"If the Lord Commander was so desperate for this winter feast could he not have come out to get the food himself?" Jon complained as he dredged high-kneed through the heavy blanket of snow. The Night's Watch eagerly awaited the night long ale fueled feast, but that was a few miles and a hard night of hunting away. "This is impossible." His weathered eyes scanned the desolate plane in front of him, the usual methods proved frivolous as prints that would normally litter the bases of the giant trees disappeared almost twice as quickly as they appeared.

"We do what the Lord Commander dictates, do you think I want to be here when we could be anywhere else but?" Jon sniggered and raised the collar of his coat up to his nose, covering his blue-tinted lips and white-speckled beard. You and Jon kept your hands lightly wrapped around your bow as you walked through, it had been two days since you had seen even a glimpse of other life and as such the typical threats of bears, wolves and stag were nowhere to be seen.

"At least we get some time away from the Watch, I know it was my choice to join but I'm glad we get this time apart from camp to bond." You caught a sly glimpse from him as you walked ever so slightly behind. "I just don't know what to expect when we return to Mormont empty handed, our heads will adorn the outskirts on pikes."

"Don't be so dramatic." Your chilled fingers twitched on the notch of your bow and your ears perked as a feint rustling could be heard under the layers of snow. Jon must have heard it too as within moments an arrow was set and pulled back.

"Did you catch where that came from?" He asked, knowing that just because it was hibernation season, the regular dangers of this part of the forest could still be lurking in hollowed trees and in deep snow pits. "Just stay focused." He responded swiftly to your silence, the crunching grew in power and quantity and now it felt as if piercing eyes sat focused heavily on your throats.

"Maybe we should not have insisted so heavily on venturing out just the two of us."

"These things happen." Jon's eyes darted from tree to tree, a shrewd smirk crept upon his face as his arrow released and hurtled into the abyss.

~*~

Written by Aaron.