The Remnant of the Pack - Book 1 - GoT

Parting ways

"What do you mean Mother won't let you see him?" Robb asked, as soon as Ylina came running down the stairs, cursing the old gods and the new for the unfairness Catelyn Stark was putting her through.

"She blames me, Robb. As fucking usual!" She almost growled, as Daria nuzzled her snout on her hands to offer some kind of comfort for the girl. "She says it's my fault that Bran is like this and that she won't let me see him until he gets better. She's punishing me!"

At that, Robb sighed, shaking his head. Sure Catelyn and Ylina weren't the best of friends. They never were. But he would have never thought his mother would do something like that. Forbidding Ylina from seeing Bran? She was always the one who took care of all of their younger siblings. While Robb was out, training with swords, spears or riding horses, Ylina was forced to stay inside, looking after four younger children who, all in their own manner, loved her more than anything in the world. Ylina was a second mother to all of them, and if Bran woke up only to learn that Catelyn had not allowed Ylina near him while in his fragile state, Robb was sure he would be greatly disappointed.

So he decided to fix it.

"I'll go talk to mother." He said, causing his sister to nod with a small sad frown. "Have you said your goodbyes to the girls yet?"

"No." She shook her head. "I've been trying to get inside Bran's room all morning. Is Sansa in her room?"

"Sansa's probably already on the grounds, bugging Father so they can leave faster." Robb answered with a smile, causing Ylina to laugh. "Arya's in her room, however. She's asked me about you earlier and I said I was going to get you for her."

"And Theon?"

"Helping Father with the horses."

"Thank you, Robb." She smiled gently, as her brother nodded.

Making their separate ways, Robb moved to go upstairs and try to convince his mother that her behaviour was absolutely unfair as Ylina walked through the corridors toward the other set of stairs that would take her to the side of the Castle where the bedrooms of the girls were.

Knocking slightly on Arya's door, Ylina pushed it open, only to giggle slightly when she saw her little sister struggling to pull her heavy suitcase from her bed.

"Need any help, love?" She asked, already walking toward her and reaching for the suitcase.

"I don't want to go." Arya frowned, sitting in her bed with crossed arms as soon as the suitcase was out of the way.

"I know, Arya." Ylina sighed, moving to sit beside her sister. "You have to, though."

"Why?" She whined, crawling over to Ylina and raising her arm up so she could get closer to her. "I want to stay here with you and Robb."

"Well, you're going to King's Landing with Father, without Mother to bother you, so I guess you're lucky."

Resting her arm over Arya's shoulder, Ylina squeezed her sister against the side of her body as her fingers started to play with the ends of her braided black hair.

"I don't want to go." She repeated, causing Ylina to sigh.

"I'm sorry, love." She whispered. "I really am."

"I know." Arya smiled sadly, pulling away from Ylina causing the older girl to turn around in the bed so that now they were sitting face-to-face with each other.

Ylina reached for Arya's hand and grabbed them both on hers as her grey eyes met her younger sister's matching ones.

"Listen to me, Arya." She said, causing the girl to nod to let her know she was paying attention. "I know you and Sansa don't usually get along, but you'll be all by yourselves over there. Father will be away with his new position half of the time and I don't know who'll be with you, but it won't be me, or Mother or Robb. I know you can protect yourself, but what I'm asking you is that you protect Sansa."