Chapter 2
Val II
A tense silence covered the room. Val swore she could hear to the breathing of the men in the room with her, but her eyes couldn't leave Jon.
The blonde took a chair next to the table, and Ghost came to rest his head on her lap. Satin followed her suit and sat next to her. Ghost tilted his head so that he could watch over Satin as well. Val let her hands brushed over the white fur and stared at the man on the table.
Val leaned over the table and used her empty hand to pull away the curls framing Jon's resting face.
"He has such soft hair," she whispered.
Even his beard was softer than most. She remembered when she kissed his cheek and felt a tightness in her belly at the gesture. She recalled the words she said back then as well.
"You have my thanks, Lord Snow. For the half-blind horse, the salt cod, the free air. For hope."
She meant every word.
When Val joined Mance, her hope was for her people. She hoped they would survive the crossing of the Wall or die in the attempt. It is better to die trying to survive to see a new day than to be slaves of the Others, she had said to her people.
Her King had promised much more, but Val didn't believe in most of it. War with the crows had been second nature to them for Val to hope for peace or any treaty between them. They would rather see us dead.
That was until Jon was named Lord Commander. He understood better than most that they needed to work together to defeat the Others. He gave them shelter and food, and he understood that not every Southern story about her people was the truth.
She wondered if the red-haired Ygritte had been the one to show it to him. Val didn't remember the girl. Mance had told her, back when Jon had been captured, that he had taken the girl for his lover, but Val had other more important things to put her mind to than a crow bedding a spearwife. She didn't put much thought into this Jon Snow until he protected them during King Stannis' attack.
She wasn't very familiar with Ygritte. Val's companions were those who worked on the logistic part of moving the Free Folk camps. She spent her days overseeing their commodities, the hunting parties, making sure the groups that hated each other were far from each other, meeting camp leaders with Tormund and Mance, and administering justice on her own people's camp.
Val's curiosity about this spearwife that conquered Jon's heart made her ask Tormund about this Ygritte. He had been too smug about her interest in the dead girl.
"She was a spearwife. A couple of years younger than you. A fierce and wild thing. A great beauty, she was kissed by fire, after all."
King Stannis' red woman was kissed by fire as well, but no wildling would try and steal her, despite her beauty.
"What has you thinking so much?" Satin interrupted her musings.
She looked around and realized they were the only ones in the room.
"Ygritte."
Satin's eyes flashed with jealousy, Val gave him a knowing look.
"Did you meet her?"
"No," Satin spoke softly. "Jon doesn't speak about her either." His eyes traveled to the table. The sadness in his voice showed the love he had for the Lord Commander. "I can't believe he's dead."
Val looked at Ghost and back to Jon.
Satin turned sharply to her. "You know something."
"You are a proper Southerner, aren't you?"
"I was born and raised in Oldtown, so yes."
"The Old Gods' powers we cannot begin to comprehend."
"Jon's is dead." He said with heartbreaking certainty.
"What do you know about Skinchangers?"
"Those wild - Free Folk who can get inside animal minds?"
"Something like that. It is not unheard of, for Skinchangers to lead second lives in the bodies of their bond animals."
"But Jon isn't-" He stopped speaking. His eyes bulged as he stared at Ghost. "Jon," he murmured.
"They're here!" Jax shouted as he ran into the chamber.
Soon, the sounds of fighting followed.
"We tried as best as we could, but they are breaking the entrance door." Ben entered, his breathing heavy. Ser Davos followed behind with two crows that had joined them.
A red shadow followed them inside. Red eyes nodded at Val.
"Close the door," Val ordered. She looked at the night sky from the window. "They will be here soon. We need to hold for a little more time."
Val got up and grabbed her daggers, and Satin got his bow.
It didn't take long for the silence to end.
"It's time, Ser Davos. Open the door, and the men inside can rejoin their brothers in peace. We'll even set the wolf free north of the Wall where it belongs. We'll put the wildling girl in a cell where she belongs. Nobody needs to die tonight."
Val's anger showed in her words. "If you think you'll put me in chains to be used by your men, you don't know me, you traitorous crow!"
"Shut your mouth. Your protector can't defend you now, you wilding whore." Another voice, much less composed than Ser Alliser, said.
She nodded at the men in the room who unsheathed their weapons.
"I've never been much of a fighter. Apologies for what you're about to see." Davos said.
Ghost raised himself to his full height and placed himself in front of Val and Satin. But as the fight was about to begin, the sound of broken wood could be heard, followed by screams.
Val smirked.
.
.
"Throw them into the cells where they belong," Edd commanded the crows.
Val nodded as Tormund placed a comforting hand on her shoulder after he entered the room.
"Took a lot of knives. I'll have my men get the wood for a fire. Bodies to burn."
"Not Jon's," Val commanded.
Tormund turned to her, and the compassion in his eyes angered her.
"Val-"
"It is not foolish sentimentality, Tor." Her eyes pointed to Ghost, who stared at the red-haired man.
Tor's eyes showed understanding.
"You can't do what you're planning, Val. It's impossible."
"I saw many impossible things be possible in my life, despite how short it has been. Crones that looked like maidens. Lord Crows that lived in trees... red witches who commanded fire."
"Val," he warned her.
"If Jon awakes as one of them, kill him, but give me today."
"And if you can't make miracles?"
She took a deep breath. "I'll burn his body myself."
.
.
Val kissed Jon's face scar and let her tears fall.
Ghost nudged her legs, and she knelt. She put her arms around the direwolf's neck.
"Your mission isn't done, Jon. I know it in my bones."
Ghost's tongue cleaned her wet face with a softness that almost made her shed more tears.
"I don't know if you'll hate me, but I have to do this."
She kissed Ghost's nose, "Stay here. I'll be right back, my love."
Val could almost see Jon's shocked expression in his wolf.
She walked outside of the room for the first time in hours. She stopped at the door and nodded to Satin, who entered it.
Val ignored any people she crossed paths with, and they did much the same with her. She found the room and opened it without any warning,
The Red Woman sat by the fire. She turned to her with a morose expression.
"You know why I'm here."
"Contrary to what some think, I can't read your mind."
"I am not one of your followers, but neither am I like most of my people. I know that death - at times - isn't final. I know his spirit is inside Ghost. So do you."
"What are you asking of me, Princess?"
"Do you know of any magic that could place his soul back in his body? A way to help me bring him back."
"If you want to help him, leave him be."
She was tired of pleasantries. "Can it be done?" She almost snarled.
"I don't know."
"Have you seen it done?"
She knew the answer before Melisandre spoke. It was all in her haunted expression. "I met a man who came back from the dead, but the priest who did it - It shouldn't have been possible."
"But he did it. You can do it now."
"Not for me."
"When Jon picked the Wall instead of Stannis' plan, you told me you saw Jon in your flames. That he was fighting at Winterfell."
"The vision was wrong. Everything I believed. The great victory I saw in the flames. All of it was a lie. The Lord never spoke to me."
"Your God isn't the only one with powers. I've seen things in the Far North, enough to make me a believer in something greater."
That got the red witch's attention.
"There are tales of the Last Greenseer amongst my people. Tales of people handpicked by the Old Gods to serve as their messengers. You've seen the Skinchangers. The Last Greenseer is real, and Skinchanging doesn't cover half of his power."
"How do you know all of this?"
"My mother, Arsa, was more than just the Mother Antler."
"Your line is matrilineal. You're a direct descendant of Raymund Redbeard."
Stannis knew it, so it didn't come as a surprise that his red woman knew as well.
"There are older tales in my family about the founding of the Antler tribe. In some, we come from Bael the Bard's female line. Others speak of Joramun marrying a daughter of Brandon the Breaker. Either of their daughters could've been the founder of the Antler. I can't say which. But with that comes knowledge. My grandaunt was born with red eyes and white hair, a sign of the Old Gods. My mother was a Skinchanger. Dalla and I lacked those talents, but the Gods had plans for us either way. The Last Greenseer visited me in my dreams as a girl. I saw many things - great and terrible. I also saw Lord Jon. I didn't realize when we meet that it was him. He had white hair and red eyes in my dreams."
"Like Ghost."
"I never had the gift. But I know the Gods aren't done with Jon Snow. I am willing to pay any price to have him back."
"You have Kingsblood."
Val nodded. She couldn't show her fear. The Last Greenseer showed her Jon for a reason. She never understood, but perhaps now she did. Val would face death with courage, not like a frightened child.
Melisandre looked back at the flames. "Princess Shireen."
Val took a step back. The witch had returned alone from the battlefield. "Did you burn the girl?"
"The Red God had asked that of me. I thought it was for Stannis."
Val pushed her feelings on the subject aside. She would deal with that later.
"The payment has been done already. But you need an anchor."
"An anchor?"
"Even the Last Greenseer has an anchor. A person that connected him to his humanity."
"The man who I've seen perform the spell was present when the man he resurrected died the first time. It was always him who brought Lord Beric back, but I saw him bleed. He hid it well, but I saw it."
"So you'll be the anchor?"
Melisandre's red eyes turned to her. "Not me. I can't bleed, not in a human way... But you can."
.
.
Brienne I
Brienne observed Lady Arya as she tried to warm herself by the fire. The girl was skin and bones and had a fearful look to her. Brienne didn't blame her, not if half the tales of her marriage to Ramsay Snow were true.
She remembered the way Lady Catelyn spoke of her youngest daughter. A spirited and temperamental girl who Lady Catelyn and her Septa feared was too improper in her behavior.
Brienne remembered Lady Sansa, who looked so much like Lady Catelyn that it pained to look at her. She had denied Brienne's offer of protection, and for a long time, the woman felt lost in her path.
But the news of Lady Arya's marriage to Bolton's Bastard was the talk on the Riverlands. It made Brienne turn north instead of the east and the Vale of Arryn, as she had planned before.
"You saw Sansa?" The girl asked in a soft tone.
"I offered her my services in King's Landing, but she was married to Tyrion Lannister and didn't want my protection. After King Joffrey's wedding, she disappeared. I tried to find her, but I failed."
"I haven't seen her in years," Arya replied.
"She looked well, despite all that had happened."
"So you promised Lady Catelyn to protect her daughters? Is that why you are here?" The girl's brown eyes look troubled.
"I promised your mother that I would keep you safe, and I will."
How could she not? Lady Arya suffered too much already. Brienne wouldn't fail her vow again.
"It's not safe. He won't stop hunting us." The broken man who was once Theon Greyjoy fearfully said.
Brienne knew he was right. There was only one place they could go in hopes to save themselves. Lady Catelyn once confessed that Lady Arya was the closest to her bastard brother. She disliked the boy but knew the sibling bond between the two was real.
"We have to make it to Castle Black. Your half-brother is Lord Commander. He'll offer you protection." Brianne said.
Brienne felt pity for Arya Stark, who looked to Theon Greyjoy with concern in her brown eyes.
Author's Note:
Dudeofdudes: True, I fear what D&D would do with Val. That is why I am almost pleased she, Willas, and Arianne stayed out of the show.
You are right about fanfic, I get my consolation from many of the "fix-it" stories and at times I see them as more canon than the show. Val's interactions with Sansa and Dany will be very different. For starts, because there will be a Jon/Val/Dany storyline as well as a Jon/Satin/Val (as it is teased in the first chapters). I see Val respecting Dany for her campaign in Essos, and Dany respecting Val for her character and position in the wildlings. Book!Dany if not bisexual sure comes as it in some chapters (much like Jon) and Val doesn't like labels… And I definitely will be based it more in book! Dany than show!Dany... I support Dany having female friends from Westeros (even if they are from the true north).
Sansa…. where to start with Sansa. I tried to like her, but I just can't. She and Val will be set mostly against one other because you are on spot about Val's character, and Sansa will not like a "wildling" as Jon's partner… If she is racist about the Essosi people, I can't imagine her having a much better reaction to the Free Folk. I might redeem her a bit in the end… but well see.
Leinad100: Muchas gracias. Jon y Val deberían ser más "shipped" por el fandom. La mayor parte de la historia será desde el punto de vista de Val. Con algunos capítulos siguiendo el punto de vista de Jon y algunos indicios de otros, como viste en este capítulo.
Runyon Gaetz: Thank you.
Little Liar: I do too, despite my hatred for D&D.
Shade: I can't wait either... It shall be an interesting ride, I hope.