Hello everyone! My semester is finally coming to an end and I can breathe again. I will have almost nothing to do this break, so I should be updating more consistently. I have not given up or abandoned this story, I just don't want to write when my heart is not completely in it. I have been working really hard at school and at my other jobs. My next semester should be a lot less stressful so I am hoping that will allow me to write more! Thank you all for waiting so patiently for me to send out another chapter! You have all been so understanding that life happens and it can become difficult to continue things, even if you are passionate about them. Here is chapter 29! I hope you enjoy it!
Lilly POV
"I don't pity you Jon." She said, shaking her head. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, considering if she should tell him. It was now or never. "I love you."
She looked at him like she wanted to give him the world. There was so much life and love in her eyes when she looked at him. Her icy eyes would be frightening to anyone else who looked into them. But he had seen past it from the moment he laid eyes on her. The moment he saw those haunting blue eyes from the tower of Castle Black. Haunting. Indeed, her eyes were haunting. But they held so much warmth in them. Warmth that was only meant for him.
Jon was still shaking. Staring at her, mouth slightly open. The most beautiful women in the world loved him? The kindest, most innocent thing that has ever graced his world, loved him? How could she love him? She was his better. Jon was still a bastard, still lowborn. She should be with someone like his brother. Who could give me a castle and a title. Someone who could give her everything.
But when he looked into her eyes, he knew that she didn't need any of that. She didn't want any of that. She wanted him. They were one in the same. He slowly watched rejection and sadness pool in her eyes. Idiot. He was still staring at her, as if she had three heads. He needed to say something.
"You love me?" He said dumbly. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.
"Yes." She said slowly, her voice sounded slightly pained. She was biting her full bottom lip. He both loved and loathed when she did that. It was incredibly distracting.
"Truly?" He whispered.
"Truly." She winced.
His smile was blinding. He was about to crash his lips into hers when he noticed the slightly pained look in her eyes.
"Lilly? What is it?"
"I am glad you are happy Jon, but it seems that in your surprise you have forgotten your own strength." She whispered, eyeing the hands that were wrapped tightly around her forearms. He had grasped her so tightly Jon had not realized that he had nearly lifted her from the ground. She was struggling to balance on her toes to relieve the pain in her arms.
"Oh!" He said releasing her immediately. She had begun to slowly massage her arms when Jon repeated his question from earlier. "You love me?"
"Yes, Jon. I can yell it from the mountain tops if that would convince you-"
But she was in his arms again being spun around. When her feet found the ground, she was being hugged by him again.
"I love you." He whispered. "More than my own life. More than anything in this world. I have from the moment I saw you. I should have told you then. I wish I knew the happiness that I would feel in hearing those words.
"I have known for a while." She whispered gently. "I feel it in your touch. See it in your eyes. I have no need for words. But I will tell them to you anyway."
"When this is over, I will make you my wife." He whispered into her hair. "Properly. In front of the old Gods."
"I would like that." She smiled. "But for now, the Wildlings wait for us to move. We cannot linger any longer."
Lilly and Jon gathered the rest of their things. It would be a long journey. But they knew that they would have each other to warm the night and brighten their moods.
A few days later
The Journey was difficult. The cold unbearable.
For most, anyway. Lilly was enjoying the freezing temperatures as they did not hinder her. She could dance barefoot in the snow and not feel the slightest chill. If the wildlings had not thought her a witch before, they certainly did now. They didn't understand how someone could find such happiness in the bitter cold.
However, these suspicions did not frighten them away. Unlike those from Westeros who would have burned Lilly at the stake for her unearthly beauty and power, the wildlings respected her. The Gods must have led her to them for a purpose. One that they did not yet know.
They were not far now. She could feel the temperatures getting warmer as they drew closer to the Wall. It would likely be another day, if not two before they would arrive.
Lilly thought of the past few days, as she laid in Jon's arms. He was sleeping. He looked so young. The worry lines and scowls she was so accustomed to seeing would slip away when he fell into a deep slumber. Lilly gently traced the outline of his jaw, reveling in the softness of his lips.
Love. The thought brought a smile to her lips and a flutter to her heart. She gently touched her chest, where her beating heart thundered against her ribs.
She stared at him for what felt like hours. Tracing his features with her fingers, smiling as the wind howled. There was something calming about being with your love in the dead of night. But this peace she felt in her heart would not last.
She sensed something. The fire they had burned near their tent was struggling to stay lit. The temperature was dropping rapidly. Lilly knew something wasn't right. She had lived near the wall for her entire life. She had grown up with the smell of crisp air and the ever steady weather patterns. They were to close to the Wall for the weather to change this drastically. They were much too far South.
Lilly could not ignore the gnawing sensation in her gut. Something was terribly wrong. Something evil was approaching.
And fast.
"Jon.." She whispers, gently shaking his arm.
"Mmm." He grumbled, Lilly would have thought his actions sweet if the situation was not so dire.
"Something is not right." She said, searching the horizons with her eyes.
"It's just a storm Lilly." Jon said, sleepily.
"No. There is a foulness in the chill in the air. I feel it." She whispers. "Something evil is closing in upon us."
Jon sat up at those words. He followed Lilly's gaze to the distant cliffs at the edge of their camp. There were dark grey clouds gathering on the horizon, Jon could see the wind whipping the snow up into the air. He had seen something like this once before. It was on the day they were found by the wildlings. The day Jon encountered that thing in the forest.
"Gather your things." Jon said quickly. "Wake as many people as you can. I am going to tell Mance. If we move now, and move quickly we may be able to out run them. Make it to the wall in time."
"Out run them?" Lilly whispered. "You can't mean-"
"I do." He interrupted. "Now do as I say!"
Jon had taken off running to the center of the camp while Lilly rose those who were nearest to them. Quietly whispering the truth to the adults, whose pace quickened immediately at the words.
Jon POV
"Get up!" Jon commanded, shaking the King Beyond the Wall awake.
"This better be good boy-"
"We have no time for displays of dominance." Jon hissed. "The Night's King is coming. We must go. Now."
When he didn't move, Jon turned to face him. The King had a disbelieving look in his eye. "And how do you know this?"
He was suspicious of him.
"I just know." Jon insisted.
"We cannot move 100,000 people in the middle of the night because you 'just know' Jon Snow." The King Beyond the Wall replied.
"If you do not move now every man, women, and child will be slaughtered and added to the army of the dead. We still have the chance of out running them and making it South of the wall." He insisted.
"I will ask again. How do you know?" Mance replied.
"I-" Jon stuttered. What should he tell him?
"Anytime now." He said impatiently.
Jon settled for telling the King Beyond the Wall the truth. He had shown a fondness for Lilly. One that he hoped would protect her.
"I don't." He whispered. "But Lilly does. She feels them coming."
"She... Feels them coming?" He said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "And how does she predict that?"
"She feels them coming. Her mother was a Wildling. Her father is what hunts us." He said hurriedly.
"Her father?" Mance stuttered.
"Yes. Her father." Jon confirmed. "When your people found us, we had just had an encounter with The Others. She had felt them coming. Sensed the storm. It was because of that we were able to escape. She can feel the foulness that they bring with them in the air."
"Is she one of them?" He whispered.
"No." Jon said. "She does not know. The Lord Commander entrusted the information to me. Just before.."
"I see." Mance said. "The girl has shown nothing but loyalty. And her feelings will save countless lives. I will not forget it nor reveal her secret Jon Snow."
"Thank you." He said. "But we must move now if we are to escape."
"Right." he nodded. "I will alert the chiefs of each Village. The news will spread quickly. We will leave within the hour.
Lilly POV
She had heard the horns blow in the night. Jon had convinced the King Beyond the Wall to move. Thank the Gods. Lilly was leading a group of parent-less children through the night. Many of there mothers and fathers had been killed in the gathering of the great army of the North. There innocent questions and bright faces gave her hope. She could save them. She WOULD save them from the horror that approached in the night.
Jon was towards the front of the group with Mance. Likely talking about strategy, what the next few days would bring. She saw him glance back to check on her almost every other minute. His concern warmed her heart.
But Lilly knew no warmth could withstand what was coming. She could feel them gaining speed. Getting closer. They had traveled for hours without stopping.
She felt hope kindle in her chest when she saw the wall towering in the distance. She could see the relief on the faces of those around her as well. They were close. They could make it.
Then Lilly heard it. A high pitched screech in the dead of night. It had many pausing and turning to the mountains behind them. A terrible inhuman noise. One, to her horror, that she could understand. Something had just yelled Attack.
"RUN!" Lilly yelled. "To the Wall!"
The Wildlings did not have to be told twice. Men were preparing for battle while many of the spear wives gathered the children. Lilly rushed to Jon, Tormund, and The King Beyond the wall. She had to weave her way in and out of the screaming children, almost being knocked to the ground in the process.
"Jon!" She yelled. "Jon Snow!"
"Lilly!" He said grabbing her arms. "Lead them on! You must lead them to the wall!"
The winds were growing stronger, whipping her hair into her face and stinging her eyes.
"Not without you!" She cried.
"You must." He said gripping the back of her neck. "Thorne will let you in. He will open the gates if he sees your face. These people will be massacred at the wall if you do not."
"I can't-"
"You can." Jon interrupted, wiping the tears that she had not realized were falling from her cheeks. "I'll be alright. No need to be worrying over me."
He was smiling at her. The corners of his lips pulling up ever so slightly. Idiot. Even running off to his death he managed to set a spark inside her heart. She should be comforting him, not the other way around.
"I love you." She whimpered.
"And I you." He kissed her hand. "Now go!"
Lilly did as she was told. She ran. Her lungs burned as she strained to keep going. The temperature was dropping as she came closer and closer. She knew those things were near. She could hear the men screaming behind her. But, the wall was getting closer. The wildlings had stopped at the base. They were trapped unless the Night's Watch decided to be kind and open the gates to them. She could see the men in black pointing there bows down at the women and children from their posts upon the wall. They had no idea what was coming.
"Let me through!" She yelled. She was being ignored. Lilly yelled louder this time. "They will shoot us where we stand if you do not let me through!"
The wildlings began to part slowly for her. She walked forward, looking up at the wall.
"Ser Allister!" She yelled up to the men. "Please, get Ser Allister!"
The men with the bows disappeared behind the wall. They were going to ignore them. Leave them to be slaughtered out here like animals. She had to think of something. She looked to the gates. The strength of one hundred men couldn't push the gates open.
She paused. Men couldn't open the gates. No. But..
She scanned the group of spear wives and children. The giants were few. But she knew there were women among them. Women with children. It did not take her long to find the hulking figures standing in the crowd.
She approached them slowly. Remembering what Tormund said about their infamous tempers. She didn't come this far to be squashed by the foot of a giant. They noticed Lilly when she drew close.
They looked down at her. And she up at them. When their eyes connected she realized something. They were the same. Fighting for the survival of themselves and their loved ones.
"Can you push it open?" She said gesturing towards the wall. "If you all work together. Do you think it can be done?"
The Giant looked to the gate. Then down at Lilly. Then to the group of giant children that stood nearby. She nodded once. Lilly could see from the look in her eyes. The giant was unsure. As was Lilly. But both women knew that they must try. If they stayed any longer, they would simply be meat in the Night King's army.
"Come then." Lilly said. The crowd of parted as the giants moved forward. But before they could attempt to force the gate, a voice called from above. A voice that had Lilly sighing with relief.
"Lilyanna!" Ser Allisters voice boomed.
"Ser Allister!" Lilly said smiling up at him. She knew the man had a weak spot in his heart for her. He couldn't leave her out here to die. "You must let us through! Please open the gates!"
"I cannot Lilyanna." He replied sharply. "The savages that you have brought with you. They will not pass. Not while I am Watching the Wall."
"You must-"
"No."
"If you would only listen-"
"I will not be opening these gates." Ser Allister interrupted. "You are always welcome here, but those-"
"Listen to me!" She screamed. She had never once demanded something of the sort. Lilly knew she was always a meek girl. Doing what she was told. The look of shock on Ser Allisters face said he thought the same. "If you do not let us through, we will all die. The Night's King Tracks us. We are only women, children, the elderly. Look at us! The men are holding off the dead so we might escape! The magic in the wall will protect you, but only for so long. We will be slaughtered."
Ser Allister took a moment. He looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
"Do you expect me to believe such lies?" He deadpanned. "The Others are nothing but a tale-"
A long screech in the distance cut his sentence short. They were close.
"Please Ser Allister! You must believe me. I would not lie to you. I was raised with you by my side." She pleaded. "I could not conjure the fear in my heart. They are coming. You may think that these people are not your problem now, but they will be. The Night's King will slaughter them. But that is not the end. He raises them from the dead. You leaving us out here will only add soldiers to the Night Kings Army."
Ser Allister stared at her. She knew he had heard the inhumane sound. She knew he could feel the evil in the air. He just could not decide if he wanted to watch the slaughter of a entire people or not. The Wildlings had never been friends to the Night's Watch. But then again. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't.
A man standing near Ser Allister began to laugh.
"You cannot honestly believe-"
"Open the Gate." Ser Allister snapped. When no one moved, he shoved the man. "Open the gate. Now!"
Lilly could have cried in relief. When the gates swung open, the women and children began to pour in. The Night's Watchmen weary of there movements, but still guiding them. Helping the women or children when they tripped. Even Ser Allister was assisting. Although, he did not look to happy about it.
When he had spotted Lilly, the relief and anger in his eyes was evident. But he had hugged her all the same. Lilly was happy to see him. He had always been kind to her. Always grabbing her new books to read on his travels across the lands.
"You have some explaining to do young miss." He said when he pulled away.
"Yes." She said. "But not now. They were not far behind."
"You should go inside Lilly." He said.
"No." She whispered. "They go first. The men should not be much longer. They just had to hold back The Others."
Lilly would not go through those gates until she saw Jon Snow. It was not long after the women and children were safety behind the wall that the men started to come through the haze. Some were helping the injured. Which meant she was not wrong. They had all regarded her with respect as they entered through the gates, even bowing there head in gratitude to Ser Allister Thorne. Lilly could tell he was shocked by their sheer gratitude.
But as more men came, she could hear the dying screams come closer. The shreaks of the Wights. Not nearly enough men would make it back in time. She felt helpless. Useless. What could she do against the steel of those monsters. Those monsters were useless without the cold.
The Cold. The storm made the temperature unbearable. She could control snow. Could control the cold. Could she hold back the approaching storm as more men fled to safety?
She could try.
Lilly ran forward. She was close. She could hear the fighting withing the storm cloud. Lilly doubted she could hold the storm for long. She spotted a retreating solider assisting a wounded man.
"Do you have a horn?" She asked. "Something to signal retreat. That it is time to pull back?"
The man nodded.
"Signal for a retreat. Tell as many as you can to run."
He nodded again, running back to the storm cloud.
"I can do this.." She whispered to her self. "I can do this."
Lilly concentrated hard, opening the palms of her hands so they faced the incoming winds. She tried with all her might. To stop the frigid winds. To stop the impending doom. She heard the horn. The signal for retreat. The man had held true. She opened her eyes.
It was still coming.
Who was she kidding? She had only ever used her powers for small tricks to entertain herself. These men would all die because she could do nothing. They were running out of the advancing storm.
"Ah!" She cried out. She felt a stinging pain in her side. Like a hot knife had just ripped through her. Lilly looked down to see her white dress, running with blood. But there was no knife. No sword. There was nothing. That meant one thing.
Jon.
Through her connection with him, she could tell he was alright. For now. Something had grazed his side. But he was slowly down. He was a fantastic fighter. But he was only human. Human men grew tired. Jon was going to die because she was utterly useless.
Something inside of her snapped when she felt his pain. She would not allow it. She couldn't live without him. With a pained cry, she pushed forward with both hands. She summoned every ounce of power, every drop of sheer will to stop it. She pushed with everything she had.
Effectively stopping the storms advance.
She could see the rotting corpses of The Others fighting within the cloud had gotten so close to her. But it was as if they hit an invisible wall when they tried to cross were she had stopped the storm. It was working. She saw thousands of wildlings exiting the storm cloud and running to safety. Some of them did not understand why the corpses did not advance. Others saw her. The sheer will on her face in holding off the storm. The gods did send her for a reason. To save them. But she could still feel her energy draining. She had never used this much power at once. She just needed to hold it long enough. Long enough that the men got through the gate. Long enough for Jon to escape. But she still needed the energy to retreat herself.
"Miss!" She heard through the winds. A man stood before her.
The man she told to call for a retreat had returned. She looked at him through weary eyes. "You have done it! You have saved us. There are few left within the storm. You must run now, while you have your strength."
She nodded. "Thank you. Go now." He ran. But she wasn't going to move. Not without Jon. She knew he hadn't come out yet. And something had began to push back. From the other side of the storm. Trying to push the storm forward. The sudden surge of energy had caused her to fall to her knees with a pained cry. She didn't know how much longer she could hold it. Something was fighting to get through.
The connections was about to break when Jon came surging through the wind and into her line of sight.
"Jon!" She cried. He looked at her. Dirty and bloodied. He was the most beautiful sight, among a valley of horrors. She could see his sheer relief and amazement. She was on her knee's, holding off the Night Kings storm.
"Come Lilly!" He yelled. "You've done it! All that is left within are the dead. We must move."
She had let the connection fall, and the storm began advancing at once. Jon pulled her to her feet, helping her run. Most of her strength had left her. They were not moving nearly fast enough.
Jon had shoved her to the ground just in time, as a sword slashed were her head would of been. Lilly looked up and Jon was fighting one of them. A white walker. Not just one of its mindless slaves. The surprise on its face when her fathers sword could deflect its weapons blows was evident. Something had sent this after them. To finish them. But the gates were right there. Jon was fighting that thing, but he was tired.
He was being beaten. The pumble of the monsters giant sword had hit Jon in the face. Her love was on the ground. Struggling to reach his weapon. It was going to skewer him through the back and into the ice.
No.
It all happened quickly from there. She had picked up a discarded spear from the ground. Her power barely contained. Ice shot up the spear and it soon resembled a deadly looking icicle. Before that thing could bring the sword down, she had thrown herself over Jon and stabbed it right through the belly. Eyes looked down at her in shock. Familiar ice blue eyes. Eyes that looked back at her in the mirror. Just before it shattered into ice, fluttering away with the wing. She had killed it.
"Come on, Jon" She yelled, yanking him to his feet. They ran. The gate approaching. She shoved Jon inside and was about to enter herself when she felt eyes on the back of her head. She turned. Sure enough on the mountain. Ice cold eyes stared down at her. The White Walker they belonged to was obviously in charge. A crown sat upon his head. He looked at her like he recognized her. She felt like in her gut, she knew him as well.
"Lilly!" Jon shouted, getting her attention.
Lilly shivered, turning into enter after Jon.
Pulling the gate closed with her.
Night's King POV
She was right there. His child.
Lilly.
That was her name.
When the Night King decided to attack while that scum was on the run, he would have never expected to find such a hidden treasure. His lost treasure. He had been surprised to say the least. She was traveling with the barbarians who laid claim to the land North of the Wall.
From his horse upon the hill, he had spotted her. For a moment, he thought he had seen the ghost of his lost love. They could be mirror images of each other. She looked just like her. Lilly had the same long auburn hair of her mother, thick and wavy. The same figure. The same heart shaped face.
His daughter's beauty could easily surpass her mothers. For his child had happiness in her eyes. And an unearthly glow about her skin that when she stepped into the moonlight she glowed like a star. Lilly had all of her mother's features.
Except for her eyes. Those ice blue eyes were distinctly his. And the power. She was powerful.
She had chosen to save that boy. Something about him... It did not sit right with the Night's King. The boy had fire. A fire he thought was long extinguished.
He would have his daughter back. After he killed the man she protected.
Thank you again! I hope you liked this Chapter! I look forward to getting back into my writing now that I know for sure I will have nothing to do! Please continue to favorite and follow. Review! I am so excited that I have 538 reviews on this story. I can hardly believe it. I will feature the lucky winner of this next competition as an OC in my upcoming chapters! All you have to do is review and I will randomly pick a winner! My goal is to get as many reviews as possible so please, say anything! The smallest comment brightens up my day.
