Her Name Isn't Snow

Chapter 7

Jon Snow swung with all his might at his would-be attackers, instantly knocking the boy to the ground. He did the same to his other opponents, ending the sparing match instantly. 

"Well you've done well Lord Snow, you're the least useless person here!" Ser Allister Thorne sneers, dismissing the boys. Jon couldn't help but grit his teeth at his new nickname as he walked over to the armory to go put away the dulled swords and padded chest armor. 

"Nice moves out there, Lord Snow," one of the boys teased, angrily tossing down his dull sword with the others. 

"Not my fault you don't know how to wield a damn sword" Jon spits, shrugging off his leather armor. 

"Don't push me bastard," the boy growls, him and his friends taking a few steps forward. 

"Ah, there you are Jon, I was hoping we could have a word" Tyrion calls from just outside. The boys glare at him as they walk out of the armory and Tyrion walks inside. 

"Word of advice, don't actively try to make them hate you," Tyrion says as he wanders inside. 

"They only hate me because I'm better than them!" Jon shouts at the little man. 

"No, they hate you because you flaunt it. Not all of them had the luxury to train with a master-at-arms. You need to stop alienating them through your standoffish attitude and combat skills" Tyrion advises, walking closer to Jon. Jon stays quiet, he wasn't very keen on the idea of making nice with the others. He liked keeping to himself, just him and Ghost. 

But he couldn't live like this for the rest of his life. 

"Just something for you to consider" Tyrion mumbles, walking back out of the armory, leaving Jon to his thoughts and all of his thoughts wandered back to her. He recalled how they teased him his first day for the ring on his finger. Ser Allister asked him if he was married, with a sick smirk on his face. Jon only muttered a faint "it's my mothers" before sulking back to his chambers. 

He didn't want to explain to them that it was a gift from the girl he loved. He didn't want to speak about her, it would only bring her to this desolate place full of hungry eyes. He didn't want any of the others to think about her. For now, she was his and his alone. 

"Jon" 

Jon snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see his uncle Benjen standing in the doorway. 

"Walk with me," he said simply, walking past the doorway. Jon got up and pulled on his raven feathered cloak which was given to him when he arrived. He followed his uncle from the armory and up the wall. They walked a little bit along the Wall's icy structure, stopping at one of the vantage points to look out into the Haunted Forest. 

"I'm going out ranging into the Haunted Forest on the morrow" he said lazily, continuing to peer out over the wall. 

"I want to go with you," 

"No, you're not ready"

"I am ready"

"No, you're not. Here it's different. Here every man gets what they earn and not before they earn it. Here no one gives a damn about titles or anything that happened before they came here. Every man must earn everything they get" Benjen explains, glancing back at Jon. 

"When I return you'll be a full-fledged brother of the Night's Watch, you'll see," he said with a small smile, patting Jon on the shoulder as he walked away. Jon hoped his uncle would return soon. His uncle was the only one he felt he could truly talk to. Jon continued to walk the wall, trying to clear his head. He walked until he couldn't walk anymore and rode the shaft back down the wall and to his chambers where Ghost was waiting. Jon pulled off his boots, cloak and climbed into bed, drifting off, wishing he was someplace else.