Hour of the Wolf continues, happy reading!


Chapter 33: Hardhome


Aboard a Ship

He's never been on the sea before, lakes, yes but never the sea.

It looked so open to him, so vast but so empty to his eyes. Jon turned away from the sea and saw Ygritte looking right at him, he saw the distrust in her eyes.

They still don't trust him, well, his brother more but since Arthur is his blood then that means he is less than trustworthy.

He tried to tell her that his brother is his father's son, he's honorable just like he is and that isn't changing what Arthur vowed to Mance. He just needs proof and if he can in some way scrounge it up at Hardhome? Then Arthur will believe in the threat from the Lands of Always Winter.

"These's winds are getting harder, Lord Commander," Edd said to him with worry in his expression toward him, Jon knew the weather was going to get rough just by being up at the Wall.

"So long as we don't run into a storm, we should be fine." It was to assure Edd and the other Watchmen and Free Folk that came with him.

As for the other fifteen ships, they were captained by mostly Stannis's sellswords. He doesn't trust his actual soldiers from being too far. Jon thought to himself, analyzing his brother's fragile ally.

"I just hope we aren't making the wrong decision, we lost people at the Wall, would have lost all of our friends if not for your Kingly brother." Here they go again with this, he hoped that after he became Lord Commander that the rest of his brethren would have gotten over him having blood ties to the King of the North.

Edd and Gren knew of Robb, but they didn't know Arthur was his full-blooded brother. They learned and hadn't stopped teasing him about having the King's ear, which wasn't even true at all.

He and Arthur have a relationship but if he made a decision that rose against the people of the North? His brother would stand against him, no hesitation to it at all.

"Lord Commander!" A Sellsword called out, "We have arrived!" Indeed they did, Jon saw out from the distance what looked like a village, smoke from a thousand fires within the greater half of Mance's army.

But they aren't just warriors in that camp, there are elderly and children and pregnant women that couldn't fight at the Wall.

Thousands of people and only 15 ships to bring them back across the Wall, he hopes they can save as many as he can but a deep dark feeling in his gut felt off about the weather, how cold it has become.

No, he ignored such thoughts and called for the ships to stop and anchor, they'd row the rest of the way to Hardhome. Tormund was the first in the rowboat, Ygritte went next and then himself plus Edd and six watchmen. The boat on the other side of the ship carried two more brothers and five Free Folk.

The attention was tense, the warriors and spearwives looked at his black cloak like it was evil. They don't know evil, their hatred clouds the real danger in the North that's waiting in the cold.

It was silent besides the sounds of barking dogs and the waves brushing the shore, he sighed heavily and climbed out of the boat.

Jon and the others didn't get far before being stopped by the man who wanted him dead since he joined Mance, the Lord of Bones and his followers closed the gap and met them.

"Lord of Bones, been a long time." Tormund greeted his ally, Rattleshirt scoffed and looked at Ygritte.

"Prisoner again? I expected it but not you, Giantsbane. Last time, the little crow was your prisoner and now you are." The man said to Tormund and Ygritte. "What happened?" Was the question out of Rattleshirts mouth.

Tormund responded with 'War' to which the Lord of Bones barked a laugh. "War? You call that a war?! The greatest army the North has ever seen, cut to pieces by a pair of Southern Kings and their horses." Many agreed around Rattleshirt which made his men tense.

"We should gather the elders, go somewhere and talk," Ygritte said to the man who stood there for a moment and brought up one subject.

"... Where's Mance?" Jon looked between the three and answered.

"He's at Winterfell, a guest of my brother, the King of the North," Rattleshirt growled out a response and stepped back. "We are allies in the great war," Jon added and that set the man off.

"I knew it the moment I saw you two weren't in chains, the Crows little cunt brother takes our King and you two bow to them without a fight? I should kill you and send your heads to the Wall." Ygritte tried to smooth things, telling the Lord of Bones that their enemies are the same. "I suggest you go back to your masters, whore, we will protect ourselves and hope the Others skin you- " Tormund had enough and headbutted the chief, taking the man's staff Tormund assaulted and murdered the Lord of Bones.

After the incident was done, Tormund grunted and looked at Rattleshirt's followers. "Now... Let's talk."

The Riverlands

A pair of bandits were looking for easy prey, the war for the Kingdoms was good for business for the two but not enough to get to Dorne for the Winter.

"We just need a bit more coin before we can get passage." One of the bandits said to the other who grunted in response.

"Hopefully soon, damn, I'm going to freeze my balls off if we stay here." Cursed the second bandit.

They had started their little journey all the way from Molestown, the Wildling attacks were what drove them away from home. They walked for several days before stealing themselves a pair of horses from a roving army, it was dumb luck that they escaped without feeling the King of Winter's justice.

The horses got them well past Moat Cailin but died from sickness shortly after, they were stuck on foot once more and thankfully, a nice farmer and his daughter kept them some company.

"Hehe, I remember how she squirmed." The first bandit reminded himself.

"I hear Dornish women don't fight, they lust for cock and cunt." The second bandit dreamed of the lewd women in the South.

The two's little conversation ended when they heard a horse whine, they jumped from their fires and got into position. The trap sprung and both men jumped into the road and drew their stolen mace and dagger.

The fool they entrapped was some pretty looking man, like that boy the Wandering Crow brought through Molestown some years back. The man had dark hair and a streak of silver with pale skin. His mare looked evil, staring at him with dark eyes and its coat scared the first bandit.

"Dismount and empty your pockets, no sudden moves or we'll kill you." The stranger laughed and did what was asked of the two.

It took no more than three minutes, Gerold Dayne flung his dirk at the hand of the first fool and unsheathed his sword, a sickening smile appeared as he gutted the second before he could raise his mace against him.

"You know, it's been such a boring journey so far, I needed some much-needed excitement." Gerold dragged the blade all the way through, spilling entrails on the muddy ground. Turning to the crawling first bandit, Gerold mounted his horse and trampled the fool to death.

The Neck isn't far and from there, to Winterfell. Gerold thought as he rode through the falling snow that was touching the Riverlands.

Hardhome

Jon, Tormund, and Ygritte met with the elders.

Karsi, the Chieftess of the Ice River Clans. Loboda, a man who took control of the Thenns after he killed Styr. Dim Dalba, another Chieftain. The last was truly the final member of his kind, Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun. Ygritte had sarcastically told him to just call him Wun Wun.

Jon saw the faces of many of them, they didn't want to talk to them.

But things are different, now. The White Walkers are real, the dead are real, they are the real danger and all of Westeros needs to fight it.

"My name is Jon Snow, I'm the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch." He introduced himself to the leaders, continuing after a moment. "We're not friends. We've never been friends. We won't become friends today." Gaining a bit of confidence he raised his voice. "This isn't about friendship, this is about survival. This is about putting a 700-foot wall between you, and what's out there." Karsi was the first to speak.

"You built that wall to keep us out." She was wrong about that, Old Nan knew it true that the Wall kept the Walkers back and not the people.

"And since when do the Crows give two-shits if we live?" Loboda asked sarcastically at him, Wun Wun looked at them all from his seat.

"In normal times, we wouldn't. These aren't normal times, the Walkers don't care if we're Free Folk or Crow, we're all just fresh soldiers for their army." He said to them and it was true to a fault, "We can beat them if we stand together." He added with the utmost sincerity.

"Beat the White Walkers? Good luck with that, run from them maybe." Karsi told him with a jestful tone, Ygritte stood forward to talk.

"Jon's crow-friend killed one, used a black blade to do it. They can be killed." She said to the elders. Tormund grunted in agreement.

Jon passed around the obsidian spear tips and arrowheads, collected from the Fist when Jeor led the Watch beyond in search of his uncle or whatever made his brethren into wights.

"It's a gift for those who will join us." Now comes the offer, "My brother, the King of the North has decided to allow the Free Folk passed the Wall, to settle within the Gift and abandoned land." He said to them and some looked to be agreeable to the offer, it gave him some hope.

"Where's Mance?" Karsi asked after looking at the dragonglass, Tormund nudged for him to tell them.

"He's at Winterfell, the people taken after the battle have already settled in the Gift." He said to the Free Folk, "My brother and Mance worked out a truce to where they will join forces to fight against the White Walkers if... " He didn't want to finish, they would get angry.

"If... " Dim echoed out and Jon groaned internally, finishing what he was saying.

"If I bring proof of the threat, we need to take one with us as we go." Many looked hesitant to agree to the offer until Loboda spoke.

"This has to be a trick." Loboda accused, narrowing his eyes at him. "The Kings of Winter never showed us any pity, they slaughtered us for even stepping foot on their land, used us when they needed to and tossed us back beyond the Wall." The Thenn grabbed his ax and gripped it. "We get on their ships, and they'll cut our throats and toss us right into the Shivering Sea." Was all the Chieftain said then left with his men.

The tent was silent before Karsi spoke up, "You vouch for him, Tormund? Ygritte?" Tormund compared his prettiness to his daughters, but the man did vouch for his willingness to lead and his trustworthiness.

"My ancestors would roll in their graves for breaking bread with a crow." Karsi snorted at Dim's comment.

"So would mine but their dead." Karsi walked up to Jon, looking him in the eyes, "I'll never trust a man in black. But if Mance says its safe, then I will go." She offered her hand to him and he nodded, shaking Karsi's hand and creating a truce between their peoples.

Even Wun Wun gave his support as the last of his race, echoing Tormund's name.

The leaders took his offer to their people, nearly thirteen-thousand took it up. He was glad they wanted a new life for themselves, that they put their survival above that of old hatreds.

Jon and his men first helped the old and sickly, then the children, all that wanted to come to their new home. Tormund came up to him and nodded, saying that things are going well.

"They are so few with us, the rest don't want to come?" He asked and Ygritte said that they'll come around, once their balls start freezing or when they are near death, either way, they'll come with them.

A sigh escaped the Lord Commander, then, he heard a rumbling noise coming from off in the distance. A thundering cloud began covering the mountain.

Loboda closed the gates and left thousands behind, all clambering and begging to be let in. Jon looked back to the boats, telling everyone to stay in line, Tormund and Ygritte followed. One of his men called for him, he ordered the man to get everyone back to the ships instead.

Karsi found him shortly after, a man leaning on her shoulder. "You should be on one of those boats!" He yelled and she shook her head.

"My little girls got on, they gonna let them pass the Wall even if you're not there?" He nodded to her question but she didn't wholeheartedly believe him.

"You have my word, I've given orders." She scoffed and told him that he shouldn't think that he'll be there to enforce those orders.

He didn't think that they would be attacked, not by the army of the dead so quickly. Proof came to him as he heard the fighting begin, they can capture one and bring it back to the North.

Tormund ran up to him, fear and worry in his eyes. "If they get through, everyone dies." So they had only one shot at this.

"We need to take one, then we escape." He said and unsheathed Longclaw, "Night's Watch, with me!" So dived he did into the thick of fighting as wights climbed the wooden walled fortress and charged at the living Free Folk.

The fighting was already worse than he thought, there were thousands of people outside of this fort and now they are dying, being feasted upon by the wights or are one of the White Walkers army. Jon grimaced and moved, evaded, then clashed against two wights. Tormund helped by grabbing one and tossing it to the ground, as for him, he leaned right and cut the wights head off.

Wondering where Edd was, Jon remembered that he went to get the dragonglass. Looking at the tall roof of the hut, he saw wights jumping inside and fighting no doubt has begun in there.

Another wight came at him, he wore a black cloak and didn't look as dead. One of the mutineers. Upon closer inspection, he figured out it was Rast.

He ducked from an ax swing, slashing upwards with his sword and cutting the wight in two. Jon then kicked another dead man in the chest, sending the rotting former watchmen on his back.

Cooper and Tryton, watchers from Eastwatch threw a blanket over the corpse. "Take it back! We need to get the dragonglass!" He told the two who reluctantly dragged the monster away.

Ygritte threw her spear at a running wight, picking up a knife and short bronze sword. She looked at Jon as Tormund was finished stomping the head of another creature.

Fighting their way toward the wall, he shoved his blade against a wight trying to break through. "The sleigh!" He yelled and Tormund hurried to help barricade the hole as much as they could.

Jon and Tormund took a breath and then looked above, seeing four riders on the cliffs. Loboda noticed them as well, Jon then looked back at the hut. "The dragonglass." He said and the Thenn nodded, Tormund told them to go while he and Ygritte helped with the Wall.

The two fought their way, viciously cutting down a few more wights as they went. Wun Wun growled loudly and a crashing sound was heard as the giant burst from the hut, two wights on his back.

The shock soon wore off as Jon and Loboda ran inside and were stopped when they saw someone approaching.

What their eyes saw was no mere wight, the monster's skin was completely ice, its eyes were the coldest of blue that they'd ever seen. Its armor was a mix of leather and mail, on its back was a short spear of some sort.

It was a White Walker, a real White Walker right out of Nan's legends. "Get the glass!" Loboda told him and he reluctantly did so as the Thenn fought the Walker.

The fight didn't last long, as hard as Loboda swung his ax, it made no effect and once it clashed with the Walker's spear, the ax imploded into shards of black ice, it stabbed Loboda in the chest which killed him. Jon had found the dragonglass too late, the Walker grabbed him and threw him back, Longclaw flew out of his hand and landed outside.

The White Walker approached and aimed to murder Jon, but the Lord Commander fought back as hard as he could and found himself a sword which, much like the ax had blasted in shards. The monster slammed him with the edge of its weapon and sent Jon to the ground.

He struggled to breathe or even crawl, pure will it was that he was able to get himself on his feet and crumbled to the mud and snow.

His hand found Longclaw and just as he got up, just as the White Walker swung its weapon to finish him off... The sword stopped the blow.

The Walker looked absolutely shocked as Jon was, the monster tried to recover and attacked again only for Jon to deflect it and slashed the valyrian steel into the Walker's skin which made the creature crumble into bits of ice.

Ygritte saw Jon, worry came across her face as she fought her way toward him. "Jon! Come on!" She helped him up, his weakened state making it hard for her to do so but she did it.

"The glass... " He rasped out, she shook her head and told him to forget it.

Edd found the two just in time to see hundreds of wights jump from the cliffs, slamming into the ground. A moment passed before they all started to rise and give chase. The walls of the fort also started to give way, breaking down and crashing unto several warriors.

The dead began to swarm Hardhome, Jon and his companions began sprinting for the last of the boats and getting away. Many were left for dead, dying horribly by being gutted and devoured.

Then, out from all the carnage, Jon saw what must have been the leader of them all walk the dock and stare at him. The creature began raising his hand and the fallen with them.

Thousands of them, all now apart of the army of the dead while they were only able to save 13,000... This is bad.


AN: So ends yet another update for the Hour of the Wolf. Apologies if the Gerold Dayne scene kinda came out of the left field.

A bit of news, I am updating all of my current stories, that is the reason for my absence these last few weeks if anyone was wondering. But this, Within the Blood is the Fire, Debts Paid in Blood and Wrath and a Song of Ice and Fury are going to be updated at separate times. All others will up at the same day.

Until next time, I bid you all a great day!