Castle Black 301 AC.

Jaime.

If he had lived a different life then what he was looking at would have too unbelievable for him to understand. It was only because he had met Jae all those years earlier and seen all that he could do or else he'd have thought he was looking at something that was impossible. Watching a wall of ice appear where moments before there was nothing at all, his weren't the only eyes that weren't sure that what they were seeing was true.

Jaime had met Jae though and he had seen all he could do. Over the years he'd seen dragons been born and saw his king wield a sword of light. He'd looked at the past and present through a Glass Candle and saw a boy control animals as if they were on strings. Things that he'd not witnessed personally had been relayed to him by people he trusted implicitly. He'd heard the tales of stone being sung and a bridge appearing out of nowhere and so looking on as a wall of ice did the same, Jaime kept his head while those around him lost their own.

"To Arms, To Arms." he shouted "Make ready."

The sound of his voice and the authority he carried seemed to work as men turned their eyes from the wall in front of them and drew their weapons for the attack soon to come. Jaime looked down the line and saw Oberyn, Ned and Benjen Stark, Mance Rayder, and Tormund Giantsbane all doing the same as him. He moved from his place in line as the wall began to fall against the one they stood on. Then he ordered the others around him to back away and so as one wall of ice crashed against the other, Jaime hoped he could be heard and seen as he shouted down to the men in the courtyard of Castle Black below.

"Make Ready, Make Ready." he shouted as he grabbed the flaming torch from the wall and waved it in the air so they could see him should they not be able to hear.

He expected the sound of the crashing wall would have been enough to make them hurry to arms. That his words wouldn't be needed and the men below would have begun to move as soon as they heard it. Yet he had to be certain, time spent standing idle would be time they didn't have if he and the men on the Wall faltered here. Turning back to take his position amongst his men, what he saw made him worry that could be a real possibility. It had not been something he'd truly given thought to, Jaime instead offering the reassurances that he felt Jae had needed when his king had planned for such an outcome.

"We will hold them, Jae, we'll face them and fight them back, and then we'll go home to those we love."

Looking to the lands Beyond the Wall and to the army that now scrambled up what to Jaime looked like stairs cut into the ice itself, now he was not so certain. He shook the doubts from his mind and looked to the sky. Jae and Rhaenix were out there somewhere and would soon come to attack these things from behind. Hold them here, they would hold them here for as long as they could and his king and his dragon would do the rest.

"Hold your fire until you're certain you can't miss."

"Ready the fire balls."

"Hold steady."

"They're just dead fucks, look there's no fucking meat on their bones, even the cannibals wouldn't get a decent meal off any of them, Har."

Jaime heard the voices, the last of them was Tormund Giantsbane's and he admired the way the man could laugh at a time like this. His own men looked to him as he unsheathed Blackfyre and took a step nearer the edge. The army of dead men below them climbed up ice stairs and moved along platforms made of ice. As he looked at the structure he felt that they themselves could have done with that type of thinking when whoever made the Wall had done so. It was a brief thought only, had their side of the Wall been as easy to climb up as this one was then it'd be just as easy to climb back down. The very last thing they should wish to do was make it easy for the dead that came their way. Jaime looked to the ropes that hung down their side of the Wall. Ropes that should the worst come to the worst then they'd have to climb down to reach some safety.

"Release the Scythe." A voice boomed out and Jaime was glad of it, his thoughts had suddenly turned dark, and it was far better to focus on whatever the scythe may do than whether or not the dead could climb down ropes.

He heard some cheers ring around and imagined they were from the black brothers that were stationed on top amongst his men. They'd explained to him the defenses the Wall had, the catapults, trebuchets, large stones and balls of pitch, and of course the scythe. Some of the coin that he and Jae had sent to the Watch over the years had been spent on fixing those defenses. The scythe though was something that had needed no fixing. A large steel blade that was held in place by massive chains, how it had been built, put in place, and how it worked he knew not and only the last of them would be a question that he'd get an answer to today.

Ice broke off the Wall as the Scythe began to swing down and he and every man who could see it all held their breaths. It built up momentum and by the time it was mere feet away from the edge of the other wall it was moving quickly and then it was not. Jaime had never seen anything like it, the ice almost seemed to move out to stop it and instead of crashing into the edge of the other wall, the scythe crashed into ice that hadn't been there a moment before. The impact still caused the vibrations to ring out and some dead fell from where they'd been moving up the wall of ice. Some but far fewer than would have fallen had the scythe worked how it was supposed to.

"Here they come." a voice rang out and Jaime heard the arrows as they began to fly.

Balls of pitch were lit and dropped, the fireballs raining down on those below and setting some of the dead alight. Arrows struck home and more dead things fell, dead for true this time. Still, they came, their losses meaning nothing as they took all that was aimed, fired, or dropped their way and did so without it giving them even a moment's pause. He heard a scream as a man was grabbed somewhere down to the left, the sound of his cry ringing out as he was pulled from the Wall and down to the dead below.

"Spears and Shields, Swordsmen make ready. Hold them back, hold them back." he shouted, his eyes on the dead that now stood mere feet away, and those further down from him. Jaime knowing that some of his men would be out of his reach to help, for now at least.

Blackfyre was an extension of his arm, the Valyrian Steel sword feeling as if it had been forged for him alone. That he swung it with little technique and that it faced no enemy worthy of the blade or his skill, was something that on another day would have angered him. It belonged in better company than this he thought as he swung and took another dead thing's head. He then thanked the gods for its lightness and the edge on its blade as he took down more of the dead than he could ever count. Beside him, others fought just as fiercely and just as bravely, and then the world went dark.

Jaime heard the screams of men who'd stopped their fighting because daylight had gone and night had fallen. Other than the flames from a few nearby torches there was no light to be seen and some men's courage faltered then and there. Had it not been for the roar of the dragon and the sight of the flames burning the dead below them as Rhaenix flew from west to east, then they'd perhaps have been lost. Yet it was the sight of Lightbringer in Jae's hand and the light that shone from the sword that both gave them courage and showed them just how much it would be needed.

"There's too many of them." a voice shouted.

"Where did they come from?" another called out.

Jaime swung Blackfyre and saw the shining light from the corner of his eye, Jae had turned Rhaenix around and was doing another sweep.

"Fear not for our king is with us, he fights with us and he brings the light." he shouted and hoped it was enough to restore his men's courage and faith, as it had his own from the first time he'd met a boy in a sparring yard all those years ago.

Castle Black 301 AC.

Robb Stark.

When they'd arrived at Castle Black, he'd been shocked by how bad the conditions were. He was even more shocked later when he talked to his uncle Benjen and he told him that as bad as they were now, they had been much worse before Jae's visit years earlier. The North was or at least had been poor, but at least it had done all it could for the Watch. The South had done little at all other than for a few houses until his cousin that was.

Robb had refused to sleep in one of the few rooms and had instead given his place up to one of the other lords. He wished to be amongst the men and though he knew it had made his father proud that he'd decided to do so, that was not his reason. Many years earlier his father had told him that it was a good thing for the lord to know those who served him. During his time fostering with Lord Wyman, it had always amazed him just how many people that his goodfather knew the name of. From cooks to maids, to every single one of his guards, Wyman knew them all.

On his ride to the Wall and since they'd arrived here, Robb had done his best to learn each and every one of his men's names and their stories. He had gotten to know them and there were now some that he considered friends, and not just amongst the men of Winterfell either. Cregan's men, Lord Glover's, the Karstark men, and the Umbers when they too had arrived. To leave them to sleep in their tents and huddle around the fires while he slept in a warm room and a softer bed was something he couldn't bring himself to do. It was something he was glad of now when he felt their courage begin to falter and their resolve weaken as they heard the noise of the Wall when something hit against it.

"Make Ready, Make Ready." he shouted when he saw the flaming torch being waved atop the Wall.

"You heard Lord Stark, form up, the fight will come to us all soon enough." Cregan shouted adding into his words.

"Aye, there are men up there who need killing and if the gods are good we'll be fighting them soon enough. They're next for Goatsbane." the Smalljon shouted, his words bringing about some nervous laughs from the men on the ground.

Jae had given them a rousing speech and Robb knew it had given the men courage they'd perhaps not known they had. Courage though was a finite thing, it wasn't limitless, and knowing that you were to face dead men who'd not back down and who needed to be beaten was much different from knowing you were facing an army that lived and breathed. A lot of the men with them had fought during the War for the One True King and had fought bravely and truly. That war was not like this one though and unlike then the enemy they now faced needed to be completely wiped out as they'd not surrender.

"What do you think is going on up there?" Cregan asked worriedly, his words spoken so quietly that only he, the Smalljon and Jory Cassel could hear him.

"The fight is here, my lord." Jory said and both he and Cregan looked to the more experienced man "That were Lord Jaime who swung that torch, I'd stake my oath on it, and other than your father, your uncle, or mine own there are few men more experienced than he. That were no panic and I know not what it were that hit the Wall, but the fight is here, my lord, and best we be ready for it." Jory said and Robb found his eyes going to the top of the Wall and both cursing its height because he couldn't truly see and feeling comforted by it at the same time.

"Form up, to arms." he said moving to the group that he himself was in charge of and motioning for Cregan and the Smalljon to do the same.

As they'd ridden and he'd spent time with the men, he'd listened as often as he could to those older and wiser than he. They'd shared the little gems of wisdom or little tricks that they would do to keep themselves on the edge but not so close that they would fall off of it. When he'd seen the men of the Company of the Rose and had found out who they were, and now because of what he'd seen in the Glass Candles why they were here, he'd listened to their tales more keenly than most. These men had fought all their lives and even his father who was now facing his fourth war was far less experienced than they. He and Cregan had sat around the fire with Brandon and Torrhen Snow and had listened and he hoped they'd listened well.

"The waiting, Lord Robb, the waiting is what feels like the worst of it, but it's not the worst of it, not by a long shot." Torrhen Snow said.

"What's the worst of it, Commander?" he'd asked curiously.

"When the waiting is over." Brandon Snow said to nods from other men of the Company.

Looking over to where the men of the Company of the Rose now stood, watching as bowmen readied their bows and spearmen their spears, he wondered if the waiting was truly done. He felt it then, Grey Wind moving through the yard to come to his side, Dusk doing the same to Cregan's and looking around the yard he soon saw Frost standing by Val's side as she readied the Free Folk and organized them as well as they could ever be organized. The howls rang out across the yard, all three of them at the same time, and Robb looked on in horror as day became night.

This was impossible.

It was early yet, wasn't it?

How could it be so dark?

Where was the sun?

His thoughts and questions were muddled and threatening to overwhelm him and then he felt the fur brush against his hand and he reached down and stroked Grey Wind's neck. Almost immediately he felt a calmness that he'd not known but a moment earlier and he knew now what he had to do. Grey Wind led him and he followed trusting that his wolf could see what he could not. In a few moments he was in a hall and he could see again what was around him again. Putting his sword back in its scabbard, Robb reached out and grabbed two of the torches before running back out to the yard.

As he expected the dark had robbed them of their discipline and it took him both waving the torches and shouting orders them to bring a semblance of it back.

"To me, to me, gather the torches and see that each group has some with them. Now, hurry the night comes and who are we to…." he said before he heard the noises.

The sound came from the gates and Robb feared that somehow they'd managed to be outflanked. That somehow the dead had already passed the Wall and were now behind as well as in front of them. He was about to order the attack when he heard Cregan shout to him that they were allies and to look up. When he did he saw the dragon's flames and a light shining that illuminated the entirety of Castle Black before it was gone off in the distance. Then there were more lights, dimmer and not as powerful but closer and the sound of men marching towards them was clear.

Robb was not the only one who moved to the gate and along the way, he saw men of the North, men of the Company of the Rose, and men and women of the Free Folk do as he was doing. What he saw was something that he'd remember for as long as he lived. A line of fire was moving towards them, fired made up of men carrying flaming swords and flaming spears. While amongst their number there were women and men dressed in red as well. As he looked closer though he saw it wasn't flames that the men carried, it was light. A light very much like the one that shined from his brother's sword.

"Who the fuck are they?" the Smalljon asked as if Robb had an answer.

"The Fiery Hand." Torrhen Snow said his voice one of disbelief.

The men marched into the yard once Robb gave the order to open the gates. They formed up and turned to face the wall, their spears and swords held high. How many of them there were he couldn't tell, but he'd wager there were close to a thousand. Amongst their number, there must have been fifty or so women and men. These were Red Priests and Priestesses and it was only two of their number that Robb could put names to.

"Our god sent us to offer our aid in the War For the Dawn." Melisandre said and as she spoke the men of the Fiery Hand smacked their spears against the ground and the sound reverberated around the courtyard.

"The prince leads and we follow. Our spears, our swords, and the light that he gives us we join to your own." Thoros said and before Robb could even answer, the priests and priestess began to chant and Robb looked on in awe as where there was darkness only a moment ago, there was now light as torches all around the yard began to light up.

Castle Black 301 AC.

Arthur Dayne.

His king wished him and Jors further back and so further back they were. Both of them amongst the men who couldn't fit into the courtyard of Castle Black and by the side of Prince Aemon and Prince Tyrion. It was not where he wished to be and only that Jae had given him his oath that should he seek to leave Rhaenix's back that he'd not do so without finding him first, had he agreed to it. Arthur had asked him how he'd find him amongst the chaos of battle and had then had felt a fool for doing so. He'd not even notice the owl or how it followed him nor the one that followed after Jors either. He really should have expected it given the words that Jae had spoken to him as they'd made their way to the Wall.

The fears his king had were not for himself, but for those who fought for him. His worries and concerns were not for the fight to come, but for the families of those who not see the end of that fight. Arthur had done his best to reassure him of the necessity of it all and he hoped and felt that it had gotten through to him. Knowing Jae as he knew him though, he should have expected that he'd seek a way to always know where those he cared about were.

Tyrion and Aemon he'd know through the dragons and his cousins and uncle through the wolves, others like Jaime and Oberyn more than likely had a bird of their own watching their every move. If he'd not spent so much time with Jae, not asked so many questions about him over the years then he'd maybe worry that he was stretching himself too thin. Magic had a cost, be it blood, fatigue, or some other that he knew not. It had a cost and a cost that would always need to be paid. The warging though was different or so Jae had said. True it had a cost too, but over time Jae had realized that cost and paid it tenfold. Now the way that he had explained it to him was that the cost was so small that it may as well not even matter.

"What was that?" Jors said as Arthur felt the ground tremble.

"The Wall, something's happened." Tyrion said as he moved to Lygaron.

"We do as we're bid nephew, our fight is not there, not yet." Aemon said stopping Tyrion's steps.

"We don't know if it's held, Jaime, Jae…" Tyrion said worriedly.

"You think the dragons wouldn't know if Jae was harmed? Or they'd not feel his own worry for your brother? Our place is here, nephew. For now at least." Aemon said and Tyrion nodded.

Jors moved to calm the rest of the men, the sight of one of the Kingsguard with them was enough to do so and though most would perhaps have preferred to see him, they were happy enough that it was Jors that came their way. The wait felt like an age and then he stood open-mouthed as the sun just seemed to disappear and night fell upon them.

"Fire the torches." Aemon said reacting quicker than he.

"Fire the torches." he shouted, his own voice seeming to make the men move quicker.

Around them, men lit torches and they could see once more, and yet as they looked to where the Wall stood in the distance they could make out nothing.

"What the? How? "Jors asked worriedly.

"There, look." Tyrion said almost happily and Arthur looked to see flames along the top of the Wall that were clearly coming from a dragon and then Lightbringer was shining and they could see the Wall once more.

They watched for what felt like an hour or more but was perhaps only moments. The Wall was lit up first by what looked like one or two torches and then they saw what looked to be a line of fire moving towards it.

"What's that?" Bronn asked and not even Aemon seemed to have a response this time.

"My prince, I say we fly, you and I, close enough to see but only to see." Arthur said to Tyrion who looked to Aemon almost as if he was asking for permission.

"Ser Arthur is right, Tyrion. Fly and see but don't engage unless you must. If things are desperate then have Lygaron roar and Ser Jors, Lord Bronn and I will lead the men forward." Aemon said and Tyrion nodded.

When they reached him, Arthur felt that the dragon was as eager as he and Tyrion to be closer to the Wall and to see that Jae and the others were unharmed.

"He'll not fly too close, Ser Arthur, but we'll be able to take a look at those below and with luck those on the top of the Wall as well." Tyrion said as they both climbed up onto Lygaron's back and the dragon took to the sky.

The flight to the Wall took no time at all and when they neared it they could see that other than the darkness which was now much less of an issue thanks to the Red Priests who must have been the line of fire they had seen, all was well at the base of the Wall. Lygaron flew higher then, Tyrion having to take the dragon almost around in a circle so that he was flying alongside the Wall rather than towards it. He felt both the dragon's anger and Tyrion's fears over what they saw.

A pitched battle was taking place on top of the Wall and Arthur had no idea how the dead had managed to make it so high. For now, they were being held back but the numbers that those defending the Wall faced dwarfed their own considerably. He felt the dragon turn and fly away from the Wall and he heard Tyrion angrily shout at Lygaron to no avail. Looking back to the Wall he could see Rhaenix laying down flames in the distance and heading towards it. Arthur watched as more flames were laid down below the Wall and he felt that Jae was keeping his flames low so that it was only the dead who got burned.

When they landed back at their camp, he listened as Tyrion argued some more with the dragon to no avail. Lygaron had decided to come back to the camp and that was that. Nothing his rider could say would dissuade him or convince him otherwise. The prince's frustration almost got the better of him as they walked back to where Jors, Aemon, and Bronn awaited them. Tyrion almost stomping across the ground and breathing out angrily as he did so.

"My prince?" he asked worriedly.

"Our king wishes us here, Ser Arthur, and his bond with his son is still strong." Tyrion said frustratedly.

He understood it then, what had happened and it brought a smile to his face which thankfully Tyrion didn't notice. Had he done so then he'd perhaps have taken the reason for it wrongly. Jae was working to his own plan, just as he had said he would and that plan required for them all to play their parts. The dragons that couldn't fly over the Wall were more needed here. If the Wall fell and the dead crossed it, something that now looked more likely to Arthur's mind, then all the dragons could play their part. As of now only Rhaenix could. Like a bowman who was not yet in range, their time would come soon enough, though he hoped it did not.

Castle Black 301 AC.

Mance.

There were more of them, lots more and he supposed he really should have expected it. The attack at Hardhome was larger than he'd ever imagined an attack could be and yet compared to this it was little more than a skirmish. They just kept coming and not the dragon's flames nor all they brought to bear upon them seemed to slow them down. This attack was cleverer too and it seemed lessons had been learned from Hardhome by both sides.

He'd not seen one White Walker thus far, instead, it was dead things and dead things alone that his Dragonglass put paid to. Yet as soon as one fell, another took its place and they were quickly losing men too. Already he'd saw men being pulled from the Wall only to fall to their deaths on the other side. None had risen as of yet, but if the dragon's or their own flames didn't get to them, they would. Mance had needed to shout and make it clear that those who fell on their side up here on top of the Wall, couldn't be allowed to remain up here.

"Push the bodies over the edge. Better they rise down there than do so up here."

There were those who'd not listened to him because of who he was and others who'd seemed ready to skewer him where he stood. It was only Prince Oberyn's own echoing of his words that changed their minds. Men then pushing the bodies of men they'd named as friends over the edge of the Wall. He knew how much it hurt them to do so, it had hurt him to do the same with men he'd known for more years than he could count. Men whose families waited for them to return and would never see them again. Not only men either, but he'd also seen more spearwives fall today than he had in years and yet he had not time to mourn.

"How fucking many of them is there?" Tormund shouted out, his ax catching a wight that came too close to the Wall.

"What matters that? They're there and need to be stopped, we can count them later." Oberyn said and Tormund laughed as he and the prince then took down two more.

The dragon had flown past more times than he could count, she and the king had laid down flame upon flame and yet the dead kept coming. They'd set the Haunted Forest alight only for the flames to be extinguished just as quickly and Mance knew that's where they were. Jae clearly knew it too as he spent as much time over the trees as he did the Wall. Seeking them out perhaps, willing them to come out and face him, but they were smarter than that this time.

It made him wonder if the attack on Hardhome had been less about taking the Free Folk and making them part of the Army of the dead and more about testing them. Challenging their defenses and seeing how they responded and what tactics they would employ. In his many talks with Jae, he'd listened as the young king had spoken of all he'd learned, the lessons he'd taken note of, and how it would help them when the true fight came. As felt himself being cut across the shoulder and he dropped to a knee, he wondered how much of that was true for the Night King as well.

"MANCE." Tormund shouted, cutting down wights to reach him and help him to his feet.

"Just a flesh wound, old friend, it's not even as bad as that time with…."

The dragon roared loudly, the sound of it heard no doubt for miles around and he looked to Tormund worriedly. Jae's plans were unknown to any but himself really, they'd made their own and he'd listened and told them little of his. One thing he'd said without truly saying it was this, however. He looked to Tormund and saw his friend nod and then with a shout he ordered the retreat. Not a full one, they'd not be leaving the top of the Wall for some time, but a retreat from where the fighting was at its fiercest.

"Make for cover, fall back." Tormund shouted and only some of their men listened.

"Run you fools." he shouted loudly to those who had not.

The flames came down behind him and he hoped that it was only the dead that been caught up in them. Rhaenix laying them down on the top of the Wall for the first time and while he was happy to see so many of those they faced near the top had now bee burned away to nothing, he feared what it meant that Jae had needed to do so. Thus far he'd been hitting those lower down and trying to limit who reached them at the top of the Wall. For him now to need to hit those near the top it could only mean that they were in danger of being overrun.

As the fires burned out, they made their way back to the edge of the Wall and he looked down almost in shock. He'd expected to see even more of them working their way up this Wall that the Night King had conjured out of ice. Mance had been sure that the fight they'd now be facing would be far harder than the one they'd been in so far. Looking down and then around at others and listening to the cheers that rang out, he wished he could share in their joy. There were no dead men below them, none, not even the ones who would have been below the dragon's flames made their way to the top, for they too were no longer there. While around him some men cheered and celebrated, Mance looked out to the Haunted Forest and spoke his thought aloud.

"This is not over." he said softly.

Beyond the Wall 301 AC.

Jaehaerys Targaryen.

Stopping the dead at the Bridge of Skulls should have felt more an achievement than it did. Perhaps it would have if night hadn't fallen before he reached Castle Black. Maybe he'd have considered it so if the night had been simply that, but knowing the truth of it made what he'd done at the Bridge of Skulls seem almost pointless. He knew it was not, deep down inside he knew that he had done the only thing he could, and had he not then this war would have already cost more lives than he was certain it now would.

Rhaenix had told him so, his sister reassuring him when he needed it most and giving him even more determination to do what he must. So they'd flown and she'd let out her flames and he'd tried not to think about what it was the dead were climbing on. He'd unsheathed Lightbringer to bring light and give hope to those who held the Wall and Rhaenix had unleashed her flames and done her best to limit what it was they would face. She was strong, far stronger than her brother or his aunt's dragons, and not only could she fly for longer than they, but her flames were fiercer and could be produced for longer than theirs too.

Whether that was because of herself or because of their bond, he knew not and in the end it mattered little either way. It was what it was and it would be needed today. They flew past the second wall of ice and despite himself, Jae was impressed. In all the times he'd considered how the Night King would seek to cross the Wall, this hadn't crossed his mind once. It was simple and effective and on the first pass, it was clear that Rhaenix's flames wouldn't be enough to melt the ice or to bring it down. Just as he had with the Dragonglass the Night King had found a way to fix a problem before it had become one and had hardened the ice somehow.

"You seem impressed by him." Rhaenix said almost with a snort.

"I can respect him, Rhae. Respect rather than dismiss, it doesn't mean I like it, but it does mean I won't underestimate him."

"Where is he?" she asked as they did another pass along the Wall, her flames having taking out some of those who'd not yet begun their climb to the top.

"I believe he's there." he said looking to the Haunted Forest.

"We should go there, set it aflame." Rhaenix said and Jae looked to the dead who climbed and reached the top and now gave battle with those who defended it.

"One more pass." he said hoping to ensure they weren't overrun.

After laying down their flames once more, they turned away from the Wall and headed out over the Haunted Forest. Once again he had Rhaenix let loose her fire and he watched as the trees beneath them burned. If there were dead below them then they'd burn too and he knew they were there somewhere. Closing his eyes he tried to reach out to any animal he could find below and was stunned to find none. There was no life, not even a mouse had managed to survive if it was in the Night King's path and he was sure that he was the reason for that.

He knew the Night King was a warg too, he'd felt it when he'd done so. Though unlike with him the Night King couldn't control the living and could only briefly see with their eyes. Just as Jae would sometimes find the doors closed to him, the Night King would as well, only in his case they would remain so. True he could kick them down, but to do so would kill the animal he intended to warg into. A living mind was no place for a dead one after all.

"Rhae, move." Jae said feeling the spear before he saw it and then watching as it flew harmlessly by "Dracarys" he said and his sister laid down even more of her flames.

Only one more spear came his way and he knew then the Night King was holding back until he thought he had an unmissable target. That in laying down the flames in retaliation he was taking some of his army and some of his power from him and the Night King didn't wish to lose too much of either, or at least not those that he had nearest to him. The flames that should have burned in the forest were far too soon extinguished and it was clear that it was the Night King's Work and not the natural cold of this place that did so.

"Lygaron, Jae." Rhaenix said and Jae took her far higher in the air than he had been doing thus far as he looked to see Tyrion and Lygaron where they should not be.

The ice spears didn't truly bother him as he was sure the Valyrian chain mail would do its job and protect the dragons from them, but he didn't wish the Night King to know so just yet, and while he may dodge Lygaron may not. He intended to let the Night King use up even more of his power in as many fruitless tasks as possible. It was far better he was too weak rather than too strong and so for now he needed to be a mummer when it came to the spears.

"Go, and go now. This is not where you should be and Tyrion is in danger if you stay." he said through his bond with Lygaron and he heard his son's anger at the thoughts of his rider's safety being at risk.

"Is he truly in danger?" Rhaenix asked when Lygaron had heeded his warning and was well away from the Wall.

"I don't know, Rhae. We have the freedom to move on either side of the Wall, I fear what would happen if Lygaron got too close." he said and felt his sister's own fears rise.

They headed back to the Wall and laid down their flames once more, flying alongside and seeing how few of the dead were making their way from the trees to the Wall. It was on their return that he felt it and he knew then he'd been duped somewhat. The Night King had watched their flight and had taken note and so he willed Rhaenix to let out a roar and went for those nearest the top of the Wall for the first time.

How had they got so many there?

Where had they come from?

Was this the plan?.

They were questions he had no answers to and as Rhaenix burned those who had just breached the top of the Wall, he hoped that his warning had been heeded. By the time she'd finished, there was none remaining. The second wall now as empty as the first and Jae looked to the trees and he swore he saw him standing there looking back.

"You need to rest, to eat." he said as he directed her to fly over the Wall and to land outside Castle Black.

"Jae, I can…"

"Rest, for now, you can rest." he said and Rhaenix reluctantly agreed.

How long they'd been fighting for and how many hours they'd spent in the air he wasn't sure. What time of the day it was or was it still day, he couldn't tell with certainty though he felt it was night for true. All he knew was that it was far from over and the Night King had not stopped his attacks to give them some any respite. His sister needed to rest though, and he needed to find out about their losses and to see to those he cared about.

Castle Black 301 AC.

Oberyn.

He was exhausted, they just kept coming with no let up at all. Around him, men had fallen simply because of that fact. No sooner had they stopped one than another took its place, then another and another. Daemon had almost fallen, Anders had, and he would have if not for Ser Symond whose Dragonglass dagger was now stuck in the eye of what had looked to him to be one of the Free Folk from Hardhome.

Oberyn had actually slowed his spear when he'd seen the thing that had once been a man. The thoughts that Quentyn could be out there as one of those things raced through his head and had almost cost him his own life. When Rhaenix roared he'd ordered the men back and watched as the dragon's flames had done in an instant what all the men on the Wall together had not been able to do. He'd moved back to the edge once the fires had gone out and he like so many others had been stunned to see there were no wights moving towards them.

"Where have they gone?" Ser Symond asked worriedly.

"I have no idea." he said lost for words for once.

Jaime sent for him and leaving Daemon in charge he made his way to where Jaime, Mance and Tormund, Ned and Benjen Stark, and the Greatjon were huddled together speaking while pointing out at the trees of the Haunted Forest. He assumed they knew more than he and yet when he reached them and heard their conversation it was clear they did not.

"They must have melted back into the forest." The Greatjon said.

"Why?" Tormund asked "They were winning." he added a moment later.

"The dragon, when Jae brought her to the top and laid out her flames, he sent a message, didn't he?" Benjen said.

"The same message he's been sending all day, Benjen. Much though I'd like to give our nephew credit for this, this wasn't him." Ned Stark said and Oberyn found he agreed with him completely.

"We can ask him, he'll be here soon no doubt." Jaime said and Oberyn looked from the Hand of the King to the other side of the wall, the side of the living.

"He and Rhaenix are on our side?" he asked which confused Tormund for a moment.

"Have you not been watching, who else's side would the Dragonrider be on." Tormund said angrily.

"He meant our side of the Wall, Tormund." Mance said as Tormund looked from him to the others.

"Then why the fuck didn't he just say that, fucking kneelers." Tormund grumbled.

"They flew over us not long after laying down the flames, I'd say we'll see him soon. Until then we wait and do our duty." Jaime said and after a few moments, they began to move back to be with their men.

It took an hour more for Jae to arrive on top of the Wall, Arthur by his side making it clear that he'd flown to his uncles and the Kingsguard first. Oberyn hurried to them both once he saw them get out of the lift and he was glad to see that not only did his nephew look unharmed, but he seemed relaxed and not as tired as Oberyn himself was feeling.

"It's good to see you well, uncle." Jae said when he saw him, a small smile on his face.

"You to nephew, my niece?" he asked looking off to the south of the Wall.

"Is resting and eating with Lygaron and Sandorix." Jae said motioning for him to follow him and Arthur.

Jaime arrived before the two Stark Brothers and then Mance, Tormund, and the others, Jae bidding them all follow as he walked the Wall the entire length of the other one and spoke to and patted some of the men on their backs as he passed them. He said nothing to him or those with him, as he had then them turn and walk back to the other end of the wall, and only once he'd done so did he stop and speak to them all.

"We need to rotate the men and yourselves, you all need to eat and sleep and I'll not listen to a single one of you tell me that you're not tired or hungry and that you wish to fight on." Jae said his voice and expression leaving no room for argument "It'll take most of the night to change over and I'll be staying here until it's done, none of you other than Arthur is to do the same, am I clear?"

"Your grace, perhaps…" Ned began only to be silenced with a look.

"I can do things with Lightbringer that are just as effective as Rhaenix's flames and once he sees me on the Wall he'll not attack. "Jae said and Oberyn looked at him curiously.

"How can you be so sure, your grace?" he asked using the title as there were too many men close by for him not to.

"I'm sure, uncle. The how of it I can't explain. Tonight was a test and he's found out some of what he wanted to know. The next attack will be larger and more focused. Take the night, eat, rest, and be ready." Jae said and Oberyn could see that while the others were reluctant to do so, they were grateful too.

How long they'd been fighting he couldn't even begin to guess. What hour of the day or night it was, he had no idea. He welcomed the warmth of the food when he finally left the Wall and took the lift to the bottom, welcomed, even more, the warmth of the fire and the blankets that he put over himself as he lay down to sleep and dreamed of Ellaria and of a much different bed. When he woke the next morning or what he assumed was morning, he felt refreshed and ready for the day or night ahead.

After breaking his fast with Ned and Jaime and finding out that his nephew had indeed spent the night atop the Wall. Oberyn listening to tales of Jae walking the line with Lightbringer in hand and how those below who looked up upon it spoke of their king doing just as they were. He saw it clearly then and he knew the truth of why Jae had stayed on the Wall that night. It was not to keep the Night King back, it was for the men's morale. For them to see that after spending many hours flying on a dragon and killing more wights than any of them, he was still willing to walk the line and guard the Wall rather than take to his bed. In sending the men who'd fought on the Wall to rest and eat, he'd shown that he was not willing to ask of them any more than he was of himself and that even more than their rest was his true intent.

Castle Black 301 AC.

Benjen Stark.

He'd convinced her not to go to the top of the Wall, not once but twice now. The first time had been when he, Mance and Tormund had pretty much ganged up against her to tell her that they needed someone to lead the Free Folk on the ground. The second time was far easier as he had whispered in her ear that he wished to spend the night in her arms and that Jae was certain that no fight would come for some time.

Which of those two most did the convincing he cared not, only that she ate with him, drank with him, and when he looked at her, Val looked just as eager for their bed as he was. As did Mance and some of the others for their own. Most of the others if he was being truthful, though not Tormund. Despite being sent to eat and rest, it had only been the first of those that Tormund agreed to. Once he'd eaten his fill it was to the ale he went and not he, Val, or Mance himself could tell him to stop.

"I may be dead on the morrow and If I'm to meet my gods then I'll do so after a night's drinking. Were there a bear nearby it would be after a night's fucking too, Har." Tormund said and Benjen shook his head as he laughed.

As attitudes go it was not the worst one to have and it was one that was shared by some. Benjen seeing some of the Free Folk that were not from Queenscrown all doing as Tormund was. He and Val said their goodnights and made their way to the rooms he'd been given. He'd offered to stay in a tent, but his nephew, brother, and Mance himself had told him that he could not. It was something he was glad for now as the fire was already lighting in the hearth and the room was warm when they entered. All the more conducive to what Val was doing as she shed her furs and as always took Benjen's breath away.

"Are you just going stand and gape at me, Benjen Stark? I may not be a bear, but for once Tormund actually had a good idea. It would be a shame for some of us not to be fucking when we can." she said and the wink she then gave him was almost enough to make him hard even without adding the fact that she was standing as naked as the day she was born as she did so.

How he lasted as long as he did only the gods knew. She'd drawn him in and had been ready for him, her legs wrapping around his back as if to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. There was no need for her to do so, though he welcomed the feel of them anyway. When he eventually spent it was to the sound of her own pleasure. Her beaming smile and deep breathing as he caught his own breath, proved she'd enjoyed it as much as he. He felt her as she snuggled up against him and though he wished to talk to her and to hear her voice, his tiredness was too much.

"What hour is it?" he asked worriedly as he woke and Jumped from his bed sometime later.

"I've no way to tell. This fucking darkness doesn't let up, Benjen. Night, Day, morning, or evening I can't fucking tell." Val said her worry and annoyance clear as she began to dress.

"It'll be dawn soon." he said wrapping his hands around her, trying not to curse that the fire had gone out and that he could now feel the cold chill on his bare arse.

"How can you…" she said only for him to silence her with a kiss.

"Because Jae will Bring the Dawn." he said softly a moment later as she nodded her head.

Feeling the cold, Benjen then dressed quickly and it was only in his haste to do so that he didn't notice Val hadn't drunk her moon tea. Even when they walked through the courtyard to the common hall to break their fast, he found his attention diverted and so didn't notice how she poured it on the ground or the small smile she wore on her face as she did so. Nor did he notice how she didn't argue with him at all this time when he made ready to go back to the top of the Wall, Val just kissing his cheek and Tormund then breaking his balls as they took the lift.

"I see you found your own bear, Har." Tormund said with a loud laugh and for once Benjen just simply joined in.

Castle Black 301 AC.

Cregan Stark.

He had been excited to go to the top of the Wall with his men, both eager to see all that had happened up there that he'd not been able to see from the ground and to finally play his part in the fight they'd come here for. Cregan understood why they'd been asked to be reserves and that should the worst happen then they'd be needed too, but a part of him wished to swing his sword and to use the spear and daggers he'd been gifted.

Upon hearing that he would be manning the Wall with Robb, The Smalljon, Harrion, and with Jae and his uncle Arthur too, only made him keener to play his part. Seeing the looks on some of the men who they were replacing though, gave him pause. As did the realization that there were far fewer men coming down from the top of the Wall than had gone up it. Ten thousand men they'd sent up there according to this uncle Ned, he'd wager they'd less than seven thousand who'd come back down.

Barely snippets of conversations had he heard before he was walking alongside Robb and heading towards Jae and Lightbringer. Another wall, dead men climbing and coming at them in relentless waves, dragon's flames, and blue eyes. It was too little to form an opinion about and when he reached the top he found he could see little evidence of the fight too. Then he looked on as the darkness of the night was illuminated by his cousin's sword and by the spears of some of the members of the Fiery Hand that had joined them.

"By the Old Gods." The Smalljon said from in front of him and Robb and so Cregan moved to see what it was he was looking at.

"How is such a thing possible?" Robb said and soon he was thinking the same as he looked at the wall of ice that now leaned against their own.

It stretched for more than a hundred yards and seemed to consist of steps and platforms for people, no not for people but for dead men to stand upon. Looking at it he found himself reminded of a siege tower, but one far larger and more massive in scope and one that was made entirely out of ice. How had something like this even been built? When had it been built? And how had it been moved?. He was in the middle of pondering these questions when he heard Jae's voice and Cregan realized he was speaking to him.

"It's magical. What I can bring forth from stone, the Night King can from ice. Just like I can, so can he conjure up an image and bring it to life. I made a bridge and then many more. Reforged a burned tower and rebuilt one that had been long since fallen to ruin. Think not on the how, cousin, I know the how of it and I still can't explain it truly. Just know that it can be done and so expect that you may soon see more such things." Jae said and Cregan nodded.

"The light, your grace. From your sword, is it duller?" the Smalljon asked worriedly.

"Aye, for now. With them here I need not let it shine for true." Jae said pointing to the Fiery Hand.

"Will there be an attack, your grace?" Robb asked more worriedly than eager Cregan thought.

"No, I doubt it." Jae said looking out upon the lands Beyond the Wall "Go and ready your men, stand with them and let them see you do as you did below. I'll speak to as many of them as I can before the night is through." Jae said.

"Is it night, your grace?" the Smalljon asked while shaking his head.

"Does it look like day to you?" Jae said with a chuckle that soon turned into a full laugh.

"Aye, fair enough." The Smalljon said before asking about Ghost.

"Where is your wolf, your grace?"

"With my wife and daughter. I considered bringing him here…." Jae said drifting off into thought before speaking more a moment later "I would wish him by my side. Both my cousins will tell you of the comfort we feel when they're with us, Smalljon." Jae said.

"Then why not bring him, your grace?" the Smalljon asked and Jae smiled.

"It comforts me even more that he's with my wife and daughter. Knowing that he's there by their sides since I cannot be and that even more so than any of the Kingsguard including the Bold himself, they both have no more Leal or able protector than he." Jae said before reaching out to touch the Smalljon on the shoulder "Think on your own wife, Smalljon, think on her should fear threaten to take the fight from you, think on her and know that I'll do all I can to bring you back to her, to bring all of you back to those you love."

He watched as the Smalljon nodded and then as Jae moved away, his uncle Arthur following one step behind as they both walked down along the Wall. With Robb, Harrion, and the Smalljon he looked on as Jae stopped to speak with some of the men, as he then stopped and laughed with some others. Northmen, Free Folk, Dornishmen and men of the West, the Fiery Hand, and Black Brothers. Jae stopped and spoke to them all and to none as if they were lesser than any other.

Later as he stood with his own men and looked out on the lands below he heard the singing. The silence of the night broken up by songs and he knew who it was that had started them. Their night went by without an incident and through it all Jae walked with his sword shining a light as he spoke to the men and asked them questions about their families and those they loved. He thanked them all for being here, told them he was proud to know them and as the night wore on, Cregan was surprised to hear his cousin speak to men by their names that they'd spoken to him just the once earlier on.

"I don't know how he does it." Harrion said to him as they both watched as Jae spoke to some of the men of Dorne.

"Does what?" he asked curiously.

"Remember us all and treat us as if we're his friends and not men that are his to order into a fight." Harrion said and Cregan looked to see Jae laughing as a man told a tale of growing up in Planky Town and how being by the sea and living in the sun had been no preparation for this.

"We find our true friends on the battlefield." Cregan said and Harrion looked to him "My uncle Ned told me and Robb that as we rode from Winterfell. He said that war showed the true nature of a man, be him brave or a coward, true or no, war showed what lay inside his heart. That faced with the likelihood that you may die, it revealed who you truly were." Cregan said as Harrion looked at him.

"You think the king thinks us his true friends?" Harrion asked his voice barely a whisper.

"Are we all not?" he said to a small nod and a larger smile.

The only way that he knew how long they'd truly been on guard on top of the Wall was when the lift arrived at the top and his uncles, Lord Jaime and Lord Rickard, the Greatjon and Prince Oberyn got out of it along with some of the leaders of the Free Folk. For the next few moments arrangements were made to switch out some of the more tired of their men, though a lot would be staying to fight should the fight come today. He, Robb, Harrion, and the Smalljon would not be staying and Jae despite his own protests was being sent to rest. Cregan finding it amusing that the King of the Seven Kingdoms was for all intents and purposes being sent to his bed. It was while he was in the middle of laughing at this with Robb that he felt it, the cold wind forcing him to pull his furs more tightly around him.

"They're coming." a voice called out and Cregan looked to the trees to see shapes moving in the dark and then he could see nothing at all.

How the storm had come upon them so quickly was a mystery. One moment it was cold and dark and the next he was being hit with what felt like hail, or what he prayed to the gods was hail and he could see nothing. By instinct alone, he drew his sword and though he could hear what seemed to be voices in the wind, he couldn't tell whose they were or what they said. Then in the darkness, he saw a light and it began to shine so brightly that he had to shield his eyes.

"Cregan, Cregan, are you hurt, are you injured?" Harrion shouted loudly as he helped him back to his feet.

"I'm unharmed, what happened?" he asked looking around to see men were moving and yet no fighting was going on "Harrion what happened?" he asked worriedly.

"There was a storm, and then there was not. The king and your uncle have taken to the sky, we're to go back down below." Harrion said as Cregan looked at him in disbelief.

"Go back below? The fight is here, Harrion, they're coming…My uncles, Robb?" he asked worriedly.

"Are well. The fight's not here, Cregan, not for now at least. The king and his dragon are gone to where the fight is." Harrion said as he looked off to the east "Eastwatch, the fight is at Eastwatch."

A/N: Thanks to all who've read and reviewed. Up next Eastwatch.

Chapter 178 reviews.

Daryl Dixon: So glad you liked it.

The Spynx: It's good to be back my friend.

VfSnake. That's a cool way of putting it, the Army of Life, I may steal that from you, credit you of course, but that's a very cool way of putting it.

Siberal: Thanks for your understanding, it feels good to be back.

Puffgirl: Hope to make the wait worthwhile.

HKt29: You're spot on, Loras is there as a KG, so he doesn't really bring any honor to the cause other than the honor of being a KG and in some ways he's kinda forced to be there (even if he's not) for Garlan not to go it would not have gone down well, especially with the Lords of the Reach.

All will be revealed about the crown soon enough.

Jman: Thanks so much, and me too.

Flame: Thank you, glad you liked it.

Guest; I kind of am the same with slash, especially when it's characters who show no signs of it. Loras at least is already clearly defined. I get about the other stories, they're faster paced and it's taken such a long time to get to this part, plus the pairing may not be to everyone's taste either. Still glad you enjoyed it.

Lady Octarina: I'd wished it was work problems lol. Nope, just mine own stupidity, thankfully I've moved everything to the cloud so have a backup and now it'll take the Internet crashing down (maybe I should tempt fate lol) to stop me.

Yes, he learned that with Loras all the way back when they first came back to the North. A little with Lynesse too with the coat. Some of those things way back then may have seemed insignificant but a lot were small moments of foreshadowing, and almost everything that Jae has been doing has been a path and lesson of sorts.

Celexys: I hope to build that even more, as the war itself starts, what I'll say is if you look closely you'll see the Night King's plans before he puts them in place.

Creativo: Derretir y quemar o congelar en hielo, sé de qué lado elijo.

Happyfox: Thanks so much for saying so.

Scarilla: I had thought of posting an update to let people know but I had never expected it to be so long. Thanks for pointing that out, it almost becomes a thing in your head to say 7 so often lol.

Magnetic Ducky: Lol, perhaps the nicest thing anyone's said to me, I shall endeavor not to be missing again.

Dant3: It's Mr. And yes, I spent more than a week re-reading I. I'm so very pleased to read you're review as it's been my intent to take something and to see where it led to, to hit some of the spots but to make the characters feel yes as if they're Grrm's but also as if they belong here too.

Xan Merrick: Thanks so much, my friend.

Anarchichmind: Thank you. They have more than enough Dragonglass, they've been mining it for almost two years. Valyrian Steel they have a lot, but very few swords. It's mainly spear tips, some knives, and some arrowheads that are only to be used by the best bowmen. They also have some crossbow bolts tipped with dragon glass or Valyrian steel. Weapons wise they have more than enough, men wise, we'll see.

Xand007: Thank you, my friend. It's good to be back and stop that quaking lol. Stay safe and well my friend, the world seems to be finally righting itself, blue skies ahead lol.

Chapter 179 reviews.

Daryl Dixon: So glad you liked it.

Puffgril: really glad to hear that.

The Sphynx: I've missed responding to your poems my friend, good to see them once more.

Celexys: We're still in the early stage of it, the Night King's strategy should become clear very soon.

Scarilla: Glad to hear that.

Flame: Thanks so much for saying that.

Fletcher: I have to say I feel the same, knowing it's coming to an end and almost two years of work has led to this point is a tad emotional for me. Now I just keep my fingers crossed that I nail the landing so to speak lol.

Keb: I think it makes it flow better to see from more people, sometimes you can repeat yourself but seeing even the same scene from different perspectives helps I think.

Vfsnake: It will take him some time to do so.

Sibeal: Really glad to hear you say that, I was hoping it would come across as tense.

Hkt29. Finally lol. Exactly, I think it also shows just how long they've been planning for this, while the NK was resting, men and gods were planning to take him out.

Jman: It's funny, it's around the time of his canon death too lol.

Winged Wolf: I'll send you a Pm, jot sure if I've grasped the concept so to speak.

Irish Hermit: Love has been one of the key things here, that with it in your heart it allows for you to be more, so getting to this point it's what will give them strength in the Long night to come. I care deeply for so many of the characters who've been part of this story, I can only promise that each and every death has been long thought out and we'll see how they go from there.

Lady Octarina: I hope to make it epic, or as epic as it's in my power to make it. The idea of the Second Wall came to me very early, I was watching a domino fall and saw the way it leaned against the other and it just struck me as something that could be done.

So with Qhorin, the Shadow Tower is inhabited while Westwatch by the Sea is not, that's where the Bridge is. He rode there to just check the place out, saw something beyond the Wall and rode to make sure he Bridge was safe. In the books, there is a pitched battle with the Weeper leading a force against Bowen Marsh. Here Qhorin wasn't sure what was happening at the bridge and so rode out into a trap. Tormund is just the best isn't' he lol.