Jon reined his horse close to his father. The two of them rode with twenty of Stark's good men to survey the area. The hilly fields were littered sporadically with broken mortar and a ruined tower or two. Jon wasn't entirely sure of his lord father's intention and why he had pulled him from his sword training. They were far from the halls of Winterfell and relatively close to the Wall, within the Gift.
"My son" Ned said to him on horseback. "I want you to look at this place. I mean really look at it."
He did so. There was ruinous structure and it was quite hilly but the flat plains nearby were tall and grassy, seeming fertile for harvest.
"It's long been abandoned though harvest was plentiful. Why do you suppose that is?"
Jon figured he knew the answer already. "It must be wildlings."
Ned nodded. "Aye. The wildlings that make it past the Wall tend to end up in places such as this. Long fields along the Wall that are long abandoned. The wildlings go on undetected and the Night's Watch don't have enough men to get to them. I've spoken to Lord Commander Mormont and we've both decided that the Wall needs aid from the North. We're the only ones that understand the need of protection. The rest of the realm has long forgotten that."
Jon nodded. "I agree, father."
"Step down from your horse, Jon."
Jon did so and Ned went to him.
"I have documents" he said, pulling and unrolling them one by one. "All signed and made lawful by King Robert. The first mandates that started from that field-" he turned and pointed to the grassfields before pointing the wooded area to the west, "-to five leagues that way will hereby be called Lyanna's Hill, indefinitely."
The place was definitely named for his father's younger sister, Lyanna, and his aunt. Jon thought it a kind gesture.
"I'll have you kneel now, Jon."
Surprised, Jon quickly did so. Ned unrolled the next document.
"Also signed and mandated by King Robert, you are no longer Jon Snow. You are, from this day until your last, Jon Stark, second-born son of Lord Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North."
Jon looked up at him, overcome with emotion. "I swear I will earn this, father. I will honor you and uphold your name."
Ned smiled. "There is one more document, Jon."
Stunned, Jon lowered his head again while Ned read the parchment. "Again, signed and made lawful by King Robert, you are hereby granted lordship over Lyanna's Hill and you're granted a new House, House Stark of Lyanna's Hill."
Jon's eyes went wide and he looked back up to his father.
"Rise, Lord Jon Stark of Lyanna's Hill."
Jon rose to his feet. He was on the verge of tears but he managed to hold them back thinking his father wouldn't think kindly of them.
"Father" he said, stumbling. "Thank you so much." Ned pulled him close and the two hugged as Ned gave a hearty laugh. "I don't know what else to say!"
When they parted Ned told him, "I'm sure you'll do your very best. You're a good man."
Jon smiled and nodded. Ned clapped him on the shoulders.
"You have a very important mission here, Jon. You are now my vassal and in a very important position. I am relying on you to help keep the North's borders safe. You have been given a portion of the Gift to uphold but you will need to work hand in hand with the Night's Watch to protect all of it. You will not pay taxes to me but to the Watch. Your relationship with them will need to be strong for you must rely on each other. I know that you are strong and more than ready for this task."
"Where do we start?"
"I will give you one hundred good fighters and dozens of good workers, stonemasons, blacksmiths, farmers, stewards and whatever workmen you might need. You'll need a keep or a hall for yourself and a township for your men and subjects."
"That all sounds like a good idea."
"And when we get a good ways along on that. We'll get started on finding you a match. A wife." That was when Jon's smile dampened a little. That was one thing about being a noble of honor. It was matchmaking, not romance.
.
Still, Jon dove headfirst into occupying his lordship. He and his men guarded the transport of materials, workers and smallfolk looking to take part in the good harvest of the lush fields nearby. Most were former occupants of the Gift that had fled wildlings only to be reassured by a lord's protection. Many feared the direwolf Ghost, whom had long grown into adulthood and was near the size of a bull moose. Most of those changed their minds when Ghost proved his loyalty to their new liege and lord by helping tear down a band of raiders who attacked the caravan; they also realized Ghost was friendly or amicable to those not hostile to his human.
Ghost inspired his banner's sigil. A white wolf on a backdrop of green woods. He took the statement, "Honor is Strength" for his House's words.
The primary home of Lyanna's Hill was a tent camp initially but over the period of half a year, it became a half-constructed keep and a series of cottages near the fields. Some soldiers and smallfolk wished to spread farther away from Jon's keep as his domain was much larger than where they first settled and Jon gladly gave them leave to do so. He and his father agreed on a one-year contract where Winterfell would send food, materials and provisions to build his lands. After that, Jon would be left to his own devices and do things as he saw fit.
Near simultaneous to the building of the homes, Jon and a dozen of his men rode along his borders overseeing fortified defenses: wooden gates and stake ramparts. Unfortunately, this is where his first failures came into play. Often times, wildlings would overrun the defenses and get inside regardless of whether he left men to defend it or not. He lost ten workers and some good fighters over a month because of this very reason.
"You're trying to do too much, milord" said Garren, a good hand with a bow told him after one such attack. "We should consolidate to where our force is most strong."
Jon knew that he was in the right. He didn't have enough men to protect all of Lyanna's Hill at that time and the wildlings seemed to know it. So, they tightened their ramparts to their built homes and sent scouts to nearby settlements to receive reports on wildling activity. They had to be reactive to deal with the situation; Jon didn't like it but it was the best idea he had at the moment.
Near the end of the year, Ned sent word to build a room in his keep for a wife because he had begun his search for Jon's match.
"Do I have a say in who is chosen?" Jon asked by raven sent.
"No" was the summary of the answer Jon received.
.
Besides defending his people, Jon found his favorite duty as lord was presiding over the marriages. Most of his people were of the old gods so he usually had some maids weave garlands of flowers and accompany them himself; the bride and groom as well as a small retinue would go to the nearby heart tree in the woods. He was often the one to offer the bride to her new husband. On one such occasion, one of his swordhands married a lady merchant he had courted since they first arrived at Lyanna's Hill. It was a joyous occasion all around and Jon was happy for the new couple but internally his mind went to himself. He was somewhat saddened that they could find love on their own while he would have to be paired without a choice in the matter. Still, he had fun and they all danced to the lute of a farmer right there in the woods as celebration. Jon was having fun himself until one of his men accosted him.
"'Tis a shame the North don't partake in lord's rights, milord" commented a soldier named Harren. "You could've had her or any of the others you wished."
Jon knocked him to the ground with a single blow and sent him home. In the commotion of all that, Jon saw that there were movement in the trees. Movement that suggested that somebody was watching them and trying to escape. Jon took Ghost and four men present to give chase. They weren't hard to find, for they were on foot and children. Four of them; three boys and one girl. Upon first seeing them, Jon was perplexed because nobody among his men knew them and they had account of every family in his domain. That is, until somebody pointed out their clothing. All furs and skins; they were raggedy and filthy; hair was unkempt and worse. They were wildlings.
One man suggested putting them to the sword and Jon derided him for that one. He ordered them brought to the township and bathed before being brought to him in his keep. He had his stewards cook a fine meal and had them fed. The children didn't speak much and especially seemed unwilling to speak about their adults' location. He fed them all the same and showed no ill will. That very afternoon, his men reported that a group of wildlings had surrendered themselves at the edge of the township. It seemed that all the wildlings had all traveled together, including the children.
"My lord, we can spare the children. But we should execute all of the adults save for one. It would send a message." They just wouldn't let it go.
"And what purpose would that serve?" Jon asked from his table. "Seems cruel for cruelty's sake. They didn't come to fight. They came for their children. By the gods."
"They're wildlings, my lord."
"We will give them back the children" Jon told them point blank. "Then I will have you escort them to the Night's Watch. I will appeal to the Lord Commander to let them through but that'll be on them."
"My lord-"
"That is my command and that is the last I'll hear of it. If I catch word that anything happened to them on the trip, there will be consequences."
Jon himself was present for the wildings retrieving of the children and saw them off with ten of his men as escort. He happened to lay eyes on a heavily-furred young woman with wild red hair whom stood out from the others but he paid it little mind at the time. After they left, he sent a raven to Lord Commander Mormont appealing to him to let them through the Wall. From what he gathered, it all went well.
.
It was some time later that Jon finally received word from his father. It was his turn to be married at last. They had found somebody. It was to be Alys Karstark, the sole daughter of Lord Rickard Karstark of Karhold. Jon received word that she was fair and only a year younger than him. He left a trusted man as castellan with his high steward as advisor before taking a retinue of ten men-at-arms to travel with him towards Winterfell.
Alys Karstark was a tall, fair young woman with a long face, brown hair and large, expressive blue-grey eyes. She was thin but not frail and carried a certain air of strength about her. Jon reminded himself that Starks and Karstarks were distant relatives because she looked so much like Arya and himself save for the eyes that he might've thought she was directly related to him.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, my lord" she greeted with a curtsy in the Great Hall where they were having a pre-wedding feast. Her long, braided hair was tightly rolled and pinned on the back of her head.
"I as well, my lady" he gave a slight bow.
"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked with a smile.
He searched her eyes for an answer.
"We danced together once before, a long time ago when I was six. You were so sullen then. You still are, it seems."
"I'm sorry."
"Nonsense" she said, reaching for him. "Dance with me, husband-to-be."
He looked around. The musicians were playing and there were several highborn couples dancing before their table.
Ned turned to him. "I doubt she'll let it go, son."
Jon knew he was right so he went to her and the two made a good pair.
"Honor is Strength" she said as they finished. "What made you think of it?"
"It's something I strongly believe in."
She nodded. "They are fine words. I will make it my duty to uphold them by your side."
He hadn't expected that. She reminded him of his Arya in more ways than one. She would go on to surprise him many more times.
After a time, a retinue of wedding guests went out to the godswood. Lord Eddard Stark presided over the evening while Lord Rickard Karstark gave his daughter away in a white lambs-wool dress and a soft veil over her face. They accepted and avowed each other before kneeling and making silent promises to the weirwood. Afterwards, they rose and he lifted the veil from her pretty face.
She smiled at him. "My lord, my husband."
They took a guest room in the Great Keep. There would be no public bedding but they were bid to sleep in the same bed with guards posted outside.
"These rooms are cozy" she commented to him in their solar. She had undone her braid and let her exceptionally long hair free and donned a simple white gown. "You can hardly tell its winter outside."
"The steam of a hot spring run through these walls" he revealed. "This keep is built on top of it. It isn't like this back home, I'm sorry to say. It's … a progress."
"We'll make it a home" she said, joining him in bed.
He gave a sad smile at that and she took his head in her hands. "What's the matter?"
"I … worry that I may displease you."
She gave a tearful but glad smile. "I'm wed. To a sullen man it seems. But a good one. I'm a simple woman to please, I promise you. Just consider my words and be true to me; I beg of you."
Husband and wife laid together for the first time that night and both were satisfied.
.
At year's end, Jon began to take a tax from the people, adjustable to their standing. For those unable to pay straight away, he built a line of credit or simply took a store of food as payment. He took a portion of the coin made by the merchants living on his land and there were little issue with some unwilling to pay their share. Some wealthy lot not of noble birth sought Jon out and asked to build homes on his land as well, apparently enjoying the quiet life away from the market towns. One even hailed from King's Landing.
"Some of them have ill-gotten gain" Alys told him. "The one from Barrowtown deals in prostitution."
"They'll bring none of that here, I assure you. But we need the coin."
She was displeased but let the matter settle.
One day, Jon was out almost alone, hunting in his woods with Ghost when the wolf suddenly ran off, tearing between the trees. He followed him to the best of his ability and heard a woman screaming in pain. He followed the sounds of struggle to a nearby knoll whereupon he found Ghost dragging a wailing wildling woman down the climb.
"Ghost! Ghost! Away!"
He crouched down and looked over her wound. She had bites on her left thigh and her ankle was torn and bleeding. She kicked him all the while, shouting and growling like a wild beast.
"What are you doing?!" he shouted at her to no real answer. He looked around her and saw a broken bow and scattered arrows in the leaves nearby. He pushed himself up and ventured further up the knoll from her and realized that there was a thicket of trees with ample covering in spots but there was also a manageable vantage point to where he was previously.
"Are there others?" he questioned her though she refused to answer. "How many are with you!"
Against his better judgement, he bodily lifted her up into his arms like a bride and carried her to town. She struggled with him nearly the entire time; twisting, kicking, scratching, pulling hair. She was surprisingly strong. When he nearly dropped her and she realized how much she hurt, she finally stopped.
He brought her to his town healers and ordered her seen to. He would be by to check her progress later. Many were up in arms in the town about the matter and so was Alys as he would come to find.
"I hear you brought a wildling woman from the woods" Alys said as they were seated to lunch at their table.
He froze, hoping that she wouldn't dwell on it too long. "Yes. She was injured. She is in dire straits so I would see her cared for."
"She's a wildling." Alys stated plainly, her tone and expression made him tense.
"Yes" he said apprehensively. He was fond of his wife but he had to admit she was aggressively judgmental at times. When he brought forth his agenda or decisions for the day, she often had her own opinion of the matter and they often tweaked on his ideas or were in open conflict with them. He could never satisfy her completely it seemed.
Her demeanor softened and she smiled. "Jon Stark, you are the most honorable man I've ever met. I thank the old gods every day that I got to marry you."
She reached across the table and offered her hand. He slowly reached out and took it. "I can't wait to give you a son" she told him, flashing him a gracious smile that made him feel guilty for ever thinking ill of her.
.
He went to the wildling girl later with Ghost at his side. "Leave us" he bid the healers. The girl's eyes stared at the snarling direwolf in terror. She feared. That was good.
"Who are you, girl?" Jon demanded to know. He took a seat next to her bed but kept his sword over his thighs and at the ready.
"I be no girl, kneeler" she said with whatever defiance she could muster. She had an accent cruder than those of the poorest smallfolk. "A woman grown I am. A spearwife."
"What were you doing in my woods?" He asked, thinking that peculiar. "You tried to kill me."
"As I would any old lord kneeler o' tower" she said smiling a bit, shaking her bushy red mane. "Must be pretty important, got all this."
He looked her over. She had red, ragged hair, clothes of wolfskin and boiled leather, including makeshift boots. She was heavily freckled on what skin he could see; she had slightly misshapen, cool blue eyes, a small pug nose and crooked teeth. Most would consider her homely at best but Jon found the attitude of her added to her appearance. He realized he had seen her before among those wildlings that slipped close to his township all those months ago.
"I've seen you before" he told her.
"Your name, kneeler" she offered him with a knowing smile. "For mine."
"Lord Jon Stark of Lyanna's Hill" He proclaimed.
"Ygritte" she said, pointing to herself. "Who's Lyanna?"
"Somebody very important" He told her. "Where's the rest of your band? Who's helping you?"
"All by m'self" she said. "Impressed?"
"Hardly. You mean to tell me you scaled the Wall twice? This time all by yourself?"
She began giggling, having to turn away from him on the bed.
He realized. "You never left."
"Ye' face!" she said, laughing. "Too much it is!"
"Where have you been hiding? Where are the others?"
"Them sticks far out are yours, no? Over much land for one man to have! Greedy to claim lands ye' can't protect."
Jon stood. "I'll have my men give care for you but you're not leaving this place until you give me the answers I want."
"Fine by me" Ygritte leaned back with a smile. "You're mighty fine, Lord Stark."
He left her with Ghost at his side.
Alys was eager to try for a child and came to his bedchambers often. There were times, however, when Jon struggled to finish with her, growing frustrated partway through or sometimes couldn't even get hard at all.
"What's wrong, my husband?" she asked with concern as she cradled him from behind after one such occasion. She nuzzled his neck.
"That damn woman!" he seethed.
"The wildling?" Alys asked. It had been over a week since Jon had brought her around.
"I need to root them out!" He yelled in frustration. "I'm failing him! I'm failing Lyanna's Hill!"
She turned his head to face her. "No, you're not." She kissed him hard on the lips. "You're a great lord. Everybody knows that. Especially your father."
She massaged his bare shoulders and slowly her hands crept over his chest and further down still until he caught her hands with his own.
"I'm sorry, Alys. I can't tonight."
There was pleading in her eyes. "Truly?"
"I'm sorry." He kissed her. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."
She rose up from him and wrapped herself up in her robe. She turned back to him. "You better." She ruffled his curly hair with one hand. "Good night, my lord."
"Good night, my lady" He said, not looking back. She returned to her bedchambers and he laid on his bed with a grunt. He punched his headboard with a frustrated fist.
.
Even worse, he was called from bed some nights later. Ygritte had escaped her confines one night and left the men he had on guard slashed and dead. At dawn, he rode out with five of his best swords and Ghost to track her down. If she was still in his lands, he wanted her alive and wished to the old gods that Ghost's tracking skills would allow that to happen. They came to his outer ramparts and he had his men fan out in search. When he was well enough alone in the nearby woods, an arrow shot down before his horse. The steed neighed in alarm and reared back; Jon struggled to remain saddled and managed to eventually calm his horse. He looked up. Ygritte hissed at him.
"Send 'em away, Lord Stark" she said below to him. She was many branches up in a very tall tree. He was amazed that she was up so high.
"Why should I?" He called up. "Get down here, Ygritte. You have much to answer for."
She shook her head. "I'll tell all, you send 'em away." He didn't move. "I'll tell you where they are! T' other Free Folk!"
With reluctance, he rode away from her and she was left in suspense. A good distance away, he blew his horn, calling them together.
"You find the wildling?" He asked them when they were all together.
"Nay, my lord."
"We'll find the wench."
"Aye, but not now" Jon told them. "Head on back to your wives. Break fast; we'll take up the search again later with more men."
"Aye, my lord."
"Head on back" he told them.
"And you, my lord?"
"I'll be behind you."
He watched the five of them ride back to the township before he went back to Ygritte's tree. When he got there, he saw a long rope that extended to the wooded ground. He looked up and saw it anchored in a loop on a thick branch and Ygritte shimmied down it with spikes on her heeled boots. She made it to the ground and turned to Jon.
"You're a good man, Lord Stark" she said to him. "Knew it when I glimpsed ya. Was nothing personal when I took my shot at ya."
He said nothing, only whistling with a thumb and forefinger. Ghost bounded up behind her. She turned on him, frightened.
"Kneeler snake!"
"No more games, Ygritte." He put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Where are they?"
Her eyes were only on the direwolf. "Is not right. That animal should have no master."
"We had a deal."
"Never said I was proper" she smirked. "Was all you."
Jon seethed at her. Ghost leapt at her, knocking her down and baring his fangs over her chest.
"I'll have him rip out your throat."
"Then you'll never know!" she said frantically. "Want to know what they said? Those guards I killed? That there's no use to this place! Us Free Folk keep getting past! That you must be blind! A failure!"
Jon glared at her, fuming.
"Send him away!" She gestured to the direwolf with her eyes. "Make him go away and I'll tell you all! For honest this time!"
Jon took several deep breaths and pondered it in anguish. "Ghost!" he called finally and the direwolf turned to him. "Return to town!"
Ghost turned back to Ygritte with fury before Jon called him again. "Ghost! To town! Now!"
After a moment, Ghost left her and began running through the woods, away from them. Ygritte smiled and held out a hand from the ground, hoping to be helped to her feet. Jon reluctantly reached down and did so. She rose almost to his chest.
"Only one more thing." She said.
Jon sighed and grabbed her by the throat with one hand. He took her against the nearest tree and slammed her against it. He held her there. "Nothing else! You tell me now!"
She squirmed in his grip and brought enough room for herself to speak. "You know nothing, Jon Stark! Ye'll like it, I swear!"
He loosened his grip on her, uncertain and she seized the opportunity by pressing up and kissing him long and hard on the mouth.
He pushed her back into the tree. "What are you doing?"
She was laughing. "You've wanted me from the get go! Go on, deny it and be a liar! You can stab me, beat me or rip me apart with that big sword o' yours! I'll not say nothing!" She reached down between them and gripped his loins roughly in his pants, making him grunt. "Do it to me proper with this and I'll have no choice but to spill me guts!" She kept right on laughing.
He angrily gripped her by the scruff of her neck and turned where he then flung her facefirst to the ground. He surprised himself when he unlaced and ripped down his trousers and then her fur bottoms in turn where she lay. The sight of her pale, muscular legs only drove his need. He took her roughly and rutted her without care for her satisfaction.
"Do you fuck your wolf like this?" she panted and he pushed her face to the ground to shut her up. When he finished, he began to retreat from her but she drove her head backwards into his face. He reeled and she reached behind with one arm where she then pulled him down to the ground next to her.
"You know nothing, Jon Stark" she told him as she pushed his coat and doublet up, kissed his bare stomach and worked her way down. "I'm not done with you yet. Not by a long ways." She took him into her mouth and breathed and suckled life back into it. He groaned and reached down and tugged painfully on her red mass of hair. Her left hand wrestled with his hand momentarily before pinning his wrist to the ground. She sapped his strength but he realized then that she was stronger than she let on. After, she straddled his hips and blissfully guided his sword into her. He found her wet and wanting and she rode him well. When they were both spent, she had collapsed on her knees next to him where they both had labored breaths. She leaned in to kiss him but he shoved her away.
"Don't touch me" he spat at her.
If she took offense, she didn't betray it. She wiped some of the sweat from her eyes and looked at it over her fingers as if in admiration. "Twenty flights west o' here in the cliffs above that Mole Town the crows love s' much is a camp of some icy river men. They not be like us, lord kneeler. They eat people."
He rose and laced his trousers over his waist and gathered his sword and other things. "If you're lying, I'll ride you down and take your head." He went to gather his horse and ride back for his township. She noticed he never made mention of her leaving.
.
That evening, he took thirty men and rode hard for the Mole Town cliffs. The ice-river men were there like Ygritte said. They were savage, carrying crude, painful weapons and had ridiculous bone piercings through noses, faces and throats. They fought without fear of death and though they were caught unaware, they put up a horrific fight. Still, there were little more than a dozen of them against Jon's numbers and his men were good, strong and well-trained. Jon killed them to the last man and saw a shaved human leg being roasted over a spit and wanted to vomit. One or two of his men did. He thanked the old gods they had no children with them.
He was somber when he returned to his home later that night. He couldn't stop thinking of the rivermen and of Ygritte. He hated that he debased himself in such a way. He betrayed his wife; his father; the North. Why did I do that? He wondered if that was how his father felt when he dishonored himself so long ago. I was weak. It won't happen again. A knock came at his door in the dead of night. Sweet Alys walked to his bedside with oil lamp in hand.
"You did a good thing today, my lord" she said to him. "A very good thing."
"Thank you, my lady" He said graciously to her. "I couldn't have done it without my men." Or Ygritte, apparently.
She set the oil lamp down at his bedside. She reached out and stroked the curls in his hair. "I was hoping you could do another very good thing."
He took her hand and kissed her thin knuckles. "I'm sorry, my sweet. I'm in no mood tonight."
She inhaled as he laid on his back and ran his hands through his hair. "Killing makes some men lustful." He looked upon her and she quickly added, "But I know you are not that kind of man. I appreciate that. You're a good man. Too good." No, I'm not. He wanted to tell her but he couldn't muster up the strength. He couldn't stand to see her hurt like that.
"Jon" she said to him, getting his attention again. "Could you ... pretend to love me … sometimes?"
He looked at her to see she had lowered her head, afraid of his answer. He reached out and brought her close, cradling her neck. "I do love you. I know … I've failed you. I've been a terrible husband. I'll be better. I promise."
He kissed her and held her in his arms. Eventually, that became too much for her since he wouldn't treat her as a husband should in truth. She firmly pushed off of him and rose up to leave him.
"Good night, my lord" she said, taking away her oil lamp.
"Good night, my lady."
.
The guilt continued to nag at Jon. He could hardly sleep some nights. However, he was able to do his husbandly duty with Alys more frequently. He found that quieted her complaints and he enjoyed seeing her pleased but after several instances of this, he could feel that something was wrong. He tried not to compare it to Ygritte but his mind went there often. Ygritte brought out an animalistic side of him, the wolf in him. Alys was strong, sure, but she was a lady and had a prettiness to her that made him want to hold and caress her not fuck her, which Ygritte certainly did for him. He found himself missing that.
A week later, religious emissaries came to his township. They had come to the North to spread the Faith of the Seven, specifically to the burrows and townships in the Gift and under the shadow of the Wall. However, among them were septas and serving girls. The caravan had been attacked not far from Lyanna's Hill and all the young girls were taken by wildlings, including a septon's daughter. Jon agreed to help their cause.
Telling all to stay behind while he sought guidance from the godswood, he instead rode out to his distant ramparts. He called for Ygritte amongst the wood and after a while he was about to give in and turn back when he finally heard a whistle above him. Again, Ygritte was seated on an impossibly tall branch. She waved at him excitedly. She shimmied down to him.
"Why didn't you leave?" He demanded of her.
"Aren't you glad I didn't?" she asked. "Was looking for me, wasn't you?"
He told her his situation with the stolen girls.
"Sounds like they got rights to them by our laws" she stated.
"Not by mine."
"Those godmen wanted to keep them so badly they should've fought for them."
"Will you help me or not?"
She sneered up at him and reached down to her fur pants, playing with her laces. "I can find them for you, real easy. O' course you know my price."
"You whore."
"Free woman. Ye don't want my help. I can see. Farewell, lord kneeler." She made to leave him there.
He sighed and dropped down from his horse to tie him up nearby. He took her standing against the very same tree she climbed. She clutched his back and the back of his arms so roughly that she left minor bruising.
The next day, she came to him with a location of the Thenns' encampment where they prepared to try for the Wall with their prized wives in tow. Jon amassed a host and rode the Thenns down in battle, allowing some to escape unfortunately though they retrieved the young girls. Unfortunately, some of the girls had in fact been defiled but their kinsmen and fellow believers considered their safety more important than that for the most part.
"Another success, my husband" Alys said to him in his bedchambers. She leaned over him, rubbing his shoulders.
"Success?" he asked. "Those girls will birth bastards unless they have the moontea. They were despoiled."
"But they could've gone over the Wall" she reminded him. "You made the best out of a bad situation."
"It's not good enough" Jon told her simply enough.
.
Jon rode out to the ramparts where Ygritte found him easily. He didn't pretend to be surprised anymore.
"No more reaction" he said to her. "I will be proactive. I want to know what you know. Every wildling camp on this side of the Wall. Every single one."
"Why must you get all? Mayhaps I want something s'well?"
"More sex."
He reached for her but she shook away from his grasp, shaking her head.
"You think little of me. I can get that whenever I want. I want what you got. A place of me own. A castle like yours."
"You ask too much."
"No, you ask too much! People is dying 'cause o' me. Wears on me conscience. A nice bed will comfort me through the sorrows."
"Oh, you're so guilty. You kill people all the time."
"You kill many more!" she shouted, quieting him down with her distress. "You know nothing! You don't know what it's like over the Wall! Them children saw you dancing with your merry music and only wanted to see it closer! You have heat! Food! Beds! Steel! You have everything while we have nothing! And when we come to share in it, you kill us for it!"
She shoved him with both hands, forcing him to stumble back. "Gods damn you, you kneeler! You owe me! Do this, you damn Stark!"
He thought of killing her. Perhaps that would have been for the best. She was a wildling on his land and had killed some of his men. That would have been just. What wasn't just was that he had laid with her and used her to locate others. He knew that if he slayed her that it wouldn't have been because it was the right thing. It would have been to hide his shame.