α•ℓισи•ιи•ωιитєя

[CrimsonMoon]

Cardon only!!
---
The wind howled across the wall, Moletown was quiet but each hut was lit up and of course there was the ever present moaning of both old timbers and people. Three figures made their way into the tiny town: a scrawny horse, a small figure upon the scrawny horse and a young man.

They stopped at the edge of the village to admire the Wall that rose like a great monster from the earth...

" It's enormous.. Are you sure they won't look here?"

" Of course not, the Starks barely associate with the Wall any way..." The young man replies, leading the old horse to an inn/pleasure house," Don't worry, Ari... I won't let any one touch you..."

[cardon131313]

-"You get used to the cold."
-"Still, I don't believe how far you've come, Stephen. This is...godforsaken." Stephen's brother shuddered as they stood there, outside one of the huts. They stayed in silence for a long time, each studying the other's face. They had allways been close, close enough to read the other's life in the features of his face, the wrinkles that the cold of the wind and the salt of the sea dug in their faces.
-"It compares well to King's Landing, or even home, aye. But you haven't seen the Shadow tower, brother. Or even beyond the wall. Sometimes the snow melts on this side. That's allready a good thing.
Kindraen nodded. He wore the same white wolf furs as his brother used to, when they had still been home.
-"Do they force you to wear black?"
-"When they can see me. On patrol I do as I..."
They heard the noise of the approaching travellers. They watched in silence as they approached the brothel
-"Are you looking for anywhere to stay the night? The brothel ain't a recommendable house for a young lady." Stephen called out.

[CrimsonMoon]

The young woman looks around, stiffening up considerably, it wasn't that she looked down on them... It was just that the Night's Watch were pretty close to the Starks...

" If you could point us to somewhere... Safer, it'd be much appreciated," The young man calls over the howling wind, leading the horse over to them. The girl pulls her hood down further as if shying away from them.

[cardon131313]

     -"Castle Black isn't the type to refuse travellers. You can allways request asylum there, at least if you can pay for your own food. But I'll be honest with you, it seems like something of a mad idea to be so far north. Only us Night's watch men come live this far. And these poor buggers, to poor to go anywhere else."
     -"I'd go back to Last Hearth if I were you. That's more of a proper climate." Kindrean said. His eyes flickered to the girl. The young man was not speaking like smallfolk, and the shynees wasn't that of an ordinary woman. Nor was the fact that she was alone on the horse. Who would want to go this far north?

[CrimsonMoon]

" Well sir..." The young man pulls down his hood to reveal oddly mousey brown hair," I came to join the Night's Watch... This is my little sister, Ariella... She can work in the kitchens... Our parents were both killed in the War further south so, here we are," he explains and meets Kindrean's gaze, obviously protective of the girl on the horse.

The girl looks up and seems to hunch down more, she seemed to be clutching something in her cloak...

[cardon131313]

     -"You want to join the Night's Watch. And you're bringing a woman."Stephen said. His tone belied what he thought of it. "There aren't any women in the Night Watch, lad. There's three hundred men who haven't had one in years. Bringing your sister anywhere near them isn't nearly half a good idea." He stepped closer to Stephen so that he would not be overheard. "Do you know what's beyond that wall? Who'se gonna take care of your sister?"
      Kindrean saw the girl clutch something. He tried to catch her gaze, looking questioningly at her hands.
     -"Eastwatch-by-the sea might be a better bet. You could catch a boat from there. If your parents used to know anyone, I also heard a man from lord Stark is coming up next week. You could allways talk to him." Kindraed surveyed their faces for any reaction. What he had said was a blatant lie. no one came this far north.

[CrimsonMoon]

The girl looks up quickly at the mention of Lord Stark, a confusing look of fear and some other disguised emotion flickered across her face. She glances at Kindrean with unusually bright blue eyes and bites her bottom lip, looking down again. Whatever she held... She let go of.

The boy doesn't react at the mention of the Lord Stark but places a gently hand on the Girl's knee," Our horse is nearly dead on its feet and too old to go another mile... I can't leave my little sister either but yes... I know what's beyond the wall," he glares Stephen straight in the eye defiantly

[cardon131313]

     -"Castle Black needs someone to help our maester until his next helper comes. If you can read and write, we can keep you until he arrives from Oldtown. Then you'll have something figured out. But if you care for your sister, don't take the black. Follow me, we can get you me and my brother's horses and see what you can get for this one. Kindrean, you can bear to stay here for a night longer?"
     -"Of course. Safe way back to the Castle." He stepped out of the way to let them pass.

[CrimsonMoon]

The siblings exchange a look, looking uneasy before the young woman murmurs," I'll just stay here, Gregor... I'll be ok," She squeezes her brother's shoulder," Besides, you've seen me fight."

Gregor smiles weakly and looks torn,"... I..." He trails off and bites his lip

[cardon131313]

    -"No man from lord Stark is coming up. Follow me."
      Kindrean lead her to one of the huts. This one was no one's in particular, it was simply a means of entry to the cellars and tunnels beneath the town. He took a torch from the wall, and lit it with his tinder box, beofre going on into the tunnels.
    -"Tomorrow we can get to Castle Black, have breakfast there with your brother and mine." He stopped "I'm terribly sorry about your family, it musn't have been a good experience." And brusquely,he resumed his way.
      He had set up his camp in a disused cellar, with no link to the ground above (the hut that had been there had collapsed long ago). It was divided into two rooms, one of which had been furnished with a bed, the other with rolls of fur clothing, his bags, and an array of books he was reading. He handed her a heavy cover, and pointed to the room with the bed.
     -"You sleep there. Here's a key for the door. If you need the privy, it's outside this cellar, the door at the end of the corridor. There's a lamp in your room if you need one. You can light a lamp, I trust?"

[CrimsonMoon]

The girl nods and flashes him the first hint of a smile," Thank you sir," but with those three words it was clear she had been brought up to be educated. She pulled down her hood and blonde hair like the rays of the sun fell free. It was hard to believe Gregor and the girl were related now...

She pushes her hair back from her face and whispers softly," Thank you so much for helping me... I can pay you back... Here, this was my father's," she tears open the lining of her belt and holds a magnificent bronze ring out to him, her other hand having moved to something at her hip, most likely a weapon... If he mad a move to try and find more.. He probably wouldn't leave without a few holes in him...

Gregor remained above ground with the scrawny horse and watches the two disappear, he glances at Stephen warily but says nothing. He was unusually nervous for his current situation... His 'little sister' should be the anxious one in the sad excuse of a town..

[cardon131313]

-"Wolf pelts warm my body, ma'am. Not lion ones." Kindrean held up his hands to refuse the bronze ring. There was a limit to how close he could bear to come to his own lord's enemy."

---
Stephen found where they had tied their horses, in a makeshift stable.
-"Kindrean's one is the white one." He tied Gregor's horse in place of his own, and mounted the brown horse. "Come on, let's get ourselves to Castle Black sharpish." He pulled up the hood of his wolf pelt coat to shield himself from the snow, and set off.

[CrimsonMoon]

The girl stiffens but nods, suddenly looking incredibly pale. She looked as if she was deciding whether to try and jump him or let him be... But she stayed sitting and murmurs," My name's... My name is Ariella... But you can call me Ari if you need anything,"

[cardon131313]

-"Then you may wish to go to sleep, lady Ariella. Tomorrow we leave to Castle Black" Kindrean turned away and set to making his bed.

---
-"Are you any good at fighting, Gregor?" Stephen asked over his shoulder. He was trying to break the silence. He was not used to it anywhere south of the wall.

[CrimsonMoon]

Ari shifts faintly, looking uncomfortable," Uhm... I'm sorry," she runs her fingers through her hair and doesn't look at him

-/-

" Well enough," The boy murmurs softly, touching the horse's ribs with a sad expression

[cardon131313]

-"Your sister will be safe with Kindrean, Gregor. Are you a sir? When our maester's assisant arrives, in a few weeks, you can leave with her again. You have time enough to find somewhere else to go. May I ask, what posessed you to make you want to join the Night's Watch?"

[CrimsonMoon]

" ... The south has too many old enemies, My sister wouldn't be safe... We know too much," Gregor smiles slightly and glances at Stephen," So The Night's Watch is the only safe place... The Brothers don't get involved with wars of the realm, hm?"

[cardon131313]

-"No, the realm has decided not to get involved in the true war, the only one of importance. Ridiculous backstabbing and petty vyings for power. My mother came from Dorne, my father from the North. I will let you imagine the result. Me and my two brothers were the only beings to get out alive from that manor." He took a moment to think. Kindrean had only recently found him here, after four years of searching. Where could Norman have gone, he wondered? "The war will be over soon, we could hope. With a little luck peace will bring an opportunity for people to pay attention to the Night Watch. Hahaha... more likely it will go on like this forever, until no one is left guarding the wall. And that day..."

[CrimsonMoon]

" Is the day the world will die," The boy finishes softly, staring into space," When White walkers reach their claws down to Dorne..." He chuckles and sighs softly, shaking his head," But... You seem unusually... I don't know, calm about... This-" he trails of unsurely, though his hand moved to something near his hip

[cardon131313]

-"When you watch every person you lived and grew up with cutting themselves to pieces to know wether they should follow a king with the banner of a wolf or a. . .whatever the insigna of some petty southern lord is, you gain perspective. Our lives and short and miserable. I've learned to cling to the little moments of delight I have been left with." Stephen saw the lights of Castle Black appear in the distance.