✓ | 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒇'𝒔 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒆 (R.STARK 1/3)

Chapter Three::Caught

Withering shadows filled the surrounding area, making the continuing darkness even more discomforting and uninviting. The consistent murmurs from nearby, serving as a recurring reminder of the current situation. If Raina made one wrong move, the game was over; there were men only a few feet in front of her that would make sure of it. When recruiting a new spot in which to hide, Raina had found herself frozen in place, listening to the distant, northern slur of nearby men. She may not have been able to determine which king the soldiers pledged their allegiance to, the surrounding darkness making the view rather distorted and preventing clear sight of the emblems on their clothes and banners; she could, however, conclude that they were indeed soldiers, the drowned-out rattle and clatter of armour colliding, echoing the distance and allowing Raina to hear the faint sound and confirm her suspicions. With this conclusion in mind, she was presented with 3 options; find a way around the guards without being seen or caught, stay put and risk being found by a scouting party later in the night, or go back the way she came and potentially face more soldiers - be them from the same army as those already causing issues, or from her father, sent to bring her home.

Raina had already decided she would not go back, be it permanently or not, she would not take that risk, and as a result, she was now faced with only two potential dangers.

Taking a moment longer to think the issue over, Raina recalled sighting The Twins in the distance, their cold and harsh exterior proving to be unmissable; if she could some how cross The Trident, or evade the river entirely, she would surely be safe on the other side. The Riverlands were broad, and currently ruled by the Freys - a house Galbart Glover would not dare to cross paths with again, therefore providing some sort of haven for Raina - permitting she could actually get there. Whilst considering this factor, Raina also deduced that the soldier in question were more than likely Frey men, if not belonging to the king, like Raina had initially thought. Wishing to consider her options for a while longer, Raina soon found her thoughts to be interrupted by a cool blade pressed to the back of her neck, and a stern voice ordering her to stand. Though it was not the time, she couldn't help but congratulate herself for being right about the matter concerning being caught where she was - had she moved forward, this outcome probably would have arisen sooner. "Turn." Demanded the stern voice, the northern tang in his tone held reassurance for Raina in some contorted way, providing a glimpse of hope that the man with his sword to her neck may prove to be a Frey guard, in which case it was unlikely she'd be in too much trouble when she was taken back to their camp. However, when she finally turned to face the soldier in question, she found herself gawking at a man that was evidently not a simple Frey guard; instead she found herself staring, wide eyed, at the king in the north.

His hair was different to the last time she had seen him, it holding more reddish curls than she remembered and appearing to be invading his jaw and chin as well, providing a few days worth of ginger stubble. It made him look older, outlining his already defined features and looking more mescaline and attractive than he once was. Sure, Robb Stark was always easy on the eyes, especially to Raina, and was more so than his brothers - but now, now he was no longer adorable, in his childish demeanour, he was possessing much better looks and was very much the handsome man Raina had imagined he would become. She could easily see the outline of his well-shaped body through the leathers we wore, and would hazard a guess that he had become a lot fitter with all the fighting he had been doing of late; this of cause only adding to his attractiveness. It wasn't long before Raina found herself staring in awe at the king stood in front of her, whom had his sword poised in her direction and also appeared to be speaking to her, though she had not heard him at first.

Somehow snapping out of her daze, she brought her eyes to his, locking her sights onto his dark blue eyes, one of his many charming features but always her favourite. Even in the dark she could see the magnificent colour the sea, lurking under his thick brow, and eyeing her intently. "What is your name, boy?!" The king spoke harshly, glaring coldly at her, or rather him in this case. Somewhat shocked, and about to correct the gender he had accused her of being, she considered what would happen if she played along with it, potentially sparing a lot of issues if she merely pretended to be of the opposite sex. Nodding slightly, she tried to make her voice deeper as she spoke, hoping her façade wasn't to obvious to the king. "Ray." She stated bluntly and rather suddenly, eyeing the cautious expression that plagued Robb Stark's face, the man keeping his sword level as he contemplated for a moment. He nodded once, his eyes still holding a darkness to them that she couldn't quite work out, and then he spoke, his northern voice appealing more to Raina the more the talked, his voice having become deeper since the last time they had spoken to one another. "What are you doing out here?" He asked, his tone strong and stern. With his brave and tough exterior, Raina struggled to believe that any man would be brave enough, or stupid enough, to go against this man, the man she was completely mesmerized by. Searching for an answer to the king's question, Raina found her mind stumbling over several responses, but not settling on one. It didn't take long for the king to become inpatient and provoke her for an answer. "Speak!" He ordered, his voice loud and surprising to Raina, she had never heard him shout from anger when they were younger, and this new person stood in front of her didn't seem to hesitate when doing so.

"I ran away..." Raina murmured with uncertainty, finally dragging her longing stare away from the man as he considered her answer. She was telling the truth about one thing at least. "Why?" Came a sudden reply from the otherwise silent king, his eyes still trained on the timid form in front of him. "My father...wanted me to go south, fight for the Lannisters,"  She lied, gritting her teeth as she looked back  to the kings questioning gaze. "Who's your father?" He eventually questioned, thick northern accent prominent in each word he spoke. "A simple stonemason," She lied again, cautious of how long she would be able to go on with the lie she was building, wondering when the king would eventually catch her out. "And you ran away because?" The king continued his interrogation, his stone-cold expression never faltering. "Tommen is not the king i wish to follow," Finally telling the truth about something, and hoping this would catch the man's expression. "Who is?" He asked, cluelessly, or merely wishing to get an answer instead of assuming. "You." She replied swiftly, eyes finally locking with his for a brief moment. "But you were spying on my men," The man offered, eyes hard and still attempting to work something out, Raina just couldn't guess what. "Not spying. I couldn't see who's men they were, i was just being cautious, didn't want be caught, is all."  Raina continued, again telling some small shred of truth amongst the lies she was spewing. "They are northern men," Robb stated, his bland tone proving his impatience was getting the better of him. "Aye. But they could have been Frey men. couldn't be too sure," "This far from The Twins?" The king retorted, attempting to out-smart who he thought to be another low-life wanting to be a soldier. "I don't know how close we are to The Twins, it was a long time ago that i had a good view,"  Raina replied, her cunning attitude proving to be useful in her current situation. "You're not very good at this, are you? Running away, i mean." The king scoffed, forcing his sword into his sheath. How he was so certain that Raina wouldn't now attack, she didn't know, but he seemed confident enough and challenging that probably wasn't the best choice she would make that night. "I suppose i'm not," She forced a smile, eyeing the king's expression as it softened and she gained a glimpse of a smile in return.