The Lannister Wolf Series

Chapter XVII

There it was again. That itching noise that made Zinzi want to itch her ears in the hope of erasing the noise. Finally she lost her patience and lifted her head only to realize why her side had lost most of the warmth she usually felt when she lay next to Evelyn. Her blue eyes looked around fervently in search of her mistress. She felt slight movement next to her and saw the child sleeping, wrapped in his blanket between her and Lady. Evelyn's cloak was folded beneath him to create a barrier between him and the cold earth.

Zinzi was about to get up when she heard the noise again and looked up to see that it was Evelyn stoking a small fire. Her hood was up and her hair down, most of it falling about her face. The girl turned and noticed the wolf watching her.

Evelyn smile, "Stay with Calum girl. I will only be a moment."
The wolf seemed satisfied at the command and placed her muzzle against Calum's waist, relaxing when the boy didn't wake.

Evelyn finished lining th small fire with rocks before grabbing one of her knives and heading away from the camp. The stream was only a furlong away and she sat down on the bank, her boots resting beneath her. Pushing her hood off her head, the girl grabbed her knife, holding it backwards. She held up a handful of waist long raven black tresses before slicing through them like butter. She felt the mid neck tresses flop back against her face. Placing the cut hair on a nearby rock, she continued to cut, not caring that her mother and Sansa would have fainted if they were there and saw what she was doing.

Finishing, she stuck her dagger back into it's sheath on her right leg. Stepping to the edge of the stream, she sat down with her back to the water. Leaning back, she submerged her head into the water, allowing the water to flow through her short, slightly uneven cut hair, washing away the excess cut hair that still clung to her scalp. She closed her eyes, seeing a pair of smiling green orbs appear in her mind. Damp blond hair framing a firm brown, sharp jaw and cocky smirk.

"It is the past," she breathed to no one in particular. "The only way to go is forward. Evelyn Stark is of the past; she was left in Winterfell. Evelyn Lannister died in Kings Landing. Evelyn, the wife of Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, has faced a horrible death while visiting her brother's encampment in the north."

Standing up, she quickly pushed her hair out of her face and grabbing the cut locks, headed back to the camp. Lady was awake and stretching like a cat while Chance had contented himself on a patch of grass. The girl stood over the small fire before dropping her cut hair into the hot ashes. They shriveled from the heat, catching fire for a split second before they turned to ashes. Evelyn's golden eyes reflected the flames as she watched her hair burn as if she had put her past in the flames as well.

The silence was broken by the loud caws of crows. Evelyn looked up to see that the crows were not flying from something but toward. Pulling her hood up, Evelyn grabbed one of her spare shirts before turning to Zinzi.

"Stay here."
Zinzi laid her head back down, slightly unnerved by her owner's behavior but deciding to just go along with it. Evelyn followed the cry of the crows about a furlong away until she came upon a tall pine where the crows were circling. She could easily tell the crows apart from the single white owl that would fly at them where the crows would part before swooping back in on the owl.

Evelyn remained still, watching them intently until the crows began to fly off, the owl following them to ensure they didn't return.

Evelyn tied the sleeves of the shirt to her belt before pulling out her two knives. Jabbing them into the tree trunk, she began to silently scale the tree. She had five minutes tops before the mother owl returned. She needed to get up and down before then.

She was halfway up and there were fewer branches to support her. at one point her foot caught ton some loose bark and it fell to the ground below. Finally she reached the nest, situated between three branches nearly at the tip top of the tree. Peering into the nest, she could make out the three little owlets amongst the leaves and twigs. Her amber eyes fell immediately on the smallest of the bunch, the only one with gray in his feathers. The other two were a rustic brown, making them appear dull compared to the other. What really caught her attention were the eyes.... A dark mint green color. Grabbing the shirt from her belt, she tied the hems together before reaching out with one hand to scoop up the bird. He squirmed and ought her but his claws and beak couldn't penetrate her leather outfit. Evelyn slipped him through the neck hole of the shirt and tied the sleeves to her belt like a pouch. Ignoring the cries of the other two owlets, Evelyn began to scale down the tree. She had just reached the bottom when she saw the mother owl return. Evelyn removed her knives from the tree trunk before pausing, her hand ghosting over the marks she had left. A thought came to her and she hurried back to the camp. Calum was beginning to stir but Zinzi kept him comfortable so he wouldn't cry. Evelyn untied Chance from the tree before handing the reins to Lady.

"Take him to get a drink," she said.

Lady took the horse's reins in her teeth before trotting toward the spring with the horse following behind. Once they were gone, Evelyn placed the shirt sack on the ground, gently pulling the owlet out who had stopped struggling. Zinzi perked her head up as Evelyn placed some meat before the bird.

"He's not for eating," Evelyn told the wolf, smirking. "He is to be our sharp eyes."

She held out a piece of the meat to the bird who eyed it with one eye, then the other before pecking at it. Realizing that it was edible, he quickly ate it whole, bringing a smile to Evelyn's face and a surprised expression to Zinzi's. Evelyn placed some more meat and some bread on the ground in front of the bird as she walked over to the fire. Dumping the cauldron of water over the ashes, she buried the fireplace in dirt and leaves, throwing the rocks away from the camp.

When she finished, she drew out her hunting knife and approached a nearby tree. Driving the sharp edge of the blade into the bark, she began to carve words into the tree. Finally, when she finished and drew back, she smiled in satisfaction:

Eddard Stark will be remembered. Beware the Lone Wolf.

Well, there is the end of part 2! I may write one more chapter for part 2 but it will probably be a flashback. It will kind of explain why Evelyn cut her hair and kind of put her past behind her:). Hope you enjoyed part 2!!!!!!!