Memory share | Let's play a game

[king_inthenorth]

[cw: death, gore, violence, a little blood, Ramsay Bolton, general Game of Thrones stuff]

[The memory starts with two armies on opposite sides of a wide plain. Most of the men are on foot; some are carrying banners that surround a larger banner with the Stark sigil, a silver direwolf on a white background. Jon rides slowly through the men. This is his battle, outside his home. He will regain Winterfell for the Starks or he will die trying. There is no yielding to Ramsay Bolton.

Jon pauses and looks out over the field, past the flayed men, tied upside down and burning, but thankfully dead and silent. Another horse comes forward, ridden by Ramsay, who has been seen in two other memories already. Ramsay is leading someone at the end of a rope -- a boy. Rickon. Rickon, whose fate had been unknown for so many years, and now in the hands of Ramsay Bolton.

Ramsay dismounts, draws a dagger, holds it aloft. Jon dismounts too, as though that will do any good against whatever Ramsay has planned. He steps forward as Ramsay cuts the ties binding Rickon. Ramsay speaks to Rickon, and Rickon starts to walk, then to run. A man steps forward to hand Ramsay a bow. Jon, knowing Ramsay's skill with a bow, turns and races to get back on his horse and across the plain. Arrows start to fly; they miss the running Rickon but hit the ground nearby. To those who don't know, it looks like Ramsay missed a moving target. But Jon knows. Jon knows what the arrows really mean. They're a challenge: what will reach Rickon first, Ramsay's arrow, or Jon?

Jon's almost to Rickon, arm extended to pull him up onto the horse, when it happens. Ramsay's arrow strikes its target, and Rickon falls at the feet of Jon's horse, gasping for breath.

Jon reins his horse in as Rickon falls silent and stops breathing. Jon hadn't been fast enough, and he stares across the field at Ramsay.

Ramsay will pay for this, or Jon will die trying.]

Comments

video; un: littlebird

[toivory]

[She told him Rickon was as good as dead. She'd told him. But she wouldn't say it. She didn't need to. Just like she doesn't need to say anything. But she's there.]

[king_inthenorth]

I know you're there.

[toivory]

[Wow, rude. Okay fine. She'll talk.]

You remember when he was born. The summer, as everyone else. Mother was so excited, but she always was, to be with child. I knew my own turn would be soon and watched carefully. It was the first time I realized I would be going through the same in just a matter of years.

[king_inthenorth]

He deserved better. We should have tried harder to keep him safe.

[What's this 'we,' Jon? You weren't even there when he left.]

[toivory]

He never had a chance.

[There was nothing either of them could do.]

[king_inthenorth]

I know.

If I think that I could have done something else, then Rickon had hope. He should have had hope.

[toivory]

Jon, Rickon was as good as dead the moment he was brought to Ramsay. So long as he was alive, a true born Stark, he was a threat to Ramsay's hold on Winterfell.

[king_inthenorth]

I know that. That doesn't mean I don't wish there had been some hope for him.

un: youngwolf

[kingnamedstark]

[There's a lot to take in and digest. His brother's death at the very root of it, the fact that Jon was fighting for Winterfell, and who made up his troops (largely Wildlings). It seemed to be a continuous thing for Robb. There was no one place to focus, so his thoughts ended up jumbled and confused. What did he even think about this beyond grief and frustration.

All of this could have been avoided, if not for him.]

Is he resting next to father now?

[king_inthenorth]

He rests in Winterfell.

[That's the one good thing that can be said about this. Rickon is back home.]

[kingnamedstark]

He should be home, the both of them.

[He ran his hands over his face, letting out a shaky sigh.]

Did father not know what the Boltons were capable of? I thought they had more honor than this.

[king_inthenorth]

Roose might have. I doubt Ramsay ever did.

[There is that whole thing with Roose conveniently dying not long after he'd legitimized Ramsay as his heir, after all.]

[kingnamedstark]

Roose had no honor. He had his own interests.

Given what Roose did and what he encouraged, I can't believe that Ramsay was the worse of the two. He was at least honest in being a monster.

[king_inthenorth]

Do you know what Ramsay did to Sansa?

[Robb might have a point, but Jon had to deal with the immediate fallout of what happened to their sister.]

[kingnamedstark]

The memory shares showed me, aye.

[And he doesn't want to talk about it much. It's too horrible to think about.]

Ramsay Snow is a monster, but his father is much the same, only able to hide those features.

[He paused.]

Where do you think Ramsay Snow came from? I could never say for certain, but there were rumors that Roose Bolton practiced First Night, even though it was condemned by law. They are two of a kind.

[king_inthenorth]

He's Ramsay Bolton now. Or was.

[Before he met his unfortunate end.]

So they're the same. I never knew much about Roose. [Not like he did about Ramsay, certainly. He had no reason to dislike Roose any more than any other man.]

[unknownmoirai]

I do not like that man.

[First Sansa and then Reckon...]

You know, it isn't your fault.

[It hurts to watch anyone die but to do it through Jon's eyes, to know who this boy is... She wishes she could turn back time for him.]

[king_inthenorth]

There weren't many who did.

[He turns onto his side so he can look at her.]

I know that Ramsay was an excellent archer, and he designed it that way on purpose. But I still feel like I could have tried harder.

[unknownmoirai]

[Inesa entwines her legs with his before lightly brushing a black curl from his forehead. She's been staying with him more often lately and today, she's even more glad to be at his side. To be here for him.]

It isn't your fault. [She recognizes that tone in his voice.] What more could you have done?

[king_inthenorth]

I don't know. Sansa told me that Rickon was doomed from the moment he fell into Ramsay's hands, and I know that, but I feel like he should have had hope. He couldn't fight for himself, he'd never learned how, but I could do it for him.

[unknownmoirai]

You tried your best Jon. [She gently twisted her fingers around his.] I don't know... I'm not sure what more could be done in a situation like that.

[It's hard to know what to do or how to feel.]

It isn't your fault.

[king_inthenorth]

I know it's not, but I still feel like it is. Like Rickon was expecting me to be able to do more.

[unknownmoirai]

[She lightly trails her fingers down his arm, hoping to offer him some sort of comfort.]

Do you think your brother would be upset with you?

video, un: ponine

[jondrette]

This is Robb's youngest brother? Rickon?

[She wants to learn all about the man who's caught her eye and her heart.]

[king_inthenorth]

Our youngest brother, yes. We had hoped he was safe, but we were wrong.