MANCE RAYDER

Mance Rayder was found as a baby by a man of the Night's Watch. He was raised in Mole's Town near Castle Black and became a brother of the Watch. Eventually Mance learns the truth from an old woman and leaves the Night's Watch. A few years later Mance with a hunting party is attacked by White Walkers. So he starts traveling from clan to clan trying to convince them of the Long Night that is coming. After fifteen years Mance has gathered all the Free Folk clans into one army for the purpose of getting south.

During this time Mance falls in love with a woman named Val. She is pregnant with his first child. The moon is full, Mance sleeps, and as he sleeps he dreams. A dream forged by the power Robb Stark now wields and enhanced by the weeping tree in the godswood.

Mance awakens in his tent alone. "Val!" He calls worried, "VAL!" Mance gets up and goes outside. The tents, the men, women, and children are all gone. "Hello!"

"Mance Rayder!" A voice says calling his name. It is a giant sitting on a tree on its side.

"Who are you?"

"A messenger of the old gods...Come there is something you must see..." As the Giant stands to his full height a pair of wings appear. He picks up Mance and flies North to the wall. They land on the top of the wall. Below the Free Folk attack the wall as the Crows desperately try to defend it. "If you attack the wall your people will lose. Many will die and you will be hanged for deserting."

Mance looks at the winged Giant. "And if I do nothing we fall to the Night King."

"I will give you some wisdom Mance Rayder...Come!" Once again they take to the air and land at the Fist of the First Men. "Do you know this place?"

"Aye I do. The Fist of the First Men."

The Giant bends down, "Buried here in the spot is a cache of Dragonglass weapons left behind by the First Men. Dragonglass can kill White Walkers and their Wights...They can also be killed by Valyrian Steel...Capture a Wight and ask to speak with the Warden of North Eddard Stark...He is an honorable man and he will help you if you show him the truth...Remind the Crows of their true purpose. It will be hard, but not impossible."

WINTERFELL

ROBB

Robb returns to his mind and removes his hand from the weeping tree. "Well the easy part is over." He says out loud.

"Yes now we must convince two groups of people who have hated each other for decades to work together."

Robb starts walking back towards his room. "Now we must work on my father again." The next day Robb goes to the library to find the Journal of Bran the Builder. It takes two days to find. He allows another four days to pass, during which time he checks on Mance's progress. "Father I have been reading the journals of Bran the Builder..." Robb says breaking his fast with the family one morning. Jon who is now a Stark in name sits with them.

"Oh."

"Yes...Well Uncle Benjen's recent visit got me to thinking about the Watch."

"You thinking about joining?" Theon asks.

"No. But what I have read disturbs me."

"And what is that?"

"Well the Night's Watch was created to defend the realm from White Walkers."

"And Snarks and Grumpkins..." Theon says causing everyone, but Ned and Jon to laugh.

"Theon this is serious...The journal says that Bran the Builder built tunnels in the wall so that the Free Folk could get south of the wall should ever the need arises. The Night's Watch was not meant to fight the Free Folk."

"The Wildlings have been our enemies for generations. They are always coming south to raid our lands, rape and murder." Eddard responds.

"This is not a proper conversation for breakfast." Catelyn Stark firmly says in a motherly way.

"I'm sorry mother, but the Watch is not what it use to be and if the White Walkers ever return...We will be unprepared."

"Robb you have a point and I will give more thought to this, but as your mother said. This is not a proper conversation for morning meal."

"I am sorry mother."

MANCE

Mance awakens from his dream. He had never had a dream like the one he just had. Though dreams of the future are not unheard of for those who possess the gift. Mance was pretty sure he did not have that gift. "You cannot ignore such a visitation." Val says after Mance tells her about the dream. "It was a warning from the gods. Call the Elders together, but do not tell them about the dream. Tell them you have a new plan. A plan that will be less bloody than attacking the wall..."

Mance kisses his wife and then he summons the Elders the following day. The Free Folk believe in the old tales of the North, and at the same time they had no love for Wargs and greenseers. Mance could not tell them that his latest idea was inspired by a dream. "After careful consideration I believe I have a plan to get us south of wall with no bloodshed."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Magnar asks.

"I remember my days as a crow...In the library at Castle Black there is a map that leads to the fist of the first men...There buried is a cache of Dragonglass...It can be used to kill White Wallkers and their Wights. Also we should try to capture a Wight and show the Crows what is coming for us all. In fact we should try to convince the Warden of the North as well."

"You want to parlay with the knee benders?" Rattleshirt asks incredulously.

"Eddard Stark is a man of honor. If we show him the truth he will listen to us...Look if we want our children to be safe we need to do the hard things. One of them is making peace with the Crows and the Lords of the North." It took a few days, but Mance was able to convince them. Fifty volunteers go with Mance to the Fist of the First Men. Mance had also left orders to capture any Crow his scouts find alive. They capture seven including Benjen Stark.

"We have something to show you Crows..." Mance says to Benjen and his brothers.

"By the gods!" They all exclaim.

"Warrior save me!" One man says.

"Benjen Stark...I show you and your brothers what is coming for all of us. Go back to the Lord Commander tell him that I and the Elders of the Free Folk wish to parlay with him, his Commanders, Lord Eddard Stark and all the Lords of the North...We wish to show them this..."