The next morning, she wakes up

When the sun rises the next day, you wake up. The woman is still asleep, but she looks as though she is going to awaken at any moment.

You decide to slip out of the tent, get dressed, and make breakfast. You figure that should be the first order of business, as the woman looks as though she has not eaten in at least a few days. Plus, you have no idea what state of mind she will be in when she comes around. You may as well try to get on her good side by providing some services.

By now, the campfire has gone out. You quickly start it up again, and you place a skillet with some eggs and sausages on top of it. While everything cooks, you get dressed. Once you have your underclothes and light armor on, breakfast is finished. You feed Aerion some oats and apples, and then you bring the eggs and sausage inside the tent.

Just as you reenter your sleeping space, the woman stirs. With some difficulty, she manages to open her eyes and sit up a bit. You come to her side and help her into a more comfortable position. "Take it easy, my lady. You shouldn't overexert yourself."

She looks at you in surprise, and she tries to back away. She asks "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"You're in a tent along the Trident," you say, "I found you floating in it last night, and I fished you out."

"Why?" she says suspiciously.

"Because I couldn't very well have left you out there," you reply in a very straightforward tone, "No one deserves to be cast aside like that."

She is surprised by your humility and kindness. A moment later, she presses her hands against the front of her throat, and she feels the cut in it, along with the stitches you put in. She asks "Did you... do this, too?"

"Yes, I did," you reply, "And you may wish to keep on hand on that blanket, my lady. There is nothing else beneath it covering you."

She looks down and realizes that she has no clothes on, and she hastily pulls the blanket over her nearly-exposed breasts. She glares at you and mutters suspiciously "Why am I naked?"

"I needed to check you for additional injuries, and your clothing was too wet to sleep in," you explain, "Worry not; I hung it out last night. It should be dry by now. I'll get it for you after we eat."

"Very well," she says, though she clings to the blanket. You cannot blame her; no woman wants to be exposed in front of strangers, even if they appear friendly.

The woman is too weak to hold anything, so you proceed to feed her yourself. With some difficulty, she manages to swallow about a third of the eggs and sausage. You help yourself to the rest of the food, and then you retrieve her clothing for her. She asks you for help dressing, as she is also too weak to lift her arms very much. Apparently, she has already concluded that she can trust you.

Once she is dressed, you say "Now, I believe I should introduce myself. My name is Brynden. I am a man of many trades."

She remarks "You look a bit young to be a man just yet."

"I suppose," you mutter, "Might I ask your name, my lady?"

She hesitates a moment, and then she reveals "Catelyn Stark."

You are flabbergasted. Sitting before you was the elder sister of Edmure Tully, as well as the wife of the late Lord Eddard Stark and the mother of his children. Including King Robb, who had been murdered at the Twins not three days earlier.

You promptly kneel before her and declare "I offer you my deepest condolences for your losses, my lady. And... I offer you my service, for whatever it is worth. House Frey may be the overlords of the Riverlands now, but I have lived in this region all my life, and I refuse to acknowledge the leadership of anyone other than the Tullys."

She is impressed and touched by that. She grins softly and says "Thank you, my boy. That means more to me than words can convey. But are you certain you wish to do this?"

"Of course," you insist, "I am not about to abandon a lady in her hour of need. Least of all the daughter of the late Hoster Tully."

She smiles, sits up a little bit more, and says "In that case, I have a favor to ask of you."