To say that the others in the group were shocked to see that Bruda had caught up to them, and in one piece for that matter, was an understatement. That wasn't to say, however, that they were too surprised. To them, it just seemed that he had performed yet another miracle, this time somehow staying alive long enough to look Death in his cold, dead eyes. The warlock had slept long into the morning, with Jon constantly checking that he wasn't in actual fact, dead. They needed to move, though, but knew that whatever rest he was getting was vital for his survival. So they had promptly picked his body up, most of the lifting done by Sandor Clegane, and had tied him in an upright position on his horse, tethering said stallion to Jon's to keep it moving. Their efforts had worked, with Bruda not waking once during the commotion and somehow staying on the horse, as if his magic was keeping him there. It wouldn't be the most astounding thing he had ever done.

He had, thankfully, eventually woken up over two days into their journey, with them close to the grounds of Winterfell. He had initially moaned, still groggy and mainly in the grasps of sleep, about his back being stiff, suggesting that Jon should have carried him on his back. He didn't really know whether he was joking or not. Yet, when he was told that they were close to arriving back, he had become on high alert, agitated at seeing Daenerys again. Jon supposed it had something to do with what he had seen, most likely the fact that they now knew the White Walkers were approaching and had the means of getting past the Wall. But what annoyed him was that Bruda was not willing to divulge what had him so tight-lipped; he felt that they had grown somewhat close over the duration of their journey. He guessed he had thought wrong, which put him in a rather terse mood. What irritated him even more was that Bruda either hadn't noticed the shift in his mood or just didn't care. He was yet to decide which was worse.

Daenerys, standing tensely next to Stannis and Melisandre, was waiting for them when they rode through the large gates. As they got closer, she remained standing in the same place, fighting the urge to run out and see if Bruda was alright and fighting fit. She was making sure not to give her fellow leader any more ammunition about the worthiness of her position of high power. She had avoided him ever since the awful conversation, trying to push hateful thoughts about him to the back of her mind. She knew that if he permanently occupied a space inside her head, he had won the first battle. She had no idea how many more there would be but definitely knew she needed to do better if there was a next one. What concerned her was the thought that what he said was close to the truth. Was she equipped to watch over a kingdom she barely knew? She was planning on having a conversation about it with Bruda, and Jorah when he returned. For now, she tried to forget about it as her old warlock slowly climbed off his mount. Funny. She smiled as she referred to him as hers. When she thought about it, she was right. He was certainly close with Jorah and friendly with Davos. She'd even go as far as saying he got on with a lot of people. But they shared a special, personal connection. He'd always look at her with care and adoration and she'd return the favour. He'd complain if she worded such sentiment though. One day she'd explain how much he meant to her.

"Oh, it is so good to see your face, Bruda," she said in greeting, wrapping him in a warm hug. She had missed having someone, anyone, to properly talk to. Even Missandei had been absent, always in the company of Tyrion, and any time they spent together was brief. It wasn't the same anyway as having her boys to talk to.

"I could say the exact same thing, your Grace," he replied, his big beard tickling her face pleasantly. He never usually referred to her so politely, normally omitting any titles. Something was wrong. Although he had immediately returned the hug, it was still somehow...tentative. Distant. She pulled back and looked at his face. It seemed old and tired, whereas it was usually joyful and jubilant. His energy seemed to be sapped. Something was troubling him and, if that was the case, they were all in real danger. She searched his eyes, him looking right at her too with a dark expression. It was if they were having a conversation without words. And he was saying one thing - they needed to talk. In private. She nodded her head slightly so that everyone else couldn't see. There was no need to arouse suspicion. They turned back to the others to see Stannis addressing them all.

"So, was the journey worth the effort? I'm hoping you have figured some things out, warlock. Anything you'd like to divulge to me?" The way he talked annoyed Bruda but he remained calm and composed.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd much prefer to have such an important conversation in a more private space. You'd understand...we don't want prying eyes watching us. Just to be on the safe side, wouldn't you say?" Daenerys wanted to smile. His words sounded fairly pleasant but he hadn't regarded him with any titles, something he knew that would disgruntle Stannis without making it obvious to the others the tension that was there. This was even without him knowing about her interaction with him. She wondered if he'd bother with niceties after that conversation. Stannis nodded and began to walk away, annoyed that Bruda had once again acted against his authority. Melisandre lingered, watching the warlock carefully. They hadn't got on too well since their meeting but he checked himself when he saw the look she was giving. He'd go as far as saying it was...sad. She could tell they had uncovered something. But there was more to it. As if she knew what was going to happen in the future. He observed her, returning the look for a moment before nodding slightly. Her face showed shock, realising he knew the thoughts running through her head. She turned around and followed Stannis, leaving Bruda to ponder this latest development.

xxxxxxxxx

Daenerys and Bruda quickly made their way to her room, after she had greeted and thanked everyone who had followed the warlock to the Wall. Although they returned her handshakes, they were still tentative. She didn't know whether it was because they were still not fully trusting of her, which in Jon's case seemed unlikely, or because of what they had seen at the end of their travels. It was the main reason why she wanted to have this conversation. Bruda sighed as he lowered himself into a wooden chair, rubbing his brow with his right hand, his staff left to lean against the seat. Daenerys watched him worriedly. She had never seen him act in such a manner, so lacking in the life that normally filled him to the brim. Was he just getting old? She didn't know exactly what his age was but knew that it defied all reasonable logic. That was what he did though - defy all rules of nature. She continued to stare at him, wondering if his condition would improve through the sheer will power of her mind and heart. He eventually looked up, noticing her watching him, and gave her a weak smile in response. It did little to assuage the feelings of worry inside her.

"What happened up there? What did you see?" It took a lot of effort to finally voice her concerns, even if she realised he knew that she had to ask.

"Proof." That was all he said, that one-word answer. She was sure he had wanted to speak to her. So why wasn't he telling her anything? It was infuriating.

"Proof? Proof of what?" She walked over to him, lifting his head up with her hands and looking into his eyes once again.

"Proof that we're in serious trouble, Daenerys. We saw the Night King. And we figured out that they can get past the Wall. Whenever they want." She wanted to step back, take a seat, as the weight of what he said landed on her. But she remained where she was. She had to stay strong, to show him that she was a leader. That she would fight until the very end.

"Well it's not the ideal situation," she said dryly. "But it's a scenario that we expected. We just need to start preparing properly sooner and faster. We can be ready in time." He liked her positive outlook although he didn't reckon it was worth the effort. He still nodded his head in agreement.

"I think I've managed to hold them back at least for the time being. Give us some valuable time to be better prepared for their arrival whilst they're stalled." She eyed him carefully.

"And what do you mean by that?" He wished that she hadn't asked that question because he knew she wouldn't enjoy the answer.

"You should know that he attacked us. He had these...spears that could travel long distances. Thoros didn't make it sadly." She felt ashamed in that moment.

"I...don't know who he is...was." He patted her arm softly.

"You're not going to know everyone who dies in this war. Most people to you will be faceless names blowing away like smoke. It is not your job to be friendly to everyone. It is your duty to encourage them to fight and to make sure that they feel that, if they do die, then it is worth a damn thing."

"So...the spears?" she asked, attempting to redirect him to her previous line of questioning.

"Yes, well...I ordered the others to get out of there because I didn't need anyone else dying. I managed to face him head-on and disrupt what he could see, meaning that he couldn't throw any more of them. He disappeared after I sent a charge at the Wall. But then I didn't stop. I blocked their way past the Wall using materials from the castle. It isn't a permanent blockade but it buys us time, like I said."

"You took the Night King on?" He nodded. She placed a warm hand on his cheek before slapping him, hard. "Why would you do that?" she shouted at him, taking him by surprise almost as much as the slap. "Are you a fool? You could have died! And the others would have already been gone and you would have been left to die in the cold and the snow...and I would never have known for sure what happened to you!" She was rambling. He stood up and pulled her into a tight hug, raking his hand through her hair in an attempt to soothe her. "Don't you ever do anything like that again." Tears stung his eyes as she said that. It was a good job that she couldn't see his face in that moment.

"...yes ma'am," he replied after composing himself, yet his voice was still barely above a whisper.

"Good. I need you. I've told you a number of times now yet you keep doing silly stuff like that. It's like you don't care."

"Of course I do. But my first instinct was to protect everyone else. And that won't change."

"You could have ran with them. Hoped to get away in time," she reasoned meekly.

"There is no honour in dying with your back facing your enemy as he flings a flying shard of ice at you," he answered, trying to bring some levity to the situation."

"You said that the Night King disappeared. Maybe you killed him." Her voice was now hopeful.

"If only. I wish that were the case but I sincerely doubt that it will be that easy."

"Nothing ever is." There came a knock at the door and they broke apart, realising that they were still holding on to each other. Bruda looked away as Daenerys blushed. She moved quickly to the door and was surprised to see the one other man she needed to see right now. "Jorah."

The knight was expecting a warm welcome but was still surprised when she flung herself at him, squeezing him tight before planting a long, lingering kiss on his lips. They only separated from each other when Bruda coughed into his hand awkwardly. Again, a blush crept up her neck but it didn't stop her from smiling brightly. The warlock stepped up to Jorah and gave him a quick pat on the back.

"Excuse me if I don't give you a similar welcome to the fair lady here," he quipped, acting as if there hadn't been a serious and emotional conversation happening mere moments ago.

"I'm surprised to see you here at all. How long have you been back?"

"Not long. Only just got back."

"And you came straight to Daenerys' room? Should I be concerned?" It was unusual for Jorah to be the one doing the teasing; he relished in how effective it was in making her sputter.

"You'd know if anything happened between us, Mormont. One night with me and she'd never look at you again." Jorah barked a roar of laughter, whilst Daenerys hit on the arm playfully.

"Gentlemen, please. It is improper to talk in such a manner. And it's not exactly the best time to be having such thoughts."

"So there is a good time to have these thoughts?" Bruda asked innocently.

"You are incorrigible. Anyone else speaking like that would get themselves a night's stay in the dungeon."

"Dearie me, you are such a flirt, aren't you?" Jorah looked between the two of them, taking their interaction in. He had certainly missed it during his time away. "But, getting back on track. We must know if your journey was better than mine." He'd have to come back to what Bruda meant by that after he explained what happened. They could already tell that they were going to receive even more bad news from the grim look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Khaleesi. The Mormont lady refused to support us. I can only think it was down to us having no concrete evidence that the White Walkers exist. But there's no way of producing such a thing."

"As long as you tried your best. We could have done with the few extra men but it would have only been a few more. It probably won't make a difference in the end. Twenty more people won't win us this war."

"That's exactly what Davos said."

"Is he alright as well?" she asked brightly.

"Of course. He was just as annoyed as I was that we couldn't reach an agreement. We've moved on though." He observed Bruda, who had been quiet whilst he talked, a rare occurrence. Now he looked more closely, he could see more numerous lines on his face. It seemed that he was right when he implied he had had a tough trip too. "It doesn't look like you had much success either."

"Well, we've certainly got a ticking clock counting down on us now. But that has always been the case. We just know for sure that they can get past the Wall." To be fair to Jorah, he took the news surprisingly well, simply nodding his head slowly. "But we did have some success. At least I'm hoping we did." It was Daenerys' turn to look at him now, a hint of anger lurking there. "I was about to tell you before we were rudely interrupted. It was at the Wall. A symbol appeared on it after I touched it."

"Do you know what it means?" Daenerys inquired.

"Not yet. I'm hoping to get a chance to talk with Marwyn after we're done here. If anyone will know, I'm hoping it's him."

"After you've done that, I guess we'll need to bring everyone together. Stannis will want to know what's going on," Jorah pointed out to them. "Especially if you're suggesting that we're running out of time." Daenerys' expression turned dark.

"Lord Baratheon is not my favourite person at the moment." The two men eyed each other, both shrugging their soldiers to indicate they had no idea what she was going on about. They waited for her to elaborate, which took a moment as she put her anger in check. "Whilst you were gone, he brought it upon himself to pull me aside so we could have a much-needed conversation." They didn't like where this was going. "He basically told me that, if I want to become a proper ruler, then I should get away from you two. He believes that you are, in a sense, trying to control and limit me." Bruda stepped back and glared at the table. His hands, that were placed on it, began to glow and he had to stop himself before the wood caught fire. He was so angry that he hadn't been able to control his magic. But that hadn't happened before, at least from what he could remember. He was probably still tired. He looked back to see them sharing worried expressions at his actions.

"It's utter nonsense. He's only saying such things because he wants us out of the picture. He knows you are stronger when you have us by your side to support you. He wants you weak and vulnerable so he can take advantage of you. Use you to further his gains."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you," she said indignantly.

"That's the sort of thinking he wants from you!" Bruda shouted.

"So you don't think I can?" she retorted, anger building further.

"You know that's not what I mean. But he wants you to start thinking that because you'll start to believe that he's right. If you continue like that, one day you will get rid of us and then he'll swoop in." He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders, leaning in close. For one, excitable moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. She wondered what it was like. She was getting distracted. "You are stronger than him. Probably more than anyone here." She doubted she was stronger than Bruda. "Remember that but keep it in your head that you can be stronger with people helping you. Stannis is losing that."

"You're right," Jorah added. "Davos said himself that he's lost faith in him."

"Exactly. And, from what I can tell, the Red Woman is on her way out too. Turn the tables on him. Wait until he's at his most vulnerable then manipulate and control him." Control. It brought up another point Stannis had made, one she had thought best not to divulge. What would they think if she brought up the worry that she was controlling them and others close to them? She made people devoted to her and often used it to her advantage, mostly subconsciously. Did that make her a bad person? "But now, I am going to do some investigating on a more diabolical threat we face. Fingers crossed that Marwyn has the answers or we're in even more trouble." He began to head for the door but stopped when Daenerys spoke out.

"Bruda...go straight to Marywn. No quick journeys to teach Stannis a lesson." She knew what he was like after all. He grinned.

"No promises milady."

xxxxxxxxx

To be fair to the warlock, he did walk straight to Marwyn's office deep inside the castle of Winterfell. That wasn't to say that he had...inadvertently strolled past the room that housed Stannis Baratheon. And he definitely wouldn't be telling Daenerys he had accidentally left an invisible string of magical energy outside of his door, which would sadly cause him to trip over onto the hard, painfully hard, in fact, stone floor the next time he left his accommodation. People would wonder the next time they saw him what had caused the ugly swelling on his forehead and he would have no answer, probably shouting at them for asking a stupid question before storming off. And Bruda would smirk and evade all questions sent at him from the lovely young woman he was devoted to. Revenge was a beautiful concept, especially when you were a warlock.

Shaking those gleeful thoughts from his head, he knocked on Marwyn's door and, after hearing an invitation to enter, he stepped inside the office. It was more cluttered than it was the last time Bruda was here, pieces of parchment covering the desk and most of the floor, all with complex theories scrawled on them. Bruda picked one sheet up to examine it whilst Marwyn continued to write but couldn't make out anything due to most of it being scribbled out. The archmaester looked up from his work and sent a warm but tired smile at the warlock.

"I knew it would be you," he started, putting his quill back in the inkpot. "I don't get many visitors. You and that Jaime Lannister are the only ones really, and his visits have certainly lowered in number after Pycelle's unfortunate passing."

"You should get out more. Take a walk around the grounds. I've heard the Godswood are quite pleasant to look at." Marwyn gave a hollow laugh.

"There will be plenty of time to enjoy the luxuries of life once this dreaded war is over with. For now, I've got plenty of work to be doing in the effort of finding new ways of defeating the White Walkers. So far, it seems that the only weaknesses they have are fire, which is why dragonglass and valyrian steel supposedly work against them since they are formed in flame." Bruda looked down at his staff, wondering whether it would be worthwhile to sharpen it to make it into a weapon for the battle to come. "But I'm sure you know all of this already. So why are you here?" Marwyn scrutinised him carefully.

"I need answers."

"About?" Bruda, instead of answering verbally, waved his hand in a complex pattern and the symbol he had seen on the Wall appeared in the air, formed out of golden wisps of energy.

"This appeared on the Wall itself. I was wondering whether you could enlighten me about what it may mean." Marwyn stepped closer to it, looking at it closely. His expression changed as it seemed he recognised it. He quickly bent down and, whilst he was shuffling through the stacks of paper on the floor, he began to speak.

"I've seen that before. It was in a very old text we discovered. I just need to find it." He continued to search and eventually shouted out in triumph as he found it. He laid it out on the desk, shoving his now forgotten work out of the way. "Look." He pointed at a drawing of the exact same pattern. "From what I can tell, it's part of an ancient language. A word from the Children of the Forests themselves. Fire." Bruda's eyes lit up at the revelation. Was this confirmation of their hopes of defeating the dead? "I don't understand why it would be displayed on the Wall though." The warlock took a moment to think about it.

"Who constructed the Wall?"

"All documents claim it was Brandon the Builder, over 8,000 years ago after the end of the first Long Winter. They say he had help from giants and even the Children." He stopped as he realised what he just said.

"So, we can assume that Brandon included this message on the behest of the Children of the Forest. The question now is why?"

"I had a conversation with young Bran Stark not too long ago. He said something interesting. He believes that it was the Children who created the Night King using dragonglass in an attempt to defeat the First Men but he eventually grew too strong and they couldn't control him any longer."

"So they realise their mistake and spread the message on how to defeat them. Hide it in plain sight on the biggest landmark there was. The Wall. But Jon said that he had seen the White Walkers make this pattern themselves."

"Why would they purposefully hint at a way to kill them?"

"I don't know. Unless...what if the Children were clever? What if they always suspected that it was a distinct possibility that the Night King would outgrow them? So they plant a failsafe. A piece of programming that gets spread across every member of his army. To subconsciously demonstrate their weakness so that, when the time came for people to face them, we would have a chance of winning!"

"It certainly would explain it," Marwyn said happily. "Have we...made some progress?"

"Oh, Archmaester Marwyn. We have done more than that. We've cracked the code. Maybe we're not doomed after all."