Chapter 04 - The howls

- "Ser Harwin" - I called out to the captain of the city guard, who was in the Winterfell stables brushing his horse.

- "Princess Alexandrya," - He bowed, - "What are you doing here, you should be inside with your family, it's getting cold in here and that cloak you're wearing doesn't keep you warm," - He approached me and then crouched down to be at my level.

- "It's just that my grandfather started a dialogue with the Lord Regent about political issues..." - I sighed - "I'm bored inside, I thought that coming here I would know what the North was, but I only know the Stark house and the courtyard of the house and now the stables."

- "Lexy, how about we make a deal?" - I said smiling, and I nodded - "I take you to know the place but with the condition that you wear my coat, I don't want you to get sick."

- "But you could get sick"

- "I'm a man resistant to illnesses, I've never had the flu" - He took off his coat - "Do you accept?" - He asked.

- "Yes," - I answered, and it was inevitable that I did not jump a little.

The Ser lifted me and sat me on his horse, he took the reins of it while I walked guiding him, we were not going very far since we would have to return soon because they would notice my absence, the chestnut took me to a small lake which looked crystallized by the ice that covered the top layer, then we went to the entrance of a small forest whose trees were covered by a thin layer of snow, our ride ended when a howl was heard, Ser Harwin got on the horse in front of me and began to ride back.

When we returned, he did not want me to give him back his coat, so I went back inside the Stark house with the coat, much of which was dragging because of the size of my coat.

- "There you were Alexandrya," - Said Aegon coming up to me and looking at my coat, - "Did you kill a bear?" - He asked as he laughed.

- "It's Ser Harwin's coat," - I replied.

- "We were planning with Aemond to go to the forest, it's near here, it's not too far away"

- "I heard the wolves, besides it's almost dark" - I answered.

- "You don't have to be afraid, I will go, I will protect you" - Said Aegon smiling and then bowed - "My princess."

I smiled at his action.

- "Will Helaena come?" - I asked and watched as Aemond approached.

- "No, she is with my mother in her room, the weather has affected her, that's why we are going back to King's Landing tomorrow, so today we have to make the most of our visit to this boring place."

- "I don't think it's dull, it's nice, it's just that we haven't seen much of it," - I answered.

- "Will you come?" - Asked Aemond as he stood next to me.

- "Well, I think Aegon is right, we should take advantage of the little time we have to see more of this place, yes I will come" - I said smiling.

I left my coat on a saddle because it was heavy, we were not going on horseback so walking with it would slow us down a lot, both white-haired men offered me their hands, so I took Aegon's right hand and Aemond's left, the three of us left the place, it was not very difficult, the guards that were guarding the door had fallen asleep, we left the fortress.

Aegon was leading us, we went the way that Ser Harwin had taken me a little while ago, the journey was longer because we did it on foot, and when we reached the forest the three of us began to enter it.

- "Look at a dead stag," - Aegon said, letting go of my hand.

- "Lexy, don't look" - Aemond made me turn around, Aegon came closer to see the dead animal.

- "It was attacked by wolves, great" - He answered, and then he came closer to us.

I heard a whimper of a small animal, Aemond had released his grip on my hand, I let go and ran to what I heard - "Alexandrya, no!" - Aemond started to run after me and Aegon the same I crossed a lake which was crystallized, the creature had fallen into a hole in the lake, I got on my knees and tried to grab it, but the ice broke, and I fell into the water, it was completely freezing, I tried to swim until I could grab the creature.

- "ALEXANDRYA!" - Aegon shouted and then came closer and grabbed one of my hands, he pulled me out of the lake.

I was shivering from the cold, and the little animal was too, it was a little dog, or so it seemed to be.

- "Look, a puppy," - I said as I showed it to them.

- "Alexandrya... that's not a puppy," - Said Aemond, - "You almost froze to death in the lake chasing that thing."

- "It's a wolf," - Said Aegon with a smile, - "We must get back, we have to keep you warm," - He took off his coat and put it over my shoulders.

- "What do you say, it's a little dog, it's small, we have to take it to where we are, it must be cold" - I brought the dog close to me, and it licked my face.

Both sighed and nodded, soon we heard horses and screams calling us, and we saw in the distance a torch, minutes later we heard a howl, the dog tried to howl but that sound was nothing like the other one.

We started to walk in the direction of the lights and the sounds of the horses until we heard a scream of a person, the scream was heartbreaking, the three of us started to run and when we came out of the forest we heard an animal whimpering.

- "Here you are" - Ser Criston Cole had arrived with his horse - "They are here" - He shouted, and then he looked at me, I was wet and with a little dog in my arms - "let go of that thing and get on the horse."

- "No," - I replied and hugged the puppy.

- "What's going on?" - Asked Ser Harwin as he got off his horse -"Alexandrya" - He looked at me with a reproachful gesture and lowered his head, he lifted me without caring what I was carrying, he just put me on his horse.

- "Ser, the princess has an animal," - Replied Ser Criston.

- "I know, when we get to Winterfell we will take care of it, we must get out of here, Derrek was attacked by a wolf, luckily Erryk shot him before he killed Derrek, we don't know if there are more of those creatures."

The being started to ride, and on the way I saw blood, the situation was identical to what I had seen, I swallowed saliva, I didn't like when what I saw came true, it terrified me.