"Of Snow, Sea, and Shadows: Book 1" One Woman Keep [GoT]

Word from Winterfell

While making my way to the horse's makeshift stalls I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around to see a very elderly and very blind man coming towards me, I change direction and walk straight to him.

"Maester Aemon," I say in greeting

"You, you are the one of the Shadows yes?" He asks

"It is I Maester," I reply

"A bird came just this morning from Winterfell," He says and holds a minute scroll out in front of me. I read the small words printed carefully on the paper.

"Thank you Maester Aemon." I say

"Safe travels." He replies and walks away. Targaryens never disappoint 

I walk with purpose now to the horses and see Clare carefully grooming a beautiful golden mare.

"Afternoon," I say as I draw near

"I was just about to go for a ride, want to come?" She asks and I notice a chestnut gelding standing ready with full tack.

"I would love to," I reply and she gestures at all the horses

"Take your pick," I walk around and there are just short of twenty horses, all their heads bowed and eating hay. As I look for one that will be suitable for my height a pure black gelding stops eating and looks at me. I un tether him and bring him to be tacked.

"Midnight, nice choice," she says adjusting the straps on her horse

"He's a bit big for me to be honest," I reply launching the saddle over the steed's back.

"He's a softie though," Soon enough we're on our mounts and slowly walking through the camp, people part for us both because they fear the newcomer and because they don't want to be ridiculed for being trampled over by a horse.

"Hey!" a man shouts from behind us. Without even turning around myself I pull Midnight around sharply and gallop towards the sound, I pull the reigns so I'm side on to the one and only Jon Snow.

"Hello," I regard him and try to control Midnight who had become excited from the sudden burst of movement.

"Where do you think you are going?" I notice he has his sword strapped to his side

"It seems, dear Jon Snow, that every time we meet you both answer and engage me with only questions. So know I ask, is there something wrong with going wherever I would like to go?"

"Not with her," he says his eyes flicking to Clare who had now stopped up ahead.

"A soft spot for the lady then is it?" I tease

"Look, now is not the time to be discussing this," he says

"Of course not, now is the time for riding so if you'll excuse me," I turn Midnight around and start walking back to Clare, he runs up behind us and talks only to her.

"I'm not letting you go with her," he objects

"Then come with us," she suggests

"But you'll have to wait, I'll need a horse myself,"

"There aren't any horses left, they're all out for exercise," Clare says

"I can't walk can I?"

"Share a horse!" She says with a glint in her eyes and she starts walking away. I now see the problem with tacking a horse large enough for two.

"Hurry up, I'm not just standing here all day," I say to him as I shuffle forwards a little in the saddle. He easily swings himself up and sits without touching me. I trot a bit to catch up with Clare and as we clear the encampment she looks at me with a knowing smile and I return it. Immediately we spur our horses on into a full-blown gallop and take Snow by surprise, he scrambles for my waist so he doesn't fall six feet into the ground. When we slow near a clearing, he instantly lets go of me and remains silent. As we continue on, all of my senses suddenly tell me to stop. I pull on the reigns a little and reach up to put a cover over my mouth, I always have one to protect from gas. But before I can reach it an ice arrow slices across my palm.

"Ah," I grimace

"What happened?" Jon says, sitting behind me he can't see the hand I cradle in my lap.

"Are you alright?" Clare's eyes are wide as she stares at the gash running diagonally across my left palm. Just then I turn to look at the direction that the shard of ice was launched from and I see a hood poking up above the riff.

"Shit," I swear to myself "Take the reigns," I order

"I can't, we won't be able to run anyway," he realises. The only alternative we have is fighting.

"Jon get the cloth," Clare trots over and he reaches into a saddlebag and hands me a roll of muslin cloth. The bandages are immediately worn through with blood as I lean back to whisper.

"When I give the signal get off the horse and be prepared to fight," I motion for Clare to come closer.

"When we get off, take the reigns and ride back to the camp get reinforcements,"

I wait for a moment and take time counting the hoods peaking up. I can see five, but there may be more. I put my mask up and say now. At the same time six Wildlings come sliding down the side of the riff and are running towards us. As Clare flees with the horses I pull two daggers and hit one in the chest and one in the gut. Now it was only two against one. I pull out my twin short swords and go to work parrying and defending against my two wildling assailants. One holds a flimsy wooden club with spikes on one end while the other holds a makeshift blade attached to a wooden pole. My newly sharpened blades easily shear the pole in half and I thrust my sword into the wildling's gut. The sound of splurging blood is enough to distract the other wildling, whose hand I swiftly cut off and throat I quickly slit. I look over at Jon who has lost his sword in the snow, one wildling dead, the other with a gash across the thigh but still advancing. I quickly drew the daggers I threw earlier and spun to face the again. Snow had a dagger he was using to push off the wildling's blade. But it was small and insignificant and soon it would be all over. The wildling was facing me so my aim had to be spot on or else Snow would be dead. I let the knife fly and it lodges straight and true into the right side of the wildling's face, killing him.

"You alright?" I ask, lending a hand

"Fine," he replies coldly, but still takes my offered hand. As I pull him to his feet horse's hooves on ice announce the arrival of the reinforcements.

"Everything alright here?" Jeor Mormont rides in with two men behind him and Clare still trailing our two horses.

"Just a small gash for me," I reply holding up my bloodied hand. "Very well, let's head back lads!" he turns and Clare comes forward with the horses.

"You should be thankful she was there Snow! You would've been dead!" he rides off now and Jon clambers up onto Midnight.

"Do you need a boost?" Clare asks

"I think I'll manage," she helps me anyway and we walk back to the camp so I can sew up my hand.