There Are So Many Layers Here. - Tumblr Posts
🪐 — jon snow :
he traces the ugly rugged scar across his now - beating heart, while grey eyes gaze deep into the fire. the memory of sharp steel plunges into his skin; warm blood smoking in icy air. why me ? he asks, for the thousandth time. his brother died at a wedding feast — and now his bones lay with his wolf’s corpse at the bottom of the river ( if the tales were true ). i could have gone to join him, and ygritte, and our father. and yet . . . coming back to this world is his destiny — and his curse. the gods were seldom good. gentle rap at the door causes him to startle, feet hitting the floor before he stands upright. in the corner, ghost’s red eyes gaze out; watchful, but seemingly unthreatened. the red woman is strikingly lovely and ethereal, but jon still does not know what to make of her, or her abilities. he holds to the old gods of his father, yet her lord of light seems to have the power of life and death. for what cause did she bring him back in the first place ? he inhales, swallows. ❝ well enough, ❞ voice scrapes through an unpracticed throat. the former commander gestures broadly to the tankard of spiced wine on the table. ❝ i can’t decide . . . whether i wish it were otherwise. ❞
SCARLET EYES OBSERVE HIM CLOSELY, for even the most devout of r’hllor’s servants could still find themselves surprised at his power. nothing was impossible for her god, for life & death alike were his alone to bestow. this she knew, & yet, melisandre still found herself in awe of the closed wound on jon’s chest, the warm tint of blood in his cheeks that was an undeniable sign of life. ❝ unfortunately, what we wish for means very little, jon snow. ❞ she responds, the ruby at her throat pulsing, scorching her skin when she speaks his name. & though she smiles politely at his gesture, melisandre ignores the wine he offers. she has little desire for food or drink as of late. ❝ our lives are not our own — we are but tools for the lord of light to use as he deems necessary. & it seems that he still has need of you. ❞ a movement in the corner of the room draws her attention, & melisandre notices for the first time his wolf’s presence, its crimson eyes tracking her every move. the priestess can tell that it is protective of its master, but the blistering heat of its red gaze upon her is more comforting than threatening. after all, she means jon no harm. if r’hllor had decreed that he should live, she would sooner cast herself into the shadows forever than disobey his will. & this creature too was part of her god’s design, much like jon himself — she could see that much in its blazing eyes. ❝ still, i do regret that you had no choice in the matter, ❞ melisandre continued as if she had not paused, turning away from the wolf & back to jon himself. he was still young, after all, & still scarcely more than mortal. she herself could hardly remember what it had felt like to be so young & so human; that life given to the flames long ago. ❝ none of us do. ❞