Frozen Stone

Maranda and Jon lay in her tent beneath a heavy fur blanket, naked bodies still entangled and keeping each other warm despite the frosty morning air. After an exhausting night, they were still recuperating come late morning when Osha started shouting warnings and calling for everyone to be armed. Maranda left her peaceful sleep to hurriedly slip on an outer layer of clothing, but she didn’t have enough time to secure her armour.

“Stay here,” she whispered to Jon as he groggily sat up. She lifted her quiver and bow and leapt out of the tent, seeing the others also emerging, everyone hungover aside from Osha.

“They’re Stark men,” Ygritte grumbled as she spied the banner one of the horsemen was flying.

“There are too many, they’re coming right for us,” Osha commented, noting that they were running out of time.

“Stand ground. We won’t attack unless they do,” Maranda ordered. It was the only sane thing to do. She glanced at her tent and observed that Jon was indeed staying inside and she felt slightly relieved. Perhaps the soldiers wouldn’t find him and no trouble would come to him. As long as Ghost stayed hidden, wherever he and Umbra were, Jon should be fine. Horses came thundering to a stop around their camp, the men atop them sitting proudly as they eyed the five women with their meagre weapons in comparison to the swords they held. One of the men dismounted and Maranda directed her attention to him, stunned when she recognised him. Robb had finally found her, and he appeared very pleased to have her surrounded.

“Maranda Stone,” Robb boomed as he approached her, Osha, who was closest, steadying herself to attack with her dagger. Maranda loaded an arrow on her bow and aimed, the calvary immediately drawing their swords even though Robb didn’t flinch. “You sure have been busy since the last time we spoke.”

“And you haven’t been,” she remarked with a glare.

“Well I have been tracking you, and now I have found you,” Robb pointed out.

“How? How did you know we were here?” Maranda questioned, wondering where she had slipped up and left a trail.

“It was my brother. He led me right to you,” Robb smirked and Maranda’s face fell with disbelief. “Come on out, Jon!”

“He’s not here!” Maranda shouted back, hoping that Jon would hear her and stay put. A few moments later she heard some of the horsemen dismounting and she risked a look behind her, seeing that they were moving to Jon’s side. He had emerged from the tent in only pants and was unarmed, his exposed torso revealing how tense and anxious he was.

“I’m here! Just get this over and done with!” Jon called and Maranda felt crushed by his betrayal. She swiftly turned, diverting her focus from Robb and onto Jon, pulling the arrow taut. Before she could let it loose, she was tackled to the ground and the man shackled her hands behind her back. Winded from the blow, she stayed still as she attempted to recover, face pressed into the dirt as she watched her companions being thrown about by the men and detained. After they were tossed into a prisoner’s carriage, Maranda stared at Jon as he dressed while his brother spoke with him.

“I’ll kill him myself,” Ygritte growled as she also watched on. “I thought he was a good man, I really did.”

“And after last night,” Osha agreed with clenched fists and a scowl. “He should know not to piss a woman off, let alone five of them. We can take turns causing him pain.”

“No,” Maranda interrupted as the carriage began to head for Winterfell. The others stared at her with confusion. “If anyone’s hurting him, it will be me.”