Where Beauty Goes To Die | j. snow

CHAPTER 17 | THE WILDLING

In that moment alone, as she had done already, she realized the only person who could save her was herself. She had done it when she temporarily lost Jon's companionship, and even though her predicament was much greater this time around, she knew she could do it all over again. Wren knew she was a survivor at heart, perhaps not the most strong or brave, but she was smart and had a good heart — for the most part.

Mustering up the courage, Wren cleared her throat. "Hanna said she's your mother. Who's your father?" Wren pushed at him. She thought maybe if she got to know him a little better he would create a connection with her and untie her bonds. It was a fickle idea but she had to at least try.

Clay didn't answer. She thought he didn't hear her. She opened her mouth to repeat herself, but then his heavy voice filled the room. "That's none of your business," he said while skewering the animals and placing them above the fire to roast them. As the flesh cooked, Wren's stomach couldn't help but growl.

Wren shrugged as he sat across from her, the shadows the light of the fire created casting against his rugged features. "I just figured since you know so much about me that I should know something about you," she replied smoothly.

Clay scoffed and gave her a dirty look, "I know nothing about you Crow," his eyes darted down to the meat before training his eyes back on Wren. "You're an outsider, a murderer, and a girl dressed as a boy."

Wren's wrists itched against the rope and she tried adjusting them so they wouldn't hurt as much, but it was useless. She would have to grit her teeth and deal with it. She addressed Clay again, "I may be most of those things but I am no murderer. I've never seen a Wildling before in my life until just recently when you decided to kidnap me."

"I didn't kidnap you," Clay responded, flipping the meat over so it cooked evenly, "we're borrowing you."

Wren laughed, "yeah, for ransom." She thought back to what Hanna had said. They were going to try to lure the Night's Watch into their camp, but Commander Mormont wasn't a fool. If anything, they would assume she was dead and think that the Wildlings were lying about her captivity. And if that happened, Mance would surely kill her.

Clay said nothing as Wren dug a little deeper into the hole she was creating for herself. "I'm bait for Mormont and when you all see that he won't come, because he's not a fool, you'll kill me," she summarized for him.

Leaping up from his seat, he swiftly pulled out the knife he was using to skin the rabbits and pressed it up against her throat. He stared at her with ice in his eyes, the walls of betrayal and rivalries instilled within him, blocking her truths from penetrating his mind. He was a pillar of hailstone and she was the fire between them, attempting to burn him down to nothing.

Wren didn't move as she stared up at him. He was a wild man, a beast hidden in human skin.

"Listen very carefully," he started to say, "you are nothing but a Crow in every mind here. Your kind is monstrous and evil, and you bravely claim that you are not one of them, but all I see now is a scared little bird. I have killed your brothers hundreds of times with the same look on their faces you have now, so do not think I won't hesitate to kill you too. And if we are both lucky, someone will do it for us by the end of the night."

Wren glowered up at him, her emotions controlled and strong-willed. The feeling of her heart beating against her chest had her wanting to scream at him, but the cool metal of the bloodied blade pressed against her throat had her temper simmering.