Ella Snow and her twin brother are outsiders in the house of their father, Lord Eddard Stark. Ella has no one else in the world, except her brother Jon. Join Ella on her journey as she uncovers truths that could destroy her and those she loves.
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Tormund and the wildling party decided to raid a small hut belonging to an old man. Jon informed them that the man bred horses for the Night's Watch. The men kept him safe in exchange for his services. Orell and Tormund agreed to take his gold and steel, while the wildlings wanted to end his life.
As each wildling climbed over the wall, Ella grabbed Tormund by the arm.
"Tormund, you can't kill him," Ella pleaded. "He hasn't done anything wrong. He's an innocent man."
"You don't rule me, girl," he grunted.
Tormund stood tall and jumped the wall, clutching his sword in hand. A wildling man gave Ella a sword, and they ran through the field towards the small hut. Ella followed at a distance.
An idea struck her as she ran past several large rocks protruding from the ground. She hit her sword on a stone, doing her best to spook the horses. In the distance, Ella could see the old man run from his hut. His eyes widened as he saw the wildlings ambush his land. The next thing Ella saw was the man jumping on a horse and fleeing the scene.
Ella came to a halt next to Ygritte as she readied her bow and arrow. Ella begged the fiery haired girl to let him escape, and Ygritte missed her shot.
The wildlings chased the man down and brought him to an abandoned mill a mile from his hut. Rain fell from the sky as Ella stood next to her brother. She turned to Jon as Tormund spoke to the old man.
"Jon," Ella whispered in a low voice, the rain covering her whispers to the young wolf. "We have to do something."
Jon turned to his sister. Her blue eyes filled sparkled underneath the sunless sky. Her brown hair clung to her face as they watched the man rose from the mud.
"Make the crow kill him!" Ella heard Orell say to Tormund. She turned her head to see the warg approach her brother. "You're one of us now. Prove it."
Jon unsheathed Longclaw and pressed the blade into the old man's skin.
"Look sharp," the man spoke. He looked to the sky above and prayed to the old gods for mercy.
"Do it," Ygritte snarled. "Do it."
"Told you. He's not one of us," Orell scoffed.
Ella shifted her gaze to Tormund, who watched her brother closely. His eyes flooded with rage as Jon paused.
"Go on, boy!" Tormund shouted. "Go on!"
Jon turned to Ella, and the girl shook her head ever so slightly. Jon raised his sword high into the sky. He loosened his grip on the hilt. Ella heard an arrow fly past her ear, landing in the chest of the old man. She screamed as the man collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Ella shook with fear as she stepped in front of Jon. The wildlings circled the twins, their weapons at the ready.
"He's a crow." Orell stated. "He'll always be a crow. And there's his crow sister and crow wife guarding him. He'll stab us in the back the first chance he gets."
"If you want to hurt Jon, you have to go through me," Ella stated. Though she knew she wouldn't scare the wildlings. She just couldn't allow them to hurt her brother without attempting to save him.
"Stand down girl," Tormund helped over the pounding rain. "This isn't your fight."
Ella looked Tormund in the eye, begging him not to harm her brother. "Take me instead." She insisted. "Just leave Jon alone."
Tormund's blue eyes glared at the girl. His gaze softened a bit as tears rolled down her pale skin. A man approached Ella, his sword pointed to her chest. Jon shoved her to the ground and fought the man. Ella struggled to her feet, but felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her small frame.
"You can't save him!" Tormund shouted. "Do you hear me? You'll get yourself killed by getting in the way, girl."
Ella struggled against his strong arms as she watched Jon fight off the wildlings. Jon was losing and Ella couldn't help him. Tormund tightened his grip around Ella's waist. The girl was struggling too much, and he couldn't lose both crows.
Ella bit Tormund's finger, causing him to release her. She grabbed his sword and ran straight to the wildlings attacking Jon. Ella spun on her heel, coming face to face with a wildling aiming a bow and arrow directly at her. She stepped back, but saw a large black mass leap onto the man. She watched as the beast devoured her attacker.
Once the creauture was through with his prey, he turned to Ella. Ella recognized the animal to be a direwolf. She walked over to the giant creature and stroked his fur.
"Thanks boy," Ella whispered as she rubbed his ears. She wondered where the wolf came from. Maybe this was her father's way of protecting her one last time.
The wolf let out a low growl, causing Ella to turn. She watched as Jon jumped on a horse and ride away. She ran after Jon, only to slip in the mud. She fell to the ground, and her brother stopped in his tracks. His eyes met hers, and they stared at each other.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a wildling charge at her brother. She scrambled to her feet, but was once again stopped by Tormund.
"Jon, go! Go!" His brown eyes saddened at his captured sister.
"Jon, go! Now!" She urged her brother. He nodded, then turned his horse and rode away.
Ella fell against Tormund's chest. He spun her around and saw the sadness in her eyes.
"He was all I had," Ella whispered. "And now he's gone. Everybody I love is gone. I know he wasn't safe here and that he had to leave, but he was the only family I had left."
Tormund pulled the girl close to him, and allowed her to sob into his chest. The giant wildling made a promise to himself to protect the lonely girl and not let anyone harm her again.
