Jon and the others traveled to the wildling territory to enlist their help in the war to come. As they got closer to the main hut, Jon's thoughts began to drift. They always drifted, but this time they went to Ygritte. She saved him, in more ways than one. And how did he repay her? By pretending she was someone else. A part of him would always be with her, but not enough of him. She needed more than he could give her, and it was a different kind of more than Rhaella. Ygritte deserved to be loved by a man completely, not just the small part he gave to her. Sure they spoke about her sometimes...but not much and even then the conversations were hard.
"Do you really think they'll fight with us?" Jon asked.
"We're not clever like you Southerners. When we say we'll do something we do it" Tormund told him.
Jon and Sansa entered the hut along with Tormund and Wun Wun who stayed in the back because of space. They met Dim Dalba who sat with the others around the hut. His was an elder of the group and his opinion was of great influence among the wildlings.
"Most of us wouldn't be standing here today if it wasn't for you Jon Snow. We owe you our lives and anyone who doesn't know that is a fool" Dim Dalba states.
"We will fight with you, those of us that can. We know that Ramsay will be the end of us if he is allowed to stay in the North. So we will fight with you" he continues on.
"Thank you Dim Dalba. This kindness will not be forgotten" Jon said with a smile as they left. They and the Wildlings began to travel to Bear Island, hoping to enlist the help of Lyanna Mormont. She was the granddaughter of the Lord Commander Mormont, and she had become the Lady of Bear Island after Robb's war. She was only 10 but she was rumored to be fierce.
Jon, Sansa and Davos entered Bear Island's great hall where Lady Mormont sat with her advisers and some armed men surrounding her. She looked young and fierce as everyone had said. The war had hardened her, like it had most people.
"Lady Mormont, it's an honor to make your acquaintance. My name is Jon Snow and I fought along side your grandfather at the Wall" Jon said introducing himself.
"It is said that you were named after my aunt Lyanna who was famed for her beauty. I can see that the name was passed on for good reason my lady" Sansa says with a sweet smile, but Lyanna says nothing and glares at the small party.
"Why are you here?" she states simply, ignoring the flattery and pleasantry.
"We've come to ask for your support in the war to come" Jon states.
"And why should we help you?" she asks.
"I remember seeing a raven written by you saying 'Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North whose name is Stark. You served Robb faithfully and we've come to ask the same of you in our reclaiming of Winterfell" Sansa answers.
"Aye, I did send that. And I will continue to serve the Starks but your name isn't Stark is it? Tell me is it Lannister or Bolton now? And him, his name is Snow, so why should I serve you?" She asks, giving the party a hard look. Sansa and Jon had no idea what to say.
"My Lady if I may. Jon Snow is as much a Stark as the rest of them. He fought along side your grandfather, a man who chose Jon to lead the men of the night's watch after him. He gave Jon his family sword because he believed in him. Believed he could lead. And you should believe in him too" Davos said, stepping forward to address the lady.
She stayed silent and leaned over so her adviser could whisper in her ear.
"We can give you 62 men" she replied. Jon faltered for a second which didn't go unnoticed.
"Each man from Bear Island fights with the strength of 10 Northners" she stated roughly.
"We are grateful my Lady, thank you" Sansa told her with a slight smile. She nodded in response and they left the great hall.
Jon was embarassed and began to doubt himself. If he couldn't even win over a minor house how could he be expected to lead them into battle? How could he save her if he couldn't get anyone to fight with him?
This way of thinking only increased when they went to the Glovers, who only received them because Lord Stark was their father. They could only get a few minor houses to their side. It wasn't enough, but they were running out of time. She was running out of time.
They made camp a little ways away from Winterfell. Jon was in his tent, trying to figure out a plan when Sansa entered.
"Can't sleep?" she asked as she walked over to him.
"No, not really" he answered, not looking up from his maps.
"We should try and recruit more houses before we attack. We don't have enough men yet" she says as she looks over the maps as well.
"And we're running out of time. No one else is going to join us, we need to make due with what we've got" Jon answered, looking up to meet Sansa's eyes.
"We'll be slaughtered, you'll be slaughtered if we don't get more men" she argues.
"And she'll die if we wait any longer!" Jon snaps, slamming his hands on the table, making Sansa jump.
"Sorry" Jon mumbles.
"I know you love her Jon but we have to be rational about this. We can't just storm into Winterfell without more men"
"Well it's either that or not at all. If we wait too long Ramsay could gather more allies or the weather will turn and we'll be trapped here like Stannis was. We attack as soon as we're able and that is final" Jon answered. Sansa huffed in annoyance and left his tent.
Jon continued to stare at the maps, hoping a plan would come to mind.
Daenearys was pacing about the meeting room like Tyrion often did. Everyone else was sitting at the table.
"Not one of you tried to stop her?!" Dany groaned in anger.
"No, it was the dead of night, most of us didn't know she had left until it was morning" Missandei said.
"Okay, so how do we get to this Castle Black, how do we find her?" Dany asked, turning to place her hands on the table.
"I don't think that would be wise" Tyrion said slowly.
"Wise? Who cares about what is wise she is my sister! She is my blood and if anyone has so much as laid a finger I will make sure they die screaming" Dany said, looking up and glaring at Tyrion.
"We need to think this through. You can't just fly there on the back of your dragon. We need the element of surprise" Tyrion argued.
"He's right my Queen. If we have any hope of sailing to Westeros to take back the seven kingdoms then we need the element of surprise along with all your dotharki and unsullied warriors" Varys replied.
"We don't have time for that" Dany snapped.
"But you can't leave by yourself to go find her" Tyrion argued.
"So send me" Monell offered. Everyone turned to look at him and his place at the table.
"What?" Dany asked.
"Send me. Allow me to go get on a boat and go find the Princess. Let me make sure she is safe" Monell begged.
"If anything I should be the one to go. I've been by her side from the very start" Myra argued.
"Have either of you actually been to Castle Black?" Dany asks. They both stay silent. Dany huffs in frustration.
Greyworm enters the room and gives a polite bow.
"My Queen, there are people here to see you. They say they have ships and want to help you" he says. Dany gives a strange look but follows Greyworm out of the meeting room and towards the throne room. The others follow her as well.
When she enters the man and woman kneel in front of her.
"Rise" she says and they rise to their feet.
"My Queen, my name is-"
"Yara? Theon?" Myra said in astonishment, moving closer to the two. Theon gives the woman a confused look while Yara's mouth opens in surprise.
"M-Myra?" Yara asks. Myra moves forward and embraces her little sister into a bone crushing hug.
"I thought I'd never see your face again" Myra mumbles into the hug.
"Same goes for you" Yara answers, a bit of a crack in her voice. They break away and Myra moves to look at Theon.
"Hello little brother, remember me?" Myra asks, moving and pulling him into a hug as well. He hugs her back.
"Only a little. It's good to see you sister" he answers as they pull away.
Dany stayed silent as she watched the family reunion. But she felt a pain in her heart at the sight. She missed her sister.
"Anyways, as I was saying. My Queen, we would like to pledge our service and our ships to your cause" Yara continued, visibly fighting back tears of joy at seeing her sister again.
"Why?" Dany asked.
"Our Uncle Euron is going to do the same. But he's going to ask for your hand in marriage in return. I only ask for the Iron Islands" Yara explained. Dany nodded thoughtfully.
"I'll accept your offer, on one condition" Dany said.
"Name it"
"You stop your ways of pillaging and raping" she said. Yara stayed silent for a moment.
"Done" she answered, stepping forward and offering Dany her hand to shake. Dany takes it and smiles.
"Monell. Take your ship and find my sister. Tell her we'll be in Dragonstone, waiting for her"
Jon, Tormund, Sansa, Davos, and Lyanna were on their horses with soldiers behind them, waiting for Ramsay to arrive for their parley. Sansa had talked to him before about maintaining his composure around Ramsay. She told him he would try to get him angry and make him act rashly and that is was important for him to control his emotions. Jon told her he would try.
They watched as Ramsay and a few of his men rode over to him. He had a smug look on his face, and the moment Jon saw him, he knew he was the monster Sansa said he was.
"I am here to offer you terms of surrender. I will pardon you for deserting the Night's Watch and rebelling against me if you hand over my wife Sansa to me. If not you will receive no mercy from me" Ramsay says simply.
"I decline those terms. But I'll offer you this. You and me, combat right here and now. Why do our men need to die when we can end this here and now?" Jon offered, giving Ramsay a hard look. Ramsay was tempted to take those terms but he knew better.
"No thank you Jon Snow. Why would I agree to fight you here where I may lose when I can fight you with my significantly larger army and win?" Ramsay asked with a smile.
"Oh, bastard I have something for you. A couple of gifts" Ramsay says with a sick grin. He holds out his hand and one of his men places a giant bag in his grip. Ramsay dumps it out and reveals the head of Shaggydog, Rickon's wolf. Jon did his best to remain emotionless but he was worried.
"Oh and here. Catch" Ramsay says, digging some small items out of his pocket. Jon caught the two rings and looked them over. They were covered in dry blood, they were hers. Jon gripped them in his hands and looked up at Ramsay, glaring as he smirked at him.
"She put up quite a fight when I took them from her. I nearly had to cut off her fingers to get them. She begged me not to take them, or to just leave her one. 'Oh please oh please don't take them!' she cried" Ramsay said, mocking her. Jon was about to get off his horse and kill him right then and there. But he and the rest of his party rode away.
"Jon" Sansa called to him.
"Don't" Jon mumbled back and turned his horse back around towards camp.
He entered his tent where Ghost and Winter were laying by the bed. Tormund and Davos walked in after him.
"Let's go over the plan again" Jon stated and the other men agreed. Sansa entered a bit later and listened in on the conversation.
"I still think we should wait and try to get more men to our side" she huffs.
"This is the largest army we could possibly gather" Jon retorts.
"You don't know Ramsay like I do. He is cunning and cruel and he isn't going to fight fair or noblely. He's a monster"
"Don't worry, I've delt with worse. And you don't have to worry about him. I'll protect you from him I promise"
"No one can keep anyone safe, not anymore" she mumbles as she leaves the tent.
They finish their talk of the battle to come. Davos and Tormund leave and Jon calls Melisandre to his tent.
"You wished to speak with me?" she asks.
"Yes, I wanted to tell you that if I fall in battle tomorrow, not to bring me back" he says. She looks at him curiously.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. The Lord of Light has a purpose for you and if you should fall I must do everything in my power to bring you back. It is not my place to decide your fate. He may have only brought you back to die in this battle. I do not know. But I will have to try" she answers and leaves his tent.
That night was a sleepless one, for Jon.
I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I was haunted by ghosts. Was this what dying was like? Being constantly reminded of your failures? I was on the floor while Ramsay was sleeping on the bed next to me. He wanted to have me tonight, before the battle. Which isn't unlike most of the other nights he comes here.
I was looking out the window, trying to see the moon or some of the stars, but the angle was all wrong.
"Hello"
What ghost has decided to haunt me this time? I slowly turned around and saw a silver haired man standing before me, beside him was Robb and on his other side, holding his hand was Hope. I smiled and opened my arms. Hope quickly moved towards me and hugged me, taking a seat on my lap. Robb and the man smiled as I placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Who are you? I don't think I've seen you before?" I mumble softly towards the silver haired man. He chuckles and steps forward to crouch in front of me.
"Well you were only a babe when we met. Father let me name you since I was the first one to hold you. Aside from mother that is" he chuckled, moving his finger under my chin so I would look in his eyes. They were purple like mine.
"Rhaegar?" I asked in surprise. He smiled.
"Hello sweet little sister" he replied, moving his finger away and brushing my chin a bit as he moved his finger away.
"Have I failed you somehow too? Are you here to admonish me for leaving our sister?" I ask with a sigh.
"No, of course not. I wanted to see you" he answers giving me a worried look. He glances back at Robb and then turns to look at me worriedly. He smiles at me sadly.
"What is it?" I ask. He takes a deep breath.
"This is the last time we'll be visiting you" he sighs. I feel my heart seize in my chest and I hold onto Hope a little tighter than before.
"What, why?" I ask, feeling tears in my eyes. I wouldn't survive without them. Not with Ramsay as my captor.
"We can't tell you that" Robb answers. I stay silent, trying my best to fight back the tears.
"Oh don't cry mother. We didn't mean to make you sad" Hope says, sadness in her voice.
"It's okay Sweetling, Mother is just going to miss you is all" I answer, giving her pale cheek another kiss. I look up at Robb and Rhaegar.
"Can I see Jon tonight then?" I ask. They give me confused looks.
"He's not here Rhaella, didn't Hope tell you?" Robb asks. But I was still confused. I had watched him die. I sat by his lifeless body for hours on end. How could he not be there? Hope got up from my lap and walked back over to her Uncles.
"I'm going to miss you all" I say as they move towards the door.
"We'll still be with you. Just less visible than before" Rhaegar says with a half smile as they back away and turn into smoke.
I laid back down on the cold stone floor and went into a state of dreamless sleep.
I was roughly awoken by Ramsay, who shook my frame so hard that the chain around my ankle shook as well.
"It's time for battle. Can I get a kiss for a send off?" he asks with an evil smirk. I say nothing. I fall on my right side as he places a hard slap on my left cheek. I spit the blood from my lip onto the ground. He grabs my throat with his right hand and pulls me to look at him.
"When I get my wife back maybe I'll keep you for a whore. You're certainly pretty enough for it, and very accommodating" he mumbles, giving my throat a rough squeeze. I continue to glare at him as he looks me over.
"Or maybe I'll marry you instead. If you can behave. You'd certainly make a very pretty bride" he says more to himself than me. He lets go of my throat, making me cough, bits of blood painting the stones even more. He moves toward the door and smirks at me.
"But first, I'll bring you Jon Snow's head" he spits, slamming the door behind me. I winced as the door slammed behind him. Why did he insist on telling me Jon Snow was alive when I knew him to be dead? I looked around the empty room and my eyes landed on the fireplace. There was a few fresh pieces of wood and ashes. Ramsay must have lit a fire last night while I was sleeping.
Slowly I moved towards the fire, as close as the chains would allow me to go. I was able to move my hands towards the center of the fireplace. I could feel some of its warmth. It was very faint but I could feel it. I stuck my hands into the ashes and onto the wood burried underneath. My cut up hands cried out in pain but I didn't care, it was warm here. Over time that warmth turned into heat.
I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on that heat. I felt it getting hotter and hotter and when I opened my eyes, there was a small fire dancing around my hands. I was becoming hot again. My dragon fire was waking up. I moved my hands up and turned them over, holding a small portion of the flame in my hands. I flinched though as the sounds of battle increased and got closer. I was running out of time.
I moved the flame to the chain by my ankle and then quickly grabbed the chain in both my hands. I held it for what could have been minutes or hours, I wasn't sure. But slowly, the chain started to melt in my hands. I gripped the chain until my knuckles turned white, trying to will it to melt faster. Eventually the chain broke in my hands. I grinned and brushed away some of my hair from my cheeks. I was free. I was free and running out of time. The battle was getting louder and I would lose my chance if I waited too much longer.
I crawled over to the bed and used it to help me to my feet. My right leg was weak and pained me a bit to put weight on. But I would manage. I moved to the chest that was across the room, limping the entire way. I opened it with shaky hands and smiled as I saw my blade inside along with the cloak Sansa had made for me. I grabbed the blade and I was about to grab the cloak but there was banging coming from outside.
I stood back up shakily and opened the door, quickly limping down the hall and towards the courtyard. I leaned my back against the stone wall by the crypt. I could hear the fighting going on behind me. I could slip out and away easily. I had my sword raised up, preparing to defend myself. I peeked around the corner and nearly dropped my sword at the sight. Ramsay was firing his bow at...Jon. Jon was walking towards him with anger in his eyes and when he got close enough he tackled Ramsay to the ground and began to beat him.
I moved slowly forward, unsure of what I was seeing. I limped so I was only a few feet away. Jon continued to beat the man bloody, until I raised my voice.
"Jon?" I called out shakily. He stopped and looked up at me. He was covered in blood, which I hoped wasn't his own and in mud. His hair hand grown long and was pulled back into a knot. His brown eyes locked with mine.
There she stood. She was dirty. Dirty and ashes were covering her face. Her dress was torn and tattered and she was favoring her left leg over her right. Her silver white hair was frayed and dirty as well. She was looking at Jon in shock and locked her dark violet eyes with his.
He couldn't be real.
She couldn't be real.
He was supposed to be dead.
She should have been with her sister.
It's been years.
How many years has it been?
I could feel my heart fluttering. He was here and he was real.
She was real and she was here.
I needed to get to him.
He needed to hold her.
I didn't care about my limp. I didn't care that Ramsay had broken me. I ran towards me, dropping my sword, not caring about anything else.
She dropped her sword and started to run towards me. I let go of Ramsay and moved towards her.
I didn't care that he was covered in blood and muck. I threw myself into his arms.
She threw herself into my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck, connecting her lips with mine.
I kissed him. I held on as tight as I could.
I held onto her tightly, fearing she would disappear if I let go.
"I should never have left you" he whispered to me softly, tears in his eyes as he took in my broken body.
"I should never have returned"