Just a different take on how Tormund could have met Ghost. I liked the idea of Ghost being pissed at being tricked. This takes place after Mance was executed but before Jon's talk with Stannis.

Any glaring mistakes, please let me know.


A Different Take

Tormund sat in his cell, chained and alone, wondering what was to happen to him next. He had been separated from the rest of the Free Folk after Mance's execution and was waiting for 'King Stannis' to make his next move. He was chained to the wall so he could barely move, except to piss in the bucket that had been provided.

Watching his friend, Mance, burn had been terrible for Tormund and Stannis now bore the wildling's wrath. The Red Woman had not only called Mance the 'King of Lies' but had also tried to disparage the Old Gods and declare 'The Lord of Light' the only God. He vowed he would not be told what to believe by a murderess, working for a man who believed he was a king because of his name. Mance was chosen by his people, a true king.

Tormund's hatred was burning inside him as he remembered what had happened the night before. His only glimmer of hope, was the actions of a man he thought he hated more than any other, Jon Snow. During the execution, Tormund had noticed Mance look to the Stark bastard a couple of times during the conversation with Stannis and on the pyre. It had looked like an unspoken dialogue that Tormund couldn't decipher. He was aware that Jon Snow had been found in the Free Folk camp when Stannis had cornered Mance, (soldiers talk too much), and he had presumed Jon had gone to kill Mance. Jon was the only Crow who could have got near enough to try, as any others would have been shot down well before they reached the camp, let alone Mance. Seeing the looks between the two men, Tormund knew he had missed something, but he had no idea what. The fear his King displayed as the fires took hold was a sight Tormund would never forget. Then the arrow had struck Mance directly in the heart and Tormund had looked disbelievingly at the form of Jon Snow. Tormund was grateful to Jon for allowing Mance to die honourably and not screaming from the fire as Stannis had wished. Jon was a puzzle that Tormund wanted to solve, but his attempts to talk to Jon had been refused and he was starting to grow impatient, not that he could do anything about it.

Footsteps could be heard outside the cell door and Tormund presumed a meal of some kind would be offered. He hadn't been offered much to eat but he had been fed regularly and not starved. The voices were muttering and there was some laughing, which immediately put Tormund on edge. Usually, nobody spoke to him and just delivered the food, along with a look of disgust.

He could hear the voices better now.

'Come on,' one said coaxingly.

'That's it,' said another.

It sounded to Tormund as though they were coaxing an animal of some kind. Tormund suddenly remembered some of the soldiers talking about a direwolf and started to panic. The door of his cell opened before Tormund could think about moving from his position, sitting on the floor.

A man in Baratheon armour entered the cell with a cruel smile on his face. Before Tormund could react, something was thrown into his lap and the man's smile widened.

'Here boy,' the soldier called, as Tormund looked down to see raw meat in his lap. When he looked up, he saw piercing red eyes staring back at him.

Another soldier had joined the first, but Tormund hadn't noticed as he looked into the unblinking, red eyes before him. The man called triumphantly, 'Yer wolf food, wildling,' and cackled loudly.

The direwolf took no notice of the man and continued to consider Tormund, who dared not look away. Once the direwolf had found what it wanted, it looked down to consider the meat in Tormund's lap. Tormund could now see that the wolf was pure white and not just its head. The camouflage would make the wolf deadly beyond the Wall.

Tormund did his best to keep still as the wolf considered the meat and rather hoped the wolf wouldn't be taking his cock along with it. The soldiers were in Tormund's peripheral vison and he could see them enjoying his discomfort immensely. When the wolf opened its mouth to take the meat Tormund thought he was about to become a eunuch, but the wolf was surprisingly careful and barely touched Tormund as it removed the meat, before flipping the meat into its mouth. The wolf then yawned widely and lay down in front of Tormund.

The two soldiers were no longer laughing as Tormund looked towards them. They looked confused, even angry.

'You said this would work,' the second soldier accused the first.

'I thought it would,' the first soldier, said with confusion.

Tormund couldn't help but give a small laugh at their bewilderment.

'Sumfin funny, wildling,' the first soldier growled at Tormund. Tormund did notice the wolf's ears twitch slightly.

'Just that your plan for the wolf to eat me, appears to have failed,' he smirked, hoping that he was right and wolf wasn't about to devour him.

The man's anger was clear on his face but he didn't retort and instead spoke to the wolf.

'Move it wolf, you useless bag of fur,' he said harshly. He immediately regretted his words and tone.

The wolf was suddenly standing in front of him in a flash and Tormund could see its teeth were bared, with the slightest hint of a growl. The wolf was also now blocking the exit of the cell and the two men could only cower. Tormund allowed himself a chuckle as he watched the scene in front of him.

Footsteps distracted Tormund from the men and he also heard the man approaching curse under his breath. A fat man in black entered the cell and took in the scene before him. He then spoke directly to the two Baratheon soldiers.

'What d'you think you're doing?' he asked with annoyance, seemingly ignoring the wolf. The wolf hadn't taken its eyes off the men in front of him and hadn't acknowledged the new arrival.

'Get it away!' the second soldier said in panic, as the wolf tilted its head slightly.

'Why?' the man in black asked with a hint of amusement.

'Why? Because it's fucking dangerous. That's why?' the first soldier almost screamed.

'Yer, didn't think of that, did you?' Tormund asked with a smirk. 'They tried to get it to eat me by throwing meat in my lap,' he explained to the brother of the Night's Watch, whose face turned rather cold as he looked at the cowering soldiers.

Another set of footsteps could be heard by all in the cell and a voice called out, 'Sam'.

'He's here,' the brother called Sam said to the approaching man.

It was when Jon Snow walked into the room that the two Baratheon soldiers started to tremble even more. Jon's look was thunderous as he took in the situation before him. He looked to the two men, the wolf and finally to Tormund and seemed to be working out what had happened. Tormund had to admit that Jon looked almost feral in that moment.

'Ghost,' was all that Jon Snow said and the wolf backed away from the men to Jon's side. Jon and Ghost were now blocking the exit to the cell.

'That thing has a name!' the first soldier practically screamed, as he pointed at the wolf.

'Aye, he has a name,' Jon's eyes bore into the man. 'What is yours?'

The man clearly didn't want to tell him, Tormund could see that. Jon's hand was now in Ghost's fur, as man and direwolf stood together in a very powerful image. 'Daven,' the man replied, although rather reluctantly.

'And you?' Jon turned to the other soldier.

'Erik,' the other said quietly. It was then that Jon turned to Sam, who nodded and left the cell.

'So...Daven and Erik, what were you doing in here?' Jon's voice was calm but his tone was threatening. Tormund had to admit he was rather enjoying the show, watching the two men squirm. 'No answer. I suggest you have one for your king.' Tormund noted that Jon had said 'your king' and not 'our king'. Jon turned to look at Tormund for an answer.

'They threw meat in my lap,' Tormund said looking Jon in the eye. 'I think they wanted to wolf to eat me.'

'Is that so,' Jon mused as he felt the growl Ghost gave through his fingers.

'He's lying,' Daven said immediately.

'Really,' Jon's voice was low and full of disbelief. 'And yet, here you are. Ghost is here and I can see some blood on your breeches, as well as on the floor outside, suggesting otherwise.'

It was then that Jon gave Ghost a small push forwards and the wolf reared and growled, baring his teeth at the soldiers, who were both cowering and begging for forgiveness in front of the towering direwolf.

'Are you hurt, Tormund?' Jon asked and Tormund saw concern in the young man's face.

'No,' Tormund answered. 'The wolf did scare me but took the meat and lay down on the floor. It was only when the idiot insulted the wolf that wolf ever seemed threatening.' Jon gave a small smirk in reply.

Moments later, Ser Davos arrived and his expression told everyone that the men were in serious trouble.

'Ghost,' Jon called the wolf and Ghost returned to Jon's side immediately. The two men had soiled themselves and the room smelled of urine. 'Ghost does not like to be tricked,' Jon said to the men who were trying to straighten themselves.

'Yer, lucky the wolf didn't eat yer,' Ser Davos stated bluntly.

'He's not really partial to human flesh, but he does tend to go for the soft bits when going for a kill,' Jon raised an eyebrow at Ser Davos, who gave the smallest of smirks in return.

'Before you stand in front of the King, you will clean and redress yourselves before cleaning this cell. You are the ones who have soiled it and you can clean it up! Am I understood?' Ser Davos' voice left no room for argument as he and Jon, and a rather reluctant Ghost, moved out of the way for the men to leave. Ghost's eyes followed them until they were out of the door and Ser Davos followed after them.

'We'll have to move you,' Jon stated as he wrinkled his nose at the smell of the urine.

'I won't be any trouble,' Tormund said as he looked directly at Ghost, the wolf staring straight back. Tormund was aware that any attempt to escape or hurt Jon would end in his own death, at the jaws of the wolf.

Jon undid Tormund's shackles and led him to the cell across the hall. Once inside, Tormund saw that the cell was bigger than the last and actually had some furniture. Jon didn't attempt to shackle him either. There was one question Tormund wanted Jon to answer, so he finally asked it, 'Why?'

'Why ,what?' Jon replied.

'Why did you end Mance's suffering?' Tormund looked Jon directly in the eye, as Jon stared equally back.

'Because I wouldn't let a man I respected die in such pain and humiliation,' Jon's words were blunt and to the point, as if he knew the question would come. Tormund saw the respect in Jon Snow's eyes and knew the man before him had spoken true.

'What will happen to me?' Tormund asked.

'I don't know,' Jon replied honestly. 'Either Stannis or the new Lord Commander will decide. The vote is tonight.'

'Thorne will win,' Tormund stated, knowing the man was the highest ranking brother at Castle Black. Jon nodded in reply. 'If I'm to die, I'd rather not burn.'

'I think it best that I don't mention that,' Jon said quietly. When Tormund looking enquiringly to him, Jon added, 'He rather hates me.'

Tormund looked to the man and then the wolf and hoped he would see them again. Though he still didn't trust Jon, there were now cracks appearing in his hatred. Jon had still betrayed him and the other wildlings, but it was clear that Jon hadn't forgotten his time with them.

'I have to answer for my choices,' Tormund said bluntly.

'So do I,' Jon replied, as he left the cell.