┏━ tribulation.
( SCENE 8 ) ━┛

FROM atop the balcony, Evolet watched in striking fear as Robb marched toward the gate where Iron Born were filing into Winterfell's courtyard where many servants and those alike watched in fear. They'd been spotted making their way toward Winterfell, but not before the gates could be barred. Unfortunately, they'd managed to push their way inside.

Evolet gripped Laila in fear of what was to come, the thought of unimaginable horrors falling upon them at the order of none other than Theon Greyjoy, the ward that had been raised alongside Robb. She didn't know much about him, but she knew a contingent of men would not come to Winterfell to merely exchange words. Not only was that troublesome, but the Stark household guard was all but non-existent at the moment, leaving them defenseless.

"Robb," Theon states blandly as he stopped in front of the Ironborn, who all looked down at the Stark with nasty glares.

"Theon," Robb replies bluntly, his eyes weary of those behind the ward. His hand was rested on the pommel of his sword. "Why are you here? Didn't Darik send you to gain help from your father in the war?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The cocky, self righteous Greyjoy scoffed. "I'm not working for Darik anymore. I'm loyal to my own house. The North is free for the right now with your little war going on. I've already taken Torrhen's Square with nothin' but grappling hooks and my men. Surrender Winterfell now."

"Excuse me?" Robb sneered.

"You heard me," Theon pressed. "You're going to surrender Winterfell if you want any of your people to survive." To Evolet's horror, Theon's gaze drifts to where she stands at the balcony, holding Laila in her arms. "I see you've acquired yourself a bastard."

"Leave her out of this," Robb steps forward defensively. Evolet thanked the Old and the New that he did not reveal her legitimacy, which could compromise her daughters life even more. Robb's sudden defense causes the Ironborn to step closer to Theon, ready to pounce given the order.

"And why should I?" Theon japed. "She's got Stark blood, after all.

Evolet suddenly recalls Bran's dream he'd told her about just a few nights before. The sea flooded Winterfell.

"She may," Robb retorted. "But she's just a child."

"Still a wolf spawn, which is all the same to me," Theon muttered. "She's still the blood of the good King Darik, who I'm sure would give a handsome reward for the release of his family if I don't just do away with them."

"And what would you do to innocent children?" Robb growled. "Would you kill Bran and Rickon, two boys you've known since they were babes? Would you kill my child as well? You've always been talk, Theon."

"I'll deal with you all in due time," Theon promised cruelly. "And I will ensure I keep my promises."

Robb's expression hardened, for he saw no escape out of the situation. How would they escape with an entire contingent of Ironborn within the walls of Winterfell, and no men to provide any resistance? He prayed that Maester Luwin had managed to send ravens bound for the northern host.

Through the open gates, Ser Rodrik suddenly rode in with a handful of Stark men, his expression confused as he sees Ironborn surrounding him. Suddenly, he is tackled down to the ground by Theon's Ironborn and held by his neck to the mud. The Stark men were seized as well. Robb stands rigid, seeing things have turned much worse now that they had leverage against him.

"Will you surrender now that I have your precious Ser Rodrik in my grasp?" Theon challenged as he made his way to where the older man was being held. Theon's men raised the man to his feet, where he seethed with disgust.

"You turn on the family that raised you," Ser Rodrik spat. "As if you didn't live here nearly your whole life."

"I've returned to my real family," Theon stayed simply. "The Stark's were never."

"You seem to easily say so," Robb scowled. "Yet when Darik took the northern host south, I remember you riding off with him."

Theon looked slightly stunned at the fact, as if he knew Robb was right. Still, he shrugged the truth away and wandered to where his men restrained Ser Rodrik. As soon as Theon got close enough, the older man angrily spit in his face.

"Don't let this craven win, Robb," Ser Rodrik told him from where he was being restrained.

"Will you let yourself be disrespected in such a way?" One of Theon's men, who seemed to be a commander of the Ironborn forces, spoke up. "Deal with him, unless you're too weak."

Theon looked to Ser Rodrik with a stunned expression, most likely from being forced into such a situation. It seemed as if he fought what the better part of him was thinking as he ultimately ordered for Ser Rodrik to be dropped to his knees.

Robb heart lurched in his throat as he watched Theon draw his blade. He felt utterly helpless despite have the pommel of his sword in his grasp. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop it, so he was frozen in place for the horror to come.

"Any last words, old man?" Theon asked mockingly.

"You never belonged here," Ser Rodrik spat. "Get on with it."

Theon seemed to hesitated with his blade, as if he were about to change his mind and spare Ser Rodrik's life. Yet, his men waited silently for him to prove his loyalty to their cause, so he lifted the blade into the air.

As the blade came down, he botched the older man's beheading, jaggedly cutting through bone and flesh. Evolet let out a cry of horror from her place at the balcony, it echoed by the many servants and people who had loved Ser Rodrik as their own kin. Robb felt rage and horror consume him as he watched Theon hack at Ser Rodrik's neck one more, only managing to dismember it from his now limp body after giving a kick.

Theon was heaving breaths after staggering still, looking to Robb with a smug expression covered in spatters of blood. After seeing one of the men that helped raise him be brutally murdered, Robb vowed to himself he would kill Theon himself.

"Take Winterfell you horrid bastard," Robb snarled.

Theon nodded in assertion. "Take them," he ordered his men, emotionless. "All of the Stark's are to be thrown in the dungeon."

❆

"THEON was like a brother to me," Robb muttered in defeat from where he leaned against the stone wall of one of Winterfell's dungeon cells. "I'd known him since we were children. Yet he betrays us all, as if he'd never known us."

Night had descended upon the north, nothing except the illumination of the moon giving them light inside the dark, damp cell they were all locked in. After Theon had ordered for their capture, Ironborn had seized them all, finding each and every Stark to throw into the dungeon, poor Hodor included. 

"He killed Ser Rodrik without a second thought," Evolet murmured from where she sat, Rickon under her arm and Laila dozing in her lap.

"To think I ever saw him as my brother," Robb muttered in disgust, thinking of the older man's gruesome murder. "I guess he's living up to his real family's reputation now. If Darik were close enough he'd bring the entire northern host here and destroy everyone of them just to free us, and then move toward the Iron Islands to destroy the Greyjoy's once and for all."

"What will we do now?" Bran asked from where he'd been placed on the ground by Hodor, who was also present in the cell.

"I. . ." Robb tried finding the words to explain their predicament. "I don't know, Bran. We had no men here when they came and all are south with Darik. All we can do is hope that Maester Luwin sent ravens before they took over. We can only hope someone hears."

"Surely Theon would never harm us," Evolet tried being optimistic despite the underlying fear that had shook her to core since the Ironborn arrived.

"I'm not sure at this point," Robb muttered. "He's already done two things I'd never dream of him doing. Why would he not make it three?"

"But innocent children?" Evolet retorted in defense of what they hoped to happen. "A baby? Would he mercilessly kill a baby?"

"These are Ironborn we are dealing with, unfortunately," Robb sighed. "They are unpredictable. There's no telling."

"If we do anything, we keep Laila's legitimacy a secret, if we can. One less Stark would help our case at the moment."

"Are there no men at Lakewell that your mother could send in assistance?" Robb asked, reminded that it was one of the closest keeps you Winterfell.

"I'm sure there are some," she sighed. "But they are there for the sole purpose of protecting my mother. She'd never leave herself undefended during a time of war."

"If we could just escape Winterfell, we could get to Lakewell in three days time if we walk briskly," Robb guessed. "Or managed to find a few horses. But those chances are slim."

"Hodor," Hodor spoke up nervously after a faint sound caused them all to quiet. The simple giant looked toward the bars of the dungeon, as if something were coming.

"What is it?" Bran asked him, obviously worried himself.

They all watched in fearful silence as a dark figure appeared at the bars. They were only able to learn who it was once they'd entered the cell through access of keys, revealing Osha in the moonlight.

"Lets go," the Wildling woman spoke quickly. "We've got to move quickly now before they find out I've set ya free."

"Osha, how did you manage to get passed the guards?" Evolet asked in surprise as they were all rushing to get to their feet. Bran was heaved into Hodor's arms, Laila into Evolet's.

"Not now, not now," Osha shushed. "We've got to go before someone notices."

They all listened, staying as quiet as could be even as they passed the recently deceased and bleeding Ironborn at the base of the steps. Forced to hide in the shadows, they darted through open light as they navigated the quiet keep, careful to not cause too much commotion. Luckily, Laila was quiet.

Once exiting the small door that led into the Godswood, Robb was relieved to all three of their dire wolves waiting for them in the shadows.

"If we plan on survivin', we're gonna need em'," Osha whispered as the group silently followed her. The three direwolves loped after them, ready to defend if anything were to arise.

"Darik told me about a spot along the wall here," Robb remembered. "A small exit. He and Ismene used to sneak out of it as children, he had said."

He took lead of them all, remembering where Darik had pointed it out one day in casual conversation as they had walked the garden. Pushing his way passed some elderberry bushes, he found it right where he had remembered Darik pointing it out. Small indeed, and would be difficult for Hodor to pass through, but it would have to do.

One by one, they crawled their ways through, Hodor narrowly managing to squeeze through before the direwolves followed close behind. Soon enough, they were all outside of the thick wall, running into the night and toward their escape.