The Dance of the Ocean and Moon [Book One]

Chapter Eight | Saga

Saga's culture did not allow a long time to grieve the dead, since to die-especially in battle-was honorable. She knew that her family in the afterlife now fought battles during the days and in the nights, they dined among the gods. She took solace in that thought. While she was attempting to reach her former spirt, she helped to train the young Crows.

She had some problems with them but very few. The first one being only a day or two after their arrival with the obsidian. "She's a fuckin' beast," she heard one of the men say from behind her while they were eating one night. Saga knew exactly who he was referring to. Immediately, she stood and smashed his face into the table to stun him. This made everyone stop and turn, including Brienne, who was sitting faithfully next to her Lady and Jon at a different table. Saga grabbed the Crow by his beak and dragged him to the balcony outside the hall where she proceeded to toss him over the edge.

Most of the Crows followed her out to watch the spectacle. Some of them cheered, some of them ran from her in horror when she looked at them. None of them tried to stop her. Only the ones who heard the Crow make fun of Brienne knew why he had been tossed, but the truth spread around Castle Black like wildfire that night and by morning Brienne had heard the truth of it as well. Saga didn't think Brienne seemed very flattered by it, which was fine by her, she didn't do it to win her affection; she did it to defend her honor, a deed which needed no recognition.

Saga tried to get herself back to where she was before, before her village was destroyed and her people were killed. Annoying Brienne sometimes helped with that. She did adore Brienne quite a bit, and Brienne's very existence made her feel happy again. Sam did lend her a book of plain parchment paper and some graphite so that she could draw-that helped as well. Of course, the first thing she did was draw Brienne. One morning while Brienne stood outside Sansa's room, Saga sat across from her on the rail of the balcony and sketched her. It didn't take Brienne long to figure out what she was doing. At first, she was annoyed, but as time went on she grew curious. "Can I see?" she asked eventually. "No," Saga said.

"No?" Brienne asked, almost surprised. It was the first time Saga had turned down her request (besides when Brienne was trying to get her to eat on their way back from Saga's village) for something. "No," Saga said again with a smile. "It is no good anyway," Saga said. Brienne huffed at her and crossed her arms in response. That is, until Sam walked by, took a gander at what she was doing, and nearly yelled, "That is amazing! That looks just like her." Saga smiled and said her thanks then he went on his way. Brienne took a few steps closer to peer into the sketchbook but Saga pulled it to her chest quickly so she could not see. "Why?" Brienne asked. "You can seeing it when I done," Saga said. "Fine," Brienne grumped.

That night, Saga folded it up and slipped it under Brienne's door. The truth was, she didn't want to see how Brienne would react to it; she really didn't think she was much of an artist. But the next day Brienne gave her a simple praise. "It was very accurate," she said as she passed Saga in the courtyard, and said nothing more about it. So, Saga drew more, sometimes of Brienne in battle, sometimes of just her face, and once she even drew a picture of herself, Brienne, and Podrick together. Brienne never complained, but she hardly said anything about them either. Podrick loved the picture she drew for him of him in battle, slaying some enemies.

Saga tried to learn the common tongue as best she could. She and Sam spent a lot of time together, he learning about her culture, and she learning some of the language. Podrick tried to help out when he could. Brienne would angrily correct her from time to time. When Saga could not translate something well, she would just speak it in her own dialect-this was mostly when she was trying to describe to Brienne how beautiful she was. Saga had written Brienne several poems as well, none of which she could actually read. "Jag vet ingenting om skönheten I havet," Saga approached Brienne one day saying, "men jag forestaller mig att det är samma känsla jag får när jag tittar in I dina ögon."