I Do Not Own Game Of Thrones
Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death.
I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children.
I shall wear no crowns and win no glory.
I shall live and die at my post.
I am the sword in the darkness.
I am the watcher on the walls.
I am the shield that guards the realms of men.
I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come.
(JON SNOW)
It was three days later when Jon found himself outside the gates of Castle Black. His mount was weary as was he after pushing their limits to reach the Night's Watch headquarters.
As the large wooden gates opened Benjen Stark walked out a grim smile on his face.
"Jon Snow." He held out his hand. "It's been quite a few years since I've last seen ya. And now 'yer here, ready to take the black."
"It's good to see you as well Uncle Benjen." Jon unmounted his horse to shake his uncle's hand holding a smile on his face even as flashes of him heading North of the Wall for the final time took over his thoughts.
"You sure you want to take the black?" Benjen asked grabbing the reins of his nephew's horse. "Once you go through those gates you will never be able to hold land or have a family. Do you understand what you are giving up?"
Jon nodded resolutely. He had to join the Night's Watch. Maybe it wasn't the best way to save his family but it was the only way he could. The only way he knew how.
"I figured you wouldn't change your mind but I promised Ned I would ask anyway." Benjen sighed sadly. "Come on then. Lord Commander Mormont has asked for you."
"The Lord Commander?" Jon asked cautiously. This hadn't happened last time."
Did the Jeor know something?
No. Jon shook his head dismissing the notion. He couldn't.
He had been sent back after dying at the hands of his brothers. Why he didn't know but he was going to make the best of his second chance.
"But Jeor Mormont was also killed by fellow brothers." Was it possible others had been sent back as well?
"Jon," Benjen called from ahead. "We don't want to keep the Lord Commander waiting."
"Of course." Jon jogged to catch up to his uncle and let Benjen lead him into Castle Black.
"Nothing's changed." The Head Quarters of the Night's Watch looked the same as when he had arrived for the first time. Snow covered the ground, the buildings were sheltered but still run down and the black figures out in the open watching him and Benjen as they moved across the training yard.
Following behind Benjen up to the Lord Commander's keep putting on a mask of childish wonder at the sight of the wall. It wasn't all a lie though. No matter how long he had spent at the wall there was always the small part of him that felt stirred at the sight of the greatest structure ever built.
Hundreds of feet into the sky and hundreds of leagues to the sea.
"It's quite the sight." Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont stood at the top the stairs staring down his eyes completely focused on Jon which had the bastard of Winterfell shifting uncomfortably. The same question he had moments ago still on his mind.
Does he know something?
"So, you are Jon Snow. Bastard of the Honorable Eddard Stark?" Jeor asked nodding to Benjen dismissing his first Ranger who patted Jon on the shoulder before leading Jon's horse across the yard to the stables.
Jon held his head high as he cleared the last steps up to the wooden second level of the castle.
"Yes, sir."
He was no longer ashamed of the title. After everything that had happened, everything he had been through a hurtful title was small in the grand scheme of things. Especially when there was nothing he could do to change it.
"Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not."
"Come, boy," Jeor ordered already walking away towards his chambers cloak dragging slightly in the small bits of snow on the ground.
Jon nodded but remained silent as he followed the Lord Commander across the wooden bridge to the Commanders keep.
Chancing a glance over his shoulder when he felt the hair on his neck rise saw Ser Alliser Thorne glaring at him from the training yard. He met the glare with own a rage that burned like fire filling his chest before entering the Lords chamber cutting his view of the old knight off but his anger at seeing the man who killed him stayed with him. "I'll have to take care of him."
Thorne and all of his conspirators.
Olly. Jon's hands clenched instinctively at the thought of his death. He had gotten a second chance out of it but that did not change the fact that Thorne had betrayed his oaths to the watch by killing his Lord Commander. They didn't know killing him would be his saving grace.
They thought he would die. Alliser couldn't remain alive to do it again.
No one who won't consent to working with the wildlings could stay on the wall.
In fighting couldn't be tolerated, not with how much was at stake.
"Did something happen with Thorne after my death?" Jeor asked taking his seat behind his desk. He had seen the look between the two and it was just the usual squabbling or dislike between brothers of the Watch. In Jon's eyes was real hate.
Startled at the words Jon did his best to contain his reaction struggling to keep from looking away. "Death, Sir? I don't-"
Slamming a hand down on his desk Jeor silenced the lies the resounding bang causing Jon to flinch and shut his mouth.
"Do not try to make me seem the fool boy. You were given another chance as well."
Chuckling without humor Jeor poured two cups of ale from his horn sliding one over to Jon. "Now, I don't know why or how but I woke up in my bed not more than two weeks ago after dying. I'd thought it was all just a horrible nightmare, now way Rast and Karl, brothers of the Watch had betrayed me. And yet here you are joining the Watch years before you should have. You came back as well didn't Ya, boy?"
Realizing his ruse was up Jon's shoulders fell, the tension of holding his great secret leaving his small body in a single breath. Relieving him of the burdened that seemed to weigh more than the Castle he was standing in. "You have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that, my lord."
"I think I do." Jeor raised his cup in a toast. He was an old man, dreaming of a future where everything felt real was a sign of his age catching up with him. Or so I thought.
"I'm glad I'm not going senile."
Jon laughed drinking from his own cup cringing as the liquid met his lips. Spluttering he coughed his drink back up making a mess of his clothes much to Jeor's amusement.
"It'll be a few more years until you can drink again." Jeor laughed taking Jon's cup and downing it himself.
Setting the empty cup down the Lord Commander sobered the lines of his face becoming more pronounced as he seemingly aged years in seconds. "How'd Ya die Jon?"
"Ser Allister and a few other brothers stabbed me in the heart," Jon admitted with venom in his voice. "They stabbed me, their Lord Commander in the back because they couldn't see past their ignorant worldview. All they saw was savages who didn't belong."
At his words, Jon couldn't help but notice the look of pride on Jeor's face. "What?"
"Lord Commander, aye?" Jeor asked pouring himself another drink. "I take it that means you put Longclaw to good use?"
"Killed a White Walker at the battle of Hardhome," Jon answered proudly sitting a little straighter in his chair before he too sobered quickly the good feeling of the room vanishing with his next words.
"There is a lot you don't know, my lord. I'll explain what I can but we need to start preparing now."
"Preparing?"
Jon nodded solemnly.
"Winter is coming my Lord, and it is following our true enemy."
(TORMUND GIANTSBANE)
"Snow."
Tormund slid the stone he had found outside his tent across the bone dagger he was making. Behind him, half hidden under a few fur blankets was a bag. His bag. Full of everything he would need in the wild away from the army Mance was building.
Just leave. You know what's coming. Find Jon.
Those thoughts had run through his mind every second of every day it seemed since he had woken up in the past two weeks ago. Rayder still hadn't gathered many supporters so he was at least five years back. The bigger tribes hadn't joined the King-beyond-the wall until just two years before Jon had…died.
"Bastard southerners." Stone was moving across bone at near lightning speed as the anger inside him began to rise. They betrayed their commander. Stabbed in the dead of night and left to freeze like an animal.
Tormund growled audibly startling the others near him. Not that he noticed, too caught up in his own thoughts. He didn't even notice when they edged away creating a small clearing around his tent.
"For all their talk about honor and oaths they were sure quick to break 'em."
"Tormund?"
"What!" Throwing his stone away he looked up only startling for a split second at seeing the redhead before him. She was young. Skinny and as beautiful as ever. he could see why Jon would choose her to forsake his vows.
Ygritte raised a brow at the packed bag. peeking out from under the blankets in the tent. "Going somewhere, Tormund?"
"Yes."
"Where?" She asked crouching down in front of him but he looked away.
Tormund couldn't look at her. Not without seeing her dead body in Jon's arms and the tears in the Lord Crow's eyes weeping for his lost lover in front of all his brothers.
"To the wall."
To find your future lover went unsaid. She didn't need to know about any of that. No one but him would know. At least until he made it to Winterfell and beat some answers out of Snow. And if he was lucky the future Lord Commander would know where the Red woman was as well. He had questions for her too.
Ygritte frowned. "Alone?"
Nodding Tormund stood up sheathed his new dagger and reached into his tent pulling his bag out. He needed to get moving. If he knew anything about Jon Snow then he would bet his pecker the crow was already planning something.
After what they saw at Hardhome he wouldn't expect anything less.
"How long will you be gone? Mance needs us here to rally the other clans and tribes."
"He's the king beyond the wall. Not me." Tormund slung his pack onto his shoulders and set out heading south towards the wall. It would take him a few days of traveling before he reached the barrier between the true North and the south and after that, it was a guessing game on how long it would take to reach Winterfell. He didn't even know where the damn thing was.
What he did know was that Jon's family was right.
Winter is coming.
(SER DAVOS SEAWORTH)
Davos stood at the bow of his ship breathing in the salty air around him, the soft rocking of the sea beneath his feet calming the storm that raged in his mind.
"Ser Davos, a raven from Castle Black." A deckhand bowed at the waist cupping a small note in his hands.
Taking the note Davos waved the young boy away. He would never get used to the bowing.
"Tell the Red woman I wish to see her." He said and watched the messenger scurry away to complete his order. Before looking down at the rolled note in his hand. This would not do. He would have to take up Shireen's offer of teaching him how to read.
"Ser Davos." Melisandre greeted politely with a small curtsey. It wasn't necessary but she was working to keep on the 'Onion Knights' good side and repent for the atrocities she had committed in her Lord's name.
Davos nodded handing her the note back. He had not forgotten nor forgiven her for everything she had done in the 'failed future' as she was calling it. All the people she had burned alive including poor Shireen.
"It says Lord Snow is already on the Wall."
"Just like in the vision you saw." He hadn't put much stock in her god's work and tried to stop her from sending a Raven to the Wall addressed to the Prince who was promised, Jon Snow.
He had called her a fool for tempting fate. Their heads would be on pikes if anyone but Jon saw what was written on that note.
Melisandre must have seen the look on his face as she rolled the note up and smirked up at him. "It also said Jon and us aren't the only ones who know of our failed future. The current Lord Commander is back, as is that Edd fellow. The wildling Tormund has come back as well."
"Good." Davos turned his attention back to the sea before them. "Write him back. We will wait for his arrival at East Watch By the Sea for further instructions. And be sure to tell him to bring anyone else who knows about our future. We are going to need a formidable plan if we hope to shape the realm of men into a shield."
"A shield?" Melissandre asked. Of all the things he could have said why that? It was an interesting choice of words.
Davos nodded keeping his eyes on the sea. "Jon won't take the fight to the others. Every fighter killed trying to kill them only adds more to the army that will inevitably storm the wall."
"You believe that the true enemy of man comes from the North?"
"As do you," Davos answered and Melisandre smiled before walking away. Even if he hadn't seen them himself he trusted the word of Jon and all those who had survived Hardhome. Which meant the Starks had been right all along.
Winter is Coming.
JON
"Forgot how cold it is out here?"
Shaking his head at Edd's jape Jon kept his gaze forward as he bounced on his mount. He knew his friend was holding back the jokes about him not being able to reach the stirrups because of his small body. While the jokes had gotten annoying after the first day he didn't have it in him to mind. Edd was back as well and that gave him one more ally and friend in the battles to come. For that he was grateful.
"Don't feel bad, little Jon," Edd mocked moving his horse closer to Jon's. "Just think in a year or two you might be able to lift a sword and put those legendary skills of yours to good use."
Still, he hated being a child again. Yes, he was glad he had gotten the chance to save his family but this was the third instance that his small body had caused him problems since he arrived at Castle Black one week ago.
"Enough Edd, leave the boy be." Lord Commander Mormont ordered from his place ahead of them. "We're close to the Godswood and I don't want your yammering attracting any unwanted attention."
"Yes, Lord Commander."
"I could never get him to shut up." Jon thought as the trio entered the Godswood. Dolorous Edd had always been known for his rather distinct sense of humor. And no matter the scenario the man always had a joke.
Dismounting their horses Jon followed behind Jeor next to Edd who he kept staring at. Even after a few day he still couldn't get over the short hair is friend had. It looked so strange to him not seeing Edd with his long hair.
After, a minute or two the older ranger took notice and called him out on it. Much to his embarrassment.
"Why're ya staring Jon? Do ya fancy me?"
Snorting Jon looked away. "No, it's just...you look different." He finished lamely cringing at his own words.
"You don't say."
Jon sighed kicking the snow at his feet. This was getting ridiculous. He was grown man and leader of the Nights Watch yet here he was acting like a child. Trying to fight with a bastard sword had gotten him laughed at by men who served under his command and he was saying things a grown man should know better than to voice out loud. "You look different?"
Of course, Edd looked different! They were meeting five years in advance. He looked more different than either Lord Jeor or Edd did.
"Jon," Lord Commander Jeor said as they reached the Weirwood tree. "Been a long time since you swore the oath hasn't it, Lord Commander. You still remember the words?"
"Yes, my lord," Jon said moving to kneel before the sacred tree, ready to take his oath once more. "Hear my words, and bear witness to my-"
Jon didn't even start his oath before a massive hand was on his shoulder pulling him to his feet and shoving him towards the horse.,
Stumbling in the snow he righted himself with help from Edd who had drawn his sword. Looking back to the Weirwood tree he saw the Lord Commander Jeor clashing steel with a wildling.
"Heh, so this is who was King Crow before you?" The wildling laughed stepping back from the battle sheathing his weapons and raising his hand. "If I die after just coming back I'm gonna haunt you. For the rest of 'ye life."
Jeor didn't let Longclaw waiver holding the tip towards the wildling. "Jon,"
"It's fine, my Lord. He's a friend." Jo stepped forward smiling as the wildling dropped his hood revealing a mop of red hair and a scraggly bearded face. "Tormund, it's good to see you again."
"Aye, it is."
The next thing Jon knew he was in a bone-crushing hug his feet dangling inched above the ground.
"I didn't expect the red witch to bring you back from the dead," Tormund set Jon back down and waved an arm at the group of men. "Expected this even less. Hardhome was hard to believe, but this-"
Jon nodded. He understood Tormund's disbelief having felt it himself but they didn't have the luxury of being able to process their situation. There was work to do and a lot of it.
Metal scraping against metal brought the two unlikely friends from their reunion as Jeor sheathed Longclaw.
"Tormund, Edd told me you helped him capture Allister Thorne after he murdered Jon."
"Aye. Wanted to kill the fucker but Edd here, wouldn't let me."
Edd shrugged as the wildling leader glared at him. "Allister Thorne was a traitor to the Watch. Jon would have wanted him to have a trial."
"None of that matters now," Jon said ending what little spat that about to start before it started. "Melisandre and Davos are back as well. With Me, Jeor, Edd and now you Tormund that makes six people who know about the possible future. Whatever the Red woman did to bring try and bring me back brought us here. Maybe she did it on purpose, maybe it was an accident, I don't rightly care. What matters is what we are going to do now."
"You have a plan?"
Jon looked at Tormund who had spoken before looking to Jeor and Edd. The four of them were standing in a loose square before a Weirwood tree about to decide the future of the Seven Kingdoms. It was like one of the stories Sansa read. "Sansa"
Tiny fist tightened as Jon thought about his sister and what she had been put through. Robb or Lady Stark should have protected her. Not leaving her to rot in Kings Landing with the Lannisters.
"Jon, you okay boy?"
"I do have a plan," Jon stated ignoring the worried looks he got from his friends and mentor. They had more important things to worry about besides his feelings on things that were never going to happen. He would see to that.
"We need to head to the Eastwatch by the Sea. Ser Davos will meet us there with his ship and we can begin planning in earnest."
"You gonna tell us this plan of yours then?" Tormund asked when Jon started for his horse.
"I will fill you in on the way. We need to get back to Castle Black and start packing. It's a long way to the East Watch and we shouldn't waste time."
"Aye," Edd agreed. "What is it the Stark's are always saying?"
"Winter is Coming."
The second chapter is done!
Next Chapter the meeting between the men and women of the "Failed Future"
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think:)
