BLACK WOLF - GoT [s1 - s4]

005 - mother figure

"Do we know who did this?" Aloy questioned. She reckoned he was pushed by someone, having her own lists of suspects but it would be best to hear someone else speak about it before Aloy went blabbering on.

    "No." Catelyn snapped, accidentally breaking a twig on her project. She then spoke again, "You have to leave. You've seen him."

Aloy let go of Bran's hand, raising her eyes to meet Catelyn's cold ones. The clash of metal and the caw of a crow the only noise in the chambers. Aloy's eyes started to well up with tears, Catelyn's face turning red. It wasn't about Bran, it was about Catelyn's hatred towards the poor woman, how it made her blood boil to see Aloy and Jon have an influence on her true children, especially Arya. Catelyn despised Jon and Aloy for it, wishing some sickness would take them in the night.

"I never chose to be born a bastard. I never wanted to be a whore's daughter, to put a stain on the Stark family." Aloy said through gritted teeth, her voice low and shallow.

Catelyn could not find a justifiable response, something to excuse her horrible actions to the Snow siblings.

"As a child, I wanted so badly to be like you, marry a prince and live in a castle somewhere. You've shown me nothing more than pure hatred to me and Jon. We never chose this! I never chose this! Don't blame me for something your husband did!"

The door swung open, revealing Robb in his leather armour and black bear fur cloak. His eyes wide, his hand on his sword. Catelyn and Aloy wouldn't break their gaze, leaving Aloy shaking violently with sadness. The flow of tears cleansing her boiling anger. Aloy's mind glossed over, wanting to leave now for The Wall on her own. Her words would never have an impact on Catelyn, she was happy to have expressed them to her face for her once.

"Is everything alright?" Robb asked gently, afraid to spook the two she-wolves into ripping his throat out.

Catelyn hissed, "Go."

Aloy was frozen in place, breathing so heavily that it drowned out the noise coming from outside.

"Get out!" Catelyn shrieked, throwing her wooden project close to Aloy. It shattered against the cobblestone, splintering to the cold ground.

The crows fell silent, the workers below set down their tools to gaze up at the open window. The air became thin and weighed a thousand pounds. Aloy's breathing ceased, her body refusing to move. She wanted to strangle Catelyn in that moment, enacting revenge for everything she's done. Aloy's fists clenched, she couldn't leave her siblings without their mother.

    "Leave!"

    Robb rushed over, grabbing Aloy's forearm. She pulled away, shouldering her way past and down the hall. She would not have her embarrassed by being escorted out by her older brother. Robb continued to follow her, calling her name like he was calling a toddler. Aloy's ears rang loud, only grabbing her attention when Robb grabbed onto her shoulder.

    "What was that?" Robb asked, turning her with one hand to face him.

    "Never mind what that was." Aloy said, looking up into his blue eyes which clashed with her green ones.

    "You've upset mother. Why?" Robb said.

    His grip was still strong on her shoulder, leaving a red mark there in an hour. Aloy did not want to tell him, Robb was always so loyal to Catelyn, he'd never side with her honestly.

    "I wanted to see Bran." Aloy responded truthfully.

    Robb's face softened, staring at his younger sister. He didn't want his sister to feel this way. He was losing a lot of his family in one day, he'd rather not lose them in anger. Aloy waited for Robb to say something, the cold now catching up to her with a shiver up her spine.

    "I will talk to her. She's just worried and protective over Bran at the moment and the situation." Robb said, portraying his concern with reason. "This is about Bran. Don't let your anger get in the way of that."

    Aloy sighed lightly. Robb removed his hand from her shoulder and rested it on the handle of his sword casually. Aloy did not say anything. It was still early in the morning, Jon said that he had something special for Arya before they left for King's Landing.

She glared up at Robb's muscular frame, "You don't know what you are talking about brother."

    Aloy's head was pulsing, her vision blurry and shaking. She never wanted to feel what she did again. Today in Winterfell was going to be the last day that the Stark family saw each other, all happy and smiling. All except one.

——

this chapter isn't sitting right with me. i wanted to build Catelyn and Aloy's relationship and get some Robb lines in there. this is really a brain dump.

word count - 1,330

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