With the Great Walls of Winterfell looming ahead of them, Orrina spurred her horse forward, sore and aching from her long journey. She had no idea how her grandfather was holding up, but he looked mostly unaffected by their trip, besides the dirt that settled in his wrinkles and stench of the road from traveling. Orrina shifted on her saddle and hoped that they would reach Winterfell soon, she wouldn't be opposed to a long bath and to be rid of her horse for a while.
"Weren't the Starks expecting us tomorrow morning?" She turned and asked her grandfather, brushing dark brown wisps from her eyes. They had woken up early, and hadn't stopped to rest since waking. It may still be summer, but the mornings in the North still held a chill, it made Orrina pull her fur cloak up around her neck just that much tighter.
"Aye, they are." Her grandfather answered gruffly, only taking his eyes off their path to glance at her briefly. There were still hints of his handsomeness in his old face, hidden under wrinkles and age. "But it does us no good to laze about and waste time. Ned Stark will welcome us, no matter how early we are." His raven had injured his wing, and was unable to deliver news of their new arrival time.
Orrina simply nodded and again dug her heels into her horse, agreeing with her grandfather, there was no point in taking a leisurely stroll. She had lived her whole life in the North, she was familiar with its sights and after nearly 3 weeks of sleeping on the cold ground, fearing wildlings in the woods, she was eager to meet the Starks.
"How long will we stay?"
"Not long. As long as we need." He was not a talkative man, her grandfather. And he certainly did not seek her counsel on their business with the Starks. "You know I cannot be away for too long." He didn't trust leaving her behind, knowing the sort of trouble she could find herself in. "I will ask what I need of Lord Stark, and then we will make the trip home."
The word home came out thickly, almost like it had got stuck in his throat but Orrina understood. This was not a leisure trip, this was one born of necessity, and even though it was a hard long journey, he expected her to be ready to make it again in a few days time.
Orrina would not disappoint.
The pair rode in silence the rest of the way to Winterfell, the sounds of the Godswood coming alive around them. Birds chirping, their horses hooves, the quiet slap of the axe she strapped to her back, hitting her shoulder blades. She was surprised by her grandfather's lack of insistence she change before reaching Winterfell. Orrina wore long breeches, a boiled leather jerkin and a sword on her hip. Her hair was long, she was due for running her knife through it, it hung in dusty waves down her back, she knew that her eyes were tired and worn from their trip. Dirt caked her fingernails, the smell of forest and mud clung to her. She was hardly a sight for the Warden of the North.
Her grandfather's horse pulled a cart of their few belongings they brought with him. In her trunk, carried a two plain and well worn dresses, but it was hard to ride a horse like she was in a dress. Still, she was surprised when they rode straight to the gates of Winterfell without him insisting she try to clean herself up and at least store her weapons away.
The guards called out to them, causing the pair to pull their horses to a stop. A single call from a man on top of the wall, asking who they were. Not anyone would just be let into the gates of Winterfell, and they weren't expected until the next day.
"Lord Stark is expecting me, we arrive a day early." Her grandfather yelled back, loosening the reins on his horse. "I am Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, I come to meet with the Warden of the North and bring my granddaughter, Orrina Mormont with me."
JON
He was practicing in the yard with Robb when he heard the men at the gates call out. Jon knew his father was expecting the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but he thought it would still be a few more days, he was hoping that Benjen would accompany the Lord Commander, it had been some time since he had seen his Uncle and it would be a welcome face in Winterfell.
He knew in the past Lord Commanders had journeyed from the Wall, down to Winterfell to meet with the Warden of the North, but Jon couldn't remember Jeor Mormont ever making a trip down to their home. Usually it was Benjen who traveled to them with news from the Black Brothers. He was curious as to what brought the Lord Commander out from behind his icy walls, but his father was just as clueless as he was. At least he acted that way in front of Jon.
Distracted by the sound and the possibility of visitors, Robb was able to land a painful blow to Jon's side with his wooden sword, laughing hysterically as he did. Jon started to laugh with him, until Theon Greyjoy joined in and his laughter quickly died in his throat. He never cared much for his father's ward, finding him arrogant and obnoxious, and he knew that he was just laughing at him, not at his distraction like Robb.
"Reckon the Lord Commander is here already?" Jon asked Robb as they stored their practice swords. Bran and Arya zipped by them, also hearing the commotion at the gates and were racing to see who could get there first and to see who their guests were.
"Maybe. Father hasn't said much about the Old Bear." Robb mused his auburn Tully hair and watched as Ned Stark followed after Bran and Arya, shouting at them to stop running. "Maybe he made good time," he shrugged.
"Suppose we should go find out then." Theon interjected, with a smirk already walking away from the brothers and towards the gates.
Jon walked at Robb's side, trading what little information they had about Jeor Mormont until they caught up with their father and the rest of their siblings. As much as Jon wanted to stand tall, next to his brother and his father, he took a step back. If it was truly the Lord Commander, he shouldn't take a spot next to Ned Stark's true born children. Even just his respectful distance could be seen as offensive, most everyone looked down on bastards and he had no reason to think Mormont was any different.
When the gates opened, and the Lord Commander came trotting through them, Jon was surprised to see the old man without more men of the Night's Watch with him. He expected at least 5 brothers or more. Instead the grizzled old man only rode with two brothers who trailed behind him and a girl who rode beside him.
It was the girl who surprised Jon most of all. And by the sounds of their murmuring, his siblings as well. Arya started to open her mouth to question who she was, but was silenced quickly by Ned's hand resting on her shoulder. There were no women amongst the Wall, so she wasn't a member of the Watch. The men swore a vow to take no wives, so she wasn't married to the Old Bear or any of his men.
He watched as Jeor Mormont dismounted his horse and made his way over to the Stark family, but his eyes were really on the dark haired girl who mirrored his movements. He watched her gracefully slide off of her mount, like she had done it a million times before. He watched as she shook out her dark brown hair, and watched the Lord Commander with matching dark eyes. She had full lips, big eyes and most curiously, dressed in men's clothes. She wore breeches, and mail, and a long furred cloak. All dyed black, despite the fact she was not a Man of the NIght's Watch.
Jon was so stricken by her face, her eyes which watched Jeor Mormont with most carefulness, that he almost missed the sword she carried on her hip and when she turned to stroke her horse's mane, the battle axe strapped to her back.
"Lord Stark." Jeor greeted his father respectfully, but with a touch of warmness. He had been Lord Commander many years and was very familiar with Ned, and not just through his brother Benjen. /p
"It's good to see you Lord Commander Mormont," Ned grasped his hand and then looked towards the girl who was making her way to them
"I hope you don't mind, I brought my granddaughter Orrina with me. I don't like leaving her at the Wall, the rare times I venture out." So even his father wasn't aware the girl was coming, Jon thought that was interesting. He didn't even know that Jeor had a granddaughter. He didn't know much about Bear Island though, or it's Mormonts, but surely he would have remembered the Lord Commander had a grandchild.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Lord Stark." It seemed that the girl called Orrina appeared suddenly behind her grandfather's shoulder. "I would curtsey but it's not as graceful when you aren't in a dress." She cracked a grin but still bowed respectfully. The sight of her smiling instinctively made the corners of his lips start to turn until Jon realized what was happening and forced his lips back into place.
"It's been some time, I can't say I remember the last time I saw you Lady Orrina."
"It was when you came for my father's head, and found him and his Southron wife naught but a whisper in the wind." Despite the harshness of her words, her face nor her voice reflected it.
"Ignore the girl, she spends too much time with the worst of the Wall and forgets her manners." Jeor shot her a sharp look, which Orrina had the sense to turn her head down and try to look shameful but Jon swore he saw her grinning still. There was a pause in the conversation before his father cleared his throat and took the moment to introduce his children to the Old Bear and the Young Cub. Jon felt a bristle of pride when he called him his son.
"My Lady wife is with our youngest, Rickon, along with my other daughter Sansa. They will be at supp tonight. But you must be weary from your trip," Ned continued, looking at Orrina Mormont with a curious gaze but not offended by her bringing up Jorah Mormont's failed beheading. "Let me show you to your quarters, Arya can show Lady Orrina to hers."
Jon noticed Arya looked positively pleased at this and rushed forward to Orrina, a million questions about to spill from mouth. "Is that your sword? Can you fight with it? What about that axe? Can I look at it? Have you ever thrown it at anyone?" Ned had barely departed with Lord Mormont, with Robb and Theon following on their heels when Arya burst.
Orrina just laughed, and Jon watched her make the familiar motion of musing Arya's hair. "Aye, the sword and axe are mine. And I know how to fight with both of them." She humored the girl, looking up, not sparing a glance at her grandfather's retreating back, nor Robb's, nor Theon's. right at him. The smirk from earlier was still on her lips and she offered him another twitch of the corner. "Come, Lady Arya, show me to my room, I could use a good scrub." Her eyes lingered on Jon another moment before reached for Arya's hand.
"Will you show me how to use that sword? I've only ever used wooden ones. I've never tried an axe before!" Arya pulled her along, away from the group of boys, and was almost through the doors of Winterfell when Septa Mordane rounded on
"Where have you been Arya?" The Septa asked cooly, hands on her hips. "You were supposed to be in lessons with your sister."
Jon watched, several steps away as his sister tried to argue with her Septa, using the arrival of their new guests to excuse her absence, stammering over her words. Jon knew she hated the Septa, and sewing with the other ladies. Jon hefted a heavy sigh and although he wished he could follow his father and Robb, that wasn't his place.
It was Robb's. It was Robb who would become Lord of Winterfell, it was Robb who needed to learn how to welcome guests to their home, and how to be a proper host. He wanted to trail behind his father, listen to his words, talk to the Old Bear, but he was a bastard and it wasn't the bastards place.
So Jon sighed again and approached Arya and the Bear's granddaughter, and even more fearsome, Septa Mordane. "It is true, Septa. Lord Stark bid Arya to show Lady Mormont to her quarters." It burned him not being able to call his father, his father but he kept his words polite and nodded respectfully towards the Septa, ignoring Arya's triumph squeal.
"And it was Lady Stark who ordered me to collect the girl and get her ready for dinner." The Septa would not back down, especially not the Bastard Snow.
"But!" Arya started but was quieted when Jon gently squeezed her shoulder.
"Go with the Septa, Arya. I'll show the Lady to her room, you shouldn't ignore your Lady mother," even if her Lady mother hated him.
"I promise we will talk more at dinner, Arya. I would hate for you to get in trouble on my behalf." Orrina interjected warmly and mused the girls hair again before turning to Jon. "After you," she bowed slightly and Jon wasn't sure if she was mocking him or not. That seemed to happen to him a lot, he thought annoyed and turned and started inside with a brisk turn and no comment.
ORRINA
She waited until Septa dragged Arya away, nearly kicking and screaming before turning back to the Bastard boy. He was the first one Orrina noticed, not the boy with auburn hair, or the older smirking one. His long face, and solemn eyes stood out to her and although Orrina liked the Stark girl, for the first time in her life, she thanked the Seven for their interference.
Jon Snow was frowning at her, and she wondered why she found it endearing. She had only known him for a few minutes, but Orrina was starting to wonder if the bastard ever smiled.
"I'm no Lady, so you know. And I'm certainly no Lady Mormont. That's my Aunt Maege." She followed, keeping her pace with him.
"I was being polite. That's how you are supposed to speak around ladies." He refused to meet her eyes, a twinge of pink creeping into his cheeks.
"I suppose so, but I'm not a lady. My father sold slaves, and escaped his punishment," she looked ahead, tearing her eyes away from Jon, taking in the sights of Winterfell. It was surprisingly warm inside the old castle, and she was tempted to shrug out of her fur cloak. Jon started to talk again before Orrina cut him off. "I was raised by the women on Bear Island, who wield axes and slay men."
They turned a corner, pausing for a moment while Jon pivoted to face her. There was something in his face that said he understood her words but before he could voice his thoughts, they were interrupted again.
"Where is Arya?" Orrina turned to face two auburn haired ladies, who she assumed was Lady Stark and the other daughter Lord Stark at mentioned. She was surprised by the contempt in the older woman's eyes and looked between her and Jon until he found his voice to speak.
"My apologies, Lady Stark," she noticed how Jon did not meet her eyes. "The Septa came for her." He left out how he took over her duty of showing Orrina to her room, she had a feeling that Catelyn Stark would think something inappropriate of it.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Stark." Orrina quickly interjected. "Your Septa came looking for your daughter, and I asked Jon to see me inside so she didn't disobey her." Not entirely true, but enough of the truth so it didn't sound false. "I apologize for my sorry state, I was hoping to get cleaned up before meeting you and your lovely daughter. Jon was only being polite."
She was out of practice, talking nicely to highborn ladies. On Bear Island, there was no need for such formality. She was close to all of her cousins, loving them fiercely and saw her Aunt Maege as her mother. They were bawdy, strong women, and they did not need the niceties that other Houses seemed to be so easily slighted by. Bear Island was a place where you could be truly candid.
On the Wall, Orrina kept to herself mostly, but highborn status didn't matter much there. Even still, there were no other women to curtsey to, to placate and try to play nice. She hoped she had done enough so the bastard boy wouldn't get in trouble. She remembered the sadness in his eyes, and looked at him now, the way he stared at the floor, jaw clenched and Orrina didn't want him to be reprimanded for her sake.
"Very well. Allow myself and my daughter Sansa to take you the rest of the way." Catelyn regarded her husband's bastard with distrustful eyes and waved over the Mormont girl, sending one of her maidens ahead to start getting a bath ready.
"Thank you, Jon." Orrina was not fearful of Lady Stark, she would not be disrespectful, and she would try to mind her tongue, but she would not shun Jon Snow for her sake. Bastards may have been hated and looked down on, south of the Wall, but even bastards were accepted at the Wall. She touched his arm lightly, barely brushing her fingers over the sleeve of his shirt and offered him what most would consider a shy smile before following Catelyn Stark and her auburn haired daughter down the hallway.
It was quiet for a few paces, Lady Stark clearly didn't know what to make of her, not of her breeches, mail or leather jerkin, nor her messy hair and dirty face. Most of all, she eyed the weapons she wore warily but said nothing.
"You'll have to excuse my appearance, it's a rough and long ride from the Wall to Winterfell. Even women must take up arms against the wildlings." Orrina didn't like to apologize for her weapons, she took care of them and prided herself in her fighting skills, but she knew not everywhere was Bear Island. "I don't have many opportunities to dress nicely, I hope my few dresses will be up to standard."
"I'm sure they are fine," Catelyn said kindly enough. "My daughter Sansa is quite skilled at sewing, perhaps she can mend some of your clothing." Warmth touched her voice when she spoke of her daughter, who Orrina noticed blushed at her mother's compliments.
"If you stay long enough, I could even make you a new dress." Sansa's voice had a musical, sweet quality to it and despite the coolness that hung in the air at first, Orrina found herself smiling at the younger girl.
"I would like that, thank you." Although she didn't wear dresses, Orrina found no reason to dissuade Sansa Stark, or even tell her that her stay at Winterfell would likely be long enough to make her a new dress.
They made small talk of the weather, of their journey to Winterfell until Catelyn opened the door to the room Orrina would be staying in.
It was a fine room, bigger than the her room at Bear Island, and bigger still than her room in the King's tower. There was a big steel tub, filled with steaming water and a girl settling her things at the foot of a feather bed.
The Stark women and their handmaiden left Orrina to her bath, bidding her farewell until it was time to supp. She was grateful for the moment of peace, and more importantly for the bath. She stripped, and sunk her tired and dirty body into the warm water, a deep sigh escaping her lips.
Winterfell was not what Orrina Mormont had been expecting, Ned Stark's children surprised her. The handsome eldest, the solemn bastard, the rambunctious girl, and her older, sweet counterpart. She was curious to what the other Starks would hold, Bran who didn't quite meet her eye, or the youngest she had yet to meet. Most curious of all, was Jon Snow. Handsome Jon Snow, who reminded Orrina of his uncle in a way, with his long face and Stark eyes. He was clearly acknowledged by his father, loved by his siblings (at least Arya) but still an outsider, a baseborn son who the Lady mother did not care for.
Orrina did not think they would be in Winterfell long, long enough to rest their bones, enough for her grandfather to act like he wasn't begging for more men and then they would be gone, back to the Brother's in Black.
In the meantime though, Orrina would do her best to fit into life at Winterfell, and although she would not admit it, perhaps talk to Jon Snow again.
Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed my first chapter of my Jon/OC story. I've cross posting from Archive of our own, there are a few more chapters posted over there under the same name but they should be over here fully in the next few days. Please let me know what you think, I would love to hear what you think!