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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The wildlings made camp a few days later, far from the mill. Due to the rain and cold, Ella came down with an illness she could not get rid of. Coughing, sneezing, chills and high temperature flooded her the night Jon left. Tormund gave Ella a fur blanket to stay warm, but her fever would not break.
One afternoon, Ella sat by the fire Tormund built for her. She was wrapped in her blanket, eating a bowl of stew prepared by Ygritte while her wildling friend sat next to her and made new arrows for her bow.
"He loves you. Jon," Ella said in a raspy voice. Neither of the girls spoke for days, but they still found comfort in each other's presence.
"If he loved either of us, he wouldn't have abandoned us," Ygritte stated.
"He didn't abandon us. He simply-"
Ella was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching, causing Ella to look from her stew. She saw Tormund stand before her and Ygritte, though his gaze was fixed on the red headed beauty.
"You plan on killing all the crows yourself?" He asked the girl.
"You plan on sitting here, scratching your balls till winter?" Ygritte retorted.
"We wait for Mance's orders."
"You sent a man over the Wall at the full moon," Ygritte stated. "If he isn't back yet, he's not coming back."
"What is it you want?" Tormund huffed. "To march on Castle Black with just this lot? Your pretty crow said a thousand men are there."
"Yeah, well he's a liar," Ygritte said through gritted teeth. She faced the wildling leader, who flared at her with wild eyes.
"He is? Shouldn't it be he was?" Tormund asked the girl, raising an eyebrow. "You said you put three arrows in him."
"Aye, I did," she stated.
"I've seen you slit a shaft through a rabbit's eye from two hundred yards. If that boy is still alive, it's because you let him go."
Ella sat quietly, as a whistle came from above. Tormund motioned to the girls to follow him, and they did. Ella stated wrapped in her fur blanket as she slowly walked behind Tormund. The wildlings readied their weapons as a group of strange men approached them. Tormund shoved Ella behind him, concealing her from the men entering the gorge.
"Thenns," Tormund stated, shoving his sword back in the sheath on his hip. "I fucking hate Thenns."
The wildlings stood tall as the men came to a halt. Ella's eyes were fixated on the men strolling past her. They were dressed like the wildling man Ella came to know, but different. They were pale skinned, smooth headed, and each one had distinctive marks etched into their skin. Tormund pulled the girl closer to him as the leader of the Thenns stood in front of him.
"Mance sent you?" Tormund asked. The leader of the group nodded his head. "How did you find us?"
The leader motioned to an eagle perched on one of his men's arms. The majestic creature shrieked, then flew into the distant blue sky.
"You came from the South, not the North," Tormund noted.
"Took a detour," the man replied. "Got some supper from a village along the way. Tell me, why does the meat down here taste so much better than it does on our side of the Wall?"
"Help yourself," Tormund motioned to the spit roasted animal Ygritte hunted for earlier that morning.
The Thenn shook his head. "Maybe it's because everything is better fed down here. Fat and lazy. Makes it easier on us."
The man chucked, then patted Tormund on the shoulder. He walked past the wildling man, his eyes gazing at Ella as he strode past.
"Well, well, what a beauty you are. You hiding her from us, are ya?" He grunted. "I'd love to get my hands on what's underneath that cloak."
He reached for Ella, but Tormund intervened. "She does not belong to ya." Tormund grunted.
"Aye, and she belongs to you?" The Thenn snarled.
"She does," Tormund grunted. "If any of you touch her-"
"I wouldn't touch her. Too scrawny." The Thenn laughed. "So tell me, you didn't see us coming? Lost your warg then?"
Orell was killed during the fight at the Mill, but Ella did not see this. Ygritte told her about the loss of the wage while she was off petting the direwolf.
"And that baby crow you had with you. Lost him too?"
"I'll answer to Mance," Tormund stated. "I won't answer to you."
"And is this other girl yours?" The Thenn leader motioned to Ygritte.
"I'm nobody's," Ygritte snarled. She drew her now and arrow, aiming the tip of her weapon at the man's throat.
"Too scrawny too," he sneered. "Not like those crows at Castle Black. Stuffing their faces with ham and sausage and blood stew. Getting nice and fat. And marbled. I know we've had our differences, Tormund. But just one time before you die, you ought to try crow."
Ella watched as the Thenn leader squatted next to the fire pit. Her eyes widened as she saw what was roasting over the open flame. Bile slid up her throat, but she choked it down. She averted her gaze, not wanting to see the Thenns devour their dinner: the arm of a man they killed earlier. The Thenns were cannibals, and Ella had no idea how she would survive the mess she was in.
