Falling Like || Jon Snow

14| 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔫𝔬𝔴 𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔴𝔞𝔱𝔠𝔥 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔡

north of the wall

— NYMERIA SAT WITH HER HEART POUNDING, HER BACK PRESSED FIRMLY AGAINST THE TRUNK OF A TREE. "Nymeria!" she hardly let herself breathe, her jaw clenched. "Nym!" then her heart sped again, but this time it wasn't in fear. I know that voice.

The clopping of hooves became evident to her ears, and then between the trees, she caught sight of a brown and white clydesdale, a singular man upon it. She grabbed the tree trunk behind her, pulling herself to her feet, and his head turned in her direction. Edd. Koda began trotting towards her, then she raised her fingers to her lips, letting out a piercing whistle, and he picked up speed. Her feet shifted beneath her, her balance changing, and as the horse blew past her, her fingers hooked in the saddle, her feet jumping high and her legs hooking over his back to swing up into the saddle behind Edd. "Don't slow down." she ordered. She gave Koda's side another nudge, and they sped off through the woods.

°

The fire that crackled before the pair was small. The last thing they wanted was to draw attention. Koda's reins were tied to a tree nearby and Wren played around his feet. Nymeria's eyes were hollow as they reflected the flickering flames. She'd taken string and fabric from her saddlebag, and now her fingers moved almost without thought, weaving a small figure that in small ways, resembled her grandfather. Edd watched her as he poked the fire.

She'd never looked so empty, so devoid of anything. But she couldn't find anything to feel. The person who'd remained by her side from the time of her father's disappearance, who'd trained her, raised her, protected her and loved her as fiercely as any father could... was dead. She couldn't protect him like he had for her. She couldn't save him like he'd saved her. And he was never coming back.

She finished with the small figure as Edd pulled the rabbits she'd hunted for them from over the fire. She took a deep breath, holding it tightly in her hands. "His name was Jeor Mormont." her voice came out rough from her suppressed tears and the ones she'd let fall too. Even now, she could feel a new lump forming in her throat. She swallowed it down. "He came to me when I was alone. He was more than a soldier, more than a commander. He was the guardian that watched over me. The sword that brought me up. The protector whose fierceness came not from a sense of duty, but from love." breathe in, breathe out. Hold the small doll tighter. "We will never see his like again." her voice was breaking, her tears leaving hot trails down her cheeks. "And now... and..." she trailed off with a shuddering, silent sob, unable to continue.

Edd shifted to her side, put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned on him gratefully. His voice was grave as he took her hand. "And now his watch has ended." After a moment, they watched as she extended a hand, and gently dropped the woven figure into the flames. And in the night, he burned.

castle black, the wall

— THEIR RETURN TO THE WALL WAS BOTH CHAOTIC AND EXHAUSTING. Nymeria remembered the horn blowing, the gate opening, Thorne emerging into the courtyard with furrowed brows to ask where the others were. They'd taken her and Edd into the hall for some food and water and she'd answered and explained as best she could. Then she made sure Koda was being taken care of, took Wren, and ascended the steps of the walkway to disappear into her room and collapse onto the bed. It was all a little bleary after that; she vaguely remembered stripping off her coat and boots, leaving her in a white shirt and black trousers. She remembered tossing her weapons aside when she felt hard corners digging into her skin. She remembered Wren cuddling up to her too, and that was about it. The rest was dark, dreamless bliss.

Nymeria was half-awake when she realised she wasn't alone. Then she snapped upright, the knife that remained hidden under her pillow in hand.

"Gods-! Okay, easy, Nym." The two figures before her came into focus quickly; Edd stood near the end of her bed and Maester Aemon sat in the chair beside her, his face gentle as ever. Still, her brows furrowed deeply. She had three locks on her door. She definitely remembered locking all of them; that was a lesson she'd learned a long time ago.