(no subject)
Whatever was watching her had been there several days.
Ygritte found it a surprising comfort, to know there were eyes upon her in the night, in the late evening and early morning. If it had wanted to kill her, she was sure that it would have tried already. Be it man or beast, it had simply watched her for the past week and a half.
It followed her, too. Ygritte had been moving her small camp with alarming irregularity in the past month, even staying on the second island at times. Her dear goat had been put in the herd with the others, but not without strong words about the danger of eating the creature.
Sometimes she fancied that they were the eyes of Mance. No doubt he was ashamed of what she'd become, soft and tame. Easily kept and apathetic to what passed by her. If it was him, she hoped he would come out soon, and challenge her. Better to die at the end of his sword than live like a kept person, like those that had taken her people.
She moved deep into the dinosaur's territory, in hopes of encouraging the watcher out with solitude. Here, she listened for voices as well, the long-quieted Children of the Forest. She kept hope that she might become lost if she wandered enough, even on this small island.
It came to the night she laid out a fresh kill at her camp, an offering that the watcher might finally come forward and be seen. Ygritte crept into a tree, allowing herself to doze in the deepest part of the night, waiting. At dawn she was not disappointed, soft crunching sounds combining with the warmth of the sun on her face to wake her.
She slid along the branch to look; it was no man, but a large cat. A rich orange, shades lighter than her hair but not so different, striped with black. It had the look of a creature not grown into its own skill, little more than a child of whatever species. She admired the large paws that would let it pad easily over snow, a strong jaw that already snapped bone. Had this been hunting her?
Ygritte was spared further thought by the sound of another predator through the trees, one of the large hunting dinosaurs. It roared, apparently having been attracted by the smell of spilled blood, and looked none too pleased at the feline devouring the carcass. Ygritte saw all the signs of the attack as they were readied, the tensing of the muscles and the spill of hot saliva down the leathery neck.
The cool, apathetic voice that had become so familiar to her over the past months was clear enough on what she should do. Far be it from her to interfere with nature. Likely, that cat had been planning to make her its dinner. Return to civilization and become one of them. Give up the life of a wildling completely, and live in the intricacies of half-truths and stunted passion.
There was a hiss, and she saw that the cat knew its time was short. Great snapping jaws grew closer and closer, and for a minute horrifying in its shame, Ygritte thought she might turn away her face.
"What has happened to me?" she whispered. And in the sudden anger and hot passion she felt rise in her stomach, she had her answer. She let out a deep cry and drew her knife from her side. It was but a long hunting knife, and yet it was sharp and clean.
Ygritte leaped from her tree branch and onto the dinosaur's back, scrabbling for purchase with her nails and knees. The creature, of course, shrieked and tried to throw her off, even as she plunged the knife into its throat. Hot blood coursed over her hands, but only for a moment as she was thrown to the ground.
She lay a moment, stunned, until she heard the tiny chirrup of the cat beside her. Ah, she had stated this, and she would finish it. Ygritte crawled and slid under the giant lizard thing, and felt for the taut cord of it's heel. Her knife found trouble slicing through those cords, but when it was done, the dinosaur crashed to the ground, nearly flattening her.
Bruised and dirty, she scrambled up its shoulder and crouched, opening up the jugular and watching it spray the trees. The beast beneath her roared itself into the arms of death, and Ygritte felt a rush of victory that she had not known in ages. She slipped from her spot and wiped her knife on her clothes.
The cat, so much smaller compared to the dinosaur, made another sound, and returned its attention to the little rabbit carcass that had caused so much trouble. When Ygritte looked more closely, she could see that it wore some sort of leather strap of a collar, a paper sticking out. She reached out and plucked the parchment, recognizing the letters on it that she was told made up her name.
"I'll be damned," she said quietly. "Well, y'don't belong t'me, for I shall not ask ownership. But y'might still be a good companion." Overcome with emotion, with the fierce sense of freedom and rightness, she reached out to the cooling corpse and wet her fingers with blood. She smeared a bold line across each cheek, and down her forehead and nose.
She was a wildling again, and she swore not to be parted from it anymore.
[Taggees will find a bruised and dirty Ygritte, painted with dino blood, sitting beside a young tiger. She can be still by the dinosaur, or you may find the two on the beach on that side of the island.]
Ygritte found it a surprising comfort, to know there were eyes upon her in the night, in the late evening and early morning. If it had wanted to kill her, she was sure that it would have tried already. Be it man or beast, it had simply watched her for the past week and a half.
It followed her, too. Ygritte had been moving her small camp with alarming irregularity in the past month, even staying on the second island at times. Her dear goat had been put in the herd with the others, but not without strong words about the danger of eating the creature.
Sometimes she fancied that they were the eyes of Mance. No doubt he was ashamed of what she'd become, soft and tame. Easily kept and apathetic to what passed by her. If it was him, she hoped he would come out soon, and challenge her. Better to die at the end of his sword than live like a kept person, like those that had taken her people.
She moved deep into the dinosaur's territory, in hopes of encouraging the watcher out with solitude. Here, she listened for voices as well, the long-quieted Children of the Forest. She kept hope that she might become lost if she wandered enough, even on this small island.
It came to the night she laid out a fresh kill at her camp, an offering that the watcher might finally come forward and be seen. Ygritte crept into a tree, allowing herself to doze in the deepest part of the night, waiting. At dawn she was not disappointed, soft crunching sounds combining with the warmth of the sun on her face to wake her.
She slid along the branch to look; it was no man, but a large cat. A rich orange, shades lighter than her hair but not so different, striped with black. It had the look of a creature not grown into its own skill, little more than a child of whatever species. She admired the large paws that would let it pad easily over snow, a strong jaw that already snapped bone. Had this been hunting her?
Ygritte was spared further thought by the sound of another predator through the trees, one of the large hunting dinosaurs. It roared, apparently having been attracted by the smell of spilled blood, and looked none too pleased at the feline devouring the carcass. Ygritte saw all the signs of the attack as they were readied, the tensing of the muscles and the spill of hot saliva down the leathery neck.
The cool, apathetic voice that had become so familiar to her over the past months was clear enough on what she should do. Far be it from her to interfere with nature. Likely, that cat had been planning to make her its dinner. Return to civilization and become one of them. Give up the life of a wildling completely, and live in the intricacies of half-truths and stunted passion.
There was a hiss, and she saw that the cat knew its time was short. Great snapping jaws grew closer and closer, and for a minute horrifying in its shame, Ygritte thought she might turn away her face.
"What has happened to me?" she whispered. And in the sudden anger and hot passion she felt rise in her stomach, she had her answer. She let out a deep cry and drew her knife from her side. It was but a long hunting knife, and yet it was sharp and clean.
Ygritte leaped from her tree branch and onto the dinosaur's back, scrabbling for purchase with her nails and knees. The creature, of course, shrieked and tried to throw her off, even as she plunged the knife into its throat. Hot blood coursed over her hands, but only for a moment as she was thrown to the ground.
She lay a moment, stunned, until she heard the tiny chirrup of the cat beside her. Ah, she had stated this, and she would finish it. Ygritte crawled and slid under the giant lizard thing, and felt for the taut cord of it's heel. Her knife found trouble slicing through those cords, but when it was done, the dinosaur crashed to the ground, nearly flattening her.
Bruised and dirty, she scrambled up its shoulder and crouched, opening up the jugular and watching it spray the trees. The beast beneath her roared itself into the arms of death, and Ygritte felt a rush of victory that she had not known in ages. She slipped from her spot and wiped her knife on her clothes.
The cat, so much smaller compared to the dinosaur, made another sound, and returned its attention to the little rabbit carcass that had caused so much trouble. When Ygritte looked more closely, she could see that it wore some sort of leather strap of a collar, a paper sticking out. She reached out and plucked the parchment, recognizing the letters on it that she was told made up her name.
"I'll be damned," she said quietly. "Well, y'don't belong t'me, for I shall not ask ownership. But y'might still be a good companion." Overcome with emotion, with the fierce sense of freedom and rightness, she reached out to the cooling corpse and wet her fingers with blood. She smeared a bold line across each cheek, and down her forehead and nose.
She was a wildling again, and she swore not to be parted from it anymore.
[Taggees will find a bruised and dirty Ygritte, painted with dino blood, sitting beside a young tiger. She can be still by the dinosaur, or you may find the two on the beach on that side of the island.]