The Bite of Winter

Brienne

I'm considering dividing this up into a trilogy. Would y'all prefer that or just one long book? I have like 96 planned chapters and I'm not even close to done with the outline. If so, please comment potential titles, as the first book will be wrapping up soon if a trilogy is preferable. 

One month after Jons resurrection 

Brienne sat along the tree line of the Wolfwood. Every day Podrick tended to their camp as she watched Winterfell, waiting for a glimpse of Lady Arya. Today, was different. She had sent Podrick into Wintertown for supplies and information. She didn't know what would be worse if Pod came back and revealed that Lady Arya was never here or that she was. 

In nearly a week of watching the castle, Brienne had yet to catch a glimpse of Lady Arya. She had seen Ramsay Bolton and his men. She had seen men be flayed alive, men burnt on large red crosses, but she had never seen the Lady of Winterfell. 

It seemed as if Bolton was preparing for a siege of some sort. Provisions and men were being funneled into the walls as quickly as possible. With Stannis Baratheon and his army destroyed, who could possibly scare the Bolton bastard enough to prepare for a siege? Maybe he was just preparing for winter, but that wouldn't explain the shipment of weapons. 

Then she saw it, a girl with brown hair and pale skin wearing a grey cloak walked across the courtyard. Her movements were stiff as if she had a limp and even from this distance, she seemed frail. 

Brienne's brows knit together as the girl disappeared into the castle. Maybe she could sneak in with a supply wagon? But how would she get out with Arya? Her hand traced the pommel of Oathkeeper as she considered possibilities for Arya's escape. 

She heard Podrick approach. "Any news?" She asked softly, eyes still on Winterfell. 

"Yes, ser-m'lady." Pod stammered. They had grown comfortable in each other's presence, but he still tripped over his words when addressing her. 

"What of Lady Arya?"

"She is indeed in Winterfell. Lord Bolton keeps her locked in her chamber for the most part, but she is alive." Pod's eyes were sad. He said that she was alive, but how much of her would survive Bolton?

"There is more. Her brother, Jon Snow, is gathering an army to save her."

Brienne's heart skipped a beat. That was why Ramsay was preparing for a siege. The Bastard of Winterfell was coming for him. 

"And there is rumor that Robb Stark is with him. Although it seems highly unlikely that he is alive." 

"Robb Stark was killed at the Red Wedding. Maybe it's just someone who looks like him, a bastard serving on the wall from the Riverlands. Her mind wandered to the man she had encountered just North of the Neck, Jon Rivers. He looked like Lady Catelyn, but he was still of low birth.

"Aye, it could be a ploy to rally Northern lords." Pod agreed.

"Who has sided with Jon Snow thus far?"

"The Mormont's, Hornwood's, house Mazin, house Reed, and the Wildlings." 

Brienne grimaced, they wouldn't be enough. 

"There is also word of the knights of the Vale and house Royce coming to his aid. I'm not really sure how he convinced them, but there is word of them moving North."

Why would the Vale come to the aid of a Northern bastard. His lord father had ties with Jon Arryn, but still, it seemed odd that they would help him. Jon Snow barely had a claim to the North, and with Lord Robin Arryn in the Vale, who was rumored to be craven and sickly, it seemed to be very precarious. 

She shook off her doubts. She needed to help Lady Arya and it appeared that Jon Snow was her only chance. Even if he failed on the battlefield, she could use his attack as a distraction to sneak into the castle and escape with Arya. 

"What should we do, m'lady?" Pod whispered, for once not tumbling with his words. 

"We wait until Jon Snow has arrived. Then, one way or another, we save Lady Arya."