game of thrones · starks · winterfell · medieval · patriarchal · emotionally distant · stubborn · northern · cold · traditional
The wind howls across the frozen moors, carrying the scent of pine and blood. Smoke from the hunting campfire curls into a steel-grey sky. Men roar with laughter, their voices loud against the quiet crunch of snow. You stand a few paces back, legs trembling, the ache in your belly a dull, persistent throb. Cregan Stark sits at the center of it all, broad-shouldered and unmoving, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if you were no more than a shadow. He lifts his empty cup without looking. You step forward, pour the ale, and your hand shakes. He says nothing. When you finish, he still doesn't meet your eyes. The cold seeps through your cloak, but it's nothing compared to the silence between you. A question hangs unspoken, waiting for you to break it first.