Her Name Isn't Snow

Chapter 1: Sunrise

It was early, that time in the morning right before the sun rises and wakes all of Winterfell. I loved to watch the woods from the broken tower, right as the sun rises, seeing the light stretch out over the trees and warming up the endless land of snow. 

"I thought I'd find you here" 

This time I didn't jump at the sound of his voice. Once he found out this was my hiding spot he came here often, finding in it the same comfort I did. 

"You're up early" I replied, keeping my eyes on the impending sunrise. 

"Same goes for you" he answers in that soft, gentle voice of his. 

"You know I like to watch the sunrise," I say with a smile, feeling him walk up next to me, his very presence warming up my frozen body. 

"I do, that's why I came up here," He says softly as if he spoke too loud the sun wouldn't rise. 

"What's wrong?" I ask, finally allowing myself to face him. He looked handsome as always, his black curly hair and sharp jaw and those eyes. His beautiful hazel eyes that never ceased to bring me comfort when I needed it. But right now those eyes betrayed a look of worry. 

"I want to go to the wall," he admits with a shaky breath. I can feel my chest seize up at the very thought. The wall was a dangerous place, full of thieves and hard men. It wasn't a good place for him.

"Why?" I ask, although I already knew the answer. He didn't dare look in my eyes, knowing he would take the notion back the instant he did. 

"I don't belong here, I'll always be Ned Stark's bastard. At least there that doesn't matter" he says, continuing to gaze out, the sun beginning to rise and light up the tops of the trees. 

"It doesn't matter here, at least not to me," I tell him as he turns to look at me.

"I know" he smiles.

"When do you plan on going?" I ask with a deep sigh.

"When the time's right, maybe when uncle Benjen comes next" he mumbles, turning to look back out towards the sky. 

"I'll miss you...when you go," I tell him nervously. 

"I'll miss you too, but it won't be for a while," he says, trying to be reassuring, the cold winter air starts to blow. I shiver on instinct and cross my arms over my chest, trying to hold onto my escaping warmth. 

"Cold?" he asks, eyeing me with a teasing smile.

"Always" I answer with a small laugh. All these years and I still couldn't get used to the cold. 

"Well come here then," he tells me holding out his arms. I gladly walk closer to him, letting his right arm wrap around me and pull me into his warm body. 

"How is it you are always so warm?" I ask with a shudder, trying to let my frigid body relax. 

"Don't know, probably for the same reason you're always so cold" he teases giving my small frame a comforting squeeze. I smile, watching as the sun finally makes its way up above the trees. 

"We should go" he whispers to me. 

"Just a few more minutes" I whisper back, wanting to remember this moment with him. 

After a while, we make our way down the broken tower and head to the stables to begin our chores. Thankfully it was always warm in the stables. 

"Why don't you go learn sewing with the other ladies?" he asks during his shoveling, while I brushed the horses.