The Goddess of the North

Live Steel Anyone?

The sound of men whistling signals of passage echoed in the various gusts of wind. Zipporah sensed a curiosity from some, scoffing from others, and lusting from the rest. There was no part of her that was leaning into the light for this introduction. From the stories she had listened into from Old Nan..."What do you know about fear ? Fear is for the winter, when the snows fall a hundred feet deep. Fear is for the long night, when the sun hides for years and children are born and live and die all in darkness. That is the time for fear, my little Lord, when the White Walkers move through the woods. Thousands of years ago there came a night that lasted a generation. Kings froze to death in their castles, same as the shepherds in their huts. And women smothered their babies rather than see them starve, and wept and felt the tears freeze on their cheeks. So is this the sort of story that you like ? In that darkness, the White Walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders big as hounds..." to the nightmares her husband possessed concerning the men who took the black, she was not disillusioned about the premise for their purpose or methodology. Then again, had she dealt with similar men in her previous life? Absolute-fucking-ly.

"That's not lady like." A familiar voice called from the shadows of the force. Ben. Now what was the force trying to teach her? That it is wholly and totally inconvenient? She was trying to mentally prepare to show the men that she knew what she was talking about and to pull rank. Now this.

"You'd feel the same if you were here. I'm entering a place that is the gateway to true darkness."

He openly scoffed, "And what do you know of darkness?"

"Enough to be dwelling in it now." She fired back with slight contempt. Immediately, she wanted to apologize, but she wouldn't.

Sensing him tensing and moving toward her, he warned, "Only one Solo needs to be in that." The sparse light allowed her to see how tired he was. She could tell that whatever life he was leading was wearing him thin. How much time had passed in that galaxy? Was he still doing the whole scary leader of the galaxy bit? She wanted to feel bad for his position, but a part of her was still angry with the First Order—where she was now was because his organization blasted her out of the sky.

Guilt.

How could she be so ungrateful? She had more in this life than she ever did in the other. Another lesson.

"I disagree. Just as I've been saying, balance is the best option." She challenged her older brother all the while throwing in a classic Solo raised brow to finish the dig.

"You have no idea what's going on here." His tone was sad, tense, and anxious. She sputtered. What did he mean? However, before she could dig deeper, he vanished.

Shaken by his last words. She attempted to gain composure. There was no way in hell that she needed to look weak or anxious in front to the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.

A crowd of men dressed in black were congregated to one side, and above them was a group of men who she presumed were the Lord Commander and Maester. Both were clearly older. It was easy to sense that one man was no nonsense and proud while the other was humble but possessed immense knowledge. It radiated from him. He understood the world around him clearly even if he could not see well.

Jon climbed off his horse first and immediately motioned for her to do the same. She stood beside him as he began , "Lord Commander Mormont-"

He loudly interrupted, "Lord Jon Stark and who I assume is your sister in law, Lady Stark?"