At night, the wind whistled as Snow sat on lookout at top the wall. Shadows from the pitiful fire flickering, his form puppetering shapes onto the ice behind him. The silence was broken by distant, growing closer crunching steps within the white canvas cloaking the wall, Snow paused his shivering hands as Sam, cautiously creeped around the corner into view.
"Hello. Ser Alliser said I'm to be your new watch partner." His face painted with deep innocence. "I should warn you, I don't see all that well." Snow turned away to the north as he closed his eyes in annoyance.
within the courtyard, Irenya and Pyp polished the last of the sword before gathering them for the armoury, grasping her cloak tighter as the wind was harsher with the dark. Gasping slightly as it chilled her to the bone.
"Where'd you learn to fight?" Pyp gasped a sword from the ground, the cold, wet mud tinting his fingers while Flashing Irenya a curious look.
"I was taught by a friend of my father, at his will, then I taught myself more." She glanced at him while she gathered up the last of the swords, smirking at his greatly impressed face.
"Your father must have been a great fighter." He paused, taking in how she seemed to freeze from his observation, she was about to speak but stopped as she saw, behind Pyp, Rast approached with another man.
"There." Rast grinned as he pointed toward Irenya, who briskly threw down the swords and tore her dagger from the black leather pouch strapped to her side. He began stepping closer towards them as Pyp held out his arm towards him.
"Rast, go. Just leave." Pyp gripped a practice sword and quickly steps closer to him, Rast bung his knee to Pyp's middle, leaving him to groan, gripping his stomach. He grasped his head and struck his face, Pushing him to the ground as he keeled over. Rast's gaze snapped over to Irenya who slowly looked from Pyp to Rast, mouth slightly agape as she held her dagger higher, the man with Rast waited for the right time and as she glanced at Pyp, attacked. Rast, gripping a sword from the ground, swiped the dagger from her hand as the other man restrained her arms while she was distracted. Rast stepping closer, placed his harsh, rough hand upon her check. Irenya tensed her jaw and swung her leg into his shin, causing him to hiss and dip towards the ground slightly. Swinging her head backwards to the face of the man who restrained her, his grip was instantly gone before bringing her fist to Rast's eye and watching as he stumbled, holding his face, the other man standing beside him.
"I won't tell Lord Commander of this. But if you touch me again...you will no longer be a man." She stared him down after regaining her blade as the other man scurried away holding his face, blood seeping through his fingers.
"I'll get you back for this, foreign whore." Rast, holding his eye, limped away as Irenya quickly helped Pyp from the ground and after he gave her a nod began gathering the swords once more.
"What are you doing here, Sam?" Snow asked turning to Sam by the fire pit as the harsh wind continued to howl atop the wall. Sam stood closer as he took his time to explain his reasons.
"On the morning of my 18th nameday, my father came to me. You're almost a man now, he said, but you're not worthy of my land and title. Tomorrow, you're going to take the black, forsake all claim to your to your inheritance and start north. If you do not, he said. Then we'll have a hunt and somewhere in these woods your horse will stumble and you'll be thrown from your saddle to die. Or so I'll tell your mother. Nothing would please me more." He stopped with a slight glint in his eyes as he remembered his fathers harsh words. The man named Snow looked back to the north with a wash of sympathy for the boy. "Ser Alliser's going to make me fight again tomorrow, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is." Snow nodded slowly as Sam groaned in discontent.
"I'm not going to get any better, you know." Sam was almost pleading.
"Well... you can't get any worse." Snow began chuckling then soon broke into laughter, infecting Sam to break into laughter also.
"Where have you been?" Grenn spoke midway through a mouthful as he, Pyp and Irenya sat upon an oaken bench within the food hall. Two tables filled with, rowdy men were parallel within the centre of the room, slight warmth touching the inside of the room as the log fire struggled on behind them. Irenya watched tentatively as Snow sat with bowl in hand and grasped a small lump of bread adjacent to her.
"Watch duty." Once he sat, his gaze seemed to instantly snap to both Irenya's bruised cheek and Pyp's bottom lip swelled and was purple in colour, containing a small cut. He dipped the bread into the bowl and took a small bite as Irenya gently lifted her gaze from her bowl and saw that he was staring at the purple mass that spread from beneath her cheek bone to beside her eye, quickly looking back down once his gaze shifted back to Pyp's lip.
"With Sam." Grenn could not hide his annoyed tone.
"Ah, prince pork chop." Irenya noticed that Snow glared mildly as Pyp half heartedly joked.
"Where is he?" Grenn spoke clearly once he had swallowed his mouthful.
"He wasn't hungry." Snow dunked the bread into the bowl of soup with slight aggression after looking at Irenya's angered cheek once more.
"Impossible!" Pyp teased on earning a chuckle from Grenn.
"That's enough." Snow spoke with little patience while keeping his eyes on upon Pyp lip, drifting his sight too Irenya's cheek when he could. He noticed she was tenderly eating her hot soup, to cause as less pain as possible, though didn't do too well to hide it. "Sam's no different from the rest of us. There was no place for him in the world, so he came here." Dipping his bread once more. "We're not going to hurt him in the training yard anymore. Never again, no matter what Thorne says. He's our brother now and we're going to protect him." Irenya noticed that even though he spoke to Pyp and Grenn, Snow gave occasional glances to her. Perhaps his words meant for her as well, they will protect her as well as Sam.
"You are in love, Lord Snow." Rast mocked making laughter erupt from the other side of the hall as both men turned to each other. "You lot can do as you please. But if Thorne puts me up against lady piggy, I'm gonna slice me off a side of bacon." His raspy laughter echoed causing Irenya to shake gently with anger. Rast gave a lasting look to her before turning as 'Snow' did the same. He caught her scowl at Rast briefly before her head bowed briskly, feeling his eyes on her. No one need know about what happened. Snow scanned in thought briefly. Once outside, Snow placed his hand on Pyp's shoulder.
"What happened?" The question mixed with hinted worry caused Pyp to scan his surroundings, anything to avoid Snow's pressing gaze as he stuttered for a lie. "Pyp." Snow's tone became stern as Pyp nodded slowly, he knew he was determined for an answer.
"We were taking the last of the swords to the armoury, Rast and another man tried to hurt her. I couldn't help her... I tried. She fought them off but she said she won't tell Lord Commander and told him not to go near her again." Pyp stammered as he spoke, pausing as Snow placed his hand on his shoulder, nodding reassuringly before walking away.
At night, Rast snored loudly upon his cot, Unaware of the mild scuffing of the approaching figures. Quickly a rag was forced onto his mouth, silencing him as he became alert. Snow held the rag tight as Pyp and Grenn forced down Rast's arms. Ghost, Snow's pale dire wolf stood a top him, panting shortly before growling, bearing it's glistening large fangs while staring down at it's prey with glowing red eyes.
"No one touches her or Sam." Snow words were slow and menacing as he stared Rast down. Removing the rag as the others released Rast's arms, leaving him frozen with fear beneath the dire wolf.
The morning came as did their time within the training yard. Sam wearily held his sword to Rast, who coldly glanced at Snow, avoiding his gaze tremendously with Irenya. She followed his line of sight to 'snow' beside her. What had he done to cause Rast to squirm under his gaze and shift at the very feeling of her looking at him. Wincing mildly as a small smirk spread across her lips, the bruising upon her face still too recent.
"What are you waiting for?" Thorne's unimpressed and boredom look bore into Rast. Sam lunged hesitantly at him only for Rast to effortlessly swipe the practice sword out of his hand, landing up the ground with a thump. Edging to pick it up, he returned to his weary stance. "Attack him!" Rast kept an eye on Snow as he stepped forward, tapping Sam on his arm, leaving gaping at the place where the sword had patted in confusion. Thorne followed Rast's gaze with great suspicion to Snow as he pushed him back, Gesturing to Grenn. "You get in there." Grenn stepped forward confidently with his sword at the ready.
"Hit me." He whispered as Sam looked on in confusion, glancing back to Snow and Irenya who offered kind smiles and reassuring nods. "Go on, hit me!" whispering louder. Sam cautiously tapped his shoulder before Grenn threw himself upon the ground. "I yield!" His dramatic performance earning stifled laughter from the group. "Yield, yield." Thorne charged forward, barging Sam out of the way before gripping Snow's collar. Irenya's head snapping in their direction as her hands slowly balled into fists.
"You think this is funny, do you?" glaring at him before shoving him away, Irenya releasing her breath as she felt her fists relax quickly. "When you're out there, beyond the wall, with the sun going down, Do you want a man at your back? or a snivelling boy?" Thorne scowled once more before walking away leaving the other's to scatter. Irenya watched as Snow marched to the sword rack, curiosity coursing through her, to the point of her legs springing her first step toward him until she stood as he stacked away the swords.
"Snow?" Her voice coming across more harsh than intended but not failing in gaining his attention, turning with a deep frown pressed to his brow. "I don't know what you did with Rast for Sam and me..." Pausing slightly to place the words in her broken common tongue better. "Thank you. Ser...lord..Snow" her gaze slowly lifting from the damp earth beneath her to puzzlement at the hint of amusement on his face. Nodding gently while shifting uncomfortably before turning on her heal briskly.
"Jon." She froze at his stern northern voice, glancing back to a soft smile. "My name's Jon."
"Jon." repeating the westerosi name so strange to her. Smiling gently at the smirk of amusement she earned before walking away.
Rain fell heavy outside of the hall, faintly covered by the sound of scrubbing from Sam, Jon and Irenya cleaning the tables. Spreading thick ashy powder before picking up what seemed to her as an old dishevelled horse brush, giving a glance to Sam as he looked closely at his work.
"I know for a fact that some of the officers go to that brothel in Mole's Town." Sam's tone became suddenly deep with annoyance as Irenya's surprise to the bluntness of subject became evident but listened as she scrubbed none the less.
"I wouldn't doubt it." Jon piped up.
"Don't you think it's a little bit unfair?" Sam paused from his work. "Making us take vows while they sneak off for a little sally on the side?"
"Sally on the side?" amusement was great in his tone as a frown spread across his brow. Irenya catching a smirk from him as she grinned at have never hearing it called that before.
"It's silly, isn't it?" Sam shook his head as Irenya struggled to bite back her laughter.
"It would not be so surprising. Where I am from...it is called mounting and it happens anywhere. People around or not." Irenya scrubbed as she talked, avoiding Sam and Jon's curious faces.
"Did it ever happen to you?" Sam asked timidly and became curious even further as Irenya paused scrubbing, tossed the brush upon the table as she pulled out her small, iron dagger with a carved wooden handle.
"I learnt from my mother as a child to carry this, why do you think the reason is." She hid her dagger once more. Sam shook his head and continued on with his subject once again, while Jon was paused with surprise.
"It's not like we can't defend the wall unless we're celibate?" He pointed towards the door. "It's absurd."
"I didn't think you'd be so upset about it." Jon pauses briefly as Irenya noticed how Sam paused with a mildly saddened expression.
"Why not? Because I'm fat?" Sam briskly placed the brush upon the table.
"No." Jon stopped along with Irenya knowing Sam had taken it harshly.
"But I like girls just as much as you do." Jon and Irenya returned to scrubbing as Sam began defending himself, listening as he spoke. "They might not like me as much. I've never...been with one." He shyly admitted before going back to work. Irenya glanced up while scrubbing. "You've probably already had lots." Gesturing to them both.
"No. As a matter of fact, I'm the same as you." Jon paused briefly. Irenya looked around uncomfortably before placing the brush down.
"I am too." Offering a smile before scrubbing once again. "Fighting is all I done."
"Yeah. Yeah, I...I find that hard to believe." Sam shook his head to them both before returning to the table. Irenya glanced at Jon as he looked distantly as though he remembering.
"I can very close once. I was alone in a room with a naked girl, but..." he paused while remembering.
"Didn't know where to put it?" Sam joked and watched as Irenya's eyes widened in surprise that the question just asked had come from Sam, the one she had thought of nothing but a boy.
"I know where to put it." Jon snapped back as Irenya struggled to stifle her laughter once more.
"Was she...old and ugly?" Sam seemed intrigued as Jon seated on the table.
"Young and gorgeous." Irenya noticed a glance he gave her as he said those words and looked to the ground as a slight smile faded to her lips. "A whore named Ros."
"What colour hair?" Sam seemed too look distant as though he were making a image in his mind.
"Red." Jon nodded. Irenya leaned gently on the table as she listened closely. Noticing how this simple memory brought out something she had been intrigued about. A smile, His smile.
"Oh, I like red hair." Sam's smile grew wider. "And her, um...her..." He made a gesture insinuating breast causing a chuckle from Irenya and a scoff from Jon.
"You don't want to know."
"What, that good?"
"Better." Jon gentle smile grew ever so slightly wider.
"Oh, no." Sam gave a small giggle. "So why exactly did you not make love to Ros with the perfect...?" He gestured once more as Irenya shook her head with a smirk at thought of how much innocence she thought framed this boy.
"What's my name?" Jon's question caused Irenya's smile to quickly fade.
"Jon Snow." Sam answered with slight confusion as Irenya lifted her sight to an expectant Jon.
"And why is my name Snow?" Jon glanced at Sam.
"Because...you're a bastard from the north." Sam went back to his weary stance whilst Irenya looked back to the ground sadly.
"I never met my mother. My father wouldn't even tell me her name. I don't know if she's a noble woman or a fisherman's wife...or a whore. So I sat there in the brothel as Ros took off her clothes. But I couldn't do it. Because all I could think was what if I got her pregnant. She had a child, another bastard named Snow?" His voice was laced with longing, perhaps for knowledge or for the mother he never knew. He stood from the table and grabbed the brush once more. "It's not a good life for a child." He went back to scrubbing briskly as Irenya paused.
"It shouldn't matter. Where I am from there are no bastards but..." Hesitating to finish her sentence. "Look, even if you did father a bastard all that would matter is if it loved by you or it's mother." Spreading more powder, she returned to her duties. "Besides, you won't know. Too many men go into brothel and whore's are careful." After a moment of silence and contemplation, Sam gently leaned over the table in Jon's direction.
"So...you didn't know where to put it?" Grinning as Jon tossed the scrubbing brush at him as all three laughed as Jon and Sam began play fighting with Irenya laughed joyfully while observing, stopping as the bolt shifted on the large wooden door and Thorne entered, Swiftly going back to scrubbing.
"Enjoying yourselves?" His stern tone quickly diminishing the light tone that once was. "You look cold." He closed the creaking door behind him.
"It is a bit nippy." Sam spoke lightly.
"A bit nippy, yeah, by the fire, indoors." He stepped closer as they stood with their heads down. "It's still summer. Do you boys even remember the last winter? How long has it been now? What, 10 years?"
"I remember." Jon spoke, keeping his head down.
"Was it uncomfortable at Winterfell?" Thorne scowled. "Where there days when you just couldn't get warm, never mind how many fires your servants built?"
"I build my own fires." Jon shot back.
"That's admirable." Thorne smiled I disbelief. His head snapped to Irenya as she quickly looked up. "What about you? wherever your from." Pointing to her.
"I come from Essos, it's never winter." She spoke looking down as Thorne scoffed whilst turned back to Jon and Sam.
"I spent six months out there, beyond the wall. During the last winter. It was supposed to be a two week mission. We heard a rumour Mance Rayder was planning to attack eastwatch. So we went out to look for same of his men - capture them, gather some knowledge. The wildlings that fight for Mance Rayder are hard men. Harder than you three will ever be. They know their country better than we do. They knew there was a storm coming in. So they hid in their caves and waited for it to pass. We got caught in the open." Sam, Jon and Irenya listened intently, she could hear fear rising as he retold his story. "Wind so strong, it yanked 100 - foot trees straight from the ground, roots and all. If you took your gloves off to find your cock to have a piss, you lost a finger to the frost. And all in darkness. You don't know cold. None of you do. The horse died first. We didn't have enough to feed them, to keep them warm. Eating the horses was easy. But later when we started to fall..." He hesitated but continued none the less. "That wasn't easy. We should have had a couple of boys like you along, shouldn't we?" Thorne stalked around the table to Sam and gripped his arm roughly which slowly continued scrubbing out of fear. Irenya tensed and slowly, grasping the brush tightly, raised it slightly. Intending to strike it to Thorne's head only stopping as Jon subtly shook his head to her. "Soft, fat boys like you." Jon looked on in disgust at Thorne making Sam shake with fear. "We'd have lasted a fortnight on you and still had bones let over for soup." He released his arm and walked back toward the door. "Soon we'll have new recruits and you lot will be passed along to the Lord Commander for assignment, and they will call you men of the nights watch, well not completely." Grinning toward a inward scowling Irenya. "You'd be fools to believe it. Your children still. Come the winter, you will die...like flies." He turned and slammed the door behind him leaving the in momentary silence.
"Ashkar Iruk dorek." Irenya quietly muttered catching their attention.
"What does that mean?" Jon whispered slightly.
"Not if you do." Her gaze flickered briefly before returning back to scrubbing.