Solace {A Game of Thrones Fanfiction}

Chapter 3

Theon slowly opened his eyes. It was still dark in the cave. As he slowly stirred awake, he knew he had been asleep for a long while.

Tara was in front of him putting more fuel into the fire to keep it alive. Theon sat up and propped himself against the cave wall. "How long was I asleep?" He asked.

"All day." Tara went to the bag once she finished with the fire. She brought him some water and bread again. Theon felt guilt that all he was able to do was sleep. She had to do everything else. 

Theon drank and ate very quickly. He set down the cup and then looked up again at Tara. "Have you ate?"

"It's more important that you get strong fast. We need to be able to leave by the end of the week." Theon still didn't like the idea of him being able to eat and her not.

"Oh, I have this for you." She pulled some clothes out of her bag, and made her way back over to Theon. She handed the clothes to him.

Theon took the pile of clothes out of her arms. "Thank you."

"I'll look away." Tara turned her back to him and faced the cave wall. Theon smiled a little when she turned away. As he put the clothes on, he felt like he was piecing a tiny bit of himself back together. 

Theon flattened the clothes against his body as he turned back to Tara. "I'm done." She turned herself back to him. Theon detected a slight smile as she saw him. She was happy to see that he looked a little better with the new clothes. 

"Do you know where we are?" Theon asked.

"Hornwell." Tara said. Theon looked to the ground. "That's a long way from Pyke."

"That's your home, right?"

"Yes, or at least-" Theon cut himself off. She could tell he had sunk back deep into his mind.

"Or at least, what?" She asked after a moment.

Theon composed his thoughts. He wasn't completely sure how to answer her question. "I don't know if home is the right word."

Tara nodded. She knew about Theon Greyjoy. She knew he had become Ned Stark's ward and was raised in Winterfell. However, she didn't say so. 

"Home is a tricky word." Tara finally added. Theon looked at her to see her watching the fire again. It's almost like her thought were in the flames somewhere.

"Do you have one?" Theon asked.

"I did. But that was a long time ago." She thought back to her childhood home. 

"Where?"

"My family lived in Fleabottom." Tara said. Theon was surprised to say the least.

"How did a girl from Fleabottom end up all the way in the north?" Theon asked.

Tara sighed, "It's a very long story."

Theon looked around at the cave, "We do have lots of time."

Tara smiled at his response, "It's a sad story, but I think it's the same as any other. It's the same story you hear from every poor man."

Theon paused and thought for a moment, "I doubt anyone has the same story you do."

Tara sighed, "Do you really want to know?"

Theon nodded, "I really do."

"Well, alright." Tara started, "Being from Fleabottom you can assume that I had very little money. My family. There were six of us and only my father."

"My mother had died in childbirth giving birth to my youngest sister. And all I remember was being so hungry all the time." Tara let out a small laugh that quickly faded. "But one year we were so hungry. My father couldn't make enough money to feed us, and my brother." Tara shook her head.

"He was so sick and my father didn't know what to do. So his only option was to sell me and my sister to some men. I was so young, only 10. My sister was only 6. You wouldn't believe the things they did." Theon noticed Tara's eyes starting to get glazed over but she wiped away at them to try and hide it. "And they sold me away to be a slave to another person. And then they sold me away to a brothel. Eventually I have been sold so many times and escaped and been captured again that eventually I found my way up here." Tara looked at the ground.

Theon had this overwhelming feeling to protect Tara from men like that. He never wanted her to do things like that. He wanted to save her like she saved him. Theon decided at that moment that he would.

"See, it's the same sad story." Tara finished.

"I have never heard a story like that." Theon replied.

"Then you are lucky."

Theon didn't disagree with her. They sat in silence for a moment, until Theon asked, "Where's your sister?"

"I wish I knew." Tara answered.