Ride Theon ride

Ride Theon ride

Theon POV

Damn, was it because I called Joffrey a lion that Lord Stark put the dots together. This was a problem. There was no way that Lannisters would let the throne go. If they did so, it would be with a fight. I didn't want to get in between. At least Lord Stark was smart enough this time to get his children out.

The first thing I need to do is to get some more men. I went to Jalabhar Xho before night fell. I knew he should get out, too, before the shitstorm hits. His future wasn't that bright with Cercei as the Queen. I moved with long and fast steps. It took a lot of my willpower, not just to run. I didn't even bother to knock on the exiled prince's door and went straight to his room.

"Theon, what are you doing?" Jalabhar asked, bewildered.

"I need your help, and I promise that if you come with me, I will do everything to get your home back to you," I told him.

"What going on?" He asked.

"We don't have time for explanations. Trust me that you won't have any future if you stay here," I answered. "And I need your help, please."

"You only needed to ask me," He replied. "If it is something I could do, I would help you, my friend."

"You have five minutes to take what you can," I told him.

After helping Jalabhar bag his most valuable things, we went to another person to help me. For some reason, I knew how to find Thoros in the garden. Maybe it was the smell of wine that brought me here.

"Get up," I poured a bucket of cold water on him and said. "Listen, Thoros; I need your help. It might be dangerous, but the world's fate is in our hands."

"Wait a moment, the fate of the world?" Jalabhar asked.

"Something like this, you won't go on your word now, will you?" I asked the prince.

"What have I gotten myself into?" I heard Jalabhar mumble.

"What is it all about, boy?" Thoros asked after cleaning the water from his face.

"No time to explain. I need your help. If we survive, I will buy you as much wine as you possibly can drink," I told Thoros.

"You should have said it so from the beginning," He replied.

"Wait, if we survive?" Jalabhar asked, but I ignored him

Then was the next stop. The Tower of the Hand was calm and quiet when I returned. Everyone was preparing to go to sleep, just as Yoren did before I barged into his room. He had his sword pointed at me at once.

"Listen carefully, Yoren of the Night's Watch," I began. "You will leave tonight for the Wall."

"It is impossible, boy," Yoren answered.

"No, if you want to leave," I replied. "You have two hours to prepare before leaving. If you don't do so, you will put the Wall and the whole North in danger."

"Why should I listen to you?" He asked me.

"Because I must bring Lord Stark's children back home, and if I don't manage to do so, you can forget about the Starks supporting the Wall," I answered.

"Give me three hours," He answered and left his room.

Well, that was easier than I thought. Anguy didn't have a choice to deny me, and ser Andar Royce agreed to help eagerly too. Master Syrio, too, agreed to help once I told him why. I told him to take Arya, and ser Andar went to get Bran. I was left with Sansa.

"Wake up," I shook Sansa off her bed. Her direwolf Lady just looked at me as I did so.

"Theon? What are you doing?" Sansa asked.

"Prince Joffrey wants to go to the Dragonstone to see his uncle. He asked if you wanted to come with him," I lied.

"In the middle of the night?" She asked me.

"You should know that if Joffrey wants something, he gets it," This time, I didn't lie. "Lord Stark agreed if I come with you, now quickly get ready if you don't want to miss your beloved. Joffrey won't be waiting for you forever."

I left her room and waited just outside it. After half an hour, Sansa came out. She was dressed in a beautiful silk dress. I felt bad for her, but she wouldn't have followed me willingly otherwise, and I needed to do what I needed to do.

Before everything else, I got Jory, Alyn, and Harwin to follow me. With an order written by Lord Stark, they didn't refuse me. It was past midnight when we were all gathered. Yoren was prepared to leave too. Once Sansa saw all these people, she realized that I had lied. I grabbed her and sat her on the horse before sitting behind her.

Everything was prepared. The direwolves were put in the cart and covered. Anguy has gotten a chest full of gold into the cart with the direwolves. I told Jalabhar to take off his feathered cape and put on the cloak, and after putting a cloak on Sansa, we left the premise of the Red Keep.

Leaving the city at night wouldn't be easy, but I had the authority to pass any gold cloaks, and most importantly, I had gold to buy them. Passing through the Baelor's sept, we reached the Gate of the Gods. Behind this gate was the Kings Road, the fastest road that could bring us to the Winterfell.

"Who goes there?" A guardsman asked us.

"Yoren of the Night Watch," I let Yoren speak first.

"Isn't it too late for you to leave the city?" The same guardsman asked.

"We are on a tight schedule," Yoren answered. "I already wasted a day trying to get to the King, so those bastards will have to travel at night."

"Bastards?" The guardsman looked carefully at the men. "I see riders with you. Who are they?"

"We are disgraced knights, who have lost everything in the Tourney of the Hand," I replied and covered Sansa. "Lord Hand gave us horses and said we would be welcomed to the Wall. It is better than starving on the streets."

"And who is sitting with you on the horse?" He asked.

"Our squires, even if Lord Hand is generous, he didn't provide our squires a horse too," I answered.

"Is that so?" The guardsman asked. "Maybe I should ask Lord Hand himself before letting you go."

"Or you could buy yourself a nicer sword," I told him and threw a pouch with about twenty gold coins.

"Yes, a nice sword would be good, but then I would need shiner armor to match it," He said with greed in his eyes.

"Yes, indeed," I agreed and took another ten gold coins before throwing them to him.

"Open the gates. Let them pass." He yelled.

We passed the gates and into the road, we rode. It was a good thing that there was no order not to let anyone pass or something like this. So they didn't check the carts. Even if they didn't recognize the Stark children, they would know of the direwolves covered in one of them. Tomorrow it will be different.

It will be a long journey, and we didn't have that much time. If Varys were spying on Lord Stark or me, he would think that I left in the morning by the ship. It will buy us at least a day or two before they realize that I did not leave by ship.

I don't believe that Lord Stark will succeed in overthrowing the Lannisters. The Lannisters have more power in the Red Keep and King's Landing than anyone else. Even with King Robert, it would be hard to do so. The King only had one trustworthy kingsguard, and Ser Barristan Selmy alone won't be enough.

I forced all of us to ride into the early morning, and even then, I permitted the men to rest for only a few hours. Most of the Night's Watch recruits complained, but they listened. I thought of taking the children and riding ahead, but it wouldn't buy me much time.

The children needed to rest, and I would have to stop anyway. Now I have numbers to defend against the first group of people coming to us. If they want to catch up to us, the Lannisters will only send a small group at first. If they send more men, catching up will take more time. It was too risky, especially if they weren't sure the Stark children were there.

"We need food," Yoren told me. "I didn't bring much, as there wasn't enough time."

"We should reach the next village before nightfall," I answered. "I have gold. You will have to buy everything you need in that village while we rest."

"It is a small village," Yoren replied. "They won't have much."

"It will have to do," I responded. "At least until we reach Riverlands, we don't have time to rest."

"I still don't understand why you are taking the children back to the Winterfell in such a rush. Would you explain it to me?" Yoren asked, and Sansa, too turned to me.

I ignored Sansa since I forced her to sit and ride with me. After hours of ignoring her questions, she became too tired to speak and kept quiet. Arya and Bran didn't like it and complained, but I refused to answer any of their questions.

"Prince Joffrey isn't a child of King Robert but a bastard," I answered Yoren. "Lord Stark found out. You should piece the rest of what will happen."

"Lies. You are lying," Sansa yelled at me.

"It is hard to believe," Yoren agreed with Sansa.

"Neither of the royal children has any resemblances to Baratheons, no black hair, no blue eyes," I replied. "Lord Stark will confront the Lannisters on this, but he wanted to secure his children first. If Lannisters don't go down, they will come to take the children as hostages."

"So that's why you are in such a rush," Yoren spoke.

I didn't respond to him and just held Sansa. I didn't trust her not to do anything stupid. She didn't believe me and probably thought I kidnapped her or something. For now, I had to ride and then ride some more.