𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐘

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

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Torsten was breaking his fast on applecakes and blood sausages. Afterward he found himself on horseback riding through the haunted forest. He had no destination in mind. He wanted only to ride. He followed the creek for a time, listening to the icy trickle of water over rock, then cut across the fields to the kingsroad. It stretched out before him, narrow and stony and pocked with weeds, a road of no particular promise, yet the sight of it filled Torsten with a vast longing.
Winterfell was down that road, he'd heard Jon talk about the castle often, beyond it Riverrun and King's Landing and Eyrie and so many other places. He'd never seen a true castle and now he never would. The world was down that road and he was here.
Torsten thought it'd be best to return back to the Wall before the Lord Commander found him. He knew the Old Bear didn't want anyone beyond the Wall at the moment, especially since dead men were appearing from nowhere.

Torsten stood with his friends in the kitchen. It was a state of silence, their eyes preyed on Jon who worked the butcher's knife against a wild boar. Pypar stood at a large pot that sat over a fire, stirring occasionally. Torsten worked at chopping vegetables to place into the pot that Pypar stirred. And Samwell stood across from Torsten plucking fathers from wild birds, with a look of disgust clear as day. He'd somehow managed to already get through one without spewing.
And then they heard laughter, sharp and cruel as a whip, and the voice of Ser Alliser Thorne. "Now there's a rare sight." He said loud and clear. "Not only a Bastard, but a traitors Bastard." He was telling the men around him.
In the blink of an eye, Jon had vaulted over the bench that sat between him and the brute man. Butcher knife in hand. Pypar made a grab for him, but he wrenched himself away. Swinging at his throat, Torsten was more successful, he'd wrapped his arms around the older's waist and hauled him away from the laughing man. Legs swinging and arms thrashing. Thorne recoiled.
People were shouting but Jon couldn't hear, he could only see red.

"Jon! No!" Torsten bellowed while Grenn helped to lift the boy up onto the table, with the boar at his head. Torsten's fist connected with Jon's hand, making the knife fall and it did. It clattered to the cold stone ground.

"Blood will always tell." Ser Alliser laughed. "You will hang for this, Bastard."

Later, much later, after they had marched Jon back to a cell, Mormont came down to see him. The Old Bear hadn't been much surprised to see Torsten sitting with him. With his raven on his shoulder the Lord Commander looked Jon over. "I told you not to do anything stupid, boy." The Old Bear said. Mormont shook his head, disgusted. "And to think I had high hopes for you." They took his knife and his sword and told him he was not to leave his cell until the high officers met to decide what was to be done with him.
And then they placed a guard outside his door to make certain he obeyed. His friends were not allowed to see him, but the Old Bear did relent and permit him Ghost, so he was not utterly alone. "Torsten, come now." Mormont commanded and Torsten didn't move. He sat staring at Jon.

"Torsten." Jon said softly. Frowning Torsten slowly looked towards the Lord Commander.

"This isn't right." He said softly.

"Come now, damn it boy, that's a command." The Lord Commander howled and Torsten did as told. He slowly stood, letting his eyes linger on Jon as he left.

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