TBS Imagines

You (Jojen Reed)💜

A loud howl ripped from me as Summer jumped, tackling me. It cut off and I erupted instead in grunts and laughter as we rolled around, play wrestling. In this moment, it was just me and Summer. My eyes were on his and my grin became wolffish. We both pushed and pulled and rolled around. Suddenly I wasn't me. I wasn't in the middle of a war and afraid and stressed and worn thin. I wasn't dragged down and on the run. I wasn't being watched and I wasn't aware of anyone or anything except the moss and the dirt and the leaves and the trees and sky and Summer. I wasn't even human. I was wolf.

There was a whistle and Summer stopped playing and pinned me, looking up to see who had called him. I looked over too, both of us responding to the whistle. Jojen stood there, his eyebrow raised and a deep frown on his face. "Summer, you have someone to attend to," Jojen reminded evenly. Summer sulked a bit but moved to Bran. The young boy looked confused. Bran loved when Summer and I roughed housed - especially when he and Summer were connected. Jojen looked to me next. "It's not a time to be messing around and causing a bunch of ruckus."

My face twisted in a dark glare. My hands curled in frustration and I opened my mouth to argue, but I stopped, remembering. Remembering the battle. The woods. The people watching and the feelings I held for the boy who stood before me now. The boy who hated me. I remembered I was human. Looking away to hide my contorting face, I pushed to my feet. "I'm going to get some more firewood."

Mira sighed. "We have enough-" she began.

Jojen held her as I made my way away from the others. "Let her go," he whispered to her. I heard though. Once I was out of sight from the others, my firm walk burst into a light sprint. I took off, running hard but making sure my feet still fell softly so as not to make a bunch of noise. Humans. Reminding me I'm human. Stupid humans.

I'd grown up in the woods running wild with my parents. My dad got sick and he died of whatever he'd caught eventually. When my mom caught it, she told me to run. To take our dog and book it. She didn't want me to get sick. She didn't want me to die. So I went on for years completely separate from humanity. Our 'dog' was half wolf and though he was incredibly loyal ever since I'd saved his life when I was very young, taking him in and keeping him warm while he was dying from the cold and lack of food one especially harsh winter, he was still a wild animal. My parents were my anchors. Without them, I became more animal than human.

Jojen and Meera had found us hunting one day on the way to find Bran. Jojen had been stunned to see me. He was silent and on edge and awkward. I won over Meera with my incredible hunting skills. I never won over Jojen. He was always bitter and nasty towards me, but when I tried to leave, he always made comments that made me wonder if he secretly wanted me to stay. When we found Bran, Spirit - my wolf - died.  Osha killed him. We'd been trying to distract her while Jojen and Mira approached Bran, but Sumer's smell had thrown Spirit off. Even though I was wolf-like, I was still human and Spirit was excited to meet another animal he didn't have to kill for dinner. Unfortunately, he never got to meet Summer. Osha had run off to get Bran while I sat with Spirit until Mira and Jojen found me. It was the only time Jojen had been truly gentle and caring towards me. That night he'd pulled me to the side in private and held me as I'd sobbed when it hit me. When I'd had to bury Spirit. He'd held me and whispered soft words in my ear. He'd rubbed my back and whispered a phrase I'd heard Mira whisper to him while he had visions. "I'm here. It's Jojen. I'm right here with you." I'd never forgotten those words. Next day, though, he was regular Jojen again. Cold and passive toward me. But that seed was planted. For whatever reason, Jojen was pretending he didn't like me at all while he cared about me in some way.