Ironwolf852
patreon
What is dead may never die (Chapter 87)
🕑 Added 2023-08-27 15:09:15 +0000 UTCThe brother I used to know
Jon POV
“LOOSE!“
The black arrows hissed downward like snakes on feathered wings. It was impossible to see where they were landing in the dark. The darkness just took them, and we could only hope the free folk were hit. Otherwise, we would be wasting our arrows. As soon as one arrow flew out, another followed. Even if we were dregs of the order, they were men of the Night's Watch.
The free folk shall not pass. The trebuchet creaked as a hundred spiked steel caltrops spun through the air. Scorpions, catapults, archers, and everything else were used at will. It was only the first night, and I knew many nights like this would soon follow, but I didn‘t have the leisure not to use everything we had to repel them.
“Fire!” Someone yelled out. “Fire from below.”
I limped to the edge of the wall and peered down. Smoke came from the gates as flames tried to escape the narrow tunnel. The fire illuminated a mammoth stuck before the wall. It was hard to tell if the beast was dead, but I didn’t take any chances. Yoren was in that tunnel and probably used the fire to deter the giants and the mammoths.
“Stones!” I shouted. “Drop down the stones!”
Two groups of three carried massive stones before rolling them down. I watched as the rocks fell on the mammoth by the gates. The stones smashed on the beast and everything near the gates. Soon, the gates were partially sealed by the rocks. I was quickly pulled away from the wall's edge as arrows flew past me. The free folk archers were close enough to reach us up here.
Green pulled me away, and I hissed in pain as my leg and shoulder injury flared. I could see concern in my brothers' eyes as arrows started reaching them. So far, the Wall has blocked everything the free folk have thrown at us. There were just too many of them. Even if only one in ten archers were strong enough to shoot their arrows so far, that still would mean hundreds of them.
“Don’t let it up,” I said. “Throw everything we have at them.”
I had to cover my eyes after I said my words. The sun rose from the east. Slowly, the darkness turned grey. I haven’t even realized that so much time has passed. And just as the sun rose, I felt how tired I was. Drenched in freezing sweat, my fingers become numb from the cold. But it wasn’t over, even with the sun dispelling the darkness.
“Gods!” Pyp cried out.
“There are still so many of them,” Satin held his crossbow tightly as he looked down.
“So many dead,” I said before addressing the others. “Look closely, brothers. Look how many of them have fallen! There might be tens or hundreds of thousands, but they will not break the Wall! They will not break our wills. They will fall with our arrows!”
“Let’s give them hell!” Green yelled out, and others joined in cheer.
The sun started to warm us not long after. Yoren came up to the Wall to tell that the gates were sealed with corpses of the mammoths and stones. The free folk would take at least half a day to clean it. And with our interference, it would be impossible for them to breach the gates. Our morale was still high. We can continue fighting.
“Do you hear it?” Yoren asked, but he wasn’t the last one.
“It's coming from the east,” I replied, but the sun prevented us from looking in that direction.
“More of them are coming?” Satin asked.
“I don’t think so,” Green said. “Look at the wildlings. They, too, are confused by the sound.”
“Horses,” I finally pinpointed what that sound was. “Thousands of horses.”
It was like a thunder. But soon, our worries turned into cheers as we noticed banners with grey running direwolf on an ice-white field. The men of Night’s Watch knelt, dropping their weapons as thousands of cavalry moved through the ranks of the free folk. Like thunder, they destroyed the enemies we feared not long before.
…
With the help of the Night’s Watch, the forces from the North quickly unsealed the gates and entered Castle Black with leaders of the free folk. People cheered as their enemies were brought to their knees at the mercy of the Lords of the North. The King from Beyond the Wall was chained and dragged by the horse of the King of the North, Robb Stark.
I watched the sight with the others. But I stayed back so Robb wouldn’t notice me. I didn’t fear Robb would ride past me, not even noticing me. I feared the opposite, that he would see me and stop for me. Bastard children were born from lust and lies, men said; their nature was wanton and treacherous. I couldn’t let Robb stop his passage as men knelt before him and called him a hero.
Once in a time, I wished to prove them wrong. To show my father I would be a true and good son, like Robb. I made a botch of that. Robb had become a hero king, and I would be a turncloak, an oathbreaker, and a murderer. I was glad that Lord Eddard was not alive to see my shame. I have betrayed my vows, and I have betrayed my love.
“King Robb Stark,” Yoren stood before the King of the North. “Castle Black is yours.”
“My men shall make camp outside Castle Black,” Robb said. “Find a place for these prisoners. I have their trial soon.”
“The King’s Tower will be prepared for you, Your Grace,” Yoren said.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
The men from the North quickly made their passage through Castle Black. Yoren ordered someone to take the prisoners to the dungeons. But there were too many of them, and then there were still giants chained outside the Wall. Yoren looked at me momentarily as if to ask if I wanted to follow them as he led Robb to the King’s Tower. I shook my head.
I was tired, dirty, and smelt like rotten onions. I wasn’t suited to see the King. Instead, I left for barracks with the most men of the Night’s Watch, who fought a whole night. With the help of Green and Pyp, I managed to take off my frozen clothes and wash myself. Sam quickly gave me food before I dropped into a hard bed.
…
I was shaken awake by Sam. I awoke from the terrors I dreamt of. I dreamt of death, of endless war and endless night. But as soon as I opened my eyes, I forgot my dream. Sam handed me a cup of water, and I drank it greedily. Before I realized it, Sam gave me my tunic and cloak. As I dressed, I looked out from the window to see the sun was beginning to disappear.
“Why did you wake me?” I asked.
“Your brother, King Robb, has summoned you, Jon,” Sam explained.
“So late?” I asked.
“His Grace was considered of the well-being and didn’t want to disturb anyone who has fought through the night to defend the Wall.”
“Can you give me my sword, Sam?” I asked, seeing that I had put the Longclaw on the other side of the room.
I fastened my belt and fixed up my clothes. I walked out of the room, ignoring the pain in my leg. As silent as ever, Ghost rose from his slumber and followed me. I slowly limped through the courtyard toward the King’s Tower. It was a slow walk, so I had time to look around the yard. Men rush from one side to another. There are men from the Night’s Watch, villagers from Mole’s town, and men Robb brought.
I have never seen Castle Black so full. With so many men around, my worries melted. Even if the Others and the dead came now, I believed we could repel them. As long as Robb was here, it felt like nothing was impossible. It has been a long time since I felt so secure. Even the pain in my leg and shoulder lessened as I limped to King’s Tower.
“Hold!” At the entrance of the tower, two guards stood. “Who goes here?”
“It has been a long time, Wayn, Quent,” I said.
“Jon?” Wayn asked. “I can barely recognize you. Please come, His Grace is waiting.”
“Take care,” It was good to see familiar faces from Winterfell.
The climb to the top was long and full of anticipation and nervousness. It had been so long since I saw Robb I didn’t know what to expect. With each step I took, I grew more anxious. What should I say to him? What would he say to me? How disappointed he was in my actions? Or how much he missed me? Before I knew it, I stood before an oak door at the top. Scratching the head of Ghost, I knocked on the door.
“Come in,” I recognized Robb’s voice, even if it was fiercer than I remembered.
“Your Grace,” I opened the doors, seeing Robb looking through the window.
“Your Grace?” Robb smiled at me. “I thought the men of the Night’s Watch didn’t serve any King.”
“Brother,” I smiled back.
“That's better,” Robb quickly walked up to me and embraced me in a tight hug before stepping back and looking over me. “Look at you. If not for your girly hair, I wouldn’t be able to recognize you.”
“It has been a long time,” I replied. “You changed a lot too.”
“Not as much as you,” Robb said, patting my shoulder. I hissed as he touched my wound. “Sorry, I heard you were injured.”
“It is nothing,” I replied, but Robb still forced me to sit with him.
“Nothing?” Robb laughed as he poured wine for us. “That's not what I heard. And your scars seemed to prove everything. Your hand was burned when you saved Lord Commander Jeor Mormont from a wight. Wasn’t it? Then there was the scar by your eye. I heard from one of the wildlings it was from a skinchanger’s animal.”
“They are just scars,” I replied, taking a cup of wine Robb offered.
“You always looked down on yourself too much,” Robb chuckled. “But I heard you saved Mole’s Town by warning them of the wildlings. How you took command and, even when injured, made them surrender when they attacked Castle Black. You even fought back their army when they tried to breach the Wall. I wouldn’t be surprised if songs were sung about your feats.”
“Songs of betrayal, of broken vows,” I replied.
“Don’t take me for a fool,” Robb's voice turned solemn. “You did what you had to do, and if not for your actions, Castle Black might not even be standing now. I would have come to the graveyard and ashes. With tens of thousands of wildlings burning the North as they go from one village to another.”
“Not everything I did was what I had to do,” I said.
“You not only look more like father, but you sound more like him, too,” Robb said, gulping the wine in his cup.
“A king, huh?” I didn’t know what else to say.
“Aye,” Robb replied. “I didn’t have much of a choice. To trust some Southerner I never met to rule over Winterfell and the North didn’t seem right. My lords seemed to agree.”
“It seemed it worked out for the better,” I said. “The feats of a campaign could be heard even here at the Wall.”
“Feats?” Robb asked. “I only took an opportunity that Theon provided me to wind some battles. Otherwise, you would have heard of a green boy who tried to act like a king but instead made a fool of himself.”
“Who now looks down on himself?” I chuckled.
“It has been too long,” Robb said as we drank our wine. “But we don’t have much time.”
“Aye,” I agreed. “What are you planning to do?”
“Firstly, I have to deal with the wildlings,” Robb said. “As soon as my men hunt down the stranglers that managed to escape, I will hold a trial and sentence them to death.”
“Death?” I asked. “All of them?”
“What choice do I have?” Robb asked. “They attacked the North, and if I chase them back to their lands, they will return soon enough.”
“What about the children?” I asked. “There are thousands of them.”
“And they will grow up hating the North for killing their kin,” Robb replied. “Once they are old enough to swing a weapon, they will come to take revenge. I have already killed thousands of them.”
“And there are tens of thousands more of them,” I stood up. “Are you going to kill them all? Women, old men, and children? With your own hands?”
“Don’t look at me like that! What other choice do I have?” Robb asked. I said nothing but continued to look at his cold blue eyes. “You want to show mercy to them? Bring them to our lands?”
“There are horrors beyond the Wall you can’t imagine,” I said.
“I heard of them,” Robb replied. “I am not foolish enough to not believe what the men of the Night’s Watch have seen with their own eyes. But it changes nothing. The wildlings attacked us. No sane man would agree to let them be.”
“I won’t let you do this,” I said.
“What?”
“I won’t let you do it!” I shouted. “I won’t let you do something you will regret for the rest of your time. They are men. They deserve to live.”
“So do my people,” Robb said. “And I will always choose my people instead of those savages.”
“They aren’t just savages, Robb!” My voice cracked as I shouted. “They are desperate men and women who bonded to escape a certain death. They had no choice but to try and breach the Wall. Their only crime is being born on the wrong side of the Wall. Will you be able to look at everyone in one of their eyes before you sentence them to death?”
Robb didn’t seem to want to listen to me. But I had to stop him. Images of Ygritte flashed through my mind with her head chopped off: Mance, Tormund, Dalia, Val, all the children, and others. I couldn’t let them all die. Even if they were the wildlings, they still were people, guilty only for being born on the wrong side of the wall.
