By afternoon, they had reached the spot where the Wall had once stood. The Wall had been built from ice long ago, to keep the White Walkers out of Westeros. It had been an impressive sight, standing 700 feet tall and running across the entire northern Westerosi border. But now it was gone. Bill Cipher had destroyed it. Yet the garrisons which the men of the Night's Watch had constructed alongside the wall, such as Castle Black, still stood. And, despite its purpose having been fulfilled after the extinction of the White Walkers, the Watch still existed, continuing to serve as a quarantine for the banished, poor, and unfortunate.
"There's Castle Black," Brian said, pointing down. "Let's stop here for a bit. I wanna say hi to Toshi."
So, Dany brought Drogon down to land in front of the castle. As Dany, Brian, and Arya dismounted, the current commander of the Watch, Toshi Yoshida, came out to meet them.
"Konichiwa, Brian Griffin," he said. "It's been a while."
"Yeah, I know," said Brian, walking up to Toshi and shaking his hand. "I've been meaning to stop by and visit, but my wife and I have had our hands full running the country."
Dany came and stood beside Brian. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before. I'm Queen Daenerys Targaryen."
Toshi fell to his knees. "The pleasure is all mine, your grace."
Dany looked over her shoulder at Arya. "See, that's the proper way to greet a queen."
"It feels like it's been a million years since we were in training together," Brian told Toshi.
Toshi nodded in agreement. "I think you and I are the only ones left alive out of our old group of recruits. Well, except for Steve, of course."
"Yep, good old Steve," said Brian. "We've made him the new Grand Maester."
Toshi stood back up. "So, your highnesses, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company? I'm presuming you're not just here to make small talk."
"You're absolutely right," said Dany. "We're on a mission of vital importance!" And they explained the purpose of their journey.
When Toshi had heard their tale, he stood awhile in thought. At last, he said, "So, there's some kind of monster up north that's poisoning the land?"
"That's right," said Dany.
"If it pleases you, your grace, my men and I would be happy to help in any way we can. Give me a few hours and I'll have the entire Watch ready to march north alongside you!"
Dany shook her head. "That won't be necessary. Brian, Arya Stark, Drogon, and I can travel faster alone. From what I've heard of this creature, it sounds like something that needs to be approached secretly, not with a massive army."
"And from what I've heard of dragons, it's hard to imagine the words 'dragon' and 'secrecy' in the same sentence," said Toshi. "But you know best, I suppose."