Frozen Stone

Maranda sat before a bucket, angrily skinning a potato with a blunt knife she wasn’t allowed to sharpen. So far her duties had consisted of lighting fires and polishing armour, and at this rate, she was going to be in debt for a long time.

“If you don’t watch it, you’ll cut yourself,” the woman next to Maranda advised. She threw the potato into a pot and picked up a new one.

“I know my way around a blade,” Maranda replied with a scowl.

“I noticed,” the brunette stated. “What did you do? Why is a lady with her fancy clothes and pretty hair doing the kitchen work?”

“It’s Maranda,” she said, introducing herself and enforcing that she wasn’t a lady. “I stole from the proud Lord of Winterfell. Yourself?”

“Osha, and I attacked the little Lord years ago. It was a mistake. Us Free Folk don’t know much about the lords below the Wall, you see,” Osha explained and Maranda raised her eyebrows, her body perking up with interest. Instead of blurting out a statement about her Wildling heritage, Maranda decided to remain composed and not accidentally insult the woman.

“Since you’ve been here for a while, do you have any tips on how to quickly earn fifteen Gold Dragons?” Maranda wondered and Osha glanced over her shoulder at Theon who had been keeping watch of the prisoners and nibbling on the food when he thought no one was looking.

“Best bet would be to fuck him. I bet he’d pay one a night for someone new. He’s already bored with the whores in Winterfell,” she replied with a smirk.

“He seems like the kind of man who’d pay me fourteen Gold Dragons, and then Coppers from then on,” Maranda remarked and the two shared a laugh. Noticing that a form of friendship had been established, Maranda prepared herself to press further. “I bet you know your way around this place too. Are there any easy ways out of here?”

“I wouldn’t bother if I were you. Life ain’t that bad here,” Osha shrugged and a tiny smile crept onto Maranda’s thin lips.

“I came from nothing, and now look at me. I own stunning clothes, stay at nice taverns on my travels, and you should see my wonderfully crafted bow,” she whispered, enticing Osha at the mention of a beautiful weapon.

“How? You steal from the lords and ladies?” the Wildling wondered and Maranda grinned.

“Yes. I’ve been doing it for years and this is the first time I’ve been punished for doing so.”

“Well that’s very impressive,” Osha said rather dismissively, so Maranda leaned in closer.

“I could do with a partner like you. You clearly know how to use a blade well, and I bet you’re proficient with other weapons too. You could take us both out of here, and then we’ll live rich lives together,” Maranda offered and Osha snorted.

“And we’d travel merrily around Westeros robbing the rich and spending their gold?” she said sarcastically but Maranda nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, of course. That’s what I’ve been doing,” she replied and Osha hesitated, sensing her genuine tone.

“I’ll have to think about it,” Osha mumbled before focusing back on the potato in her hand. Maranda smiled to herself, hoping that it was only a matter of time before her persuasive words sunk in.