The Game of Thrones

Tearful Goodbyes

Two days later, after receiving a forced apology from Theon the following morning, I spent most my time assisting Septa in quickly mending clothing Sansa wished to take with us. While trying to persuade Arya to bring a few more gowns and fewer trousers only to return to my chambers exhausted with the hope I could finish my packing. Unlike the previous days, I entered my room on the third day to find a silent Robb and Jon standing before the raging fire in my chamber's fireplace as their wolves stood beside them. Curious, I allowed the door to slam shut, forcing them to jump and turn to look at me as Shadow offered a bark of annoyance to her siblings before bounding over to my bed. Breathing softly, I slowly walked toward them to ask why they were waiting for me when I heard, "are you alright, Ilya?" I nodded yes, before saying, "just tried and exhausted from trying to explain to Arya that trousers are not an acceptable garment for one of the hand's daughters while reminding Sansa that she cannot bring everything in her rooms to King's Landing with us."

With a faint smile, he crossed the distance between us and gently kissed the upper portion of my cheek just to the right of my eye before hugging me as I sighed in relief. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Shaking my head, no, I wrapped my arms around him to return the hug before saying, "not unless you can convince Father that Arya, Sansa, and I can arrive a few weeks after he does." With the rise and fall of his chest, I pulled back to offer him a sad smile to find him offering me a natural smile before I asked, "why are you two here at this hour?" Glancing at Jon, I watched him rub the back of his neck as he said, "we wanted to be certain that you would have our name day gifts before you left." Surprised, I glance at Robb, who offered me a nod as well as a smile before I returned my attention to Jon while saying, "you did not have to..." A flash of violet flicker through his brown eyes as he said, "we did." Nodding, I released Robb and sat down on the edge of my bed with my hands folded in my lap. With a deep breath from both, I watched Robb turn and pick something up from one of the chairs facing the fireplace before turning toward me. Arching an eyebrow, I opened my mouth to speak when he suddenly said, "our time to keep you safe is shortening." I opened my mouth to remind him that I could look after myself as he said, "but considering recent events, I should have assumed that you would not need us to keep you safe."

With a small, proud smile, he stepped forward and placed a sheathed dagger in my hand before saying, "use it to keep our sisters and yourself safe when we cannot." Glancing down, I started at the hilt for a moment before looking up at him as he said, "the blade is made of Valyrian steel, and the hilt is molded after Ice." I withdrew the dagger from its black leather sheath to stare at the gleaming rippled steel. "Where did you find Valyrian steel?" I glanced up to see a small smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "Jory, Maester Luwin, and Jon helped me purchase smaller blades. Mikken's had some training in reforming Valyrian steel so he" before he could finish, I sheathed the blade and wrapped my arms around him. With a whispered, "thank you," I felt his arms slip around my waist. "You are welcome, my little sister." Pulling back from our hug, I stared at the blade as I said, "you will have to give me another day to complete your name day gift my twin" only to him, offering me a curious look. "I have been making a cloak like Father's for you, but I wanted to check the hem, but," with a nod, he gently kissed my forehead as he said, "thank you, my dear sister" before stepping back. "I promised Father that I would sit with him tonight to go over accounts," nodding I watched him pat his side as Grey Wind bound over to him only to stop and lick the back of my hand as Robb opened the door. "Goodnight, Robb." With a nod and a smile, he happily said, "goodnight Ilyanna," leaving Jon and I alone with our direwolves.

Sighing softly to myself, I turned and moved to place my new Valyrian dagger in one of my trunks when I heard Jon shuffle his feet. Turning my head, I offered him a smile before asking, "you are not going to gift me a sword or bow to go with my dagger, are you," only to have him glance at me with a small smile and a shake of his head. Smiling, I quickly put the blade away before turning to face him as he held a necklace with a pendant in the shape of a wolf's head with small red-eye out to me. "I know it's not much but," while I reached out and gently brushed my fingers over the pendant as I softly said, "no, Jon, it's everything." Glancing up at him to find his cheeks slightly red as he offered an awkward smile as he moved to pass it off to me until I reached out and placed my hand upon his arms, asking, "would you put it on me?" Glancing up, I noticed that the color in his cheeks had deepened as another shimmer of violet danced across his brown eyes before he said, "of course." Smiling, I released his arm and swiftly turned on my heels, so my back was facing him. Keeping my breathing even, I tried not to focus on the heavy silence that had seemed to surround us as he stepped forward and lowered the necklace past my face to place it around my neck before securing it. Reaching up with my right hand, I gently placed my fore and index finger against the wolf's head lightly touching the eye as his hands settled upon my shoulders. "Do you like it," turning my head. I offered him a smile as I nodded yes before asking, "it is Ghost, isn't it?"