Ella Snow and her twin brother are outsiders in the house of their father, Lord Eddard Stark. Ella has no one else in the world, except her brother Jon. Join Ella on her journey as she uncovers truths that could destroy her and those she loves.
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"You'd bring the wildlings here, through our gates?" A disgruntled member of the Night's Watch asked bitterly, glaring at the Lord Commander.
Ella stood beside her brother at the head of the table in the mess hall. Jon called a meeting for all of the Watch, and Ella attended. The Snow twins knew how the news of their journey would be received, but Ella did not expect the men around her to be this angry.
"Men, women, and children will die by the thousands if we do nothing!" Ella snarled, wondering how the men in this room were so quick to forget about the people in the realm they swore to protect.
"Let them die! We've got our own to worry about. Less enemies for us," the man spoke up.
"Fewer," Ella mumbled under her breath.
"What?" The enraged man turned to her.
"Nothing," Ella shook her head. Ella glanced to the crowd, noticing the glum faces of the men around her. Her eyes met Sam, giving her a small smile before he stood.
"Look, there is good farmland in the Gift," he spoke, causing his brothers to chuckle at his blinded optimism. "Land that no one uses now. A dozen abandoned villages."
"And why do you think the farmers abandoned those villages? Because the wildlings raided them for years. Cut them down, ,just like they did this boy's people," another man spoke, pointing to Olly, Jon's steward.
Ella remembered that day. Back when she was with Tormund and the Thenns. They raided a small village, and Ella stood by as Ygritte shot an arrow through Olly's father. Ella stood back and did nothing. Nothing to save innocent lives. Nothing while the Thenns and wildlings slashed through countless bodies of hardworking farmers and their families. That day will always be Ella's biggest regret. And because of that, Ella swore to herself to not stand by again, but to fight for what she believed in and defend the weak and helpless.
"We've been fighting them for thousands of years," Ser Alliser spoke. "They've slaughtered villages. They've slaughtered our brothers."
"And everyone in this room slaughtered theirs," Ella retorted. "That does not make their lives any less valuable than yours or anyone else at this castle."
Edd rose from his seat, his eyes not leaving Jon. "I will follow you anywhere, you know that. But they killed Grenn, and they killed Pyp. They killed fifty of our brothers. I can't forget that. I can't forgive it."
"You were at the Fist of the First Men," Jon reminded his brothers. "If we abandon them, you know what they become. We can learn to live with the wildlings, or we can add them to the Army of the Dead."
"Whatever they may be you, to any of us really, they're better than that," Ella said.
Several conversations broke out around the room. Men bickering over one another at the Lord Commander's decision. Ella sighed loudly, and was pulled out of the mess hall by Jon. The twins made their way to the Lord Commander's office.
Once in the safety of Jon's private quarters, the twins shed their winter coats. Ella took a seat while Jon propped himself against his desk. Ella saw the worry flicker in Jon's eyes. Guilt washed over the small girl as she realized how much she was asking her brother to do.
"I'm so sorry," Ella whispered. Her eyes fell to the floor, as tears pooled in her blue eyes.
Jon placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head. Jon's brown orbs met Ella's glossy ones.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, Ella," Jon assured his sister. "This has nothing to do with you."
"Yes it does, Jon," Ella argued. "Your brothers wouldn't be fighting over this decision had I not convinced you. We'd be happy, and your men would be preparing for the winter ahead. Instead, I'm forcing you to go against your beliefs and save people who may not even want to be saved."
"Ella, this is not your fault. The men of the Watch are stubborn and set in their ways. You know this. It's hard to persuade them to think differently," Jon tried to convince his sister that this was the right thing to do.
Jon pulled Ella into a tight hug and placed a kiss atop her head. "Everything will work out, Ella. I promise."
Ella relaxed slightly as Jon pulled away. He looked deep into her blue eyes before speaking. "Ella, I know that this may seem like it is not the right thing to do, but I believe it is. We're going to save so many lives. Keep reminding yourself of that, sweet sister."
Ella nodded, then rose to her feet. "I will, Jon. I just need to clear my head right now. I'm going to visit Asena. I haven't spent much time with her lately, and she's been locked away. I need to see her."
Jon agreed as she bid farewell to her brother. Ella grabbed her cloak, wrapping it tightly around her small frame as she walked down the corridor. On the way out, she bumped into Olly. The boy carried a bowl of food toward Jon's office. She stopped the boy in the corridor and smiled at him.
"Olly, I just want to tell you how sorry I am about-" Ella tried to apologize to the small boy, but was cut off.
"I saw you there," Olly snapped at Ella. The boy furrowed his eyebrows and scrunched his face, looking at Ella in disgust. "You cowered away from everyone while your wildling friends cut down my friends and family. People I've known my entire life. The only people I had ever know. You may not have killed my family and friends, but you were there. And you did nothing. You walk around here like a hero, just like your brother. But you two aren't. You're cowards."
"They burnt my village to the ground," the young boy continued. "They put an arrow through my father's head, right in front of me. They butchered my mother! Everyone I ever knew is gone because of the wildlings."
Ella sighed and locked her eyes onto Olly's. "I know how it feels to lose someone you love," Ella began. "I never knew my mother, and I was so angry and cold-hearted towards my father. He died before I had the chance to apologize to him. And I know how hard this must be for you. Us bringing people here who did harm to your family. But Olly, you must realize that this is for the greater good. Winter is coming, and everyone here knows what is coming with it. We cannot face this winter alone, and the Seven Kingdoms needs every living person to fight."
Olly rolled his eyes at Ella's words. "I have to get this to Lord Commander Snow before it gets cold," he informed the girl.
"Of course," she smiled to the boy as he shuffled down the corridor.
Ella leaned her head against the wall behind her. She closed her eyes tightly and exhaled. Ella feared for Jon and their upcoming journey beyond the wall. The poor girl had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that something horrible would happen. And Ella felt it in her bones that the journey to Hardhome was going to be the beginning of a downward spiral for her and her brother.
