ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋ, ᴋɪꜱꜱ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴʟɪɢʜᴛ

iv. southern daughter

┌─── ∘°❉°∘ ───┐

"It seems the gods do not permit we stay apart."

Elle smiled as she walked towards Jon, though he couldn't help but notice a slightly exasperated undertone to her voice.

It had been four days since he had last seen her. In that time, surprisingly, he had heard little talk about Elle. Whether that was because she didn't let herself be seen or because no one truly cared about a woman staying at Castle Black, he couldn't say.

"So it seems." Jon played around with his gloves.

Ghost, who had been sitting besides him up until this point, jumped excitedly towards Elle.

"Hey there, Ghost." She laughed as she bent down to pet him. Jon was sure that if the wolf hadn't been mute, he would have barked in joy.

"He never greets me like that," he said with a laugh.

"Perhaps there is just something about me he finds irresistible."

He isn't the only one, Jon thought.

Elle looked up again, her warm smile never once disappearing, even as her gaze got caught on his fidgeting hands for a moment. She cocked her head.

"Would you like to walk a few steps with me? It would keep us warmer than simply standing around."

"Yes, I'd love to."

Jon fell into step besides Elle, forcing his eyes to remain focused on the path ahead. Thankfully, the walkway was wide enough that they didn't have to touch each other. Ghost trudged silently ahead of them.

"So," Elle started, "what is a Stark like you doing at the Night's Watch? Was there no pretty noble girl waiting for you?" She soon sombered when she saw his expression.

"No, I- uh..." He cleared his throat, hesitating to say the words. Why did he now have troubles stating the information he had readily provided to anyone else? "I'm a bastard, I didn't- There was nothing waiting for me at Winterfell."

Painful seconds passed. Then Elle smiled again.

"What a surprise, I am a bastard as well! You are Eddard Stark's son, I assume?" He nodded. "My father is Oberyn Martell, brother to the prince of Dorne."

"You're from- Dorne?" Jon exclaimed in confused enthusiasm. He wondered why that possibility had never crossed his mind. But then again, Elle did not look particularly... Dornish.

(A small voice in his head tried telling him she was lying, only saying this to make him feel better about himself. But he disregarded that thought quickly. Because why would anyone lie about being a bastard?)

Elle nodded, her smile turning more sheepish. "Yes, I grew up in Sunspear with my sisters and cousins."

Jon had trouble processing all the implications that came with this reveal, so he just started spouting some of the thoughts flying around inside his head.

"But, if you're from Sunspear, what are you doing at the Wall?"

She chuckled. "I want to see the world. I have this dream that one day I will travel all the way to the top of the world; explore the Lands of Always Winter, mayhaps see an Ice Dragon for myself." Elle smirked at that last part, apparently not taking it all that seriously herself.

"And your father just let you go?"

"He only wants what is best for his daughters."

Jon's thoughts wandered to his own father. He supposed that, in this regard, the two men weren't all that different.