Snow Falls Hot

8

        Crows pecked at the ground around a pyre. Enith was seated far away, on the steps of one of the buildings, watching. The crows pecked for food and paid no mind to the man tied up on the pyre. As if by magic, the pyre lit itself. The man screamed as he burned— the crows still paying him no mind. One crow raised their head and flew up, striking their beak against the man's chest. He stopped screaming in an instant and the crow seemed satisfied to have put the man out of his misery.

Enith awoke before Eddard, a luxury she was afforded sometimes now that he was no longer a newborn. He would be fine for a few moments while his mother washed up and emptied the chamber pot in the bathroom. Like suspected, when she entered the room again little Eddard was sound asleep. Enith finished getting dressed before gently picking him up.

He started to stir and eventually opened his eyes to greet Enith with a string of babbles. She rubbed at his hair, black with a noticeable white streak at the front on one side. The two of them made their way out of the farmhouse and to the back of it. Kneeling down, Enith scratched behind Grey Wind's ear— the dire wolf waking up immediately. He stood up and, with a nod of Enith's head, stalked towards the forest to hunt.

Shadow arrived mere moments later, bigger than ever. Enith wasn't sure if she was still growing or not. Not that it mattered much anymore— she was clearly big enough to ride now. Although the young master wasn't sure if she was ready to try just yet. Eddard reached out to pet the large creature. Enith brought him even closer until his tiny hands could touch Shadow's snout. She patted Shadow as well.

"Go, not too far. And return to the woods before it is night."

A puff of smoke blew from her nose and she took flight. Enith's neck craned back as she watched until the dragon was no longer in her sight. Satisfied that both their animals were taken care of, Enith and Eddard headed back inside where the rest of the farm family was now awake. Fryda already had bowls of porridge out— everyone eating. Kylis played with Eddard who sat in his mother's lap as they all ate. She insisted that she could eat and feed him at the same time so Enith let her.

"Does the market nearby sell clothing dye?" Enith asked.

Fryda and Waylar looked from their bowls. Fryda finished swallowing her bite to speak.

"Not this one but the next one over, not much longer of a ride. What do you need dye for, Your Grace?"

"Please, I am not a queen, simply Enith. I'm going to dye my hair once more."

"But it is such a lovely color."

"It marks me a Targaryen and puts you all in danger if I am spotted. It is safer if I am a Stark... a Snow. I spent my childhood that way, it is time to return to that once again. For you all and for Eddard."

Darren stood from the table, announcing that he would ride out at once to bring her the dye before the night came around. The table was silent. Ever since Enith revealed Shadow to them, they noticed a change.

She didn't leave the farm or want Eddard to go very far from her sights with one of them. She hadn't tried on Robb's cloak since it was presented to her. Touching his sword or her bow and arrows wasn't even a thought that had crossed Enith's mind. It didn't occur to them until the words left her mouth that everything she did was to protect them. Because Enith was right. In the current state of Westeros, Snow was the safest thing she could be.

"What story do you want to hear?" Enith asked Eddard.

"Da-da," the baby babbled. "Ma-ma."