"It seems the gods do not permit we stay apart."

Elle smiled as she walked towards Jon, though he couldn't help but notice a slightly exasperated undertone to her voice.

It had been four days since he had last seen her. In that time, surprisingly, he had heard little talk about Elle. Whether that was because she didn't let herself be seen or because no one truly cared about a woman staying at Castle Black, he couldn't say.

"So it seems." Jon played around with his gloves.

Ghost, who had been sitting besides him up until this point, jumped excitedly towards Elle.

"Hey there, Ghost." She laughed as she bent down to pet him. Jon was sure that if the wolf hadn't been mute, he would have barked in joy.

"He never greets me like that," he said with a laugh.

"Perhaps there is just something about me he finds irresistible."

He isn't the only one, Jon thought.

Elle looked up again, her warm smile never once disappearing, even as her gaze got caught on his fidgeting hands for a moment. She cocked her head.

"Would you like to walk a few steps with me? It would keep us warmer than simply standing around."

"Yes, I'd love to."

Jon fell into step besides Elle, forcing his eyes to remain focused on the path ahead. Thankfully, the walkway was wide enough that they didn't have to touch each other. Ghost trudged silently ahead of them.

"So", Elle started, "what is a Stark like you doing at the Night's Watch? Was there no pretty noble girl waiting for you?" She soon sombered when she saw his expression.

"No, I- uh…" He cleared his throat, hesitating to say the words. Why did he now have troubles stating the information he had readily provided to anyone else? "I'm a bastard, I didn't- There was nothing waiting for me at Winterfell."

Painful seconds passed. Then Elle smiled again.

"What a surprise, I am a bastard as well! You are Eddard Stark's son, I assume?" He nodded. "My father is Oberyn Martell, brother to the prince of Dorne."

"You're from- Dorne?" Jon exclaimed in confused enthusiasm. He wondered why that possibility had never crossed his mind. But then again, Elle did not look particularly… Dornish.

(A small voice in his head tried telling him she was lying, only saying this to make him feel better about himself. But he disregarded that thought quickly. Because why would anyone lie about being a bastard?)

Elle nodded, her smile turning more sheepish. "Yes, I grew up in Sunspear with my sisters and cousins."

Jon had trouble processing all the implications that came with this reveal, so he just started spouting some of the thoughts flying around inside his head.

"But, if you're from Sunspear, what are you doing at the Wall?"

She chuckled. "I want to see the world. I have this dream that one day I will travel all the way to the top of the world; explore the Lands of Always Winter, mayhaps see an Ice Dragon for myself." Elle smirked at that last part, apparently not taking it all that seriously herself.

"And your father just let you go?"

"He only wants what is best for his daughters."

Jon's thoughts wandered to his own father. He supposed that, in this regard, the two men weren't all that different.

"What about you?" Elle asked. "Did you have a special dream before deciding to come here?"

Jon didn't want to answer that question. Of course he's had dreams that didn't include joining the Night's Watch. But he didn't want to admit to Elle right now that, when he was younger, he wanted to become Lord of Winterfell, effectively taking away his brother's birthright. Jon would never admit that. So he lied.

"No, I didn't. As a bastard I never felt I was allowed to dream of things above my station."

Elle smiled sadly. "I am sorry to hear that. I sometimes forget that the other kingdoms have a different attitude towards people like us."

People like us. It felt unbelievable that the one thing Jon always hated about himself was the exact thing that now connected him to Elle.

Ghost started walking in between them, leading to Jon having to put more distance between himself and Elle. He had never been this grateful for having his wolf.

"If I remember correctly, you mentioned that you have brothers?"

When had he told her that?

"Uh, yes. Half-brothers technically, three of them, and two half-sisters."

"What are they called?"

"Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Though Bran's name is actually Brandon, we all just call him Bran."

"Their mother is a Tully, if I remember correctly?"

Jon had a lot of complicated feelings about Lady Catelyn, and a couple of unresolved issues with her. But he didn't want to subject Elle to all of that - she probably didn't even care about it - and so he kept his answer as short as possible so as to not ramble endlessly.

"You do."

They walked in silence for a while. An icy breeze disturbed the snow resting on the walls around them and blew it towards Jon. He shuddered and drew his cloak closer around him. If he didn't distract his mind in some way, he would go insane up here.

"So," Jon started, unsure as to what to actually talk about, "what is your family like?"

"My family?" Elle chuckled. Jon threw a quick glance her way. She stared into the sky with pursed lips, before looking towards him and then at the path ahead again. He quickly followed her example.

"What is your father like?" Jon offered. "I don't know all that much about Prince Oberyn, I'm afraid."

"My father is… How do I best describe him? He is very fiery; enthusiastic about a lot of things. He always told us stories of his travels, of the adventures he experienced. He even studied at the Citadel for some time, until he got bored of it." Jon looked at her, bewildered. Elle chuckled when she noticed his expression. "His words, not mine."

"He sounds like a great man," Jon said.

Elle looked at the ground, her smile turning smaller, more melancholic. "He is. He truly is." She took a deep breath, then looked at him. "What about your father? Lord Stark must be quite extraordinary, too."

"Aye, I guess so."

Elle raised her brow. "That's all?" She laughed. "I would have expected a bit more."

Jon's cheeks turned pink.

"I mean…" He was grasping for words, desperately trying to find ways to describe his father. "Lord Stark was always kind to me, even when his wife wasn't. He is honourable, very much so."

He had once overheard someone say he took more after his father than his siblings did, though no one would have said those things in the presence of Lady Stark.

"He didn't have to take me in and raise me as his own, but he did. And for that I am forever grateful."

"And your mother?"

What a happy conversation this has turned into.

"I never met her." Jon hesitated. "I don't even know her name."

"Did your father never speak of her?"

"No, never." He looked over to Elle. "Do you know your mother?"

"I have distant memories of her. She raised me until I was seven, before my father took me in. I don't remember much, but I do remember that she loved me."

They stopped at one of the outlooks. Elle's gaze rested on the mountains in the distance. Jon watched her.

"Sometimes I wonder how she is doing," she said.

"Sometimes, I wonder the same," he replied.

They stood there, in comfortable silence, for who knew how long. Jon's gaze wandered across Elle's body (only to get a better feeling of who she was). When she turned towards him, his cheeks flushed pink.

She smiled. "I should probably head back. But I enjoyed talking to you, so thank you."

"Nothing to thank," he answered with a slight cough.

Elle bent down to ruffle Ghost's fur again, before she moved away from the edge of the Wall and walked towards the lift.

Jon shook his head, suddenly remembering something he had been wondering for a few days.

"Where do you stay? In Castle Black, I mean, where are your quarters?" He stumbled over his words. "If you feel comfortable telling me," he quickly added.

She looked back at him with a smile. "King's Tower, right at the very top."

Then Elle turned back around and disappeared into the night.