14 One more time

One more time

Theon POV

It was a long time since I saw this place. I knew it wasn't a simple dream. I was dead, after all. Why would I even be here? The tree branches dug into my skin, but I felt nothing but an itch this time. The tree leaves were cutting my skin, and it felt like someone was tickling me.

"Are done?" I asked. I knew who was behind this dream, but I didn't want him to know that. "Whatever you are, this won't accomplish anything. I am dead already."

"Your body is, but your mind is not. I need to destroy you."

"And why would you do that? How can a mind function without its body? All your actions are pointless. Just let me go."

"I won't make the same mistake. I let one go before. It was a mistake of mine that I won't repeat."

"So I have to suffer for your mistakes? You are delusional."

"Your power is similar to him. It's not surprising as you are of the same blood, but I still can stop you."

I just laughed at this shit. These words mean nothing to me. I just wanted to close my eyes and rest, but he wouldn't let me. Even in death, I have to suffer. I wanted to think that I was close to achieving my freedom, but I knew that something would keep me away from it, no matter what.

Maybe I should have accepted my so-called fate, but at least one part of me hated that kind of notion. To accept this new world, this new life was difficult. Part of me still thought it was just a dream, and I would wake up to my previous life one day, but I think it is time to accept that it is over.

"It is over, already," I said. "Let me go, let me rest."

"I can't do that. You have to be killed."

The branches dug deeper into me with his words and started to tighten. If I needed to breathe, I would have already suffocated. I find it weirder how easily I accepted that I didn't need to breathe, well I was dead already. With that realization, my blood started to heat, and soon it ignited, burning the branches.

"What have you done?" The voice asked. "You will doom us all."

"What is dead may never die," I retorted with a laugh.

The fire spread and burned everything in its path. It wasn't long before nothing, but ash was left. I stood over the ash, feeling nothing. I wouldn't say I liked where this was going, but I decided not to worry about small things like this and live once more.

…

Opening my eyes, the first thing I saw was Thoros over me, looking straight into my eyes. He was shocked, and as I tried to sit up, I heard screams and exclamations from various people surrounding me. Some flinched as I looked at them.

"Gods, he is awake," Someone yelled out.

"Theon," Arya was the first to yell my name and run at me.

As she hugged me, I understood the situation I was in. Thoros must have brought me back. Looking at him, I could see the surprise on his face. Letting go of Arya, I stood up and found Bran and Sansa looking at me, too, with shock in their eyes.

"How long was I gone?" I asked Thoros.

"Couple of hours."

"Why have you not left?" I asked, finding that we were still at the campsite where the battle had happened. "Have you enough of looking at me? As I see you all are alive, that means we won. Where is the Kingslayer?"

"He is bound and locked in the cage."

I Instructed them to prepare to leave. There wasn't much time we could waste. I didn't want to fight a second battle. Once everyone was gone from my face, I looked at Thoros once more. He understood what I wanted to ask.

"I didn't know it would bring you back, and I thought it would best to give you the last kiss. Then you opened your eyes. I had never seen anything like this happening before, I heard stories, but I never thought it would bring you back. You are blessed by the Lord of the Light, Theon."

"Prepare to leave," I told him.

"How do you feel?" He asked me.

"I don't. I don't feel much of anything. Prepare horses and your stuff. Once done, call for everyone to see me."

He wanted to talk to me more, but I dismissed him. No matter how magical it looked for everyone, we needed to move. When Tywin learns that I have his son, he will do everything to take him back. I needed to prepare.

…

Yoren, Jory, and everyone else looked at me, I knew it was hard for them to comprehend that I was brought back to life once more, but I didn't care for them even to try to explain.

"Yoren, you will take the Starks and the men who want to follow you straight back to Winterfell. You won't stop in any castle, don't trust anyone to take the children from you. Especially the Freys and Boltons."

"Even if I don't want to do it, it seems I have no other choice," Yoren agreed.

"What are you going to do?" Jalabhar asked.

"Who do you think Lord Tywin cares more for, Stark children or his son? I will take the Kingslayer and ride to Harrenhal."

"What about the rest of the prisoners?" Ser Andar asked.

"Bring them to the yard," I looked into his eyes and took my sword. "I will personally execute them."

"You can't do this, Theon. They have surrendered." Jory said to me.

"I have no time or recourses to care for them, and I can't let them live. I will kill them as Lord Stark has taught me. While looking at their eyes."

Nobody denied me, and soon enough, about two dozen men were brought before me. Some knew what was going on and begged for mercy. Some called for their mothers, and some started stating their names, saying they should be left alive because they were knights.

One after another, I beheaded them. I was stating their crimes against the North and the Starks. I listened to their last words. Looking at them in the eyes, I killed them without any remorse. Once it was done, I instructed their bodies to be burned.

After the ordeal, I prepared my horse, but on the way, Yoren stopped me. He looked disapprovingly at me. I knew why, but I really didn't care, as after this I wouldn't see him anymore. Still, he had something to say, so I let him say it.

"I know you had to decide what suited you the best, but killing isn't the only answer."

"But it is the easiest," I replied. "You have enough horses now. Bring the children home."

"That I will do."

"Good, take care of yourself."

"In thirty years since I started recruiting men to the Watch, I lost only three. Now I have to see thirty men leave. I can only hope that this loss is a worthy one. Good luck, boy."

I nodded to him and went to the Kingslayer, who was bound and locked in the cage; Thoros, Jalabhar, and Anguy agreed to go with me. I gave the gold to the rest of the men, who fought with me. Some left with their new fortune. Others decided to go to the North.

"I killed you," The Kingslayer said as he saw me.

"I am a ghost, here to haunt you, ooooooooh" The Kingslayer wasn't amused. "Anyway, you will come with me."

"What of my men?"

"They are dead."

"You bastard, they have surrendered."

"Don't blame their death on anyone else. You brought them there. It was you who slept with your sister. It is you who started this war. Every man who will die, who has already died, is on you."

He didn't answer, and I could see his questioning eyes. He wanted to know how I had survived, but I didn't care to explain it to him. So I dragged him by the chains he was bound and sat him on one of the horses.

"Get comfortable, Kingslayer. The road will be long and hard for you. Don't think of even trying to escape. I will be watching you, and my arrows fly true."

I had tied him and his horse to mine. If he tried to steer away, I would know. I was confident that my arrows would hit his horse. The next time I would break his legs, he might forgo the notion of escaping then.

"You know boy, you are clever," The Kingslayer told me with a sneer. "We wasted a lot of time tracking down the ship you should have been on. Even the spider was surprised when we didn't find you."

"Thank you," I replied.

"But you know, Lord Stark could have won if you have not run away. It was your disappearance that gave away his plan. His and Renly's deaths are on you."

"Lord Renly is dead?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes, he was with Lord Stark betraying the King," He told me. "I killed them with my sword. Too bad I couldn't save the King."

"I know the truth, Kingslayer. I don't care for your lies. What of ser Barristan, did he believe in you?"

"He's gone," His face grumbled at my question.

"Ser Loras was close to Renly. Did you kill him too?" He didn't answer me. Loras was probably alive, as I think the Kingslayer would like to boast at defeating him. "Was he the reason that you brought so little men?"

"He's just a fool, trapped in the Kings Landing."

"A fool good with a sword, he is probably very angry at you killing Lord Renly, isn't he? Maybe he is too good for you to take on, so you went to chase the children. After all, all you can do is kill old men and little children."

"What you mouth. Loras is hiding. I don't care for hunting rats."

I didn't say anything else, as I got all the information I needed. It seems that he singlehandedly doomed the Lannisters. Without Renly, Stannis will get the Stormlanders on his side. Loras would never serve the family that killed his loved one, so Tyrells will think twice about joining them.

If I could spread the word that Lannisters killed Littlefinger, Lysa Arryn would want to fight them too. With the North on the side of Stannis, there isn't anyone who could stop them. Only Varys is left to deal with, and I might bring Westeros to peace.