Within two days journey of Winterfell, the hundred plus hardy souls riding south from Last Hearth had discovered from the traders, crofters and villeins they'd met in the many tiny hamlets dotting the Kingsroad that their liege, Lord Eddard, had himself already departed for even further south near a fortnight earlier. The news did not much trouble the ill-disciplined pack of Northerners, they knew their Lord's castle would still offer them a night's warm hospitality. And if Winterfell's generosity extended to a second night, sobeit, a hundred some odd men could easily enough catch up to the more than a thousand riders said to be accompanying the Warden of the North as he answered the call to arms of his best friend and King, Robert the War Hammer.
"Killin' ironborn will be a heap easier than wildlings, eh Badger," shouted out the Greatjon for the umpteenth time. "Once ya find'em, there's a boat load of the lil buggers just beggin' to be gutted. No trees or rocks fer the slippery eels to slip away and hide in."
"Dey ca'en alwait go fer a swim wid der Drowned God," rumbled Donnel Harclay in his jovial, mountain accent, "if'in dey's too skert ta play."
Lohgun laughed along with all the others within earshot at the idea of the rebellious iron scum jumping into the water to escape the justice and wrath of northern swords and axes. The doughty clansman had travelled with Lohgun to Icemark on the Wall where his cousin Ronnel served alongside young Benjen Stark as a ranger in the black brothers. And when a message came by raven to the castle's maester with news of a hither to unknown, unbound wildling chieftain stirring up trouble near the Icemark, both Lohgun and Donnel gladly volunteered to join the ranging against 'the Weeper.'
"I'm happy to kill any slimy eel cock stupid enough to get in my way," the Badger proclaimed boastfully, "easier than beyond the Wall, always looking over my shoulder for a lurking Other."
At the mention of the Great Enemy, several riders automatically repeated the standard Westerosi catechism to the foe's naming, "Night's Watch."
Most, true Northerners, whispered under their breaths a few of the forbidden places or names of the Old Gods for protection: "Nevyrland." "Stryker." "Gynosha." "Kelly." "Rysman."
The Badger, having through the years survived several Other attacks, lacked a superstitious dread of the enemy, but he respected the might of their wintry powers. Luckily, during the hunt from Icemark, they'd encountered none of the ice demons; though like any sane expedition beyond the Wall they'd gone prepared with dragonstone daggers and double wrapped vials of wildfire. In fact the entire search had been a letdown, the Weeper must have already returned to a bolthole in the Frostfangs. So with the trail cold as ice they'd slain what unbound wildlings they did find, burned out a few signs of Wight spore, and even wasted time visiting Craster and listening to the daughter rapist's cryptic mumbo jumbo. Lohgun shook his head in disgust at the pointless effort. 'At least I got to spend time with Benjen,' he thought. 'Only twenty and already Deputy Hound of Icemark. Won't be when he makes Chief Hound of the whole fucking Wall.'
The Great Hall rang louder than the numbers filling it would typically warrant, Umbers by nature were a noisome lot, and more so when another freely allowed the broken chained giants to drain their kegs of beer, ale, and mead. Tankards clanked on knife scoured table tops. Half-drunk men bellowed bawdy songs horribly off key. Threats and challenges periodically roared forth when disputes arose over who held the right to a particular saucy serving wench's attention. And with Winterfell depleted the last two weeks of its usual assortment of randy wolves and swaggering cocks, many of the serving wenches were feeling quite wanton themselves.
Lohgun spared only occasional, passing glances to the shenanigans unfolding out in the room. He sat alone at the dais beside the incomparable Catelyn, basking in the glow of her smile and the warmth of her laughter at his telling of antics from years past. Earlier in the evening the Greatjon had sat the other side of the auburn haired beauty, but he had long since joined his men's festivities below and currently appeared to be seeing how many women he could balance a top of his shoulders and arms. The Steward Vayon Poole, the Master-at-Arms Ser Rodrik, and Maester Luwin had also shared the high table through the meal, but each lingered afterward only briefly before respectfully begging her ladyship's pardon in order to wander off and attend to duties.
"So it's my first winter here, the snow's come for most of a month and everyone's going crazy from being trapped inside," said Lohgun, words slightly slurred.
Catelyn reached out a warm hand and laid it on the wildling's arm. "I know exactly what you mean. I'd lived through several winters in Riverrun, but nothing, nothing prepared me for a North's winter." The jiggles her body made as she gave the emphasis of mock shivers to her words nearly drove the Badger's hands to reach out and cup her. A sly, amused grin spread her rosy lips, "So what madness did you connive at?"
"Me? It was hardly me, Cat," he protested too vigorously.
She laughed, the notes catching in her throat just enough to give it an earthy quality. "Ohhhh, I think I smell blame about to be cast upon Brandon."
Lohgun grinned quickly. "Exactly. Who else?" He picked up the wine flagon and topped off her glass before refilling his empty one. The wildling yearned to hear her say 'Lohgun' in the same tone she said 'Brandon.' Seven years and she still held a spark for the fiery eyed rogue.
"So what did Brandon do?"
"He said we should go swimming. Now I like a soak in the hot springs as much as Hodor over there does, but I was surprised when Brandon, Elbert, Jeffory, Kyle, Theo, and Mark all met me at the Guest House door and headed for the Hunter's Gate instead of the Godswood."
Cat chuckled. "Where were they taking you? Not the Wolfswood, surely?"
"In ten foot of snow? And all of us in only boots and smallclothes? Not even I'm that crazy. They were carrying axes, shovels, and brooms. Brandon said we were going moat swimming."
The former betrothed of Brandon howled in delight at the mental image of it.
"No, no, it gets better, really, that's hardly a story. You must pay a fine for laughing too soon, Cat; drink up, drink up I say." The auburn haired lovely accepted his chastisement good naturedly and tipped back her head, revealing a delicate, curved neck, to sip a red, less full bodied than herself, from the cup. "Good. Good. Now where was I?"
"Traipsing half naked, like the hairy wildling savage you are, across the courtyard."
"Right! Now we go through the first portcullis and Brandon leads us down onto the frozen over moat. We cleared a big circle of snow then started hacking away at the ice, easily over a foot thick. The bigger the hole got, the wider Brandon complained we needed to make it. If we weren't working so hard we'd have got frostbite on our … uhm …" he stuttered, realizing the word he'd almost said.
"Cocks," Cat chortled, her cheeks flush.
"That's right," Lohgun snorted. "Small and shriveled as they were from the cold," he continued, causing his companion to burst out laughing again. "Ya did it again, Cat. Drink again," he commanded and she obliged. "Finally Brandon says the channel was cut was wide enough. Me, Kyle, and Elbert start taking our boots off, but Bran says, 'hold on. By ancient Winterfell tradition, the first moat swim of winter has to start with a jump.' 'A jump,' we asked. 'Yes, but since you're beginners, you leap from the low wall,' and he points to the top of the outer wall. 'It's eighty feet,' Kyle cried. 'I know,' says Brandon, 'I did it when I was ten. Me, Theo, and Mark are jumping from the inner wall.' And Theo shouts, "That's a hundred or more, ya soppin wet women's … uhm …"
"Cunts," Cat squeaked, flush cheeks now positively flaming crimson at the word she dared utter.
"Well, ahh, so up Elbert, Kyle, Jeffory, and me climb and wait on the walkway right above the hole. And by this time word has spread all over Winterfell and people are clogging up the inner wall waiting to see if we'll jump. Soon enough Brandon, Theo, and Mark force their way to the front on their side and perch up on the battlement yelling at us to jump. Kyle and Elbert shout back for Bran to go first, but he's not moving anywhere and I'm starting to get cold, so I say fewk it and jump."
Catelyn gasped, and clutched at his arm again.
"I slice through with a nice crackling sound cause it was so cold a thin rime had already frozen atop of where we'd cut. Oh the water was chill, drove the breath out of me and made my sac try to hide within me. O'course when I surface and grab a breath, I shout it's lovely. And stupid Elbert and Kyle just shrug and leap out into the air themselves the fools."
Catelyn leaned in close to whisper, "Who was the first fool, I wonder?"
"Me," the Badger declared. "But what can you expect from a wildling? They were proper, fostered nobles. They should have known better, shouldn't of they?"
Cat nodded in agreement. "Should know better," she muttered.
"As those idiots are hurtling toward me, I see Brandon and Theo and Mark laughing their asses off at us. Those turds had tricked us. But we got the last laugh. Brandon couldn't help himself and stood up to keep haranguing us."
Cat's eyes went wide, mouth gaped open, and started to giggle in spasms of amusement, "He fell, didn't he. Brandon slipped off the wall and into the water."
"Nooooo, Theo and Mark pushed him," and the Badger started roaring with laughter at the memory of Brandon's soaked, ice chilled head bobbing back up to the surface of the frozen moat.
Cat's youthful giggles finally played themselves out. "Thank you, Lohgun, you've cheered my spirits. You've always had a knack for doing so," and she leaned over to gently brush her kissable, perfect lips against the thick, bristly hair of his cheek. "Now if you'll forgive me, I think, I think I shall retire."
As she stood up, she swayed. Lohgun leapt to his feet and steadied her.
She leaned into him a moment, "A bit much to drink on this fine night," she whispered.
"I'll help," he volunteered eagerly and started to guide her down the back 'T' of the Great Hall toward the rear entrance of the Great Keep. A few servants witnessed their progress and he nodded politely to them. The further they walked, the more she leaned on his strong body, more so when they took the stairs up to her chamber.
At the door to her room, she smiled kindly, and a bit disjointedly at him. His entire body pulsed from the pleasure of having been so close to her, pressed against her. "Thank you, Lohgun."
"Anything for you, Cat. Always."
(jean)
For the first time since he first met her in Riverrun, he again saw the woman within her, trapped, trying to break free.
(logan)
Her eyes stared right back into his. For a second he saw something flicker in those bottomless, mystical blue eyes. And he knew she looked at him in a new way too. The merest hint of a memory fluttered inside him, something as tenuous as the gossamer thin wings of a butterfly. He couldn't see her, but her scent filled this hazy dream, and then he remembered the feel of her fingertips slowly edging down his naked chest and over the rippling muscles of his abdomen. A remote, distant part of him said, 'that never happened,' but he ignored the distant voice
He reached out and gripped her hand, not releasing her gaze; falling deeper and deeper into her mesmerizing eyes. She clutched back at him, drawing him closer, closer. He felt her tremble, heart pounding beneath her shapely chest, sweet breath caressing his face.
"Cat?" he exhaled.
"Yes, Lohgun, yes," she answered, slipping her hands free of his so she could grab the back of his head; forcing his lips down to her wine stained ones.
He clasped her to him, picking her up, yet not relinquishing the searing kiss. Loghun carried the auburn haired queen of his heart to the bed and threw the both of them upon it. They scrambled to tear each other's clothes off, to nibble, stroke, and finally thrust over and over and over.
Catelyn, soon after peaking, swooned into a deep slumber; an innocent, cheerful smile stealing years off her face, turning her back to the young maiden he first saw seven years earlier. Lohgun lay there a while, drinking in her naked beauty. An hour, two hours passed. The euphoria began to drain from the Badger's body and his super keen senses began to detect less pleasurable clues: the sight of Ned's possessions placed neatly about the room, the toys of children not his own lying on the rugs, the smell of Ned in the sheets on which he had just fucked his friend's wife. Abhorrence filled his soul. He crawled out of bed and donned his scattered clothes. He must leave Winterfell, immediately. Would he ever dare return?