CHAPTER 6 | PREPARATIONS AND ESCAPES
THEY had provided her with a new set of clothes and procedure. They had given her a new life.
Maia smoothed out the lines in the worn-out dress Gilly had sewn together for her. A navy cape hung on her shoulders, protecting herself from the frigid cold. The bodice she wore felt too tight, but she knew that it would only be a matter of time before she got out of this world.
As she was in mid-motion of twisting her hair into a thick, complex braid, Maia had the epiphany of a life time. The only way she'd be able to return to Derek and her own time was if she found an exact replica of the tree she approached in Washington. She hoped her assumptions were correct, but now she actually had to find the tree.
She missed multiple inventions from the present. She missed TVs and cellphones, and especially, the internet. There was barely anything for entertainment in this world, exceptionally at Castle Black.
Jon gave her a list of actions to do each day, either to help out or so she wouldn't get bored. Maia usually helped out in the kitchens with Hobb and picked up in the eatery every night. If she had time, she would sometimes help Gilly mend clothes for the Watch, and she found the former Widling to be quite nice.
Maia got used to the stares that the men gave her, whether they be hatred or hunger. Her ass was slapped in the canteen more times than she could count, and she realized it was only when the Lord Commander was in proper conversation. She had never met men so vile since an old fraternity party she attended in college, but she could concur that the Night's Watch brothers were even worse.
Though some despised her presence, many of the men were grateful for the specialty taste their food now had. Castle Black was definitely not known for their chefs, but since Maia's arrival, she had decided to add her own spin to the food. The variety of herbs and vegetables she managed to add really helped the flavor of most meals. Hobb, the Watch's head chef, was impressed. They both served the food three times a day.
Maia had ended up having a brief meeting with the one and only Stannis Baratheon, who everyone thought she was a spy to kill. Like herself, the King agreed that the statement was most definitely a lie: "A scrawny woman like you could never kill me." She didn't know if that was a compliment or not.
She had some setbacks, but Maia didn't think her life behind the Wall was all that bad. She just wished she wouldn't have to stay here forever. If she thought hard enough, she could predict the future of the people around her by remembering all of Derek's history, and she didn't know if that information could make or break her.
Maia pulled a large scoop of the stew her and Hobb had brewed for that evening's feast. Leaning her hand over, she let the ladle fall into the random Watch member's bowl in front of her, causing a loud splash. "Sorry," she muttered. The man walked away with a shake of his head.
An elder man with stark white hair approached, who she came to know as Maester Aemon, a close advisor and loyal brother of the Watch as well. "You have been doing an excellent job in the kitchens," he mused as Maia scooped a serving for him. "Not enough of these men tell you that, but you are greatly appreciated."
She came to adore the old maester, as he was an accepting member and always greeted her every morning. Whenever she saw him in the courtyard, he would ask about her day. Aemon happened to be Maia's favorite person in the castle.
"Thank you, Maester Aemon," she smiled, handing him his bowl. "And your words are always greatly appreciated."
Maia continued her duties with Hobb, scooping and serving to every member. She had begun to ring her hands as she expected her time to be over. Hobb already left his station.
A voice cleared in front of her, "Lady Sanders."
Her eyes met Jon Snow's. "Good evening, Lord Commander," she sighed. "You can call me Maia, by the way."
He looked particularly tired today, she noticed. Maia didn't understand the trials and tribulations a Lord Commander had to go through – she barely comprehended where she was in general – but she was sure it wasn't anything fun.
"Then you can call me Jon," he smiled as she filled his bowl with the stew of the night. "Thank you."
Maia didn't want to formulate a proper response, so she settled with a smile before Jon went on his way. She washed her hands off with a spare rag, watching the Lord Commander stride across the aisles of the common room to his position at the head table. After she realized she was staring, Maia left the kitchens.
•••
To help herself better understand the world she was suddenly transported to, Maia took the free time she sometimes received to research history in Castle Black's small library selection. She knew she had the knowledge provided by Derek, but she couldn't knock it all out at once.
There, in the library, Maia studied a variety of different topics. She was especially interested in the history of the Iron Throne, because all she knew beforehand was that too many families were vying to claim it, no matter what the cost. She never remembered Derek explaining the vows of Castle Black or even White Walkers, which truly terrified her. Knowing that these ice giants could come to the Wall and attack at any minute petrified the blonde. She realized that when she had arrived many moons ago, the Watch probably suspected her to be a survivor from a White Walker attack. Winter was certainly coming.
On a fairly chilly night, Maia sat with Gilly in the comfort of the girl's room under the dense light. Gilly really enjoyed mending and making clothes, and Maia had minor sewing education from high school back home, so she decided to partake. She liked being around Gilly, and Maia decided that if she got to know her well enough, she would possibly reveal her origins of arriving and ask how to return to her timeline. But at the moment, she found that to be very unlikely.
"Where did you learn to sew like that?" Gilly asked, tilting her head to the side.
Maia halted her movements. "Schooling," she shrugged. "What about you?"
"My mother," she smiled at the memory. "Though I barely have any recollection of her besides that. My father tried to bury her away deep."
Maia remember Derek talking about Gilly being the daughter and wife of Craster: He usually married all his daughters and lived at Craster's Keep. At one time, he had over nineteen wives. He was a major creep.
In the corner of the room, her child, Sam, began to cry in the swaddle she had him in. Gilly approached him, picking the baby up and rocking him back and forth. Maia watched as the mother looked into Sam's eyes lovingly.
"Sometimes I look in this baby's eyes and see my father's. It's sad, but almost comforting." She whispered, and Maia knew this was her subtle way of explaining Craster's incestuous relationship. "In my eyes, Samwell Tarly will always be the father of this baby, no matter what. I owe him my life, that one."
Maia nodded. She could agree, Sam was a good man. At first, she was very maddened by him, but soon grew to his nervous presence.
"Enough about I," Gilly smiled, sitting back down with the blonde as she cradled her child. "The Watch seemed to have provided you a good life here. This isn't the best place to seek refuge, but the Lord Commander was adamant in helping."
If only she knew I needed help to get away, thought Maia.
"Have you noticed Ser Alliser's hatred yet?"
Maia nodded, her fingers twisting into the knots of the fabric she was holding. She admitted the man in question was a bother, and she couldn't help but realized his odious stares were mainly directed at her.
Gilly kissed the top of little Sam's head. "He believes women of any sort shouldn't be allowed in Castle Black, in fear they'll tempt his brothers. But I – in his eyes – am far worse, because I was once one of the Free Folk."
"In my opinion," the blonde spoke up, "I think he's just afraid that the women who arrive here will reject him."
The two girls laughed along with the joke, and Maia could finally see the light at the end of the dark tunnel she was in. She missed Derek dearly, but in that moment, she decided that if she were to be stuck in this world forever, it wouldn't be too terrible.