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The night was cold, with the crisp breeze and a few small snowflakes here and there. After a while, the sky cleared and the full moon shining above them made everything even more beautiful. The dancing and chanting, the clapping. The ale passing around from hand to hand, the kids running around the fire. Val loved when they could just celebrate how they used to. And nothing better to celebrate than the birth of a beautiful healthy babe. Well, of course, Rhaon Purple Eye would turn everything into an oportunity to drink and dance, but the birth of his expected and beloved little boy was a good enough reason to everybody.
Val's eyes wandered around, from bearded face to another, while sipping her ale. For what she has heard, he was still working on his cabin a few miles away, further down into the forest. Just him and Ghost, the Direwolf. Sometimes, when she took her mare for a ride she would see the beast lurking around in the woods, her poor mare always almost had a heart attack everytime he came closer to say hello. But Jon was never there, or at least, she never saw him there anyways.
She decided to walk around, filling up her cup, she made her way throught the crowd, smiling to everyone she knew along her way to a quieter place. Near the settlement, not even a ten minute walk, there was a river. In the cold nights like this one, some parts of it was almost frozen. But it was gorgeous, especially when the moon reflected on the water like a painting of the Old Gods. Distracted by her daydreaming, she almost didn't notice the crackling noise that came from behind her. Almost.
Quickly, she turned around, hand on her knife, her ale spilled over the rocks by the riverbed. And there it was.
Ghost, as huge and white as ever, looking directly at her with his blood colored eyes. Beside him was Jon Snow.
Pulling her knife back, Val got closer.
"You owe me a cup of ale, Lord Crow."
He almost broke a smile.
"Didn't expect you here." he said, his voice always low, rough. Why he was always so distant?
"I didn't expect you here." she wanted to say, but what left her mouth was:
"Why not? I know the babe's father since I was a child. How long have you been around?"
Her tone was rude but she meant no harm.
He rolled his eyes.
"I meant here, at the riverside. What were you doing here by yourself while the feast is all over there?"
"Drinking..." she looked down at her cup. "I was, at least. I was also daydreaming...Looking for some silence."
Jon frowned, his mouth opening for a new question.
"Why do you ask? Actually, why all the questions? You got interested in my life now for some reason, Lord Crow?"
She interrupted.
There was a minute of silence. Broken only by Ghost making his way back to the forest where they came from. Almost unnoticed mixed with the sounds of the water rolling down the river.
"Why are you here, Jon? It's been like what? A year? Maybe more since you came close to the village?" she tried to study his face.
"Aye, I am keeping myself busy." he answered, looking not at her, but at the moon reflection on the icy water.
"The Cabin. I heard."
Now he looked at her.
"You did?"
"Aye." she nodded. "Tormund." they said together, looking at each other only to smile lightly.
"He told me where you were and what you were up to. Since you dissapeared or whatever. And you know, since Queen Sansa married." her voice was a bit lower when speaking her name.
Val saw him clench his burnt hand over and over again before answering.
"About that... " the hesitation to continue the sentence made it clear he decided not to go foward with that subject. So he changed it. "And... about that night, Val I..."
For some reason, that hurt. The look of sadness in his face, his eyes, his mouth always frowned. Val was scared Jon Snow froze insjde.
He was sorry, of course he was. The full of self pitty and hatred Jon Snow. She wasn't sorry, tough, she wasn't. Yes, they were drunk. Yes, it was to soon for him. Yes, she should stop thinking about it so often.
She decided to shut him off.
"Don't. "
The silence was upon them again. Heavy and cold this time. So different from how they would feel about each other's company in the past.
" I wish I could make you happy" he said so quietly she barely heard.
" I'll be here when you allow yourself to try."
Not waiting for an answer or a reaction, Val picked up her cup and walked back to the celebration, wishing for way more ale than before. Craving not only what the alcohol could make her remember, but also what it could make her forget.