Raya tied her horse to the tree, Brienne was tying the other one as well whilst Catelyn looked around.
"It looked like Stannis," Brienne spoke up about the Shadow that killed Renly once again.
"To me, it just looked like," Catelyn thought for a second before turning to them, "a shadow in a shape of a man."
Raya decided to speak up, remembering the Shadow hitting her into a mirror, she did get a close glimpse, "it did look like Stannis, when it hit me, I saw the face."
"We should reach my son's camp tomorrow," Catelyn announced walking over to her horse.
"Will you stay there long, My Lady?" Brienne asked.
"Only long enough to tell Robb what I have seen, after that, I will leave for Winterfell," Catelyn answered, Raya looked at her, she wanted to go home as well but with Robb wanting her to be Queen she couldn't possibly leave.
"And you?" Brienne asked, "will you stay and fight or go home?"
"As much as I want to go home, I have a job to do, to help rule with my brother and even if I went home, I don't feel like a Lady anymore," Raya answered honestly.
Brienne nodded at Raya's answer, Raya looked at her mother and Catelyn sighed, "I want to stay with you and Robb but Bran and Rickon..." Catelyn glanced at Brienne who seemed confused, "my two youngest need me, I've been away from them for too long."
"I never knew my mother," Brienne said solemnly.
"I'm sorry," Catelyn apologized, "my own mother died in the birthing bed when I was very young."
Catelyn sat down by the fire, Raya had a blanket on her horse, she grabbed it and laid it down by the fire, she decided to get some sleep.
"It's a bloody business," Brienne spoke.
"What comes after is even harder, my first borns were twins, my son Robb and Raya," Catelyn told her glancing at Raya as she spoke, "children are handful enough but twins, gods, they are hard to take care of."
Raya just smiled a bit at that as she took off her bow from her back and set it down along with the Quiver.
"Once you are both safe amongst your own people," Brienne spoke up again, "will you give me leave to go, My Lady?"
"You mean to kill Stannis?" Raya asked already knowing what the female knight wanted.
"You said it yourself, find light by the fact that I will get my revenge on who killed Renly, and that was Stannis," Brienne answered, "I swore a vow."
"Stannis has a great army around him," Catelyn spoke up, "his own guards are sworn to keep him safe."
"I'm as good as any of them," Brienne said.
"You'll die," Raya cut in, "I know you're a good fighter. You'd probably take out 10 of them before they take you down. But you will die and Stannis will be alive and there will be no reason."
Brienne looked down, knowing that the Stark girl was right, "I should never have fled."
"Renly's death was no fault of yours," Catelyn shot down, "you served him greatly."
"I only held him that once, as he was dying," Brienne confessed, Raya could tell that Brienne loved Renly which made his death even harder for the Female Knight.
Catelyn stood up and walked over to her, "he's dead, Brienne, you serve nothing and no one by following him into the earth. Renly's enemies are Robb's enemies as well."
"I do not know your son, My Lady," Brienne said as Catelyn sat down, Raya sighed thinking that Brienne was going somewhere bad with this, "but I could serve you if you would have me. You have courage, not battle courage perhaps but I don't know..."
"A woman's kind of courage," Raya spoke for her.
Brienne nodded agreeing with Raya, "that's it, a woman's kind of courage and I think that when the time comes you will not hold me back. Promise me, you will not hold me back from Stannis!"
"When the time comes, I will not hold you back," Catelyn promised.
Brienne then pulled her sword and kneeled it down at Catelyn's feet, "then I am yours, My Lady, I will shield your back and give my life for yours if it comes to that, I swear it by the Old Gods and the New."
Catelyn grabbed Brienne's hand, "I vow that you shall always have a place in my home and at my table and that I shall ask no service of you that might bring you dishonor, I swear it by the Old Gods and the New."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Raya woke up in a fright, she had a nightmare, not a dream of someone dying but an actual nightmare. She sat up sighing sadly, she wished she brought Raven, but she had the loyal Direwolf stay with Robb as she does better being around Greywind.
"Are you alright?" Brienne suddenly asked making Raya look at her, "sorry for scaring you its just it seems you had a nightmare... You were mumbling in your sleep."
"I'm... I'm fine," Raya said looking at her hands before looking over at her mother who was fast asleep, since it was nightfall, Raya then looked at the female knight again, "why did you chose to be a warrior instead of a Lady?"
"I'm not a good lady," Brienne answered simply, "I wasn't good at knitting or cooking or talking properly. It wasn't meant to be."
"What if someone asked you to be Queen?" Raya's words made Brienne look at her, "asked you to rule alongside your twin brother even though you believe you don't deserve it, not after everything you've done."
"What is everything you've done?" Brienne asked.
Raya slowly looked at Brienne, "I asked my father to take the throne for himself when he didn't want too... He was later executed for it... I watched die in front of me."
"People make mistakes, from the small time I've known you I can tell that you have the ruler's heart, just like Renly did," Brienne looked down, "your father's death is not your fault as Renly's death is not mine. We can find comfort in that we will get our revenge."
"Your an honorable woman, Brienne," Raya told her.
"You are as well, Raya," Brienne smiled only a bit before going back to her solemn face, "get some sleep, you need it."
Raya sighed laying back down looking up at the stars, soon Raya fell asleep...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Finally, they arrived back to camp as they went to find Robb, Raya was surprised to find him with a girl...
"Robb?" Catelyn called out making him turn.
"Mother," Robb came up and hugged his mother, "Raya," he smiled hugging her as well kissing the side of her head at the same time.
"So who's the girl? Are you going to introduce us?" Raya asked smirking a little.
Robb looked at the girl, "oh, this is Lady Talisa, she's been helping with the wounded," he introduced, "she's been very helpful."
"Lady Talisa," Catelyn greeted.
"Lady Stark," Talisa greeted as well.
Raya stepped up, "I'm Raya, his twin sister," Raya put out her hand, she was always one for a handshake.
Talisa's expression changed glancing at Robb before looking at Raya again, "My Queen, it is very nice to finally meet you," Talisa bowed.
"My... My Queen?" Raya asked confused looking at Robb.
"It seems you have explaining to do, I have to help with the wounded," Talisa left them alone as she left Robb watched.
Raya punched her brother in the shoulder making him say "ow," and hold his shoulder dramatically, "what was that for?"
"Queen? So does everyone know now?" Raya asked.
Robb sighed looking down, "some reports said that the Stormland lords knew you as Queen In The North so we decided to tell the Northerners before anyone else could find out from rumors."
"Great," Raya said rolling her eyes.
"This is a good thing," Catelyn reassured her daughter.
"I hope so..." Raya looked down.
They were interrupted by Roose Bolton, "excuse me interrupting, Your Grace, but news from Winterfell!"