Winter Winds

Lone Wolf

Hours passed Ella as she remained in Tormund's embrace. The warmth from his body and fur blankets protected her from the dropping temperatures. Tormund played with the ends of Ella's fingertips as she turned on her side to face the giant man.

"Tell me about your childhood," Ella smiled to the handsome man next to her. "Tell me about your mother and father. Do you have siblings?"

Tormund sat straight up, pulling Ella against his bare chest. He wrapped a strong around her small frame as she pressed her head close to his heart.

"My dear Ella," he spoke in a soft voice, "I will answer your questions in due time. For now, I want to learn more about you. Tell me everything about you. Tell me about your home in the South."

Ella sighed, frustrated that Tormund deflected her questions. He had the tendency to do that every time she brought up his past. "Well, first of all, I grew up in the North. Not the South."

"It's not the real North," Tormund muttered under his breath.

"Anyways," Ella said. "I loved reading when I was a girl. I haven't properly read anything in awhile. My favorite stories were always the ones about the Targaryens and their dragons. I've wanted to see one since I was a girl, but that'll never happen. I grew up with two sisters and four brothers. Robb was the oldest, then Jon and me, then my sister Sansa. I was never that close to Robb growing up, but I loved him still. When Jon told me he died, it nearly broke me. Sansa's the perfect lady. She and I were not close at all. As far as I know, she's still in King's Landing."

Ella huffed, recalling all the times Sansa acted like a spoiled child every time she was around Ella. Sansa looked down at her and Jon, so Ella always tried to stay away from her.

"Then," Ella continued, "there's Arya. Arya's this fierce, independent person who goes against tradition. I really admire her. I haven't seen her in ages. I'm not even sure if she's alive or not."

"Bran and Rickon are the youngest boys. Bran became paralyzed due to my foolishness," Ella whispered. Plump, hot tears formed in Ella's eyes thinking about Bran. "It's my fault he fell from the tower that day. I didn't stop him. He was just a small boy. They were burned by someone who betrayed my brother Robb. They were so young, Tormund."

Tormund managed to sit Ella straight up in front of him. He pressed his thumb to her cheek and wiped away tears falling down her face. His heart broke seeing the pain on Ella's face, and he had a burning desire to make her whole.

"That's all in the past now, love," he said. "It's time ya leave it there. You need to be among the living. You still have your brother. And even better, ya have me in your life now. The best fuck you'll ever have."

Ella laughed as she wiped away the remaining tears. Tormund smiled as rose from the bed. Asena sat by the flap of the tent, staring into the darkness. A low wolf howl broke the silence, causing Asena to paw at the fabric blowing in the breeze. Ella noticed her direwolf's strange behavior. Ella crossed the tent, bending down to Asena's height.

"What is it girl?" Ella asked.

Asena clenched her teeth, releasing a low growl. She continued to paw at the tent, as if trying to escape. Ella turned to Tormund, unable to explain her friend's manners.

"Tormund, I think I need to leave," Ella said. "Asena's acting very strange. And, it's getting late. I promised Jon I would be back before the sun set."

Tormund stood up, his bare body exposed to the harsh winter winds. He strutted over to Ella, clasping her small hand in his. "When can I see you again?" He asked.

"I'm not sure," Ella sighed. "I need to figure out some things, but you can come to Castle Black in a few days from now if you'd like. Plus, you probably need to get your people settled here."

"You're right," Tormund agreed. "I'll see you three days from now, Little Wolf. You have my word."

The wildling leader placed a kiss on top of Ella's head and pulled her into a tight hug. "Be careful out there."

"I promise," Ella pulled away from Tormund and smiled at him. "Asena is at my side. I'll be safe with her. Besides, I can handle myself. I did kill a white walker, might I remind you."

"That you did, Little Wolf," Tormund beamed. When he first met the small girl, she was too terrified to even speak to him. And now, she's a confident, strong person who is more than capable of defending herself.

"I best be off," she said. "I'll see you in three days."

"Three days," Tormund nodded.

Ella thanked Tormund for everything, then bid Tormund farewell. Asena stayed close to Ella as the pair traveled, cloaked in darkness, to Castle Black. Ella did not encounter a single problem slipping back into the castle undetected. She noticed there was no guard at the tower, which Ella found odd. The Night's Watch enforced supervision of the castle at all times, and to have no one watching the tower concerned the young girl.

Ella shook her head, disregarding her thoughts. Ella glided through the snow, desiring nothing more than a hot bath to soothe her aching muscles. The past few years had been hard on Ella's body, and they were catching up to her. Ella prayed to the gods above for a few peaceful moments in the upcoming months, though Ella knew that was not realistic. With the Great War coming and the rise of the white walkers, humanity was doomed if they did nothing to protect the people of this world.

A low howl coated with sadness caught Ella's attention as she stopped in her tracks. She glanced around the courtyard of Castle Black, until her eyes landed on Asena and Ghost pawing at something in a corner on the opposite side from Ella. Ella trudged through the snow towards the wolves, all while pondering why Jon let Ghost walk through Castle Black alone.

As Ella grew closer, she noticed blood seeping into the pure white snow beneath her feet. She followed the trail, her eyes stopping at the source of the red substance. A lifeless body laid under a wooden sign that was branded with the word "Traitor."

Ella fell to the ground next to her brother, letting out an ear piercing wail. The lifeless body belonged to her twin brother, Jon Snow. The only person she had left in this cruel world. Ella clung to his tunic, sobbing into his chest. She pleaded with the gods to bring her brother back. Jon was a good person who deserved better than this. Ella knew his own men betrayed him and were responsible for his death.

Ella remained clinging to her brother's lifeless body as footsteps broke the silence behind her. Her concentration on Jon did not waver. Ella thought maybe the men who killed Jon were coming back. She did not care if the men returned to the scene of the crime to finish her off as well. If Jon was gone from this world, she wanted to be gone as well. For she was now a lone wolf, and Ella had no family left. She was just a lonely girl against a cruel world who seemed not to care about her. But why would this world care about one insignificant little girl? She was a bastard who never knew her mother and had no one left to love her.