Bad Blood // Theon Greyjoy

34. Price of Love

'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."

"Right, get the horses and the hounds.' Theon declared as the dogs started barking, Nova. Damnit nova. Theon thought, why did she have to do that? he was going to make her his princess and she got them out? He didn't understand, she still loved him why betray him?

'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. "I want Nova." Rickon whimpered.

"Me too." Bran agreed. He kept turning around expecting her to show up but she wasn't there.

'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 reminded 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.''

+

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

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