The King Beyond the Wall

Broken Memories

The arrow whirled past him to quickly he stumbled back, he really had to pay more attention when they were hunting. The arrow pierced the small rabbit right through its weak little heart, the blood seeped out slowly as the life drained from it. Gods - it was just a rabbit, he really had to snap out of his own head today or someone was going to get injured.

Young Evie scampered past him, as she tumbled and pushed her brother Yren out the way, they laughed as the raced to their hunt. He couldn't help but smile on at their innocence, taking him back to practising shooting with his own brother. Thinking of Bran missing time after time, as him and Robb couldn't help but laugh.

"And which one of you was a marksman at ten?"

The twins father, Tormond, cheered after them beaming with pride at his children hunting abilities, laughing along as he watched them wrestle over the rabbit, all the time boasting were they obiously got there hunting skills from.

His strong arm patted Jon on the shoulder, bringing Jon out of his long lost dream of Winterfell. His memories didn't feel his own. Everything that had happened, felt like it happened to someone else, all he could do was rewatch the misery that was his old life.

"Are you feeling okay brother?" Tormond probed Jon for answers of what was swimming around his mind as they walked towards the fighting children.

"Aye of course," Jon tried to smile reassuringly. But Tormond knew better by now.

"It has been 7 years, you need to move soon, before all the good wives are taken." He grins shoving Jon lightly. Jon cant help but laugh and shake his head. God the only thing Tormond talked about was women, beer and his children.

"Right enough!" He bellowed as they reached the tumbling ball of entangled screaming children.

"But Pa it was my arrow its my rabbit!" Little Evie huffed, her red curly hair falling maddeningly over her grumpy pouting face. It made Jon smile, thinking of another red head who was this stubborn.

Yren began to fight back claiming he saw the rabbit first and Evie stole his kill, Tormond just shook his head comically stroking his thick ginger beard.

"Gods how does your mother put up with the two of you monsters all day!" Tormond gabs his children and throws them both over his shoulder, all three of them laughing and howling and Tormond spins around.

A twig snaps behind Jon, instantly drawing his attention and once again pulling him out of his plagued mind. He turned and studied the forrest, the white bed of snow was like untouched feathers, falling slowly and beautifully. The dark trees stood tall and strong, but provided good cover for animals... or enemies. He pulled down his white fur hood, squinting his eyes hoping to focus more, finding it more difficult as Toromond and his children continued to scream and laugh behind him.

"Ghost!?" Jon called out in desperate hope his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. But Ghost did not appear, he had left to hunt himself this morning and was yet to return.

Tormonds attention was drawn by Jon's shouting and another snapping of twigs. He quickly hushed the children and joined Jon at his side, scanning the forrest. His children infront of him, Yren bravely ready to face his foe bow in hand, but Evie more hesitant and nervously clinging to her fathers belt.

"Show yer self, coward" Tormond bellowed, causing Evie to shake and Yren glare around nervously. This part of the forrest was usually busy with hunters and other wildlings from the village, but none who would creep up on them and hide behind trees. Which set them all on edge.

The metal on metal sound of Jon drawing Longclaw from the heavy metal sheath dragged a tall eerily dark figure out from behind a tree, with there hands up. Wearing the usual animal skinned, furry white and brown Wilding garb with the hood up it was hard to tell if it was a male or female. But when she removed her hood Jon had to do a double take, triple take, quadruple take!

"Dany?" he thought to himself.