Her Watch Has Ended

Chapter XVI

"Don't move." Benjin whispered.

Taliya remained still and silent but the sound of her name kept pulling her in. She had to get back. Back to Jon, Pip, Sam and Grenn. Her brothers were probably worried sick about her and why would Benjin keep her from them?

"I need to get back to them. Jon needs me right now. Ever since his father passed..." She quickly stopped.

"I'm sorry you say his father passed meaning Eddard Stark? My brother is dead?" his words were quivering. She couldn't tell if it was from the tears he was holding back or the cold surrounding them.

She looked to the ground and gave a slight nod.

"We can discuss this further later but for now we need to leave."

"I can't leave knowing my brothers are looking for me." She said.

"My dear those are not your brothers and you don't want to be trapped by that wretched song. It may sound sweet now but that creature is not of this world and I refuse to let you abandon your life to these woods."

He grabbed her hand and led her to Thunder. Helping her up then pulling himself onto his steed they made a quick leave. Taliya began to cry as the sweetness of her voice turned bitter then silent.

Approaching the clear before the mountain range Taliya was growing restless. "Can you please tell me what's going on? What was that back there? You said something about a song but it was just someone calling my name."

"My dear there's much you have to learn about being on this side of the world. The Westeros you've known isn't what lies beyond that Wall. Magical creatures and danger live here. You don't serve the Watch here you only serve yourself. If you want to die here then feel free to do so."

He paused. In that moment he took a deep breath and looked at Taliya. One must understand the pressures of being dead with emotions. It brings on a stronger feeling and the pain is intensified. Hearing of the loss of Eddard was heartbreaking. The only brother he ever knew before he took the black. Someone whom he looked up to and wanted to be. He was taking his frustration out on her.

"I'm sorry. Once we reach a safe destination we can talk but it's a long venture forward and we'll need all the time and energy we can spare."

She was quiet but gave a nod. She grabbed hold tight to Benjin and they made their way to the mountains.

...

Jon looked at Pip. "We'll have no choice but to wait until nightfall and we can go the opposite direction of the North Star until we reach Crasters again."

Pip was scared but he didn't show it. The Northern woods at nightfall wasn't what he would call a good time. Those scenarios arises in his head but instead of Taliya it was himself.
"Jon shouldn't we be worried about wildlings attacking at night?"

He hadn't thought about that with everything that was going on. No one had seen wildlings in ages except for the Rangers, most who didn't make it back to Castle Black.

"We can prepare ourselves for an attack against us. We have no choice but to move or we'll die either way."