Game of Thrones

The Moon's Child

Chapter 22

High in the halls of the Kings who are gone

304 AC- The North- White Harbor

"Well there's not thousands of refugees trying to escape." Albert sighed as the ship made dock. "I think we can safely assume we've not missed the battle."

"Maybe, but we do not have much time." Meisandre spoke nervously "I have to get to Winterfell."

"We'll take boats up along The White Knife." Ky told them "Disembark the men as close to Winterfell as possible, march them along open country."

"There is still the chance I will be killed by The King in the North. Or his advisor."

Ky pointed to the Targaryen banners waving in the breeze "Not sure there is a King in the North now"

"Even so" Albert cocked his head slightly "We're here because she claims to be able to stop all this. We don't want her killed on site."

"Fair point." Ky conceded "We'll hire a dozen horses, that gives her and some bodyguards a chance to get away if need be."

"Whatever we're doing, we have to move quickly." Melisandre told them both.

…

304 AC- Carcosa

He sits upon a golden throne, overlooking a marble white floor. Dressed in cloth of gold the sixty ninth Yellow Emperor sits stone faced as a young girl drinks a potion. Her eyes roll back into her head, as the potion takes hold. "Show me what I need to see daughter."

Two men in black hooded robes step forward, they cut the white shift from her body, showing a series of tattooed runes across her flesh. As the girl begins to mutter words in an unknown tongue one of the men draws a blade from one side of her throat to another. She lets out an unintelligible gasp before collapsing to the floor, the blood flows slowly onto the marble floor, the Yellow Emperor leans forward in his throne and strokes his beard. Several other men in black hoods stepped forward and watched the swirls of blood dance on the marble floor. "Well?" The Emperor asks his priests, as they study the movement of the blood "Will the dead triumph? Do we need to worry here in The East… can the Five Forts hold?"

"It is hard to say Your Holiness." One of the priests bowed "The blood is silent."

"You said there was power in an Emperor's blood. That's why I give you my daughters."

"Forgive me Your Holiness." He bowed again "It would appear that the Gods do not wish us to know this outcome."

"If I had the child, none of this would matter." He hissed in frustration "I could use it to defeat the dead, the God's Chosen all of them. I could remake Yi Ti in my own image, a new Empire of the Dawn. Raise dragons from stone...where is the child?"

"Your loyal priest was killed in Westeros, Holy One, and one of your fellow sorcerers from Ashai was killed, you heard the magical scream, the babe is in Westeros…. The South, far from the Children's Magic. But that is all we know."

"The Patriarch remains in Ahsaai." The Emperor sighed "I imagine Quaithe has run back to Qarth. Any word on Shiera Seastar?"

"No Your Holiness, she is quite shielded from us."

"I will retire to meditate on this… I want to know what happens to the dead."

….

304 AC- The North- Winterfell

"Lord Commander." Jon smiled slightly, as his old friend sat down opposite him

"Don't call me that." Ed's voice was hollow and without feeling

"It suits you." Jon told him honestly

"Well if you hadn't gone and gotten yourself killed I wouldn't need it."

"Well, sorry about that." Jon looked to several map markers on his desk before picking up a small black disc and twirling it in his fingers "Lord Royce and I have discussed the matter, he has volunteered to relinquish command of the right flank to help with the defence of the castle itself."

"Ed shrugged slightly "Well, he's old and he's fat, but I still wouldn't want to fight him."

"You won't have to fight him." Jon flicked him the map marker "But you will have to fight the dead and I want you to lead the right flank."

"Me?" He asked in disbelief

"You'll have the Night's Watch, The Brotherhood Without Banners and The Wildlings… and several Northern divisions."

"What about Tormund?" He shook his head "Or Dondarrion? Or Jamie fucking Lannister for that matter?"

"You are the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the Watch has trained for this for thousands of years."

"Under my command The Watch has lost Eastwatch, the Walls come down and we've abandoned the other castles."

"Well then you're due a win." Jon half laughed "Please Ed… I need you."

"Fine" He nodded

…

304 AC- The North- Long Lake

The clouds gathered, twenty riders spaced out along the landscape, their cold blue flesh garbed in miss matched armour, delicate icy swords shining in the moonlight. They bring their horses to a trot, there is a cracking in the air as the lake freezes over in their presence. The horses move forward, as the hoard sweep across the country side, the glowing torches of Winterfell visible in the distance.

…..

304 AC- The North- Winterfell

Ser Davos was moved to action as the bells began to ring out. "What is it?" He called to a young lad running through one of the court yards.

"The Dead!" He called back "They're South of Long Lake. They'll be here soon."

Davos watched as the Mormont's began to take up position in Winterfell, as the left flank of Knights of the Vale formed, as the rag tag right flank formed. He watched as the Unsullied began to form up, as the Dothraki filed out.

"Riders approaching from the South." A voice called out. Davos ran the Castle's walls where he was found Lord Yohn Royce already stood.

"About five hundred men." Royce's grand voice reported "I don't recognise their banners. Do you?"

Davos strained his eyes in the darkness "Aye, I recognise them." He sighed, as the flaming heart banners marched closer to Winterfell. "They were mine once."

…

Melisandre brought her horse to a stop as they made the King's Road. Winterfell was within sight, armies of torchlight glinted in the darkness, the sound of men and horses could be heard on the wind. Bells rang, horns were blown, a strange inhuman noise filled the air.

Ky, Albert and several of their men pulled up alongside Melisandre, as those marching behind came to a halt. "They're forming up." Albert nodded towards the castle "Looks like we're just in time."

"Lucky us" Ky sighed

"No" Melissandre cut them off "We're too late, listen. The Dead are already here. I must go to the front."

Ky hesitated for a moment "On the way here you told me that the Army of the Dead was a hundred thousand strong… near enough unbeatable."

"They are." She nodded

"Listen. You hear those war cries." Ky asked anxiously "Those are the Dothraki. I'm not putting my five hundred men between the dead and The Dothraki. We go to Winterfell, join the army and make our stand there."

"You do what you need to do." Melisandre spoke distantly "You have brought me this far and I thank you. I will go straight to the front… you will have your own battle to fight." She brought her horse about and rode across the rolling fields for the castle.

"Wait" Ky called after her. "Follow the King's Road straight up for a couple of miles and turn off, approach the army from the front, you'll get to the front easier that way. We'll approach the castle from the South."

"Good luck Reeve" Melisandre nodded as she took a torch from Albert and cantered along the King's Road into darkness.

"Right." Ky dismounted his horse and fixed his armour "Ditch the horses, no point in getting them killed as well" Albert and the other mounted men hopped off the beasts and slapped their hind quarters hard sending them running in the other direction. They got into formation with their infantry and made the final march towards the castle.

"Over a year ago we ran from this place." Albert sighed under his breath, as the castle loomed above them. "Have we got more brave or more stupid?"

"I don't feel braver." Ky whispered back

"Who goes there.!" A voice called from the battlements

"Five hundred Stormlanders here to fight for the living."

"Why are you marching under those banners?" A second voice called back to them.

"Fuck me." Albert muttered under his breath "It's The Hand... It's Seaworth."

"Seemed fitting My Lord Hand." Ky called back

"I'm not a Hand anymore." Davos grinned slightly "Stannis is gone though lad, so's The Red Woman… you're fighting someone else's war."

"I thought this was the only war that matters" Ky grinned back "The Night is dark and full of terrors, they said… well we can't run from our terrors forever."

Davos stood up straight and stared down at them "Join the right flank." He nodded "And see one of the boys for a dragon glass weapon.

The Stormlanders came to a stop amongst a group of Night's Watch, Brothers without Banners and Wildlings. Young boys ran amongst their ranks handing out dragon glass blades. Albert looked around their new comrades "Have none of these fuckers brought shields with them?"

"Look." Ky nodded towards a man at the front of their ranks, a tall warrior a patch covering his eye "That's Berrick Dondarian. His castle is in the Marches."

"That's nice." Albert smiled insincerely "If we all live through this we can exchange stories."

The horns began to sound again, a hush fell over the assembled army. The two men strained their necks to see what was happening at the front, past the ranks of Unsullied. "It's the waiting I hate." Albert whispered "How long…" A roar of flame went up in their front line, a river of fire swept along the front as the Dothraki became a flaming sea. The sea surged forward accompanied by a deafening war cry.

"She did it." Albert said in disbelief "If she's got that kind of power… maybe we'll come through this." It seemed as if the sea had crashed against the rocks, flames went out, then another, and another until finally the last embers burned and an inhuman scream filled the night air. "Or not."