A Son of Ice and Fire
Chapter 26: What needs to be done
Fishlegs
As murmurings spread all around, Lord commander Mormont stepped out onto the elevated platform in front of the lift. He walked forward proudly, resting his hands on the wooden guardrail as he looked over at all of us. His eyes swept from one side to the other, glinting with a sense of duty and purpose. Like a father looking upon his children. All noise had ceased. Men that were fetching weapons and supplies had stopped. Horses trotting around the courtyard were now still. All eyes were upon the Lord commander.
"You should know by now, what I ask of you all today." He began slowly. "We have pledged to protect the realms of men, and now that is what you all will be doing. THE NIGHT'S WATCH WILL RIDE IN FORCE!" He exclaimed loudly. "AGAINST THE WILDLINGS. AGAINST THE WHITE WALKERS. AGAINST WHATEVER ELSE THERE IS OUT THERE!" He pulled out his sword, holding it up to the sky and smiling, as he spoke confidently. "MEN OF THE NIGHT'S WATCH. WITH ME!" He bellowed, pumping his sword into the air. "FOR THE WATCH! FOR THE WATCH! FOR THE WATCH!" I pulled Meatlug out and raised it into the air, joining in with the chanting, as Castle Black erupted into cheers and roars.
I can't believe he stole my battle cry, I thought, as I gently climbed onto the horse and turned to face the tunnel. The castle filled with a buzz of excitement and anticipation, as the lord commander walked down the stairs and mantled onto his horse. But as the sound of metal gears spinning chimed in front of me, I closed my eyes as the sense of dread hit me. This was it. The first battle in the great war. I'm not ready for this. As I started to panic, I felt a slight wind brush alongside me, and a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"Are you okay Fish?" Jon said softly.
"It's just… It's just I'm not sure I'm ready for this." I said ashamedly, hanging my head.
"Hey, hey, listen to me. I know this isn't what you thought would be your life, but what we have to do here is more important than anything else. You showed me that." He said calmly, smiling as his horse pulled forward a foot so he could look back towards me.
"I know, it's just, I'm terrified." I said dejectedly.
"Who wouldn't be?" He said softly. I raised my head to see him smiling at me. He reached to his side and pulled out the sword the Lord Commander had given to him. "You know why I got this sword. Do you think I wasn't scared when I had to try to kill something that's already dead?" I shook my head. "Yeah, I was terrified. But I did what I needed to do. I did my duty. I protected the Lord Commander and finally understood what we are facing here."
"But what if I freeze? I go lightheaded at the sight of blood. I won't be strong enough to protect anyone." I said softly, but Jon just started laughing.
"Did you freeze when you thought Sam was going to get hurt by Rast? Did you freeze when you've been on missions past the wall already? Did you freeze when I told you I was going to leave and you stopped me?" He asked, as he looked at me with his eyebrows raised.
"No, but…"
"No buts. The answer was NO. You stood up and did what was right." Jon said calmly, pointing to the tunnel now, "Out there, we have to rely on each other. If I am in trouble, I have no doubt I could rely on you to protect me. You would do whatever needs to be done. Now you just need to believe that." As he finished speaking, the loud cranking sound in the background stopped. As I broke eye contact with Jon, I looked forward, to see the inner gate had now ascended fully. It was time. Gods help me.
Sam, Grenn and Pip pulled up behind us on their steeds. Sam was sporting the same nervous look I'm sure I had only minutes earlier, yet now I was now filled with a new sense of confidence. Jon was right. Everything I have to fight for is right here. I know I can be the man father always wanted me to be. At least if I go down fighting, I can say that I died doing my duty. I can say that I sacrificed myself for something greater than just vengeance. I can do this.
"Everything will be okay Sam. You've got us all, we'll make sure we get each other back safe and sound." I stated to him softly. He breathed a heavy sigh, as he looked around at us, but soon nodded with a short smile. Pip and Grenn patted him on the back, but before I could add anything further, I heard the Lord Commander bellow out,
"MOVE OUT! MOVE OUT!"
And that was it, within minutes we were exiting the other end of the tunnel into the far north. With friends and brothers at my side, and the spirit of my father in my sword, I have faith we will succeed. The night's watch will live on. House Ingerman will live on.
We had ridden for a week into the harsh lands of always winter. The Lord Commander had told us that we would have usually had a few settlements to stay at by now, but every one that we passed was empty. Completely deserted. Just by the looks of the more experienced rangers, we knew something was definitely wrong. Craster's keep is only a day or two away now according to Commander Mormont so the faintest hope of having at least one night in any sort of warmth is all that's keeping me going. I sat down by the dimming fire, talking stories of childhood with the others. Jon's direwolf was curled up at his side, just like an overgrown puppy.
"My dad wasn't exactly the perfect father," Sam said sorrowfully, "I only regret I won't ever see my mother, brother and sister again. They were the only reason I stayed there at all. I knew I wasn't who my father wanted me to be, but at least they loved me all the same."
"At least you had both parents." Jon added, equally dolefully. "I don't even know who my mother is, or was, and now I never will. My father said next time we see each other, he'd tell me." His eyes dropped from the fire to the floor, as his head sunk, "Now I'll have to die, before I ever know."
"Just remember all the good times you had with him. I'm just happy I got to spend nineteen years with my father. I will never forget how he always used to sing songs to me and tell me stories by the fire." I said cheerfully. Drago took my father from me, but he could never take the memories we had together away. "What about you Pip? Anyone back home you'll miss."
"Just my sister. She was getting married a week after I joined the watch. I hope she's okay." Pip said, looking up at the sky.
"Yeah, I hope my mum and dad are okay." Grenn added. "I know it hurt them when I was forced to take the black. At least they can live without worrying about me now."
"Won't they visit?" I asked quietly.
Grenn just shrugged, before replying dismissively, "The whole country is at war, I hope they just keep themselves safe. That means staying as far from here as possible."
"Yeah, I asked someone to come visit me here, but now I hope he just stays put. The world is at war to the south, and now we have all this to deal with to the north. Everything's gone mad, and I'd rather not drag any more people into this." Jon added, as he picked up a piece of firewood and tossed it into the fire.
"Are you talking about your brother?" I asked tentatively. Jon had told me about his brother Robb going to war, and I know it's still a sore subject to talk about.
"No, Robb has got far, far, far more important things to deal with, than taking a vacation to the wall. I was just talking about a good friend of mine." Jon said softly, as he got up off of the makeshift bench we had made from a broken-down tree and stared towards the fire. He looked around, as we all just looked at him intently to carry on. He sighed, but then continued, "What is my name?" We all looked around at each other before Sam spoke up.
"Jon… Snow." He said nervously.
"And why is my name Snow?" Jon asked him.
"Because…. You're a bastard. From the North." Sam stated.
"That's all I ever got when highborn lords and ladies came to the castle," he sighed. "They looked down on me as a bastard, as less than them. But there was one who actually treated me like you all do. Just like a normal person and not someone inferior. He is the son of a Lord in the north, Lord Stoick Haddock, do either of you know him?" He asked, looking especially at me and Sam.
"Lord Haddock… Lord Haddock… Lord Haddock." I mumbled, that name seems familiar then it hit me. "Mountain of a man, wild flaming beard, deep bellowing voice?" I asked.
"That's him. Yeah, his son and me go way back to before the Greyjoy rebellion. Hiccup and I have been friends since we were children." He said proudly, smiling as he stared into the flames.
"Hiccup?" A few of these replied with a chuckle
"Like you can talk about funny names Grenn," Jon snickered, "especially you Fishlegs." He added with a wide grin.
"Yeah, my family has a history of, should I say, unusual names." I defended, "So, do you think that this Hiccup will visit?" I asked, getting up to join Jon next to the fire and adding another piece of firewood onto it.
"I would like to say yes, but I don't think so." He said, as his face fell to a frown. "If Robb called his banners, Hiccup's father will be at my brother's side now. So, either Hiccup is fighting in the war, or he has been left to guard the castle. Either way he won't be heading north anytime soon. I really hope it's the second one, and he's still at his home. I know then that he might be able to check in at Winterfell from time to time and make sure my other brothers are okay." Jon stated, as he began to walk off. "Hiccup's not a soldier, Fish. He's got a good heart and that will get you killed. My father was the most honourable man I ever knew, now he's gone. I'd rather not lose anyone else." Jon growled, as a tear began trickling down his cheek.
"Jon are you…"
"I'm fine Fish!" He snapped. "I'm going to get more firewood, I'll be back in half an hour." As he walked away into the forest, I stood there watching the silhouette almost fade into the darkness. As I felt the wind blow past, a blur of white headed out after him. It was only a second, but Jon turned back in the distance, kneeling, and softly stroked the wolf. I couldn't hear the words, just the soft pad of paws on the snow as Ghost bounced back towards us and curled up in front of the fire. I looked back to the trees, but Jon was gone.
Night-time had fully come, and almost everyone was asleep. I was awoken by the deep growling, and the pacing backwards and forwards. I rubbed my eyes and looked around. The fire had died, and there was still a space free. JON. The wolf's unsettled nature told me something must be very, very wrong. He should be back by now.
"Where is he, Ghost?" I asked. The wolf snarled and shook its head to face the direction Jon had left. I went to warn the others, but Ghost immediately sprinted off into the distance. I quickly reached down and picked up my sword, and then started running as fast as I could. It was faint, but I managed to make out the wolf's outline at the treeline. I followed as fast as my body could run, Meatlug out in my hand and a fire in my eyes. But as hard as I ran, time had eventually caused me to lose the wolf to the elements. Now I was alone. I pushed further and deeper, maintaining the line and heading straight. It was only after a few minutes did I hear the loud, high pitched howl. I couldn't see them. But it was close. I ducked under a fallen branch, hurdled a tree stump, and pushed to a clearing. As I swatted the branches out of the way, what I found was a frozen lake. Jon and Ghost in the centre, balancing precariously on cracking ice, as five men in white circled them, axes in hands.
Before the situation got worse, I rushed in impetuously. Meatlug plunged deep into the back of the first. He fell, and his face hit the ice before anyone realised what happened. Ghost pounced on the nearest wildling, tearing into the man's throat before he even managed to swing his axe. I swiftly moved onto the second, Meatlug's beautiful valerian steel edge slicing through the handle of the man's axe like a hot knife through butter. The man stared down in shock, at the two to three inches of wood now left in his hand. Where my sword had left one side higher than the other, the man charged with the wood in his hand, trying to use it as a makeshift dagger. Before he even got in range to do any damage, I had swiped the sword diagonally across his chest. The steel sliced through his layers, and he fell at my feet, dropping the handle as it slid across the ice. Jon had dispatched of the fourth, but the last wildling ran to stab him in the back. I sprinted across the ice, large cracks forming under foot as I planted each step. At the last second, the guy turned to see me barrelling towards him. With both hands, I charged head first into his waist, as his sword was inches from Jon. With both arms around him, I pinned him to the ice. Both hands around his throat, as he struggled to fight free of my hold. I didn't have any reservations or any restraint. He wriggled and kicked, but as my hold tightened he fell still. I looked over to Jon, breathing a huge sigh of relief. Then I heard it.
CRACK! An initial shock hit me, as the sound echoed around. Ice broke behind me in succession after succession. Before I could move, I felt the weight beneath me falter. Then it collapsed. The cold hit me first. The waters engulfing me, dragging me down. I tried to swim up, but all I could do was reach up. I felt the pain in my chest, as I felt my hand fully submerge beneath the surface. I was going down. This was it. This was my destiny. As I began to close my eyes, and let the water sweep me below, I felt a strong hand grasp tightly around my wrist. As I forced my eyes open, I stared up into the light. I can do more. This is not my end. I will not die today! I forced myself to believe, as I tried with all my might against to kick and push. I coiled my fingers tightly around the wrist, as I slowly headed closer and closer towards the light. Against all of the urges for my body to shut down, I pushed on. I was close. Very close. I felt the cold wind on my hand, then against my face as I finally managed to breath.
"HUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" I breathed heavily, allowing air to once more enter my lungs. Jon was laying face down to the ice, Ghost's jaw locked around his boot, pulling him back. With both arms, Jon dragged me fully out of the lake, before dragging me across to solid land and laying me on my back. The cold air nipped at me, draining all heat, and I could feel myself going into shock.
"We've got to get back. You won't survive out here like this. GHOST GO GET THE OTHERS!" Jon yelled, as he put his arm around my waist. Ghost sprinted forward into the trees, but seconds later stopped and growled fiercely. Oh great more wildlings. But as Jon, pulled his sword out, and I tried to reach for Meatlug at my waist, emerging from the trees was Eret. He looked nervously towards the wolf, who still growled vivaciously towards him.
"Eret… What... You... Doing… Here…" I mumbled, my teeth chattering and body physically shaking.
"I saw you leave. It isn't safe to be out here all alone. So, I followed you." He stated.
"Well, I need your help. COME HERE!" Jon ordered. Eret hastily skipped past Ghost, who kept his eyes fixed on the man, before the wolf begrudgingly ran back off back to camp. Eret took my other arm around his shoulder, but as we stumbled back towards the ranging party, I could feel my eyes closing. The water had sapped my energy, weakened my very core, now I could barely stand.
"Stay with us Fishlegs! FISH! FISH" Jon yelled. I mumbled back something inaudible under my breath. I could feel my body freezing up. I tried to keep my head up, but as my eyes locked shut, my head dropped forward. My legs buckled, and the two men hunched under the deadweight, as I lost any control I had left. "We need to get him back now! FISH STAY WITH US. FISH! FISH!" With Jon's final yells ringing in my eyes, I blacked out. I hope this isn't the end...