Kissed by Fire in the Snow (Unfinished)

The Lands of Always Winter were aptly named. This was the furthest North that he had ever been, so far North that he had begun to doubt the validity of calling himself a man of the North. He also knew that there were very few men from South of the Wall who had ever dared to dangerously traverse this far into Wildling territory, yet as a shiver ran down his spine he couldn’t help but think that perhaps the extreme cold was the reason why.

Up until now the cold was all he had been able to think about. Even the threat of the White Walkers and the Wildling army had absentmindedly drifted to the back of his mind, but he could no longer afford to ignore the truth that resided right in front of him, he no longer had the luxury of thinking on a different subject.

The cold air and steel of his blade bit through his gloves and down to his hands, chilling his blood. As he looked down at the panting figure below him, he realised he had never been more aware of the weight of his sword than he was right now, its sharp tip hovering above her pale neck with a sense of ominous finality. As he looked down at Ygritte, who in turn was looking up at him, he could see in her eyes that she had already accepted her fate.

Qhorin and his men had moved on, heading back to the peak of the mountainside, and he was expected to follow after he had done the deed. It had been his choice to take it on, even though Qhorin had offered. “The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words.” his father’s words echoed through his mind, readying himself for what he knew he must do.

Ygritte had already moved to the side, resting her chin against the snow cold surface of a rock, and making it easier for him to do the deed. He slowly moved the cold, sharp edge of the blade onto the back of her neck, holding it firm and gently, so as not to cut her unnecessarily; a kindness, yet he did not understand why he was doing it considering what her fate was to be.

Jon took several deep breath, steadying himself as he quickly raised the sword high above his head, ready to bring it crashing down against Ygritte’s neck, but he…could not bring himself to do it. He was a man of the Night’s Watch, a man who had taken the sacred oath, he had a duty to perform, yet he was hesitating - why? He had never taken a life before, and he wasn’t afraid to either, but Ygritte was a woman, a wildling, but a woman nevertheless, and his gut was telling him that this was wrong.

I spoke the words, he reminded himself. I took the oath. the inner turmoil built until it reached bursting point, at which point the young ‘Crow’ screamed and brought his sword, Longclaw, crashing back down. It cut through the air in an instant, the noise of Valyrian steel resonating as it clashed with the rock. The impact sent the vibrations shooting up Jon’s arms, but the deed had not been done. Jon had purposely missed his target, the blade hitting the rock in front of her face; he had spared her. In silence, his breath heavy, he simply looked down at her, the adrenaline coursing through him.

What have I done?

Word Count: 605.

Ygritte's Post

Ygritte had not planned to die today, certainly not by the hands of a young green crow who could barely keep from shanking in the snow. And yet here she was, blade crisp against her neck and knees bent to the lad like she was some southerner. It was vile, but she rid her mind of those thoughts. The young girl knew that without some very quick thinking, her fate would be determined this day. She did not fear death, but if it could be avoided she certainly didn't welcome it either.

Bending her pale neck over the cold stone she looked around to what she had at her disposal. No clear rocks or sticks, the snow was fresh and clean enough that throwing it in his face would have little effect and probably just lead to a messier chop down than the execution she was currently about to participate in. The lad who was to do the deed had let his friends move on, it was just the two of them. Maybe, just maybe, she could use her words to get out of this. They were the only tool she had left.

The girl pursed her lips as she lifted her head up to the lad. And that's when Ygritte saw it, clear as day. Fear. The fear in his eyes for his action. She couldn't imagine a lad like this had not killed before, he was young but not that young. Then it occurred to her. She was his first woman. Mance had told her stories about ladies of the south who had never once picked up a spear or a bow. She felt like laughing on the inside, though her face remind as cold as the rock around her. He was afraid of killing a woman, it wasn't much, but it might be enough to sway him. "Strike hard and true, crow," her brave words echoed as she placed her chin back down on the stone. "Or I'll come back to haunt you." And at that, all she could do was wait. Deafening silence rung throughout her ears for what felt like an eternity, rattling her brain as she waited to see if her words had swayed him or if she was about to meet the swords swift blow. She was never one for patience.

The finally the faint sound of the slights ringing fell through the air and Ygritte closed her eyes, waiting to feel the steel. She nearly jumped out of her skins when she heard the metallic clank of the sword hitting the stone in front of her. Eyes shooting open, she saw the weapon in front of her and then looked to the lad. He was still staring at the sword, a hundred questions shining through his eyes. A quirky grin made its way to her face. He was a pretty thing when he was all flustered. He looked to her and their eyes met for a brief moment.

Then Ygritte's blue orbs flashed and she bounded upwards and took of through the white. She knew she could never outrun the lad, but sure as she was a free woman, she could get him lost...

Longclaw’s blade still rested on the rock in front of her head, and Jon Snow found that he was looking down at his Wildling prisoner now that he had spared her life. He’d done it…he’d actually spared her life; he just hoped he would not come to regret it. He hadn’t been sure if he would spare her life, not until the very moment before he had swung Longclaw. Now that it had been done his chest was rising and falling with seemingly laboured breaths, as if he had just run a great distance. In truth it was due to the adrenaline now rushing through his system; he had disobeyed orders, gone against what he knew he had to do, and it almost excited him.

Ygritte had opened her eyes and was staring at the sword directly in front of her face, Jon had noticed. Before long she turned her head to look up at him, a mixture of disbelief and satisfaction flashing across her face. Still taken aback by his change of heart, Jon was caught completely off guard when her expression soured and she swung at his knee. The young Bastard cried out in a mixture of pain and shock as he tumbled onto his side.

By the time Jon Snow had scrambled back onto his feet, almost slipping on the ice and falling over again, Ygritte was already well on her way. He cursed his stupidity and ran to the edge of the ledge he was on, only to see that she was already rapidly making her way down the mountainside. If she was allowed to escape she could bring the whole of the Wildling forces down upon the men of the Night’s Watch, and that was an option.

With little choice, Jon turned on his heel and ran along the ledge, hoping to cut her off ahead of her position. He could not allow her to escape or evade him for too long, as there was no telling how many Wildling patrols were scattered amongst the snow and ice. He ran as fast as his bulky clothing and the unsure footing would allow him to, and though he was seemingly moving quicker than Ygritte, she clearly know the terrain far better than he did, as she didn’t seem to lose her footing once. Yet he continued to strive onwards, determined to recapture the fiery redhead of a Wildling.

Using the high ground that he had purposely maintained, Jon dropped Longclaw onto the slope to his left, allow the sword to slide down as he jumped feet first in pursuit of it. If timed correctly, Jon knew that he would slide down directly into, or relatively near, Ygritte. He had been chasing her for too long already and it was his best chance to catch her; he could not afford for her to be running free a moment longer.

The timing was, thankfully, perfect! Jon Snow slid just behind Ygritte as she attempted to charge past, and with an outstretched arm he latched onto her leg and brought her toppling to the ground. With Longclaw out of his reach, Jon scrambled atop Ygritte, straddling her waist and forcing her to turn over onto her back as he rushed to unsheathe his dagger. The moment he felt his gloved fingers wrap around its pommel he yanked it free and pointed it at the bare throat of Ygritte as she struggled to get free.

Word Count: 575.
Total Word Count thus far: 1,180.

Ygritte's Post

Ygritte landed with a thud on the hard ground. Her furs acted as some padding, but not much. She would have bruises in the morning but she would wear them with pride. The girl had caught herself a crow today. That was something worth stripping your sleeves to show your victory. The grin crept back to her face as the lad pulled his tiny knife. In any other situation she'd have a word or two to toss his way but she wasn't out of the woods yet. Yet dagger trembled at her throat. "You can't do it," she shot up at him, still panting from the run. "We both know it." She could only catch his sharp features out of the corner of her eye but it was enough. The lad had a look of terror and awe on his face. He was clearly new to the Watch. Honor, duty... just words beyond their Wall. They had a different word out here. Survival.

Clearly frustrated at her words, he flipped her over still pointing the dagger, most likely out of sheer habit now. I suppose he needs something to cling to... she thought. As the girl looked around, her grin grew to a full smile as she realized the darkness that was creeping up around them, breathing a sigh of relief. She knew exactly where they were, and it would not be long now. A day, maybe two if the weather picked up. A laugh caught in her throat and her eyebrows raised in amusement. "But the sun is going down Jon Snow. And your friends are nowhere close," she replied with a chuckle in her voice and an excited gleam in her eyes.

Ygritte took the moment to glance him up and down. He still straddled her waist but she was clearly the one in charge for the moment, not an uncommon experience she found, when the lads wanted to be on top. As his head shot around frantically, she saw him change from crow to frightened rabbit. "Go ahead," she jested, almost whispering. "Call for them." It would be no use, but for some reason she found she liked watching the lad squirm. She had him right where she wanted him and all she had to do was wait. And in the passing time, she would enjoy having fun with this one, this Jon Snow.

"You can't do it," through panting breaths her voice challenging, almost as if she wanted him to, which made Jon that much more hesitant. "We both know it." and as Jon attempted to regain his breath he couldn’t avoid the fact that she was right, and she clearly knew it. He had lost his authority of the situation when he had spared her life and she would no doubt continue to challenge him now, attempt to escape until either she was successful or he killed her, which he wouldn’t. However, he could not shake one resounding thought that was now consuming his mind; was she still his prisoner or was he now hers?

He was angry, not only at himself for allowing the situation to become what it now was, but at her. He had spared her life, he had shown her mercy, and this was the sort of thanks he received? He wasn’t entirely surprised, in truth, but it angered him nevertheless. He was now looking down at her, having flipped her onto her back and straddling her waist, the cold steel of his dagger mere inches from the bare skin of her exposed throat. But despite her precarious position, she was grinning through a slight scowl at her captor.

"But the sun is going down Jon Snow. And your friends are nowhere close," she replied through her grin, a flash of…something in her eyes.

“I’ll find them!” he spat back in a hushed whisper, determination in his voice. But his blind assurances did nothing to regain his lost authority over the situation.

"Go ahead, call for them." she mockingly stated, as if all this was just a game to her.

“Quiet!” Jon demanded of her, turning his head to look at his surroundings. He had no idea where he was, and could only just make out where the mountainside where he had originally found her…he thought, at least. If he could get back there before it got too dark, maybe his fellow brothers would be waiting for him? It was a long shot, but the only chance he had. With a long sigh, his still hot breath steaming into the bitter air around him, he looked back down at his captive. She was going to keep giving him trouble, unless…

He got up off of her and grabbed her by the neck of her bulky clothing. “Get up.” he said coldly, lifting her to her up onto feet. With his free hand he reached underneath his cloak and around towards his back, as he searched for something on his person. He pulled free a small amount of rope, which he used to bound Ygritte’s wrists. At least with her on some form of leash, she could be controlled…though somehow, he doubted it.

Wrapping the other end of the rope around his own wrist, Jon Snow moved off away from her and bent down to pick up Longclaw. The sword had become an extension of himself, and he couldn’t possibly leave it behind. Turning back towards Ygritte he observed her for the briefest of moments, before giving a slight tug on the rope. “Move.” he stated gruffly, before setting off back the way that they had come, or at least he assumed it was. He couldn’t be entirely sure, he didn’t know this terrain, and he wasn’t about to ask Ygritte for directions.

They moved in silence, for the most part, with Jon leading the way. The light was fading fast, far faster than he had anticipated it would. The days appeared to be slightly shorter here than they were back at Winterfell and the Wall, and if they didn’t hurry then they’d be stuck in the middle of nowhere when it became too dark to travel. Jon gave yet another tug of the rope, a silent demand for Ygritte to pick up the pace. However, before long they reached a slight rocky clearance that looked at least partially familiar. Was this the spot? It appeared to be, but none of his Night’s Watch brothers were here waiting for him.

Where are they? he thought, the hope draining from his face, though thankfully Ygritte was stood behind him, so she did not see it.

Word Count: 705.
Total Word Count thus far: 1,885.

Ygritte's Post

Despite having her hands bound by the lad, Ygritte trudged along willingly. She held no worries to the idea that he would actually be able to find his fellow crows. And on the off chance that he did, the young one would have to explain as to why she was alive and still his prisoner. It would not be difficult to turn them against him with her words. Of maybe even just convince him to kill them to save his own hide. Men of the night had been known to before. Some of them even took the lives or their "sworn brethren" honorably. Look at Mance. It might, in fact, be nice were the crow to live. Never would it be uttered across her lips, but she had taken a shine to the lad. Much like that of a hound pup. And she suddenly realized, I owe him a debt. The free folk had never been those of fine words and oaths like the crows had, but she understood honor, morality and the need for others to survive. He had spared her life once. Her debt would be paid or else she would carry it with her always. He would receive one pass.

Even the likes of Jon Snow could not ruin her favorite time of day. The sun was setting over the vast line of mountains before them. Oranges, purples and blues streaked across the skyline like a stream of living color, slowly melting into the dark above them. Their powdered peaks pierced the sky, giving Ygritte a great sense of peace, for reasons that would always be unknown to her. There was a comfort about this wasteland that she had loved since she was a babe. It would always be beautiful to her and no one could take that away. Well, no one live person. There was a reason they currently marched for the wall.

Ygritte had stopped behind him and stood in complete silence. It was then that Jon realised that she no doubt knew exactly where they were, that they had returned to where his and her fates had become unexpectedly intertwined. More so than even this, she had most likely already noticed that his fellow black brothers weren’t here; for all intense purposes Jon Snow was all alone in a place where the location was oft as hazardous as the countless dangers that were found in it. He now found himself at an even larger disadvantage, and with the sun almost having completely set he knew that he would not be able to find them on this day.

As Jon looked about for any sign that his fellow black brothers were close by, he couldn’t help but notice just how cold the temperature was falling. When night truly fell, he would not be able to continue the search. If the cold didn’t kill him then a misplaced foot could, and no doubt Ygritte would use the situation to her advantage and attempt another escape, which would put every single man of the Night’s Watch who were camped at the Fist of the First Men in terrible danger.

No, he would have to see the night through and then continue the search at first light, but that brought it’s own difficulties. Where would he and Ygritte sleep for the night? He had seen no caves nearby that could offer them shelter, and this far North there was very little cover from the biting wind. He could not trust Ygritte to guide them somewhere safe, no, she’d no doubt sooner die or she’d turn the situation against him, likely lead him into some sort of trap.

Jon glanced up the mountainside above them, still surveying his surroundings, when he finally fell on the decision. “We’ll stop here…” he muttered, loud enough for Ygritte to hear him. “It’s too dark to go any further today.” with that he turned to face her, yanking the rope that he had been leading her with, causing her to stagger to him. When she was in front of him, he began to use that rope to wrap around the rest of her body; he would not give her the opportunity or the incentive to try and escape, or even slit his throat, during the night.

Word Count: 396.
Total Word Count thus far: 2,281.

Ygritte's Post

Her brow furrowed at his words as the lad began to wrap the rope around her bulky form. "But there's no shelter here!" she exclaimed. A flash went through Ygritte's mind. The dead... eyes burning blue as they sought out their prey in the shadows. She might be hidden well enough with her cloaks, but Jon Snow would stick out like an injured crow, ripe for the pickings. And once he was seen if would not be hard to find her as well. She have to try to get Mance to hurry. "The cold could kill us both," the girl replied calmly, keeping her cool so as the lad would be unable to catch on. "We should light a fire." He immediately rebuked her and when she tried to argue with him the black haired bastard shut her down once more. She rolled her eyes as he tied her feet. There was clearly no reasoning with this one. If he wanted to sleep out in the open with no fire then that was his business but there was no need to drag her into his stupidity pit as well. "Have it your way," she said. There was no point in fighting someone as stubborn as stone.

The crow, upon completing his binding of her, proceeded to tip her over and lay Ygritte on the hard, frozen ground. She would have giggled at the sheer silliness of the action were she not still so put off about where they were bedding down. As he began to walk away, she swung her body in his direction. If the young crow was insisting upon putting them in an already dangerous situation, Ygritte wasn't about to lose the last source of heat supplied to her. "We'll be warmer if ye stay close." The lad halted in his tracks, pausing for a moment. The hesitance was strange, he couldn't be afraid of her. The lad had already taken her weapons and tied her down, literally. Then, a shudder rippled through his shoulders, fluttering its way through the thick furs he wore across his shoulders. Could it be that the lad was flustered at the idea of laying with her? Ygritte cocked her head a moment in thought. A man of the Wall out in the wild, a young one at that, probably hadn't seen a woman in quite some time. But with that one would think he would be more eager. He was an odd one, Jon Snow.

"I bet ye freeze to death before I do," she retorted. He could work out his frustrations later but for now the night's chill was setting in as the sun began to disappear beyond the mountain tips. He kept his back to her. Stupid boy. He couldn't stop thinking about his cock long enough to listen to reason. "Bet your life," she spat out, less able to hide her annoyance now. She turned over again so as not to face him, trying to make herself comfortable against the stone. This Jon Snow knew nothing about survival in the white and it was going to cost them their lives, probably tonight.

"But there's no shelter here!" she questioned, as if he didn’t know what he was talking about. He knew well enough, he had been part of the group who had scouted the area, after all, and he’d seen nothing that resembled a shelter.

“There’s no shelter anywhere.” he responded, though she wasn’t having it. No matter what she said, Jon was not about to allow her to lead them to shelter, and no doubt a trap. No, they would sleep here tonight.

"The cold could kill us both. We should light a fire-"

“No fire.” he quickly interrupted with. He bet she’d have loved a fire, bringing the Wildlings down on their position; he wasn’t born yesterday.

“But a fire-”

“No fire!” he exclaimed sharply, ending the discussion as he stopped to look up at her.

"Have it your way." she muttered. Thankfully she gave up after that, no doubt knowing that her captor was not about to give in.

Laying Ygritte down on the ground and shoving her legs with his foot, Jon was now satisfied that she could not easily escape during the night while he slept. With that he turned from her and began to walk towards a pile of rocks. He cloud lean against them, and from there he’d have a pretty good position to keep an eye on her from. However, before he could get more than a few steps away from her he heard her body shift across the ground, and then she spoke.

“We'll be warmer if ye stay close." The words caused Jon to freeze on the spot. He considered responding, but he really didn’t know what to say to her. She was right, what she said made sense, but he couldn’t be so close to her…but why not? He had said the words, he was an honourable man. Then it struck him; he was attracted to her. He took a deep breath to control himself, but his thoughts mixed with the cold air caused him to shudder. "I bet ye freeze to death before I do," she sounded almost angry at him as she spoke, though Jon remained quiet and with his back facing her; not out of rudeness, but now he felt embarrassed to look at her. "Bet your life." she was most certainly annoyed at him, there was no mistaking that now.

At that Jon turned around to look at her, but as he did he heard her shuffle and by the time he looked she was already facing away from him again. He wondered what expression she was wearing, no doubt one that had matched her voice moments ago. He looked on at her tiny frame as it lay there on the cold, hard ground, the sun finally vanishing over the peaks of the surrounding snow-covered mountains. She looked so venerable. What made the entire situation worse was that Jon had thought about laying with her before he had even lowered her to the ground, and his thoughts then had not purely been for the purposes of staying warm.

He took a step back towards her, hesitating slightly as he heard his own foot scrape against the dirt below his feet. Everything seemed deadly silent out here, and he found himself worried that she would hear his approach. Of course she’s going to hear your approach, he chastised himself, moving towards her properly now. But you’re doing nothing wrong. the reminder helped, but not enough.

Jon Snow placed Longclaw and his dagger down on the ground beside him, as he laid down on the floor behind Ygritte. He was very close to her now, closer than he felt comfortable being, considering everything that had happened and was rushing through his mind. With a sigh Jon shuffled himself closer to her, getting his chest and legs as closer to her back as he could physically make them, with both of them wearing such bulky clothing. His arm partially resting over her arm, he held her close to him; if they were going to keep warm, they had to do this properly. Still, it did nothing to dull his raging thoughts.

By the Old Gods, Snow…what have you got yourself into now? he couldn’t help but think.

Word Count: 707.
Total Word Count thus far: 2,988.

Ygritte's Post

Ygritte heard the lad shuffle forward finally. At least he was beginning to think with his proper head again. They already might be turned to Walkers by the end of the night, or ripped to shreds by the other beasts of the land come nightfall, there was no point in freezing to death. Like a petulant youngster, she felt him reluctantly plop himself on the ground next to her roughly thrusting his hand against her arm, clearly not daring to let it venture any further down. The thought made Ygritte smirk, thankfully he could not see. Jon Snow released a gruff exhale as he positioned himself behind her, finally settling down. Despite their large cloaks she could feel his every rustle and ripple behind her and she realized that he was just as nervous as she as the dark closed in around them. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as she had originally thought. Well, maybe.

A moment of quietice passed between them. A sudden burst of innocent curiosity suddenly blossomed in her, causing Ygritte to break their silence. "Ye think they're out lookin' for ya?" she asked. And then the strangest thing happened. A sense of calm seemed to wash over Jon Snow as he answered. "Yes." The word wrung with such confidence. More than she had heard out of the lad's mouth since he first put a sword to her neck. "Ye think they'll find ya?", she asked. "Yes." He truly believed in his fellow crows. Despite the misguided loyalty, she had to admire his determination and faith. It was pure. Something she did not thing a Southerner was capable of, according to what she had heard from Mance.

At that she could feel the heat of his breath starting to warm the furs of her hood. The sensation was breaching her neck and it somehow gave the young girl comfort. She could feel the back of her neck begin to prickle and she crooked a small smile. It had been some time since she had bedded down with a man. It was a nice feeling, having one against her as she settled in. And the crow was not all bad, it seemed. "You're brave," she said softly, the words drifting out of her mouth like smoke. "Stupid," she countered, "but brave."

Having settled himself down for the night, Jon raised his head slightly to get a better look at Ygritte. She was wearing her hood, likely for warmth, and so he couldn’t see her face. She was smaller than him, naturally, but now that he could feel her body through her clothing he got a better ideas of just how much smaller. He could almost picture her without the bulky clothing, wearing something more akin to what the ladies worth South of the Wall. Though he knew those sort of thoughts would not do, and so with a forced exhale he pushed them as far back into his mind as he could, and lowered his head behind hers.

"Ye think they're out lookin' for ya?" Ygritte suddenly asked, breaking the brief silence that had fallen between them both. Jon was a little more than surprised at the question, and even more surprised by the tone of voice that Ygritte had used; she almost seemed concerned, certainly not annoyed as she had been.

For the briefest of moments he thought about her question, though he settled on an answer almost immediately. "Yes." the men of the Night’s Watch did not abandon each other. Yes, his Black Brothers would be searching for him, of that he had no doubt.

"Ye think they'll find ya?" she continued.

"Yes." he was less confident this time, though hopeful.

However, the prospect of his Black Brothers finding him caused him to think. He now held Ygritte as a prisoner and he had no idea how they would take that, not after his orders to kill her. She had done nothing to him that warranted her death, in fact it had been them who had trespassed in Wildling territory; how could he justify executing her for committing no crime but living? They would want her dead…but he had spared her and made her his prisoner, and honour dictated that her life was now in his protection. Would he defy his brothers and his oath to stop them from killing her, or worse? It was only then that he truly realised the situation that he had gotten himself into.

"You're brave." Ygritte suddenly said, drawing Jon from his thoughts. The soft, almost admiration filled voice utterly surprised Jon. "Stupid…but brave." her near whispered words felt lighter than the breeze that blew all around them.

Jon had no idea how to respond to the sudden change in attitude that Ygritte was showing. No woman had ever spoken to him so, though he had never truly put himself into a position to allow it. Jon opened his mouth to reply, though quickly realised he did not know what to say. Silence between them stretched on before finally managed to find some words. “…we start again at first light…” he finally said, changing the subject. “Get some sleep.” he exhaled again, shuffling his body ever so slightly to get comfortable, though pressing against her back and behind didn’t help his situation.

With that Jon decided to remain still, comfortable or not, and to make the most of this situation he had stupidly placed himself in. He continued to look at the back of her hood, instead picturing her fiery red hair. He’d never seen hair like hers before, not as wild and bright; it was almost mesmerizing. However, his thoughts were suddenly ripped from him as he suddenly realised that Ygritte was moving about, the lower half of her body pressing dangerously hard against his groin. It caught him off guard, not to mention it felt unlike anything he’d ever felt before, and for the briefest moments Jon did not know whether to say anything or not.

“Stop moving.” he finally muttered; it had been harder to bring himself to say than he wished to admit.

Word Count: 634.
Total Word Count thus far: 3,622.

Ygritte's Post

As she relaxed into her furs, waiting for sleep to take her, Ygritte could feel the cold slipping between their huddled bodies and decided to move closer. The cold would be bitter tonight. As the darkness of the wilderness and the night was closing in the chill of the night had grown far worse. She rustled in closer against young Snow to feel the rest of his warmth. The curve of his body felt nice and it seems as if her form was a perfect fit against his. She was small and to have her whole body enveloped against his made her somehow feel... safer. T'was strange.

It didn't take long for her suspicions about his previous nervousness to be confirmed. At least she knew she hadn't lost her touch. The young girl had always known she was not the most beautiful of creatures, but with the luck that came with being kissed by fire, she was not unfamiliar with the sensation on what was currently pressing against her lower back. At his attemptive command for her to stop, the Wildling merely grinned and repeated her action. There was a rather large possibility that this could be their last night if those glowing blue eyes showed up, may as well try to make the most of it. He was a fine enough looking fellow, this Jon Snow. She had watched him as he dragged her along earlier. A fine form was beneath all that leather and fur, you could see it in the way he carried himself. She had always always preferred a short beard on a man. She could feel the strength in his arms as he held her top half against him.

She arched her back ever so slightly, causing her to press her rear against the growing mound behind her. She could feel his breath hitching behind her, despite his silence. "I'm just tryin' te get comfortable," she said with an innocent sweetness that cut through the tension like a blade. Mayhaps the lad would get a better understanding and act.

"I'm just tryin' te get comfortable." her voice sounded more innocent and sweet than any woman he could ever remember hearing, though his warning did nothing to stop her movements. Jon closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, slipping into the deep pool of pleasurable feelings that Ygritte was stirring within him. Suddenly thoughts of things he wanted to do to her flooded his mind. Images of him rolling her over and kissing her passionately, of ripping through her clothing and allowing the bitter kiss of the night’s air to caress her body before he moved against it and had his way with her.

He could feel how restricted his trousers now felt, now that he was hard against the lowest point of her back. His breathing came to him in laboured shudders, the steam of his breath pressing against the back of her hood. She was so close to him, closer than any woman had ever been. All he need do was reach forward, gently lower he hood and he could lean in and press his lips against her back of her neck. Then she moved again, this time arching her back as her rear squeezed against his penis even harder than it had been previously, her rotating motion continuing. It took holding his breath to stop the young Crow from allowing a moan to escape from between his lips.

Jon’s hand involuntarily moved at that point, lifting up off of Ygritte’s arm. He was about to move it forward, to wrap it completely around her, grab one of her breasts in his hand and turn her to face him, to do everything that he had been thinking about in his mind and more, when suddenly a voice shot through his mind. You said the words! and his eyes snapped open, his hand grabbing his arm again as he raised his head to look at her. “Stop it!” but even though he had exclaimed the words, his tone was thick with doubt; a huge part of him, quite literally, still felt good from what she had been doing to him, and that part of him didn’t want it to stop.

Begrudgingly he lowered his head once more, placing it behind hers as she finally stopped moving. Jon was still breathing heavily, attempting to slow it as he felt his heart still rapidly beating within his chest; no doubt she could feel it through their clothing, being as close together as they were. Perhaps Uncle Benjen had been right… he considered, thinking back to when he had spoken to his Uncle at Winterfell, before journeying to the Wall to take the Black. Perhaps I should have experienced…everything, before saying the words… but it was too late now, and he suddenly found that he hated himself for it.

Word Count: 468.
Total Word Count thus far: 4,090.

Ygritte's Post

The tension was palpable and the air seemed to thicken around them. Ygritte felt as his stirrings grew stronger against her, causing the young girl's smile to broaden. The night was silent and her lips opened as she released a quiet sigh into the growing black. Be it the sound of contentment or arousal, he would never know, her played innocence reigning supreme in the moment. A lowered moan escaped his mouth and she felt a sense of smug satisfaction within her. The sound cut had cut through the silence of the eve like a rock tumbling over a cliff. The lad was fighting something, but it seemed that her efforts were winning out. Her stomach tightened a bit, her own sensations starting to get the better of her.

She imagined what it would be like, to claim a Crow. The men of the Wall were known to be killers, rough hands of the night. The Free Folk always took and gave willingly. But the idea of this one, so clearly frustrated for so long, she could only imagine what it would be like when he finally gave in. The idea of grasping on to his black hair, feeling the warmth of his tight skin against hers, lips fluttering around her now quite hardened nipples was something she found herself giving in to a bit more willingly than she had expected. She thought about just turning around and mounting him right then and there.

And yet before the decision could be made, just as quickly as it seemed to have started, the lad grabbed her arm and halted the fire-kissed lass with his words. The gruffness of his tone was not one to be negotiated with. Was a shame really. But as her senses slowly returned to her, Ygritte realized that there would of course be consequences to her previously impulsive actions. Supposin' they made it through the night, what would Mance say if she awoke the next morning with a crow of the Southerner's Watch buried inside of her? She resigned her thoughts of wanton lust as she felt sleep starting to close in around her. It would be an uncomfortable sleep, a mess of confusion, but it had been quite the day. Finally her eyelids fluttered her last and finally drifted down for a final rest.

Jon had half expected Ygritte to continue despite his warning, to argue with him until she got her own way, but instead of that she simply ceased her movements and remained still. Jon also remained exactly where he was, looking at her from his slightly raised position behind her, but still she did not move or speak to him. Jon, in truth, found himself a little disappointed. He couldn’t deny how he had felt just moments ago, and a large part of him was chastising his honourable decision to stop, so when she had listened to him, for pretty much the first time since he had met her, he found that part of him had hoped she wouldn’t have.

The wind suddenly picked up, howling as it blew through the mountain peaks above. It caught Jon’s attention, causing him to turn his head and look up. It was eerily creepy out here, especially since he now knew that White Walkers roamed these lands. He was well aware of the danger, but he was not afraid; Winter is Coming. he reminded himself. The ancestral words of his family and his father always seemed to bring him strength, even in the darkest hours.

Disappointed, confused and now frustrated due to being horny, Jon Snow lowered his head onto the ground behind her, pressing his forehead against the back of her. Closing his eyes he continued to forcibly take slow and steady breaths, anything to slow the pounding of his heart. Without even realising that he was even doing it, Jon half nuzzled his head against the back of hers, moving as close to her as humanly possible; was it for the heat of just to be near her? At this point he didn’t know, perhaps both?

Nevertheless he doubted that he would sleep very much tonight, if at all. It wasn’t that he did not trust Ygritte, though he had no reason to trust her, but rather because he needed to keep watch, if they were both going to survive the night.

Word Count: 340.
Total Word Count thus far: 4, 430.