ᴛᴡᴏ ♚ broken dreams and silent screams

[wolfskin]

Is there naught we can do but sit and wait for this... affliction to run it's course?

[ Robb fears he knew the answer to this question before it ever left his mouth. By his tone he is by no means pleased. (But who is?) The background a low rumble can be heard, heavy foot falls soon joining them as Grey Wind paces the room.

The line across his neck was the first to appear, spreading like greyscale. Then the heart... bleeding words as if that sword had truly pierced his chest. Robb covered them with scarves and leathers, but it did little to hide the stains. They simply bleed through as if the fabric had never been there to begin with.

The padding suddenly stops with a bestial groan. Grey Wind plops down at his feet, quite literally on his feet. Thanks bro. ]

Alright boy, lets go outside.

[ Neither wolf nor king seem to be good at sitting, so outside they go. With journal in hand and stains for all to see. ]

Comments

[savethedarkness]

It seems mostly cosmetic. If that's any comfort at all.

[wolfskin]

It brings only small comfort. [ For he almost panicked when the line first appeared. ]

[savethedarkness]

Better than none at all, I'd imagine. How are you settling in? It's been a while since we spoke.

[wolfskin]

Aye. [ Small comfort, empty comfort. ]

Well, family has made it easier.

action;

[gottaknockhard]

[It's actually Ein, a comparatively tiny Welsh corgi, that gets Spike out of the castle for a few minutes this day. As much as he'd rather stay away from anyone who might panic at the sight of blood running down his face, leave it to the dog to pester him until he had no choice but to take him out.

He couldn't even be bothered to put a leash on him. Spike just finds a nice shadowy wall to lean against and smoke as he tries to avoid anyone he might know.

Ein, meanwhile, is off on his own. So it shouldn't be a surprise when he runs over to the wolf to say 'hello' while Spike is off in his own little world. Dogs...]

[wolfskin]

[ Honestly.

Grey Wind, much larger and much taller, stops at the smaller creatures approach. Head lowering to inspect it. Dogs do not usually approach with such bravery, if anything most dogs seem to fear him. Even the wolf hounds are unsettled by the direwolf. But this one is not.

It takes a moment for Robb to realize his wolf has stopped, pausing in his movement to look over his shoulder. What is that wolf doing now? ]

What are you doing over there?

[gottaknockhard]

[Ein is a special dog. Some say he's more intelligent than the average breed, but as far as Spike is concerned, he's just as much trouble as anything else on four legs. As much as he's paying attention, it's luck that he only so happens to glance up at the wolf when he hears a man's voice.

Which leaves him with the decision of either calling Ein back, or letting him face his own consequences of rushing up to a giant wolf-dog. (Really, everyone's pets are huge in this place.) Spike is about to choose the latter route, when he's reminded of something. Like he owes the dog for having his back the other day.

Annoyed, but not leaving his spot, he raises his voice.]

Ein. Leave him alone. [Ein's ears perk, but he only glances in Spike's direction before turning back to the wolf. Like he doesn't want to leave before introducing himself, or so Spike thinks. If he has to break them up...]

[secondchances]

[By now, Steph's clothes are splotched with black, crusty tar. It cracks over the fabric. She's found that being out in the sun helps. Dry is better than gooey, right? Yeah.

She does a double take when she sees another giant ass wolf from her spot on the grass.]

Holy crap. Never getting over that.

[Though this one doesn't look like Arya's! And that dude definitely isn't Arya, either.]

[wolfskin]

[ Perhaps that is the reason that Grey Wind breaks from Robb's side to trot over to Stephanie, beneath the strange black goop he can smell Nymeria. Faintly, but enough to warrant investigation.

Robb moves with him a few paces, brow furrowing in confusion. This woman is covered in something, black and cracked. ]

Grey Wind.

[ For the moment the direwolf does not budge, inspecting her by smell. But makes no aggressive move. ]

[secondchances]

[Grey Wind? That sounds familiar, but Steph's a little too preoccupied by looking at the huge wolf to process that right now.]

Hi.

[She's a little unnerved, but wiggles her sticky fingers in greeting at the owner of this giant furbag.]

I'm not edible.

[songsandstories]

[She can't stay still either. Even with her hair pinned up, the brown dye seeps down her neck and onto her dress. She's ruined countless dresses. She keeps a flat face though, eyes hallow like they had been when she was with the Lannister. All of this speaks too much of her past, and she is already struggling with it.

Lady sees Grey Wind first and trots up to him, nudging at his arms. The sight of her brother has her give pause. His neck is darkened, and it has her stilled. She can't move for a moment. Tyrion once gave her a chance to ask about her brother's death, but nightmares had already plagued her. She didn't need more.

This is worse. She steps up slowly, and uncaring for who she is, Alayne as she's supposed to be, she reaches to touch his arm, to make sure he isn't some ghost plaguing her.]

[wolfskin]

[ Not a ghost, no.

Grey Wind nuzzles his sister as Robb stares at his own, she looks paler and the dye. He feels very aware of his own markings in that moment, wishing he could erase the grey line that runs all around his neck. ]

Your hair...

[ Her hair drips dye and his heart bleeds red, words making up the blood red color that seeps through his leather jerkin. ]

[songsandstories]

[She drops her gaze then, looking down at the ground. More to tell him, she supposes.]

When I fled King's Landing, Petyr had me color my hair brown. When I came here, the castle made it red again and would not let me hide it.

[It at least explained the dye. And how it does not stick to her hair, but instead it slides down her neck and stains all she wears. She wonders if it has a meaning.]

The castle has done similar to many, to you as well. Does it hurt?

[She can't hide the worry from her voice.]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

Seems that way. I doubt it'll last forever.

[wolfskin]

[ Robb sighs heavily. ]

I would pray to the old gods that it does not. Not all of us are strong enough endure it.

[ A good idea, actually. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

No.

But this place...it does things like this. I haven't been here all that long, but it likes to push your buttons. Test your limits.

[impetuous]

[ So here is Gwaine.

Walking along.

Not a mark on him.

Not expecting any direwolves jumping him.

n o p e.

This has been a profound tag. ]

[wolfskin]

[ Suddenly direwolf! Robb yells in surprise when the wolf decides to pounce onto the man walking along, hand going to sword only to realize that Grey Wind does not growl nor bare teeth.

He almost looks down at the man with a puzzled look.

Uh... ]

[impetuous]

[ 'Uh...' is right. Gwaine's sword is just out of reach. He's debating if he'll be able to draw it before the beast mauls him. ]

...good boy.

[wolfchild]

[ If Robb sought peace, peace is quickly gone. None are visible yet, but the sound carries on the wind. ]

No. No. Leave him. Nymeria. Nym-- [ And indignant squawk drowns out the rest of the wolf's name. ] Winter! Not in my ear! Nymeria, you leave him alone!

[ The sounds of a girl and her pets. ]

[wolfskin]

[ Though only small, not as large as the heart tree in Winterfell's godswood, Robb wondered if he could find solace near it. That had been the plan at least until Grey Wind's head shot up and the shrill voice of his sister scratches at the edge of Robb's hearing.

The direwolf is up before Robb has a chance to think, bounding off into the surrounding trees withing seconds. With an exasperated sigh he gets to his feet, head tilted slightly in the direction his wolf disappear to. ]

Arya? Is that you?

[wolfchild]

[ Winter appears first. The white raven flaps to the tree. Settling on a branch, it eyes Robb. Arya and the direwolves follow after. Arya walks ahead of them, her steps rigid from irritation. Nymeria is now occupied trying to harass Grey Wind into a fight. ]

Yes. She won't do anything I tell her! She always has to do what she wants! It's so frustrating!

[ action ]

[peacockherald]

<sub>[ Vanyel cannot remain inside. He would like to hide, but hiding from it will only make him think on it more, and that led down a dark, dark path he did not wish to further contemplate. He had been down that road once, his wrists still bore those scars - and sometimes he wished that his Aunt had not dragged him back from that hell.

He was walking across the grounds, Yfandes at his side - a beautiful white mare with bright blue eyes, sparkling in the sunlight. Vanyel, however, was a different sort. His hands were coated in ice tinted pink from blood, his lips frosted blue with ice as well. The front of his midnight blue jerking, stitched with the pegasus rampant of Valdemar, was stained with something wet, though it was not blood or water. He knew what it was, and dared not think on it. Around his throat were messy inked words, the words to a spell he dared not utter, dare not think, the spell that had changed everything. Behind him, his shadow stretched long, broader than he was - a different man's shadow.

Yfandes snorted loudly when she spotted Grey Wind, but did not panic like a normal horse might, pausing to consider the beast and then promptly bumping Vanyel so that he stumbled before looking over to Grey Wind and Robb.]</sub>

Oh... good day.

_{[ His lips cracked when he spoke, ice falling, reforming quickly. ]}

[wolfskin]

[ To say the man's appearance did not startle would be a lie. It made Robb think of the stories Old Nan used to tell to scare the young children into behaving. For all intents and purposes this man looked like a monster out of one of her stories.

A hand fall onto the hilt of his sword, in part out of habit, at the grey direwolf closes onto his side. Protective and suspicious. His ears flatten, teeth not quite bared.

The horse does not pass without notice, it's reaction to Grey Wind causing an eyebrow to twitch in question. Even the horses used to the direwolf's presence are unnerved by him. But this one is different, uncomfortably different. ]

Good day.

[ Courtesies are easy to spill forward, but there is little warmth in his voice. ]

[peacockherald]

<sub>[ Vanyel knows he looks like a terror and desperately wished he had remained hidden in the stables, but Yfandes had refused to let him wallow. It led down a dark bath, a path she would not let Vanyel walk again... but because this time, there might not be help in time.

She gave a horsey-snort and shook her head, blue eyes glittering with a human's intelligence. ]</sub>

I did not mean to interrupt your walk, my apologies. I am sure everyone wishes to be alone with their own thoughts.