Only A Northern Song ~ Game of Thrones / Willas Tyrell ~

Chapter Thirty One: Waiting Game

Eddmina couldn't think straight.

She'd carried Bran all the way back to the castle, the only thing keeping her sane being her mantra of 'don't die'. Even as she got back to Winterfell, she felt so focused on Bran she was barely aware of everyone surrounding her, completely unaware of the chaos that erupted. She could hear someone screaming, someone sobbing, and part of her was unsure if it was her or someone else, but when one of the men of the household guard tried to take her brother out of her arms, that was when she screamed. She refused to let go of him, not after carrying him so far. Any thoughts of the baby had left her mind, all she could think of Bran and getting him to safety.

Eventually someone arrived with a stretcher as she got into the castle and Bran was forced out of her arms. That was probably for the best, considering she'd been unaware of how badly she was shaking, and how she immediately dropped to the floor as soon as he was away from her. She felt as though the air had been robbed from her body, felt as though there was nothing motivating her to get up. She could feel someone touching her, trying to move her, asking her to stand, asking her what had happened, but it was all too much.

"Come on, Lady Edd," a kind voice spoke, and she managed to see through the haze of fear to recognise Cayn, one of her father's guards, barely older than herself. "Come on, let's get you sat down properly,"

Cayn led her further into the keep, until they were outside Bran's room. Honour and Bran's wolf had followed her the entire way, sticking close by to her, with Honour bumping her nose into her hand whenever possible, while Bran's wolf kept letting out high-pitched whines. She could hear the screaming again, though she realised for certain it hadn't been her making the noise. No, it was her mother. She wanted to go in, to be with her to see Bran, to see if he had broken the promise of her mantra, but the door was shut on her before she could see anything, and soon Cayn had guided her into a seat and was handing her a flask.

"It's a bit strong, but it'll work for the shock," Cayn said with a forced-kind smile.

"No, no I can't drink it," she refused, shaking her head as she pushed the flask away, the strong smell of alcohol making her stomach turn. "Bran... Can't I see him? Can't I be with him?"

"There's nothing you can do, my lady," he told her softly, doing nothing to reassure her helplessness. "You've done more than enough, carrying him home, you did brilliantly,"

"Where's father?" she asked, her next worry coming forward. "He should be here, he should be with Bran if I can't be,"

"Someone's gone to fetch him back from the hunt, don't you worry," Cayn told her. "I told them to fetch Lord Willas too, I thought after what you've done you'd want him with you,"

"Did I do enough?" she asked before she could stop herself, feeling a lump growing in her throat, making her words come out strangled and painful. "He can't die,"

Cayn didn't reply, most likely because he knew it was wrong to lie to a lady, and Bran's condition wasn't the healthiest. She knew that herself, since she'd seen the state he was in. The silence was deafening, though nothing about the castle was silent, not as her mother's sobs echoed through the whole of Winterfell. It was painful, so painful Eddmina wanted nothing more than to run and hide, but she forced herself to listen, forced herself to stay, because all she could think about was how she had stood and watched. She had seen it happen and she hadn't been able to stop it. If Bran died, it was because of her. So she sat, staring at the ground, crying silently until she could barely see, blaming herself and praying that her brother would live.

She wasn't sure how long she was sat there. It could have been mere minutes, but it felt like days. She was sure any minute the Maester would come out and tell her Bran had gone, it seemed inescapable, but it never happened. If anything the suspense was worse. She just wanted to know, she wanted the waiting to be over, she wanted it all to end. The entire time, the wolves just sat next to her, the sisters' howls adding to the cries from inside the room. Eddmina wanted nothing more than to hide somewhere quiet, where she never had to hear any such cries ever again.