A/N: Retconned a few things in the historical timeline that will become apparent during the chapter. As always enjoy the read.
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Jon was home. He returned to Winterfell after months in exile riding toward the front gates. A looming object caught his peripheral forcing the ranger to halt. Drogon glided above Winterfell's towers reigning fire across the castle grounds sending residents scrambling in a panic.
The stallion bucked Jon off running from the present danger. He sprinted toward Winterfell glancing over a shoulder noticing Drogon pursuing him. He rolled out of the fire's trail as it burned the castle. Jon slipped through the crowds ignoring the carnage searching for his family.
"Jon!"
He whipped around looking toward the castle grounds finding the voices source standing on the wall's walkway. "Arya!"
Jon stopped halfway up the castle wall steps seeing Drogon returning. He leapt off the railing taking cover underneath the stone steps as fire consumed the area. He emerged evading the main castle's burning debris pursuing Arya's voice. "Your not my half brother or my bastard brother, you're my brother."
Drogon landed sending reverberating shockwaves around the castle grounds throwing Jon to the wood. He crawled along the walkway toward Arya. "Come find me Jon." She said turning to face him. He used the railing to reach a hand out. Arya smiled fading into ash before he could reach her.
Jon hurdled the fence bursting through a nearby castle door avoiding a fireball. Ash and smoke filled the room pushing Jon deeper into the burning building as he narrowly side stepped a falling roof.
"Jon!"
"Sansa." Jon ran past the fire kicking a burning door down following her voice up the grand staircase. The stone steps collapsed beneath his feet falling into the inferno below. He glanced in the crypt's rising flames pulling himself up. Drogon's roar shook Winterfell as Jon steadied shoulder ramming the door forcing his way in the room. He caught Sansa burying himself in her shoulder, "its alright, I'm here Sansa. I won't let anything happen to you I promised to protect you."
"You still don't know anything Jon," he tightened his hold as she faded from his grip, "no one can protect anyone." Jon stepped away seeing the ash dissipate from his hands.
"Sansa—" Jon called halting his march due to burning debris crashing into his path.
"The time is drawing near Jon Snow."
"Bran..." Jon ran toward the great hall crossing the indoor walkway avoiding fiery embers. Drogon's head busted through the wood causing him to fall back. "You can't run from destiny Jon, its almost time."
Jon climbed steadily to his feet glaring at Drogon clamping voraciously trying to devour him. Jon halted his attempt at a run waiting till the dragon's jaws shut sprinting toward Drogon diving through his teeth rolling to escape. Drogon roared breaking through the wooden structure ascending to the sky reigning fire. Jon took cover entering the hall as the stones structures fell from above threatening to bury him. "Bran! I'm coming to get you!"
Bran glanced at Drogon overhead casting a shadow over the clear sky. Drogon's wings created strong winds forcing Jon to stab Longclaw into the hall's beams clawing desperately to reach the king. "Grab on to me Bran." Jon clutched a nearby beam sheathing Longclaw reaching out.
Bran met Jon's gaze, "don't let it control you."
"Bran—" Dragon's flames consumed the hall blasting Jon from the hall.
He refused to open his eyes. Winterfell was gone. The Stark family were gone. He couldn't protect anything, it'd been hopeless. Drogon landed rattling the ground to its core releasing an earth shattering roar. Jon gripped the soil tightly thinking of his family wishing he could've done more to save them.
The dragon growled returning Jon's gaze jetting steam out its nostrils. Jon met Daenerys's cold stare, her eyes didn't hold the same unsureness he'd seen previously—she viewed him as an enemy. His head hung as the last pillar collapsed leaving his childhood home a pile of ash.
The King in the North drew Longclaw lamenting the fallen Starks. Drogon roared opening its jaws revealing a fireball. Jon reared his sword aiming a strike at Drogon as the flames scorched the earth.
The smell of smoke and burning embers stirred Jon awake. Shouting and yelling from the two groups forced him to stand unable to stop the disorientation for a moment.
"Light the rest of the torches!"
"Collect every Dragonglass weapon you got."
Jon heaved staring up from where they'd fallen. Webs covering the walls above must've broke their falls momentum. The events happened in a blur. He lost two rangers to monsters his mind couldn't comprehend were real. Dragons, White Walkers, and Children of the Forest were folklore shrouded in mystery. Ice spiders were completely hidden from the world's history, he refused to believe what he saw.
"You're up." Eli handed Jon a torch, "this is madness. Fuckin giant ice spiders? I'm convincing myself I'm asleep some place in a nightmare."
"I don't believe it either. Have you seen any of them while I was out?"
Eli shook his head continuing to check the surroundings. "Find a way up?" Jon asked watching Solomon disengage the rope from his climbing harness landing on the ground.
"No the exit is sealed, the whole fucking ceiling came down."
Jon raised his torch calling for everyone to circle up. "There isn't a way out where we came. This is uncharted cave territory and we're dealing with extreme hostiles. I ask you hand over your powder to one person to conserve it, we'll need it to survive."
"I'll take em." Solomon collected their bags tying them around his sword belt.
"What's your best guess where we are?" A Hornfoot asked.
"It doesn't matter where we are. We have to be prepared for anything here on out." Solomon said lighting a torch.
"You're right. Well we're not at the entrance. This doesn't seem like a main hunting ground for any game..."
"It's a graveyard." Jon said. He guided the group ahead illuminating the immense cavern. Large skeletons buried in the dirt littered the area forcing them to climb through the bone structures.
"What do you think they killed?"
"Each other probably, spiders are solitary creatures, they ain't ants."
"Better them than us."
Jon stopped holding a hand up silencing the Hornfoot's talk, "there's something ahead." He shined the torch through the darkness reflecting eight gleaming eyes in the near distance. Jon stepped to the half crushed spider unsuccessfully trying to move.
Eli puked at the smell of the rot creature unable to process what he seen. "What the hell are you doing?" Solomon asked unsure of what his commander was trying to accomplish waving his hand and torch simultaneously and separately in front of the spider. He threw a stone drawing the spider's attention walking the opposite direction failing to draw its eyes.
"They're blind," Jon backed toward the group walking them away, "it can only see my hand near the flames. They track and hunt sounds over anything seen. Don't lose the torches, fire is your best bet at staying alive—only talk when necessary."
"What do we with this ugly fucker?"
"Save your arrows, we need to get movin, there's no tellin what's ahead."
There wasn't any other way across. Jon halted the group coming to the edge of a trench noticing movement on the walls above. "Stay close, move slowly." Jon said to the shaking Hornfoot backing against the wall until his feet stuck. He held the torch tightly side stepping his way through the darkness.
The others followed mimicking the first ranger's movements traversing across the deep trench. Eli tugged at his collar as the rocky surface cracked threatening to send them falling to their deaths. Jon grasped a slipping Hornfoot's collar preventing him from plummeting. Boulders descended on the group forcing them to speed up their pace crossing the collapsing ice pit.
Jon reached the other side pulling his comrades to safety. The group watched the ledge they stood on crumble into the bottomless pit below. They continued on entering a tunnel illuminated by crystals leaving the trench behind.
"Look at this place..." Eli examined the cerulean crystals staring at the cave's wonders, "I wouldn't mind staying in a place like this. If spiders fear light we can wait here for help."
Solomon snorted, "no one knows we're in this place. By chance they do nobody is making it here."
"Keep moving. Stay on the path, don't stray." Jon said. The Hornfoots trailed the rangers examining the dirt and webbing covering large holes along the tunnel wall. A Hornfoot touched the land flap brushing against the iced webbing jumping back.
"What're you so jumpy about friend?" His comrade asked clasping a shoulder "ain't like anything is gonna come outta there—" His smile faded noticing his comrade's features contort.
Jon and the others turned at a screaming Hornfoot grasping the wall's edge being pulled in the webbed burrow. A funnel web spider latched its fangs latched onto his foot tripping him. He quickly grabbed a nearby obsidian spear stabbing its head repeatedly. Jon slid in the dirt grasping his arm tightly propping against the wall for leverage combating the spider's strength.
"Don't let go, don't let go." The Hornfoot begged as others pulled trying to free him from the iron clad grip, "fuck my leg is fuckin tearing off!"
"Stick a torch in!" Jon commanded forcing a Hornfoot into action. The flames struck one of the spider's eyes forcing it further into the burrow. The trapped man's leg bended at the hole's entrance snapping at the knee as he sunk deeper in the hole. The group stepped away seeing more trapdoors emerge from their burrows.
"Get out of here!"
Jon pulled harder despite his grip coming loose, "don't let go." He said holding the Hornfoot's arm, "you won't, I won't."
"Save yourself your grace." In one motion the screaming Hornfoot disappeared beyond the trapdoor. The momentum bounced Jon's head off the ground nearly knocking him cold.
He shook his head ignoring the blood trickling over an eye. "Hell no." He pulled the flap prying the trapdoor open.
"We need to go Jon!" Eli yelled leading the group away. The first ranger unsheathed Longclaw piercing the trapdoor spider bursting from its burrow evading another one's lunge driving the blade through its eye.
The rangers and Hornfoots fought their way through the cave evading the waking ice spiders. The alpha trapdoor charged the group's flank forcing them to attack it at once. Their assault proved useless in comparison to the spider's crushing limbs able to break obsidian weapons. The large spider lunged toward them as Longclaw's Valyrian blade drove through its abdomen. Jon walked across the back stabbing its head executing the monster. "I told you to keep moving."
"Get out Hornfoots keep runnin." Eli and the rangers halted their run drawing their swords.
"Hand me two bags." Jon said quickly catching the powder supply. "We'll lure em' in then blow it to hell."
"Then we have to be ready to run like hell." Solomon replied. Red flames lit the cavern ablaze as Eli and Solomon ignited their blades in fire as spiders crawled from every angle. The rangers stabbed into the horde making the spiders cautious from the fires devastation. Longclaw's blade sparked a blue flame burning brighter and hotter than its red counterparts slicing through spiders at an exponential rate.
The trapdoors came from every direction increasing in numbers. The rangers threw their bags forward tossing a torch after it incinerating the spider horde sending an explosion after the rangers. Solomon scooped Eli and Jon up dashing through the crumbling tunnel diving to freedom as the exit collapsed.
The Hornfoots helped the rangers stand raising their torches spreading through the chambered cavern. "What the hell is that?" One of them pointed to the far wall.
Jon strode toward the illuminated symbols
affiliated with the white walkers. "What does this mean?" Solomon asked.
"Whatever we found outside didn't matter. The answers we're looking for are here." Jon walked along the symbols reaching a cave. "I'm following up on this."
"You're just gonna leave us stranded in this shit?!" Inquired a Hornfoot.
"You're welcome to come along."
"You fucking pulling our leg?" Another one interjected, "you guys are going to leave us to follow some cave paintings."
"We're rangers." Jon said surprising the Hornfoot clan, "our duty is protecting the realms of men from forces they will never understand. If I don't follow up on this lead and the walkers roam the earth again, the world will be at risk because I didn't do my duty."
"The walkers are gone."
"The same was said about these spiders, now we know the stories weren't complete horse shit." Solomon added.
"What makes you think the walkers are returning?" A Hornfoot questioned.
"Hours before you all asked to return to the Frostfangs I found these symbols in a field near Milkwater's south shore." The Hornfoots swore in northern tongue at the first ranger's declaration.
"Now do you understand? We're here for a greater purpose then our survival, worlds fate may depend on the mission." Eli said.
"That's respectable." A Hornfoot spoke. "We already lost one of ours and have to protect our lives first. We wish you luck on your mission rangers."
Jon nodded relieving his team of their makeshift Dragonglass weapons handing them to the clan. "Find an exit. We'll follow when we're done."
The rangers left the Hornfoots walking the opposite direction following the symbols carved into the stone. The trio stopped at the entrance to the tunnel. "Are you sure about this?" Solomon asked staring into the darkness.
"No." Jon marched on raising his torch, "there isn't any other choice."
They raised their torches higher seeing the cave ceiling covered in icy webs filled to the brim with spiders. The trio trudged through the coarse dirt halting when a spider repelled from the ceiling staring at Jon's torch; He gripped Longclaw's hilt when the spider refused to budge staring at the rangers. A hatchet clanged in the distance alerting the spider as it repelled up the webbing investigating the noise with its herd.
Jon released an exhale moving stealthily past the spiders making it to a distant cave at tunnel's end. "This is it." The first ranger examined the symbols closely, "it's all here, the walker's history, the Horn of Winter."
"Guys have a look at this." Eli waved his comrades over.
"It's the wall, just after its completion eight thousand years ago." Jon squinted at the cave illustrations getting a closer viewing, "Its a direwolf sigil, House Stark...Can you read this?"
Eli turned towards Jon, "says the thirteen lord commander of the Night's Watch was a Stark."
Jon furrowed his brows, "We were always told he was a Bolton, a Magnar of Skagos, an Umber, even a Woodfoot. There aren't any songs written about the Night's Watch lord commander."
"There isn't any doubt about it. Says here he was a Stark. A man who lay with the wicked slaying his enemies using his sworn brothers as his personal army."
"He was Brandon the Breaker's brother. What else does it say?" He said watching Eli shine the torch further down.
"Might want to see this with your own eyes Jon." Solomon said.
Jon's eyes widened, "the hell is this?" A dragon was carved above a humanoid figure surrounded in ice. Bodies were drawn in place of dragons representing the altered Targaryen sigil.
"This can't be right." Eli stepped up to the inscriptions reading the passage himself, "this is bullshit. All of this!" Eli shook his head sighing, "Your ancestor fucked the first white walker, a corpse descended from the Andals, a Targaryen. The Long Night, the walkers, its due to some fucked up love affair. They raised walker children sacrificing people until they were defeated by Bran the Breaker and the King beyond the Wall Joramun's alliance. The Night King leading the walkers you faced was their offspring. A man with prepossessing walker blood sharing Stark and Targaryen lines as well was captured by the children and created after the war to take their land back from man—He wasn't the first walker."
Jon stopped listening placing a hand on the nearby wall steadying himself upright. The source of the world's greatest threat started with the same bloodlines flowing through his veins. It only further proved he wasn't special; the Night King showed interest in him because of their shared lineage. He wasn't seen as a combative equal. His Stark ancestor saw him nothing more than a gnat and it pissed him off to no end. The White Walker and Stark lines were intrinsically linked, it made sense why Bran the King of Winter destroyed every record of Brandon's history—The knowledge had the power to tarnish the Stark name in Westeros.
He moved to the other side of the cave studying the horn's illustrations. Joramun, a giant, and a forest child circled together placing their blood in the horn blasting it three times crashing the wall down. Giants would emerge from the wall reawakening to battle at world's end. Loud rustling in the tunnel echoed spurring the rangers to turn toward the noises. "We can't take them on without the Hornfoots, we'll be overwhelmed."
"I'll lead them bastards away, keep the exit open for me." Eli caught an extra bag from Solomon.
Jon nodded, "We'll wait for you."
Eli branched from the group shouting at the top of his lungs igniting his blade in flames. The horde followed the explosive fire set in the dirt hurling flaming rocks in their herd.
Jon held Longclaw above him cleaving the jumping spider in half. Solomon's sledge smashed another's head in swinging once more cracking a wolf spider's abdomen. Jon and Solomon hacked through spiders evading venomous fangs. They reached the cave's mouth still being pursued by the herd's stragglers. Their bags emptied surrounding the entryway in a red line.
Eli ran climbing up a rocky ledge letting the horde pass jumping over the boulders blocking his path. The spiders pursued unable to catch the crafty runner as he slid under a narrow passage getting back onto the main path toward the exit. He threw powder on his sword reigniting its flames incinerating arachnids. A spider with a red chelicerate swayed eyeing the prey from its perched web through its top four eyes dwarfing the bottom four.
Eli ran to his squadmates watching them combat the few remaining stragglers. The red mouthed spider landed in front of him stopping his movement. He didn't hesitate trying to slice it like the others slashing partway through a leg. The spider backed off for a moment recognizing the present danger. The first two pairs of legs lifted high revealing conspicuous black and light banded pattern on the leg underside while it swayed from side to side with hind legs in a cocked position.
Jon and Solomon finished off the last of the nomadic spiders preparing to seal the exit. "What kind of spider is that? Haven't seen that one, looks different from the others."
Eli backed off as the spider stood on its bottom four legs sizing up the ranger. The spider evaded wild swings using the walls to maneuver tiring him out. It stopped striking in one motion burying its fangs in the ranger's shoulder. Eli swung missing the retreating target. He shivered as his blood ran cold and his breaths became shallow. The bite seared like he'd stabbed himself with his fire sword. His heart rate soared as he ran past the spider unwilling to fight it. His legs gave out leaving him paralyzed as he started coughing for air slowly suffocating. Eli felt his organs swish around like liquid in a basin; the left side of his face swelled causing an eye to shut.
"Something's wrong. I'm going in, light the powder when the horde arrives—"
"GO! Get outta here..! Finish..." Eli crawled toward his comrades coughing up blood, "Finish the mission!" He shouted using the last of his strength turning over. The horde climbed the walls heading for the rangers as the wandering spider towered over him piercing his chest slurping the liquified organs through puncture wounds. Spiders surrounded Eli pulling apart his limbs ripping his head off going into a bloodlust frenzy.
Jon and Solomon dove as the cave mouth collapsed trapping the spider horde in the flames and ruble. "Lets find the Hornfoots and get the fuck outta this hellhole."
The duo ran toward the last direction they saw the Hornfoot clan go. Jon placed a hand on the sealed entrance. The web differed from any he'd seen previously. "This wasn't here before, the Hornfoots went this way."
"You sure? They could've gone this way?" Solomon approached the last remaining passageway.
"They didn't. Something came through here, its leading us on." The darkness in the caves held eeriness. Torches flickered threatening to go out succumbing to the murkiness exuding out every crevice. It held a foul rot stench dulling the senses leaving the most hardened warriors sick and disoriented. Whoever journeyed the cave's beforehand felt the hopelessness weigh them down untimely crumbling to the feeling never finding light again.
"Don't have much powder left. Collapsing the previous tunnel took more than I had anticipated." Solomon poured the supply in one knapsack securing it to his belt.
"I'm low too. Is there enough to collapse another tunnel?"
Solomon shook his head, "not even close." The remaining rangers crouched as the passage closed in leaving a small opening covered in webs. "Another trapdoor?"
Jon stared at the opening furrowing his brows, "there's no turning back." He sliced the webbing entering the hole noticing a light at the end of the tunnel. A still silence fell over the pair as they neared the other side.
Jon slashed the webbing throwing his torch below jumping to the crunching ground. The rangers stared at the bone carcasses raising their torches staggering at the body count piled. "You were wrong about earlier, this is the graveyard."
"Aye it is." The duo marched through the endless boneyard mounds finding a large webbed egg sac pressed tightly against the far wall. Hooves crackling bones into dust caught their attention. They shined their torches to a nearby cave encased in ice. "Stop," Jon held an arm out halting Solomon, "finding an exit is the priority."
"That cave could be a way out!"
"It's not." Jon glared at eight cannon ball sized eyes cutting through the darkness. Gargantuan limbs appeared clinging on the cave edges.
"By the old gods—"
The mother spider emerged from the web burrow forcing the duo back on their heels holding a breath. Jon's grip on Longclaw tightened recalling early childhood days in Winterfell. Being an outcast as a bastard forced him to make unusual friends who were cast out like him. A farm boy had an obsession with spiders studying every facet. He only showed interest witnessing the arachnids hunt. He never forgot their three movement pattern; The emergence, the size up, then the fatal strike.
Jon kept his eyes trained on the spider awaiting the second movement. "Don't move, we hit her with everything when she changes position."
Solomon shook his head, "we can't afford to wait. I can make it to higher ground then there's a chance to burn this fucker." Solomon sprinted as the queen chased darting from her burrow pursuing the fleeing ranger. Jon whistled throwing a skull at it unable to draw her attention.
The spider stood on it's back legs trying to devour the demolition expert. Solomon's grip slipped as the bone structure crashed to the ground. He gasped emerging from the bones heading for another mound. It pounced quickly rising overtop rearing its fangs to strike.
The mother spider winced overwhelmed by a heated glow breaking the darkness. Blue flames illuminated the cave hovering over the egg sac drawing the queen's undivided attention. It pinned Solomon's leg causing him to writhe in agony. "You know what this is don't you?" Jon placed the flaming blade closer to the webbed sac causing the queen spider to remove her weight off Solomon.
Jon glanced at two emerging spiders from separate burrows atop the opposite walls. He reared his sword intending to strike stopping abruptly noticing the queen call off her the ambush forcing her underlings into their holes. "Solomon can you move?" He called keeping his gaze on the spider queen.
"My leg's busted, its no good..."
"Try to make it over here."
Solomon steadied his breathing picking up the bow nearby, "they're not gonna let us go Jon. You know as well as I do we have to burn every one of these fuckers."
"Just try and make it over alright?" Jon froze noticing the bow aimed for him. The arrow shot lodging above him.
Solomon chuckled reloading, "just my luck you're not that tall, blow them to hell...Its been an honor." He said nocking the arrow pulling the bow string tightly aiming at the queen spider. "Look at me you ugly bitch."
Jon grabbed the arrow off the wall holding the powder knapsack up for the queen to see. She let out an angered hiss as the ranger dangled the bag over the egg sac.
The sac's webs opened, hundreds of small spiders prepared for their first feast. Jon glanced at the queen tossing the flaming bag into the spider sac incinerating the young. "Go now!" Solomon yelled firing an obsidian arrow into one of the queen's eyes. He said a prayer as her clawed foot descended smashing his skull apart.
The mother spider charged at Jon rising on its legs to show its fangs. He kept her at bay with the flaming Longclaw slashing wherever he could. The spider young leapt on her digging their underdeveloped fangs in her exoskeleton. The mother devoured her young as wolf spiders rushed their queen.
Jon fled recognizing the Hunstman spider descend on the queen spider challenging her position. He cut through an opening crouching to get to the other side. The lone ranger sprinted through the darkness letting his sword's blue flames guide him down the passage to another immense cavern. He let out a heavy sigh as light peered from the gaping holes in the ceiling—He was nearing the exit.
"Jon!"
"Over here ranger!"
"He made it!"
The Hornfoots waved and whistled from the cavern's center. "You look like hell." One of them spoke as Jon approached holding a steaming Longclaw wiping dirt off his face.
"I don't doubt it." He replied.
"Where are the others? Do we need to go in for an extraction?"
Jon shook his head, "we walked into a death trap. The only reason I'm standing here is because of my comrades."
The clan shifted on their feet exchanging glances, "we're sorry for your losses-"
"Don't be, they died knowing it was for a higher purpose than serving themselves." Jon smiled warmly surprising the clan, "I'm proud they lived for each other, the brotherhood, how Watchmen should." The group stayed silent for a few moments respecting those they'd lost till this point.
"We found an exit on the other side of the cavern," the Hornfoot said leading his clan pointing to the top corner near the ceiling, "it's there. We just need to repel up and we'll be home free."
"I have spare ropes and hooks for those who need it. I'll remain the spotter while you guys ascend." Jon appreciated the humility the clan showed in their thanks addressing him as 'king' and 'your grace.' The group halted noticing the light fading from the cavern. Spiders crawled out the crevices forcing them to circle up. They held their ground chopping, slashing and hammering at the ice spiders unable to avoid being washed further from the exit.
A Hornfoot pursued his comrade as they sought higher ground to give the others cover fire. He threw his bow aside seeing his mate in a spider's jaws. The spider and his comrade were pulled into the nearby sludge pool by a large tentacle.
He ran knee deep into the black sludge clutching the motionless body. Pale worm like leeches emerged from the tentacles sticking their razor sharp teeth into the mortally wounded man. He growled bare knuckle striking the leeches pushing them back drawing his obsidian sword hacking the leeche's heads from their hardened bodies.
The Hornfoot felt his foot numb as a leach swallowed his ankle inching its way up. He unsuccessfully chopped its head grunting as a leech ambushed burying it's mouth over his face muffling his screams. More leeches sprung out of the murky depths devouring the Hornfoot's bodies.
"Light is running out, fuckers are blocking the ceiling."
"Where is the goddamn arrow support?!"
Jon tossed the bag aside placing the last of the powder on Longclaw pulling out a whetstone as the four remaining warriors cut into the spider horde unable to push forward.
"Fuck the light's almost gone! If it goes out we're fucked!"
"Do something your grace!" The spiders closed in overwhelming their prey as the light became consumed by the darkness.
Longclaw erupted in a great flurry of blue flames lighting the darkness. The spiders halted blinded by the magnificent fire. The survivors fought their way through the darkness staying close to their king's flames slaughtering the stunned spiders. The horde cowered from the blue fire's devastating power incinerating half a dozen spiders in a swing.
Light emerged from the ceiling as spiders crashed to the ground smashing their allies. The group glanced up at Tormund swinging from a repelling line firing arrows at the ceiling before aiming his shooting to the horde. Jon whipped around seeing an ambushing spider turn to ice shattering into pieces. Benjen waved from the exit above shooting more ice arrows into the dwindling spider herd. Jon incinerated a hissing spider cleaving it in half with one mighty swing. The five remaining warriors cheered as the last arachnid burst into ice particles.
"Don't start yanking each other's cocks yet. Hurry the fuck up!" Tormund shouted landing beside Benjen. The Hornfoots watched the blue flame evaporate from Longclaw unable to take their eyes off their king.
"Let's get you home Hornfoots." Jon said offering a smile as they gave a victory shout. The men laughed clasping one another's shoulders heading for the exit.
A thunderous boom behind them caused the group to halt their movement turning toward the crash sight. The spider queen dropped the half melted Huntsman from its fangs staring at Jon. No one spoke seeing the massive spider break through the cave walls in pursuit of them showing off battle wounds.
"Run." Jon said sending the Hornfoots toward the exit. The queen burst through boulder formations in her path charging them across the cavern.
"That's one big fucker."
"I'll provide cover. You better get down there to make sure they get here." Benjen said firing off icicles at the queen.
Jon drove a heated Longclaw upward dismembering one of her pedipalps. She let out a hiss lunging at Jon halting when the Hornfoots attacked chucking obsidian spears and firing arrows. One of the men stepped too close being swept into the air and swiftly bitten in half.
The survivors fled toward the wall running from the spider's angered wrath. Jon reached the wall first prepping his gear starting to ascend. He stopped noticing the Hornfoots scrambling through terrain unable to shake the queen's pursuit. He landed on the ground Longclaw in hand rejoining the fray.
A Hornfoot struggled unable to cut the ice webbing. The web tightened burning into his skin drawing blood. His comrade slid on a knee coming to his aid attempting to cut him free. The blade broke unable to penetrate the webs defensive mechanism. "Stand back." Jon slashed the webbing shattering it to pieces.
"Head to the exit." Jon watched the spider attack the Hornfoot's hiding crevice trying to dig into the wall.
"We'll be devoured in seconds."
"I'll lead her away. Its me she wants."
The hiding Hornfoot slunk to the end of the crevice keeping a distance from the approaching fangs. He emerged when the queen disappeared suddenly pursuing the lone ranger's trail. Jon halted facing his foe creeping its way his position staring directly at him.
Since the arrival he ran to escape this hell hole unable to save lives in the process. This wasn't a time to know fear, it was a time to conquer it. The enemy represented a physical manifestation of his fear of entrapment. He only wanted to be free from it all; prophecies, politics, war. These were inescapable, pursuing him until he faced them head on instead of running.
Jon turned dashing into the sludge pool pushing deeper into the murky bank. The spider queen didn't move for a moment before charging into the sludge forcing Jon deeper. Leeches splashed through the surface lunging past Jon. He sliced a few heads off climbing out of the tar pit. The leeches assaulted the queen hooking their teeth in her dragging her beneath the pool surface.
Jon staggered backwards falling onto a knee holding his ribs. He watched leeches emerge diving into the bubbling sludge. He didn't care what those creatures were. Their presence explained the spiders' controlled population, the leeches were a perfectly evolved species to prey on the ice spiders. The Hornfoots grabbed Jon helping him to his feet heading for the exit.
The group climbed for Tormund's position willing to meet him halfway. "Your a crazy bastard Snow!" He yelled watching them ascend higher. The rippling tar spurted out the pit catching the spotter's eye. "Movement below!"
The climbers paused staring at the sludge pool. Tar exploded from the surface nearly reaching them. Jon's grip tightened on the ropes seeing the spider queen emerge bloodied continuing its relentless pursuit. "Keep climbing, don't stop!"
"Hurry the fuck up!" Tormund shouted shooting his remaining arrows past the rangers giving them cover.
Jon and the Hornfoots stepped off the ice wall climbing up a tall boulder formation intending to reach the extraction point. Jon slipped as a Hornfoot clutched his cloak unable to hold on as he was swiftly tossed off the wall. An icicle hit her in the abdomen giving the ranger a window to escape in pursuit of his comrades.
The queen recovered rearing her fangs reaching mid summit. Jon's eyes widened, "find cover!" He yelled diving between a crevice in the formation. The Hornfoots unloaded their arrows in the spider unable to faze her. Venom shot out between its fangs searing into their flesh. Jon climbed past the melting bodies as the smoking rocks cracked.
"Hurry up Snow!" Jon evaded the spider's lunge avoiding its fangs raising Longclaw above his head cleaving a leg off climbing to Tormund. "Grab on little crow!" Jon leapt from the unstable boulders as the formation collapsed avalanching toward the ground below sweeping the spider along.
Benjen yanked the rope over his shoulder pulling them to safety. "You're a - fat shit - Snow." Tormund heaved resting his head on the ground.
"You're - heavier - than me." Jon coughed turning over grabbing at the soreness wracking his abdomen.
"I'm glad you made it out Jon. Though its unfortunate I can't say the same for the others."
Tormund stood staggering at the sight of silky ice attached to the cavern ceiling meters away. "What the fuck? Don't tell me." The trio peered over the edge seeing the queen spider burst free beneath the avalanche's rubble ascending the web.
"How far is the exit?" Jon asked.
"Not far." Benjen replied.
"Good, I count on you to blow the bridge using your powder."
Tormund palmed his forehead, "I don't like where this is headed."
"Count on us. I'll leave my rope behind for you follow." Benjen summoned an icicle handing it to Jon, "make it count." He said running off with Tormund.
Jon grabbed the bow buried in dirt aiming at the spider crawling on the cavern's top preparing to pounce. He didn't doubt she could make the jump. His attempts to slay her had been futile, he only managed to piss her off. He saw her hydraulic legs bend giving away her intention. The icicle shot lodging in one of her top eyes as she jumped for him.
The spider queen crashed skidding in the dirt dazed by the unexpected attack. Jon hacked another leg off immobilizing her further aiming a second strike for the queen's head. Jon turned rolling out of the way of her fang's lunge as they missed clamping into the ground. Jon backed off watching the mother dispense slimy liquid from her mouth onto her limbs cauterizing the bloody wounds.
"Stand up. Let's end this." Jon waited for the massive arachnid to rise staring into its five eyes. In a flash the spider pursued the fleeing ranger breaking though the cave's infrastructure.
Benjen and Tormund heard Jon's voice yelling for them to ignite the bags. They waited until seeing Jon emerge from the cave tossing their torches aside dashing across the bridge. Jon cut the bridge's ropes as a fiery explosion engulfed the mountain. The mother spider burst into flames leaping off the mountain rearing its fangs at the ranger. Jon held the bridge planks splitting the queen's head in two as one of her fangs pierced the wood boards narrowly missing him. Jon glanced at the spider carcass descending in the canyon's depths disappearing into the fog.
The bridge swung toward the opposite mountainside at high speeds threatening to throw them off. "Brace for impact!" Benjen shouted. Jon held tighter as the bridge picked up more velocity; the last image he saw was the rocky mountainside before everything faded to black.
He was back in Winterfell beneath the godswood seeing the Stark family after months of separation. "I'm glad you're back Jon." Arya offered a smile in his direction.
"Welcome home." Sansa spoke meeting his eyes.
"The time is near Jon Snow." Bran said staring directly through him.
Jon grunted in pain unable to fully move his right shoulder. He peaked an eye open seeing Longclaw hanging in his grip as he hung hundreds of feet above the canyon. He sheathed Longclaw grunting again.
"Jon! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"Start climbing Snow! The bridge may not hold!"
Jon snatched the spider queen's fang off the board placing it in his cloak climbing up the bridge. Benjen and Tormund helped him up when he reached the summit as he held his shoulder. "You did well Jon. That sure was something." Benjen said folding his arms.
The lone ranger narrowed his eyes, "I managed to find out how the horn works. It needs blood from a man, a giant, and a forest child."
Benjen placed a hand under his chin, "I see. Then you saw the prophecy, when the horn sounds it will supposedly bring down the wall."
"Aye its the same horn Mance said he possessed when we were trying to cross the wall. Though there were children and giants back then, now they're gone." Tormund added.
"Perhaps not." Benjen whistled calling his loyal companion. The bear nuzzled him as the trio hopped on riding into the vacant ice fortress. "Looks like the blast radius caused an avalanche here as well." He said halting the bear's tracks staring at the snow piled reaching a high plateau. "My journey isn't over yet. There may be giants out in the unknown expanse of the north."
"Even if you find em they'd gut you based on your appearance." Tormund said.
"That's the least of my worries. It's no guarantee there's anything out there in the expanse. There's only rumors to go off of but it's our only option."
Jon scowled, "I can't let you go out there alone uncle Benjen. I'll travel with you-"
"No Jon, your mission is over. You have no way to get your horse or supplies up here without any lifts." Benjen frowned slightly, "the Lands of Always Winter doesn't have any food source. I don't require anything to nourish myself, in your condition you wouldn't make it more than a few days."
Jon bowed his head unwilling to leave his uncle, "you don't have to go uncle Benjen. You can return to Winterfell to see everyone again."
Benjen smiled recognizing Lyanna's traits in Jon, "I will someday. However the same magic that created me resides in the wall and won't allow me passage until its destruction."
"I will see you again you beautiful beast." Tormund said scratching the bear's furry chin "Stark, it was an honor. Don't get yourself killed out there."
"Same to you my friend." Benjen shook the lieutenant's hand giving mutual respect.
Tormund clasped Jon's shoulder, "I'll be waiting at the cliff side." He said giving the family members privacy.
"You really don't want me to go with you?"
"I would be honored. However you're needed elsewhere, I know Westeros Jon. The six kingdoms are on disarray; your the hero they'll turn to in their time of need."
Jon shook his head, "I'm not a hero. I'm just a ranger guarding the realms of men."
Benjen smiled warmly, "I'm sure others would disagree." The former first ranger glanced at sky noticing the sun emerge from the clouds, "I can handle things from here Jon, I'll report in the near future."
"Uncle Benjen." Jon called halting the bear's leave. "Brandon the breaker's brother was thirteenth lord commander of the Night's Watch. He fell in love with the corpse queen giving her human offspring. One of them was the Night King. He was not the first walker in existence."
Benjen didn't speak contemplating what to say next. "That explains it then." He said staring at his icy hand, "Why the walker's magic took so long to effect me. It makes sense the children chose me to roam the north as a gravewalker. Walkers and Starks are connected by a common ancestor."
"The corpse queen was a Targaryen."
Benjen's eyes widened putting his earlier shock to shame. He creased his brows in deep thought, "try not worry about that Jon. You've done your duty, now it's time to do mine. You gave me answers I had questions to. The next time we meet again I promise I'll be the one bringing answers to your questions." He reached a hand out shaking his nephews. "Go see your family Jon, protect them at all costs."
Jon brought himself to smile thinking of them, "I will uncle."
Benjen nodded leading his companion "Till next time." The undead bear leapt up the snowy mountain vanishing into the mist.
Jon and Tormund were silent descending the mountain reaching the ground as the sun shed light on the vast land extenuating the serene northern landscape. "Snow," Tormund called as the ranger strapped the deceased ranger's belongings to his horse, "I ain't sayin thank you for earlier."
"What do you mean?" Jon said finishing his horse's gearing ready for the journey ahead.
"You saved me. I understand your reason for saving your uncle, you're family. Don't do that again." Tormund met Jon's gaze, "I could've helped save lives or at least died trying. Isn't that what it's about? Dying for one another in the heat of the battle."
Jon inaudibly sighed understanding where Tormund was coming from; the veteran warrior relished opportunities for combat, though even he doubted the lieutenant wanted any part of the hell they went through in the caves. "I understand. I'll try not to get in your way."
Tormund noted Jon's expression grunting at the harshness of his words. He was just following his protective instincts, "go see your family Jon. I'm sure they're missin ya already."
"I'm heading to the Hornfoot settlement in the Frostfangs. I don't know when I'll be going home."
Tormund nodded, "I don't know how you do it Snow. Good luck reconstructing the bridges and forts along the wall. I'll be going to Hardhome; the fishing and pelt business is booming, have to sail south to establish more trade."
Jon grinned extending a hand, "until next time."
"Until Winterfell." Tormund grinned widely returning the handshake riding off leaving the ranger alone. Jon watched him and the horses disappear in the distance as he fell against his horse clutching a shoulder.
Jon kept silent about his intentions. He never expected to survive the fall down the caves. Saving Benjen and Tormund was a reactionary decision but was also necessary for the greater good. Benjen would have the horn and Tormund would lead the Wildlings. The world wouldn't miss him. He held hope that his family still cared awaiting his return to Winterfell.
"I'll be home soon, I promise." Jon raced south across the wasteland lamenting the losses suffered. It wouldn't be in vein; he could feel the walkers imminent return in every fiber. He vowed to return to journey into the winter land expanse and end the menace before they marched south. His horse sped up climbing over a hill running for the Frostfangs—His journey was just beginning.
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A/N: Next- Jon returns home to find things are not as well as they seem.