AN: So this my first Jonsa fic and attempt to explore A Song of Ice and Fire. It may be rocky and I am not promising perfection, but I will my damned hardest to create a story worth reading and enjoying. I am still reading the books (I am at A Storm of Swords currently) but I do my best to remain faithful to their tone and characterization. Nevertheless, prepared to be confronted from some Out of Character behavior.

I also apologize in advance if the POV's are hard to follow or the story seems rushed or choppy. I haven't written fanfiction in several months so I am a little rusty.

Please enjoy!

POV: Eddard Stark

Ned waved Jory Cassel away and proceeded to his bloody business Yet, the nephew of Rodrik Cassel remained for several minutes in order to provide Ned with support.

The Valyrian Steel Blade plunged downward immediately leaving behind a quickly blooming ruby rose. Each petal was once Lady's blood, the fluid that gave her life. Now this ichor was staining her grey fur; drowning it in a dark scarlet syrup. Never again would the dire wolf's fur glisten from Sansa's adoring grooming; its future was one of ruin. A sharp yipe coincided with the thrust of the sword and Ned's heart fragmented.

A spray of warm fluid came up to greet him once the sword cut through flesh like scissors through fabric. Some of the jettisoned blood found its way into Ned's mouth and he was flooded with the acrid taste of iron. He involuntarily gagged and Ice slipped from his hands as he fell to his knees; the dirt of the stable floor did little to break the impact.

Ned then turned to the side and vomited harshly, the stomach in his muscles went taut and twisted in pain. In his sickened haze Ned looked up and saw the prone silhouette of Lady. Her soft and pink tongue lay askew from her slackened jaw and her grey ears drooped dismally. Worst of all, even harder to bear than the immense laceration sewn into her chest, were her vacant eyes. Lady's lids hadn't closed all the way when she died so there were slivers of faded flaxen peeking out, a macabre contrast to the gleaming gold of her eyes mere moments before.

Ned pitifully crawled over to Lady and gingerly closed her eyes. She deserves to rest in peace without having to see the face of her murderer. Ned was disgusted with himself, shame pulsed through his body and he grew sick once more.

He thought to himself. I've done the unforgivable; I've slain my house's sigil, but even worse my Sansa's beloved companion. How much of a craven was I to have yielded to Robert so easily? Who have I become, and who will I become the further south we travel?

Ned swallowed the rancid flavor of nausea and moved to stand while still pondering the self-imposed question. However, Ned could not answer before a shrill scream emanated from the inn across the yard.

The shriek far outclassed Lady's in misery and magnitude, and only one person could sense Lady's passing: Sansa. The world shook.

POV: Arya Stark

Sansa's entire being quaked with lament. She had fought and struggled to flee from the common room and reach Lady. If only she could be with her direwolf, Lady would be safe from any threats. In calmer times Arya would have been impressed with her sister's ferocity, her strikes and cries were akin to a mother watching their child taken to the chopping block. And in a way Sansa was that mother, a wolverine who was pinned down and ravaged by the knowledge that her young was to be silenced. Though no matter how sharp Sansa's claws, savage her teeth or fearsome her howls the Northern guardsmen would not be swayed, she was cordoned off in a cage of mail clad human limbs. But Sansa was nonetheless undeterred.

Indignation swelled up in Arya's chest and flared outward like wildfire. Sansa should not have to oppose such injustice alone! I just lost Nymeria and I feel mutilated. Nymeria's presence still lingered like a phantom, on the periphery of touch. Sansa did not deserve to suffer the same fate! And thus, she too joined in on the rampage.

Arya shouted and flung herself savagely at Ned's men who were beginning to struggle in containing Sansa. Arya ducked beneath their knees and took grasp of whatever she could. She clasped the dried leather of sword belts and the rough cotton of trousers. Arya's efforts were futile however and she quickly realized this. With her slight form and negligible mass she could not successfully dislodge any of the Guardsmen from where they surrounded Sansa.

In desperation, Arya stomped on any booted feet and kicked any knees within her range of reach. She doubled and tripled her striking speed to maximise the damage, yet she doubted she was doing little more than leaving minute bruises and slightly agitating Sansa's captors. Nevertheless, Arya persisted and managed to fell the Northman closest to her; he tumbled down as she kicked his knee out from under him and he lost all semblance of balance. Good, one down, 4 more to go!

Arya leaped forward to focus on her new prey and she made slight progress when he stumbled backwards, she took advantage of his vulnerability and kneed him in the stomach stealing the breath from his lungs. She then slipped through the gap made by her victim as he toppled over to the floor and jumped to meet Sansa in the epicenter of the chaos. Sansa did not even notice Arya's arrival and thrashed and flailed with reckless abandon. Arya tried to reach Sansa's ears over her screeching but to no avail, it seemed a coordinated plan was not an option for the time being.

She covered Sansa's back flank and squared up, thankful for the pause created by her own intervention. At present the guards weren't dragging Sansa out the door but trying to deduce the identity of their miniature assailant. She caught the eye of Varly Stroud, Jory's lieutenant, and his posture slackened. Realization dawned upon the guard's face; Varly's raging beard of auburn and hazel eyes recounted that he'd recognized Arya.

Thus his men had inadvertently been attacking their liege lord's youngest daughter while fruitlessly contending to contain the other. He motioned for the rest of his men to stand down. It wouldn't do to terrorize Lord Stark's children. Besides, their lord has a significant enough head start to the stables that Sansa would be unable to interfere. Hence keeping Sansa barricaded held no more use. All five of the Northmen stepped back and hung their heads in a shallow bow of respect.

Immediately Arya recognized Varly's command to cease struggling and responded in kind by doing the same. Even Sansa grew coherent enough to realize that they were no longer trying to herd her toward her bed chamber, and for the span of a breath all was calm. Then Sansa's countenance crumbled into something feral and she screamed.

POV Sansa Stark

Lady had died, and Sansa felt it like a blow to the chest, her heart even.

Her soul snapped in half like centuries old yarn. The twin strands recoiled to make the image of fangs dripping with blood for several long seconds but then they fell listlessly downward. The fracture reverberated throughout Sansa. Initially it was only an insidious hiss but as it diffused inside Sansa's body it grew in decibel and agony, a story of a broken girl. Sansa punctuated her sorrowful narrative of her devastated spirit with a visceral wail.

She shook with the exertion. But she remained standing on two feet while the world around her continued to vibrate violently and her screams reverberated throughout every hollow space of the common room. Windows of splotched and stained glass shattered, the door flung from its hinges, tables and chair alike splintered and crimson leaked from the ears of everyone present besides Arya.

Within seconds Queen Cersei, Prince Joffrey and Tommen, Princess Myrcella, Vayon Poole and his daughter Jeyne, Varly and his guardsmen, all of the accompanying servants, and even Jory Cassel who had returned from the stables collapsed to the floor leaving a hollow thud in their wake.

Sansa was horrified. All Seven Hell's must have broken out and the Stranger came to deliver her to a fiery death. And without Lady by her side, and her father's cowardice weighing on her mind, both seething sores to her spirit, death would be a worthy sanctuary.

But the Stranger never appeared with its milky white skull shrouded in shadow and skeletal fingers proffered to end Sansa's life. Instead, Arya was tugging her hand and bellowing, "We need to go now! Whatever you've done is paramount to treason! Let's go!" Arya pleaded with such fervency and fear, her face knotted in consternation. But, Sansa remained immobile as she took in the sight of Arya. Why was her little sister so worried? Why must they go? Had she done something wrong?

Then a frigid stone fell to the bottom of her belly and landed in a frozen lake that cracked on impact. And Sansa shivered. Her teeth chattered and her mind was unable to devise any articulate thought, but under all of the cold, Sansa knew: she had been responsible for all of this! She had never seen such destruction before or even that great a quantity of blood. The inn appeared to have been ransacked and have weathered a tremendous storm, with thunder strong enough to shake and tear apart the world. And maybe even kill… Oh Gods no! Were all of these people dead? Innocent and pure Tommen and Myrcella? Twisted and beautiful Joffrey? Sweet Jeyne Poole? And even her father's steward and personal guard lay unmoving, them unparalleled in loyalty and honor. Had she done this? Was she a murderer? If that was so, she was no better than Joffrey or Ilyn Payne! Why wasn't her sister running in terror? Arya was always one to exercise her chivalry and fortitude but Sansa's handiwork outrivaled any danger or challenge her sister had faced yet. Arya had to leave before she got hurt too!

Sansa emphatically pointed towards the door and encouraged Arya to run. She tried to make her desires as clear as possible without the usage of her voice as her throat was rubbed raw, it was beyond her to speak at the moment. Sansa even bestowed a few shoves and kicks to motivate Arya's retreat but her younger sister stood firm. It didn't take Sansa long to tire herself out and she noticed that Arya was still there standing without a speck of sense. Arya had grown impatient with Sansa's reluctance to listen and finally struck her sister in the face. Hard.

Sansa backed away cradling her swollen cheek in her hand. The paralysis that Sansa's mind was under suddenly wore off and she could make sense of Arya's words, "Sansa stop! You are acting stupid and we are low on time! You don't have the skill or speed to smack me, so do not try that again. Right now you're reducing your chance of escaping with your head on your shoulders! I know you didn't intend for this to happen! I know that you are a good person at heart and that our father wronged you! Lady and Nymeria should both be here, but they're not! We are those who are left and we need to go! Either the royal family will wake up or someone will come across this mess and take us prisoner. We must go now!"

Arya then quick as a whip snatched Sansa's right hand and used all of the momentum she could muster to propel them towards the ruined door. Thankfully, Arya's words seemed to have sunk in as Sansa remained mute and only nodded dumbly but allowed Arya to direct her outside. They stumbled over the threshold and very nearly missed crashing into one another while maneuvering through the doorway.

The night air was chilly and hinted at an even colder midnight. Only the occasional torch and brazier illuminated the yard before them as the moon had waned to its most extreme. Even the stars were less willing to shine.

Arya cursed inwardly. Slipping through the woods and surrounding area around the Trident undetected would be much more trying. Arya might have been able to navigate herself with little to no sound in the Wolfswood but Sansa was not nearly as sure-footed. They would have to move cautiously and slowly to prevent the alert of anyone else. Most likely if they were to be caught it would be by the Hound or Ilyn Payne flanking the perimeter.

At the very least the pair were fortunate enough to have been clad in cloaks. Nevertheless, they were bereft of supplies and rations. But they would have to make do with what they had, improvisation would become a skill they must acquaint themselves with quickly.

Arya surveyed the area and noted that there was no one of suspicion nearby to witness their escape, but was unsatisfied with the insecurity of their position out in the open.

Sansa also had her eyes peeled and saw Arya's uneasiness.

She whispered, "We are sitting ducks out here. Where do you suppose we must go?"

Sansa sounded so frightened and small. Arya hated the fact that she had so much responsibility imposed upon her, but she was the only one who could help Sansa. They needed to stay together. With that in mind, Arya searched for the best route to take.

While Arya conducted her examination, Sansa began to see movement from the building in front of them. The stables! Father was still there!

Sansa was overwhelmed with relief that her father was up and moving, but it quickly became dampened by fear and resentment that her father would find them. The only reason he was in the stables was to slaughter Lady. He was responsible for all of this, and Sansa could not stand to face him.

A cutting yowl came from beyond the barrier of trees, cold as granite and sharp as Valyrian Steel.

Arya gasped, and recognized the baying creature, "Nymeria! It's her! She never left! She was born to survive in the wild, she is our best chance. She could have fled with her tail between her legs, but she stayed to watch over us! Follow me, we are going to find her!"

Sansa nodded in earnest and followed Arya instinctively as they ran in the direction of Nymeria's calls.

The girls never saw the face of their father as he saw his two girls plunge headfirst into the agestral and foreboding recesses of the Riverlands forests. And little did he know that they were heading due North for the Wall guided by a direwolf intent on reuniting herself with her sibling, and the girls with theirs.

AN: Thank you to all of the Jonsa fanfics I have read that gave me the courage to write my own. If you have any questions please feel free to message me!

From here on out, I plan on the chapters to be 3,000 words minimum and the story length is TBD, but at least 60,000 words probably.

You're all the best! :)