GoT Fanfiction: A (K)night on the road
Chapter I is here
He let out a sigh “Ser Brienne and Ser Jaime are sparring… again”
“Sparring!” she then turned to him and raised an eyebrow “is that what we’re calling it now?”
They made it back to the castle not long after sunup with Jaime at the rear since it would be better for the Lady of Winterfell to lead the group at the gates. That also meant that it was Sansa who got the brunt of Brienne’s worry when they entered the keep.
“In the name of the old gods, Lady Sansa what were you thinking? Taking off in the middle on the night!”
“Brienne, It’s alright..we-.”
“And you Pod? Have you learned nothing?” she berated her squire as his horse got nearer.
“Ser, let me explain, we just wanted to help.”
“Help with what? What where you doing in -” That’s when she took notice of the third rider approaching and was rendered speechless.
“Jaime?” she couldn’t believe it “you came back?”
“Yes Brienne… I- I’m sorry I-”
Ignoring him, she turned to Sansa and Podrick who has helping the former dismount her horse “You two, you brought him back?”
They nodded. She looked at them with a mix of gratitude and relief but all she said was “I’m glad you made it back safely” before turning and leaving.
Podrick, Sansa and Jaime were left to stare at each other feeling a bit defeated. When Sansa dismounted her horse she gave the handle to Pod and looked at Jaime with a menacing stare.
“You should rest some, Ser Jaime. And think carefully about how you’re going to make this right. Welcome back to Winterfell” Then, she left after Brienne.
“Hello Podrick” came her voice from the shadows.
“My lady!” he exclaimed surprised to see her up in the tower. He wasn’t sure anyone climbed up this place.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, I was just exploring the castle. I- I’d never been here before.”
“I don’t come here often, just when I want to be alone with my thoughts.”
“I can leave then, my lady”
“No need, come over here look” she motioned for her to join her “see, from here you can practically see all of Winterfell but listen…”
He did as he was told “It’s very peaceful, I can hardly make out the people working below”
“You know, we thought this tower was haunted when we were kids, the wind makes strange noises that resonate through the hallway below and since no guard was ever stationed here we would dare each other to climb the stairs and try to find the ghosts. Arya always wanted to go first.”
“I can see that” he chuckled “what about you, my lady?”
“I would go up too, I just never let go of Robb’s hand, Jon would mostly worry that we would get caught or that Arya would throw a fit when she didn’t find any ghosts. Or that I would if we did. Mostly we just ran up and down the stairs”
“Sounds like you had fun as children here. I’m glad you have those memories, my lady.”
She smiled. It was so easy to talk to Podrick. She was glad he ended up exploring this part of the castle.
“So what brings you here Podrick? I didn’t think Brienne let you have too much free time. Not for… exploring”
He let out a sigh “Ser Brienne and Ser Jaime are sparring… again”
“Sparring!” she then turned to him and raised an eyebrow “is that what we’re calling it now?”
Podrick spluttered “I-Lady SANSA! No-wha- NO”
She laughed at his flush, he’s adorable she thought, and that quickly sobered her up.
“Actual sparring” he insisted.
“If you say so” she said giving him another amused smile, one he returned.
“It’s how the communicate. It’s the only way they communicate” he tried to explain once more, she could hear the frustration in his voice.
Still, she snorted in a very unladylike fashion “clearly”. He shook his head at her and joined her in her smiling. They were side by side staring at the courtyard.
“It’s been three days, are they really not getting along at all?”
“Well, Ser Jaime is trying, of course he is, she just gives him short answers and tries to avoid him”
“But they’re sparring now?”
“I was training with Ser Brienne, Jaime kept prodding her… eventually she said that if he wanted a real fight then he could pick a sword and join us. I just left, I don’t think they noticed”
“Well, at least she doesn’t seem mad with us anymore.”
“Brienne could never be mad at you, my lady; she wanted to wring my neck for endangering you, though”
“You never endangered me Podrick, it was just a … nighttime ride. I only risked falling asleep during one of my meetings the next day. And it was for good cause”
“you don’t regret it then? Saving a Lannister from himself?”
“I, I- ugh, I have so many answers to that” he didn’t reply, he just looked at her and she continued.
“I think I’m just sick of war, of death, of pain. Jaime Lannister’s death would only bring pain to three people I … care about.” She gave him a meaningful looked and he was only slightly surprised to realize he was one of those people. “It gains me nothing” she hoped that last part didn’t sound as cynical as she felt it.
“Well…” he interjected.
“What?”
“It does give you a small victory over Cersei, you know?” he said in a low conspiratorial tone “Lord Tyrion used to say that his sister seemed to only be happy when she had Jaime close by, that she loved manipulating him an poisoning his heart almost as much as her children. At least we took that from her” he shrugged, but he couldn’t erase the bite in his voice.
Sansa was surprised, “I, I didn’t know you wanted revenge on Cersei too”
“Not revenge, my grievances against her are nothing compared to yours, Lady Sansa. But she’s just a bad person who hurt a lot of people.”
“That she is… it’s funny that the Dragon Queen marched south to kill her even before she had a reason for revenge and now she gave her one”. Sansa shook her head at the thought of Missandei’s death “Cersei is not just evil, she’s an idiot”.
“Do you wish you were there, to see the Queen kill Cersei?”
Sansa let out a joyless laugh “and have the Dragon Queen burn me afterwards for speaking out of turn or something? No thank you”
“Plus, you’re sick of war and death and pain, right?” he cheekily reminded her as to bring back some levity.
“Mostly that” she confirmed with a grin, then she reached for his shoulder, “now come Pod, it’s getting dark and we should find somewhere warmer to toast for our small victories”
And Pod followed her with a big smiled on his face, Lady Sansa and he were becoming friends, Ser Brienne and Ser Jaime were… sparring again. It may be the calm before another storm but he felt like celebrating too.
Because Pod and Sansa really like talking to each other.
He let out a sigh “Ser Brienne and Ser Jaime are sparring… again”
“Sparring!” she then turned to him and raised an eyebrow “is that what we’re calling it now?”
They made it back to the castle not long after sunup with Jaime at the rear since it would be better for the Lady of Winterfell to lead the group at the gates. That also meant that it was Sansa who got the brunt of Brienne’s worry when they entered the keep.
“In the name of the old gods, Lady Sansa what were you thinking? Taking off in the middle on the night!”
“Brienne, It’s alright..we-.”
“And you Pod? Have you learned nothing?” she berated her squire as his horse got nearer.
“Ser, let me explain, we just wanted to help.”
“Help with what? What where you doing in -” That’s when she took notice of the third rider approaching and was rendered speechless.
“Jaime?” she couldn’t believe it “you came back?”
“Yes Brienne… I- I’m sorry I-”
Ignoring him, she turned to Sansa and Podrick who has helping the former dismount her horse “You two, you brought him back?”
They nodded. She looked at them with a mix of gratitude and relief but all she said was “I’m glad you made it back safely” before turning and leaving.
Podrick, Sansa and Jaime were left to stare at each other feeling a bit defeated. When Sansa dismounted her horse she gave the handle to Pod and looked at Jaime with a menacing stare.
“You should rest some, Ser Jaime. And think carefully about how you’re going to make this right. Welcome back to Winterfell” Then, she left after Brienne.
“Hello Podrick” came her voice from the shadows.
“My lady!” he exclaimed surprised to see her up in the tower. He wasn’t sure anyone climbed up this place.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, I was just exploring the castle. I- I’d never been here before.”
“I don’t come here often, just when I want to be alone with my thoughts.”
“I can leave then, my lady”
“No need, come over here look” she motioned for her to join her “see, from here you can practically see all of Winterfell but listen…”
He did as he was told “It’s very peaceful, I can hardly make out the people working below”
“You know, we thought this tower was haunted when we were kids, the wind makes strange noises that resonate through the hallway below and since no guard was ever stationed here we would dare each other to climb the stairs and try to find the ghosts. Arya always wanted to go first.”
“I can see that” he chuckled “what about you, my lady?”
“I would go up too, I just never let go of Robb’s hand, Jon would mostly worry that we would get caught or that Arya would throw a fit when she didn’t find any ghosts. Or that I would if we did. Mostly we just ran up and down the stairs”
“Sounds like you had fun as children here. I’m glad you have those memories, my lady.”
She smiled. It was so easy to talk to Podrick. She was glad he ended up exploring this part of the castle.
“So what brings you here Podrick? I didn’t think Brienne let you have too much free time. Not for… exploring”
He let out a sigh “Ser Brienne and Ser Jaime are sparring… again”
“Sparring!” she then turned to him and raised an eyebrow “is that what we’re calling it now?”
Podrick spluttered “I-Lady SANSA! No-wha- NO”
She laughed at his flush, he’s adorable she thought, and that quickly sobered her up.
“Actual sparring” he insisted.
“If you say so” she said giving him another amused smile, one he returned.
“It’s how the communicate. It’s the only way they communicate” he tried to explain once more, she could hear the frustration in his voice.
Still, she snorted in a very unladylike fashion “clearly”. He shook his head at her and joined her in her smiling. They were side by side staring at the courtyard.
“It’s been three days, are they really not getting along at all?”
“Well, Ser Jaime is trying, of course he is, she just gives him short answers and tries to avoid him”
“But they’re sparring now?”
“I was training with Ser Brienne, Jaime kept prodding her… eventually she said that if he wanted a real fight then he could pick a sword and join us. I just left, I don’t think they noticed”
“Well, at least she doesn’t seem mad with us anymore.”
“Brienne could never be mad at you, my lady; she wanted to wring my neck for endangering you, though”
“You never endangered me Podrick, it was just a … nighttime ride. I only risked falling asleep during one of my meetings the next day. And it was for good cause”
“you don’t regret it then? Saving a Lannister from himself?”
“I, I- ugh, I have so many answers to that” he didn’t reply, he just looked at her and she continued.
“I think I’m just sick of war, of death, of pain. Jaime Lannister’s death would only bring pain to three people I … care about.” She gave him a meaningful looked and he was only slightly surprised to realize he was one of those people. “It gains me nothing” she hoped that last part didn’t sound as cynical as she felt it.
“Well…” he interjected.
“What?”
“It does give you a small victory over Cersei, you know?” he said in a low conspiratorial tone “Lord Tyrion used to say that his sister seemed to only be happy when she had Jaime close by, that she loved manipulating him an poisoning his heart almost as much as her children. At least we took that from her” he shrugged, but he couldn’t erase the bite in his voice.
Sansa was surprised, “I, I didn’t know you wanted revenge on Cersei too”
“Not revenge, my grievances against her are nothing compared to yours, Lady Sansa. But she’s just a bad person who hurt a lot of people.”
“That she is… it’s funny that the Dragon Queen marched south to kill her even before she had a reason for revenge and now she gave her one”. Sansa shook her head at the thought of Missandei’s death “Cersei is not just evil, she’s an idiot”.
“Do you wish you were there, to see the Queen kill Cersei?”
Sansa let out a joyless laugh “and have the Dragon Queen burn me afterwards for speaking out of turn or something? No thank you”
“Plus, you’re sick of war and death and pain, right?” he cheekily reminded her as to bring back some levity.
“Mostly that” she confirmed with a grin, then she reached for his shoulder, “now come Pod, it’s getting dark and we should find somewhere warmer to toast for our small victories”
And Pod followed her with a big smiled on his face, Lady Sansa and he were becoming friends, Ser Brienne and Ser Jaime were… sparring again. It may be the calm before another storm but he felt like celebrating too.
Because Pod and Sansa really like talking to each other.