We leave the cold dark wall for....the colder, darker true North

"I will go beyond the wall", to find what I don't know, to resolve what I don't understand, to avoid what I can't live with, Lyonel completed in his head.

"Beyond? North? Where I come from and fled?", Ygritte answered with all the indignation a naked, thoroughly cum-coated and absolutely ravished woman could muster.

Lyonel knew this wouldn't come easy. He came here to find some support for his expedition, so even if Ygritte was a nice lay and would probably get hotter and more depraved if he spend more time with her in a more ... hospitable ambient, this was only the red cherry on top. The actual reason for his visit was her knowledge of the terrain and people. Both of these components among the things she ran away from to even be here. Lyonel was aware of the irony. But he had her wrapped around his dick at this point, it couldn't be that hard to aim her northward, just swinging his cock in that direction should do the trick.

"Well, when do we leave?"

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Ok, it shouldn't have been that easy. Not at all. But letting his confusion shine through might ruining the image of himself that he had just hammered inside her mind.

"Tomorrow, at noon."

"Then I'll get some sleep now and prepare myself tomorrow. Unless my lord needs more of me?", she fluttered her eyelids.

"No, get some rest and await me getting you", Lyonel redressed in a fast pace, lest his uncertainty shine through. But while leaving her make-shift prison cell, he stopped in the doorway. "Beyond, are there any trackers you trust?"

The question was vague, just as intended, so Ygritte took a few moments to process his question and answer.

"Those wildlings? All bastards if you ask me. But I guess Jourmungrad could help you. Bit of a strange fella, even more of a hermit than most others up there. I've traded some pelts with him, he has a good eye and he had some pretty stones in his hut. Pretty sure he has a good lay of the land. His hut's northeast, close to the first big curve of the Antler River. The man has a chin like a boulder, if you meet him, you'll know."

Lyonel nodded his head in thought and left. Close to the Antler River? That won't be of help.

The cold night wind greeted him when he left the tower. In contrast to the guardsmen, which were nowhere in sight. Good thing the prisoner was already looking forward to a supervised release, otherwise nothing would obstruct and escape. A release that on the other hand would still have to be negotiated. The Lord Commander did not mention his special guest to Lyonel, so he had reason to doubt that Mormont would be thrilled to discuss the topic now. The lodgings at the Wall offer no actual potential for recovery, so there was no use in further delay.

His gloved fist struck the wooden door, which gave way in an instant. From the other side Jon Snow was just leaving, bowing briskly and making a rushed exit.

"Don't mind the boy", the old bear sat near the rooms entrance and looked at Lyonel unsurprised.

"He didn't seem very pleased. The nights out here must already be grim, such a mood is bound to make it worse", he gestured to the flask on the table.

Mormont gestured to an unused cup and nodded. Lyonel refilled for both of them and took a cautious sip.

"I don't know if I've ever seen him in a different mood", the old bear smiled after a refreshing gulp, "But he means well. If only he wouldn't let the world get to him this much."

"This is why I've come to see you Lord Commander", Mormonts brows furrowed, "I might be able to ease his burden. And yours along with it."

Reminiscent of his families namesake, his paw began to rub his face and he shook the furs covering him.

"You met the woman, huh? I should have come over when I saw Enger and his boys going into the hall. For their usual refresher they just sent one and he carries enough for the rest, all of them going at once.... I hoped they'd just found a replacement for their shift."

"In their defense, I made them leave", half-lie and half-truth, " having brothers of the Nights Watch protect a wildling, on our side of the Wall none the less, is not the best of tasks for them."

"Which is the reason I resent handing out that task in the first place. Beating a wildling in a skirmish out there or killing them when they traverse the Wall, that's one thing. But she has lived under our roof, eaten our bread and salt. She's more of a guest than I'd like to admit. They should have never brought her here. She will not go North, not for the life of her. I can not kill her and I can not let her go. But she also can't stay here. The boys are getting restless, Molestown is one thing, but having that women a few feet from their cold, hard beds? That's a mutiny waiting to happen."

He looked old in that moment, more so than at their first meeting. This was not the first time he had had this conversation, that was for certain, but for his own sanity he hoped it would be the last. A silent prayer that Lyonel was more than willing to answer.

"I will take her off your hands. Your way out of this. She won't die, she won't cause mayhem in the Seven Kingdoms and most of all, she won't be setting a fire under your own roof anymore", Lyonel finished his cup and set it down on the table to set his point.

"You've met her?"

Lyonel nodded.

"You've spoken to her?"

Lyonel nodded.

"And you want to take her south?"

Lyonel nodded, even though that was not exactly the plan.

"Usually we get prisoners from the south, sending one there might be a first in Nights Watch history. A chain of events that will not appear in the annals of time I hope?"

Lyonel nodded, relieved that the two of them saw eye-to-eye. "Of course, I found her North of the Wall, took a fancy like lordlings do and insisted to bring her with me. This is not an issue of the Nights Watch any longer, I swear it."

"So be it", the Lord Commander got up from his chair and seemed to stand totally straight for the first time in an eternity. "I doubt your lordship will be happy with his decision, but my conscience will rest easier nonetheless.", he extended his hand and the two of them shook on it.

"One more thing before I leave you to your evening rest. The view from the top of the Wall is my uncles main attraction here, but if you don't mind, I'd actually like to visit the Watches Godswood."

"That's on the other side we only ride out on special occasions", he thinks it over, "I assume we can swear in a handful of the recruits a little early this time."

"Let's ride out tomorrow at noon Lord Commander, as someone used to more hospitable weather, going beyond the Wall might be least hostile when the sun is at its strongest, right?"

Not happy about it, but neither averse, he thumped his shoulders and sat back down.

"And I will take Ygritte with me, that way I'll say the truth when I say I got her back from beyond the Wall", he turned on his heel and walked to the door.

Not too fast, he'll think I'm running away. Not too slow, he'll think I leave him room to contest my choice. To contest me. Lyonel heard his heart beating so loud, any noise that wasn't full speech wouldn't have reached him anyway. So he left the room and briskly walked from the Lord Commander to his own room in the Kings Tower. Even with what felt like -30 degrees outside, his forehead had formed droplets of sweat.

Both night and morning had passed like a gush of wind. Lyonel hadn't felt the bed, the blanket or the honestly meager bits he was served as breakfast. It all paled next to what awaited him. There was something brewing up North, something neither his outside world knowledge, nor the blinks of prophecy and reminiscence he had experienced here had fully prepared him for. Or even disclosed what it was all about.

The excursion to the Godswood had surprised the people around him when the Lord Commander spread the news in the hall. The murmur of the recruits, worried about their first time outside, or the veterans, mildly bewildered about them riding out in the middle of the day and the initiation coming so early, meant little to Lyonel. But his uncle surprise moved Lyonel, especially considering he would have to lie to him.

"I know it's all moving pretty fast, I just had the idea to join them. The view up top is definitely something to behold, but how many people can claim to have gone past the edge of the world?", he tried to sell his uncle on it.

"Look around you boy, a lot of them can rightfully claim that", Lyonel internally cursed himself, he'd run into that one, "but do what feels right. I'd say you're just afraid of the height, but I wouldn't want to insult our king-to-be."

Tyrion smirked as snarky as he could and winked at his nephew.

"I wanted to see the world at dusk, but with you leaving soon, I'll head up there now. Don't say your uncle isn't having an eye on you. I promised that to my dear sister after all."

Lyonel bent down and hugged Tyrion close. He couldn't tell him the truth, but when Lyonel moves a little further North in search of Something, he will probably think his nephew ran off. Or worse.

"Huh, you spend too much time with your siblings. Try to experience something of note out there, would be a shame if I was the only one tonight with something interesting to say", he waved and left for the elevator.

If only you knew....

Shortly before the sun reached its peak a small group of recruits and the First Ranger gathered in the yard. Lyonel went to collect his prisoner to join them, only to find her already clad in black coats, skillfully obscuring her figure. The only thing left unchanged was her head.

Fully unchanged.

The ropes and ropes of cum had dried up or smeared, depending on where they had landed. Her face was still mildly coated, all of it either dried on seeped into her skin or smeared off and eaten by the seductress in question. What had landed on her hair had dried up and formed white and hardened remains.

"You can't go out like that, you look -"

"Used. Fucked. Treated right. But don't worry, I have to wear a hood anyway so that no-one sees me", she flipped said hood over and obscured her fiery locks.

She walked close to Lyonel and hushed in his ear.

"But if some Ranger gets too close, I'll just tell him it's snow. He wouldn't question that, he knows nothing."