Nights on Bear Island
He watched as the sun descended behind the trees. Jorah warmed himself by the flame of the fire, as he chewed on a piece of venison. He had been traveling for half a day in the wilderness of Bear Island. It was a habit of his to escape, to take in the raw beauty of the place he called home. As much as he loved this place he knew that his destiny, his fame lay not here, not in the north. He knew that if he ever wanted to amount to anything more than a minor lord of a half frozen island, he would need to prove himself elsewhere. The urge to leave was always there, but this was home. Where he was born, and where he would lay when he died. Such was the custom here.
He heard the faint footsteps from beyond the trees, Jorah turned to see Evelyn, a servant girl brought to bear island from the Mainland. She had followed him all this time.
"Well you might as well come and join me, no use in being coy" He said as he made room for her on the fur.
Evelyn sat next to him as she reached out to the fire to warm her hands.
"Why did you follow me?" Jorah asked. As he glanced at the girl, she was about his age, brown haired, brown eyed, with thin lips. A real northern beauty Jorah thought to himself.
"I've always wanted to see what you do on your outings my Lord, curiosity I guess" she said as she looked shyly at him.
"Not all that exciting I fear, I come out here mostly to think, to get away, and no need for formalities here, call me Jorah." Jorah said as he handed her a piece of bread that he had packed for his journey.
"A man who goes off into the woods all alone, with no fear, you are brave Jorah, at least I would think so" she said as bit off a piece of the bread he handed her.
The two stared into the fire, listening as night began it's descent upon the surrounding forest. It was Jorah's voice that broke the silence.
"It is a beautiful country is it not?" he asked
"It is, but I do wonder what is beyond all of this, beyond the north, across the sea, there are other worlds." Jorah sensed the melancholy in her voice as she said this.
"There are, and one day I will see them, and you too Evelyn, one day you will return home," Jorah said laying his hand on hers.
"I have no wish to go home jorah, for you would not be there, I would follow you, and as long as we remain together, I feel at home." Evelyn said as she laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Jorah glanced at her, here underneath the stars, in the dim light of the fire she looked achingly beautiful. Her words struck him, he had always known that Evelyn was fond of him, and he of her, they had grown up together. But his was far more than fondness jorah thought to himself. Yet, he felt the same way, and it was she who was brave to come out and say it. With her here next to him, he felt perfectly content. But the realization came that if he were ever to venture and see the world, he would need her by his side, or else some part of his heart would always be missing.
Here and now he wanted to promise her the world. Yet all he could manage to say were the simplest words, yet they were the ones that required the most courage.
"I love you Evelyn," he said. The words were like sparks in the night.
She pressed her lips to his. Taking the breath right out of him.
The kiss lasted what seemed to them like a small eternity, here under the stars, with the snow, and the fire casting their shadows on the trees. The words that he had feared so much, did not entrap him, as he had expected. They were liberating to be honest. Here and now he felt as free and as happy as he ever had.
They sat together by the fire talking of their plans for the future. They had barely noticed as the fire had died down but for a few valiant embers. As cold as this strange and beautiful land was, at the moment it paled in comparison to the warmth in the hearts of the two young dreamers.