SANSA

There wasn't a whole lot the Stark sisters agreed on these days, not since Arya decided she'd rather act like a wild little boy than learning to a proper lady, but they could still agree that the stables were one of the best parts of living in Winterfell. Most mornings, the sisters could be found together, still usually bickering, but bonding over their mutual love of the horses. Naturally Arya liked to race and go as fast as possible while Sansa enjoyed more leisurely side saddle rides.

Although she had gotten used to Orrina's presence at Winterfell, Sansa was surprised when the last two mornings, Orrina Mormont had joined her and Arya in the stables. She had been good company, if not a bit cheeky at times in a way that Sansa found herself biting the inside of her cheek, but the time spent in the stables she had found a more subdued Orrina. In fact this morning, Sansa was sure she had noticed the older girl's eyes were red from crying.

Sansa figured it was because she was going to stay in Winterfell and not go back to the Wall with her grandfather. Her father had announced it at dinner two nights ago, that they would be fostering her. Sansa had already known, mother had told her already. The Lord Commander had specifically asked that Lady Stark take an interest in his granddaughter and help teach her to be a real lady. Sansa thought her mother had her work cut out for her, Orrina was better mannered than Arya for the most part, but Arya didn't know how to swing a sword like Orrina did. She had heard Robb talking to Jon how Orrina nearly bested him. Plus Sansa had seen the battle axe that Orrina had worn into Winterfell.

Still, she liked the older girl. She didn't seem as stubborn as her sister, she would at least entertain nice dresses and clothing, she also brushed her hair more than Arya and probably bathed more. Sansa thought she should take her womanly duties a bit more seriously, she was at the right time to be married and would have to run her own house and usually that didn't require knowing how to fight. But Sansa found herself admiring her confidence and ability to speak her mind. She noticed that Orrina never really shied away from sharing what was on her mind.

Except for now.

Sansa watched her hastily wipe her eyes and push herself up from a bale of hay and force a smile on her face, despite the still watery eyes. She was tempted to ask her what was wrong, but they weren't close enough where Sansa thought it was appropriate, and she had the feeling Orrina would lie about it anyways. Sansa didn't really understand why the older girl was so upset about staying in Winterfell anyways. The Wall sounded awful, it was even colder there and surrounded by all those men. Winterfell would be much kinder to her.

"What's wrong, why were you crying?"

Even if Sansa was still entertaining the idea of asking Orrina what was wrong, she didn't need to wait to ask her. Arya like usual had no filter, and Sansa wasn't surprised that her sister had jumped into asking herself.

"It's rude to pry, Arya!" Sansa chastised her. Arya's manners always seemed to go out the window in times like this and she felt as her older sister, it was her responsibility to show her how to act properly.

"It's okay Sansa, really." Orrina stepped between the girls, as Arya stuck her tongue out at her and blew a raspberry in her sisters direction. "I'm just going to miss my grandfather, he's leaving tonight," she sighed and made her way over to a stable which Sansa knew was the horse she rode in on.

"You can still write him, can't you?" Arya had followed her over, close on her heels kicking up a cloud of dirt in her wake.

"Of course, but it won't be the same," Orrina didn't elaborate, and instead just started to brush her horses mane.

"Aren't you excited though? I'm sure my father is going to find you a very handsome and strong man to marry. And then you can start your own family!" Sansa asked, with a bit of a dreamy sigh. She couldn't wait for the day that she got married. She had dreamed of her own wedding day and future husband too many times to count. Her very own Florian.

Sansa had been surprised that Orrina knew the story of Jonquil and Florian, but one of the first days she had spent with the girl from Bear Island, they had discussed their love of the tale. She thought Orrina would be excited for her chance to find her knight.

"Come on, let's go for a ride." The older girl changed the topic quickly, away from the talk of marriage and weddings. Sansa watched as she quickly pulled herself up on her horse, sans saddle and nudged her horse, Vetle out of the stables.

"Not everyone wants to married Sansa!" Arya hissed at her with an eye roll as she bounded over to her own horse to saddle.

"Enough squabbling you two," Orrina voice carried through the barn before Sansa could open her mouth to retort. Instead she settled for Arya's childish example and stuck her tongue out at her before mounting her own horse. While Sansa situated herself, Arya raced ahead whipping her hair in the wind.

Her sister was already doing laps around their riding area while Orrina waited for Sansa.

"Fancy a bit of a race today?" If Sansa hadn't just seen her crying, she would have never been able to guess that she had been.

"I don't know.." she trailed off, a race might be fun but she knew that Arya would just beat her.

"You're missing out." Orrina gave the younger girl a grin and cantered off with her horse, quickly picking up the pace until her long dark brown braid was bouncing off her back. Both her and Arya's shrieking laughter was filling the air as they raced around the enclosure together.

"Wait for me!" Sansa called out as the two started taking off, digging her heels in to spur her horse faster and faster until her Tully red hair was flying in the wind and the sounds of her own laughter mixed in with theirs.

ORRINA

While the girls raced around all morning, the staff of Winterfell was in full swing preparing a farewell meal for the Lord Commander and his new recruits. Jeor was able to secure a few good men to take back to the Wall with him while Orrina had been able to distract herself by spending the morning with the Stark sisters.

But now she was dusty and saddle sore, and was actually quite happy with the frequency of baths available here unlike at the Wall. It was nice to sink into the bottom of the tub in the warm water. However the water had long run cold while Orrina contemplated what she would do.

Part of her actually didn't mind staying in Winterfell, she liked the Starks. Lord Eddard was quiet, but still welcoming. Although she did not like how Lady Catelyn treated Jon, Lord Stark's wife was nothing short of kind to her. Orrina was growing to like all the Stark children, especially the more time she spent with them. There was no shortage of things to do at Winterfell, there was always someone around, someone who was happy to chat with her which wasn't always the case at the Wall.

However, Orrina did not like the idea of having to share the same space, no matter how large, with Theon Greyjoy. It was bad enough biting her tongue at meals and seeing his sneering face.

At her core, she knew she was afraid to be left behind by her grandfather. That was what scared Orrina the most. After her father left for Essos with his new, pretty young wife, and a mother long dead, the rest of the Mormonts were her life line. She looked to her Aunt Maege as a mother, and her cousins were more like sisters. Jeor had quickly replaced his son as her father figure and Orrina couldn't shake the feeling she was being abandoned by another father.

But unlike her treacherous father, she knew that her grandfather wasn't leaving her behind in Winterfell, he wasn't selfishly abandoning her to save his own skin. As she got older, the Wall was less and less safe for her. The threat of Wildlings and their King Beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder grew stronger everyday. The only men sent to guard the wall, the shields of men, were low life criminals, with good men few and far between.

Orrina was not oblivious to the hungry eyes of some of the men sentenced to their frozen penal colony. The rapists, thieves and killers, sent to live a life of celibacy. She was young and available, and although she could defend herself, she did not forget the song about Danny Flint. Her grandfather would not always be there to protect her.

If it wasn't Winterfell, she knew that it was only a matter of time before Orrina was sent back to Bear Island.

She may not be able to act like herself, truly here at Winterfell, under the watchful eye of Lady Stark, who held very traditional and Southern views of how a woman should act, but Orrina wanted to see more of Westeros. She didn't want spend her life on the shore of Bear Island, waiting for the Ironborn to come. She didn't want to live in the place of painful reminders of her father and her lost mother. It was the exactly the reason she gave her claim up, left Bear Island to her Aunt.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed the sound of knocking on her door. It wasn't until little Arya Stark stuck her head through the crack of the door that Orrina broke away from her thoughts.

"Do you need help getting ready?" Arya asked sheepishly, averting her eyes away from the older girl as she quickly jumped out of the tub and dried herself off.

Out of all the Starks, Arya was Orrina's favorite, she reminded her of herself at her age, but fortunately, she had much more freedom. Her father's new bride had tried to instill some "lady" manners in her but her Aunt Maege quickly put an end to that. Lynese Hightower hadn't liked the sight of her aunt's morningstar, nor her axe.

"Of course, you can come in Arya." Orrina slipped in her small clothes, ringing her dark hair out over the tub. For once the youngest Stark daughter's hair was nicely brushed and simply styled. "You look very nice."

Arya scoffed, closing the door behind her and trailed over to Orrina's meager clothing pile. "Not really," she mumbled, thumbing through her dresses.

"You look much prettier than I did at your age. I was all knobby elbows and you couldn't even brush my hair." Orrina felt for Arya, it must be hard for her to compete with a sister like Sansa. She grabbed her dress in Mormont colors and slid it on. Lady Stark had been kind enough to gift her a few dresses that had been tailored for her, with the promise of more since she was staying. Orrina had to hold her tongue that she would have preferred more britches, or maybe even a new set of mail.

Still, she could learn how to fight properly in a dress this way.

The pair finished getting ready for their dinner, while giggling away, and Orrina let Arya fasten her hair in a not so neat braid, but Arya was proud of it, so she left it alone. They made their way down to the dining hall, Arya's hand clasped in the older girls, swaying between them.

They were the last to arrive, and Orrina noticed that much to Lady Stark's disdain, that Jon Snow was seated at the High table with them. Her curtsies had gotten better since being at Winterfell so she dropped into a quick one before taking her spot next to her grandfather, a little sad she was leaving Jon alone at the other end.

Dinner was a nice affair, it wasn't exactly lively but there was plenty of conversation going around, except for Jon who mostly sat quietly and kept to himself. Orrina herself wasn't too talkative either, knowing that by the time their sup was over that her grandfather and newly acquired men would be leaving. He had wanted to leave at first day light, but she had managed to persuade him to stay for one final dinner. It would be dark by the time they left Winterfell but they would still be able to cover decent ground. The closer they got to the Wall it would be more dangerous with the wildlings crossing, but otherwise an uneventful journey.

After the meal had been finished, Jeor Mormont raised his glass to Ned Stark. For providing him hospitality, for the men he provided to the Wall, and most importantly for fostering his only grandchild.

After her grandfather sat, Orrina found herself pushing herself up onto her feet, her own glass gripped tightly in her hand. "If it would be alright, I would like to sing a song for my grandfather, since it may be awhile until he can hear me sing again," she looked towards the head of the table, at Lord Stark who nodded his head in approval.

Singing had always been deeply personal to Orrina, ever since her father told her that her voice was as sweet as her mothers. It was the one thing she had to hold onto of Evya Glover. She sang often for her father when she was young, more for her aunt and cousins, and the most for her grandfather. Occasionally she could be roused to sing during dinner times with the Black Brothers, but her talent was mostly reserved for her family. Deep in her heart, Orrina knew this may be the last time she saw her grandfather, maybe the last time he heard her sing so she didn't want to let this moment pass, even if she was embarrassed by the Stark family watching her.

Instead she closed her eyes, straightened her back and started a low, sorrowful melody. She couldn't bring herself to sing a happy song when she knew how much she would miss the man who replaced her father figure.

My head was warm
My skin was soaked
I called your name 'til the fever broke
When I awoke
The moon still hung
The night so black
That the darkness hums

I raised myself
My legs were weak
I prayed my mind be good to me
An awful noise filled the air
I heard a scream
In the woods somewhere

A woman's voice
I quickly ran
Into the trees
With empty hands

A fox it was
He shook afraid
I spoke no words, no sound he made

His bone exposed
His hind was lame
I raised a stone to end his pain
What caused the wound
How large the teeth?
I saw new eyes were watching me

The creature lunged
I turned and ran
To save a life I didn't have
Dear in the chase
There as I flew
Forgot all prayers of joining you

I clutched my life and wished it kept
My dearest love
I'm not done yet
How many years
I know I'll bear
I found something
In the woods somewhere

Orrina ended on a high note, eyes down cast. She felt her grandfather reach out and take her hand, and squeeze as the other people at the table applauded her quietly. Orrina blinked away the tears building up in her eyes and smiled politely at everyone, their faces blurring together under her tears. Jon's face stood out to her, shining out through her watery eyes.

Once she sat down, her grandfather moved his arms around her shoulder in a rare display of affectionate and gave her small squeeze.

"You have such a lovely voice!" Sansa gushed from across the table, while Arya nodded along in agreement.

"A rare treat, she doesn't sing for very many people." Jeor said with very clear pride.

The rest of the dinner passed quickly, a small dessert for everyone before calling it an evening. The Starks bid the Lord Commander a farewell, who in turn insisted that he see himself and his new men out without fanfare. Only Orrina accompanied them to the gates of Winterfell, darkness quickly spreading across the sky.

Finally alone, Orrina was able to hug her grandfather tightly, face buried into the black furs of his coat. It was cold outside in only her dress but she didn't care, the sting of her tears on her face didn't nearly compare to the ache she felt in her chest.

"Stop being silly girl, this isn't the last you'll see of this Old Bear." Jeor comforted her in his guff voice, hand gentle against the back of her head. He knew his granddaughter would have a hard time with this. She had gone off the rails when Jorah ran off. Orrina was grown now, so he hoped she would handle this with more grace.

Biting back a rude retort, Orrina said nothing but hugged her grandfather tighter. She worried she would not find herself again at the Wall, nor would the Old Bear leave his post for another long while. Still, she didn't want her parting words to be angry, even if that's what she felt. She felt like a silly little girl again, crying but she couldn't help herself.

"You will behave yourself, I don't want to hear anything from the Starks," Jeor said mostly in jest. Orrina may have been rough around the edges after her upbringing, but she was still a good girl, a good girl who he felt deserved the best and he would do what he could for her. "And stay away from the Greyjoy boy," he added, more seriously.

"I will." Not necessarily a lie, she would stay away from Theon as long as he left her be, which she found doubtful. She would try her best not embarrass her grandfather. "Will you write when you get back?" She felt like a child for asking but she wouldn't leave it unsaid.

"Of course."

"And have Maester Aemon write as well?"

"I will tell him," his response was slower this time, he didn't need all of his men writing to his granddaughter but if it brought her joy, he would see to it that Aemon wrote her once or twice.

The pair stood like that for second longer, Orrina hugging him tightly before finally pulling back and letting her arms drop. "Okay, you should be off before it gets too dark."

The tears were still noticeable in her eyes, but she wasn't sniffling anymore. It was alarming how quickly she could turn off her emotions, but Jeor admired it in her all the same. She was a special girl, that granddaughter of his.

"Take care of yourself little cub," he dropped a kiss to the top of her head, and gave her one final hug before stepping away from her and climbing onto his horse to lead his men out of Winterfell.

Orrina knew she should have gone inside then, she could feel the cold down to her bones, but she forced herself to watch him and his men mount and leave. Watched as the gates to Winterfell slammed shut behind him, the sound rattling in her ears. And stood for some time even after that, until the sounds of the horses hooves were long gone.

Whew, this chapter took me a little longer than I expected! I usually do all of my writing at work (in between of getting puppy kisses) and it's been a little more busy lately. But I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! I really wanted to show Orrina's vulnerability. She has a lot of abandonment issues and is actually very sensitive, even if she tries to act like she isn't. She was really really affected by her father leaving her and I wanted to develop that.

Also song credit goes to Hozier! It is called In the Woods Somewhere and it's beautiful. His music is a huge inspiration for me and this series.

The next five or so chapters will be snippets of the next year at Winterfell and showing her and Jon's relationship. I also want to show her growing friendship with the other Starks. I hope to incorporate some of their POVs too. I really liked writing Sansa and hope I did her justice! Around chapter 10 is when we should get onto the timeline of AGOT.

I would love to hear what you think in the comments, they mean the world to me!