CHAPTER 16
A few days later when the ship was fully stocked and the next distance would take a month at sea, Lyra set sail for Bear Island.
After about two weeks, it got much colder once they had passed The Flint Cliffs. Everyone had started dressing warmer on the ship. The shoreline viewed from the ship was white. After another week, they had passed The Stoney Shore. During the whole trip from time to time, Lyra had been playing with Crystal. They wrestled in the cabin making Lyra laugh at Crystal's silliness and had fun playing chase to exercise themselves out on deck. Lyra also spared with swords and combat fighting with her soldiers to keep active.
Once Bear Island was sighted, Lyra was bathed, dressed in her warm clothes, had her hair pulled to the side with her makeup on and her long wolf's fur coat and boots. She stood on the deck by the rails with her cowl fur hood up and long loose wavy hair hanging in front over her shoulder. Crystal stood next to her in her fur warm coat with her fur lined mittens on. They were quite a sight waiting for the ship to dock. Lyra smiled when she spotted Jorah on the dock staring at her.
When Lyra stepped off the ship with Crystal there were a couple other people with Jorah. He came forward and swept her up in his arms holding her tightly and burying his face in her neck. She hugged him back with her arms around his shoulders and said, "I missed you so much, sweet Jorah." He squeezed her tighter.
Jorah said in her ear, "You are more beautiful than I remember. I missed you so terribly and was worried thinking of how anything could go wrong on your journey." She pulled back and kissed him passionately holding his face with both hands.
She said softly, breaking the kiss, "Nothing could ever keep me from you." He smiled at her, caressing her face.
A maester stepped up to them and said formally, "Young woman, I am Maester Dameron, we have much paperwork and formalities to go over for the betrothal and upcoming marriage. My Lord Mormont said that you are from the House of Wylde?"
Lyra kept looking at Jorah in his beautiful sky blue eyes and stroking his lips with her thumb. She absently replied, "Yes, informally. My last name is Wyldwood, our family is estranged and I am the last survivor of the Wyldwood line."
The maester huffed and said, "That's probably why I couldn't get your lineage verified."
Jorah kissed her again and said, "Maester Dameron, let this wait while I get Lady Lyra and her lion comfortable and warm in my rooms." Lyra's men had been loading all of her locked chests and baggage into a wagon.
All of Lyra's employees were all paid up months in advance as always so they would be comfortable there on the island. Another few wagons were for her servants and their belongings that were coming to the keep too.
Jorah led her away and lifted her up onto the horse he rode to the dock. He mounted up behind her as she leaned back into his arms and he nuzzled her neck making her giggle. Crystal looked up at Lyra making a yowl. Lyra said, "Follow me, Crystal baby." Jorah moved the horse forward and Crystal kept up.
The maester looked at the lion all dressed in clothing and shook his head thinking that he had never seen such a thing before in his life. He got on the wagon with his assistant and they also headed to the keep. People were staring at their Lord Mormont mounted on a horse with a very beautiful woman in his arms and a strangely dressed lion keeping pace with them.
Lyra said, "Are your people staring at us or my silly lioness?"
Jorah said holding her tightly against his body with his one arm, "I think they see their lord deeply in love with the most beautiful woman ever seen and a silly lioness wearing clothes." He chuckled, nuzzling her neck again making her giggle as she held her hand over the one he had firmly holding her against his body.
He said softly in her ear, "I can't wait to hold your warm beautiful body next to mine. I have dreamed and craved you and your body for months." She turned and kissed him softly on his neck.
Lyra whispered, "We will soon be together all night long, sweet Jorah. I have longed for you too, my love." He was so happy to have her once again back in his arms where she belonged.
Once they arrived at the gates. The carving of a woman with a baby suckling her breast and an ax in her other hand. 'It is quite a statement as always', Lyra thought.
Jorah took her into his rooms as the men followed with her belongings. Lyra and Jorah hung up their cloak and coat on the pegs by the door. Crystal flopped down in front of a fireplace. Lyra got down on the floor taking off Crystal's mittens and coat. She had to tickle her to get her to roll over, making Lyra giggle at her. Jorah smiled watching her. The men sat down all of her bags, chests and even Crystal's giant litter box by a window with a shovel on the bedroom floor.
Once they had her things unloaded they left closing the door after she thanked them. Jorah locked the door, picked up Lyra, swung her around in a circle held in his arms. Lyra and Jorah laughed. He laid her on the bed and started kissing and peeling off her clothes. He was licking and sucking on every bit of skin he was exposing. Lyra was trying to get him out of his clothes also while panting. As they started breathing heavily and excited, it got rushed and intense to get at each other. Jorah took her immediately while kissing her fervently. The sex was intense and aggressive. They were sweating and enthusiastic in achieving mutual pleasure from each other all over the bed. The sounds of slapping flesh, pumping, moaning, grasping of flesh in hands and panting was all that could be heard until they cried out in ecstasy as they came together holding each other's bodies tightly.
Lyra panted while saying, "Oh Jorah. I have missed you so." She caressed his skin down his back to his firm buttocks.
Jorah rolled over pulling her on top of him. He said looking in her emerald green eyes, "You are a very loved woman. I missed you so very badly. I wanted to sail away with you so very much, but couldn't stay away from my home any longer. I had three marriage proposals sent by ravens when I got home and replied with refusals. I hope to never need to be away from you that long again. I love you, Lyra." She caressed his mouth and leaned down, taking possession of his lips languidly stroking his tongue with hers showing him how she felt for him. He was stroking her body with his hands. Jorah was content to finally have her in his bed and arms, safe and loved. They made love again and again.
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In another part of the keep, the maester was sitting in a study with Jorah's aunt, Maege. The maester said, "I need to get them in here to sign the paperwork immediately."
Maege said, "Leave them alone today. He hasn't seen her in four months. Let them catch up."
The maester said, "She said that the Wyldwoods are estranged from the Wylde's of Rainhouse in Storms End and she is the last. How can her lineage be proven? Lord Commander Mormont said to be sure and verify her lineage before he marries her. I haven't been able to at this point. I need her in here so I can prove her line."
Maege said, writing out a correspondence, "One day is not going to matter after four months of waiting, Maester Dameron. Leave them alone today. We will be lucky to see them at breakfast. I hope you have given her servants and cook adequate quarters to live in?"
The maester said, "Yes, of course I did. Her cook will be sharing the kitchen with ours. Hopefully, they can come up with different dishes and more variety."
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In the morning, Jorah woke up with Lyra snuggled into his chest. He was so very happy to have her with him once again. He never wanted to let her go because of the way she made him feel when she was around. He rolled over and began making love to her as she woke up smiling up at him and caressing his skin. He laid on top of her thrusting his hips and began kissing her with such passion. He swore he would never get enough of her.
She moaned as her hips thrust up to meet his own as she touched him stimulating his need for her closeness. She was such an active lover. His first wife never moved with him during sex. He would relieve himself and roll away. She was not emotionally involved with him but went through the motions and did her duty only. He knew Lyra was so very different and bold in her pleasures in giving and taking like no other women had before. He could feel her emotions and loving touches that were just for him alone. Her beauty was far beyond any other woman and he would never love another as deeply as he did her.
After they took a bath together and got dressed, Jorah, Lyra and Crystal went to the Great Hall for breakfast. When they entered the Hall there was a table full of women and little girls. Lyra was smiling looking at them all. She loved kids.
Jorah sat down after kissing and pushing in Lyra's chair. He said as the servants brought food to the table, "Lady Lyra Wyldwood, I want you to meet my aunt Maege, my father's youngest sister." Lyra remembered that at this time, Maege was a 35 year old woman who was sitting towards the head of the table.
Lyra said, "I'm pleased to meet you, Lady Maege. Thank you for stepping in as leader while Jorah was away at Lord Stark's home." Jorah put some bacon on her plate with a biscuit. She began buttering her biscuit.
Lyra's cook, Harven Corlan, had made sure to make Crystal's meal to specifications and they ate hearty. Lyra sat the tray of meat and eggs on the floor with a bowl of water. There was bacon, porridge with maple syrup, eggs and biscuits with hot tea and honey. Some of the items Lyra overstocked in her journey to help supply Jorah's keep that seemed to make it to the kitchen already.
Maege said, "Its nice to see bacon, maple syrup and eggs. It's been a while now. Yes, Jorah has to do that from time to time. I hope you both get a chance to go see Jeor, Jorah's father and the Night Watch Commander, before you get married. He told Jorah to come bring you for a visit to get his blessing before your marriage."
Lyra smiled and said, "I brought some overstocked items with me in hopes to contribute. When I was at Lord Stark's home, I told him that Jorah's father was going to take one look at my lioness in her fur coat and four mittens and think I'm crazy or wonder what Jorah has gone and got himself into now." They all laughed.
Six year old Lyra, Maege's daughter asked, "Lady Lyra, Jorah said your lioness likes children and played with Lord Stark's family? I like that you have my name too because you're very pretty."
Lyra said, smiling at the little girl, "Thank you, my dear. She loves to play in snowball fights and catches the snowballs in her mouth, then spits them out. She won the last snowball war, all the children agreed, because she ate the most snowballs than anyone else did." The girls all laughed. She continued and said, "Crystal loves belly rubs, pets, plays chase and can knock you down but she never hurts you." Maege smiled, feeding her two little girls next to her, a three year old Joelle and a two year old Lyanna.
Maege said, "This is Lyanna and Joelle. My two oldest are Dacey and Alysane." Lyra smiled at the older two girls that were seventeen and sixteen years old, while making her cup of tea. She had thought about everything she knew about the Mormonts and was not a whole lot because the books only went so far into detail. She figured that she would have to glean as much information as possible as she went.
Jorah said, "Dacey and Alysane come hunting with me when we go out into the woods. They are very good with a bow. I told them you took first place at the Lannisport tourney when I was there four and a half years ago."
Lyra asked smiling, "Are you any good with a sword, knife, spear or staff?"
Dacey said, "We have practiced some with swords, knives and maces. Mother favors the mace weapon."
Lyra said smiling, "Perhaps, we can practice together and you can show me the mace throwing and I'll show you what I know." The girls smiled and nodded.