An idiot girl

Going to the front of the inn, Jason focuses his sharp senses to examine the wide mix of footprints along the ground, quickly picking out two that moved off towards the forest, the two seeming to follow a trail that went close to the nearby river. "Heh, the scenic route." He muttered as he followed along. Soon his sharp ears could hear young voices, although there was more than two from what he could tell.

Nearing a small clearing by the river, he'd find that Sansa and Joffrey weren't alone as Arya and a commoner boy was there as well. From what he could tell Arya and the boy had been playing fighting with sticks yet for some reason Joffrey was confronting the commoner, his sword out and pressing to the boy's cheek. Sansa was standing back with a shocked look while Arya pleaded with the prince to stop. The boy whimpered as the prince slowly cut across his cheek, having a sadistic grin as he drew blood. However, with his guard down, Arya sudden struck at his back, making Joffrey yell out in pain and surprise while staggering, giving the commoner boy to flee. He'd just duck from a blind slash from the prince, who quickly turned about swinging at Arya who just avoided the attack, tumbling onto her back.

"I'll gut you, you little cunt!" He snapped out, sword pointed at her in anger.

Yet already Jason was on the move, rushing over to the group. "Alright enough of that!" He snapped out, making Joffrey and Sansa give surprised looks seeing the Surgebinder. Suddenly though, there was a snarl from the bushes as Nymeria rushed out at Joffrey, biting down on his sword arm and making the boy howl in pain. Being tugged down, he struggled as the dire wolf thrashed its head about to tear up his sleeve and dig into his arm along him making him drop his sword.

"Nymeria stop!" Arya ordered, struggling up to her feet.

"Make her stop please!" Sansa pleaded.

Jason was quick to reach the dire wolf, grabbing her by the back of the neck as he'd growl out. "Let him go!" Nymeria did so, whining as she'd hurry away to Arya who hugged the canine closely. The Surgebinder kneeled beside Joffrey, the prince teary-eyed as he gripped his bloodied arm.

"Gods…i-it mauled me! I can't feel my arm!" He groaned in pain.

"Stop squirming. Have to check how bad it is." The ruined finery got in the way, so he'd rip the torn cloth away to show the deep bite marks the boy had. While bloody, the muscle wasn't torn from what he could see. "Bleeding badly, yet nothing serious."

Joffrey bites back his pained cries as he'd look to Nymeria, giving a hateful look to the wolf. "Cursed beast! I'll…I'll have it skinned for this!" He threatened, making Arya hold onto her companion and give an angry look back at the prince.

"It was an accident…All of it!" Sansa quickly said, mainly towards Jason with the pleading look.

"We'll see." He muttered before looking back to Joffrey. Tugging the boy up by his uninjured arm. He'd help him stand yet during that time Arya suddenly got up and run. Glancing about, he'd see her bolt into the forest with Nymeria close behind her. "Damn it…"

"They're running off!" Joffrey snapped out as he'd grasp his injured arm, wincing from the pain while Sansa was quickly at his side, trying to calm him. She seemed to whisper something to him that made compose him, yet he had a frustrated look remaining in his eyes.

"I can see that sire." The Surgebinder sighed. "Need to get you back to the inn and get that treated to stop the bleeding. Since you can still walk, it won't be hard to return." The prince was silent, unable to argue on the matter as the Surgebinder moved beside him handing the torn sleeve to the prince as a makeshift rag. "Keep pressure on it to slow the bleeding. Anyway, let's move."

Picking up the boy's discarded sword, he'd lead to two young nobles back to the inn. Quickly attention was on them and already the servants called for Cersei and a healer. The queen was the first to arrive, a panicked look in her eyes before seeing Joffrey was alive. "Thank the gods." She gasped as she hurried to him, quickly checking at the bitten arm. "What did this to you?"

"Ayra's beast! It mauled me!" The boy quickly answered while Sansa stood by his side, eyes low and remaining silent.

"You had your sword pointed at the girl. You're lucky the wolf didn't go for your throat." Jason warned, making the boy gulp nervously.

"We'll discuss this later. Right now he needs to be tended to." Cersei quickly answered back. Soon a servant came with bandages and ointments. "Let's get inside." She'd hurry her son and the servant into the inn, shooing any patrons out of their way while Sansa hurried to follow. However, Jason stopped put one arm in her way, giving a calm yet serious look to her.

"Don't hurry off. You need to tell me what was going on."

The girl glances away from him, nervous by those piercing yellow eyes yet she'd nod. "Alright…"

"Who was the boy Arya was with?"

"I…I don't know his name, the local butcher's son I believe. He and Arya were fighting with sticks when we found them…not a proper thing for her to do much less with someone like him." She answered. "Joffrey took offence that the boy fight with a noble and…challenged him."

"Right…very honourable. Fight a boy with a sword while he has just a stick." Jason remarked in dry sarcasm.

"He…wasn't going to hurt him. Just was trying to scare him off."

Jason glanced at the prince's sword. "Bloodied from what I can tell. Sharp blade…one which he swung at your own sister."

"It was in self-defence! She hit him in the back." Sansa argued.

"You'd say that still if he cut her open? A foot closer and that would have happened."

The girl paled sickly at the thought. "Please. Just…go find Arya." She muttered, hurrying into the inn before the Surgebinder could argue any further. He'd sigh as he'd put the prince's sword through a loop of his belt. "Foolish girl. Not sure what she sees in that violent brat."

As he'd move for the convoy camp, he'd nearly run into Jaime Lannister who was in a hurry for the inn. He was dressed in a quite stylish tanned leather duelist outfit, clothing fitting for the region. Despite his surprise seeing the Surgebinder, he'd give a more serious look. "Should have known. Trouble seems to follow wherever you go Surgebinder." He muttered.

"Good to see you too Sir Jaime," Jason answered back formally despite the harsh greeting he received.

"Where is the prince? What happened to him?"

"Got bitten by Arya's wolf for threatening the girl. It isn't too serious and is already being tended to."

"That is good to hear at the least," Jaime muttered. "Forgive my manners. I am thankful you aided the prince and brought him back swiftly. The news of Joffrey being wounded had me worried."

"Understandable. He is under your protection after all."

"Yes…now I must be at his side." Quickly the blond-haired knight hurried past the Surgebinder, although be suddenly stopped by him. Giving an odd look to Jason, he'd notice the fine sword in his hands.

"Should return this to him."

Jaime took the blade without a word before he'd quickly enter the inn, questioning the nearest patron on where the young prince was.

Just as Jason began to move through, a familiar voice called out from the side. "Jason! What in the Hell happened." Ned quickly demanded. One look at the man and the Surgebinder could tell he had a tried look about him, no doubt from stress and lack of sleep.

"Long story. Overall it involved your daughters and the prince. Arya's wolf mauled him and she ran off into the forest." He'd answer back, being short and direct with his words.

"Arya?" Eddard sighed as he'd rub his brow with one hand. "Please tell me she didn't get far."

"Doubtful. Hasn't been long and she's on foot. I'll find her don't worry."

Ned nodded, calming down slightly. "Good good. Robert should be returning soon from his hunting. He'll no doubt be troubled by this news and demand to know what happened."

"Of course. Anyway, I'll have Arya back as soon as possible, but if I'm not back before sunset, organize a search party."

Ned nodded before Jason hurried off, heading back down the trail to the clearing and then following the path Arya left in her hurry to escape. It was trickier to follow the girl, making him move more slowly to not lose sight of her footprints, yet he knew he was getting close. A good hour passed as it seemed Arya had gotten far and soon he heard noise nearby, soft tense breathing coming from a large fallen log. Slowly he'd approach, his footsteps just audible which made the girl quickly become silent, trying to hide herself.