Solace {A Game of Thrones Fanfiction}

Chapter 25

Tears were still streaming down Tara's face. They were the remnants of the extreme pain she encountered only minutes ago. The good news was that her leg was now wrapped up and the bleeding was slowing.

Theon was still gripping her hand. He had held it the entire time she screamed and cried from the pain.

She was now finally able to rest. She let out deep breaths and Theon helped to lean her against a trunk of a tree.

"Thank you." Tara finally got out. "What are your names?"

"I am Lady Brienne of Tarth. This here is Podrick." The lady said. Podrick nodded his head when he was introduced.

"Thank you. You have saved my life." Tara said to them. Brienne nodded back in turn.

Tara then turned to Sansa, "I am honored to finally meet you Lady Stark."

"Any friend of Theon's is a friend of mine." Sansa replied.

Tara nodded and then added, "The North remembers." Tara was sad to hear the news of the Red wedding. She couldn't imagine how devastated Sansa must have been.

Later, Pod was trying to light a fire. Brienne sat nearby cleaning the blood off her sword.

Tara was still resting against the trunk. Trying, but failing, to fall asleep. Theon was sitting next to her. He held her hand tightly. He didn't want to leave her again, not even for a second. However, he knew he needed to make sure she was warm and safe too.

Tara's eyes flickered as Theon placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be right back."

Tara smiled from his touch as he stood up and walked towards Sansa. "Could you sit with her? I don't want her to be alone." Theon asked her.

Sansa nodded. She thought it was sweet how much Theon cared about her. She was glad he had someone.  "Thank you." Theon added as he went to go collect firewood. He wouldn't go far.

Tara turned her head up when she saw Sansa walking towards her. "How do you feel?" Sansa asked as she found a place to sit next to her.

"It doesn't hurt as bad anymore. But I don't think I could walk yet." Tara looked up from her leg at Sansa. She gave her a sad smile.

"You are very strong." Sansa said. She knew she meant it after she saw Brienne pull the arrow out of her leg.

"You are too." Tara said back. Sansa dropped her gaze to the ground. A flash of Ramsay found itself in her mind. She brushed it away.

"I'm sorry what happened to you." Tara started. She paused for a moment, "Theon told me what happened on your wedding night."

Sansa still kept her eyes focused on the snow in front of her. Tara could see the sadness in her eyes.

"He did it to me too." Tara said. She wanted to let her know that she wasn't alone. Sansa looked back up at her.

"I'm sorry." Sansa said. Tara nodded. She was appreciative of Sansa's words. Both of them felt a little bit of relief and safety being able to have someone who knew exactly what it was like.

"Men have always done that to me." Tara said somberly. She knew that was the first for Sansa. "But you can never let it get to you."

Sansa nodded, "I won't let it." They met each other's gaze. Tara smiled to hear Sansa's strong response.

"He will get what he deserves soon enough. They always do some way or another." Tara said trying to be optimistic. She knew that some of the horrible men she knew got away with terrible things. She hoped Ramsay would be different.

"He will. We won't forget what he did." Sansa added. Sansa knew that the second after Ramsay had done what he had done to her. She would make sure he got what he deserved.

They sat in silence for a moment longer before Sansa spoke.

"You know, Theon was going to go back for you." Sansa said. Tara wasn't expecting for her to say anything else.

"What?"

"He was going to back to Winterfell to find you." Sansa said again. Tara looked at the ground. She couldn't believe that he would do that. He would go back to Ramsay for her.

"He said that?" Tara asked.

"He was about to leave until you came here." Sansa started, "He said he wouldn't be able to live without you."

Tara blushed from the words, even though they were coming from Sansa and not from Theon himself. She was still happy to hear it and it made her heart warm.

"I wouldn't be able to live without him either."

~

Theon was next to Tara. Pod was still trying desperately to light a fire without much luck. Tara had fallen asleep on Theon's shoulder. He smiled when he looked down at her. He was unbelievably happy to have her at his side. He would have returned to Ramsay for her without a doubt. He was relieved that we wasn't going to have to.

Suddenly, he heard horses in the distance. His happy thoughts drained from him. He had forgotten for a moment the dangerous situation they were in. He turned and lifted Tara's head off of his shoulder ever so gently. She only barely tittered which Theon was glad he had managed to not wake her. He stood up and walked towards the sound of the horses. He strained to see anything in the snow covered woods, but he couldn't see much besides frosted trees. That much was somewhat a relief.

Sansa walked up to him. He started to voice his concerns, "We shouldn't be lighting fires. It's not safe. He won't stop hunting us." Theon was still scared.

"We just have to make it to Castle Black. Once we're with Jon, Ramsay won't be able to touch us." Sansa tried to calm him.

"Jon will have me killed the moment I step through the gate." Theon looked at his feet.

"I won't let him." Sansa butted in, "I'll tell him the truth about Bran and Rickon."

Theon sighed. That wasn't enough. "And the truth about those two farm boys I killed in their place."

"And the truth about Ser Rodrik whom I beheaded." Theon couldn't bear to look up, "And the truth about Robb who I betrayed." That was the worst one for Theon. It was the thing he regretted most.

"When you take the black, all your crimes are forgiven." Sansa said.

Theon looked up at her, "I don't want to be forgiven." Sansa looked surprised.

"I can never make amends to your family for the things I've done." Theon looked over at Brienne and Pod, "They will keep you safer than I ever could."

Sansa looked at him. He could see she was hurt, "You're not coming with us?"

He didn't want to make her feel bad, "I would have taken you all the way to the wall. I would have died to get you there."

Sansa looked at him for a moment before she pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back. He meant every word he had said. While he pulled away from the hug, he met eyes with Tara. She was leaning against the trunk. He could see the concern in her eyes all the way from where he was. He pulled his eyes from her and back to Sansa.

"May I take one of the horses?" He asked.

Sansa looked somber and Theon hated it, but it was what he had to do. She finally asked him, "Where will you go?"

"Home."