𝐻𝐸𝑅𝑂𝑖𝑁𝐸 | 𝐽𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑛𝑜𝑤

four.

                     "𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙"

Ashara awoke at the late afternoon of the next day. She was woken up by shouting across the grounds of Winterfell. She knew what they were shouting about, she knew that the news would have reached the Lord of Winterfell by now. She fumbled about in her room, trying to get her trousers and her undershirt on. She pulled on her tunic and her cloak, whilst grabbing her sheath.

Opening her door, she stepped out and shut it behind her, looking both left and right before moving down to the courtyard.

At the top of the stairs, she could see men getting the dogs ready, and Ramsay ordering people about. Ashara knew she had to act clueless but also had to be attentive to what was happening around her, so that is what she did.

She ran down the stairs, making sure everyone had their eyes on her. She rushed past the men preparing the dogs, and men mounting up their horses. Ramsay spotted her moving across the courtyard and shouted out to her.

"Ashara, my wife has escaped the walls of Winterfell with that useless man Reek. Go out and lead these men, find her, and bring her back to me. Kill Reek, he has lost all use to me now." He spoke with a look in his eyes that Ashara never wanted to see. A darker look she'd ever seen before, more fire in his eyes.

Ashara nodded in return, and made her way over to the stables. She pulled her horse out its stable and placed the saddle on its back, gracefully leaping up onto its back, with no aid of a man or a step. She rallied the men she needed to go on this man hunt. She purposefully chose the men that were mid-way through their training, to give Theon and Sansa more time to escape.

With the dogs running in front, she and her men set off into the woods, with Ramsay looking on from the safety of the Winterfell walls.

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They had been riding for some time now, the sky getting dark around them. The dogs were becoming tired and so were the inexperienced men that she rallied by her side for the hunt.

"We're going to have to stop here for the night, set up tents and tie the dogs to the trees. They don't need to run about anymore tonight." Ashara said with a stern voice.

"Yes commander" replied the soldiers around her. She tied her horse up to the tree closest to the river and dismounted. Ashara walked to the edge of the water, running her hands through the chilly water. It felt fresh to be away from the castle. She left often, but she had never travelled this far north before. The wind was cooled, and more snow had settled on the ground.

She spent some time down by the river, rinsing her hands that were stained with mud. She the wandered back over to the camp site, where 5 of the men were sat, aimlessly chatting whilst roasting a small rabbit over the fire.

"Commander, do you know how far were going to travel before we go back? We're not going to be welcome at Castle Black, her bastard brother is there and he knows the Bolton's hold Winterfell now." Said a young man, younger than Ashara herself. Looking to the river again, she spoke.

"We will travel further when the light breaks again. We will go to the next clearing and if we haven't found Lady Bolton by then, we will have to turn around."

The 6 of them sat around the fire for a while longer, chatting about their training, and eating and drinking before many of them decided to return to their makeshift beds. Ashara didn't, she kept staring into the flames, hoping that one day she would be the one to run from Ramsays clutches.

Ashara did not sleep that night, and she woke her men when the sun first broke through the snowy clouds of the north.

"Boys, its time to go forward. Pack your beds and be on your horses ready when I return from the river." Ashara ordered as the men slowly got up. She made her way down to the river again, bending down and splashing water in her face to keep her alert. She sighed and hoped that Sansa and Theon had made it to Castle Black

As they were travelling, they came across one of Ramsays guards, Ashara knew him as Eddy.

"Eddy, what are you doing here?" She questioned him as she got off her horse and helped the soldier to his feet.

"Commander, we were sent out the morning of Lady Bolton's disappearance." He huffed, as he held his leg, which Ashara noted was stained in blood.

"Why are you covered in blood?" She quizzed him.

"We found Lady Sansa and Reek, we were about to tie them up and return them home until a great knight appeared through the trees. We couldn't stop her. She killed all our men and hurried off in the direction of the wall with Lady Sansa." He breathed out, struggling to talk.

Ashara turned around and pointed at one of the men with her.

"You, help Eddy onto your horse. We need to return to Winterfell and inform his grace of this news."

Ashara once again flung herself onto her horse and rode off back in the direction of Winterfell, with the dogs by her side, and a smiled on her face, knowing that Sansa was safe.

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Hi, i hope you're enjoying the story so far !! this is the first story i've ever wrote and i'm so excited for people to read it. My work still needs some improvement and if you have any tips or pointers please feel free to comment or message me !!