Talia Snow

Information not TRUSTED by a raven? It was to be something quite SERIOUS, then. Lyanna nodded. This was no time to be a CHILD, not even if she longed to CLING to the older girl, to seek out some COMFORT after being alone for so long.

             “Le’s go to MY chambers, then.”

Whatever the news was, it surely was not meant to be said where OTHERS could hear. Not even if everyone in this place had been around since Lyanna had been BORN, if not before. She knew better than to RISK it. Especially when these days, far too many people seemed keen on CHANGING their loyalties.

Once SAFE inside her chambers, Lyanna settled upon her bed, legs CROSSED like the little girl she was, she looked Talia STRAIGHT in the eyes.

              “Are they SAFE?” 

Once the door of Lyanna’s chambers closed behind them, Talia took a deep breath and let it out, hoping that it would help her keep her calm. Seeing the Mormont girl climbing onto her bed made her seem incredibly young again, and despite how much she had grown up, it drove home to Talia how young she still was.

Before answering, she unwrapped her cloak from around herself and dropped it, for what felt like the first time in weeks. Maybe she could have a bath...

But instead of indulging herself in the thought, Talia looked right back at Lyanna, easing to her knees so that they were on more of a level, glancing up at the young girl.

❝ I will NOT be another flower, picked for my beauty and left to die. I will be WILD, difficult to find, and impossible to forget. ❞

a sight for sore eyes

How LONG had it been since Lyanna had seen any of her FAMILY? Oh, how she hated being left here alone. Young she MAY have been, but she had been raised to be fierce and strong, just like her sisters. 

She KNEW that someone had to stay behind. They’d told her it was JUST as important, to be the Lady of Bear Island in her mother’s stead. But it only made her feel like the WEAK LINK. 

The ought to have returned to her by now. When she’d heard word that SOMEONE had arrived, Lyanna did not waste a single second in heading out to greet them. She’d thought it might be one of her sisters, or even her mother–

She was disappointed only for a MOMENT when she saw that it was not. A smile formed on her lips as Talia greeted her, and she kept her chin held HIGH. She was still the Lady here, after all. And she would PLAY the part. 

                  “Y’came ALONE?” 

Talia knew that she wasn’t the who Lyanna wanted to see - at least not the ones she wanted to see most. And she wished she could give her that, at least one member of her blood family. But instead, she was only going to make it worse.

But this wasn’t the place for it. Not out here in the open, with the eyes of quite a few of the household on them.

“Yes, my lady,” Talia replied, the apology subtly audible in her voice, visible on her face. “Your mother sent me with information she wouldn’t trust a raven.” She didn’t need to say more to convey that it would only be something she would give voice to in absolute privacy, not to mention -

She should hear it first. About Dacey. About everything.

Dacey waved off her concerns. “Maege and Alysane are fine. It’s the younger sisters that are an issue. Every one of them throwing a fuss that Maege won’t let them leave the Island. Pretty sure Jorelle and Lyra are plotting to sneak their way into the campaign regardless of her orders. Luckily Lyanna has the sense to stay on the Island. She knows at least one Mormont has to be there.” At this point, she had no doubt Mother was fully aware of Jorelle and Lyra’s intentions to join them, and was just waiting for them to actually show up. 

Glancing to Talia, Dacey’s expression darkened a touch. “Yes, well, the North had no intention of going to war. We only marched South to retrieve Lord Stark, but with that no longer being an option…” And with Robb Stark declaring himself King to guarantee a war, here they were. “I’m simply glad you weren’t caught up in the worst of the fighting. The Mountain is roaming the Riverlands, after all. But tell me, how have you been?” 

Leading her towards the Mormont camp, a few other greetings were tossed Talia’s way, causing Dacey to grin. Planting the other woman beside the fire, she snagged them some drinks and returned to her side to hear her answer. 

Talia laughed at Dacey’s recount of her mother and sisters’s whereabouts present and, possibly, future, unsurprised. “You’re right... knowing them, they might just be on their way already. Patience has never been their forte - but that goes for all the Mormont women,” she added with a subtle but warm smile. “Lyanna must have grown considerably now, it has been a year since I last saw her.”

It was good to see a few familiar faces as they passed through the camp, making her smile widen as she returned each greeting. No one tried to divert her attention from Dacey for longer than that though, and Talia let the other woman sit her down by the fire without protest, accepting the drink she brought gratefully.

On the mainland she had left behind, it seemed like the whole world was on fire. War was raging from the North to the Crownlands, leaving burned fields, obliterated families and a new order wherever you looked. But here on Bear Island, nothing had changed. Only winter was coming, an icy wind making the crossing dangerous, waves beating mercilessly against the ship.

When Talia had solid ground under her feet again, her hair was crusted with salt and ice that started to melt only when they were out of the wind. The bear keep loomed solid and comforting, and the familiar faces warmed her heart and made it ache in similar measures.

How much had changed since the day she had left, not knowing that it would be a journey unlike all her previous ones. How long she had been away.

The sharp breath she inhaled when she saw Lyanna was one of surprise. Because nowhere else had it become obvious how much time had passed than in the youngest Mormont, how she had grown since the last time.

Dacey’s eyes stayed focused on the shirt she was mending, fingers slow and careful. No pretty embroidery for Bear Island. Women learned more applicable sewing skills. It didn’t rightly matter if you looked pretty, just that you were warm. 

While she’d had a candle for herself, she couldn’t deny the extra light helped. “Maester says we need to get more candles soon. This place is always too dark, whether there’s a storm or not.” Bloody island was going to go even poorer paying for wax. 

“Can’t imagine we’ll be leaving any time soon. So, if you wanted, you could help me with these mendings instead of staring at the sky, like a pouty child.” Dacey suggested, glancing up from her work to raise an eyebrow at Talia. 

There was a lot of truth to these words, Talia figured, a small, wry smile on her face. But having grown up on Bear Island, they were all so used to it that it registered only very rarely how short the days were, how cold and stormy the weather was. Whenever the winds were quiet and the sun came out, so did the islanders, to soak up the sun, have a swim in the rivers and take a short break from all the work that perpetually needed to be done.

At Dacey’s words, Talia turned to give her a look, though the corners of her mouth were twitching. “I would remind you that in the time you’re mending two shirts, I’m doing three,” she teased, nevertheless returning to sit back down next to Dacey and take up thread and needle again.

@wishfordawn liked for a starter

“By the Old Gods and New, is that Talia I see?” Dacey asked, lips curling into a teasing grin. It had been quite awhile since she’d seen the other woman, after all, but she was glad to see her safe. 

Besides, there was no denying that the Northern army could always use another good warrior. And Dacey knew Maege would be proud to have Talia wearing their Mormont bear in defense of King Robb. Of course, she was assuming that was Talia’s reason for appearing in camp outside of Riverrun. 

Well, such uncertainty couldn’t stand. Hooking an arm around her shoulders, Dacey pulled the other woman in close to her side, declaring, “You must tell me of your adventures in the Riverlands. And I’ll tell you about our war efforts. Deal?” 

It was an all too familiar voice that reached her ears and had Talia turn around to seek it out as she just dismounted from her horse. Her instincts already knew who it was, but it needed her gaze to fall on Dacey and actually see her coming towards her for a wide smile to spread on her face.

“Dacey,” she greeted the other woman and immediately wrapped her arm around her in return, happy and relieved to find the heir to House Mormont alive and safe.