Winter Is Coming

~Rayne | The Girl, The Wolf, and the Boy~

~A few days before~
Rayne walked to Jon's chambers with Visenya by her side. The pup had grown from a meak creature to one with strength that only grew with every day that passed. The raven haired girl pulled her furs closer to her body in an attempt to soothe the bite of the cold, but to little avail.

As she walked, her thoughts consumed her. Memories, futuristic fears, and present worries wrapped themselves around her wrist and drug her violently through life. Her monumental fear revolved around the bastard that called Winterfell home. They revolved around his unsteadiness and the way he lately seemed to have more on his shoulders than ever before.

The feast had brought out a new side of him, or so she thought. Distant, he seemed, more so than ever before and she often went into his chambers at night to find him crouched in front of the fire, hands tangled in his curls, grasping for a sense of sanity. She made her presence known only one time and it was then that she saw how sunken his solemn eyes were. They held a sense of arithmetic dismay and remained tired with an accent of darkness encompassing the skin around them.

Rayne was on her way to his chambers now. With a candle in one hand, she briskly walked through the castle that was enveloped in night. A shrill howl of a direwolf in the distance infiltrated her cerebration. The howl came to her ears accompanied with a loud thud. It was a clap that echoed off of the spring-filled walls and made Rayne freeze.

The hairs on her body were on end and Visenya's ear shot up in warning. She let out a low growl and Rayne looked down at her and placed a comforting hand on the beast's shoulder blades.

"Let's see what is happening, shall we?" Rayne questioned the wolf hypothetically.

Another howl rang through the night and the midnight wolf let out a whimper before jogging into the direction of the commotion. Rayne followed behind her easily enough and kept her eyes opened with anxiety.

The pair reached a door that led to the courtyard. It was shut, sheltering the castle's inhabitants from the frosted outside world. Visenya jumped on the door and scratched at it vigorously, her nails engraving themselves into the wood, before Rayne opened it with a deep breath.

The air hit her like a ton of stones, blowing her back and off balance until she became stable and shielded her face with her arm. Visenya bolted out the door the moment it was opened and Rayne followed suit. The sound of the wolf grew louder as Rayne and her beast crossed the yard.

Summer came into Rayne's vision, Bran's direwolf pup, and she smiled when she realized what it was. "Bran, are you climbing again? It's cold and it's late. Why don't you come inside?"

Rayne circled the tower slowly, putting one foot in front of the other cautiously. The boy didn't answer and the girl shivered. "Brandon, it's freezing."

Rayne continued walking around the tower. The cobble was painted by the milky light of the moon, causing the stones to shine. When Rayne processed the sight that she stumbled upon, she could involuntarily feel her heart stop.

Lying on the cold ground was the young Stark, lifeless and pale. "Oh my gods, Brandon!"

Rayne fell to his side and lifted his face into her lap, ignoring the scraping of her legs on the ground. His neck was bruised and contorted, the back of his head bled through her dress and seeped onto her skin.

"Somebody help!" As soon as the words left her lips, she realized she was alone and that no one could possibly hear her.

The courtyard remained empty, not a soul in sight other than the ravenous girl, the broken boy, and the two beasts that sat by their sides. Rayne thought little, yet she acted. Placing her hands under Brandon's body to support his weight, she carried the boy towards the castle door. She had never been weak, yet in this moment she felt as though her arms would fail her as adrenaline flushed her senses.

The wind had slammed the large wooden door shut, creating yet another obstacle. "Visenya."

Rayne called to the beast. She knew not what she expected from the young wolf, but she was thankful when the wolf took off into full sprint, lunging at the door. As if wielded by magic, the door opened and smashed against the other wall at the force of the wolf's massive body weight.

"Find help!" Rayne cried as she careened into the castle. The wolf understood the command and bolted away, paws slipping on the cobble.

She threw the door shut behind her and fell to her knees, stripping herself of her garments and wrapping them around the comatosed boy. Tears streamed down her face unknowingly as she willed some sort of life back into him.

In that very moment, she pleaded with the gods. She wished her own life away as she cradled him into her, willing the gods to hear her pleas. She felt as though her own body betrayed her as she shook with both fear and the cold that coursed through her; shoulders now bare of any coverings quaked.

Bran was always a bright boy, keeping mainly to himself and being like a little brother to Rayne. The thought of never making any more memories with him brought tears to her eyes. His body was colder than the winds of the North, and Rayne fought with every fiber of her being to bring him some warmth.

Her coat furs blanketed him and she brought herself as close as possible to him. Bran's wolf, Summer, nudged closer to the boy and gently licked his face. In a sense of understanding, the wolf laid closer and nuzzled its own warmth into the boy.

The three beings sat huddled together, seemingly one essence when Jon arrived; and when his eyes feasted upon the girl, the wolf, and the boy, he rushed to them in trepidation. When Rayne's eyes rested on him, tears began flowing and sobs wracked her body as she clung onto the lifeless child.

~~~~~

Oof it's been so long and I've missed this! Thank you all for your comments and votes and shares, it honestly means so much that people still read this even though I've been entirely inactive. I love you all!