Tormund frowned as the words on the page danced in front of him. He glanced up at you and you gave him a soft smile. "You can do it, Tormund," you assured him. Looking back down, Tormund opened his mouth and began stuttering out the words in front of him. "Great!" you praised, clapping your hands and making the Wildling grin. For weeks now, you'd been teaching him to read and write properly and he finally felt like he was beginning to make progress. Not only with learning, but also with you.

When the two of you had first met, you really didn't care for one another. You thought Tormund was a savage beast because that's how you'd grown up thinking of Wildlings and Tormund thought you were a stuck-up lady, just another pretty face with nothing in your head. You both now happily admitted you were wrong. Tormund may have been savage in some ways, but really he was the most brave and loyal man you'd ever met. Not only that, but he made you laugh even when things looked bleak. And Tormund now saw that you were beautiful inside on top of being lovely on the outside. He learned that you were fairly intelligent and as courageous as any of the Free Folk. You both fell in love quickly. More quickly than you thought possible.

"I think you've earned a break for today, Tormund," you told him and he nodded. "Good. Now, how's about I teach ya how ta handle that sword of yers, love?" You giggled. "Let's go." In exchange for teaching Tormund to read and write, he taught you how to fight, both with the sword and hand-to-hand combat. Really it was just an excuse to spend more time with you. A chance to get to know you better and fall further in love with you...And a chance to admire your figure without being called out on it.

By the time you finished your training that day, you were coated in a thin layer of sweat, but you didn't care. You were getting close to being able to best Tormund and you were determined to get to that point. "Yer gettin' better." You beamed at him. "Thank you, Tormund. I have a great teacher." Tormund was about to reply when Jon appeared. "Tormund, I need you inside for a moment." Tormund fought the urge to roll his eyes and nodded curtly. He turned to you once more and gave an exaggerated bow. "My lady." You laughed at his foolishness before you shooed him away.

You didn't see Tormund again for the rest of the day and, when you did, you could tell something was off with him. He ambled into the library where you usually were in the evenings, his head hung low. "Tormund? What's troubling you?" He looked up at you with those bright blue eyes. "Yer brother's sendin' me away. Ta Eastwatch by the Sea." Your heart sank to your feet. You didn't want him to leave, especially not now when you might never see him again. "Oh," was all you managed to say.

"I want ya ta come with me, but it's not safe." You nodded. "I know it isn't. Winterfell is the safest place for me right now. But I will miss you." The tone of your voice was enough to make Tormund's heart break. "Tormund..." He cocked his head to the side and waited for you to continue, "I love you." The red-headed Wildling chuckled softly. "I love ya, too." You didn't smile, which worried him, and you looked deep in thought. "T-Tormund, I don't want you to go, though I know you have to. But I have a request before you leave me." Tormund nodded. "Anything fer ya, Y/N." You finally smiled a little. "Marry me."

Needless to say, that wasn't what Tormund was expecting. "Ya want me ta marry ya?" You nodded. "Yer brother would kill us. Well, he'd try ta." Your head dropped. "I just don't want you going off with the chance of dying without being bound to you. Without being yours in every way. I understand if you don't want to, but I know we both love each other." You began to ramble and Tormund rolled his eyes. "Enough of that. If that's what ya want, of course I'll marry ya. Get a little bit of Free Folk in ya before I go." You snorted out a laugh at his crude humor.

That night, you met Tormund just outside the gates of Winterfell with a septon. The two of you were married and the marriage was consummated in secret. And a few days later, you watched him ride away with a heavy heart. "He'll return," Jon told you. He knew how you felt about Tormund. Tormund kept casting glances back at you and you had to fight the tears in your eyes. "I know he will, Jon. He wouldn't leave me forever," you replied as Tormund's form began fading in the distance. "He would leave his wife for longer than he had to," you whispered, turning to walk back inside. You weren't even sure Jon heard you until he said, "Did you say his wife?" You ignored your half-brother and entered the warmth of the castle, praying that Tormund would return to your arms soon.