005 🐺 riding the tail of the wind

[tooktheblack]

WHO: Jon Snow
WHERE: the woods; the inn; House Stark
WHEN: 1 February
OPEN TO: all
WARNINGS: TBD
STATUS: open

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I. LITTLE SON COME SAFELY HOME

Jon rose early as he always did but there was something different about the world today - the snow was gone. The ground was wet, yes, but it was not nearly as cold as it had been for the past two moons and the snow that had been ceaseless seemed to have stopped falling from the sky and had receded from the roofs and the ground below. Jon had never experienced a true spring thaw considering the nature of the seasons in Westeros but he had the sense that this was not the way it happened.

Exiting his home, he knelt down and touched the earth, letting the mud slip through his fingers before rising to his feet again. Hopefully with the melting of the snow his hunting would come easier and, with that goal in mind, he set out before sunrise with his bow and quiver.

This time in the woods was precious to him. It was a time to think, a time to gather his thoughts and steel himself for the day ahead. He did not mind this place so much. He knew that others hated it and longed to return home but for him, he had gifts here that he could not have back in Westeros; this place had gifted him two sisters and his brother. This place had gifted him Ygritte. These were things more precious than a horse or sword, more precious than wine or song. These were irreplaceable.

Jon sighted a stag and waited for it to pass. He never took the first he saw, in fear of not seeing another, and when a doe stepped out after the stag he let his arrow fly and take it. If the gods were good, they'd have venison stew tonight.

II. THE DAY GETS DARK UNEASILY

When the hour grew late and the sun had sunk down low enough that the sunlight was a weak, thin thing, Jon decided he'd had enough of checking traps and hunting game and decided to bring his catch to the inn. Some of it would come back with him to be shared with House Stark alone, the smaller game, but the deer was something he'd have to leave at the kitchens to be shared with everyone. Lady Kate ought to be able to make something fine of it; Jon had come to enjoy her cooking over the past several moons and he was eager to see what she'd do with the deer.

After bringing his game indoors and cleaning the rabbits to bring home (skins for Sansa, meat for stew in their homes), he settled in front of the fire for a little while. It wasn't as cold as it had been the past several moons, no, but after being out in the woods for the majority of the day Jon was looking forward to having something hot to drink and just resting before making the long walk back to the home he shared with Ygritte.

He had a mug of some sort of tea, some concoction made with herbs. It wasn't like the tea he'd drunk at Winterfell, of course, but it was something that was hot and soothed his throat and warmed his belly. It would sustain him for the walk to Robb's and, later, for the walk back down to his own house. As he drank, he watched the crack and pop of the logs in the fireplace and it felt, for all the world, like being at Winterfell again.

As people came in and out around him, he nodded; he wasn't terribly talkative, no, but it was hard not to greet those who had been living and working alongside him for the past several months.

III. BEAUTIFUL LIKE A SONG

The hour was later still and Jon eventually vacated his chair inside the inn for another place, a place warmed not only by the logs on the fire but the warmth of his family. Robb's house was always packed with people considering he lived with Sansa and Arya and when Jon stepped up onto the porch and pushed the door in, he wasn't surprised to see family gathered there.

It was still novel to him to have family so close and now that he and Robb weren't quarreling any longer he felt much more comfortable just showing up unannounced. He had skins for Sansa - ones that needed to be tanned and ones that had already been tanned and were ready to be used. He had meat for them, a few rabbits that might make a night's supper. He also had himself, no matter how dour of company he often was.

His family always brought a smile to his face in spite of whatever foul mood he might have worked himself into and today he was in high spirits, a grin playing at his lips and merriment in his voice.

"Sansa? Arya? Robb? Who's home? I've brought gifts."

Comments

III

[turned_to_steel]

There was a soft bark from upstairs a second or two before a familiar voice would ring out. "Jon, is that you?"

Akira would appear first, her small white body wriggling with excitement as she stopped at the top of the stairs and let out another bark. Sansa appeared from behind her dog, her smile bright and warm as she waited for Jon to come into view. As soon as he did, she stepped around Akira and started down the stairs.

"I was going to come looking for you a little later but you beat me to it." Bouncing off the last step, she moved to greet him with a hug even if he possibly had his arms full.

Re: III

[tooktheblack]

Jon did not mind putting things down so that he could hug Sansa and he wrapped her up in a long embrace, holding her close. He would never take his sister for granted again and being here was yet another chance to build a relationship with her.

"I've missed you today. I should teach you how to hunt," he said, laughing softly.

[turned_to_steel]

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Sansa held onto the hug for as long as he wanted because she felt somewhat guilty over not seeing him as much as she had in the beginning. When they finally eased back, she smiled warmly at him.

"You might regret that idea." She told him with a little laugh. "I would probably scare off all your game."

[tooktheblack]

"Possibly but you ought to learn sometime," Jon said. He couldn't help but smile as he returned the hug and when he let go, his eyes were still bright with glee at seeing his sister; he was never, ever going to get over the novelty of having so much family here.

"I'm sure Robb would agree with me. I like the idea of you being able to take care of yourself if something happened."

[turned_to_steel]

"Do you really think I could learn?" Sansa asked curiously, trying to imagine using a weapon or the traps that he might use. She thought about the fishing that she did with Raleigh but she still hadn't actually touched any fish yet, what would she do if she had to handle a larger animal?

"Actually." She glanced over her shoulder before looking back at Jon. "I have been learning to take care of myself."

[tooktheblack]

"Oh? And how have you decided to do this?" Jon didn't say it unkindly. He was eager to hear how, exactly, Sansa had started providing for herself so he could offer her advice if it was something he knew anything about. There were a great many things that Sansa could do that he could not and sharing knowledge could only be a good thing.

"Are you going to share it with your brother?"

[turned_to_steel]

"Do you know Peggy?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side as she continued to watch him and hoped that he would continue to approve of what she was doing. Not that she would be inclined to stop if he didn't. "She's been teaching me things. As well as Kylo Ren who has been teaching me how to protect myself with a staff."

[tooktheblack]

"You did not think to ask either of your brothers if they might want to help you learn to fight? I taught Arya, after all," Jon said, smirking a bit. He was teasing, yes, but he wanted Sansa to know that she could always come to him for such a thing.

"And yes, I know Peggy. She is a fine woman."

[turned_to_steel]

"I didn't know if you guys would agree to it." She answered honestly, folding her hands together. "That and I wanted to be sure that I could really do it and not make a fool of myself."

Then she nodded, smiling. "She is, I like her."

[tooktheblack]

"Well, Peggy is someone that I trust," Jon said. He would prefer that Sansa learn from his hand, if she was going to learn, but if she wanted to learn from someone else Peggy was a fine choice.

"What has she taught you so far? Anything with bows? Because I could teach you to shoot, if you'd like."

I

[thecatinahat]

Cougar watches the arrow fly, straight and accurate, right into the heart of the animal. He's been out tying new snares today and checking on the rabbits he's keeping for breeding purposes, trying to make sure that hunting isn't just about what they can find and kill, but keeping the population strong enough. He's delivering a few new rabbits into the wild to counter the ones he's keeping in captivity, which is when he'd come into contact with Jon, admiring his skill.

Gesturing to him with his piece of rope, he thinks maybe he'll want some help. "Going to bring it back? Or keep going?" he asks, waving one of his knives to offer his help in preparing the body, if he's done for the day.

Re: I

[tooktheblack]

"Bring it back," Jon said, nodding at Cougar. He knew him to be one of the first arrivals in the village and he was one of the men that Jon knew he could depend upon to continue hunting even if the other hunters disappeared.

"If you could lend a hand, that would be good. It's never easy to haul such a large carcass back to the inn."

[thecatinahat]

Cougar nods his head as he slings his rope over his shoulder before he tucks the knife away in its holder, heading towards Jon. "Easy, with so many hands," he guarantees as he wanders closer to inspect the carcass, tilting his head from side to side to see what it is that they've managed to get, giving an impressed nod at the kill.

"Good work," he says, suitably impressed. "You will get to pick first cut," he says, sure of that.

[tooktheblack]

"Good. I can take it back to the house where my sisters live," Jon said. He wanted to help look out for Arya and Sansa as much as he could, especially since Robb had mentioned feeling like he was alone in caring for them. Jon didn't want him to feel as if he had to shoulder all of the burden.

"How have you been?"

[thecatinahat]

Cougar shrugs his shoulders, but he knows that he's supposed to be making an effort to be more open and communicative. It had been the one thing he'd been trying after the amnesia and it had been thrown into stark contrast. "I got strange gifts," he says. "We all did, but an extra strange one."

"Are you with someone?" he asks, studying the carcass to see where he can lift best.

[tooktheblack]

"With someone? Do you mean Ygritte?" Jon wasn't entirely certain how Cougar meant his question but he imagined that he'd elaborate in a moment, albeit in the tight, close-lipped way that the man had about himself.

Jon, too, held himself closely and did not reveal much to those outside his family and Ygritte. He'd shared a little with Ren, too, only for him to leave and come back where Jon had to start all over again.

[thecatinahat]

He gives a single, sharp nod of his head to confirm that it is what he'd meant. He raises a brow and gives a sound that might be approval when he notes Ygritte, seeing as he's met her and can see the two of them working together. He likes when people get the chance to be happy together. Things go better, like that.

"I have rings," he says. "Not anymore, but I did. I think is too early to even think about them, but now, I spent all the time worrying when it will be the right time, if it ever will come."

[tooktheblack]

"I knew when I met her," Jon said. He didn't often say such sweet things about Ygritte, knowing how she felt about them, but he knew from the moment he'd met her that there was something special about her, some spark that he had to capture.

Kissed by fire. Jon couldn't imagine being with anyone else the way he was with her. This village, for all its troubles, had given him a precious gift in Ygritte.

"She hated me. We should have hated one another - we were on opposite sides of a war."

[thecatinahat]

That's something Cougar never had to worry about, because they'd always been fighting the wars on the same side. Still, they were inseparable as friends before because there had been rules for years and always someone else. Cougar and Jake both hadn't done anything, but now the wars are distant, there is no one else, and he's not sure what to do. He knows that Jake is upset, but he doesn't know how to fix that yet.

"You want to spend your life with her," Cougar says, which is what he's hearing in the words.

II- Just to round out the options

[thesavior]

Emma had decided since the weather had broken that she would go out walking. It had been a nice day, and the walk helped center her. She found herself warming up at the inn afterward. She had seen Jon come in and set about cleaning his prize. She had always admired anyone who could fend for themselves. The fact that Jon saved her life had not been lost on her either. She seemed to always want to check in on him, which was okay she supposed.

Emma had been learning that it was okay to rely on people. She filled up a makeshift pot of tea, grabbing her own cup and joined him by the fire.

"Hello, would you like some more?"

Re: II- Just to round out the options

[tooktheblack]

"Aye, I would like another cup," Jon said, giving her a broad, bright smile. The smiles came easier now that he was on better terms with Robb and he was always happy to see Emma. She was one of the people who had been in the village the longest and her face was a familiar and comforting one.

"Have you been well, Emma?"

Re: II- Just to round out the options

[thesavior]

Emma smiled back just as brightly. She found that she had a soft spot for her friend Jon, maybe it was the whole life-saving thing, she wasn't sure, but she was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth as far as friends go. Jon was a good man from what she could tell, and she had a good read on people.

She poured Jon some tea and sat in the chair next to him.

"I've been well. I think I'm getting married?" She muttered, still in awe herself, but not in a bad way. "How about you?

Re: II- Just to round out the options

[tooktheblack]

"Married? Well, congratulations," Jon said, giving her a warm smile. Marriage was something he'd never have a chance to experience considering he was both a bastard and in love with Ygritte but for others, it could be a momentous and heartfelt occasion.

"When were you asked? I did not realize I spoke with a betrothed woman. I'll have to watch myself."

Re: II- Just to round out the options

[thesavior]

"Thanks," She said with a smile as she settled back more in the chair. She slipped off her boots and she pulled her legs up onto the chair, taking a sip of her tea.

She glanced over at Jon, a confused look passing over her face. "Around Christmas, but it's taken some time for me to believe it's real," She admitted with a small laugh.

"Why do you have to watch yourself?"

Re: II- Just to round out the options

[tooktheblack]

"A betrothed woman is off limits," Jon said, eyes bright with laughter. "I have to be careful so that your man does not get jealous."

This, of course, was said in jest because Jon had no worry about the strength of Emma's devotion to her betrothed or his own to Ygritte.