Would've, Could've, Should've // Ned Stark // Hayley Marshall

9. Lunar Cycles

"The seed is strong. The seed is strong." 

"What's going on?" Hayley questioned. They had only just returned to the capital and the hand of the king was in a state of unrest and failing fast. 

"I dont know what came over him." The maester declared. 

Hayley couldnt help but think that if she was home she would be able to save this man. She looked to Lysa, the wife of Jon Arryn, she blinked back at him, perhaps in shock, perhaps something else. 

No, no, Hayley couldnt think like that. Not everyone was evil, not everyone was as manipulative as herself. Not everyone was a complete and total shit show. 

"Come on mum, you dont want to see this. It's ugly in the end." Robert remarked. 

"You think he's going to die?" Hayley countered. 

"I know it. He is in this state... manic behaviors set in. I dont give him long." The maester offered gently. 

"his poor wife." Hayley whispered. 

"He's got a little shit of a son too. Odd bird he is." Robert remarked. 

"What will you do?" Hayley questioned. 

"What do you mean?" Robert countered. 

"Is the hand of the king not important, it seems an important role in the capital." Hayley offered. 

"Oh yes. It is." Robert agreed. "Jon was a fine man too... real shame but there is nothing to be done for him." 

"So what will you do? Stannis seems like a good man to have as your VP." Hayley offered. "It would get Shireen here at the capital. I miss her already." Hayley declared. 

"No, no, not stannis." Robert laughed out. "I have already sent out a raven."

"A raven?" Hayley countered. 

"Pack your bag mum, you are going to meet my eldest friend. Ned Stark." 

"Stark. The direwolf." Hayley recalled. 

"Thats right. We are going to winterfell."

+

"I'm glad you are coming. I'm glad Loras is coming as well." Hayley remarked as they rode out. Her tailbone hurt. She had never ridden a horse this much before. She could have stayed in a carriage but she couldnt handle Cersei. 

"What do you think of him? My squire." Renly added. 

"He seems a capable man." Hayley offered. "Cute too." she added. 

"I want to ride with grandmother!" Hayley heard Tommen begging and it made her heart happy. "Mother, please. I want to ride with grandmother." 

"Tommen wants me." Hayley remarked pulling on her reigns. 

"You can hear them all the way back there?" Renly countered glancing back at the queen carriage. 

"yeah... good ears." Hayley offered. "What do you think of queen?" 

"Treasonous thoughts." Renly whispered smiling back at her. 

"My favorite boy." Hayley declared before pulling back kicking her foot against the door when she got to the carriage. "I thought I heard a little boy in need of his grandmother." Hayley remarked and Tommen practically lunged out of the carriage. She scooped him up loving the scowl on Cersei's face as she rode forward. 

"Me next!" Mycella called out as she stuck her head out the carriage window.

+

Lord Aryn was dead. The king and his family was coming to winterfell.

"They are coming to winterfell." Catelyn remarked. 

"Lord Jon Arryn is dead." Ned remarked softly. 

"The royal family is coming to winterfell!" Catelyn declared excitedly. 

"He was a friend." Ned whispered staring down at the scroll as Catelyn practically jumped for joy. "Glad to see you find death so thrilling Catelyn." Ned declared. She turned, sour faced to him. 

"The Queen, the King, they are coming to winterfell. We need to start preparing." Catelyn hissed. 

"It's a moons journey." ned reminded her. 

"And who knows when they left compared to when the raven came." Catelyn corrected. "We need to get ready!"

+

"You know the more time I spend with you the more I believe you are not of this world." Sandor remarked as they stopped to water the hoses. 

"Thank you." Hayley agreed. 

"Grandmother! Can I ride with you next?" Mycella questioned. 

"Of course!" Hayley agreed. Mycella ran off smiling. "My damn ass hurts though but for that smile. Who could say no?" Hayley offered. 

"You can ride with me." Sandor offered. "Or you could ride me. Either would be wonderfully beneficial for us both I assure you." 

"I believe it." Hayley agreed a purr in her voice as she passed him. She bumped her hip into him. 

"Woman, you are playing with fire." Sandor grumbled turning his head to watch her go. 

"Yet you are the one that got burned." Hayley countered sweetly. 

+

"You go on." Hayley assured as they stopped for the night. 

"It will be a while before we get a feather bed again." robert corrected. "Once we get into the damn north past the harbor there are less and less beds."

"Thank you for your concern," Hayley declared. "But I like being under the moon and the stars." 

"Well, then good night mother." Robert declared kissing her cheek. "Hound you keep an eye on my mother." Robert instructed. Sandor nodded as Hayley smiled back at him. 

Hayley watched as sandor threw twigs in the fire before them, she tipped into him slightly as she listened to the sounds of the crickets around them. Singing their song in the night. 

"why arent more women like you, Hayley Marshell?" Sandor questioned softly. 

"Well they are fuddy duddies that dont know how to have fun and wont fuck tall mysterious strangers even though they could use it. We all could use it after this journey... dont you think?" Hayley questioned innocently. 

"Yeah that will do it." Sandor chuckled. "You wanted to come out every night... you sneak off too. Who are you fuckin' in the woods?" 

"A lady never fucks and tells." Hayley teased. She needed to keep track of the lunar cycles she didnt know if and when she would turn if it would be different. She had been here over a moon almost two and had not turned so she was being cautious. She felt her claws, her fangs, she felt it all but she didnt know what this place was doing to her hybrid nature. 

"Lucky man." Sandor offered. 

"And if there is no man and I'm just... playing in the woods waiting for the right man to join me?" Hayley mused and Sandor stared back at her silently. Before a grumble filled his throat.  Hayley chuckled and it was a long silent moment listening to the crickets and the fire crackling, Sandor looked to her fingers dancing along her thigh, brushing up against his as her leg tipped into his casually as they sat. 

"The king would kill me." Sandor corrected and Hayleys gaze shifted up from the fire to meet his eyes.

"I didn't say anything." Hayley reminded him.

"You did. In the silence." Sandor countered. Hayley smirked back at him. He chuckled shaking his head, but his lip was caught between his teeth.

"What did the silence say?" Hayley pondered.

"Fuck me til I'm screaming." Sandor remarked. Hayley chuckled.

"You got good ears." Hayley agreed as he shifted in his spot suddenly in very tight pants. "I don't want to get you in trouble." Hayley assured him. 

"You would be worth it." Sandor countered.