A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle
dripping wet. He shook the water off and bounded after the running man, hamstringing him with a single snap of his teeth, and going forthe throat as the screaming man slid back down toward the water.
And then there was no one left but the big man, Stiv. He slashed at Branâs chest strap, grabbed his arm, and yanked. Suddenly Bran was falling. He sprawled on the ground, his legs tangled under him, one foot in the stream. He could not feel the cold of the water, but he felt the steel when Stiv pressed his dagger to his throat. âBack away,â the man warned, âor Iâll open the boyâs windpipe, I swear it.â
Robb reined his horse in, breathing hard. The fury went out of his eyes, and his sword arm dropped.
In that moment Bran saw everything. Summer was savaging Hali, pulling glistening blue snakes from her belly. Her eyes were wide and staring. Bran could not tell whether she was alive or dead. The grey stubbly man and the one with the axe lay unmoving, but Osha was on her knees, crawling toward her fallen spear. Grey Wind padded toward her, dripping wet. âCall him off!â the big man shouted. âCall them both off, or the cripple boy dies now!â
âGrey Wind, Summer, to me,â Robb said.
The direwolves stopped, turned their heads. Grey Wind loped back to Robb. Summer stayed where he was, his eyes on Bran and the man beside him. He growled. His muzzle was wet and red, but his eyes burned.
Osha used the butt end of her spear to lever herself back to her feet. Blood leaked from a wound on the upper arm where Robb had cut her. Bran could see sweat trickling down the big manâs face. Stiv was as scared as he was, he realized. âStarks,â the man muttered, âbloody Starks.â He raised his voice. âOsha, kill the wolves and get his sword.â
âKill them yourself,â she replied. âIâll not be getting near those monsters.â
For a moment Stiv was at a loss. His hand trembled; Bran felt a trickle of blood where the knife pressed against his neck. The stench of the man filled his nose; he smelled of fear. âYou,â he called out to Robb. âYou have a name?â
âI am Robb Stark, the heir to Winterfell.â
âThis is your brother?â
âYes.â
âYou want him alive, you do what I say. Off the horse.â
Robb hesitated a moment. Then, slowly and deliberately, he dismounted and stood with his sword in hand.
âNow kill the wolves.â
Robb did not move.
âYou do it. The wolves or the boy.â
âNo!â
Bran screamed. If Robb did as they asked, Stiv would kill them both anyway, once the direwolves were dead.
The bald man took hold of his hair with his free hand and twisted it cruelly, till Bran sobbed in pain. âYou shut your mouth, cripple, you hear me?â He twisted harder.
âYou hear me?â
A low
thrum
came from the woods behind them. Stiv gave a choked gasp as a half foot of razor-tipped broadhead suddenly exploded out of his chest. The arrow was bright red, as if it had been painted in blood.
The dagger fell away from Branâs throat. The big man swayed and collapsed, facedown in the stream. The arrow broke beneath him. Bran watched his life go swirling off in the water.
Osha glanced around as Fatherâs guardsmen appeared from beneath the trees, steel in hand. She threw down her spear. âMercy, mâlord,â she called to Robb.
The guardsmen had a strange, pale look to their faces as they took in the scene of slaughter. They eyed the wolves uncertainly, and when Summer returned to Haliâs corpse to feed, Joseth dropped his knife and scrambled for the bush, heaving. Even Maester Luwin seemed shocked as he stepped from behind a tree, but only for an instant. Then he shook his head and waded across the stream to Branâs side. âAre you hurt?â
âHe cut my leg,â Bran said, âbut I couldnât feel it.â
As the maester knelt to examine the wound, Bran turned his head. Theon Greyjoy stood beside a sentinel tree, his bow in hand. He was smiling. Ever smiling. A half-dozen arrows were thrust into the soft ground at his feet, but it had taken only one. âA dead enemy is a thing of beauty,â he announced.
âJon always said you were an ass, Greyjoy,â Robb said loudly. âI ought to chain you up in the yard and let Bran take a few practice shots at
you.â
âYou should be
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