Prologue
Ygritte continued to stare at him nervously, The Magnar had ordered him to do the unthinkable. Maybe not by her standards, but he was the son of Ned stark, bastard or not he was every bit as honorable as his lord father. "Damn that boy." She thought. Being around Jon Snow has made her think like a lady. Granted, she was a woman, a tough woman, but not a lady, never.
"Do it, crow." The Magnar said. "Why do you hesitate?"
That only made her grow even more nervous, her fingers were twitching now. She looked up, straight into the bastard crow's face, she could tell that he wasn't going to do anything. She wanted to save him, but she couldn't. She couldn't do a goddamned thing. She was always resourceful, but nothing in all her life had prepared her for the honor of Jon Snow. She laughed at the absurdity of it all, deep in her mind. A bastard boy being more honorable than the king, it's all shit.
"In the name of Mance of the House Rayder, first of his name, the king beyond the wall. I, Jon Snow fathered from House Stark, steward of the Night's Watch, sentence you to die."
He hauled out longclaw , he kicked the man on the floor, the other wildlings helped him hold the old man down, and he swung the sword down, right through his neck. The head came off it a single swing.
Ygritte could not believe what he had said, she had anticipated that he would refuse, or at least show some reluctance, he was the purest man she had ever met, yet now, he had just loped an innocent's head off, sure he had said all those fancy words that made killing seem right, but he still murdered an innocent fucking man!
"Next time, do it yourself, you coward. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword." He put the sword back in his holster and walked to the back.
She stood there, staring in shock, until her senses returned and ran as fast as she could, she found him on his knees, his eyes closed, a heart tree in front of him, he was muttering a prayer.
"What the hell was that?"
"What?" He looked confused.
"Those words you said before you chopped his head off, do they mean anything in the south?"
"Well, yes. You have to let the man you're killing to know his sentence, or it wouldn't mean anything."
"Well keep it to yourself next time Jon Snow, beyond the wall, words mean nothing when you're killing innocent people."
"INNOCENT?" He jumped back up from his knees in anger.
"You wildlings wouldn't give a shit if I slaughtered a dozen infants for a golden dragon, who are you to judge me, spearwife?"
She felt tears forming on her face, but they would not come, instead she turned and went back into her tent. Orell patted her on the shoulder on her way to her tent.
"He doesn't understand." She ignored him.
He was right tough, how many men had died from her hand? How many drops of blood has she spilt? She couldn't bear to think about it anymore. She just closed her eyes and tried to force herself into sleep.
But one thing kept her awake: The chance that he might come back. Yes, he just might come back and apologize. She shook that thought from her mind and once again tried to force herself to sleep. Yet, that thought kept her awake. She couldn't, just couldn't help it.
She never noticed if she fell asleep, but what she did notice was a dream. It couldn't have been a dream, dreams are peaceful. Not intense. She saw herself on the wall, leaving the gates with Jon beside her, oh, how she longed to see that view from the wall again! Then, she was in Winterfell. She's never even heard of Winterfell until weeks ago. But she could always see it in her dreams, how big it was. He had said it was at least triple the size of the windmill. There he was lying on the bed, his closed and face peaceful, it was like he was the woman and she was the man. And in the other room was their baby son, he didn't have a name, but she would be damned if they named him "Snow".
Then, everything began to fade, the sound of cracking ice filled her ears, the castle's rooms began to melt into acid, everyone was frozen except for her. There she saw it, the frozen horror on Jon's face, she began to sob and sob, her fingers reached for his face, the face began to break…
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" She screamed. She saw Jon about to swing his sword, but not onto the old man, onto HER.
Then everything went dark. All she could hear was the repeated yelling of her name.
She woke, she realized that she was covered in sweat, although it's the coldest place in all of Westeros out there. The person who was saying her name was none other than the Bastard of Stark.
"Ygritte, I'm so sorry, so very sorry."
"You damn well better be." She responded hotly.
He grimaced, but changed quickly.
"Listen, Ygritte."
"What is it now?"
"The first time we were together….
"Yeah, I remember, the cave… We should have stayed in that sweet, warm, cave."
He seemed uninterested in the cave.
"The first time we were together, you told me never to betray you."
"Or else I would've cut your pretty cock off." She laughed.
"No, we have to leave, now." His voice sounded urgent.
"What do you mean leave?"
"We must go to castle black, and fight."
"But why…
"You said that Mance Rayder doesn't care if you live or die."
"Yes."
"Well, I care. I am yours and you are mine. And I'd rather go to the Seven hells before I let you die."
He kissed her passionately, it felt warmer than anything she's ever felt in a long time. She opened her mouth to stick her tongue in, but he pulled away.
"We have to go." He said firmly.
"They'll catch us, you know."
"No they won't. I've spent three days thinking of the perfect escape route. First we'll go when they've all fallen asleep, which is now. Then we'll go down the hill, where no one can see us. Then we go along the curve, and ride to Castle Black!"
"And what do you think your fellow Crows would do to me after we get there, Jon Snow? Pin me down and rape me till the Walkers come? Chop me head off for being a spearwife? You said so yourself!"
"No…
"Or drag me through the snow, pelting me and beating me till I die in the snow? And of course what would Mance do if he found you a Crow, and me escaping with you?"
He dropped to his knees once again, and held her by the hand.
"I know we'll be fine. I just know it."
She stared at him for awhile and said with her voice full of both warmth and venom.
"You know nothing, Jon Snow."
He rose up immediately and took off his clothes.
"What? Do you want to fuck NOW? She asked.
"No, I'll have to change to my black cloak, or else my brothers would shoot me when I get back."
He handed her a black cloak.
"Here, you wear one too."
She obeyed at once, but her eyes did not move."
"I've already packed food and water for 2 weeks, we should make it."
She was conflicted. "What should I do?" She thought. It would be dangerous to leave now, yet this might be our only chance yet.
She turned her head to find Jon waiting for her, she could see it in his eyes: Fear.
"Ygritte?" He asked.
She mounted her horse almost instantly. She followed Jon's horse. Going behind the back, they were getting closer and closer towards the slope, but then, she heard a voice. It was Orell's.
"The bastard and his Crow's wife is leaving!" He yelled.
"Shoot them!" The magnar ordered.
Immediately, arrows from everywhere shot.
"Duck!" Jon yelled.
They both did . All of the arrows miraculously missed them and they both escaped up the slope.
"Mount your horses, you worthless packs of dogs!" She heard the Magnar scream.
Their horses just kept running and running until they reached the woods.
"Stop." Jon said. "We'll ambush them."
"What's honor in that?"
They hid behind the trees, with a bow and arrows to keep themselves safe.
The Magnar's men stopped at the trees, she pulled. And released. In a few moments. All of he Magnar's men were dead, all of them bleeding from the head or ack. Jon looked up to her bow in his hands, and smiled. She found herself smiling too.
"I just knew we would be fine." Jon Said.
She was thrilled and terrified by this, what if The Magnar found them again? A thousand words popped into her head but all she could say was:
"You know nothing, Jon Snow."