Evermore // Bran Stark

39. On your own

"I'm not leaving without Amelia." Jaime hissed.

"I am to take you and trade you and only you." Brienne told him. "In return for the stark girls."

"I'm not leaving Amelia!" Jaime demanded. "Take her instead of me. Trade her for the girls." Jaime begged.

"Lady Stark demanded your return. His grace has Amelia in his coustody.

"NO, NO, NO!" Jaime shouted. "You don't understand. Give them Ameila and not me, she is worth more than me." Jaime begged.

"You love your children." Brienne remarked pushing him along.

"Of course I do. Amelia is nothing like Joffrey." Jaime informed her. "She is sweet and kind and good and I don't want her getting killed over all this." Jaime begged. "Please, take her back to the capital. Trade her life."

"I have my orders." Brienne repeated.

+

''And where are you going?''

'I have something for you from Prince Theon.' Osha said walking towards him with slow sedutice steps

'What?'

'Me. He says I'm to make the rounds. And keep you warm.' She told him kissing him before stabbing him. Osha whistled out and rickon and hodor came out carrying bran as they escaped into the night.

+

'A cripple? You let a cripple escape?' Theon spat 'The boy can't walk, but somehow he slipped past you?'

'The giant must have took him.'

'The giant? Hodor? Oh, well, that's all right, then.' Theon mused. 'You let a halfwit escape with a cripple. And Rickon, too? The little one?'

'Gone along with the wildling woman, the one you were fucking.''

"Right, get the horses and the hounds.' Theon declared as the dogs started barking

'Come on, find the scent. Come on, where they going?'

'Halt!'

'Enjoying your first hunt?' Theon questioned

'So far, hunting seems very similar to riding, My Lord.'

''With hunting, there's blood at the end. They're little boys. I was a little boy when I was torn away from my home and brought here. So I kept my word. I never ran away. If I find them soon enough, I won't hurt them.' Theon told him but a smirk crossed his face 'Well, I'll hurt them, but I won't kill them.''

'Those boys are of far more value to you alive than dead.'

'They have no value to me missing.'' Theon spat

'Robb will have sent a force to retake Winterfell by now.' they warned Theon

'Robb's in the Riverlands. My sister's in Deepwood Motte. She'll get here long before they do. And Ned Stark always said 500 men could hold Winterfell against 10,000.' Theon reminded him as the dogs started barking.

'We have a scent!'

'The hounds have the scent.'

'Come, Maester, don't look so grim. It's all just a game.' Theon assured smugly.

'We should have took more food.' Osha muttered

'We couldn't risk going to the kitchens.' Bran reminded her

'Those people all love you. They would have given you whatever you needed.' Osha corrected

'And if Theon found out, he'd hang them.' Bran reminded her as hodor carried him.

'The boy can't survive on walnuts.' Osha said looking to rickon

'I'm fine.' Rickon said keeping his head down as they walked

'We've been walking since before sunrise. Even Hodor will tire.' Osha told them

'Hodor.' Hodor agreed

'Even you, sweet giant.' Osha agreed

'Hodor.'

'Wait, I know that farm. I sent those two Winterfell orphans there. Jack and Billy. They'll give us some food.' Bran declared when he saw children running and laughing at a nearby farm.

' We can't risk it. If Theon tracks us here, he'll torture them until he finds out where we are.' Osha remidnd him

'Billy climbs a tree better than anyone.'

'You've never seen me climb a tree, little man.' Osha countered 'They'll be after us with hounds. We got a good start on them, but we can't outrun hounds forever.''

"Osha?" She glanced back at Bran. "Do you think Amelia is alright?"

"Worry about yourself little lord." OSha told him. "Amelia is on her own now."

+

'Children, come inside, quick. Hurry up!' The dogs barking echoed getting closer and closer

'Can't find anything, Ser. They've lost the scent.'

'Try again.' Theon demanded

'We've circled this farmhouse twice. There's no sign of them. We could start the search fresh in the morning, My Lord.'

'I'm looking at spending the rest of life being treated like a fool and a eunuch by my own people. Ask yourself, "Is there anything I wouldn't do to stop that from happening?" The hounds will find the scent again.' Theon shouted 'I'll beat them until they do. I'll whip every man here until I have both those boys in hand. And once I've got them, the pampered little shits... It's better to be cruel than weak.' Theon remarked thinking of what his father would do.

'Prince Theon.'

'Where are they?' Theon shouted

'Who, m'lord?'

'The Stark boys. Where are they?' Theon yelled storming towards him

'I don't know. I seen no one.'

'Think harder.' Theon declared punching him in the stomach he doubled over.

'I swear, m'lord, I don't know.' He said through a labored breath

'My Lord, over here. I think I've found what we're looking for.' A guard called

'Send the old man home.'

'Go back to Winterfell. Take him back.'

'Theon, don't do this.'

+

"I told you what would happen. All of you ... I told you what would happen if you served me loyally... and what would happen if you did not.'' Theon stared at the bodies in shock. He knew it wasn't Bran or rickon but he didn't demand this. 'What are you doing? What have you done?'' he hissed

'If there's any who still question whether your new lord means what he says... Here is the answer to your question.'' The srowd gasped and a murmur of sobs echoed. The starks were dead

"No!"