The wait for the raven from Barrowton was the longest of her life, yet Sansa Stark refused to hold in her hands needle or cloth to pass the time. Sewing seemed a lifetime away, a time of the past, perfect in its innocence. But innocence had disappeared under forgetful snow, like the flakes melting on the white, modest plaque that once read Podrick Payne’s name.
Sansa found herself visiting his place of rest often, with Brienne and Ghost silent spirits behind. The winds were a lute playing jarring tones in her ears, making them hurt, but she felt the pain was appropriate penance for the dead. Father, Mother, Robb, Rickon, Arya… why must good people forever perish?
She nearly abandoned her lady’s curtsy when the sniveling Andar Royce approached her over and over, hoping to curry favor from the Lady of Winterfell. How do duplicitous men like him live, but people like Podrick do not? Whatever people may say, for Sansa, to think there was simple good and simple bad was an easier way of recognizing this world. Villains must be painted in black and punished, no matter what drove them. Cersei, Joffrey, Daenerys…
Staring at black skies and wondering when the raven would arrive was all she could do in the interim. Jon’s last message stated he had reached Barrow Hall and that Daenerys was near. Has war happened? Did Jon fall? Sansa hated staying at the Vale, the waiting, the not knowing.
She wanted to go home. She wanted to be inside thick, cold walls of Winterfell again, forget about winter and White Walkers. She wanted to see Bran, she wanted to see Jon and she wanted to play with Ghost, pretending him to be Lady.
The sudden growl of the direwolf behind made Sansa’s nerves tense. She turned, and saw Brienne unsheathe her sword, taking Ghost’s noises as a warning sign. Soon, soft footsteps on snow approached, but the trio could hardly see few feet in front of them. “Who goes there?” Sansa ventured.
“Sansa!” The footsteps drew nearer. Petyr Baelish stood in front of them, parchment in hand. He looked grave.
“I’m afraid we must leave, right away.”
*
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