Edd held the reins of the horse through his thick gloves as he drove the lead wagon. It would be at least a few more hours before they reached long barrow to regarrison it.
"Why me?", Edd asked himself for not the first time.
Jon chose him to do it out of all their brothers. But why? His loyalty? His experience? His skill? Edd nearly laughed to himself at that. "No", he thought, "probably just my luck". "Doesn't matter", he quickly decided. The lord commander ordered him to do it and he would.
A huff came from his right side. Edd looked over to the spearwife next to him. She was blonde and showing far too much of her substantial cleavage for any sinceable person this far north. She had large bronze gauntlets on her fists for weapons which shined in the mid day sun. Her name was Yang, he knew that much from when he was introduced to her at castle black along with the other five spearwives. He also knew she could toss a man nearly fully across a courtyard, because she had done it when one of his brothers got a little too handsy.
"Are you alright?", Edd asked.
"Why must we take this place of yours again", she asked in an exasperated tone.
The dead are on the march and who's know where they will attack.", He said before adding, "Probably will be where ever I am, so than I can be cold, tired, hungry, and dead all at once"
"It can't be all bad", Yang said with a grin, "people are dying to get in after all".
It took Edd several seconds to realize the sudden pun the wildling had made. He didn't respond instead just looking ahead down the road and not speaking.
"Oh come on!", Yang said cheerily as she slapped him on the back so hard he nearly fell from his seat, "it was a good joke".
...
Finally they arrived at long barrow just within an hour before dusk. It was nearly identical to castle black in layout except smaller and with a great set of zigzagging stares to reach the top of the wall instead of a lift.
After putting the horses away in the stables and leaving them with some hay Edd got the six girls together in the court yard.
"Before we get situated we need to decide who will have first watch", Edd explained.
"How about Weiss?", The energetic girl with orange hair and a wooden mallet that would put Roberts Baratheon's warhammer to shame suggested.
"No", the white haired girl gasped with her arms crossed.
"Why not?", The hammer wielder asked as she jumped happily in front of Weiss.
She glared at her, "because unlike some people I had to steer a wagon all day".
"Oh yeah", Nora said while tightening the grip on her hammer while still keeping her playful demeanor.
"How about we all just calm down", the black and red haired girl with a scythe said as she tried to get between and seperate the two. The two ignored her instead just staring at each other. Weiss with a death glare and Nora with a giddy smile.
"I'll do it", Edd said with a sigh before a fight broke out. No use in having them kill each other on their day all looked at him for a moment like they didn't understand what he had just said. "I'll take first watch. Might as well live up to the night's watch's name."
The two girls both exchanged looks before Nora nodded furiously in agreement and Weiss said something under her breath about a gentleman.
...
Edd held his cloak as close to his body as he could as he stood next to the small fire next to him as looked out beyond the wall.
You would think living at the wall for years would have made him fairly used to the cold by now. But if you believed that, you'd be wrong.
"Hey", a voice called from behind.
Edd turned to see it was Weiss.
"Hey", he responded to the white haired girl.
She walked over toward him or more correctly, toward the fire. She held her hands to the tiny warmth in what seemed like unending cold. They both just stood their by the fire for what seemed like a second and an hour at the same time. "Thank you", she eventually said, not daring to look at him as she did, "for taking watch and all".
"Last thing we need is to fight amongst ourselves", Edd shrugged.
"Oh" Weiss sounded dissappointed. She crossed her arms, "well you were still quite the gentleman".
Neither spoke for the longest time as they both just embrassed the soft crackling of the fire.
"I'll take next watch", Weiss finally spoke, "when is it?"
"At sunrise", Edd sighed, still preparing for the rest of the long night ahead of him. "Get some rest"
"Thank you...", Weiss began but soon went silent as her face took on a look of confusion. "Did I ever learn your name?", She finally asked in near disbelief.
Edd thought about. Did he ever introduce himself? He kept trying to find the moment when must have but kept coming up blank.
"Eddison Tollett. My friends call me dolorous Edd".
...
If you'd like to make suggestions and criticisms please do.
