CHAPTER 33 | TO RATHER BURN NOR KNEEL
THE doors to the great hall of Bear Island opened, allowing the group of Sansa, Jon, Davos, and Maia entrance. The unfamiliar blonde stood in back of Ser Davos, aware that she was clearly unknown, but Jon said he agreed to involve her in as much business as possible (besides fighting), so here she stood.
A guard, maester, and small girl sat at the table in front of them. The room was adorned in various crests and colors, all pertaining to House Mormont. The ceiling opened up to a glass pane, overlooking a beautiful-yet-cloudy sky. The child at the head table looked up at their party of four oddly, as if she already hated being in their presence. They all bowed their heads as Jon greeted, "Lady Mormont."
"Welcome to Bear Island," the young girl continued to frown.
The silence became deafening while Maia stared at the crackling fire in back of Lady Mormont. The child noticed this, giving her a narrowed-eyed look. A bird cawed from outside. Jon looked to Sansa for support.
"I remember when you were born, my Lady." Sansa smiled. "You were named for my aunt, Lyanna. They said she was a great beauty. I'm sure you will be too."
Lyanna scowled. "I doubt it. My mother wasn't a great beauty or any other kind of beauty. She was a great warrior though. She died fighting for your brother, Robb."
Sansa gave her brother a wide-eyed glance. "Yikes," Maia muttered under her breath, but loud enough for Ser Davos to turn.
"I served under your uncle at Castle Black, Lady Lyanna." Jon said, offering help to his sister. "He was also a great warrior and an honorable man. I was his steward. In fact, I –"
"I think we've had enough small talk." Lyanna interrupted. "Why are you here?"
Jon swallowed a lump lodged in his throat. "Stannis Baratheon garrisoned at Castle Black before he marched on Winterfell and was killed. He showed me the letter you wrote to him when he petitioned for men. It said –"
"I remember what it said." The child sneered. "Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, who's name is Stark."
Jon nodded. "Robb is gone, but House Stark is not. And it needs your support now more than ever." He gestured to Sansa. "I've come with my sister to ask for House Mormont's allegiance."
Lyanna leaned over to her maester, whispering desperate words in his ear. Maia looked at Ser Davos, who was studying the young girl's actions. She moved back to her regular position after a moment. "As far as I understand, you're a Snow, and Lady Sansa is a Bolton. Or is she a Lannister? I've heard conflicting reports."
"I did what I had to do to survive, my Lady." Sansa explained. "But I am a Stark. I will always be a Stark."
Lyanna shrugged. "If you say so." Her gaze then fell on Maia. "And who are you? You're so unfamiliar, I can't understand if you're a bastard or something else."
Maia's mouth fell agape. She hadn't planned to be put on the spot like this, but luckily Jon recovered for her: "This is Lady Maia of House Sanders. She's accompanying our army, for she is a gifted healer."
Lyanna leaned over to her maester again. They exchanged worried looks before she turned her eyes back to Maia. "I heard House Sanders died out after Robert's Rebellion. How are you here? I'm not sure if I believe this."
Maia was taken aback. There was no way her maiden name belonged to a house in this world. Her ex would've told her if that were the case. Maybe she truly did have to brush up on her Westerosi history. Nevertheless, she held her head high, trying to fake confidence in her speech.
"Believe it or not, my Lady," she replied, "but it's almost as if I fell out of the sky."
Jon chuckled softly, allowing Lyanna to snarl, "Though you are still a healer. I believe she does not have a place in this meeting."
Maia laid a hand on Jon's shoulder, nodding her head. "She's right. I'll be outside with Tormund." She glanced back at Lyanna. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Mormont."
She looked over her shoulder as a pair of armed men opened the doors for her. Jon was staring at her, and just as the entrance was about to close, she mouthed the words, Good luck.
•••
"She said my house died out years ago," Maia whispered to Tormund beside her. "I had no idea I even had family in Westeros."
Tormund chuckled, leaning his back against the castle enclosing Lady Mormont and their friends. Various workers and merchants gathered in the clearing of the village, going about they daily obligations. Maia knew Lyanna was right – there was no need for her to be in their meeting – but she couldn't help biting her lip as she worried for Jon's sake.
"In a world such as ours, you're lucky if you know anything about your family." Tormund replied a moment later. "Jon only knows one of his parents, who was then beheaded. I know nothing of my family. I have never heard of your house, personally. House Sanders may have been demolished, but it looks like you were their secret weapon."
Derek would not have believed Tormund's statement. He's the love child of Lyanna Stark, Ned's sister, and Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenery's brother, she remembered him explaining. She wished she knew the true answer.
Maia smiled at Tormund's words, knowing he just wanted to help. Remembering a time when they were at each other's throats seemed foreign to her. "I just wish I knew more."
"You will – someday." He shrugged before gesturing to the latrines. "I need to take a piss. You stay here so Jon doesn't murder me, alright?"
"Pretty sure Jon doesn't stand a chance against you, Tormund." She giggled to the older man. "But I'll stay."
He walked off with a thumbs up, disappearing into the crowd of merchants and sellers at their pantry stations. Maia blew out a sigh, looking around at the strangers engulfing the village, reminding herself when she used to be one as well. Now, she was something – not just a Traveler with a gift, but possibly the last member of a house long gone. She wondered if Melisandre knew any info about the topic, though usually the witch was mainly knowledgeable on prophecies and power.
Maia looked up to the sky, squinting at the beating sun. She hadn't seen the sun in so long, mostly just behind clouds at Castle Black. She enjoyed the glow it imprinted on everyone in the village, but did not notice that this act was a mere moment of her vulnerability.
Before she could scream, a cloth was tied around her mouth. Her eyes looked around wildly for the culprit as she tried to call out Tormund's name through the obstruction. She spotted two men in back of her, dragging her into one of the village's many allies by her arms. "It's her. I know it!" One of them whispered. "They say she dyed her hair!" She wiggled out of their grasps before they could throw her on their carriage.
She instantly recognized the Bolton sigil on their chest as she swung her fist. It collided with the stone wall behind them, causing her knuckles to bleed. She wasn't giving up as they went in to grab her again. Her fist then clipped with one of the guard's noses, sending him to the ground. He scrambled to get up and she continued to stomp over to him, completely forgetting about his partner behind her. The first Bolton soldier skid across the dirt while she kicked out her legs to intimidate him. The blood from her knuckles coated the ground.
"Maia!"
She instantly recognized the Wildling's voice. Maia ripped the cloth off her mouth and turned her head in the direction of his voice, screaming out, "Tormund, I need help!"
In a second, he was at the end of the ally, cracking his knuckles. She was close to letting out a breath of relief, but then a sack was thrown over her head. She shrieked while her arms flapped around to hit the Bolton men. Tormund screamed for her again, but he was too late as the two guards threw her body into their carriage, and yelled for their friend manning the horses to move.
They were gone by the time Tormund reached the place where Maia had been. He watched the Bolton flags wave on the carriage. The Wildling didn't know what to think, though there one thing he knew for sure: Ramsay finally had Jon's lady, and with this, he was either going to use her for intimidation or Maia was as good as dead.