Savages - LolaStark

Chapter 8

[Robb]

It was nearly a fortnight before Fallon opened her eyes. By then, Bran was already awake - a miracle - and his mother was long gone on her quest towards King's Landing to warn their father about her suspicions of Lannister involvement. Staring down at Fallon's frail form had only been a sickly reminder of what the Lannisters had done. They had locked her in the tower and set it on fire, planned to murder his brother to keep the both of them quiet.

When his mother called a secret meeting, her hands bandaged from the attacker's blade, she had made a very convincing argument against the Lannisters. Why they had shoved Bran from atop the large tower, he still didn't know. But the other mystery that remained, was why had Fallon been a target as well? Had she seen something that she hadn't told Robb? Or had it been related to her siblings murders in Skagos?

Robb was watching her, now, from across the courtyard. She was sitting near the small pond with a book in her hands, but he could see she wasn't reading it. Her mind was in another place, most likely with her brothers. Her hair blew lightly in the wind causing her to brush strands of it away from her face when needed.

"She cares for you," Enat said, filling the silence. Robb looked next to him where Enat was now standing. "I thought you should know that."

"She has assured me of the contrary" he replied, looking away but Enat shook her head.

"Fallon says a lot of things," Enat told him, staring towards her friend. "She can be a bit too self-sacrificing at times. Ever since she was a child. She puts her family before everything, including her own feelings. It's quite irritating actually."

"She told me there was another who has her heart," he explained, hating the bring up the memory.

"Did she?" Enat said, her eyebrow rising in surprise.

"I saw her with him," he whispered. "With Aedan."

"And I saw her with you," she replied and he furrowed his brow. "And I heard what she said to you, the night of the fire."

Robb recalled the moment Fallon had looked into her eyes and whispered the words in the Old Tongue that he couldn't understand. But Enat had been there, so of course she would have heard them. Robb had been filled with curiosity since that moment and now as Enat spoke he listened carefully.

"Mo Slanaighear," she whispered but it sounded different coming off her lips than it had from Fallon's, the meaning so very different. "It means 'my savior' and 'Mo Faol' means," she started and smiled as she looked up at him. "My wolf."

He remembered Fallon's words, how she'd spoken them, the whisper so intimate as if it had been intended for his ears only. Perhaps it had been. But since she'd awoken, they hadn't spoke of that night. He wasn't even sure if she remembered. To her it could have simply been a dream, something conjured under a state of delirium. Something better left forgotten.

"Has she told you how she met him? My brother?" Enat asked him and he shook his head.

All Robb knew of Aedan was what he had gleaned from Fallon's longing glances. It was clear she loved him, even if what Enat was saying about her was true. Fallon may have feelings for Robb, but her feelings for him were muddled and confused. Her feelings for Aedan were clear. Love. He knew because he looked at her that way, the way she looked at Aedan.

"I've known Fallon since we were children," Enat began, with the same fondness that Fallon had in her voice when she talked of home. "My father was one of Drystan Magnar's most trusted men. He sent me to Kingshouse to live with Fallon and her sisters when I was twelve. I got along with Fallon easily, as you might imagine. She was enchanting, even as a child. So full of passion for life. When I was sixteen, Fallon and I went riding along the Moors. She was only thirteen, already a better rider than any girl I'd known. She'd essentially been raised on horseback. We'd been gone only a few hours when the storms came out of nowhere, the dark clouds pushing down upon us, the rain hard against our skin. I insisted we go back to the castle, that it was too cold and we'd catch our deaths." Robb smiled, knowing how Fallon would have responded to such a statement.

"But she refused?" he asked and Enat nodded.

"She said she the rain would pass, that we should carry on," Enat said, mirroring Fallon's voice quietly.

"But she was wrong," Robb surmised.

"Yes, the rain was so thick neither of us could see, I warned her that the terrain was unsturdy. But you know her, she was determined. She urged her horse over the rocks until she slipped. The horse fell back and Fallon with it. Neither of us saw how close we were to the river."

Robb tried to imagine a young Fallon, her stubbornness leading her into another dangerous situation like many of her stories depicted. But reckless didn't seem like her at all. Especially when it came to her horse. Robb knew that Fallon valued her horse's life over her own.

"She and the horse were in the water, the strong flow causing them both to struggle as the current dragged them further downstream. Fallon can swim of course, but the water in Skagos is beyond cold, the rain was hard, I could barely see her, only hear her shouts," Enat said, looking off towards Fallon now sitting so far from them, the fear in her eyes as she relived the memory. "It was fate, that brought the riders. I heard the hooves of their horses against the rocks over Fallon's shouts. I thought it was tribesmen, they would have taken us both hostage if they found us there. So I pulled my knife from my boot and waited for them to appear. Only when they did, I saw it was Rowan and Aedan. I didn't recognize him at first, I hadn't seen him nearly four years. But that day they happened to be riding by and heard Fallon's screams."

"So he saved her," Robb said and Enat laughed.

"No. Rowan saved her," she answered. "Aedan saved her horse, something that meant a great deal more to her than her own saving. The current was too strong for her to save the mare herself so when Aedan reached in he was able to bring the horse back to shore while Rowan grabbed Fallon."

"How can any man compete with that?" Robb joked and Enat laughed.

"Yes well interestingly enough, while Fallon was beyond thankful to him, she didn't much give him the time of day after that. But for my brother," Enat said with a fond grin. "I think he loved her from the moment he set eyes on her. He never let her out of his sight once he moved to Kingshouse, knowing she was far too good at getting herself into trouble."

"It seems some things don't change," Robb whispered. "If they loved each other, why did they not marry? Why did they wait until it was too late?"

Enat looked away from Robb's gaze momentarily and he could tell she was contemplating being as evasive as Fallon had been. It was a legitimate question, one he'd asked Fallon only to receive a change of subject in return. It was clear that they loved each other, at least it was clear to him. So why hadn't they married when they had the chance, given Fallon an opportunity to be happy? What kind of man would waste the opportunity to have her as his own?

"I remember the day Aedan told my father he was going to marry Fallon. Of course he said it many times before and we all thought this time was no different. But that day he said Fallon had finally agreed. We were happy for them both, though of course I'd never seen them together. But then the savages to the North came, the Skagosi tribesmen were brutal and killed many of the Magnar's men. But Aedan saved his life in battle, the Magnar was nearly killed. As a reward he was offered Elsbeth's hand. It was a great honor. But he loved Fallon. He wanted to refuse."

"But he didn't?"

"He never told me what happened, but one afternoon he came home and he'd decided to marry Elsbeth. I asked him why he would do that to Fallon, but he said it was because she didn't love him. And he believed her."

"She lied," Robb realized, thinking of her words the night she'd told him she had no feelings for Robb.

"Most definitely," Enat agreed. "She would never put her happiness above that of her family nor above duty. If he didn't marry Elsbeth, not only would Drystan have been insulted, but he would have never agreed to marry him to Fallon instead."

"But why?" Robb asked. He didn't understand why Drystan Magar wouldn't want his youngest daughter to marry one of his best warriors. It was a common enough thing in the North on Westeros. The Skagosi were not much different than them in most of their customs.

"She really did not tell you?" Enat asked, furrowing her brow. Robb didn't even understand the question so he shook his head assuming that not knowing what she was referring to was answer enough. "Hundreds of years ago, when the Magnar still ruled Skagos, before the King of Westeros conquered the island, a series of games would be held upon the sixteenth birthday of one of his daughters. The winner of the games would earn her hand."

"Why not the eldest?" Robb asked, thinking of older Northern traditions that sounded similar.

"Before Westeros conquered Skagos, the eldest could be chosen for the games, but the eldest has since been for the Magnar to marry off to merge families. But even so, the order of birth did not determine which daughter would be chosen for the games," Enat explained. "The one chosen is the daughter of Skagos, meant only to marry the best man in the land...she was the prize of the Magnar, said to have derived the wisdom of all her siblings. She was honored by getting to choose the strongest warrior for her groom. Winning her hand meant the warrior was the strongest and bravest of them all. Fallon is the youngest daughter of Dystan Magnar but he knew since she was a child that she would be the Nighean." Robb suddenly recognized the term from Fallon's stories. Never had he known it's true meaning "He would have never married her to Aedan unless he had won her hand in the games."

"The games are still practiced?" Robb asked, his brow furrowed.

"Traditionally, yes. Drystan's father held the games to wed his second daughter and, in turn, when Fallon turned sixteen, she was meant to do the same. But it was at the same time as Drystan's trip to Westeros, and something happened that delayed the games. Whatever it was nearly cost him his life. A year later, your father spared him and Fallon was sent to live under your father's care. Now Fallon will never choose her own husband, a right that has not been taken away from the Nighean of Magnar for centuries."

"She said she was pledged to Aedan, even though they could never be together," Robb explained, taking in Enat's story. "She would have married against her heart regardless."

"I sense that as long as she rejects her heart, that will always be her fate," Enat replied, standing. "To end up alone and without love."

Her fire-red hair was alight in the sunlight that burned through the clouds and Robb was reminded of her brother. She was beautiful, but also strong and Robb could see why Jon had been so fond of her before his departure to the wall. The two had spent a lot of time together though it had been Fallon who had pointed it out. Robb had been oblivious until then.

"You say she cares for me, and yet she spends a great deal of time convincing me she doesn't," Robb whispered and Enat grinned slightly.

"She wants to protect you, to ensure you honor your betrothal," she explained and to Robb it made sense. It was something Fallon would do, sacrifice her feelings if it meant he did his duty. "She promised Lord Stark that she would do whatever it took to convince you to marry Kathryn."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked her. "Why not let me keep believing she didn't care?"

"When she said those words to you, in the Old Tongue...the way she said them. I couldn't let you keep believing her lie. The information is yours to do with as you will, but if you let her keep believing the lie as well...she'll be consumed by it."

And with those last words she left him sitting there as she returned to the castle. Robb sat there for a while longer, watching as Fallon closed her book and set it next to her. She didn't move though, continued to stare off at nothing in particular and Robb wished he could know her thoughts, wished to help her with whatever burden she was bearing. But the longer he sat there, the more he thought about Enat's words. She wanted to protect him so she kept her distance. She wanted this.

And now it was Robb's task to decide what exactly it was that he wanted.

[Fallon]

Time was at a halt.

She felt the weariness of each passing day, the muted tone of the morning hours that then remained until the night had fallen upon Winterfell. Each part of her ached, both physically and emotionally. She felt broken but unsure of how to fix it.

Death had consumed her, leaving this shell behind in it's place. She should have died, she decided. She should have burned to death in that fire, a just punishment for her poor judgement, for her failure to honor her promise to Lord Stark. Punishment for her jealousy over her sister, over her disdain for Kathryn. She deserved death, and yet now she was being punished instead with life.

The numbness had been replaced by the aches of her broken body, her healing wounds on the outside unable to reflect the damage that was done within her. Elsbeth, Corran, Keeran, all taken from her. Albertha's fate was still unknown as Rowan's raven had not yet come and Broden was on a suicide mission to find their father, with only Aedan as his companion.

Aedan.

The name caused a new ache to rise within her, an ache of unknown origin. When Aedan had left her so many months ago, that early morning at Winterfell's gates, she'd been wounded, like an arrow through the heart. He'd seen it in her eyes then because she was unable to hide it any longer from him. But now, the ache was something different. Disappointment was part of it. She would never know if he mourned Elsbeth as a husband should mourn his wife. She would never know if he rejoiced that his burden was finally lifted. It as all sickening, but unwarranted, which made her even sicker when she realized she was painting Aedan as a villain. It wasn't fair to him.

She still loved him. She knew that much. But what did that love mean now? Had it been so long ago that she had spent hours in his arms. Those memories were no longer comforting. She found herself straining to remember the things she loved about him. Even now as she pictured his eyes she found the piercing gaze replaced with another, which was a completely separate distraction all together. A whole different set of feelings deep within her that plagued her night and day.

It was enough to drive her mad.

She rested her head on her knees as she sat beneath the weirwood, hoping for wisdom or answers, or something to rid her of the cloud that was consuming her. It had been three weeks since the fire and she still felt the flames on her face, the smoke in her lungs. All of it suffocating her to the point where she could hardly be around anyone for longer than a few moments at a time.

"Take me," she whispered into the fabric of her dress, begging the gods. "Or show me how I am to rid myself of this despair."

"I usually find that despair is often rectified at the bottom of one's wine cup," a voice said, familiar in the wit that fell from it.

It was the half-man Lannister, and through the laws of hospitality, Robb's guest at Winterfell. She had seen him arrive just a day prior, his grin just as wide as it had been the day she'd seen him with two whores on his arm over two months ago. The thought only made her frown.

"I did not ask for company," she said, without looking up at him.

"Company does not always seek permission," he replied, leaning up against the tree, forcing her to see him face to face.

"What is it you want Lord Tyrion," she asked, trying her best not to voice the frustration she currently felt.

"Why is it that everyone always asks me that?" he asked, a mock expression of hurt appearing on his distorted features and she stood to leave. "It was Lady Ashford, that brought me here."

"What does she want then?" she asked bitterly, thinking of Kathryn who had, since Lady Catelyn's departure, found it upon herself to begin ordering everyone about, including Fallon.

"Not what she wants that sent me here. It was more of what she said," he replied. "She doesn't speak very highly of you, does she?"

"She isn't fond of Skaggs or had you not noticed?" she said with disgust.

"I find her stories of you lacking."

"Lacking what?" she asked, frustrated.

"Lacking truth mostly. They seem to conflict with young Brandon's portrayal," he explained. "He speaks very affectionately of you. Lucky to be speaking at all though."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Only that he is lucky he survived such a tragic fall," Tyrion said, defending his previous statement. She frowned at it's implications.

"Lord Stark will be looking for me," she said, trying to excuse herself back towards the castle. Of course Robb would actually be much too preoccupied to be looking for her, but the Lannister didn't know that.

"I imagine he spends a great deal of time looking after you," Tyrion mused, almost to himself. Her steps paused and she turned to see him shrug.

"Did you come here to make conversation regarding your observations of everyone at Winterfell, if so I think we'll miss supper and dessert," she said with a bite in her tone. At this he smiled.

"Actually I came to see why it is that everyone at Winterfell seems to have a passionate opinion of you, good or bad you seem to be quite the spark of conversation. I think it's easy to see why."

"I'd rather be invisible," she admitted. "So that they could all get on about their business and stop wondering if I'm going to throw myself from the tower."

"Are you?" Tyrion asked and Fallon felt her lips threatening to lift at the edges for the first time in weeks.

"It might have seemed like a good idea once, but it doesn't seem very effective at ending life," she said, the joke a bit harsh, especially since Bran had only been awake a couple weeks. But Tyrion seemed to find nothing ill-humored about it as he chuckled heartily.

"Yes, you might want to find a taller tower, or visit the Wall. I've been up there, it's probably tall enough to do the deed," he said.

"The Wall?" she asked curiously. "You were at Castle Black?"

"Yes, but only for a short stay, thank the gods. There was a severe lack in female company to be found," he told her.

"Did you see-" she started and then stopped herself. Why should she trust a Lannister, she thought. He was just as much a Lannister as the rest of them, the whole lot of them only good for bleeding money out of their enemies.

"Did I see-?" he echoed but she didn't finish her sentence. "-your father?" Fallon's eyes darted up to him. "Yes, I saw Drystan Magnar, however briefly."

"Was he-" she started, thinking of what she wanted to know about him but next to nothing came to mind. "Is he well?" she opted to say.

"Looked well enough for a man in all black. He's a large man, your father. Wittier than the rest of them, I'll give him that," Tyrion said and she thought of her father's laugh. He had always been keen to laugh.

"You said briefly, was he not staying?"

"He's a ranger now, or so they said," he explained. "I imagine he's off scouting beyond the Wall, hacking off wildlings as he sees fit. He seemed to like the thought of it. He's used to putting savages in their place though, I imagine."

"Fallon!" a loud voice said causing them both to look up and see Theon standing nearby with a frown on his face. "What are you doing?"

Fallon looked from Theon to Tyrion and back to Theon slowly, in confusion.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked. "I'm speaking with Lord Tyrion."

"Robb's summoned us for supper," he hissed through his clenched teeth and she frowned in confusion.

She wasn't sure if it was the way he said it that made her step towards him, but whatever it was about his message from Robb said much more than he wanted her to join them for food. Tyrion of course would join, which was why he hadn't just come out and said what Robb had really instructed him to tell her. Regardless, she nodded and followed, Tyrion close behind.

They entered the hall at the same time Hodor was carrying Bran to the table. She caught his eye and he looked at her with a longing glance that she'd seen so many times in the last week. She'd been avoiding him, in her mourning period and it wasn't fair to him that she was doing so. She just found it so difficult to look into his eyes when they reminded her so much of Corran's.

Robb was clearly missing, the space next to Kathryn empty. Fallon saw the girl's eyes look up as she entered, but they weren't on her, they were on Theon. She was careful to look away quickly, brushing a blond curl from her face and straightening her back to a more poised posture. Fallon looked to Theon who nodded towards the door in the corner and she excused herself from Tyrion Lannister's presence to make her towards it.

She pushed the heavy door open and closed it quickly behind her when she saw Robb standing there, his head turned as he noticed her presence. She immediately looked into his eyes to assess what she could from them.

"What has happened?" she asked him and he stepped towards her with a piece of parchment in his hands.

"I received a letter, from your brother," he told her, placing the paper in her hands. She noticed it hadn't been opened. She was about to ask which brother when she recognized the writing and quickly broke the seal. Her eyes passed quickly over the letters, written in the Old Tongue as she expected they'd be.

"It's from Rowan isn't it?" he asked her when she smiled and she looked up and nodded, sighing in relief.

"He's safe, as is my sister," she explained happily. "He says that after he took Albertha, he received word that that there was a fire at Longbow Hall. Lord Hunter and my sister's husband were not harmed but they believe the attack was directed towards my sister. As was the one here."

"Where are they now?" Robb asked and she continued reading.

"They took my brother's ship to White Harbor," she said, relieved. "And they..." she paused and looked up at him.

"They what?"

"Rowan requests your permission to come to Winterfell. He doesn't believe Skagos is safe until Broden and Aedan return from the Wall," she explained. "I know things are stressful here. So he'll understand if you deny."

"Of course not, they are welcomed here," Robb said quickly. "They are your family."

"But they are not your responsibility either."

Robb and Fallon stood in silence for many moments before Robb grabbed her hand in his. Her first instinct was to pull it back, but as he ran his calloused fingers over her palm, she couldn't bear to move it. The feeling quelled the ache deep inside of her.

"You need them here. I'll hear nothing different. Write to Rowan and tell him to come. We have plenty of room and with all of these attacks, perhaps they could help shed light on the situation."

"You don't think the attack meant for your brother was related do you? It was the same night as the fire." She asked him.

"I thought at one time they might have been, but now I can't be sure. I don't understand what Bran's attack could have to do with your family or how they could be connected. But I intend to find out." She nodded and he slowly let go of her hand.

"Robb," she whispered and she mentally scolded herself for how desperate her voice sounded when she spoke his name.

He seemed to perk up then as she said his name, looking as though he might take hold of her in his arms and she thought for a moment if he did so, she wouldn't stop him. She realized something in the last few weeks. That no matter what was happening between them, she couldn't stand the feeling of being so far away from him.

"You've been avoiding me," he replied and it was as if he'd read her mind.

"Yes," she admitted.

"Why?" he asked her, his gaze seemed intent on bringing forth the truth and it caused her to shift uncomfortably. "Fallon I just want to help."

"I know," she said. She accepted that. But what she was dealing with wasn't a burden she was willing to share with him, not when he had so much to worry over on his own.

There was a sudden knock on the door that dissolved any courage of her telling him that and in walked Theon with a curious expression.

"Was it good news?" he asked and both she and Robb nodded.

"We'll discuss it later," Robb told him. "For now, let's get out there before anyone notices we're gone."

"Go before me," she told them both. "It shouldn't look like you and I were together. Kathryn..."

"Kathryn can say what she likes," Robb said sternly, pulling her in front of him and letting her lead them out the door.

She was right, there were several pairs of eyes directed at the three of them as they entered the room, one of which was glaring angrily at the sight of her and Robb standing so close. WHen they reached the table, however, they separated. She sat on the opposite end of the table next to Rickon, as she usually did, and ignored the blonde's gaze that was still directed at her.

Only once did she look up to see Robb's hard gaze lighten as he caught her eyes. They exchanged the glance for longer, perhaps, than they should have but Fallon couldn't help but feel something in that moment that set her soul alight. Something in his eyes told her things would be alright, even though she felt as if her world was crumbling. Even if it did, she had a feeling he'd be there to catch her.

Her savior. Her wolf.

[Kathryn]

Everyone had long retired when Kathryn slipped out of her room, holding the hem of her nightgown up so it didn't drag on the stone floors of the corridor. The halls were dimly lit with lanterns scattered slightly about the walls. While her chambers were nothing compared to the finery she'd lived in, they were increasingly better than most of the residents at Winterfell.

She made her way about the castle, finding the corridors much easier to maneuver than they had been when she'd first come to live at Winterfell. She passed several doors before she found the one she was searching for and slowly closed her fingers around the handle until it yielded to her force. The door opened quietly and she strained to see in the darkness as she closed her door behind her.

Only silhouettes were visible as the embers in the fireplace were dimly visible in the corner. She'd seen the room once before, making it easier for her to find the side of the bed with her outstretched hands. She pulled at the thin ribbons of her robe and let it fall lightly to the ground, leaving her with nothing more than the thin fabric of her nightgown covering her. She climbed onto the bed, seeking out the body that was currently occupying it and nearly screamed when she found herself thrown onto her back quickly with a knife against her throat and a hand over her mouth.

"Scream and I'll slit your throat, do you understand?!" he whispered harshly. She nodded and he removed his hand. "Who are you?"

"Well if you let me light the bloody candle, you idiot, then you'd have seen me," she said angrily.

"Kathryn?" he asked, leaning over her and she heard something strike against steel. Then a light appeared as the candle was lit and she was able to see his surprised features as his body was pressed against hers. He moved away from her quickly. "What in Seven Hells are you doing here?!"

"I can go where I please," she said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Did you mean to find Robb's bed?" he asked her, disapprovingly and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm exactly where I meant to go," she replied.

"Go back to bed," he said sternly.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she shouted and he placed her hand over her mouth once more.

"Hush! Are you trying to get me thrown out!? Is that what's going on here?" he asked, this time anger in his tone and she laughed.

"Please, if I wanted to get you thrown out I'd have done it the first week I caught you staring at me."

"I wasn't..."

"Save your lies, I didn't really come here to talk," she said, looking down at her nightgown and then back up to him. She watched his eyes travel downwards over her body and linger on the sight of her breasts, visible through the transparent fabric.

"You wasted your time," he said, looking away. "I may have given you the impression that I find you attractive. But there are boundaries I cannot cross."

"On whose ordes?" she whispered, making out the features of his dark hair and untended stubble on his chin. "You think Robb would honestly even notice or care? He doesn't even look at me."

"I've seen you together. He cares for you..." he said and all she heard were lies as she laughed.

"He cares for Fallon. And we may spend time together but I assure you his mind is elsewhere. Just as mine is," she whispered as she leaned her head up towards his but he pulled back before her lips touched against his.

"Kathryn, you need to leave," he told her, sitting up against the headrest but she only sat up as well, and moved to sit on top of him, her legs on either side of him, causing him to look down towards her breasts once again.

"You want me to leave Theon?" she asked and at first he didn't answer. She smirked, victoriously. "I didn't think so."

"We shouldn't," he whispered through a groan as she rolled her hips over his.

"And yet, here we," she teased, placing her mouth against his shoulder as her breasts pushed up against his chest. "If you want me to leave, just say so. And I'll go without saying a word to anyone."

She rolled her hips again and he stopped her with his hands on her hips, pulling her tightly against his groin to keep her from moving. Their lips were close now, so close she could feel his breath against her mouth. Like that, they sat for a long while. Nothing passing but their glances and their soft breaths, the latter of which quickened the longer time passed.

And suddenly, without warning he flipped her onto her back in one swift motion, moving his hand down her side until he reached the underside of her nightgown and she felt his hands on her thigh and she sighed. But before she finished his mouth covered hers, capturing it in a heavy kiss that engulfed her mind.

And all she wanted was more.