Late at night, Gared and Finn were on the top of the Wall, lighting up the torches. "Big day tomorrow, isn't it? Off to Craster's Keep. Assuming you're not too busy looking for your North Grove."

Gared chuckled. "Thought you didn't believe in it."

Finn looked at the plains in the distance. "Not saying I do. But if it was real, can you trust Cotter with it?" He rubbed his chin. "You ask me, there's just something off about him. Aside from being an oily thief, I mean. Like he's holding something back. Can't put my finger on him."

Gared considered. As much as he wanted to trust Cotter, still, he had already proved to be liable to do something stupid, considering stealing Finn's knife and looking into Gared's things without his permission and Finn was already suspecting Cotter enough. If Finn were to find out that Cotter was a wildling, Cotter was as good as dead but what harm could healthy caution do?

"Wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on him." Gared suggested.

Finn nodded. "Don't need to tell me that. He steals my knife, then your stuff… I'm not sure I want him walking behind me when we're out there."

Frostfinger then approached. "Finn. Get back on watch until your relief arrives."

"They're late!" Finn protested.

"You think Mance Rayder is going to wait for them?" Frostfinger glared.

"Right!" Finn walked off, muttering under his breath. "Arsehole."

"And Tuttle. You've got torches that have gone out. Keep them lit! Let the wildlings know we're still home." Frostfinger ordered.

Gared walked off, lighting up more torches but then he heard the lift going up and glared upon meeting Britt. "A 300-mile wall and you're still in my way. I figured we'd settle things on the way to Craster's, but this is even better."

Gared glared but restrained himself from attacking Britt. As much as he wanted revenge for Britt killing Gared's family, attacking a fellow brother would not end well. "I don't have any time for you anymore, Britt. I hate you. You hate me. Now let's move on."

Britt smirked. "Had something more painful in mind." He walked down the stairs to near Gared. "I did my duty to my lord, back on that bloody farm. And for doing a proper job of it, what'd I get? Banished to the fucking Wall!" He kicked off a bowl of burning coals before smirking. "I never did tell you about your father, did I?" Gared glared but tried to calm down, not let Britt get to him as Britt neared him. "We bled him at first, like a pig. Seemed only fair he should feel what it's like. Near the end, he could barely breathe. Kept begging us to leave your sister alone. So I made sure he was still alive when she started screaming. It was the last thing your father ever heard. The more we sliced, the worse it got. Shrieking the whole time!"

Gared took a breath and exhaled deeply. "You're not worth it."

Britt pulled out his sword. "I didn't come here to chat, you fucking cunt!" Gared pulled out his sword and parried and dodged. "Too bad your father didn't fight like that. Might still be alive. And I thought you were going to make this easy. Finally getting the hang of it, Tuttle?"

Gared dropped his cloak. He didn't want to fight a fellow brother of the Watch but he was not going to let Britt kill him. Maybe he could just maim Britt, explain it was self-defense. "You want my blood? Well, come and get it!"

"That was pathetic." Britt sneered. Gared dodged as Britt aimed at his chest. "Let's see if you scream like your sister!"

Gared parried Britt's strikes before their blades crossed. Gared headbutted Britt, staggering him back before knocking the sword off his hand. Gared aimed the blade at Britt's neck as Britt glared. "You got lucky, pig farmer. You going to slaughter me? Like my man back at your farm? At least let me have my sword. Keep it interesting. Or are you afraid?"

"I swore my vows. I won't kill a brother!" Gared said. He had bested Britt already. No point in getting into more trouble.

"You're fucking pathetic, Tuttle." Britt sneered before he picked a torch and attacked but Gared dodged and cut him across his chest. Britt tackled him to the ground, trying to burn his face with the torch but Gared knocked it off his hand and pushed him off and pinned him down before Britt could pick his sword. Gared slammed Britt's face to the ground repeatedly before Britt elbowed Gared in the face as Gared fell down.

Britt grabbed Gared by his throat, choking him but Gared shook him off. Britt picked a spear from a nearby weapon stand as Gared picked his sword from the ground and blocked before cutting Britt across the abdomen.

Britt staggered back, holding his abdomen and groaning in pain. Gared dodged as Britt attempted to impale him and grabbed the spear, cutting off the wooden handle before kicking Britt in the chest, sending him to the ground and knocking the handle off his hand. Gared stabbed Britt in the arm as Britt screamed before crawling to the edge of the Wall.

"Fucking figures… at the hands of a fucking Forrester…" Britt said hoarsely, on his knees. "Just fucking finish it. Go on. End it."

Gared sighed. As much as he wanted to finish off his family's killer, killing a fellow brother was not going to end well for him. "We're done here."

Britt collapsed to the ground, succumbing to his injuries and Gared turned around to see Finn's shocked expression on his face. Apparently, Finn had seen what happened. Before Gared could explain himself, Finn ran off.

"Finn!" Gared called out.

Rodrik and Duncan had returned to Ironrath and saw the devastated smallfolk at the courtyard. "My lord, our people are starving. And afraid. The Whitehills have driven them away from the ironwood groves." Rodrik glared to see the Whitehill soldiers bully his people. "And so they've come to us, looking for food. Food we don't have to spare. How can we support our army and retain our position in the North, if we can't feed the people we see before us? It's like the dead of Winter's come." And it doesn't look like it's getting better."

"These are hard times, to be sure. Harder than I've ever seen." Rodrik nodded. "But I'll do whatever it takes to get us through it."

"We'd better hope we figure something out." Royland said as he approached. "With those Whitehill bastards in our house, we must be wary."

"Come on, you."

"Let me go! You can't do this."

Rodrik turned to see Gryff drag Talia out of the Great Hall. "Good, you're here." Gryff glared at Talia. "Look. Look at this!" One of the soldiers showed a bite mark on his hand. "Did you see what this girl did? She attacked my man like an animal."

"She bloody bit me!"

"Yeah, and now it's her turn. She's gonna get what she has coming to her!" Gryff sneered, tightening his grip on Talia. "This won't go unpunished."

"Let go of me!" Talia said.

"I don't care if she's your sister." Gryff growled.

"Fine. You've brought her to me. I'll deal with her." Rodrik said.

"That's not for you to decide." Gryff sneered.

Talia shook herself off Gryff's grip. "I saw him stealing from our kitchen, and I told him to stop. He laid his hands on me! So I bit him."

"You bloody wench." The soldier snarled.

"I was only doing what had to be done." Talia said.

"I warned you not to mistreat my men! Someone will have to answer for this." Gryff warned. "Do you hear me? Don't make this ugly."

"Your men are out of control! That's the problem here." Rodrik shouted, having enough of it. As much as he wanted to keep his promise to Gwyn, enough was enough.

"It's your people who don't know the order of things." Gryff snapped back, glaring at Talia. "This girl's as untamed as a wildling."

"Don't listen to him, Rodrik." Talia said.

"And if you can't rein her in, what about the rest of them? It's about time she saw a real lord again. And learned proper discipline." Gryff smirked, folding his arms. "They've all been missing that."

Rodrik sighed, trying to remind himself of the promise he made to Gwyn. No need to make this harder than it already was, despite how difficult it was for him to show restraint. "My sister… She made a mistake, that's all. She is but a child, and this arrangement tests us all. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again."

"She's not the only one who's made mistakes." Gryff said. "And the problem starts at the top, Rodrik."

"Watch your tongue, boy." Royland glared.

"You, yourself, had the gall to make threats against my men! And that's the real problem with you Forresters. You're too fucking proud! Always have been. It was bad enough when you were above us. And now it's even worse, because you don't see how far you've fallen!" Gryff said, pacing down the courtyard.

"Still high enough to look down at you!" Talia said defiantly.

"Now here's a brave and wise girl. A girl who knows how to speak the truth of things!" Royland said, impressed.

"No. A girl who should know her station!" Gryff knocked Talia down. "That's how I like to see you Forresters. Face down in the muck."

That was it. Damn the promise he made to Gwyn. Rodrik punched Gryff in the face as Gryff rubbed his chin, smirking. "Oh, foolish Rodrik. Now I'll have to put you in your place."

Gryff punched Rodrik in the chin, knocking him down. "You will learn some fucking humility. Or this won't be the last lesson I teach you Forresters!"

"Have you no honor?" Royland shouted, pulling out his sword. "I'll run you through for that! I'll cut you down like straw men!"

"I'm fine, Royland. I'm fine! I'll handle this." Rodrik said.

"Even broken, he's twice the man you are." Royland said.

Gryff knelt down towards Rodrik. "I bet this makes you angry, eh? You probably want to get up and hit me. But we know how that would go, don't we? Now! Are you going to be a good little Forrester, learn your lesson and stay down?"

Rodrik had enough of it. He struggled to get upon his feet but used his cane to support himself, standing up to Gryff defiantly. "I will not yield."

"You bloody snot…" Gryff punched Rodrik again, knocking him down on the ground once more. "Why don't you fucking get it?" He kicked Rodrik, who groaned.

"Get up, Rodrik." Talia said.

"Stay down, my lord." Duncan protested.

"Your brother Ethan didn't know his place, either." Gryff taunted, kneeling towards Rodrik. "Ramsay Snow taught him good. Talia here will meet the same end. Unless you're a good little Forrester, you learn your place, and stay down. Some Forrester is gonna learn their lesson today."

Rodrik again tried to get up, supporting himself with his cane as Gryff glared. "Don't you dare! You stay down! Stay in the mud… like a dog!"

Rodrik stood up to Gryff again. "This is my place!"

"You fool." Gryff kicked the cane off Rodrik's hand before slamming Rodrik's face to his knee, knocking him down. "Bloody cripple! Are you fucking deaf!?"

"You! You'll never keep the Forresters down!" Royland shouted.

"Hold there, or you're next!" Gryff snarled before stepping on Rodrik's arm as Rodrik groaned in pain before pointing his sword at him. "Now… Stay down. Tell me! Will you be a good little Forrester and stay down!?"

"Leave him alone!" Talia exclaimed.

"I'll do as I like!" Gryff said as Rodrik leaned onto his cane and got up, making Gryff seethe in rage. "You… You should fear me! I'm in charge here!" He roared.

"Have you had enough, Gryff? Are we done here?" Rodrik taunted.

Gryff glared, infuriated. "Don't think this is over, Rodrik! You'll see. I will make you suffer for this! Trust in that."

Gryff walked off with his men back into the Great Hall as Rodrik fell down, exhausted, while Elissa and the smallfolk helped him on his feet. "My boy…"

"Careful. He's badly injured." Ortengryn warned.

"Rodrik, you didn't let him do it!" Talia smiled. "He couldn't keep you down!"

"You were brave. But there will be consequences, my son. We both know that." Elissa hugged him tightly.

Rodrik sighed. He could only hope Gwyn would understand. He tried but… Gryff had gone too far. He leaned onto his mother as they went up to his chambers as they observed from above.

"Standing up to Gryff has made him harsh. More severe." Talia noted as they watched him bully the smallfolk. "He could have killed you… But… what you did… the strength you showed us… You looked like yourself again."

"We'll fight back in time. We'll take back our house." Rodrik promised.

"I know we will." Talia nodded. "And when you're better, things will be different." She sighed. "I asked Ethan not to change who he was. I tried to make him promise me. I now know that was childish of me. I'm ready to change now. I'm willing to do anything to help our family. I mean it, Rodrik." She turned to him. "I don't care what. I'll do it."

"That's good." Rodrik nodded. "I'm sure a time will come when our House will call upon you to do what's necessary. But that time is not now."

"And I'm sure the others will do whatever it takes as well." Talia said. "What you did, provoking Gryff, it hasn't taken our House to war just yet. But…"

"No one can know the future." Rodrik assured. "Whatever tomorrow brings, Talia, the Forresters will stand tall."

Back in King's Landing, Mira and Tom had returned to her chambers.

"We did it... I can't believe it..." Tom said, relieved.

Mira picked the decree and threw it into the coal bowl of fire. "There's no good that can come from this. Not anymore…"

Back in the Narrow Sea, Asher, Malcolm and Beskha saw Croft come out from the tent. "The Khaleesi will see you now."

Asher entered as he saw a white-haired woman in blue dress stare at Meereen.

"So, Asher Forrester, if you presume to speak of my dragons, choose your words carefully." Daenerys Targaryen said as she turned to him with narrowed eyes.

The gaze she was giving him was chilling as Asher shivered. This was going to be a very difficult woman to deal with.