Wolves, Stags, Lions, Dragons, and Me (Game of Thrones GOT)

Chapter 17 - Dark Wings, Dark Words

Dinner had finished and I had walked out onto a balcony to look out at Winterfell. I was holding a glass of red wine, but as usual I hadn’t touched it. I heard footsteps join me and I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Robb.

“I thought everyone had gone to bed.” I said, not turning around.

“Most have, I just said goodnight to Rickon and Bran.”

“How is Bran? After today.”

“He seems okay, but it’s not that I’m worried about. He told me a little while back that he’d rather be dead.” He explained as he walked up beside me, looking out at his home.

“You can’t blame him for that, Robb. I’m sure one day Bran will learn to love and live life again, but until then he’s in for more pain and sorrow. How would you feel? You are your father’s heir and one day you will be Lord of Winterfell, not acting Lord… the Lord. What if you had to go into battle and command your men and send them out to die, but you were unable to fight alongside them?”

He nodded. “I get it. It just worries me. I hope he’ll grow out of it soon.” He responded, looking down. I handed him my goblet of wine making him smile. It would just go to waste otherwise and he looked like he needed a drink.

“He will… he’s a Stark, you’re harder to take down than you appear.”

He chuckled, “Who told you that? Jon?”

“Benjen helped raise me… it’s just an observation.” I said with a smile that made him chuckle a little more.

“Do you wish you had stayed? At Castle Black?” He asked me, looking back out and over the balcony.

“Yes and no. It’s where I feel comfortable and at home, but it’s not where I belong.”

“I thought that where someone felt at home was where they belonged.”

“No.” I shook my head. “Where you feel at home is where you want to be, but where you belong is where you’re needed.”

He looked back down at me. “Has anyone ever told you that you have a habit of speaking like a Maester?”

I chuckled, “My father. He would tell me to shut up so I continued rambling just to annoy him and with practise I got better and better.”

“Are you close to your father?”

“There’s more love between a fox and a hound then there is between me and my father, but I had others. Benjen… The Lord Commander, Maester Aamon and Yoren. I learnt to live without his love and used his indifference to build a shield.” It was silent for a moment before I spoke again. “Has there been any more word from Kings Landing?”

“Not since they had the tournament and the news of my father and King Slayer.”

“Tournament?” I asked.

“Yeah, it was meant to celebrate the Hand of the king. Apparently it was quite eventful. The Mountain accidently killed one of opponents.”

I scoffed. “If you could call anyone he kills an accident.” Gregor was the Hounds older brother who bore the nickname of The Mountain due to his massive build that towered over even Sandor. I had only met him a few times and I could do without ever meeting him again.

“Well he lost his next joust and lost his temper, attacking Ser Loras Tyrell. The Hound intervened.”

“Is he alright?” I asked in shock. I had seen the two fight once before and the king had stopped it, no doubt he had this time as well. It was Gregor who had burnt and scared Sandor’s face at a young age, or so I had been told.