i was following the pack all swallowed in their coats

[tooktheblack]

WHO: Jon Snow
WHERE: Woods, village, along the road
WHEN: 4 November, before Finnick's post
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: None at this time.
STATUS: open.

---

The weather had turned sharply cold in the last fornight or so and ever since Sansa's arrival, the winds had been bitter and snow had fallen. It had melted quickly, as autumn snow often did, but there was no denying that winter would soon be on its heels. Jon had been hunting and preserving as much as he could since he'd arrived but now, with the bite in the air a sharp reminder of just how ill-prepared they were in some ways, his need was a little more urgent. He spent longer in the woods hunting each day, fighting the low light to bring back everything he could. He gathered berries and herbs, knowing that the green things would be hard to find once the snows fell thick.

Winter is Coming. Those had always been the words of House Stark, understood by few outside of the family and none outside of the North and here in this place, Jon thought he might have found some that could understand it. They would all need to work together in order to survive this winter, however long it ended up lasting, and while he knew that he, Ygritte, Robb and Sansa could make it through relatively unscathed he worried for the others. What did they know about a harsh winter, about snows that did not break? What did they know about how to survive when the sun barely rose above the horizon for days on end, when you rose in the dark and went to bed in the dark and the only light was from the fire crackling and popping in the night? What did they know?

It was not as cold here as it was at the Wall by any means and not even as cold as it could get at Winterfell in the summer and autumn and, yet, Jon was worried. He did not know if their clothing would carry them through, if it would be warm enough, and not everyone was as lucky as he to have someone to share their bed and keep them warm. Today, he'd spent long hours in the woods and was coming back to the village with less game than he'd like; he would clean it and give it over to Kate to cook and hope that he'd do better later. It would have to be better later.

As he walked, snow began to fall from the sky, the light flakes bright against the dark of his hair. They melted almost as soon as they touched him but, still, given how heavy and gray the sky was and the way the wind had turned, there was a chance they were in for yet another storm. Jon tucked his head down and walked a little faster, trying to make it to the Inn and then back to the house before the true snow began.

Comments

[womanofvalue]

From her spot on the porch, watching the snow, Peggy catches sight of the figure. Bundling up a little more, she tugs her coat a little tighter around her neck as she nudges her boots onto her feet and stands, already on Jon's heels. She doesn't mean to stalk him, but the prospect of another night devoured by her own thoughts is unbearable and she's not sure she can take it.

"What's the rush?" she calls out to him, jogging slightly to catch up to him. "Not a fan of the snow?" Glancing down, she catches sight of the game and offers a hand out. "Let me help," she encourages.

[tooktheblack]

"I don't mind the snow," Jon said, mouth turning up in a hint of a smile before it dropped down into more dour lines again. "I just simply am afraid we'll get another storm like we had before. I wanted to do as much hunting as I could while the weather was clear."

If the weather held out for long enough, they might be able to eat well even if the snow kept them indoors for several days. It was often like this at the Wall - preparing during clear days for those so white that a man couldn't see his hand in front of his face.

[womanofvalue]

The storms are a concern, Peggy will agree. After all, it seems quite early in the season and that's making her wonder whether they haven't lost quite a bit more time than expected. "Well, if we must work harder and faster, I'm sure we're ready to band together," she says, trying to ignore the worry in her gut. "Do you think we'll have some of the plants ready to go? I can't imagine how we'd protect them in the winter. We've hardly enough to glass them in."

[tooktheblack]

"No idea. Where I grew up, in Winterfell, we had glass gardens," Jon said, thinking of how they used to be chased out of them by Maester Luwin at every chance. He hadn't wanted any of the plants to be ruined because it was important; Jon knew just how important it was now.

"It's an expensive thing, glass. Surprised we even have a bit of it here."

[womanofvalue]

"Glass gardens?" Peggy echoes, trying to imagine it in her head. "The plants aren't made of glass, right?" she asks, wondering if she sounds as stupid as she imagines she does to be asking that question. "From what I can recall, glass isn't a precious commodity, not if you know how to make it. I believe it's just a matter of heat and pressure, but I'm no expert." The boys might've known better, especially Dernier and Falsworth and their love of things going boom.

[tooktheblack]

"No, it's just the building's made of glass. It uses the sun to make it warm even in the middle of winter," Jon explained. It was a word that he had always known, having been at Winterfell, but perhaps it was something Peggy didn't know from her own home.

"Have you ever seen one of those? Do they have them where you come from?"

[womanofvalue]

"Yes, we've those," she agrees, oddly relieved to hear that it's a normal thing. Strangely, she's now worked herself into this place where she doesn't know what to believe anymore given that people are here from space and the future and all sorts of mad concepts. "I keep expecting to be surprised at every turn. It's made me strange."

[tooktheblack]

Jon laughed a little and nodded. He, too, had grown used to being shocked by everything and sharing something in common, even something so simple as a glass garden, brought a sense of familiarity and relief. He was glad that she, too, understood something about his home.

"We need one here, especially if the winters are as dark as they are cold."

[womanofvalue]

Peggy's hardly looking forward to another bleak winter, seeing as it's not something that she ever liked back home. In New York, the tall buildings seemed to compound the issue and make it seem darker than ever, with the lack of green or sun around. "Do you think we could actually build it? At some point, if too many people show up, we're not going to have a place for them to live, we'll have robbed them clean of all their supplies."

[tooktheblack]

"If too many show, we will have problems feeding them all. I would rather have to share my house than share my food," Jon pointed out.

The houses were spacious enough to him, even considering he'd grown up in one of the larger castles in Westeros. They were no mean accommodations and if they had to beggar from the other houses to make their lives more comfortable in the short term, Jon was willing to make that choice.

"I'm sure some of the others would feel the same."

[womanofvalue]

"That's a very good point," Peggy agrees, feeling a bit unmoored, yet, as she thinks about how many more people would be more mouths to feed and would require them to go on rationing. It would be like the war all over again and Peggy's been so happy to be able to draw herself away from that life. "If you need any help, give me a shout," she says, already deciding. "I imagine that if we do run into a winter, it might even be a nice thing to do through the cold days."

Better than sitting inside a house going stir-crazy and mad without anything to do.

[tooktheblack]

"It would be warmer, I think, and less lonely. The winters can be dark and cold," Jon said, nodding in agreement. He didn't remember his first winter very well, having been fairly young, but he hoped that the winters here in this place didn't last as long as the ones in the Seven Kingdoms; they did not have nearly enough food stored for a years-long winter.

"I don't know if our crops will be enough for this winter but I hope we will have something to carry us through. I fear there won't be enough left even for the animals to graze if it lasts long. We may be doing them a mercy to hunt them."

[womanofvalue]

"I've several plants that I potted inside," Peggy admits, because while she had given up ninety percent of the seedlings to the main crops, she had kept some for herself in order to see if she could do it. "They're beginning to sprout a little, but sprouts aren't going to feed me come the winter and I'm not sure how much they're going to feed me, especially when the water is harder to get."

Wearily, she gives Jon a smile. "I don't suppose you think we can build an aqueduct before winter?"

[thekittenqueen]

Her thin jacket was too thin for this sort of weather. Between this and the events of the previous days, her days hadn't exactly been pleasant. She had tried to smile and be friendly, but her nerves were strained. She never experienced a winter before and now she was being cast into one. There was limited food and limited resources. This was going to be dark season.

When she spied Jon, she felt herself relax slightly, glad to see him. She had been wandering towards the fountain, curious to see if there were any new arrivals. (Part of her hoped for her brother, though she knew it was a foolish wish.) Jon's hurried steps caught her attention and concern.

"Is all well?" She asked, pausing in her steps.

[tooktheblack]

"Well enough," Jon said coolly. He had little desire to have extended conversation with Margaery, considering her disagreement with Ygritte, but he tamped that down in the interest of being polite. They all needed to work together in order to survive in this place and that meant, unfortunately, being kind to someone who wasn't necessarily kind in return.

"I'm just concerned the weather will turn foul again and we'll be stuck indoors for several days. Without a chance to hunt, food will be scarce. I want to hunt while the weather's clear."

[thekittenqueen]

She heard the cold in his voice and knew where it stemmed from. There were repercussions for her actions against Ygritte, and losing Jon's respect was one of the more painful. She rubbed her arms, hoping to at least stave off some of the chill. "I don't want to be at odds with you, Jon." She said softly.

It might require some sort of apology, which she hadn't managed yet, but knew was required. They were all in this together and it wasn't wise to have divided lines among the villagers. She would never fully trust Ygritte, but she would try to mend bridges...if possible.

"I behaved poorly and out of hysteria and anger. I apologize, as I will apologize to her."

[tooktheblack]

"I wouldn't get too close to her," Jon said, shrugging slightly. "Not that I think Ygritte cares, necessarily, about having an apology of you, but you might not want to get injured again. It could end badly for everyone involved."

Jon certainly didn't want to see more fighting going on if it didn't have to happen.

[thekittenqueen]

"I have born worse and less deserved," she said with a shake of her head. "Still, I do feel badly about what happened. I spoke out of anger and didn't think."

Giving a small shiver as snowflakes melted against her skin and hair, she pointed towards the sky. "I should have remembered that we don't have the luxury of divisions in this place. We are stretched thin as it is. Further discord will only harm the village." Every person had worth. She had said that once, so why did she forget it with Ygritte.

"May I walk with you?"

[tooktheblack]

"You may, though I only intend to go to the inn and drop these off," Jon said, nodding a bit in that direction to indicate his purpose. He did not wish to make Margaery feel any worse than she did already, no, but he was not pleased with her actions, especially when Ygritte had no fault in anything that had transpired in the village thus far.

"I was just trying to do what I could before we had another storm. The weather seems crisp and cold again, the sky heavy. Snow might waylay us again."

[thekittenqueen]

"What are we going to do if we are snowed in?" Margaery asked softly, rubbing her arms once more. The snow had been unexpected thus far, as had the dropping temperatures, she would need to construct a wool cloak for herself and quickly. "Do we have anything in reserve if that should happen? Do we have enough firewood?"

She had never experienced winter before or had to worry about these sort of matters. It struck her quite suddenly how badly prepared she was for this sort of life. It must be normal for Jon. It left her feeling ridiculous, as though she were nothing more than an uneducated southron lady. There was a reason the Stark words were "Winter is Coming". It was a warning, not some gloomy sentiment.

"How can I help?"

[tooktheblack]

"Well, there's plenty of woods. I think we'd be all right for firewood, though if you're truly concerned, I could teach you how to gather kindling. It's not the thick logs you'd chop for overnight," Jon explained, "but you need smaller bits and moss to help start the fire. Do you mind going back into the woods with me?"

It took a lot for him to be cordial considering her fight with Ygritte but Jon wanted to make the effort since it appeared Margaery was contrite and wished to make amends. Besides, it was a task that needed to be done. It would be good to show her how.

[thekittenqueen]

"No, not at all. I should like to learn." She had made promises not to venture into the woods again, but considering it was Jon leading her, it didn't seem as though there would be much of a problem. He was a skilled tracker, hunter and survivalist. He would see her safely home.

She didn't expect anything from him, but felt grateful that he was willing to teach her and allow her to spend time with him. She could only hope that he would eventually warm to her again.

[tooktheblack]

"It isn't a difficult task but it is an important one," Jon said, motioning for her to follow him back into the woods. The snow was still light, a few flakes dusting his cheeks and catching in their hair, and Jon hoped it would remain that way while it was still daylight. Once the sun went down, they'd have to head indoors anyway without a moon to light their way.

"You want to find small bits, very dry, so they'll catch fire quickly. Bits of moss work too, or bark."

[thekittenqueen]

She pulled her jacket tighter around her, feeling a shiver run up her spine from the melting snow in her hair and skin. She trusted him as she followed him into the woods, pausing only to touch and search around for dry twigs and branches. The pickings were a bit sparse. "Did you learn this at Winterfell?"

Between the Wall and Winterfell, Jon was more than prepared for this sort of life. She envied his abilities and his intelligence in these matters. Whenever she was around him, she felt pampered and spoiled, struggling to catch up.

[tooktheblack]

Jon laughed hollowly. "I was a bastard son, yes, but they didn't have me out in the woods gathering firewood. I learned more at Castle Black," he explained.

When he'd first gotten to Castle Black, he'd been referred to as a green boy, as Lord Snow. It had smarted but it had been rooted in truth - he'd been reared gently and knew little of the world. He learned very quickly.