The Bite of Winter

Brienne

 One month after Asha's arrival.

It was growing cold near the Vale. Brienne had grown up in the Stormlands, which had always been relatively warm. She found herself dreading the notion of traveling north if Sansa wasn't with her aunt Lysa. 

They were only a mile away from the Bloody Gate. She had never been a pious woman, but nonetheless, Brienne sent a silent prayer to every god she had ever heard of. The old gods, the new gods, the drowned god, even this mysterious Lord of Light that she loathed over Renly's death. 

Podrick traveled behind her, his eyes wide at the massive gate in front of them. It was a massive battlement, made of strong dark stone. Archers lined the top, along with a commander. "Who would pass the Bloody Gate?" He called. 

"We seek Lysa Arryn on a matter of utmost importance," Brienne answered, her horse prancing nervously under her. 

"Lady Arryn is dead. Leave now." A piece of Brienne's hope died. She had known that there was no way to ensure that Sansa would be here, but it was the best lead she had. She turned her horse, kicking him into a trot. 

Pod trotted up next to her. "Perhaps she went to the wall to find her bastard brother? He is now Lord Commander of the Watch and would probably hide her."

"I hope so. We will head north on the Kingsroad." Brienne doubted that Sansa would have been able to make it to the Wall on her own. She would have had to pass the chaos of the Riverlands, sneak through the North undetected by the Boltons, and survived the harsh climate. Maybe she was able to book passage on a ship. The Nights Watch did have a castle near the sea. East Castle? East Watch? Brienne couldn't remember the name, but that did not matter. 

They rode in silence, as they often did. It was a comfortable silence. They had been riding for roughly three hours before they reached a town with a tavern. Brienne dismounted. "Pod, go into the tavern and see if you can find anything out." She said and took the reins of his horse. 

The boy's quiet nature often allowed him to go undetected, allowing him to hear many conversations that were not meant for his ears. Brienne found that he had a talent for uncovering information. Where she would always stick out, he would blend in and use his invisibility as a gift. 

She stood with the horses as they drank from the troughs of water and nibbled at some hay. Once Podrick came back, they would ride for another hour or two before making camp. As time went by, Brienne began to grow worried. He was never gone for this long. Something must be wrong. She was about to tie the horses and go in after him, but he had just come out of the tavern.

His face looked to be a white as a sheet and his eyes were wide. "Podrick, what happened?" 

"I- I think that I know where Lady Arya is." He said, his voice meek. 

Brienne's eyes darted around them. There were too many people around them for him to tell her here. "Let's be on our way." She handed him his reins and swung on to her horse. 

Once they were a safe distance from town, she turned to Pod, who trailed behind her, shock still itched into his face. "What happened?" She asked again. 

"Tywin must have found Lady Arya. When I was in Kingslanding, she was presumed to be dead, but they must have found her." His voice was shaky. "She will wed Ramsay Snow within the fortnight. Although he is Ramsay Bolton now. Ser-m'lady... There are stories about Ramsay. Terrible stories."

Brienne had heard his name before. She had been in Roose Bolton's custody for some time. She could remember how he made the hair on her arms stand on end. He had never been cruel to her, but she could tell by the way he looked at the world that he was a cruel man. She hoped, for Lady Arya's sake, that his bastard was kinder than his father, but she knew that it was a futile hope. Podrick wouldn't have been so shaken if Ramsay was a saint. "What stories?"

"He- he was married to Lady Hornwood. He wed her against her will. The rumor is that he starved her to death in a tower after their wedding night. When they found her body, sh- she had chewed her own fingers off. There are also stories of how he hunts people for sport..." Podrick's voice trailed off. 

Brienne's heart thumped in her chest. "We will not make camp tonight. We will press North with all the haste we can muster." Her horse lurched into a canter. They needed to reach the North before Lady Arya was harmed. She needed to uphold her promise to Lady Catelyn and protect her daughters.