Sansa III

It'd been raining for three days, waves of icy needles buffeting Storm's End's pale stone walls, forcing man and beast to seek shelter. It would end soon, or so Lady's nose reported, but the guards didn't know that. Soon it would be time to strike.

Soon.

Lady and Ghost never ventured far. They roamed the woods and the tall grass, invisible to the traitor Renly's hunters. The pain caused by that demon horn caught them by surprise, Sansa could admit, but now she was wise to those tricks. They would never get the chance to blow it again.

As ever, Joff's wisdom could be relied on. Smallfolk brought wayns laden with salted fish up the Rainroad, even in this weather. Before her betrothed, trade with Cape Wrath could never reach this far north. Lady stalked one such wayn even now. No man could be seen walking the walls, and the soldiers who manned the gate huddled under an overhang, trying to warm themselves next to a brazier. Visibility would be poor. Their watch was not careful. Moreover, the traitor was losing his men. Unwilling to lock his hold and risk a pitched battle within his walls, Renly let those who would have no part in his treasons depart. This was to the good.

Fewer men to slay.

Every night, Sansa Stark brooded upon her vengeance. King Joffrey was kept apart, but she shared a spacious, if a little damp, cell with his royal siblings. Every night she whispered words of comfort to Tommen and Myrcella. Jon was away in the dungeons, near Joffrey's uncle, Jaime. This, Lady had from Ghost, who knew the way back to his master.

There was a view of the castle bailey from her tower cell. She couldn't hear over the rain, but men worked a winch to bring up the portcullis. Her breath caught in anticipation. Ghost and Lady poised to strike.

Kill! She sent the mental command. Once the gate was open, Ghost and Lady blew past the peasant's cart and set upon the guards. Sansa marked every one. The wolves knew to go for the throat, and Lady knew what she knew. The last man tried to hide behind a stack of barrels, but Sansa had a good view of him cowering and shivering in the icy rain. No screams were ever heard. No alarm sounded.

They split. Ghost went to the dungeons, and Lady to the stables. She would kill a horse or two and terrify the rest. The only mounts that didn't react were those they brought with them from King's Landing, already conditioned to the presence of the wolves. One chestnut courser Sansa knew to belong to Renly got its throat opened with one vicious snap of Lady's jaws. Sansa could almost taste the traitor's blood on her tongue. Serves the horse right for bearing that turncloak.

Tall and clever as she was, it was no great matter for Lady to open the stalls and set the castle's horses to stampeding. Two grooms and a squire tried to stop her and got their throats opened as well.

"What's happening, Sansa?" asked gentle Tommen in a tremulous voice. He must've seen the bloodlust on her face and been discomfitted by it, Sansa concluded.

"We shall be free soon, Tommen. When your Uncle Jaime gets here, you must do exactly as he says without a word, do you understand?" Sansa leaned down and looked the boy right in the eye, trying to impress upon him the seriousness of the situation. The prince recoiled in horror, but he gave her a watery smile. Good. Myrcella, who was more sensible, put an arm around the boy to comfort him.

Still, there was no alarm, even if a hundred screaming, terrified horses ran wildly in the courtyard below. Lady ran as well, nipping and biting and growling to terrify them still more, and pouncing on any guardsman she chanced upon. None of these who still served Renly deserved life.

Sure enough, Jaime and Jon could be heard pounding up the stairs after a short space. They both had bloody swords and ringmail taken off dead guards. Ghost knew just where to find them. Sansa looked on with approval when she saw Jon had found Joff's black axe in his offhand after their raid on the castle armory. Her beloved would be pleased not to leave behind his chosen weapon.

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"Is everyone all right?" Jaime asked hurriedly. There was a determined glint in the knight's eye. When they all nodded, he looked at her with utmost seriousness. "Your wolf knows where the king is, my lady?"

"She does," Sansa answered.

"Then it's do or die," Jaime stated, hefting his bloody sword. He turned to Jon. "We will rescue the king or die in the attempt."

Her brother Jon said not a word, only lifting his own bloody sword in silent salute. They ran off again, following Lady while Ghost was left behind to escort them to the base of the tower. They had to step over more than a few dead bodies, no doubt the sword work of Jaime and Jon. Tommen wept when he saw the bodies, but Myrcella kept her head and kept him moving. Once they reached the castle courtyard, Sansa walked casually to the stables to secure their mounts.

Sansa smiled viciously when Lady caught the whore Asha Greyjoy in a corridor. There was no time to savor the kill, so her wolf ripped out the bitch's entrails and left her to bleed to death. She lusted for Joff. This is what happens when whores lust after men who don't belong to them!

Tommen began weeping again. Sansa really needed to learn how to control her expressions better. They would take ten horses, mounts, and remounts. Myrcella would share a saddle with her and Tommen with Ser Jaime.

Alas! The alarm sounded as she led their horses from the stables. Ghost had to fight two Baratheon spearmen head-on, dodging thrusts until he could get close enough to open their throats.

Jon, Jaime, and Joff had to fight their way out of the central drum tower, cutting down foes like mowing grass. She was pleased to see her love's bruises had healed well.

"The gate is still open! Ride, Your Grace!" Ser Jaime cried. The horse stampede saw to that. No soldiers of Storm's End could get close enough to the winch to close it up.

"What about you?" Joff asked as he mounted up.

"I'm a knight of the Kingsguard," Ser Jaime answered stoutly. "I will hold them until you are well clear of this place."

There was no time to argue. Since Jaime was staying behind, Joff pulled Tommen up to sit in front of him. The wolves ran first to clear the way. Even mad with terror, the stampeding horses gave them a wide berth.

They passed into darkness as they rode under the thick curtain walls of Storm's End. It had to be at least fifty feet. Once they escaped into open country, the wolves veered off the path.

"Where are they going, honey?" Joff asked. Tommen was weeping and shivering, for the rain still poured.

"Another path, my love! We must follow. If pursuit is given, the Kingsroad shall be the first place they shall check. The rains will obscure our trail. We make for the hills, and thence to Felwood and the Kingswood beyond."

They rode for some time, and Joff kept looking back to see if Ser Jaime followed. He did not.

After an hour of riding, the rains stopped, as Lady knew they would. In the sudden silence, they heard the beat of hooves in the distance. Joff and Jon raised their weapons, but hark! Ser Jaime had won clear!

"Keep riding!" the knight shouted. "I'll catch up! We must put as much distance between Storm's End and ourselves as possible!"

"I'm cold!" Tommen complained. At least he wasn't hungry. Sansa made sure they all ate before she called the wolves.

"We're all cold, little buddy," Joffrey said comfortingly. Sansa felt a new warmth creep up her neck. He would be a wonderful father. "What of the rest of the Kingsguard?" he asked Ser Jaime.

"Ser Barristan, they murdered in his sickbed, I fear," Jaime said bitterly. "Of the others, I know not. We must assume the worst. Most of them were from minor houses and would make poor hostages."

An angry shadow passed over Joff's face. "When we get back to King's Landing, I'm raising a host and putting them all to the sword."