ᴡɪɴᴛᴇʀ ʟɪᴠᴇs ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʙᴏɴᴇs

[wolfchild]

[ She stumbles into snow. The cold slices into her. Soaked, filthy, with travel-stained clothes turned almost to rags on her skinny frame and matted, tangled hair only just growing out again, she looks little like a girl, much less like the missing younger Stark daughter.

She sniffles and wipes her nose with the back of her hand. Her face is uncomfortably hot yet she's freezing. Her shivering near knocks her off her feet as she clambers up the steps. ]

My mother…

[ Arya feels her eyes fill with tears. She was going to find her mother and her brother. She was almost home. It wasn't fair. ]

Comments

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Of course he's around. When it's your duty to take care of children, you do it. And Arya is no exception. He's not a big fan of snow himself, but still, he'll make his way over to her, regardless. Unsure if she'll see him or not]

It's pretty cold to be wandering around out here, y'know.

[wolfchild]

[ She freezes in place at the sight of the massive animal. That it speaks is little comfort. Through the haze of memory she recalls speaking to a rabbit. He'd got her an egg. But she hadn't seen him. I was blind. ]

I'm not wandering. [ Her teeth chatter. ] I've just come.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[That was something, at least. Now he knows he can at least help her, he'll move a little closer, see how warm his fur looks, Arya. It would warm you up in no time]

All the way out here? Well, we'd best get you inside, before you catch your death out here.

[wolfchild]

[ Half-expecting the rabbit to turn feral, she nods. Warm though she knows he must be, she doesn't dare go close. She needs at least an arm's length between them. She doubts she could outrun him, but the space to run gives her some peace of mind. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Only when he gets very pissed off. Still, he doesn't push her to come any closer, only starts to head back to the castle slowly, keeping himself low to the ground, making sure she can both keep up and he doesn't spook her]

How did you end up out here, little brumby?

[wolfchild]

How does anyone. I blinked and I was here.

[ She rubs her chest. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

...But you were in the castle. I saw you in the castle. I gave you an egg, remember?

[Gurl don't you forget his chocolate it's the deepest personal insult ever]

[wolfchild]

That was over a year ago.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[He gives a soft chuckle, no Arya don't be silly]

You're having a laugh, right? That was just a few days ago, dead cert.

[wolfchild]

[ Her eyes slide to him. ]

I spent a year running so I wouldn't get killed.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Bunny's smile fades into a look of confusion]

Is this one of those castle tricks I heard about? Send you home then bring you back like no time's passed at all?

[Castle, do not fuck with his kids. He will take great offence to that]

[wolfchild]

…I guess it is.

[ She doesn't know what frightens her more: the absolute control this place has over her or that it can send her back any moment. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[He finds it very unsettling the castle can do this, but more unsettling about what could have been happening to her. He's really starting to think this is why he's here. Either by the castle's doing or the Man in the Moon's. If there's one thing the kids in this place need, it's a Guardian]

Who was trying to kill you?

[wolfchild]

Whoever wasn't trying to ransom me.

[ Were he a man, she would not tell him. Last thing she needs is anyone here thinking her valuable and trying to use her too. But what can a rabbit expect? ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Nothing at all, certainly not a one who would only protect her]

They were trying to random you?

[wolfchild]

Back to my family. My brother is king. They wanted gold for me.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[A princess, huh]

Then they're not worth the air they're breathing. Using an ankle-biter like that. How far are you from home? I'd of thought a king could get his sister home safe. [Wow, does he want to just go into Westeros and kick some ass right now]

[wolfchild]

[ call her that and feel her wrath ]

Not when he's fighting a war. [ Also difficult when he. You know. Dies. ] I'm not getting home.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[He would not dare]

Oh. [Yep. Got to break into that place and teach them how they're supposed to treat their children] I'm sorry, kid. Isn't there anyone who can help you? This is exactly the sort of thing I would deal with myself.

[wolfchild]

[ She'd trusted Jaqen, but he left. Harwin should have helped her as her father's man, but he also did nothing. The Lightning Lord was a dead man. She'd trusted Gendry and Hot Pie to stay with her and they both left her as soon as they could. The one person who could help her is bound to the Wall. ]

No.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

What sort of world leaves an ankle-biter with no one to turn to but herself?

[It's not fair, and it's certainly not right. Maybe if his tunnels couldn't get there, North's snowglobes could. Hell, he could petition the Man in the Moon, even. If he's trapped here, the guy OWES him one anyway]

If I can find a way to fix it, I will. I promise you that.

[wolfchild]

[ That makes her stop and look at him. ]

No one can fix it. Not even the gods can.

[ So what hope could you have, rabbit? ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[So much, you wouldn't believe. Bunny is the king of lost causes. The thing that keeps going no matter what, even when everything has crumbled to nothing. After all, he's the Guardian of Hope for a reason]

You'd be surprised what I can fix, little brumby. Don't give up on hope just yet. [He'll offer her a smile] You look like a right little fighter to me anyway. Bet you don't take anything lying down.

[wolfchild]

That just means I'm not dead yet.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

And you'll have a lot more time to live, too. If you can survive a place like that, it means there's something special inside you. Something no one can beat down.