Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, all characters and rights belong to George R.R. Martin

Heeeeyo, I'm back!

I know it has been a full week, but as I said, I had exams. Furthermore, I was going to post this on Friday, as I finished this chapter then, but as you may know, the website went down for hours, and I left for the whole weekend so I was unable to post it before!

Anyways, here you have the next one! Thanks to all of those who followed and reviewed the story, specially to the last ones

Enjoy!

Jon II

When he started the Great Ranging beyond the Wall, he considered of how many different ways anyone could die. Starved, dehydrated, killed by Wildlings or other beasts, freeze to death… But of all the possibilities, he never thought he would be in the same table of Mance Ryder, as his prisoner, but at least he and his brothers were treated as good as possible. Even a "king" such as Mance couldn't end the hatred that some of the wildling chieftains had to the Night's Watch. Or crows like they called them.

They only needed a couple of hours to regroup with the other wildlings. Upon sawing all of them in a single camp, Jon only could think what madness possessed the Lord Commander to be willing to meet such a large host in an open field, having the alternative of putting a seven hundred feet tall wall between them. But anyways, when a tall, muscled man with a scarred face informed Mance of how the Old Bear died, anger and sadness rose inside them. And surprisingly, Mance shared his feelings.

"It doesn't matter that we were enemies now. He was my friend once, and I will mourn him as such" were the only worlds of the proclaimed king of the Free Folk.

It was after three days and nights that Mance called him to his tent, to discuss how things will go once they reach the Wall. Despite being the leader of the army, Mance tent was as modest as all of the others in the camp. There was no luxury in this side of the Wall, only some chairs, a table and an improvised bed for him and his wife Dalla.

After coming in, Mance nodded at him and bid him to seat with a wave of his hand.

"Take a sit Jon, we will talk for a while. Can I offer you a drink?" told Mance

"I don't know what you drink out there, but I won't make the mistake of drinking it twice. But I thank you for your offer" told Jon with a bit of nervousness

Mance started laughing whole-heartedly. "Fermented goat milk lad. A strong drink for strong men" chuckled Mance, drying a tear from his eye. "But I suppose you aren't weak. A son of Eddard Stark and the killer of Varamyr fiveskins, you have make yourself a name here. If it's good or bad, I don't know, as you are still a crow for all of them."

"A name?" muttered Jon, raising an eyebrow.

"The White Crow. A simple name, and personally I think that the White Wolf would suit you better, but well, they're not original searching for nicknames" he stopped and raised his cup of fermented milk, and gestured it towards Jon, simulating a toast. He finished it in one gulp. "But as you may know, my people isn't fond of yours, so I don't think that they mean that as a compliment. Anyways, I didn't call for you to discuss this"

"Indeed"

Both of them looked at each other eyes and stood silent. It was quite uncomfortable and Jon grew restless, so he decided to break the silence.

"What are your plans?" asked Jon

"You already know them. I want my people to cross the Wall, and you're the key to make it without spilling more blood."

"And do you think that they will let me do it? When we arrive at the Wall, the most possible think is that fucking Alliser Thorne is in command. Knowing the bastard as I know him, he will close the gates and call me and my friends traitors to the Watch."

"This is why your friends aren't going back."

Jon rose from his seat, his face red with anger. "What are you implying Mance? Are you going to kill them? They are your gue-"

"Don't speak nonsense and sit down" yelled Mance in such a high tone that two of his own men rushed inside with his weapons ready. He dismissed them and regained the composture. "It escapes my mind how the son of a man like Ned Stark can be that stupid" muttered Mance in a low tone, so Jon couldn't hear him. "My people and I follow the Old Gods just as you and your family do. We don't break guest laws beyond the Wall, so let me explain what I have planned."

Jon calmed and looked down, ashamed of his behaviour. Despite our differences, we follow the same gods, and no one is more cursed by them than those who break guest laws or slay their own kin. He sat down and nodded at the former brother of the Watch, giving him his full atention. Mance looked at him in the eyes and returned the nod.

"They will stay with me in the camp, treated like the guests they are. Tormund and some of his men will go with you south. You will camp in the limits of the Haunted Forest and you will go alone to the Wall. Once you're in, tell Alliser that everyone died except you and that the Lord Commander's last wish was that his sword was returned to Bear Island by your own hand. And I repeat, your own hand. This is the only way that Thorne will not throw you into an ice cell. Send a raven to your brother and go to return your sword. You only have one opportunity to do this Jon, if your brother doesn't send someone North to discuss terms in four months, we will be forced to march to the Wall and assault it, I can't delay my people any longer."

Jon nodded at Mance in acknowledgement and left the tent, immersed in his own thoughts. He looked up to the sky and thought about Winterfell and seeing his siblings again.

But now I'm a sworn member of the Night's Watch. I have dozens of new brothers.

He was still thinking about happier times when someone stumbled with him. After almost falling to the snow, he looked at the child who was close made him fall and identified him as one of Karsi's childen.

"So… So… Sorry" muttered the scared little wildling, who had probably recognised him, or his direwolf, and had heard how Varamyr had met his end after crossing swords with him.

"Don't worry little one, I won't bite you and neither will my direwolf" told Jon, trying to calm the boy "We are in the same side now. Just try to be more careful playing around the camp, okay?"

"Y-yes, white crow" replied the child, running fast to the opposite direction of Jon, earning a chuckle from him.

"So some of the crows know how to treat children. Strange thing considering they prefer to freeze their cocks in the top of the Wall" he heard a woman's voice telling behind him. "But well, you were a child not so long ago, am I wrong?"

Jon turned around angry and so did Ghost, baring his teeth to the blond beauty that was standing in front of him. Stunned by her vision, Jon tried to be as polite as he could, quickly forgiving how angry he felt after her words.

"Do I know you, my lady?"

"My lady?" responded the mysterious woman with a raised eyebrow, before starting a soft laugh "We are not in the other side of the Wall, Jon Snow, there are no lords or ladies out there."

"Everybody tells me that. I suppose that it's just normal for me to address people I don't know with some respect."

"A kneeler through and through. Well, maybe we can shape you into a free man before you leave us" said the woman with a sensual smile on her face.

"Oh, and my name is Val, I'm sure you will remember it, don't you?"

She winked her eye and went in her own way, leaving Jon speechless and surprised about what had just happened.

The last summer snows were falling in Winterfell, where Bran was finishing his breakfast happily. There were no requests of the smallfolk today and Maester Luwin was desperately trying to make Rickon less wild, a task were he couldn't help, so he had until noon to do as he pleased.

After ending his bread with smoked bacon, Hodor carried him outside the fortress and went directly to the stables, where Osha was already waiting for him.

When he was mounted in his steed, he was as high as everyone, so after falling and breaking his legs, riding had become his favourite hobby.

"Let's go Osha!" exclaimed Bran with a smile on his face

"Where are we going, milord?" asked the spearwife, with her unruly curly hair covering his forehead. However, before he could reply, a voice he knew very well cut him.

"Brandon Stark!" called Luwin

"Maester Luwin, what are you doing here?" asked Bran, concerned about the presence of the maester. After all, if he had come down there, it wasn't to bid him farefell but to ask him to stay.

"You shouldn't get out of the city Bran. The Manderlys are still searching for Ramsay Snow, and they told us that he had fled towards Castle Cerwyn, which is at half-day ride from here" voiced the old maester

"We will just go around Winterfell, I want to feel the air in my face before winter comes. We will be out for three hours at most, nothing could happen in that time, and besides, I have Osha with me" said Bran while looking at the woman

"Don't worry old man, I will protect the little lord"

Unwilling to get convinced by Luwin, or worse of all, let Osha be convinced by him, Bran shouted at his horse and rode out, going towards the gates, followed by Osha and Summer, to the amusement of all Winterfell citizens who crossed him.

RAYARAYARAYARAYARAYARAYARAYARAYARAYARAYARA

"The old man won't be happy when we return milord" said Osha

"I am the Lord of Winterfell Osha, he can council me and help me ruling the North, but not commanding me what to do. I deserve time for me" protested Bran, a bit annoyed about being questioned every time he didn't do what the others tell him. He was the Stark in Winterfell, not Luwin, Ser Rodrik or any other.

They wandered through the plains that surrounded Winterfell for some time, until Bran grew bored. When he was alone, as Osha wasn't someone who kept holding unnecessary conversations, he could think about the past in peace. He remembered the day when they found the direwolves in the Wolfswood, how Jon had convinced his father to keep them, glaring daggers at Theon who wanted to kill the pups. In the end, he is as Stark as we are. Looking briefly to Summer, who seemed to just read his thoughts, he talked to Osha.

"We go to the Wolfswood Osha, south of here."

"Are you sure little Lord? The old man told you on purpose to don't go near there"

"Let's move." responded Bran coldly

It was almost midday when they reached the Wolfswood, and Summer went alone to hunt something to eat, so he and Osha were alone in the forest.

"Osha, why did you came south of the Wall?" asked Bran

"You never asked before, little lord. Why do you want to know it now?" responded the wildling

"Just curiosity"

"There is something unnatural. In the last year, the cold has intensified in the northern part, those who are almost touching the Lands of Always Winter, and my village was one of them. It was so cold that some of the elders and children died in their sleep, so me and my husband left the village and went south. We stopped in a village near the Antler River, when a brute came in, accompanied by two friends, and tried to kill us. My husband killed one of them before the brute took his life, while I was busy handling the other one. It was impossible for me to kill the brute, so after killing the small one I fled further south, inside the Hunted Forest, where he couldn't chase me. Eventually I found people who were going to pass the Wall and I joined them. It was an uneventful trip until we found you and your brother. You know the rest."

"Are you saying that you climbed the Wall?" exclaimed Bran in awe

"Yes, and it's something I won't do again" she said while looking up to the sky between the trees. "It's already noon, we should get back"

"Yes, you're right" responded Bran, knowing that Summer was close by.

However, before they could get up of the stones they were sitting, he heard the voice of a young man calling for him.

"Brandon Stark, I have finally found you"

Here we are, and I hope you liked it!

I'm still with exams, if nothing changes I have the last one this Friday, so expect a new chapter for next weekend. I'm almost sure that it will be the one of the Battle of Dragonstone, you can't miss that ^^

Have a good week people! See you soon!