sos el hijo de la nada, sos la vida que se va

[wolfchild]

Date & Time: Sept. 3-5
Location: De Guatemala a Guatepeor.
Characters: 110%-done-with-your-shit and I-hate-everyone-in-this-bar. No points for guessing who's who.
Summary: A mission of pain and tears.
Warnings: Mentions of death and devastation in first thread, obligatory ASOIAF spoiler warning for everything.

Comments

DAY ONE ⚔ ya no sé quien es el dueño de tu vida y de la mía

[wolfchild]

[ the heat hits first. like walking into a wall. from wet to wet with one place made cooler and another felt hotter.

the girl breathes in and slowly lets it out. she squints into the setting sun. another hour mayhaps she estimates of sunlight. an hour to find their target and find cover. the encroaching night will only make things near impossible. and, she walks carefully to the edge of the land they were deposited on over wet grasses and loose mud, dangerous.

she can see a road turning away to her left like a snake over the mountain. below her and to her right, the road is gone. only mud. mud and debris and a beheaded snake.

and they've a little girl to find.

the girl wears no face. this is no place for cat of the canals or blind beth. she must search with arya stark's brother, but that does not mean arya stark is welcome. he wants her not. neither does she. ]

[wolfskin]

[ it was a mission neither wanted to go on, not truly. the sudden heat is suffocating but all robb could think of are the words he spoke, the ones responsible for the heavy air between them.

part of him wishes for nothing more than to make amends, but another cannot make peace not yet ─ not while she still denies him and his family with every breath.

but they have a girl to find, to recover, and he cannot think of that now. robb steels himself like he has done many times before, before going into battle. squinting into the sun, then the area surrounding them. they have little time before nightfall and not knowing what enemies awaits them. ]

We must move.

[ his tone is by no means sharp, nor is it soft. hope clings to it fruitlessly, hope that he can fix what he has wrought even though he has no knowledge as to how. ]

[wolfchild]

[ she does not answer him. does not look at him. for a moment, she seems not to have heard him. she remains unmoving at the edge. then she walks until the land starts sloping and she climbs down.

no matter what care she takes, the ground is treacherous. a thick slick mud soon covers her shoes and clings to her legs. it's easier to slide down and she does: sitting down and using her hands to stop or crawl a distance as need be. she doesn't know how they'll find a girl in this mess. even the direwolves with their senses will have difficulty.

and she doubts too the girl will be the only one here. if they find someone else first, should they leave them buried in the mud?

when she can walk again, she picks a direction and walks. there are obstacles everywhere: trees, fence posts, she thinks she can see the roof of a house in the distance sticking out of the mud. and there's pools of dirty water. her shoes fill and the mud sucks at her and it becomes a problem just to keep herself moving with her feet sinking deeper and deeper into the mud with every step.

she hasn't met her and she already hates the girl. ]

[wolfskin]

[ no response. robb inhales sharply, following after her. his pace is slower but he manages, keeping up as much as possible trekking through the mud. he did not cloth himself in armor, a decision well made it seems for moving through the mud in armor would have proved problematic.

quietly he repeats the description of the girl they are to find, resting a hand on his sword.

arya's struggle does not go unnoticed, firstly he looks for another path ─ for something not caked in mud, something dry and would be stable beneath their feet. ]

Stop, you are only going to get stuck in the mud. Let us find dryer ground.

[wolfchild]

Afraid of getting dirty, Your Grace?

[ half japing, half mocking. she tacks on the style because she knows he will not like it. she keeps herself moving forward. her direwolf jumps ahead. nymeria sniffs the air, snorts. abruptly, she turns down; the girl drops down to a sitting position to slide after her.

a leaf pokes out of the mud. what she thought was a leaf. a feather, more feathers, a wing and she pulls a drowned chicken out of the muck. she flings it away with a sound of disgust.

nymeria scrabbles at the remains of a chicken coop. ]

Leave that! [ she calls. ] Keep looking!

[ when the direwolf looks up, she points to the side. ]

Go!

[wolfskin]

[ your grace.

it stings like a slap, his jaw twitches but he says no more. pushing forward instead. grey wind stays by his side ─ at least until the chicken is revealed, bounding forth only to stop a distance away, head lowering and shoulders tensing.

robb and arya aren't the only ones in need of making amends. ]

Grey Wind. [ much is in the call and the other direwolf understands instantly, turning from the chicken coop to return to searching for their quarry. ]

The mud is impeding our progress, that is all. [ comes his answer finally. ] We would have an easier time searching walking on dryer footing.

[wolfchild]

You really think she'll be where it's easy?

[ she stands up, sweeping mud off her breeches. she's angry now and it bleeds into her voice. ]

Is that where you like to look? Where it's easy for you?

[wolfskin]

[ robb frowns. swallowing his own anger at the accusation. ]

No, I do not like to look where it is easy. You mistake my intent.

[ is she is speaking about the girl they have been sent to search, or herself? he does not know in truth, neverless he can taste the bile of guilt in his throat. ]

I expect nothing easy on this task, nor have I ever expected it in others.

[wolfchild]

[ she glares at him a moment before turning away with a scoff. her hands are shaking and she clutches at her tunic to hide it.

she ought to keep calm. she ought not care. her throat feels too tight with recriminations unsaid and tears unshed. rather than give in and cry and scream like a child, she keeps walking.

nymeria waits for her to watch up, whining softly. the girl pets the animal's snout as she passes her. the direwolf licks her cheek as if to ascertain she's well before taking the lead again.

get the girl. leave. that's all they need to do. she can do this. ]

[wolfskin]

[ her reaction makes him think it is herself she talks of. it does little to aid his state.

robb's fingers curl around the hilt of his sword, enough to send a tremor through his hand. underneath his gloves knuckles turn white. ]

If there is something you wish to say, say it.

[ there is much she keeps from him, he is not so blind as to not see. words bottled up and kept from her lips for one reason or another. ]

[wolfchild]

[ keeping an eye on their surroundings, she can't quite bite back a humorless smirk. ]

Since when do kings care for what bastard girls think?

[wolfskin]

[ you are no bastard girl. ]

A king should care what people think, no matter their standing.

[wolfchild]

[ the girl turns around, smirk firmly in place. ]

I think you're an arse. I think I'd rather have my nails ripped out than be here with you.

DAY FOUR ⚔ despojado de tu casa vas sin rumbo en la ciudad

[wolfchild]

[ maría sofía had to order the food for them. while robb stayed with the girl, she kept outside with the direwolves. they were supposed to be masked; from the comments, she had figured out people thought them merely dogs, and smaller than they truly were. some had asked her if she was blind, to which the girl had snarled at them. a few had tried to pet the wolves. nymeria had quickly put an end to that.

the cool air at her back tells her the door opened seconds before maría sofía calls her in. "Jeyne! Come!"

the girl follows her in, the direwolves at her heels. maría sofía leads her past the tables and past robb waiting in line for their food to a separated section with tubes and a pool of balls. maría sofía jabbers on happily while she takes off her shoes and puts them in a shelf. she jumps into the ball pit and calls for them to join. grey wind follows her up and hesitates at the edge, looking at the balls as if he does not understand what this is. nymeria lingers by her mistress. ]

I don't want to.

[ colored balls and slides. she turns away. that girl is such a child. ]

I DIDN'T FORGET HFJGFDIUWERHJKGFD no i did

[wolfskin]

[ it is was easier now that maria became accustomed to the direwolves and them, though difficulties were never far behind. everything was quite alien to robb though he managed this far, drawing as little attention as he could possibly manage. difficult considering it was up to him to order them food.

he truly cannot explain how queer he felt waiting in line to be given food, life as a king and before that the eldest son of a great lord meant that his food was always served swiftly and before any other. (but always after father) by the time he got to him arya and maria were already in the section with tubes and balls, direwolves at the younger stark's side. it is a relief to him to venture out to them, food in his possession, almost free from the clatter and noise inside the shop. ]

Jeyne, - [ the name feels stunted on his tongue. it is not hers. ] Maria, I have our meals.

[wolfchild]

[ maría sofía wades to the edge with a grin. she shrinks a little when she gets close to grey wind, and jumps past him. jeyne for the duration of this trip follows at a much less excited pace. she sits next to the other girl, looking for all the world like she would rather be elsewhere. maría sofía jabbers on happily.

"—my dad would bring us here sometimes. When he got out of work. We would eat and then we would play in the ball pit and sometimes he gets into the tubes too! He says he gets stuck in them, but he doesn't really."

reaching for a fry, she finds robb's gaze. "When will we find my dad?"

jeyne systematically shreds her hamburger's wrapper. ]

[wolfskin]

[ the question hits like a rock to his chest, he feels the air leave his lungs and leave him stunned. he tears his gaze away to look at his burger, fingers locking tightly enough to force meat and vegetables out from between the bread.

when will we find my dad?

Robb swallows, forcing himself to look at Maria again. a girl so young. ]

I do not know. [ he cannot lie to her, it would be unfair and cruel. ] Though I pray we find him soon.

[wolfchild]

[ jeyne stands abruptly. leaving her food untouched, she stalks toward the ball pit and jumps inside. she wades to the farthest side and there she sits, hating the girl they had to save ( I could have left her in that car. ), hating this place ( stinking of stale sweat and unwashed ), and hating herself.

maría stares after her with wide eyes. she slowly drops the fry and draws her hands into her lap. though she thinks she may have done something bad, she doesn't try to go after jeyne nor does she say anything. she looks at her lap, at the fingers twisting themselves into knots. ]

[wolfskin]

[ he feels no surprise at arya's sudden departure. his appetite vanishes and he sighs. ] You did nothing. [ the look on the little girl's face tells him all he needs to know of her mind. he tries to reassures her, though he fears it is not as effective as he would like.

more effective, perhaps, than anything he could say to arya. he stands regardless, following her into the ball pit with a touch of awkward clambering. ]

A- [ robb frowns. ] Jeyne.

[wolfchild]

[ she huddles up closer to the far wall, refusing to look at him. ]

I'm not hungry.

[wolfskin]

You have to keep your strength up. [ he does not move closer, he remains where he is. colored balls rolling into his lap. ] Come back, please.

[wolfchild]

I am not hungry, [ she repeats.

a little pause and she adds with traces of annoyance: ] My strength is fine.

[wolfskin]

Arya. [ he does not care this time, he speaks her name freely with a sharpness in his voice. she is being difficult, she has been difficult all this mission. and his patience has almost run it's limit. ]

[wolfchild]

[ she grabs one of the balls and bounces it off his head. ]

[wolfskin]

[ robb blinks, eyes wide in momentary surprise. did she just throw a ball at him? ]