Her Name Isn't Snow

Chapter 5

The departure from Winterfell had been delayed a week because of Bran's fall. Lady Catelyn refused to leave the room or allow visitors. The mood of Winterfell had shifted. What used to feel like a joyous home, turned into a castle of shadows. Everything was dreary, even the wolves seemed impacted by the sudden shift.

 I prayed to the old gods that Bran would get better, that he would wake, but I was glad for the delay. Jon and I spent every spare second we could with one another. We had even taken to sharing a bed every night, but only for sleep. Though we were very madly in love with one another, which was obvious to all who saw us interact, we weren't quite ready to cross that bridge. Besides, I was content with sleeping on his chest, feeling his heartbeat underneath me. But there was a sense of urgency and pressure to do more. Time was running thin. 

Once Jon left for the wall and took his vows, we would never be allowed to share a bed. And once I left for the south, for King's Landing there was a chance we would never see one another. I would be pawned off to some lord or that. It seemed that if we ever were going to do such things, it would be now. But we were still just children. Neither one of us was ready to take that large step forward. 

Winter and Ghost seemed to be aware of their impending separation. They refused to leave each other alone, doing everything together, sleeping, eating, hunting. Through all of it, they never left their companion's side. They were bonded to one another, as anyone could see. I got asked frequently how I could tell them apart because they were so alike they seemed to be a single wolf. But for me, and Jon I suspected, it was easy to tell. It was their eyes. Ghost had red eyes, like fire or burning embers while Winter's eyes were blue as ice. One look and you could tell which wolf was approaching. It hurt to see the two together sometimes. They looked so happy being with one another. They didn't even bother to play with their other siblings, just each other, like they were all they had in the world. It pained me to think of the day when they'd leave each other. I tried my best not to think about it but the thought remained. Would they be reunited at a later point in time? 

I laid in bed with Jon, unable to calm my racing thoughts. It was early in the morning, too early to be awake, but I couldn't shake my thoughts. I was still weak, the cold unbearable to be in for too long, but I needed to clear my head. The heat of the room was too comforting. We had been living on a small warm island separated from the rest of Winterfell, I had to face reality, as much as I dreaded it. Who could think about such serious matters clearly in a state of bliss?

"What's wrong?" Jon asked, moving his hands through my hair. My head was laying on his bare chest. It got too warm in here for him so when we slept he often times removed his shirt. My fingers absentmindedly traced over his stomach. 

"Just feeling a bit couped up is all" I mumble, trying to gather my thoughts. 

"I'm sorry, but it is for your own good. When the sun comes up and it gets warmer we can go for a walk if you like" he says, slowly stroking my hair. It was hypnotic, the way his fingers felt when they ran through my hair. So soothing and comforting, I could feel myself about to fall back asleep but I resisted the urge. 

"I miss seeing the sunrise from the broken tower" I whispered, continuing to move my fingers over his bare skin. 

"I know, but it's too cold for you to be wandering about in the mornings" he answered, continuing to stroke my hair. 

"I want to see it....before we leave," I said, feeling my eyelids start to grow heavy. I tried to fight off the feeling more and more but it was getting harder. Gods, why did his touch lull me so? 

"You will, I promise" He whispered. I felt him lean down and place a gentle kiss on the top of my head. I scooted up, so the top of my head was closer to his chin. He pulled up the furs, engulfing me in the warmth both they and him provided. With the closing of my eyes, I was fast asleep.