Chapter 17

𝓐𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓪

Days had passed from the moment Antea's mother had been able to capture the Imp. Antea could still picture his shocked face and it gave her a sense of victory.

What's a man if he doesn't have honor? Lannisters didn't have honor and Tyrion Lannister made no exception.

They had been riding for days, but Antea didn't know where they were going. That wasn't the road that lead to Winterfell, but her mother refused to talk about that near the Imp, who had been blinded with a hood since they had left the inn in the Riverlands.

She had to admit she almost felt sorry for him when the rain was pouring and the fabric of the hood was so wet to stick against the man of Lannister's face. Sometime Antea turned to be sure he was still breathing. But then she remembered the dagger and what it was supposed to be done with it and suddenly she didn't feel that sorry anymore for the man behind it all.

"M'lady, is everything alright?" Marrillon asked riding next to Antea "Riding must be exhausting for you"

"I lived my life on the back of an horse" she said remembering all the times she had raced with Robb and Jon in the Wolf's Wood "I like riding more than walking"

Marillon laughed at that "I should create a story out of that"

It was exactly for this that Marillon had followed them. He said he had seen the beginning of an adventure and he wanted to see the end. His presence wasn't necessary but more men they had, the better.

Not many men had decided to follow the lady Stark, but they seemed loyal enough. Well not all of them.

Two of them were cutthroats, Antea didn't catch their names, but one of them loved to say what was on his mind everytime he could. She tried to stay as far away from him and his companion as she could.

Shadow fallowed the party unseen and when they were in the Riverlands she often went in the deep of the forest and cought them something to eat, but now they were surrounded by montains and it wasn't easy to find something. Nor for Shadow, nor for them. They had to eat even the Lannister's horse at some point.

It was maybe just after noon when the party stopped to take a rest, but her mother didn't give the order to unblind the little lord of Lannister. She just went to Ser Rodrick to talk to him. Antea wanted to know what they were saying so bad, but the situation was pretty serious and she didn't want to upset her mother, so she just set down with the other men who were talking to each other. While hearing their discussions, that went from hunting to their lords' holdfasts, Antea set there with a piece of parchment and a charcoals, she didn't even know why she brought them, maybe for an habit that she had with her little brothers. Especially Arya. When the two of them rode around Winterfell they stopped to rest or play and they usually draw what was before them and then they went back and Arya would show it to their parents. She described what they did like it had been an adventure. The thought of her little sister made her smile sadly. She would have liked to see her in King's Landing and hug her. She and Sansa too, of course.

"My lords" her mother's voice made everyone stop and stand up "Please, take Tyrion Lannister to me and unblind him"

Antea stood up and walked to her mother whose gaze was fixed on the Imp. She was worried, Antea could see it on her face. She couldn't deny to be a little worried too, they've already lost three horses and everyone was starting to get tired of travelling. Antea didn't want for those men to change their minds and leave them alone in those montains.

Antea looked back to the little Lannister; the hood was yanked off his head and he blinked his eyes rapidly trying to see what was around him. She didn't miss the look of pure shock on his face when he looked at the montains above them.

"This is the High Road, the Eastern Road" he exclaimed no pleased at all lookin at Antea's mother "You said we were riding Winterfell"

Her mother smiled with fake sweetness "Often and loudly" she said "I'm sure your friends are heading North, by now. I wish them good speed" Antea's lips curled in a proud smile. Her mother did fantastic, no one would have imagined they were there, so they didn't even have to worry that Lannister men would come after them. And she couldn't even deny that the expression of pure hate that Tyrion Lannister had on his face made her even prouder of her mother.

Ser Willis Wode took the man of Lannister and made him sit on a rock. The man was so angry that he didn't even protest at the treatment he was reciving.

"Let's rest for a moment" her mother announced to everyone "We'll leave soon" Antea watched the men get back to their sits before her mother turned to her "Go take some rest"

"What about you?" Antea asked.

"I'm fine, but I have to speak to Ser Rodrick" she said "Go take a sit" Antea nodded lightly but before she could walk away she turned to her mother "I didn't know you have it in you" her proud smile never leaving her face "What you did… I didn't see it coming. It was impressive"

Catelyn smile at her daughter "Go"

Antea laughed quitly before sitting back in her previous position. She put the piece of parchment on her lap once again and she started writing down. Sometimes she looked up from what she was doing and her eyes fell on the Imp who observed her with his different coloured eyes. Antea tried not to pay much attention to him, the last thing she wanted was to talk to him.

"What are you doing, m'lady?" Mohor, one of the men travelling with them, asked. It was funny how sweet he spoke to her and how rude he could be with the Lannister "Everytime we stop, you set down and write"

"Probably a poem" the eloquent cutthroat said with a laugh "A love one maybe, you girls do it, don't you?" that made some of the men laugh, even the little Lannister.

"What is your name, again?" Antea asked calmly before looking up from what she was writing.

"Still don't know it?" he asked mockingly.

Antea took a breath fixing her dress "It must have slipped from my attention" she said looking back at the man "My father always says that the words are a powerful weapon, but sometimes people abuse of them, and the meaningful parts just slip away like they are nothing" the man eyed her up and down "So please, what is your name?"

"Bronn"

"Now I won't forget" she said.

"Careful with her" Tyrion Lannister spoke glancing at her again "She is a she-wolf, not so different from her mother"

Antea looked at him with cold eyes before looking back at Mohor "I'm writing a letter, Mohor"

"To who, m'lady?" asked Marillon with curiosity, strumming his arp every now and then.

Antea looked back at the words she had wrote down and with a finger she caressed Robb's name. It's been days that she wrote to her brother, she knew she couldn't send them, but it gave her comfort pretending to talk to him. It gave her courage and positivity. She always wrote down what they were doing, how her days were going and that she missed him. Home was far from where she was, she knew. All those montains weren't part of the North. Antea wondered if they were fine; Robb, Rickon, Maester Luwin, Cyel, Phelya and Theon. She asked herself if Bran was awake. She asked all of that in her letters imagining Robb sending a raven back saying that everything was fine and that Bran had recovered. She wanted that so much. Her gaze then fell on the little lord of Lannister.

He should pray for that too, Antea thought, him and his family with him. There wouldn't even be a quick death if her little brother didn't make it, she swear it to all the gods she knew.

"Not to me, I presume" Tyrion said.

She glance at him again "You won't ever get kind words from me, Lannister"

"Should I feel wounded about that?" he asked almost mockingly.

"I don't care" she answered before she turned her gaze to see her mother approach them with Ser Rodrick and Ser Willis Wode deep in conversation.

"We will lose more than horses if we're overtaken by the Lannisters" her mother said with determination in her voice.

"Small chance of that here" at Tyrion's voice Antea rolled her eyes. He had been sit with them just few minutes and he was talking like they all actually wanted to hear what he had to say "This is a cruel land, Lady Stark" the man kept saying "You'll find no succor until you reach the Vale, and each horse you lose burdens all of them more and more. Worse, you risk losing me. I am small, not strong and if I die, then what's the point?"

"Your death is the point, Lannister" Antea's mother said coldly.

"I think not" the man argued with wit " If you wanted me dead, you could have said the word, but you didn't"

"Starks do not murder men in their beds" Catelyn said solemnly.

"Or children" Antea added eyeing the Imp.

"Nor do I" he was so convinced that she could have actually belived him "I had no part in the attempt to kill your son" Antea shook her head at those words, why did he kept dening?

"The assassin was armed with your dagger" her mother exclaimed.

"It was not my dagger" he insisted almost standing up "Lady Stark, if you believe me or not it doesn't matter, but I am not a stupid man and you know it. Only a fool would arm someone with his own blade" Antea flinched when he spoke. It was actually strange. That cutthroat was alone in a castle full of guards, even if he had been able to succed with his purpose, he could be caught easly and the blade would have fastly revealed whose that dagger belonged to. Or maybe Tyrion was just trying to confuse them. He was a cunning man, good at twisting his words where he wanted them.

"Why would Petyr lie to me?" Antea's mother said, even in her voice there was doubt.

"Why does a bear shit in the woods? Because it is his nature" Tyrion argued, his face red "Lying comes as easly as breathing to a man like Littlefinger. You of all people must know that" Antea frowned at those words searching immediately her mother's eyes, but she saw her confused as she was.

"And what does that mean?" Catelyn asked stepping forward.

Tyrion looked at her studing her face "Every man at court has heard him tell how he took your maidenwood, my lady" Antea's eyes widend and her cheeks flushed with red.

"That's a lie!" her mother said.

Everyone seemed shocked and ready to kill the Imp for what he had said. Was he lying? Of course he is, Antea thought. But then her mind went back to the short man with the pointy beard and shiny green-grey eyes, and how they lingered on her mother. Antea could tell he was vicious, but doing something like that was too much even for someone like him. Or not?

"Mother" Antea muttered under her breath.

"Petyr Baelish loved me once" Catelyn said with a cold voice "His passion was a tragedy for all of us, but it was pure and real, and you won't mock that" Antea was sure that as a boy it was like that, but Littlefinger's eyes really couldn't leave her mind "He wanted my hand. That's what happened. You are truly an evil man, Lannister"

"And you are truly a fool, Lady Stark" Tyrion argued "Littlefinger has never loved anyone but Littlefinger, and I promise you that it is not your hand that he wants. It's those ripe breasts, the sweet mouth and the heat between your legs"

Suddenly Kurleket grabbed Tyrion's hair and yanked his head back putting his sword against his bare neck.

"Shall I bleed him, my lady?" he asked in a rough voice.

"No wait" Antea found herself saying and all the gazes fell on her "He might be lying but he surely knows something. If we kill him the truth could die with him. Mother.."

Catelyn looked back at her daughter studing her face, then she turned to the Imp "Let him talk"

Kurleket let go his grasp and when he was free Tyrion's gaze fixed on the young lady, he was surprised but thankful and Antea hoped she did the right thing.

"How did Littlefinger tell you I came by this dagger?" He asked with his breath labored.

Catelyn's eyes never left the man before her "You won it from him in a wager"

"You bet against your brother" Antea said remembering well her disgust knowing that for money he had bet on another man instead of his own brother.

"Against the Kinght of Flowers, when my brother was unhoarsed" Tyrion said with his eyes travelling between Antea and her mother "That was his story, no?"

"It was" her mother admitted, but before Tyrion could say something horses' steps echoed between the montains.

"Riders!" Antea turned her head to see riders approach them.

Her body froze in fear, those men weren't men of Lannisters, but they were dangerous nonetheless. They were covered in fur and they were armed, yelling at them. Her mother ran to her sheltering her with her body.

"Antea, we need to find somewhere to hide" she exclaimed pulling her. Antea was looking around her, their men were armed, even Tyrion Lannister and his two men had been freed to fight against their attackers. They were approaching fast, there was twenty of them, so many more than them.

"Come on, Antea!" her mother was able to push her behind a rock and she hugged her.

Antea could hear all their men screaming the name of their holdfasts. Robb had told her that that gave courage to the troopes. How could it gave strength? The thought of a place that possibly they wouldn't have seen again. Sounds of blades hitting against blade made her yelp in fear. Screams and yelling echoed around her. Was that what men were trained for? Was that that one day Robb, Jon, her little brothers and Theon would have to face?

A piercing scream made her cover her ears and the sound of a body hitting the ground made her shiver.

"Mother" she said in a whisper "I am scared" Catelyn hugged her close.

"I know, Antea, but now I need you to be brave" she said looking Antea in the eyes "We won't be unnoticed for long. I need you to run over there" the girl's eyes fell on a rock a few feet away "We need to move, alright?" Antea shooked her head in fear "You can do it. I know you can" Catelyn said "Be brave" Antea looked how much determination there was in her mother's eyes and nodding her head she moved from her mother's arms and watched the road to find the right moment to move. When she find it safer Antea run out heading to the rock that her mother had pointed at. From were she was it seemed closer. Her heart was beating fast and her legs were burning in fear. Suddenly she heard a yell right next to her and an horse approach, she was so close. Was she going to die? But then nothing, the horse passed by her with no one on it. Antea hid behind the rock and when she looked back she saw Shadow bearing her teeth and growling to anyone who got close to Antea's hidden place. At her direwolf's feet there was one of the attackers but his fur was covered in red. His own blood. She looked Shadow attacking another man and she suddenly felt safe.

"Thank you" she muttered. But then she heard a yell and she saw her mother trapped against a rock by two men. Fear rushed over the girl who called for her mother. They were about to kill her in front of her eyes. But in a moment Shadow had killed one of them, with her mouth around his neck and the other fell down injured to a leg by Tyrion Lannister. Her mother moved quickly and she killed the man before her.

Fastly the enemies disappeared, they could be dead or have fleed, Antea didn't care. She run out from her place and went to hug her mother, a few tears fell from her eyes while her mother was stroaking her hair affectionately.

"You did good, Antea" she said letting her go and gently wiping the girl's tears with her finger.

Antea smiled to her mother, before turning to Shadow who was looking at her fondly "You are truly a blessing, Shadow" she said kneeling in front of her direwolf patting her head "You saved me and my mother. Thank you so much" Shadow waved her tail starting to lick Antea's hand with care.

"I don't get a thank you, my lady?" Antea turned to see Tyrion Lannister behind her with an exhausted grin.

"Don't push too much, Lannister" the girl said standing up "But you saved my mother. I don't know why you did it, but you did it. I won't forget that" she pet Shadow's head to make her follow her to Catelyn, that was helping Ser Rodrick.

"As will I" Tyrion's words made her turn with a questioning look "You saved my life, my lady. I won't forget it. A Lannister always pays his debts"

"You'd better remember it" she said before turning to walk away.

What was before her made her blood run cold again, they had lost so many men, so many lives. Many of those men were talking with her just a few moments before. It was so strange, so sad. Did they have a family? Brothers or mothers? A wife and children weaping over them? They had joined them even if they didn't have to and they had died to protect them.

She was glad Theon didn't come with her, he would have fight for them and she couldn't bare the thought of him lifeless on the ground for saving her life.

They had to move, Ser Willis Wore was sure that soon they could get attacked again. Her mother wanted to bury the bodys of their men, but everyone spoke against it, saying that they didn't have time and sadly they were right. Antea would have prayed to all the gods she knew for them and their families.

Her mother even decided to let Tyrion Lannister have the axe he had faught with during the attack, it was wise if those men attacked them again they needed to be ready.

They set off again carefully and fastly, wanting to arrive at the Vale as soon as possible. Shadow didn't disappeared she walked closely to Antea sniffing the air around her. They weren't that far from where they were attacked when they heard growls of shadowcats, they fastened their walk, they didn't need another attack.

Antea was riding next to her mother when the lord of Lannister appeared at her side with his horse.

"Anyway as I was saying before we were rudely interrupted, Lady Stark. There is a serious flaw in Littlefinger's tale" Antea and her mother turned to the man "Whatever you may believe, I promise you this: I never bet against my family" he then turned to Antea like he was sure she knew he wasn't lying. No one could bet against his own brother.