Orenda

Chapter 3

The dou runs quickly through the northern wilderness. It was further than ethier one of them had ever been. Even when Theon used to go hunting with the Stark's they had never went this far. The cold didn't seem to effect them due to the adrenaline of their bodies. Though Theon thinks some of it for Sansa is that Stark's could never get fucking cold.

Though Sansa's hand was shaky in his and she was struggling to keep up. Though Theon thinks it's more from fear than the chill of the violent weather. The dogs, or hounds was a lot more accurate description, could be heard. Sansa stops infront of a snowy river.

Theon steps in and tries to guide her but she just flinches back. Now Theon could leave her, never see Ramasey agian but that's what Theon has considered a Ramsey move. Leaving someone else to die to save yourself. He wouldn't do it.

"We have to cross here." Theon tells her firmly.

Sansa nods shakily her breathing heavy and uneven but she grips his hand, trusting him. Sansa steps on a patch of thin ice and gasps.

"I can't." Sansa chokes out. She's running away from her home. She's going to die out here. She's going to die and -.

"It's the only way to throw off the hounds." Theon's voice snaps her out of her thoughts.

"But it's too cold. I can't. I won't make it. I'll die." Sansa says.

"I've seen what his hounds do to a person." Theon says, "This way is better."

"Just leave me he won't hurt me." Sansa tells him. When she says hurt she means kill. Though she guesses the old Sansa would be dead. She would only be literally alive because her heart would still work.

"And do fucking what?" Theon asks, "Go to the wall and tell Jon I let another one of his siblings die. He'd fucking kill me at hearing that if he hadn't already on sight."

Sansa breathes and shakily starts towards the water. Theon guides Sansa into the water. Sansa gasps at the cold. As if a thousand little daggers perice at her skin. The both wade across.

++++

They are walking through the woods agian. They are blue with cold and shivering rapidly. Barking can no longer be heard so that threat is gone. Though now they got to worry about the foreseeable chance of freezing out here. Theon spots something in a distance.

"Over here. Come on." Theon says dragging her with him.

Theon leads Sansa to an overturned tree. Its roots provide shelter from the harsh snow. Theon has the strangely humorous thought, Ned Stark wasn't wasting breath with that warning for nothing. They sit down under the roots, shivering.

"Sansa." Theon repeats, "Sansa."

This is the first time the situation has registered for both of them.

Theon wraps his arms around Sansa. She rests her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes. This is what she had longed for for so long. A comfortable embrace where she didn't have to worry about the person pulling a knife on her the next second. Finally hugging someone who didn't have second motives.

It wasn't the most perfect thing like the warm hugs Ned Stark used to give both of them. It was shivery and shakey and they were both wet, from tears and water. It was something so foreign to both of them but so welcoming. Like a bed after a long hunt.

Dogs barking can suddenly be heard close by.

"Stay here. I'll lure them away." Theon says as he pulls away from the embrace.

"No, I won't make it without you." Sansa says grabbing his wrist. Her hand is shaky as well as her force. Her blue eyes held tears in them but they didn't falter the, what Sansa wanted to be demanding but came out pleading, Stark look.