Burning Ice

Chapter 5. Lord Commander?

"Well...it looks like you're not as perfect as it seemed" He said in my ear, teasing me.

"Cheater..." I mumbled with my heart still racing.

Without any other word, he took the bow and the arrows before going to gather the three I had shot. When he came back I had managed to collect myself but that bloody cheeky smile was still on his face.

"Let's take this time and let's go to have dinner" He said.

"Do you think it is a good idea? Me going to the hall...with everyone?" I asked feeling so insecure.

"Don't worry. Ghost and I will always be by your side." He reassured me, "and it also looks like Tormund liked you so you have nothing to worry about."

His confidence in what he was saying calmed down enough to encourage me into going to the canteen. I walked in just behind Jon with Ghost by my side. As I took a seat at the same table Tormund was, Jon went to take our goof. Once again, I could feel everyone looking at me, which was extremely uncomfortable, but I couldn't do anything to stop it. So, in order to distract myself I looked at Tormund and coughed a few times to get his attention. He stared at me as he swallowed his food.

"Thank you for what you did" I said honestly. "I don't even want to think about what would have happened in you didn't show up"

"You have nothing to thank for" He replied shrugging.

"But I have" Jon said taking a seat by my side and putting in front of me a bowl with food. "Thank you for saving her."

"It was nothing, crow. Since the moment I saw you two getting into that cage and going up to the Wall I knew she was someone important for you" He commented before he kept on eating.

For the second time since I got here, my cheeks turned red. I looked at the food in order to avoid Jon's eyes on me. The food looked like some kind of soup so I started eating it right away. To be honest, it tasted much better than what it looked and it warmed me up from the mouth to the stomach.

"Damn winter!" Another crow exclaimed as he seat in front of us. I recognised him immediately. He was the man that took me to Jon when I got here just some hours ago. "It's getting colder and colder everyday. In a very short time we will have to kill the horses, empty them and sleep inside to stay away from the cold."

Probably my face was a reflection of the disgust I felt when he said that since he started laughing out loud. Tormund followed him and even Jon laughed a little.

"I was kidding. We are not that sava..." He shut up before he could finish the sentence but it was obvious what he was about to say: savages.

"Be careful with what you say. We may be are wildlings but we are not savages and we definitely take better care of our animals than how you take care of your women" Tormund said signaling towards me with his head.

I didn't know whether to feel offended or not by what he said. But to be honest, this man, this wildling, had been the only one who helped me today. I looked at Ed, who looked like he wanted to say something back but he also knew that by doing that, the outcome would be painful for him. So he just remained silent before everything blew up which seemed something cotidian in this place.

"Welcome to the Wall" Jon mumbled in a way I was the one who heard him. I smiled a bit but kept on eating silently.

Eventually, everyone started to leave as they finished their dinner. By the time Jon and I left, there was only Tormund and two more brothers. The three of them holding cups of wine, cheering, making toasts and singing songs so obscenes that would have offended even the worst of the whores.