Once Bran, Meera and Winter passed through the tunnel and out into the central courtyard, all eyes were on them.

Bran had been warging into Winter, so he's seeing through the direwolf's eyes. He scanned their new surroundings.

The Ranger who had let them past the gate, went up the central stairway. His other Black brothers were busy doing stuff. There were some Wildlings too. He could tell they were Wildlings by their animal fur coats. And there were women and children as well. He didn't understand that. And that's something he'd have to ask the Lord Commander about. In any case, they all stopped doing whatever they're supposed to be doing and stared at him. Either at the direwolf, Winter, or his unconscious body and glazing white eyes. Or both.

Meera led him to a few benches on the courtyard. Bran went back to his body and Meera carried and sat him down on one of the benches.

"Thanks." Bran said.

Meera smiled, then caressed Winter's hide. "You should thank him," She said. "For carrying you all this way."

Bran patted the direwolf's head. "Thank you, boy." He turned to Meera. "Do we still have spare rabbit meat?" He asked.

Meera grabbed the last strips of dried rabbit meat from the knapsack and tossed it at Winter, who gnawed on it immediately.

The Ranger came back with a man who had different black cloak than the rest of the brothers. He must be the Lord Commander, Bran thought. He was a lean man with shoulder length hair and a pointed nose.

Meera stood as the Lord Commander approached them.

"Welcome to Castle Black, Milord," He bowed at him, then at Meera. "Milady." He held his hand for a shake. "I'm Eddison Tollett, 999th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch."

Bran shook his hand. "I'm Brandon Stark of Winterfell," He introduced, gesturing at Meera. "This is Meera Reed of Greywater Watch."

Eddison Tollett's eyes widened. He glanced at Winter then back at them. He turned to the man beside him, who had been the one who let them passed the gate. "Why didn't you tell me the boy is Jon's brother?"

The Ranger's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, he's Jon Snow's brother?" He asked in disbelief.

Eddison sighed in annoyance. "He's a Stark," He explained. "Of course, he's Jon's brother." He turned back to Bran. "My apologies, Prince Brandon, when the rangers said they encountered highborns, I expected our black brothers from great houses, not a Prince in the North and the Lady of the Neck."

"Please, call me Bran." Bran insisted.

"Did you really set out beyond the Wall?" He asked

Bran nodded. "Yes, we did."

"What were you doing there?" He asked.

"It's a long story." Bran said.

"Well, what matters now is that you made it back, my prince." Eddison assured.

"Bran." Bran corrected. "Call me Bran." He insisted.

"I'm sorry, Bran." Eddison said. "You're safe now. Jon would be glad to hear you're alive."

Safe? Bran thought. I doubt it. He had basically put millions of lives at stake by simply crossing through the Wall.

"Where is Jon Snow?" Meera spoke up.

The Lord Commander stared at them in surprise. "He's back at Winterfell."

Bran and Meera exchanged confused looks. Back at Winterfell? Bran thought. What would Jon be doing at Winterfell? From what knew, Winterfell was under Ironborn control, then it was sacked, so he and Rickon had to leave. Then in his visions, when his brother Robb was killed at a wedding, together with their mother and the North bannermen slaughtered all the same, Winterfell was left deserted. And Bran and his siblings have been scattered across the seven kingdoms, a long way from their home.

"But he's a sworn brother of the Night's Watch." Bran recalled. "Why would he leave?" He asked.

Eddison looked back and forth between them, as if they were playing with him. "You don't know?" When the Lord Commander saw their serious and confused expressions, he heaved a gloomy sigh. "How long have you been north of the Wall?" He asked.

Bran never answered. Obviously, there's a lot he doesn't know, even with his Greensight.

The Lord Commander seemed to understand. "A lot of things have change, Bran." He said. "And it seems we have a lot to talk about. Let's say, over a meal?"

"We would love that very much, Lord Commander." Meera agreed.

"Please, call me Edd," Eddison offered. He turned to the ranger behind him. "Rory, carry the prince to the common hall." He gestured for Meera to follow him. "Right this way, milady."

. . .

At the common hall, Bran and Meera ate a meal with the Lord Commander, Eddison Tollett. They have taken off their animal fur coats and are once again in their typical northern leather clothes.

Once in a while, Bran would toss a bone to Winter, and the direwolf would happily munch on it.

"Must be one thing to tell if you're a Stark," Edd said. "The direwolf."

Bran smiled at that thought. His direwolf, Summer was the one who grew up with him. He only met Winter recently. He befriended him earlier that morning, when they needed a ride. When Bran set the direwolf free, he stayed with them. And he was glad to adopt Winter as his direwolf companion/protector. Winter will never replaced Summer. But of course, Summer will always have a place in his heart.

"My father said they're our protectors." Bran said.

"They are indeed protectors." Edd agreed. "Ghost saved many lives when this castle was attacked."

"By the Wildling army?" Bran guessed.

"Well, that explains the dents and scorched marks on the gates." Meera said.

Edd nodded. "The battle was inevitable." He recalled. "We were outnumbered a thousand to one, until Jon took command."

"You haven't answered my question earlier," Bran remembered. "Why is Jon back at Winterfell?" He asked again.

Edd took a deep breath. "When your brother, King Robb was killed at the Twins, Roose Bolton was declared the new Warden of the North." He explained. "He moved to Winterfell and to have the North bannermen support his claim, one of your sisters was married to his legitimized bastard son, Ramsay."

The idea that one of his sisters be forced to marry someone alarmed him. Bran remembered Sansa, who couldn't wait to leave for King's Landing and be married to Prince Joffrey, while Arya just stared at her and thought it was stupid. And the time when a raven from Robb's camp when he was acting Lord of Winterfell, informing him about his brother's alliance with the Freys. To seal the alliance, Robb has to marry a Frey girl, and their sister Arya, a Frey boy. When he first read it, he almost laughed. What? No. He thought. Robb will probably do it for duty of course, but not Arya. She wouldn't, she would never.

"I have two sisters." Bran brought up.

Edd pursed his lips. "Apologies, my prince." He said. "I can't remember her name. She was often addressed here only as Lady Stark. But she did have red hair."

Bran nodded. "Sansa." He guessed immediately. That's one surefire way to tell his sisters apart, by the color of their hair. Even though they looked nothing alike. "And then what happened?" He asked.

"Stannis Baratheon attempted to take Winterfell and was unsuccessful. Lady Sansa escaped and came here, to Jon." Edd continued. "She took refuge here. Until, they received a threat from Ramsay Bolton. He explained that the Umbers had sold your brother, Prince Rickon to him and threatened to feed him to hounds unless Lady Sansa is returned to Winterfell."

At the mention of Rickon, Bran covered his mouth with his hand and stared at his plate. Why do innocents have to suffer? He thought. Rickon's only a boy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Meera's concern expression.

"That was what convinced Jon to leave." Edd kept going. "He left with your sister to seek out and gather men to fight on their side, including Wildling army, to retake Winterfell. I don't know all the details, Bran, but they won. They retook Winterfell and he was hailed King in the North by your bannermen. Days after that, they found out that he was actually legitimized by your brother, King Robb before he was killed at the Twins."

Hearing that his siblings had retaken their ancestral castle, he was overjoyed. There was one problem, of course, Jon Snow is now Jon Stark. He shouldn't be, because he's supposed to be Jon Targaryen, or whatever his real name is. Jon is not their brother, he's their cousin the whole time. Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen's son. The North bannermen was right to hail him as king, because he actually has claim. Not the King in the North, but the King of the Seven Kingdoms.

Still, Bran was happy to hear good news. Jon, Sansa and Rickon are at Winterfell. He thought. But where's Arya?

"Have you heard any news about my other sister, Arya?" Bran asked.

Edd shook his head. "No," He said. "I'm sorry, my prince."

Bran nodded, then tossed another bone to Winter. "So, why are there Wildings south of the Wall?" He asked.

"Jon allowed them to cross when he was Lord Commander." Edd explained.

"It was wise of him to do so." Meera said. "With all those things lurking, they won't be safe on that side."

"Milady, I don't mean to frightened you, but—" Edd started to say.

"You don't have to hide anything, Edd," Bran said. "We've seen it. We've seen them. Meera fought a few." He gestured to Meera.

Edd stared at Meera. "How?" He asked in disbelief. "Those things can't be killed by customary forged steel."

"Not forged steel, no." Meera said. "It can't hurt them."

"How did you kill them?" Edd asked.

Meera turned to Bran, and he nodded encouragingly.

She pulled out her dragonglass dagger from its sheath and placed it on the table.

Edd's eyes widened in surprise. "Dragonglass." He said. "Where did you get this?" He asked.

"It was given to us," Bran answered. "By a brother of the Night's Watch, Samwell Tarly."

"But there aren't many of those," Bran said, pointing at the dragonglass dagger. "And the colder the winds, the closer they are."

"They're coming." Meera warned.

"We're very well aware of that, milady." Edd said, turning to Bran. "Suppose you Starks were right. Your words were a warning the whole time. Winter is coming."

"Now it's here. I can prove that." Bran said, then pulled down the sleeve of his right arm, once again showing off the icy shaped bruise on his forearm. "He touched me."

"Truthfully, I never expected to see you from that side." Edd admitted. "The last time a Stark went beyond the Wall, he never came back."

Meera and Bran exchanged glances.

"My uncle, Benjen Stark." Bran said. He was tempted to tell Edd that his uncle was still alive and even helped him and Meera from the pursuing Wights, but decided against it.

Edd nodded, then cleared his throat. "Nevertheless, I'll send word to your brother at Winterfell." He said. "I'll have men to escort you to—"

"No, Lord Commander." Bran interrupted. "That won't be necessary."

"My prince, It's not safe—" Edd started to say.

"It won't be safe anywhere for long." Bran said. "You're going to need all the men you have to defend the Wall. Lending us one horse will be enough."

"There's two of you." Edd brought up.

"I can't ride." Bran said. Unless they had the same saddle Tyrion Lannister had designed for him, then maybe.

Edd nodded in agreement. "We'll lend you one horse." He promised. "In the meantime, you're welcome to stay as guests."

"Thank you, Lord Commander." Bran said.

"I would've died many times if it weren't for Jon." Edd said. "If you're his brother, you're mine as well. I'd do anything to help you."