Winter Is Our Fury

Chapter Sixty Eight: A Little Birdie Told Me

"Lady Aris, my spies tell me the men have been talking." informed LittleFinger standing beside Aris on the rafter.

She came to a stop on her walk. "About?"

"Jon. They speak of his 'incompetence'. They worry Jon has abandoned them."

"Jon wouldn't do that and if it would but their minds at ease, tell them I received word that he will return."

"What if they discover he's bent the knee to Daenerys Targaryen."

"And? What can they do about it."

"Betray him?" he inclined. "Murder him even."

Aris sucked in a cold breath. Even though Jon hadn't said it directly, she had heard that her brother was murdered at The Wall and somehow brought to life.

"I've been keeping eyes on Arya, My Lady. My spies saw she was talking to Randyl, backed him into a corner and threatened to kill him not only just yesterday."

Aris turned to raise an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that, Lord Baelish. Thank you for you're concern, but I'm sure I can handle my own sister."

"Even after knowing what she is. What she's capable of? In you're current state she could easily murder you."

"Why would she want to murder me, Lord Baelish, explain to me this ludicrous motive."

LittleFinger was taken back. "Who knows?" he clasped his hands together. "Like I said to Sansa, what could the worst possible reason be-"

"Do not speak to my sister!" snapped Aris. "And do not put words into her head that she does not need to hear or think. The last thing she needs is you whispering nonsense into her ear."

"Lady Aris..."

"Arya is my sister, Lord Baelish, if she saw fit to murder me or Sansa I'm sure it would be for the greater good of the North." and with that being said, Aris marched away in a mad frenzy.

LittleFinger huffed almost amused and annoyed at the same time. He just blamed her outburst on hormonal changes. He spoke with a spy who told him that Aris often wondered Winterfell, sometimes aimlessly, and most times she would disappear into The Crypts.

Aris went down the steps from the rafters to the snowy ground. Her dark navy dress and coat trailed behind her in the snow leaving tracks. She felt her baby kick and her hand flew to the spot on instinct. It was a warm feeling that swelled inside her every time her baby moved and it dawned on her she was going to be a mother soon. She would have to prepare a room for her child.

Aris came to the kennel gates and called. "Duchess! Ghost! Are you both here?" her voice echoed in the empty kennel. She heard a soft whine of Duchess. Aris came into the kennel to find Duchess laying in one of the pens panting.

"What's the matter, girl?" she heavily knelt by her giant wolf and softly stroked behind her ears. Her hand trailed down the wolf's body and when she reached her backside, Duchess growled and Airs withdrew her hand. "Are you hurt?" she dared to touch the wolf's side again and Duchess snarled her teeth. "It's alright. If you're hurt I can help you."

Duchess turned her head towards herself and licked her side where Aris touched her. Aris hummed worriedly and rose to her feet. As Aris turned to leave Ghost had come to stand at the door way looking curiously with his beady red eyes.

"Hello, Ghost." greeted Aris and shuffled her way past the white wolf that followed her every move before laying beside Duchess and resting his head on her side. It made Aris smile. The wolves had a better love life than she did.