Whistling winds took flight across the freezing water. Grey clouds rolling through the sky, looming with warning of things yet to come. It had been many years since the people of Bear Island, or anyone else living in Westeros, had seen a winter. The time for years of snow were fast approaching and those of House Stark made it their duty to remind everyone.
Winter was coming.
Winter was coming and it was now time for all to take their stand against the forlorn nights. Those of Bear Island were a hardy folk. Lead by House Mormont, they were a warrior people that stood their ground and fought with all their might when the times arose. House Mormont in itself were a strong people, resembling the sigil of their house: Bear-like with their wide faces, distinguishing features and full thick hair. No Mormont was exempt of this, not even Maura.
Maura Mormont was of average height for a young woman of Westeros. Thin for a Mormont woman, but certainly no twig from The Capital. Her face was round like her grandfathers, but chin slightly pointed like her fathers, or so she was told. She never knew or met her father. Maura had lived with her mother for many years and was told many things about him, but that was the closest she ever got. Along with her fathers family name, her mother and family claim that she much resembles her father. "It's all in your eyes," they would tell her. She dreamt of the day she would meet him to see for herself, but it was still yet to come. Her mother passed when she was young and was sent to live with her Grandmother and Aunts on Bear Island, taking her away from her friends and "Family" in Last Hearth. She has long since seen Ashara and Gareth, but soon enough, Maura would be embarking on what would soon be an adventure of a lifetime. She just didn't know it yet.
Ashara Umber, a small young woman in comparison to her stocky family, was different from her family in many ways. Unlike them and their almost barbaric mannerisms, she was quite proper. Not suited for the Capital, but certainly not mistaken for an Umber. She was small and petite with long straight brown hair. Hazel eyes peeked out from under straight cut bangs. She was much daintier than the other women in her family and spent more time carving little wooden figurines that practicing her sword fighting or archery. She could handle a dagger quite well and use it as a weapon if need be, but she was more artistically inclined and enjoyed appreciating the beauty in life that taking a life.
She first met Maura when they were three and they were almost inseparable from the start. They would go riding in the woods and Maura would practice her Archery while Ashara collected pieces of wood for her carvings, or sat and read. It wasn't much longer after the two became friends that Maura introduced the young child to her friend Gareth, turning their duo into a trio.
Gareth Bolton was much like his father, a man of the north through and through. He spent much time with his father in the forest by the Last River along the Kingsroad hunting. When they did, Maura and her mother would join them and go north to Last Hearth, where Maura would stay whilst her mother continued north to Castle Black. Gareth and Maura were close from the first day they met, much like the sibling the other never had. They could almost be mistaken for siblings if it hadn't been for Mauras' very obvious Mormont traits and Gareth for his Bolton traits; His hair was dark and curly like his fathers, hanging down the his prominent cheek bones. His eyes were dark, almost black and hollow, nose long and narrow. Along with his fathers voice and temper, Gareth also obtained his mouth which was thin and narrow giving the impression that he was stern and commanding, which was not true at all. Of course, man grew up dreaming of becoming a great Lord like his father, but as fate and unfortunate circumstances would have it, he wound up joining the noble force of the Nights Watch becoming the first Bolton at the Wall.
Maura was the first of the three to be torn away. When her mothers life was taken, Maura was sent off to Bear Island with her Mormont family. Her father, deceased. Her mother, deceased. Her Grandfather, commander of the Nights Watch. Her aunts and grandmother sat in House Mormont proudly and she was to join them at the age of 9.
Gareth was the second to be pulled away from the life he knew, being sent to the Nights Watch at the age of 12 for disgracing his father by refusing to marry Lord Karstarks youngest daughter and almost causing a feud between the two Lords. Gareth was a man who dreamt of marrying the love of his life and in turn found himself without the right to marry at all.
Ashara was the only one of the three not forced from her home. She and Gareth found themselves in love at an early age and was heart broken upon hearing that he was to take the black; however, that still didn't stop them from finding peace with one an other whenever they could. There wasn't a single day that a raven wasn't sent from one to the other.
Torn apart, the young trio were about to be thrown back together.
.:.:Writer's Corner:.:.
Slow to start and probably a really poorly laid out prologue chapter, but this is essentially to establish the three OC's that will be focused on throughout the story. Review if you'd like, but I'm not fishing for any for this chapter. They're always appreciated, but not sought after for this run-on opening.
The next chapter will be the actual technical opening to the story and I hope you come back to read it.
Cheers,
Wicked Little Thing