✓ | 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒇'𝒔 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒆 (R.STARK 1/3)

Chapter Twenty Three::Boltons

A/N: I'm sorry this one was so rushed, and is pretty bad, but again I wanted you to have a chapter. Enjoy. 

"Is it 'er?"

"It looks like it,"

"Write to Lord Glover, tell 'im we got 'er,"

A range of Northern, slurred accents echoed around her, though Raina could not see the owners of them. Presumably, her vision was obscured by some sort of bag or blindfold, and her hands bound by rope. She would have struggled, fought them off by this point, but she saw no point. She could not even tell how far away they truly were, at least not accurately. She could spend the next 5 minutes aimlessly flailing her feet in the air, and not being close to kicking any of her captors. So she sat in silence, letting her body fall limp as though she were still unconscious, and listening intently to the men talk around her. Evidently someone had been paying attention, and had recognised her, she just didn't know who. The Northern accents were not familiar, and did not seem like the likes that would be found at Deepwood Motte, though Raina couldn't be sure. All she knew was that whomever had noticed her, was sending her back to her father, probably in hopes of a reward of some kind. 

Whenever she used to get into trouble, Raina used to have an odd fixation that Robb would always save her, he'd suddenly show up and sweep her off her feet, carrying her to safety. The hope, she dare say, had carried through most of her life, the hope she'd had for Robb's reappearance never leaving her. Only now that hope had died. She didn't know it all, she knew she didn't, but she knew Robb well enough to recognise the signs. Whether he'd intended for it or not, he was taken by this new foreign beauty, and it was displayed all over him. It had made Raina want to cry, all that she'd done and been through, lost to a new woman, whom she still did not know the name of, or her reasoning for being near the King. Even now Raina wanted to let all that she felt out, scream and cry for however long it took to get rid of the burning pain that had been inflicted by witnessing that. But all that Raina could focus on was the ever growing fear of what awaited her at the end of this journey. Whoever it was that had her now was taking her back to her father, whom would no doubt reinstate the potential alliance with House Bolton, that would have come from her union with Ramsay. She didn't fear her father, he was a pathetic man, however Ramsay was a monster, that was clear to everyone in the North, and so whatever fate she would have with him, would surely not be a good one. 

A bump in the road caused the carriage she sat on to jolt, rocking her forward and persuading a groan to escape her drying lips. "She's awake!" Called one of the men, sounding a lot closer than the previous two voices had. He was most likely sat beside her, or at least in the carriage with her. She could likely hit him if she tried, but the effort it would take to do so had long since left her cold and fragile body. She didn't know exactly how long she'd been unconscious, but she could easily begin to feel the toll it was taking on her body. She felt something prod her feet, and by instinct she kicked back, hitting something solid in the process and hearing a loud gasp come from nearby. Serves him right for touching her. 

"What about Ramsay? Should we not write to 'im, or 'is father?" One of the previous voices yelled, the sudden mention of her betrothed unnerving Raina more than she cared to admit. "We'll meet up with Locke at Harrenhal, we can find out from there when we should contact Lord Bolton," The first voice to have spoken replied, a cool and casual tone to his voice. And then the idea came to her. These men were Boltons. Of course they were, they wanted Raina so that Ramsay could have a bride. His father had probably issued a search along with her own, trying to find her and secure the alliance that had almost been in their grasps. She didn't even want to know what Ramsay would do if he found out she'd run away, just because she did not wish to marry him. He'd more than likely make her life living hell, more than it already would be in a marriage with that monster. The cart jolted again, this time moving her more. The wooden bench beneath her, and the railings of the carriage, pressed harshly against her body, causing an increasingly uncomfortable journey for her. 

All she could think of was Robb, despite her obvious feelings for her, she tried hard not to wish for him to rescue her. She wondered if he'd even bothered to follow her when she'd stormed off, in fact she was curious if anyone had actually paid her any attention when she'd left, or whether they'd noticed the lack of her presence, even still, when she was so many miles away now. At least she presumed she was, now having heard the men around her speak of travelling to Harrenhal, she naturally assumed that was there destination, and so since she'd fallen unconscious, they'd begun on the long trip there. If anyone had noticed her disappearance, would they have tried to find her, and follow the group in hopes of saving her soon. She'd thought maybe her brother would track her down, or Rodrik, but the further the cart travelled, the more that hoped died. If they were going to save her, surely they would have done it by now. She tried not to lose faith in them, but it was hard to do so when you were tied up in a carriage with Bolton men, who intended to bring you home just to ship you off to their Lord and his bastard. 

She'd heard rumours of Ramsay Snow. She'd heard men in Deepwood Motte talk of how he enjoyed hunting, and how practised he was in archery. Only to them that didn't seem like much of a difference to any other archer. But Raina wasn't so naive. She'd heard from other soldiers of what his 'hunting' actually consisted of, and it repulsed her. She enjoyed archery, similar to him, but she would never use it for such torment. He was more than just a bully. He was a monster, who needed to be kept on a tight leash, one that had snapped long ago, evidently. Being married to such a man frightened her, this being one of the very few things in her life that she'd found to scare her, but it was for good reason. He has playthings, and when he's tired of them, he takes them out for a hunt. He couldn't exactly go 'hunting' with his wife so often, so Raina feared to think what he'd do with her when he was bored. She'd thought maybe if they married, and he got fed up with her, he'd find other women to occupy his time. She wouldn't complain at all, in fact she'd quite like the distraction for him, as long as it meant he did not come near her. It was what he'd do before he got bored that had her so terrified. 

The cart jolted. Only this time it did not progress further afterwards. The cart stopped, and thus began the shouting from the men. Raina was confused, and curious. She couldn't' see a thing past the bag over her head, but could vaguely hear the familiar clash of steel on steel, and distinct yelling. The noises were faint, and presumably far away, though that proved useless when she did not know how many men there were, or where all of them were located. One could still be in the carriage for all she knew, and so she had to remain still. When the noises stopped, she held her breath, cautious as to what would happen next. It was only when strong arms wrapped around her small frame and hoisted her from the cart that the air was expelled quickly from her lungs. "It's alright, I've got you," An all too familiar voice whispered, reassuring consuming Raina as she curled into their comforting embrace.