I like my cliff-hangers...and reviewers... ;) Thanks you for reading and double thank you for reviewing!

Beta'ed by: MrsBates93

Past

The day of the oath was hectic, everyone ran around doing on thing or another. Soon the Lord Commander would call the new Night Watch's recruits and he would tell them where they'd be standing. Each of us would stand in one of three positions: Stewards were responsible for an assortment of critical functions, providing vital day-to-day services. They would: hunt and farm, tend to the horses, gather firewood, cook meals, make clothing, maintain weapons, and conduct trade with the south, bringing all of the supplies that were needed for the Night's Watch back to the Wall. Rangers were the main fighting force, adept at surviving in the wilderness and tasked with scouting and patrolling the Haunted Forest beyond the Wall. Builders were responsible for maintaining the Wall, the castles, and equipment. They provided the blacksmiths, carpenters, miners, and woodsmen.

Me and Jon wished to be Rangers; raiding, fighting enemies, spending nights in the wild. Sam wanted to be a builder. We would talk about what we'd do once we'd go to our new positions. Sam would tell us he'd make us the best swords, the best cloaks and the best food. I would tell him that we'd bring the best furs and the best stories back to the Wall. Jon was in one of his moods.

We were sitting down on the steps near the elevator. War, my black eagle had grown up and was flying around us in circles, taking food from our hands when we weren't looking. We were telling each other stories and jokes when Lord Commander shouted for the recruits to form up. He stood in front of the elevator, behind him stood some of the higher Lords from Castle Black. The lengthy benches from the mess hall had been placed in front of the elevator plank and that's where we would sit for the ceremony.

The Lord Commander made a speech, about how we were now in one house together. Truthfully none of us were listening. Jon's uncle was missing, and, surprise surprise, he was frowning.

"We're allowed to look happy," Sam said nudging my shoulder each nudge made me knock Jon's shoulder.

"Imagine the feast after this Jon," I said smiling.

That day I had braided my hair and did the best I could to push it into a ponytail, placed the mask on my face so I would have protection from any mishaps and even wore one of the new cloaks that I had made thanks to Sam's lessons.

"Finally we're going to be what we wanted to be all along. Jon you're going to be a ranger!" Sam exclaimed. "Isn't that what you always wanted?"

"I want to find my uncle," Jon said, making the grins on our faces vanish.

"Benjen is an experienced ranger Jon. Maybe he sent the horse to let us now he's alright," I said.

"I know he's alive out there." Sam added to my pep talk. "I know he is. I wish I could help you but I'm no ranger. It's the steward's life for me. Besides, Bos here will be there in my place. You two might as well be stitched at the hip your never apart from each other. Between the two of you I don't think the wildlings have a chance."

Jon and I looked at each other. I was grinning, glad that the mask I had chosen today had no mouth cover, it only covered my eyes and Jon gave me a half grin, rolling his eyes at our poor attempt at cheering him up.

"We'll be unstoppable. Let them come, right Lord Snow," I told the dark haired man, receiving his well-known eye roll.

"You all learned the words, your vow. Think carefully before you say them, and know that the penalty for desertion is death. You can take your vows here tonight at sunset. Do any of you still keep to the Old Gods?"

Me and Jon stood up together. My father had been an advocate for the Old Gods, and it was more for him that I stood up.

"I do, my lord," Jon said.

"I do also."

"Do you want to take your vows before the heart tree?" Lord Commander asked us.

"Yes, my lord," we said simultaneously.

"You'll find the Weirwoods, a mile north of the Wall and you're Old Gods too, maybe."

"My Lord?" Sam got up from his seat and we both looked at him. "Might I go as well?"

"Does House Tarly keep to the Old Gods?"

"No, my lord…" Sam started to explain. "I was named in the light of the Seven, as my father was and his father before him."

"Why would you forsake, the Gods of your father and your house?" The Lord inquired.

"The Night's Watch is my house now." I smiled as my friend made his speech. He was growing up to be a good man. "The Seven have never answered my prayers perhaps the Old Gods will."

"As you wish."

We sat down again and waited for our names to be called out for the orders.

"Samwell, the stewards." He smiled and I patted him on the shoulder.

"Ora, to the rangers." My friends did the same to me, patting me and congratulating me. I was a Night's Watch Ranger.

"Jon Snow, to the stewards."

I don't know what happened, but the world seemed to stop when those words came out of the Lord Commander's mouth.

Jon's hand tightened and his jaw set so hard, I thought it would shatter. I could hear Sam gasp. Jon was about to stand up and do something he'd regret.

"Be the bigger man Snow," I whispered and he sat down again. Fuming.

Ser Alliser was smiling victorious. I'm not sure how deeply involved he was in this decision but until today I couldn't help but think he had given Jon the smaller straw knowing where it would place him.

The list ended and all of us had to go meet our superiors. I didn't budge from my seat, and neither did my friends. Shock, indignation and fear wouldn't let us move. Shock from Sam, indignation from Jon and fear from me. Somehow all those adventures and ranger duties didn't seem so funny, now that I would have to go without Jon.

"Ora! I called you."

I jumped up automatically at the tone of his voice but looked at Jon before I walked to join the circle of rangers.

The Lord in charge of the Rangers was giving us some orders, but I only paid attention to half of mine. For the first time, our ranger's duties wouldn't be too hard. We would ride up and down the forest, near the Wall, north and south of it. But never very far.

The commotion from the stewards meeting made the rest of us fall silent. As Jon marched his way to the one of the corners I looked at my superior wordlessly asking for permission to go to my friend. I would never be as thankful to anyone as I was to that man, when he nodded to me. I ran the small distance between me and my friends.

"What in the Old Gods names happened?" I asked but shut up when Jon looked at me. If looks could kill, my head would have fallen off my shoulders at that moment.

"Why are you in the Rangers?" He side stepped Sam and walked dangerously fast, towards me. "Why? What do you have that I don't?"

"I…" He was in my face right now, Sam held onto his arm the best he could.

"I taught you! I'm better than you! I'm the best here!" I swallowed, but didn't argue. "I'm a better swordsman and rider than any of you! It's not fair!"

"Fair?" One of the brothers who was standing near the entrance of the smaller tunnel said. "I was singing for a high lord at Acorn Hall, when he put his hand on my leg wanting to see my cock. I pushed him away and he said he'd have my hand cut off for stealing when he was finished with me. So now here I am at the end of the world, with no one to sing for, apart from old men and whiney little shits like you. I'll never see my family again. I'll never be inside a woman again. Don't tell me about fair."

"I thought you were here for stealing…" I trailed off when Jon snarled at me.

"Yes," Sam continued. "I thought you were caught stealing a wheel of cheese for your starving sister."

"Course who's gonna tell a bunch of strangers a high lord tried to grab my cock?"

I smiled knowingly, and by instinct I looked at Jon's face to see if he was smiling too. No such luck.

"Would you sing me a song Pyp? I'd like to hear a song," Sam said, trying to make the boy leave, by embarrassing him. It worked since the boy walked away muttering under his breath.

Once again Jon had turned his angry gaze on me and as I was about to argue with him Sam turned to us and cleared his throat.

"Now listen to me," Sam started. "The old man, is the Lord Commander of The Night's Watch. You will be with him, day and night, yes you will clean his clothes. You will also, take his letters, attend with him at meetings, squire for him in battle. You'll know everything, be part of everything. And he asked for you himself. He wants to groom you for command."

The anger in Jon's eyes turned into half understanding, half disappointment. I was trying to stand as quiet as a mouse but still nodded as Sam ended his speech.

"I just..." Jon said. "I always wanted to be a ranger."

"I always wanted to be a wizard," Sam said and we both looked at him and then at each other.

"Fisherman for me. Feel the breeze on my face. That would be the life."

"What?" He asked. "No, I'm serious!" It only made us laugh harder.

The higher lords called us and we followed them out. It was my first time north of the Wall. The three of us and some of our superiors walked out with us. Ghost and War went running and flying to the forest, but we took no heed, they were our animals, they would come back.

We knelt near the tree and said our vows, solemnly and proudly. Once we got up from our kneeling stance we looked at each other and hugged like little children. We separated and gave the other men surrounding us brotherly hugs. We were now one house. One family.

The moment was broken when War cried from above and I put my arm up so he could land safely. Right behind him, but on the ground padded Ghost, with something in his mouth.

"To me Ghost," Jon said kneeling on the ground.

Ghost dropped a human hand onto the snow, and we all stood silently looking at it.