House of the wolf

Bran collects himself and steps up to introduce them “They are Robb´s personal guard in his army, they brought his body and mother back to Winterfell”

 

“I am Harrion Karstark heir to the Karhold” Among them a tall man with a full beard yet I can tell he is young, steps forward, and introduces himself.

 

“Karstark? Should you not be marching with Stannis right now” I ask curious.

 

“Please don´t misunderstand my Great-Uncle Arnolf must think that I´ve been killed or captured and is using this chance now that my father has died to take over the Karhold. Don´t come in here and doubt our loyalties, I fought for your brother my father and brother died fighting for your brother, and my little sister ran off to the wall to escape a forced marriage to Arnolf's son Creagan, that he set up to take over our position” 

 

From his state being more and more agitated as he speaks, I realize I made a mistake in my casual address and try to smooth it over.

 

“I misspoke, forgive me, my Father often said Stark and Karstak are one blood. The fact that you fought and bled for my brother means even more. That´s why when I heard they were marching with Stannis to Winterfell it was too shocking to me. Arnolf Karstark huh, can you take back the Karhold from him?”

My words calm him down, he takes a breath and he nods “Without my sister, he holds no cards to stake his claim and with me being alive I won´t even have to spill a drop of blood to take the Karhold back” He says confidently.

 

I nod and look at the people next to him “I would like to talk to you all but I must go to the crypts and see my brother first, let's all have a discussion later tonight we will have a feast in the hall” the response to that is an awkward silence and I look around.

 

Bran is the one to address the issue looking down at the ground he answers “Robb has not yet been laid to rest yet Ed, Mother and Greywind refuse to let anyone take him ever since they got back they have not left their room”

 

I close my eyes and take a deep breath a million things going through my mind. From the hope of maybe a miracle going on with my brother and maybe Mother has a reason to not let anyone near him to the dread of thinking about the most likely scenario of Mother hugging the corpse of my Brother, her son until it smells and rots.

 

Either way my brain is going, I can´t just sit still “Show me the way” I say to Bran and he leads me to the door.

 

In front of the door stands a huge guard as tall as me and as we approach she steps forward “The lady asked not to be disturbed” a lady's voice comes out.

 

“You´re a woman?” I ask bewildered even meeting men as tall as me is rare enough but this is a woman and not only is she as tall but she seems to be as wide on the shoulders as well.

 

She takes the helmet off to reveal an interesting face, she can definitely not be called pretty with her manly features but offsetting that is her shining golden set of hair that could make a Lannister jealous and her honest blue eyes. 

 

“Brienne of Tarth in the service of Catylin Stark,” She says with her hand on her hips ready to take out her sword a bit of pride and bravado no doubt having a bit of a chip on her shoulder as a female warrior.

 

“Edwyn Stark, thank you for your service to my mother but I hope you don´t intend to use weapons to keep me from seeing her”

 

“Edwyn Stark! wha-how-n-no of course not” She starts fumbling with her words and her body language making me crack a smile despite my bad mood.

 

“Then if you don´t mind guarding the entrance with Bran so I can speak to my mother alone” 

 

She hesitates but looks at Bran as if looking at him to confirm my words then moves out of the way.

 

 Looking at the door I take another deep breath to prepare myself then open it and close it behind me.

 

I see a bed at the end of the room a giant direwolf sleeping in front of it but after I closed the door it woke up and started growling at me.

 

I offer Grey Wind my palm and let it smell me after a while it stops growling and starts smelling then licking my palm. I look past Grey Wind at the bed and see my brother laying there all cleaned up almost making believe that I´m not looking at a corpse that he still alive but I see no movements or breathing. 

 

Just perfectly still I feel a sting in my eye so I look away from him and to the woman sitting next to the bed just looking at him not paying me any mind.

 

I almost rub my eyes in disbelief that this is my mother, the always prim and proper woman with a healthy full-figured body. 

 

Now looking gaunt, her face looking haggard her blue eyes bloodshot, her cheeks sunken, her once soft plump lips now flaky as she just vacantly stares at the bed where Robb lies. 

 

As I approach the bed I hear “You´re not real” her voice trembling low and hoarse. 

 

“You recognize me, mother? I am real and I´m back” I say softly as I sit down next to her.

 

“You´re not real the Lannister they took you from me they killed you, you are a cruel vision sent to punish me, make me see what I lost” Her voice is trembling more and more with each word.

 

I cup her cheek in my palm and make her look into my eyes “I´m real Mother! I´m Edwyn I escaped King Landing and made it back to you” 

 

“...E-Ed my boy, m-my precious boy is it really you?” My touch wakes her up, her face finally showing emotions and her eyes gaining life as she starts grasping desperately at my clothes.

 

She grabs my face with both hands looks up at me and makes a strange cry fainting in the process. The shock was too much for her strained system. I support her body holding her to me.

 

I look around the room and see Ice the ancestral sword in the corner I sigh again in relief, a weight on my chest that I did not know was there lifting off. 

 

I don´t know what to do about Robb´s body Catylin and Grey Wolf seem to insist on nobody doing anything and I can tolerate that for as long as he does not smell which strangely he does not in fact, the worst smell is coming from Mother who has not been taking care of herself.

 

I check Robb for a pulse and don´t feel anything and his body is cold then I put my hands to his nose and mouth to check if he´s breathing but nothing seems to be happening. Even though this state is strange nothing suggests that Robb is alive.

 

I close my eyes for a while and do the breathing exercises to collect myself I lay Mother on the bed then I stand up and strap Ice to my waist turn back and pick back up Catylin I open the door and walk out.