𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 || 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝑪𝒓𝒚 𝑶𝒖𝒕

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑰𝑰𝑰

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑰𝑰𝑰
300 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕

𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒕

The King-beyond-the-Wall was impossible. The  Southern King Stannis and his Red Woman were impossible. The choices that laid before him dividing into paths and turns were just the same. So many choices, Ben sighed as the light from the sky was fading away. He sat atop one of the towers of Castle Black, staring off at the setting sun, feeling the last of its warmth. The fading warmth made the Wall cry melted tears that would soon freeze over again in the night that was sure to be a cold one.

Men below were entering the courtyard from the tunnel leading out beyond the Wall with wood that others were using to construct a pyre. Ben shivered at the thought of just who will he standing there in a short time. He hadn't been able to convince Mance, not that he believed he could anyways, but he tried, for his people's sake. But there was no convincing Mance Rayder, and so the King-beyond-the-Wall would burn that night.

"Fucking hell.."

Benget murmured, breathing in deep, chilled air filling his lungs before he exhaled the flames and smoke, the breath floating away in the air, free. Home is that way, he thought sadly. It was a thought that plagued his mind daily, stuck in his head even in his slumber. He walked the crypts of Winterfell at night, and he always found himself standing before a statue of his father, a statue he wished would never have had to be down there.

"You don't belong here.."

He mumbled out loud, and he didn't even really know why he said it. The Lady Catelyn had said that to him many times before, and each time it felt like a dagger plunging through his heart. She had meant it as he didn't belong in Winterfell with Robb, Arya, Sansa and the others. And her questioning made him question himself. Belong where?- Ben asked himself with a sigh. The crypts? Winterfell? The North? The Night's Watch?

He thought about Mance again as Ben turned slightly, pulling the leather strap around which held the lute belonging to the man in thought and question. It was bigger than the one he had owned previous, but shared similar qualities anyways. It was darker wood, stained nearly black as night. As Frost. Engravings embedded with bits of silver were there also. Engraved on the lute was symbols of crows, or ravens it seemed. A woman's face was carved beautifully in the fine, worn wood as well, something Ben had not noticed before.

Staring into the woman's eyes made Ben feel a sense of loneliness. It's an emotion he had felt often, but looking into the wooden woman's black eyes, it came back to him then, there on top of a tower overlooking seemingly endless lands of ice and snow.

"You could help, you know.."

Ben chuckled softly as he could hear Jon struggle behind him, but he didn't turn to make much effort to help him anyhow.

"Or not."

"I helped you climb up the Wall, if I remember correctly. Show some self-respect and help yourself up now."

"Thanks, brother."

Jon finally made it up, huffing a bit, but Ben could tell there was an amused smile on his twin's lips. Staring out just the same, Jon faced the South, shaking his head as he made his way over to Ben's side, sitting down next to him on the snow covered roof.