randomosity | [For Hannibal] Alliance of Fire

Hannibal watched silently as she took her second shot. He walked closer to her so that she could feel how close he was to her. "I should be cautious of how well I teach you. You are indeed a natural huntress My Lady. You might best me one day with enough training. I daresay my brother will be in quite a bit of danger now that you know how to shoot. He will never suspect you of being as accurate as you are." He praised her.

He gripped his own bow as he took an arrow and gave her another one. He gave a series of whistles and the wolves spread out to flush out some prey. "Now let us see who can kill the first rabbit. The wolves will drive them towards us." He said. He would give her the first opportunity to fire her arrow. He was very curious if she would be able to lead a quick rabbit well enough to kill it. The wolves were trained not to be too close to the creatures they were driving to their master. Sometimes the wind caught an arrow and caused it to drift.

Margaery smiled and tilted a brow at him. "I doubt your brother would attack me from far away - if he were to attack me, he'd try and get nice and close. More likely to poison me or put a knife in my belly."

Suddenly the details of the red wedding re-appeared in her mind. How Robb Stark's wife had been stabbed brutally, over and over again, with a baby in her belly. Margaery looked distressed for a moment, then took a deep breath and brought herself back to the present.

She nodded at Hannibal's challenge, and took the arrow in hand. Margaery notched it and waited. Deep down she didn't like the idea of killing a sweet, soft rabbit. Deep down she hoped her aim would fail and that the rabbit would prove too fast for her meager skills. When the wolves' barking got louder and closer, Margaery's body tensed. Suddenly a large rabbit bolted out of the brush. Margaery aimed, squeezed her eyes shut tight and loosed the arrow.

She almost got sick, hearing the sound of the rabbit cry out in pain as the arrow struck it in the side, straight through it's belly. Margaery didn't look at it, she kept her eyes averted.

Hannibal saw how her face changed for a moment. He could not tell if it was a concern of something happening in the future, or a dark memory from the past. He nearly called off the event when she got herself back under control. He prepared an arrow at the same time, but kept an eye on her.

It was a fair blow that would eventually kill the rabbit, but not exactly a clean kill. Hannibal loosed his arrow and finished off the rabbit quickly. He walked over to her slowly and tilted her chin up to look into his dark eyes. "Rabbits are not in danger of dying off entirely anytime soon My Lady. They are a hearty meal and once summer is gone they are crucial for survival." He said softly to her.

His voice lowered a bit more. "Is it the blood that bothers you? Or that it is a relatively peaceful animal My lady?" He asked softly so that his guards would not hear him. He gave a whistle for the wolves to eat the rabbit. The shot through the stomach spoiled the meat for people to eat, but the wolves would enjoy it just fine.

Margaery shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. She refuse to cry, she knew it was necessary to kill a rabbit to eat it - and heaven knew she enjoyed her fair share of rabbit in the south. Margaery looked up to him with regret in her eyes. She felt foolish, silly for getting so upset.

"The animal," she replied. "Blood, violence, it has never bothered me very much."

She used to watch her brother fight in duels, which often resulted in him getting a broken nose or being hit hard somewhere that resulted in him losing a great deal of blood. It had never bothered her.

Again she turned away as the wolves ate the rabbit. She didn't want to watch. "I'm sorry...I feel so foolish," she whispered, brushing the snowflakes from her hair. How was she to prove that she was a proper huntress by behaving like this?

Hannibal signalled his guards to create a perimeter. He whistled and the wolves moved away with what remained of the rabbit out of hearing and sight. It was now just the two of them. He did not think her weak for this, it was a difficult thing to kill something innocent. However, if she was to be a proper Bolton and then a Queen she would need to grow stronger.

He placed an arm across her shoulders as he turned her to face him. He tilted her chin up once again and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Not everything that appears innocent is My Lady. When it comes to animals such as that they are for the most part innocent. However, I have seen a few rabbits up here in the north that have attacked a full grown man. They bit him and he went mad. I know it is difficult to take a life. However, you must not be afraid to do so. You may never know when that innocent life is corrupted by something else and needs to be killed." He explained to her. "Those are decisions that every ruler must make." He said.

This had turned into a greater test than he had thought. She had not flinched, fainted, or cried out when he shattered multiple of his brothers' bones. She had strength within her. Likely she was not privy to matters of life and death very often. "Perhaps when we go to Highgarden you might ask your Grandmother of these things." He suggested. He knew Margaery was close to her Grandmother and respected her advice and council.

Margaery blushed, embarrassed as he tipped her head up and wiped her tears away. She felt childish. The last time someone had wiped her tears away had been her brother when Renly died. This was not nearly as big a deal as that had been. But she listened carefully and nodded slowly.

"You're right, I know it," she sighed. "I just...I don't know. It wasn't how I expected. But then...I'm not certain what I expected either." Her mouth grew crooked as she looked up at him. "I am sorry...I'm being silly."

She turned up the collar of her fur cloak, growing suddenly cold. Margaery considered asking her grandmother as Hannibal suggested, but all she could hear was her grandmother berating the Boltons and telling her that she had no business hunting with a Bolton, husband or not. She could have ended up dead. But Margaery had no fear, not here with Hannibal.

Hannibal watched as she soothed herself and eventually stood taller once more. He saw the shiver and stepped closer to her for warmth. He looked deep into those dark eyes of hers. "For the record My Lady, by brother did not even wound a deer the first time he went hunting." He said to try and shift her focus to assist her in completing this task.

"Do you feel up for another rabbit? Bringing one back with a clean kill would indeed get under his skin." He said with a bit of light in his eyes.

Margaery smiled and a mischievous light burned in her eyes. "If it's all the same, I want to bring in something bigger."

A rabbit was fine, but in all honesty she didn't want to kill another one. A pheasant would also do, but Ramsay hadn't been able to bring in a deer? Margaery wanted to bring in a deer, if not a bear.

Hannibal saw the fire in her eyes and knew that she had recovered herself. He summoned the wolves and he guards back. "My future bride is bored with this small game. Are there any tracks of something larger in the area?"

His men mentioned a few deer and some sort of large cat. He turned to Margaery. "Which would you like to pursue?" He asked her.

Margaery smiled up at him. Her eyes were burning with mischief and danger. Already she felt as if she were getting a contact high from being around the Boltons.

"Do you have to ask? I should think it obvious," the idea of having a necklace made of a predator cat's teeth was of great interest to her.

Hannibal gave her a slight smirk. "My future bride will be a more fierce Lady Bolton than any of her predecessors. Which way did the cat go?" He asked.

They immediately began to track the large cat. He looked at Margaery. "Do not hesitate with your first shot." He warned her.

Margaery broke out in a grin when he paid her such a compliment. She found herself suddenly eager to become Lady Bolton. Eager to please Hannibal. Eager to become stronger.

She notched another arrow as they tracked the cat. She nodded when he warned her and she kept as alert as possible. One of the guards pointed out a large track, they were getting closer.

Margaery tensed as she heard a low growl to the left. Her eyes moved but her body didn't. Slowly she moved and aimed at the brush to the left. All she saw amidst the brush was a pair of golden eyes. She didn't hesitate, Margaery loosed the arrow and hit between the cat's eyes.

The wolves were by their sides as they hunted and they remained quiet. Their ears were laid back and the hair on the back of their necks was raised as they stalked alongside their masters.

Hannibal could smell the cat and also had an arrow prepared as they moved. He saw Margaery move and listened as her arrow whistled through the air. There was a loud yowl when the cat was hit. The wolves bared their teeth and prepared to keep their masters safe from the cat. After a moment that sat down with their ears perked up and their tails wagging. Hannibal smiled proudly at her as he sent his guards to collect the dead creature. They left the arrow sticking out of the cats eye. "Well done, the eye is the perfect weak point in a predator to strike the brain and kill the animal." He said.

He ordered the guards to tie the dead creature down upon her horse. "It is your clean kill My Lady. I am the only living Bolton to have killed a large cat with a single shot." He said as he helped her back into the saddle. "We should return to Winterfell." He said.

He could feel the storm approaching.

Margaery smiled at the praise and saw where her hit had landed. "I'm afraid that is simply a matter of beginner's luck. I only saw the eyes and fired promptly."

Margaery got into the saddle with Hannibal's help and smiled down to him. "All the same, it's a satisfying kill indeed." Her first real kill on a hunt, a large cat from the North. She felt strong, powerful.

But she nodded when he said they should return. "Yes, agreed. Quit while we're ahead, no?" She smiled. "I'm ready."

She was practically wiggling in excitement. She'd proven herself an able huntress.

Hannibal was extremely proud of her. He gave a whistle and the wolves began to howl and yip in excitement to announce their successful kill. They rode back at a slightly quicker pace.

The wolves went straight to their kennel. Roose Bolton had heard the wolves and was curious what they had captured. He saw that the rose carried the trophy. Perhaps the thorns were more lethal than many assumed.

Hannibal gave a bow to his father. "You have picked a fine bride for me father. She is a natural huntress that is fearless." He said as genuine praise.

Roose gave a nod before looking at Margaery. "Well hit My Lady." He said flatly before turning to return indoors.

Hannibal dismounted and reached up to assist her out of the saddle as well. "That was high praise from him." He assured her.

Hannibal hoped hoped his brother was watching this. His men removed the body. "What would you like as a trophy from your prize My Lady?"

Margaery rode skillfully beside Hannibal and could scarcely keep from laughing in triumph as they returned to Winterfell. Ramsay also heard the barking of the wolves and came out with his father. All the color drained from his face as he saw her kill.

Margaery tipped her head to acknowledge Roose's compliment. "Thank you my Lord, your son taught me well."

After a moment Ramsay sneered. "Hardly sporting, brother, putting your kill on the lady's horse!"

Margaery narrowed her eyes at Ramsay. "Difficult though it may be for you, I did indeed kill this beast on my first hunt. I couldn't very well return empty handed, now could I? What sort of hunter returns from a hunt with no prey?" Margaery smirked.

Ramsay pouted, and growled some curse before stomping off. Margaery smirked, pleased with herself as she moved to slide from the saddle with Hannibal's help. She thought on his question a moment. "The teeth and claws - and anything else you yourself deem useful, my Lord."

Margaery glanced to the cat, then to Hannibal. "Forgive me but...might we visit the crypts now? The Stark land was kind enough to give me good game, I should like to pay the previous residents proper thanks."

Hannibal nodded and his guards knew what to collect for him and bowed in understanding of what they were to save for Margaery.

Hannibal heard her request and bowed his head in agreement. He glanced up at the sky and noted the clouds forming above them. "We can indeed My Lady. We should not longer there for long. It looks like the storm will strike sooner than later." He noted.

He took a small leather pouch to tuck into his belt along with two small flasks of ale. He then offered his arm to lead her to the crypts.

Margaery smiled when he agreed and took his arm when offered. She leaned into him as they walked, finding herself comfortable already being on his arm.

"Thank you for teaching me," she smiled up to him. "I'm very glad that I was able to take down such formidable prey, but I would not have been able to do so without your help."

The crypts were dark and dank, and Margaery very much felt like an intruder, as though all the eyes of the Kings of Winterfell were glaring at her.

He smiled to her. "You are quite welcome My Lady."

He picked up a torch at the entrance to the crypts. He led her slowly through the maze of the crypts. He took her to the most recent tomb and lit it up. "This was the sister of Ned Stark. She is the last Stark that was properly buried." He explained.

He bowed his head in respect to her stone likeness. "Soon those that have followed you will be where they belong." He said to the stone. He had sent agents out secretly to recover the bodies and store them at Harrenhal in a secret crypt he had set up while they were camped their earlier in the war. He assumed that Bran and Rickon Stark were still alive since he had not located their bodies. Nor had he found Aria Stark's body.

Margaery looked to the stone statues, until they came to Lyanna Stark. She looked up into that stone face, then bowed her head in respect. She was silent for a good long while. When he spoke she mentally noted his words, but simply kept her head bowed and remained silent.

After a few moments she released his arm and moved deeper into the caverns. Her dark eyes swept through the stone faces. Margaery pulled the fur cloak tighter about her as the caverns grew colder.

"Even in Highgarden we have nothing like this..." she whispered.

Hannibal stepped up behind her to continue and provide light. "These tombs date back to when the North was ruled separately from the south and back to the first men. The North remembers." He said with a sense or reverence.

He would remain close to her, there was nothing living down here. Even his wolves were wary of coming down here.

The phrase, 'the north remembers', it resonated with Margaery. She looked up to him with wide eyes, tilting her head. The Boltons had indeed been sworn to the Starks for centuries. Sometimes, considering the great differences between the clans, it was easy to forget how they came from the same region.

Margaery felt cold and unsettled here. She looked up to Hannibal, rubbing her arms for warmth. "Shall we leave the deceased to rest in peace?"

Hannibal gave a nod as he put an arm around her to hold her close. "Indeed we can." He said as he slowly led her back towards the entrance of the tombs. He was on alert in case that whore from the kennels decided to make an attempt while his brother was recovering.

He could hear the air shifting beyond the caverns and noted a chill in the air. He hoped the storm wasn't too strong so that they could move into the castle safely.

Margaery took his arm and leaned into him as they moved towards the entrance of the crypts. She too could hear the wind and a cold shiver ran through her body. Just the thought of a harsh winter storm made her nervous. Even she could tell from how the wind howled that the weather had taken a wicked turn. Margaery shivered, and for different reasons she too prayed that they could get back to the castle.

Hannibal continued to hold her close as he felt her shiver. "Are you cold My Lady?" He asked as they made it to the entrance. He frowned when he saw a wall of white before them. His eyes narrowed as he looked to see if there was a hint of a path back towards the main keep.

He could not see a clear path, but his men knew they were here. They would create a chain of bodies to guide the way to the main hall. It would take them a bit of time to do so carefully. He moved to sit her in a covered alcove near the main entrance. He produced one of the flasks. "Would you care for some ale My Lady? My men will have a path for us to follow soon. We will not be here for long." He promised her.

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