He lay still, his long dark hairāblack as a raven's featherāsprawled around his pale face. A short stubble lined his jaw, a subtle testament to his youth. Yet despite his age, his body bore the hardened build of a warrior, not a man of leisure. His dark eyes, now distant, stared into the abyss as his life bled away with each passing moment.
A figure in a black coat approached, the crunch of snow under his boots the only sound in the deathly silence. He knelt beside the fallen warrior and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lord Commander. I hold no grudge against you, but I had no choice. It was either your life or the lives of my family." His voice was quiet, almost reverent. "You were a good man, a better leader than most. But in the end, I chose my blood over my honor. You would understand, wouldn't you...?"
The man reached forward, closing the young warrior's lifeless eyes.
"Jon Snow."