Her eyes locked with familiar ones. Her body refused to lower the crackling blade; either it was too cold, or she was in state of shock. The rich brown eyes looking back at her were young but tired and slightly bruised. Nevertheless, there was a contagious fire behind them. Ironically, until recently, the fire had been for another cause, one that she had, herself, opposed. Now, that struggle ceased to exist. However, if life had taught her anything, there was always the "next fight." Accordingly, she was in one, and now, she'd drag him into it. Just like he had to her. There was very little choice in the matter. This exchange would give balance to the Solo siblings.

"When you said dark, I didn't imagine it would also be as cold as Hoth." His rich voice commented with slight sarcasm. She looked over and assessed him, he was still dressed in all black, but his bruised face had already begun healing. His hair was a mess, but that could easily be fixed. Maybe he'd want a haircut, or he could be like Jon and never cut it.

"How are you here?" She returned, ignoring his snark. How had he ended up right in the northern forest she was mourning in? How had he found her so easily?

"I died." He offered with a shrug, gently pushing her arm as well as the light saber away from his throat. He could see that she had been crying, no doubt about him. A part of him felt guilty for making her sad, but he knew he had a choice to make. He saved Rey; he restored the balance.

"No shit you died. I felt it, but you're here. In my exact location...that didn't happen with Han." She muttered; he quirked a brow at how their father's name left her mouth. Bitter. Angry. Clearly, she did not tell him that she was upset with their father. He imagined it had to do with the infidelity and ignorance that had followed. His father wasn't known for tact. Ben inwardly snorted at the notion.

"You and I are tied in the force." He concluded as his eyes glanced about, letting the force flow through his being. The force was pungent here-strong and pervasive. The answer seemed good enough for now. His force signature had not changed, and to her limited knowledge, one could not fabricate a life signature. A part of her wondered if he could feel Rey as they were a dyad. She'd felt their tether on that dark planet. They would always be connected, but to what extent? Would he be able to eventually return to her? Maybe once this whole white walker, end of man situation was settled, she could help him figure out how to return to her.

A slight breeze wandered its way through the forest. He unconsciously moved, and his feet shifted in the snow to gather some warmth. It dawned on her: he wasn't dressed for this landscape. Quickly shifting her focus, she extinguished her saber, motioned for him to follow her, and led him toward the village. She had ran far, at least two and half miles. Opps. Lucky for them, Ben was trained to deal with pain; it wasn't a healthy process, but this was an extenuating circumstance. The only way he'd make that walk back was by using the dark side to fuel him. He didn't have much anger or hate to go on, so Zipporah shared what she could with him. Telling him of the various people, wars, politics, etc. Like her, Ben had found the Lannisters to be extra angering and disgusting.

The two made excellent time and were back well before the sun had decided to wake. As they approached, they both noted it was quiet, and most fires still quelled.

"Let me do the talking." She murmured as the two silently made their way back to where she'd left Jon.

"Naturally, this is your circus." Zipporah could feel the implied 'duh.' Ben was back to being snarky. Rolling her eyes in response, she carefully opened the flap to see a wide awake Jon Stark sitting with Tormund Giantsbane and Mance Rayder. All three men looked up at her with a look of relief, which immediately shifted when they caught sight of Ben. Ben towered behind her, his eyes briefly meeting each man, but resting on Jon. There was something different about him. Ben couldn't quite place it though. He'd have to talk with Zipporah about it later.

"Ya ran off into the woods to find anotha man?" Tormund chuckled, "Ya got balls." Jon's eyes narrowed at her, clearly taking Tormund's assumption to heart. Zipporah, at a loss for words, simply glared.

"So much for the talking." Ben muttered to her with slight amusement. Before she could muster a reply, Mance shook his head right away and corrected, "Those two aren't lovers. They're siblings. It's in the eyes." Zipporah was impressed with Mance's deduction, while Ben was skeptical. In the eyes. Ben would contemplate that comment later and figure out the implications by the older man. The two siblings did not share eye color or shape, so "in" caused Ben's hackles to rise in defense.

"He's perceptive. Watch out for that one." Ben commented in a whisper knowing that only she could only hear him. Meanwhile, recognition crossed over Jon's face.

Brother?

Yes, my one and only sibling. He's going to help win this war. He's gifted like me. Jon's eyes visibly widened signaling to Ben that a silent conversation was just had. Ben had to admit the men in front of him did not radiate any evil vibes, only questionable and slightly troublesome ones. He also had to admit that it was considerably warmer in the tent-like structure than outside. How Zipporah was indifferent to the cold was slightly confusing to him. They'd never really discussed her mother or anything too personal. Most of their discussions had focused on his journey in the force.

"How disappointin'. Anyways, I was just tellin Mance, me and mine are declarin for you, girly." The two closed the flap behind them and took a seat. Ben noted how much taller he was then the others; a small smirk found its way onto his face. Were most men in this world short? He assumed so based on this small sample; this would assist him later, in and out of battle.

"And clearly, Mance disagrees with your decision?" Zi questioned, not missing a beat.

"Only in the name of unity. If Tormund leaves, the other clans will become suspicious and scatter-potentially becoming prey for the White Walkers." Rayder explained in a more authoritative voice. No one wanted more to join the army of the dead. Ben was intrigued by the notion of such an army. He'd only ever dealt with the living, and they were truly disappointing. Were the dead easier to control? Could they render the same outcomes? His mind wandered and pondered on such scenarios for a few moments.

"Then declare it in secret until the group agrees to settle on the other side of the wall." A simple solution really.

"That's not our people's way. No lies or falsehoods." Tormund declared with slight annoyance. Silence followed. Jon seemed to be mulling it over, while Zipporah was trying to walk lightly. Ben was already annoyed with this decorum and lack of initiative.

"So?" Ben interjected with a raised eyebrow, "Only you would be changing, not your people. No one else but the people in this tent would know, right?" Zipporah silently thanked the force for allowing Ben to join her. Finally, another matter of fact being in her life.

"Not exactly." Jon commented, delivering a warning look to Zipporah: the other fiery redhead. Ygritte.

"I'm sure we can talk to her...explain it all." Zipporah sighed as soon as the words left her mouth. She already knew better.

"Are we talkin about the same gurl? She's made up her mind. No changin it."

"She's not a leader of anyone. She can follow whoever she wants." Mance compromised with a tired smile. "It's settled for now, yah? I'm going to catch some sleep. I recommend you lot do the same." Tormund, taking the King Beyond the Wall's advice left as well, leaving Jon, Ben, and Zipporah.

"Jon, this is my brother, Ben."

"Welcome to the North."