scratch at his skin as the bucket grew hotter and hotter. "Please stop! It's starting too...!"

"Who?!"

"I didn't see anyone helping! Take it off!"

"Who helped them!?"

"Gaze! The butcher and his son!"

"That's better." said the man eating his fruit with a sadistic smile. "You've been very helpful."

"No, stop please!" the man cried as the rat continued to scratch his skin, "What are you doing! Please, stop. Please! I told you everything!"

They held the torch to the bucket as the man continued to scream and scream, until the rat dug it's way into his chest and his screams stopped.