Castle Black was significantly colder than Winterfell, though the men here were certainly nice enough. At least, the ones Jon was friends with; she tried not to interact with the Watchmen much, not wanting to mess up their routine at all. Samwell was always quick to greet her and ask after her and Samwell Jr, and Maester Aemon was a sweet old man. Her few dealings with the Lord Commander led her to believe he was an honorable, good man, and she could see why Jon looked up to the older man. After a month of her staying, she was more at home than Winterfell, easily interacting with a few of the men and spending time by the fire with Samwell Jr and Ghost.
Jon didn't speak with her much, and she did her best not to let it bother her. When the Lord Commander chose to take some men North of the Wall, she was a bit worried, but kept quiet.
"Are you alright?" Marleigh looked up to see Gilly giving her a concerned look. The baby lay on some furs on the floor, playing with some wooden toys some of the men had made for him. In spite of the vows, it was clear the good men of the Night's Watch were more than happy to have the two women and the baby around.
"Well enough, I suppose. It's awful cold up here." Gilly gave a smile, nodding just a bit.
"I guess it would be, to a southerner." Marleigh raised a brow. "South of the Wall, I mean. I've lived above the Wall my whole life until now. You get used to the cold after awhile." Marleigh gave her own nod, one eye trained on the baby out of habit. Jon had gone North of the Wall with the others, taking Ghost with him. She found that she missed the great wolf's presence around her.
"Do you intend to stay here at Castle Black forever?" Gilly nodded, and Marleigh couldn't help but smile. "Well, I think when the war is finally over and Samwell a bit older, we should travel a bit. Let you see the rest of your new home." A smile spread across Gilly's face, filled with excitement.
"Do you really mean that?" Marleigh nodded, and Gilly pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you. That sounds wonderful." Marleigh returned the hug with a chuckle.
"I'm glad I could make you happy. You deserve it."
"Well, so do you." Gilly pulled away to give Marleigh a thoughtful look. "Doesn't your husband worry about you being here?" Cheeks warm, Marleigh turned to look at baby Sam.
"I don't have a husband. I worked in the stables at Winterfell." Samwell began to fuss and Marleigh scooped him up carefully.
"Really? I just thought...since…" Gilly seemed to be at a loss for words, and Marleigh gave her a tight smile.
"It's alright. The right man just...hasn't come along to sweep me off my feet." In truth, since Jon had left, a few men had asked to court her. Unfortunately, she'd never quite gotten over her love for the bastard, and so every man who asked was inevitably compared to him. Gilly was studying her, and Marleigh put a smile on her face. "Anyway...little Sam here probably needs a nap." Nodding, Gilly took the baby and gave a last smile before departing, leaving Marleigh to clean up the toys. A few of the men entered, giving her lingering looks that made her skin crawl instinctually. One nudged another and they began to approach her. Marleigh straightened to her full height, though it wasn't that impressive and gave her best glare.
"You know, it's so much nicer having you girls around. Easier than going to Molestown for your company." One reached out to brush at her hair and she swatted the hand away. "Now, now, don't you want to be nice? It'll be so much easier if you're nice." The leader grabbed her arm and she pulled her knife out from the folds of her skirt, swiping at his face and leaving a cut along his cheek. "Bitch!" She heard more than felt the slap to her face, adrenaline pumping through her. Two of them grabbed her, tossing her onto the table as the leader approached. She waited until he got too close, launching a kick at his groin and watching satisfied as he hit the ground with a grunt of pain. The man holding her right arm gave a sudden cry and was pulled away, just before the second one was as well. She turned to see Ghost chewing on one of their arms, Jon punching the other into submission. The whole ordeal was over in an instant, with a few more of the friendlier brothers coming in and dragging the attackers away.
"Are you alright?" Jon's gloved hand was cupping her cheek, his face inches from hers. She could see the concern and anger written on his face, and she gave a mute nod. "Why are you here alone?" He helped her stand, and she realized everyone else had left except Ghost, who looked up at them with blood on his muzzle.
"G-Gilly and Little Sam just left." Her voice sounded a bit shaky and he wrapped an arm around her in support. "Can't say I'm unhappy they did." The idea of Gilly and Sam Jr having to deal with those men made bile rise in her throat. Blinking, Marleigh looked up at Jon. "You're back."
"Yeah, I'm back." He gave a half smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. She could still see the anger there. Convinced she had her strength back, she pulled away from him and moved to pick up her knife, carefully wiping the blood off on the hem of her skirt. Jon didn't make a move to leave as she expected, instead watching her carefully. Straightening up her hair and clothes, she looked up at him.
"Thank you, Jon. I owe you." He opened his mouth, seeming to reconsider before closing it again and simply giving a nod. Marleigh sighed, looking around. "I would not be surprised if I was sent back to Winterfell because of this."
"It wasn't your fault. I'm sure Thorne will understand that." Marleigh frowned, turning to him. Now that the fear and concern were gone, it seemed there was a crushing weight on Jon, as though something terrible had happened.
"Where's the Lord Commander?" Her voice came out as a whisper and when Jon's eyes met hers, she already knew.
"The Lord Commander is dead."