Chapter 1
The Nights King watched the ships flee Hardhome. He eyed the Lord of the Crows, staring at him while his newly corpse army rose, and knew he had hit a nerve of fear today. They should have every right to be afraid of them. He never wanted anyone to know they were coming, he didn't expect the Crows to be here, nor to get away! They would get ready for them he knew it. But no matter how many numbers the crows could gather they would never be a match for him. NEVER! He had sworn to win this war, and he would obey. To the stars and the snow of the night he had sworn. Yet, a tingling of amusement was within him… Balls that Crow had, he would give him that. He was almost tempted to clap hands at them, and not for fleeing. If that boy wasn't a man already, then today he certainly became one, with wet pants probably. He smirked. No one was ever able to kill one of his Walkers with swords or any humanly forced weapons before. He wasn't angry or afraid of that, he was merely curious and amused. Answers he certainly needed.
The ships had long disappeared. The Nights' King had made his camp where he believed the war officially started. He still had that tingling feeling that he had to send the Bastard Crow a message. To make his amusement known and his threat last. He was not going anywhere.
Days after, he called for one of his Walkers. A new one he found, although he found him long ago, he was still the newest in the pack. Found was not the accurate word. Made was. Walkers – were merely humans frozen. Just the way he liked it. Frozen warriors, who received the frosty gift from him. A gift he could just as easily take away. Wolf, he called him, awaited for his orders from his King. Wolf would be the perfect gift for the Lord Crow. But first, he had to take the frosty gift back; no Walker would be able to walk among the Crows, unless they looked like them. Yes, his perfect plan to ruin the Crows – one of his with Castle Black. No time to wait, he would do it right away. The Nights' King and two Walkers and Wolf, took one of the small boats left behind, and followed the path the ships took.
It took a long while for them to reach the shore, and all the Crows ships were drifting on the swells. The four stepped on the frozen beach and started their path towards the wall. They reached the near of the end of the forest before the wall, before that point where the Crows would blow the horn. The Crows and wildlings should be happily settled in by now, he thought. But there would be no fighting today…
He turned to Wolf and ordered him to break from the pack and step forward. His dark clothes looked grey from the ice and snow. His blue eyes looked at him, he waited for further orders. The King lifted his hands, like he would when raising the dead. After a short moment, Wolf was breathless, as if Walkers truly breathed. His grey clothes turned black, like it once was. His white icy skin turned to it old self, before he was made, burning with life once more. His white hair turned raven like the long night that would come. He inhaled sharply as if he was able to breath for the first time in many months. His thoughts and mind was blurry and his memories shaken. A man he became once more. He had no memory of the past from his time as a Walker. Like it left with the frozen part of him. He looked up at the Nights King, and was taken aback and shaken. Never had he seen a Walker before, or did he? He reached for his sword, only to find nothing. Where was he? Where were his horse, and his party of rangers he had with him?
The Nights' King looked at the wall and down at the man that was once one of his Walkers. With no moment longer to lose or spare the King and his other Walkers left. Back the way they came, leaving the confused, cold, hungry and startled man behind.
Wolf finally managed to stand again; he was cold, so very cold. He looked at the wall and was overwhelmed with joy to see it once more. He stumbled through the last bit of forest and into the opening. Making his way towards the gate; thinking of the cold Castle Black that would now be the warmest place. No longer would he think of this place as cold.
For a moment he thought the gates would never open for him, as he was resting on his knees that could no longer hold him up. Surely the men on watch had seen him, knew he had return. The heard the horn. A beloved brother of the nights watch. Long cold minutes past. Then in the silence of the cold snow the gate cracked open. He was relieved. He so longed for food in his belly and the laughter of his family, his brothers. He had to know what happened to him. He had to know if his party made it back. If only he could remember what happened. He was far away from the wall and castle the last time he remembered. And here he was, brought here by the Walkers? He was confused. Surely the others would think him mad if he told this story. He would stay silent!
The gate was fully opened and he managed to get back up and stumble through the tunnel.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! OPEN THE BLOODY GATE!" Jon Snow, Lord Commander, shouted at the other end of the tunnel as he ran towards it. He was anxious, happy, and nervous at the same time. He never dared to believe it when the guards from top of the wall announced a ranger was on the other side of the wall, waiting in front of the gates.
His eyes fell upon the man hanging onto the gate, waiting for it to open to finally step the last step of the tunnel and back into his home. He didn't realise that he started to sob. That tears started to form in his eyes. The gates opened. And Benjen Stark fell into Jon's arms unconscious.