𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 || 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝑪𝒓𝒚 𝑶𝒖𝒕

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑿𝑰𝑰𝑰

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑿𝑰𝑰𝑰
300 𝑨𝑭𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻

𝑩𝑬𝑵𝑮𝑬𝑻

The ride had not been dreadfully quiet, but instead has been a comfortable kind of quiet for the most part. A quiet that Benget had desperately needed. The duties he found himself constantly battling with as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch had taken its toll. But the ride ahead and the miles already put in had put his busy mind at ease.

"What are you doing?"

He asked with a smile, watching as Val curiously looked up at the sun through the Dragonglass arrow he had given her long ago.

"Just looking is all."

She muttered, still focused on the black glass. Dragonglass had been something Ben was always intrigued by. There was just something about it, something different. Maester Luwin had worked with the material before, the glass having been used alongside some kind of crystals Ben had long since forgotten the name of to create the Myrish Lens, or as was called, the "Far-eye." He had often found himself looking through the Winterfell Maester's lens when he wasn't supposed to be, starring up into the stars he had countless dreams of.

Val, like him, shared the same glint of curiosity, the same shine in her eyes as she smiled.

"When the snows spread across the land in an endless blanket of blinding white, this... What is it you Southeners call it again?"

"Dragonglass. And I'm not a Southener.."

"Uh-huh."

Val smirked, knowing it annoyed Ben as she carried on.

"This Dragonglass could make for some nice protection for the eyes against the light. And you are a Southener."

"Winterfell is not the South, trust me. Take one look and feel the heat of the Dornish sands for one second and you'll think Winterfell is as far north as north goes."

Ben made effort to defend, but with Val, he knew it would be futile. The woman of golden honey hair laughed, a mischievous grim upon her lips as she glanced at Ben as the two continued down the road.

"Oh? And I shall assume you'll take me there someday, then?"

"Dorne or Winterfell?"

"Home, Stark. Take me to your home."

With her words, a cord was struck in his heart as Benget grew quiet at that. Home, he thought. Home is nothing but rubble now, ruled by men that do not deserve the right to walk it's halls. Word had spread of course of the burning of Winterfell, courtesy of Theon Greyjoy. Ben swore when he first learned of what happened that he'd kill the little squid that had strayed too far from the sea next time he saw him, if he was even still alive.

"I had a dream once.."

He started, wanting not to ruin the mood that had already settled between the two former enemies turned lovers.

"I had a dream where I took my silver-haired princess to Winterfell. Bolton banners fell from the high granite walls and wolves did rise. The gates opened to us, and all the small folk of Wintertown and Winterfell gossiped of their Lord and new Lady."