Tormund stood, leaned in to Raya, her back to a tree and he looked around her before looking over his shoulder. He had dragged her away as soon as he could. He partially needed to explain to her to keep her mouth shut and he partially just needed to be close to her. The contact seemed to calm him. She looked up at him and she took a quick breath that made him want to make her breathless in more ways than one.

He ignored the urge.

"In the way of the Free Folk we are married," Tormund said simply, "Jon was your kin and I took you from him. You haven't slit my throat in my sleep so I think that makes a union," he watched Raya open her mouth and decided to just cut her off, "Styr was looking at you like you were something to be eaten, very literally, I may add," he scoffed and shook his head, "I fucking hate Thenns," he growled under his breath, "and I said what was said and I stand beside it. Thenns have laws and lords and all of that frilly crap that they have on your side of your wall. They respect things like marriage," Tormund stood up a little and looked around Raya again, "when it suits them," he added.

"And you think it suits Styr?"

"He's a cunt and he likes to piss me off, but he won't cause that kind of trouble when he's decided to follow Mance to the wall. He can hold off on it."

"Why would someone like Styr follow someone else?"

"Mance beat the crap out of him three times."

"Styr?" Raya's eyes widened.

"Yes," Tormund said simply, "and he agreed to fall in line," he sighed, "Raya, stay out of Styr's way," he grabbed her chin in his hand, "please," he let his thumb trace across her cheek and resisted the urge to kiss her when her eyes fluttered shut, "for me."

"I'll try," Raya breathed, her eyes still shut.

"Swear it."

"I swear it," she opened her eyes and looked up at him, "to the Old Gods and the New."

Tormund nodded once and then they stood in silence. They stood in silence and they breathed.

"Raya-"

"Thank you," she blurted and Tormund was genuinely caught off guard and his face showed such an emotion, "for sparing Jon," she clarified, "I- You-," she cleared her throat, "It means a lot to me and thank you."

Tormund nodded once.

"If I come face to face with that boy again and he draws a sword I am going to cut him down like a damned tree," he watched Raya close her eyes and take a breath, "but that doesn't mean I don't care about you, Stark. It's self preservation."

"I know," her voice came out quietly and Tormund lifted her chin more firmly.

"That doesn't mean that I don't care about you," he repeated.

Raya nodded in to his hand and he leaned in to her as if out of his control. He leaned down and he prepared for the contact that had begun to litter his waking and sleeping hours all the same and when Raya turned her head to the side he planted the kiss meant for her lips to the side of her head and then he sighed and released her face. He took a step back and Raya dug her shoe in to the ground.

"I'm sorry," she put her stray strands of hair behind her ears, "Tormund-"

"It's okay little Stark," he chuckled and held his hands up, "It's okay," he repeated and he took another step backwards, "Just be careful around the Thenns."

She nodded and Tormund headed off and in to the trees without another word. Raya almost called after him… almost. But instead she pulled her hair free and she took a deep breath and she made her way back to camp where she collapsed in front of a small fire and tried to gather her thoughts.

She was wedged between several men, many of them common faces she had seen several times over and the others strange; Thenns. She pretended not to notice. She spoke to the people that spoke to her and she quickly realized that she appreciated the dark humor of the Thenns, despite what Tormund said.

She thought that it was disgusting that they ate people. It was savage and horrible, but she had learned quickly on this side of the wall not to speak on things that she did not understand. While they did, in fact, eat people they were also the only clan that had laws and lords and regulations. They were both the most savage and the most developed. They were the only clan that could manipulate bronze and they were some of the most disciplined and skilled killers on this side of the wall. That was interesting.

Her heart dropped when she realized a member of the Thenn clan was looking at her, his arm brushing against hers.

"What?" she looked at him and her thoughts fell apart.

"Tormund's wife?" he checked.

"Raya," she nodded once.

"Sigorn," he responded and then he looked back ahead to speak to someone in front of them.

He didn't speak to her for the rest of the night.

X

Sigorn looked like his father. He was tall and lean and clear shaven and bald with grey eyes and a straight nose. He wore bronze scale armor and a helm and had a weirwood spear with a bronze head that he never moved without.

Raya noticed him.

He noticed Raya.

And Tormund noticed the two of them noticing each other.

Raya was not smitten with Sigorn in the slightest. She simply appreciated that he was everything that Tormund was not. There was nothing wrong with Tormund, but she didn't need to be reminded of him and Sigorn was his parallel opposite in appearance and in the way he carried himself. Sigorn carried himself above every one else, whereas Tormund was seemingly friendly with everyone he came across… except the Thenns.

Sigorn appreciated that Raya merely existed. She didn't waver under his gaze and she didn't seem deterred by the fact that his father, Styr had laid out a body part on a flame before her and her people… if he could consider them her people. They didn't seem fond of her. He appreciated that she didn't speak until spoken to.

They sat side by side in silence for a total of five nights.

They just seemed to gravitate that way. They never initially started the night side by side. It would be late in the night before they ended up beside each other. Sigorn would greet her as 'Tormund's wife' and Raya would respond with 'Sty's son' and that was where their conversations ended normally… until it didn't.

Raya was sure that she was hearing things when Sigorn looked at her long and hard and then spoke.

"They tell me you're a warg. Are you?" his gaze burned in to the side of her head and she turned to take the onslaught straight on.

"Maybe," she wasn't sure if she was supposed to tell anyone about her gift.

"Is that why Tormund married you? To secure a warg after they lost the last one?"

"Maybe," she would never say that Jon was her brother and that he had killed the last one and that Tormund was forced to marry her by technically stopping her from an escape she wanted no parts in.

"Is that all you can say?

"Maybe," Raya smirked at his amused tone and Sigorn chuckled but then turned back to other people and Raya found herself starring at his side profile.

X

Jon woke up with a headache that he knew was not from blood loss. He couldn't very well deal with this. He had gone on the wrong side of the wall. He had fallen in to the bed with Ygritte why his father and brother were being beheaded. His father's wife was killed. His unborn niece or nephew and the sister-by-law he never knew had been killed. Sansa was to wed Joffrey the little cunt. Bran and Rickon were prisoners in their own home and Arya… Arya was nowhere to be found.

Jon closed his eyes and he took a deep breath. Bran and Rickon were children. They were prisoners of war in their own home, Bran bedridden. He had caused all of this. He had left them all unattended. If he hadn't sworn the black he would have been left to guard Winterfell under the guise of watching the two youngest Starks. He would have killed Theon. If it came to Rickon and Bran or Theon, he would have killed him with no hesitation. Theon. Jon clenched his jaw. He had thought Theon close to him. They had been outcasts together. Jon unclenched his jaw. They were nothing alike.

If he wasn't at the wall he could have given Robb advice. He could have talked him in to… nothing. Jon killed the thought instantly. He would never be able to get Robb to hide the woman he loved and he would never have been able to talk Robb out of marrying that woman. He could have done something.

He could have saved him… or at least died at his side.

Jon took a deep breath that made his shoulder ache and he sat up in his bed. He rubbed his am and groaned at the feeling. Tormund and Ygritte had really done a number on him. They had both chosen not to kill him. He knew that it was a choice. He had watched Ygritte shoot animals yards and yards away in their very eye. She could have killed him if she wanted to. And Tormund… he loved Raya and that was beginning to look like a blessing. While his family fell apart and in to the hands of people who could hurt them, Raya was left with Tormund who would die before something happened to her… and he planned on betraying them.

Jon fell back in to his bedding. Ned and Robb and Arya were gone. He had Sansa and Rickon and Bran who were prisoners and he had Raya… rough around the edges and strong willed… and free. Raya was the only one of them that was free and for the first time ever he was thankful for that.

He closed his eyes.

He prayed that she stayed that way.

He thought about Rickon and Bran and he thought about if he could help the free folk and get them to help Winterfell but he knew it would never be more than a thought. They would never get involved in northern politics and he couldn't very well get them through the wall if they did agree. That wasn't his choice and he would be on trial for his own betrayal soon enough. The Night's Watch would pass judgement on him for the killing of a brother and for the lying down he'd done with Ygritte.

He touched the bandage on his leg instinctively. The head of the arrow hadn't even gone in all the way.

He missed her, Ygritte, who hadn't killed him even when he'd shattered her heart.

X

Tormund threw back some ale and laughed at his idiot sons. They were amusing to no end. Toregg and Torwynd agreed on very little and their argument of the night was an idiotic pursuit that neither of them wanted to cave in on. He watched, seated beside Ygritte who was attempting to be around living, breathing people.

She seemed to be finding her way back and even if she was faking it Tormund was just happy that she cared enough to even try to fake it. She and Raya seemed to be adapting.

Raya.

She was a common occurrence around Toregg who doted on her to no end and surprisingly enough, Sigorn. She was not liked by spearwives but it seemed that the male population of the free folks accepted her no matter what clan they happened to come from.

He paused, his smile on his lips when he heard it, Raya's laugh. He resisted the urge to look in her direction and when she spoke again he knew that the light chuckled that followed belong to Sigorn.

Tormund focused on the conversation before him even when he knew Ygritte was staring at him. She nudged him lightly and he pretended not to notice.

He had talked to Raya. He had told her that they were married… in a way… and she had shown him that she needed more time. He would never attempt to pressure her in to something. He knew that he wanted her. That was simple. He also knew that he had all but taken her kin's arm off and while he understood that it was a necessity and he very well knew that any spearwife would agree, he also knew that Raya was not a spearwife. She was raised differently and if she wanted to shun him that was her decision.

That did not mean that he would not be keeping an eye on her. It just meant that he was giving her the freedom to make her own decisions. Even if they were in an intentional union, on this side of the wall Raya Stark was a free woman. She was free to converse and laugh with whoever she damn well pleased.

He simply had to remind himself of that… often.

X

Raya ran her hands through her hair as she dipped it in to water. Her hair was an oily mess that she could do absolutely nothing with. She dipped it again and then rung it out before running her fingers through the tangled mess that it was yet again. She sighed and leaned back on the rock she was seated on.

Ghost and River lapped up water as she watched and attempted to pat her hair in to submission. The tie she had been using had finally given out and she was irritated beyond measure.

She spun around and nearly rolled her eyes when Signor entered the clearing. He had become a sort of friend, a protector even. They talked rarely, but they did communicate. He shook his head no when people of his clan approached her as if they would harm her and they reneged almost instantly. He sat beside her on purpose now and although he rarely spoke when not spoken to, he spoke to her, when they were alone anyway and to Raya that was quite an accomplishment.

He looked at her, up and down and up again and he smirked and Raya flung her hair back and shot him a look. He simply shrugged in return. She was learning to talk to him without talking. He walked over and he grabbed a piece of her hair and lifted it.

"My hair tie is no longer of use," she said simply.

Signor shook his head as if he couldn't believe she had said such a foolish thing. And then, he freed a dagger and grabbed a piece of cloth. Raya watched him cut away one strip expertly and then he collected her hair and quickly braided it, tying the thin strip of cloth in to a sort of knot at the end.

Raya flipped her braid over her shoulder.

"Thank you."

He raised an eyebrow and then collapsed beside her. He ran a hand over River, who had taken quite a liking to him. Raya scratched behind Ghost's ear for him to not fall in to jealousy and they sat in silence. They did that often.

"Why Tormund?" was Signor's question of the day.

He typically asked one to two and answered only one for Raya in return.

"Why Tormund what?" Raya feigned confusion and Signor shot her a look, "He makes me a better me," she watched Signor roll his eyes, "Tormund set me free," she tried again, "He sees me as strong and independent and he believes that I can handle myself and does not belittle me when I can not."

"Hm," Signor grunted, "He dislikes me."

"You think so?" Raya thought about it.

From what she could understand he disliked all Thenns but she didn't think that was appropriate to say.

"He thinks I'm smitten with you," Signor began to scratch River, "It's hilarious really."

"Have you ever been in love?" Raya asked softly.

"No."

"Would you like to?"

"No."

"Why not?" Signor shrugged, "Do you eat people like your father?" she decided to press her luck.

Signor smirked and then he stood to his feet without answering. She watched him shed his shirt and then his pants and she averted her eyes until she heard the splash that meant he had leaped in to the water. She looked back at him, his body covered.

"You aren't going to answer, are you?" she checked and then chuckled when he dunked his head beneath water and then popped back up, "Your father is a cunt," she added.

"He is," Signor agreed and then Raya watched him dunk his head again, "The free folks told me of your brother's actions and Tormund letting him run off," Sigorn looked at her and slightly tilted his head to the side, "I won't share that with my father," he said to Raya's shocked expression, "The two of you don't talk much and avoid the other's touch at all cost," he smirked knowingly, "but he watches you when he thinks you won't notice."

"He does?" Raya asked a little to excitedly and Sigorn raised an eyebrow eloquently.

"You aren't his normal type."

"Excuse me?"

"Tormund," he clarified.

"And why is that?"

"You tell me, warg."

Raya opened her mouth and then closed it.

"Goodnight, Signor,"

"Are the two of you really married?" was his second question.

"We are," Raya agreed.

"Hm," Sigorn looked around absently, "Sleep well Wife of Tormund," he said simply.

"Son of Styr," she retorted back and Sigorn winked and then turned his back to her.

Raya nodded once at that and then called for River and Ghost and made her way back to camp.

She held open the flap of her tent for them to file in and then she went in search of Tormund.

She missed him. She truly did. She missed his loud booming voice and she missed that laugh that accompanied almost every sentence and the way he folded himself in half so that he could be closer to her height to speak to her. Being around Signor was a reminder of what people that were not Tormund were like. She found herself justifying his actions because she missed him so much. Jon would be fine. Ygritte said it and Tormund said it and she had seen him ride off. He had to be fine. Tormund had chosen not to kill him. That had to stand for something. It just had to mean something. He had given her what little he could, given the situation.

She found him with his sons. They had all gathered together in his tent and when she walked in, it was Toregg that smiled at her and hit her on the back with more force than necessary.

"Tormund," she said his name softly and took a deep breath.

And when he turned around she crashed in to his arms without an explanation and he hugged her back without asking for one.

X

Tormund woke up with Raya in the crook of his arm, her back flat against the ground, one of her hands thrown out to the side and the other lifted in to his hair.

She had crashed in to him and he had hugged her and she had cried. She had cried and he had let her and his sons had excused themselves and quickly left the two of them alone and Tormund had mentally prepared himself for a complicated talk that never came.

It was Raya that initiated their kiss and it was Raya that led them in to the lovemaking that had followed after, an achingly slow process that had ended when she'd began to shake and collapsed in to him.

And now they were here.

He took her in and he propped himself up on one of his arms. He looked around his tent. River and Ghost had found their way inside and they each laid on either side of the flap. He didn't bother with shooing them away. He looked down at Raya, her eyes shut lightly and he took in the way her chest moved up and down.

They were fixed.

He hoped they were fixed that was.

He pushed her hair back and out of the way and he took in her face. He touched her cheek and he let his hand travel up to her hairline and then he stroked back down the side of her face. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. She had relatively small ears ad he let his pointer finger trace the curve. He touched her eyebrows and her slightly pointed nose. She was beautiful. She amazed him. Tormund ran a finger over her still plump lips and he paused when Raya broke in to a grin. He lifted an eyebrow when her eyes fluttered open.

"How long have you been awake?" he checked.

"A while," she yawned.

"You could have stopped me."

"You were enjoying yourself," she stretched lazily.

"I was studying your face," Tormund said gruffly.

"You were tracing my face," she shot back.

"Aye," he smiled down at her and Raya returned the gesture before sitting up quickly, planting a kiss to his lips and then rolling on to her stomach.

"Are we okay?" she asked simply and Tormund ran his finger tips from the back of her neck down to her waist and then stretched his hand across the skin there.

"If you say we are," he leaned down and kissed the back of her shoulder.

"You aren't mad at me?" she checked.

"No."

She nodded and Tormund planted another kiss to her shoulder. She looked up at him, set a hand on his chest and pushed lightly. He collapsed on to his back.

"If you were not forced to marry me do you think it would have happened one day anyway?"

"I reckon it would have," Tormund looked straight up at the top of his tent while Raya watched his face.

"If Styr did not ask you about me would you have even acknowledged the possibility that it was done already?"

"I don't know," Tormund sighed and then he thought about his answer, "No," he decided truthfully.

"Had the thought that we were possibly married even crossed your mind?"

"Yes."

"And you would have told me nothing?"

"Nothing," he repeated, "Maybe once you forgave me."

Raya nodded once at that.

"So when the Thenns are gone-"

"You will still be mine and I will still be yours," Tormund looked at Raya and she turned on to her side and tucked herself in against him, "You are a wife, Raya," he tucked her hair behind her ear, "my wife."

"So when the wall is crossed are you to reside in the north?"

"With your family?" he tested.

"Yes," she reached up and placed her hand in his hair, "with Winterfell."

"Am I expected to call you Lady Stark and wear the stupid clothing that noble men wear on that side of the wall?" Tormund chuckled.

"Oh yes of course," Raya sat up suddenly and clapped her hands together under her face, "You can obtain a squire," she smiled widely.

"Aye, we'll get someone to fetch our food and cook it."

"We have to get married all over again!" Raya laughed, "At the Godswood. That's the only for it to be done, you know?"

"I have to obtain a cloak for the ceremony."

"Your sons can stand in to represent you."

Tormund laughed loudly and Raya joined him. The things that had once seemed to be certain in her life and the way she lived it out seemed so trivial now. Raya collapsed back atop Tormund and they laughed a little longer. Raya thought about her mother. Cat would surely lose her mind when she realized her eldest daughter had married a man with no title and no lands, a free man of all people.

Raya cared little about that. They slept in tents and moved daily. She was content with that. And they could build their own home. Tormund was very resourceful and she was sure she would be granted land for her union even if it was an extremely small amount. That was all that they needed. She could care less about having a large household. She held no care about how large her home was or how powerful.

"Raya-" Tormund paused when they heard a slight bustle somewhere outside and he tilted his head to the side and listened while he climbed to his feet.

Raya watched him yank on his trousers and collect his ax. She clicked her tongue twice and watched River and Ghost hop up and head to her. Tormund started towards the front of his tent and Raya scrambled to get up and pull on her clothes. She dressed as quickly as possible while Tormund yanked on his top.

She sat back on the ground and crossed her legs and she looked at River. They locked eyes. For the first time in many moons, Raya Stark warged and ran out of Tormund's tent before he could object.

A/N: Fun Fact- This has been written for three whole days but I battled with myself on whether to post it or not. Lol. I appreciate you all and I am forever thankful that you lovely people continue to read my work. I feel so blessed to be able to share the rambles that happen in my brain with people that not only accept them, but support them as well. All of my love to you!