Daenerys was slowly walking around her new room, taking in the minimal comforts it presented. It was simple, to say the least, but she knew she would spend very little time there. This was the first time she had been alone since arriving at Winterfell and it was a strange sensation. Even when she had flown away from Dragonstone, she still always had the comfort of her dragons with her. She looked out the window, observing the people down below working. Working to try and save the kingdom against an unknown enemy. One she had only seen in paintings. Why had she so readily agreed to help in a war she had knowledge of? Bruda had always been adamant that she had to come here. A man who was a stranger to her less than a year ago had greatly shaped her life and it troubled her how much she trusted the warlock. She could see him in the courtyard, apparently unaware of her watching eyes. Knowing him, he would probably look up with a wry smile on his face to catch her in the act. At the moment, he was standing by as crates of dragonglass, most of it forged into weapons, were transported past where he was standing. He would sometimes pick up a piece, examine it and then put it back with a concerned look on his face. That worried her - he didn't know something and he had always been the one to know seemingly everything.
Her eyes continued their surveillance of the castle grounds, observing Stannis standing with little expression on his face, as was usual. Her brief time with the Baratheon had allowed her to reason that he was not a man to show his feelings unless it was absolutely necessary. That made it difficult for her to fathom why he had proposed the alliance. His goal was to sit on the throne, something she wanted desperately. It didn't make political sense to team up with her unless he was truly willing to risk his chances to win the war. If that was so, she greatly admired him. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that the Red Woman had poisoned his mind with tantalising thoughts which would account for his willingness to fight.
There was a knock at her door and she moved to it, knowing that whoever it was was friendly since she had two Unsullied guards outside her room. She smiled when she saw that it was Jorah who had come to see her. An even rarer occurrence was the two of them having time alone together.
"Khaleesi, I wanted to see how you are. You just had a long and difficult journey after all," he said as he stood in the door entrance. She raised an eyebrow at the reason for his visit.
"Are you sure that it isn't just because I'm alone and you wanted to see me. Since you love me, after all." She relished in the sight of him blushing. His eyes had also widened after she spoke so openly. They both moved into her room so that the soldiers outside wouldn't be able to hear their conversation.
"That might also be the cause of my visit." She smiled at his shyness. She was sad that they hadn't been able to share more time together since his confession. That had been on the way to Dragonstone, all that time ago. She grasped the top of his shirt and pulled him close with a strength that didn't fit with her small physique. She planted a soft kiss on his lips and pulled away, smirking at the bewildered look on his face.
"It's been a while since I've been able to do that." Jorah slowly nodded his head in response, still processing what happened. She moved to sit on her bed, near to the small fire that was lit. It was the only thing keeping the stone room from becoming freezing but it meant that she could walk around without having to wear her thick cloak.
"We have been quite busy lately," he stuttered after finally rediscovering his ability to talk.
"And that's not going to change soon I reckon. I have the feeling that we're so close to the fight."
"Might explain why Bruda has been acting so jittery recently."
"Are you sure it wasn't just because I was gone? He's quite protective of me, just like you." She sent him a warm smile.
"Of course we are. That might have been a reason. But it's just been since we arrived here. And after what that Melisandre said."
"What did she say?" Daenerys asked curiously.
"It was when we first arrived here. They had a slight war of words. She mentioned how his fate was twinned with this place."
"He's always spoken about Winterfell. Said that we had to come here. Do you think that he knows something and won't tell us?" She couldn't fathom why he wouldn't trust them enough to share any secrets.
"I think he has been on his own for a long time and anything he knows relates to him personally. He probably will think that he doesn't need to bother you with it at the moment."
"I'll need to have a word with him then. If something is concerning him, then I should know. As his queen and his friend."
"So he's your friend now?" She'd never put a label on their strange relationship before.
"I've known him long enough now. And we've been through a lot together. He was also a natural fit to replace you in that spot." He looked at her with his face wrinkled in thought.
"What am I to you then?" It was her turn to blush and she started stuttering, nothing like the confident young woman she normally was. He reached his hand out to gently hold her arm, signalling to her that it was alright not to define anything at the moment. "If you're wanting to talk to him," he said, changing the subject, " then you'll have to act soon."
She nodded her head, thankful that she was rid of that brief embarrassment. "I still don't know how I feel about him going to the Wall."
"He'll be fine. He's not going past the Wall and, as far as we know, the White Walkers haven't got past there yet. And he'll have plenty of support with him."
"But what if he dies? I don't think I'd be able to cope with losing either of you."
"He's too stubborn to die until it's his time. And it's not his time yet."
"How would you know that?"
"Because he wants to see you win this war. Like I said - stubborn." She tried to put the thought to the back of her mind for the time being.
"How are you feeling about going back home," she asked him with concern, knowing he didn't like to talk about his past.
"Mixed feelings really. It depends on what sort of reception I get. Lyanna Mormont won't remember when I betrayed my family so maybe she won't hold a grudge."
"All you have to do is convince her to send her own men to fight against the dead. Simple." Daenerys hit him on the shoulder when he gave her a bemused look. "You know, you're not going yet. And I haven't seen you in ages and now you're leaving me." There was no way he could resist the look she was giving him. Jorah cusped her face in his hands as he kissed her tenderly. The door stayed closed for a considerable amount of time.
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Sansa had never been close to her sister. Throughout most of her life, she had viewed Arya as nothing more than a nuisance. Someone who would probably dampen her chances of marrying into a highborn family and living a happy life. But now that she had gone through that ordeal, a time she rightly considered as the worst of her short life, and was standing in front of the tomb of her sister, she realised how greatly she had got her priorities wrong. She wanted to believe that it wasn't her fault. She had been fed stories of gallant knights and princes by Septa Mordane from an early age and so had no choice but to fall in love with the idea of such a person. Yet she saw how foolish a child she had been, expecting such fairytales to be true. Sometimes, she wished she had lived more like her sister. It must have been freeing to not care about what was expected of you, to live your life the way you truly wanted. The opportunity for both of them to do that was now long gone.
She had been stood in the Winterfell crypts for quite a while, simply looking at the likeness of her sister in the stone figure. It didn't do her justice. Arya had been so full of life, another reason why Sansa had got annoyed with her so many times. All those scathing words that had left her mouth. She wanted to remember what her last words had been to her. They hadn't seen each other since their father's execution. She had grown up. They both had. It shouldn't have ended this way.
The ceremony had been small and simple. Not many people who lived in Winterfell for the time being knew who she was and so only a small group had gathered. She had expected it just to be her, Jon and Bran. Yet Meera had stayed with the crippled boy, something that Sansa was appreciative of. She was even more surprised when the old man that had arrived with Jon from Dragonstone had paid a visit to send his thoughts and well wishes. He had said that he had only been able to have one proper conversation with her (she was sure he said that it had taken place on a ship mast but knew that couldn't be possible) and was sad that he'd had so little time with her. It had been Maester Capaldi, an old yet imposing lean old man, who did the ceremony but he had struggled to commemorate her memory sufficiently, which was understandable since he had no idea who she was. That's what deeply saddened Sansa. It seemed too stale. She wondered what it would have been like if the whole Stark family had still been here at the castle. There would have been a state of mourning for weeks. Now it was ideal to simply get it done quickly. Arya wouldn't be the last to die. That was the grim reality they were facing now.
When Jon had come back, he had taken the time to explain to her the full situation regarding the white walkers. He had mentioned them briefly before and she had picked up pieces of information from loud talking soldiers, but she had never been told properly what they were facing. It had been a grim conversation and the look of horror on his face as he spoke made her appreciate why he had been forced to go down south to negotiate with the Targaryen girl. Sansa had faced many terrible things but couldn't comprehend the monsters he described. In one way, she was glad that Arya would never have to fight one of those things.
She heard footsteps as someone new came down into the crypt. She immediately tried to wipe away the tears that had stung her face to make herself look more presentable. The lessons she learnt as a young girl were sometimes hard to forget. She couldn't make out who the approaching figure was due to the dim lighting in the underground room.
"Don't worry about what you look like," a gruff voice said from the darkness. "I'm not someone you have to fucking impress or who cares what state you're in." The Hound, she realised as the towering man came out of the shadows. She had definitely not anticipated him of all people coming down. She didn't respond to his statement, fixating intently on the statue. She left him to grieve, or whatever it was he was doing, in silence. He had barely paid her any attention since he had come to Winterfell from further up north. This was the first time they had interacted since their time in the capital.
"She never knew I survived," Sandor said, a strange hint of sadness in his voice.
"Pardon?" she asked, not fully hearing him the first time.
"Stop with your pardons! Or did you never listen to what I told ya?" That moment of weakness was gone in an instant. She kept her eyes on the tomb, not letting him see how his words hurt her.
"Why are you down here?" she asked, more icily than she expected. If he didn't want any pleasantries, she wouldn't give him any.
"The same reason you are. To pay respects to the dead."
"You don't exactly resemble someone who does that sort of thing." He was almost surprised by the amount of disgust in her voice.
"I'm not a monster. We spent a lot of time together. Whether she wanted to be there in the first place is another matter. It's only right that I do this. But you spread any word of me being here and I'll make sure you won't be saying anything for a long time." She knew that it was an idle threat but still cowered slightly. Without anything else being said, Clegane stormed out of the crypts, leaving Sansa even more confused.
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Davos had received a simple summons in a note given to him by one of the young boys that roamed Winterfell. He had expected such an invitation from Stannis, presuming that he would want a full and detailed run-through of his time at Dragonstone. The Scotsman knew this was vital for him since it would give him an invaluable insight into the sort of people he was now working alongside.
He walked along the wooden panels of the upper outside floor, not noticing the icy cold that had settled around the castle. It didn't bother him anymore. He smiled as he saw someone who he recognised instantly running towards him. He hadn't had the chance to see Shireen since he arrived back but had been planning on doing so after the talks with her father were over. He thought that Stannis could wait a moment. As that idea flashed through his mind, he realised that he would never have given thought to that before his experiences with Daenerys's group of people. The young girl gave him a tight hug when she finally reached, causing him to give a small "oof" at the contact.
"Ser Davos," she exclaimed excitedly. "Where have you been? I've been waiting to see you since you got back." The eagerness in her voice made him feel a painful pang of guilt.
"I've sadly been incredibly busy. You know, getting back to living here. It's a lot different from what I've known recently. But that isn't a good enough excuse to have not seen you. I can only apologise, princess."
"It's okay. I heard father mention that you were coming to see him so I made sure to wait outside so I could greet you first."
"You're a very wise girl. And a stealthy one to have managed to overhear his conversations." He gave her a pointed look but couldn't bring himself to pretend to be annoyed at her. If she felt any remorse at her actions, Shireen did a good job of not showing it.
"He shouldn't speak so loudly if he doesn't want to be heard." Davos chuckled at her reasoning, rubbing her hair in a playful manner that she scowled at playfully.
"I've missed your mischievousness," he said, laughing as he did so. Her smile turned into a thoughtful look.
"How much have you read whilst you were away?" He had hoped that she wouldn't ask that question.
"I'm sure you heard that we were attacked. There simply wasn't any time to read whilst I was escaping." He was stretching the truth, to be sure, but he didn't want to be viewed negatively by the child. "I did manage to peruse a few chapters of that book you gave me though on the way there. I can see why you enjoy those stories so much."
"But you've been able to live those stories now! I am so jealous of you. Did you get to see the dragons up close?"
"Many times, princess. They're even more intelligent than the tales say. And much more majestic than you could ever imagine."
"I saw them fly over the castle. I wish only that I'd be able to meet one of them." He pretended to examine her as he gave her proposal a thought, stroking his short beard in an exaggerated manner.
"I tell you what, if you can finish a book tonight and tell me about it tomorrow, I might be able to have a word with Queen Daenerys to try and convince her to let you take a peak." Her eyes went wide and she hugged him again, somehow even tighter this time. She repeatedly said thank you over and over again before she set off to start her task. He watched her run off with a fond smile on his face before he resumed his walk to Stannis's council room.
After being called in when he knocked on the door, he entered the fairly large room to see that the wannabe king was all on his own. It was increasingly rare to see him without the Red Woman by his side so it was a surprise to Davos, although he didn't feel that he should bring it up. Stannis stood up from his desk and slowly walked to the end of the table, so far not saying a word to his main advisor. Davos waited patiently, knowing that it wasn't his place to start the conversation.
"Tell me about them. What are they like? How do they operate as a unit?" He had always been straight to the point, never one to waste time with niceties. And Davos knew straight away who the subject of his question where seeing as he had spent so long with them.
"Where should I start?" There was plenty to talk about but, curiously, he felt that he didn't want to divulge everything to his superior, not wanting to betray the new people he had become close to.
"The girl." All Stannis wanted to know was what the people he had formed an alliance with were like.
"A lot more fiery than you would first expect. She can certainly be courteous to guests and the like, as is expected of a leader, but if she's messed with, she'll hit back much harder. You heard what she did to the Twins. And the people who follow her will gladly help her do that. Fiercely loyal." Stannis eyed him carefully.
"Would you say you are now loyal to her?" A very dangerous question. Davos made sure to take his time to formulate the correct response.
"I want to see the both of you succeed together." The answer seemed to satisfy him for the time being.
"You said that her people are faithful, almost devoted to her. So why is it that I heard she had to...take care of a traitor?" Stannis had definitely prepared these questions in advance.
"Any leader will have people who want more than they deserve. She accepts that she played a part in creating the problem. But it was her other advisors that brought the issue to light."
"The warlock."
"Bruda, yes. He's a strange one but fiercely protective of her. Don't try anything with him. He's extremely powerful."
"A useful tool for us then?" Davos swore he could see a glint in his eye.
"I don't think he'd appreciate being referred to as a tool."
"Do you think I care what he'd prefer?" There was an edge to his voice now. "If he wins me this war, I will shake his hand. But that is all." The Hand made sure to keep his mouth shut in this instant, not wanting to stoke the fire. "The Mormont...I'm guessing he is in the same category of allegiance."
"Aye. The one who is closest to her, definitely. Been with her from the start." He chose not to tell him of their relationship, worrying that he would somehow use it against them.
"Is that all?" Stannis's eyes searched those of Davos. He nodded.
"The main three. Those are the ones who make the decisions. You know of Tyrion Lannister and Varys the Spider." Stannis leant against the wooden table and steepled his fingers against his chin.
"Interesting. She relies heavily on those two then. Is emotionally invested in them. It will destroy her in the end. Let's just hope that happens after this war is won."
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"So this is my...delegate," Bruda announced cheerfully, looking upon the small group that had assembled before him. He sat on the third step of a staircase outside, his staff standing by his side on the bottom step unsupported. He had done this to show the ensemble of people a glimpse of his powers, hoping that it would be enough to convince them that he was to be trusted. Stating that he needed more rest than the younger man, Bruda had sent Jon to gather potential men for their arduous journey. He had stipulated that they all needed experience of the Northern reaches of the kingdom and beyond, which had made it easy for Snow to pick his candidates. Tormund Giantsbane and Mance Rayder stood next to each other, with the giant ginger picking at the wood of the staircase with a small dagger. The trio of Sandor Clegane, Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr had also agreed to come on the venture. That was partly true - Beric had been made to explain that the Hound's grunt had actually been a positive response. Jon had then found a few men, mainly wildlings, who would bulk up their numbers in case they had to fight their way out of East Watch.
Bruda stood up, examining the crop laid in front of him with a keen eye and not backing down when Clegane snarled at him. He nodded his head as if he was happy with the outcome before sitting down once again. Mance seemed to grow tired at the lack of progress being made in their impromptu meeting.
"Is there a reason why we've been fuckin' dragged out here? Or do you just want to look at us?"
Bruda ignored his sour tone. "I just thought we'd get to know each other. Surely you'd rather know the man who was protecting your back from the grasp of the undead." That shut the wildling leader up.
"Do you expect us to face those monsters?" Clegane asked him.
"It's highly unlikely. The chances are that they're still behind the Wall. Biding their time until the opportune moment strikes."
"You sound almost pleased about that prospect," Tormund accused, still unsure about the warlock.
"We all should be. A little group like us won't represent the opportune target for them. Meaning we should be able to get quite close to the Wall, which is the main objective for us."
Jon looked at Bruda with a confused expression. "I thought you said that the goal was to see if there were any survivors at East Watch."
"The likelihood of anyone still being alive there is nil." It was Mance who answered. "And I'm sure your warlock has already realised this." They both turned their attention to the man in question, who kept a resolute look on his face. Jon's turned angry.
"You're risking our lives so you can just see the Wall? Are you insane?" Bruda stepped up and the air began to crackle with energy. Thoros looked at it in wonder, trying to compare it to the miracles he often conjured up.
"Don't question me, Snow." His voice resonated with authority. "We have to find answers. Have to find a way to defeat them. I was told that the Night's Watch saw the Wall change. As if it were melting." Beric nodded his head in confirmation. "Something is happening to it and it's the only thing stopping them from swarming the kingdom. So forgive me in thinking that it is crucial to learn everything we can about what is occurring." He held the gave of the younger man before Jon marched off. Bruda let out a sigh and put his hands on his hips. He looked at the others before settling back down on the step. "I wish this had gone better. I need your help to do this so I hope you will still come with me." Silence settled for a moment before Dondarrion stepped forward.
"The Lord of Light views you with significance. It would be foolish of us not to follow you and I suspect that your reasoning is correct. We'll come."
"And you'll need a proper guide who knows the area," Mance spoke up. "I guess it will get us out of this fuckin' dreary place." The others nodded their confirmations and soon the group dispersed, leaving Bruda to contemplate their next course of action. He closed his eyes as he thought. He was so deep in concentration that he didn't notice the person approach him.
"You look tired," they pointed out matter-of-factly. He opened his eyes to see that it was Daenerys and he gave a light chuckle at her comment.
"I'm just old. Especially compared to you." She sat down next to him and they shared a companionable silence. He eyed her curiously, wondering why she had come to visit him. "You seem to have a healthy glow in your cheeks if you don't mind me saying." Her eyes widened and her cheeks further reddened. He didn't initially know why before it finally made sense in his brain. "That sly old dog," he said with a smile. "Or should I call him a bear?" She simply groaned at his teasing and nudged him with her shoulder.
"You shouldn't speak of such concerns with your queen." She gave him a defiant look.
"What are you going to do? Punish me?"
"Maybe I will. Maybe I'll lock you up and throw away the key."
"A click of my fingers and I'd be out of there. And you know that."
"You didn't do that in Meereen though."
"I wanted to earn your trust and respect. Escaping would just annoy you and I've seen what happens to people who do that." He gave a mock shudder to drive home his point.
"You're more intelligent than you look." He shook his head at her antics but still sent a smile her way. Her eyes turned to the floor as she thought of what she had wanted to bring up. "Why were you adamant that we come here?" The question took him by surprise.
"Because we should try to save the realm you want to rule."
"It's not that simple. Don't try and gloss over the details like you normally do."
"Why can't it be that straightforward? Do I need to have an ulterior motive?"
"Do you have one?" She gazed at him uncertainly, looking deep into his eyes.
"My job is to help people. That's what I have always tried to do. But this is what my end game is. Winter is coming. They've always said that. It's my job to be there when that prophecy comes to fruition."
"I feel that you're still not telling me something and it's infuriating." He gave her a sad look.
"Do you trust me enough to wait until the time is right for me to explain everything?" She shakily nodded her head and Bruda put an arm around her, bringing her close to him. "Think back on our conversations and it will all make sense. Look at the minute details."
"Do you think you're going to die?" Daenerys's voice was barely above a whisper.
"I don't think I'm going to die, no." He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head and it seemed to reassure her. They sat together, the companionable silence returning as they thought of what the future held.