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As the wall turned dark, all eyes went to the Stark family. But only Stannis could understand the pain they were going through. Maester Cressen was like a father to him growing up, if anyone understood the pain, it was him.
"Ned, if you want-"
"No" the Lord of Winterfell cut his brother off. "We've wasted enough time as is. Let us continue."
His children resonated with his words, still teary-eyed but they were ready to continue as well.
[NORTH OF THE WALL]
[The screen is black. A White Walker unleashes a horrendous screech. Weapons clash while men grunt and scream in the sounds of battle.]
[Fall back!]
"Fuck I forgot about this" Robb swore loud enough for his parents to hear.
They heard him but didn't chastise him for it. They too had forgotten about this.
[NORTH OF THE WALL]
[It is dawn. The wind howls as SAMWELL TARLY runs, desperate and exhausted, through blizzard conditions of blinding snow.]
"He's made it" Robb muttered.
[SAM comes to a halt. Just ahead, a Night's Watchman kneels in the snow. SAM approaches the kneeling figure, and realizes that the man is decapitated and holding his own lifeless head in his lap.]
"Gods" Sana muttered, hands over her mouth.
[SAM looks ill and defeated. Behind him, a figure strides towards him, axe drawn. SAM turns and his eyes widen as he sees the undead Free Folk striding towards him. The ghoul raises his axe to strike, and SAM recoils and falls.]
"The boy is a liability" Olenna clicked her tongue in distaste. She understood why Randyll Tarly sent him away, and she approved of it. Such a man heading the House of Tarly would ruin it for certain.
Margaery did not defend Sam this time, not when she agreed with her grandmother. Sam was a sweet boy but he was no good on the battlefield like he was in a library.
[At the last moment, a direwolf pounces on the undead man, saving Sam's life.]
Robb let out a relieved breath. Ghost was there... good the wolf would be great help here.
[As SAM lies stunned, GHOST pulls the attacker away by the ankle. The ghoul shakes his way free and claws forward to SAM, grabbing at his legs. As SAM scrambles backwards, a torch lights the ghoul on fire. Engulfed in flames, the undead wildling finally collapses. SAM looks up to see LORD COMMANDER JEOR MORMONT and the Night's Watch.]
"Did you send the ravens? Tarly, look at me. Did you send the ravens?"
[SAM keeps his eyes on the ground in shame.]
"Fuck sake" Brandon ground out under his breath.
"That was your job. Your only job. We need to get back to the Wall. It's a long march. We know what's out there, but we have to make it, have to warn them or before winter's done, everyone you've ever known will be dead."
A shiver ran down everyone's spines. To think they might end up like those ice zombies...
[BEYOND THE WALL]
[The party, including "RATTLESHIRT" LORD OF BONES, JON SNOW, and YGRITTE, return to the bustling wildling camp. A giant walks by, carrying a bundle of huge stakes. JON is awed.]
"A giant!" Bran said in awe, his discomfort from seeing the dead pushed away in favour of the wonder before him.
Many more were in awe as well, lifting the mood considerably.
"To think there still were some alive" Ned muttered in awe. Benjen had always told him there were, but Ned always considered his brother exaggerating.
[The giant drives a large stake into the ground.]
"Don't stare too long. They're shy. When they stop being shy, they get angry. And when they're angry, I've seen them pound a man straight into the ground like a hammer on a nail."
The people shivered collectively.
"It is a little surprising to learn that the thing is shy. It's like imagining Gregor Clegane being shy" Tyrion mused.
"I think besides those things even Gregor would look normal" Jaime muttered.
[The giant finishes his work and looks at JON, growling. The party continues to walk through the camp, and the wildlings heckle JON as he passes.]
"You're wearing the wrong colour."
"Mance was a ranger."
"In your hearts, all you crows want to fly free."
"When I'm free, will I be free to go?"
[Boys throw rocks at JON.]
"Sure, you will."
[YGRITTE swats a boy with her staff.]
"And I'll be free to kill you. Got no respect, this lot. Got no fathers to slap 'em when they're foul."
"What happened to their fathers?"
"Some of them were killed by crows like you."
The thought made Jon frown. It made a lot of people frown thoughtfully.
"Don't look so grim, Jon Snow. If Mance Rayder likes you, you'll live another day. And if he don't..."
[A FREE FOLK TENT]
[RATTLESHIRT, JON, and YGRITTE enter the tent. TORMUND GIANTSBANE eats hungrily by the fire.]
"I smell a crow."
"We killed his friends. Thought you'd want to question this one."
"What do we want with a baby crow?"
"This baby killed Qhorin Halfhand. He wants to be one of us."
[TORMUND rises and stares at JON.]
"That half-handed cunt killed friends of mine. Friends twice your size."
"My father told me big men fall just as quick as little ones if you put a sword through their hearts."
Ned shook his head with a small smile.
"Plenty of little men tried to put their swords through my heart. And there's plenty of little skeletons buried in the woods. What's your name, boy?"
"Jon Snow."
[JON kneels before TORMUND, mistaking him for MANCE RAYDER, the King-Beyond-the-Wall.]
Ned and Brandon the Elder couldn't help their snorts.
Lyanna pinned them with a glare to shut up while Jon Snow just shook his head exasperatedly.
[The wildlings laugh]
"From now on, you'd better kneel every time I fart."
[Tormund Laughs.]
[MANCE rises from the back of the tent.]
"Stand, boy. We don't kneel for anyone beyond the Wall."
"He looks familiar" Robb frowned.
"I remember seeing him in winterfell omce..." Jon muttered.
"You both have seen him before" Ned explained, "he came to Winterfell when you were young. He was still a Brother of The Watch back then."
"He helped us with the prank we played on Tom!" Robb suddenly said.
"With the snow!" Jon agreed. "He just didn't rat us out."
"That is a big help in pranks" Robb muttered.
Jon was inclined to agree.
"Thank you for the gift, Lord of Bones. You can leave us."
[RATTLESHIRT leaves. YGRITTE gives JON a look, and exits as well.]
"The girl likes you. You like her back, Snow? That why you want to join us?"
"All the girls like him for his looks" Robb rolled his eyes.
"They do not" Jon muttered.
Lyanna gave Robb a look to which the boy nodded. She gave Arya and Sansa similar looks, who also nodded. She then looked at her son and giggled.
Jon huffed but didn't say anything as he didn't have a way to prove himself right.
"Don't panic, boy. This isn't the damned Night's Watch where we make you swear off girls."
"This chicken eater you thought was king is Tormund Giantsbane."
"Can't believe this pup killed the Halfhand."
"He was our enemy and I'm glad he's dead."
"And he was once your brother" Ned muttered under his breath. He could never forgive oathbreakers, no matter the reason they had for doing so.
[MANCE extends his hand, and JON shakes it. MANCE holds on firmly.]
"He was my brother once. Back when he had a whole hand. What were you doing with him?"
"The Lord Commander sent me to the Halfhand for seasoning."
"Why?"
"He wants me to lead one day."
"But here you are, a traitor kneeling before the King-Beyond-the-Wall."
"If I'm a traitor, then you are, too."
[TORMUND glowers.]
"Why do you want to join us, Jon Snow?"
[JON hesitates]
"I want to be free."
"Should not have hesitated" Obery clicked his tongue.
"No, I don't think so. I think what you want most of all is to be a hero. I'll ask you one last time... why do you want to join us?"
[MANCE's guard rises and close in, menacingly.]
"For Freefolks who do not kneel to another, they sure serve and act as if they are" Tyrion noted.
"I suppose theirs is a bond of respect" Doran answered softly, "they respect Mance Rayder and choose to follow him. Not for any oaths made to a man but because he's proven to them his worth and earned his place."
"Aye" Robert agreed, "these are warriors, prideful things who rely on strength alone. Any loyalties they have come from strength and to people who have earned that loyalty."
Doran looked at the fat King, who stared intently at the wall.
"We stopped at Craster's Keep on the way north. I saw... I saw Craster take his own baby boy and leave it in the woods. I saw what took it"
"You're telling me you saw one of them? And why would that make you desert your brothers?"
"Because when I told the Lord Commander, he already knew. Thousands of years ago, the First Men battled the White Walkers and defeated them. I want to fight for the side that fights for the living. Did I come to the right place?"
"We'll need to find you a new cloak."
"I think you've earned his respect" Robb whispered to Jon.
"Yeah," Jon muttered back.