At Hardhome…

Cold winds howl, deafening the sound of men grunting rowing their oars as they each felt the rowboats continuing to rock back and forth along with the shake of the waves. With the Storm Crow and dozens of ships off in the distance, a group of men representing both the Night's Watch and the Free Folk, leading from the front stood Lord Commander Jon Snow, King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder and chieftain Tormund Giantsbane.

Although there were still some lingering tensions on both sides, Jon, Mance and Tormund knew of the real threat that awaited them all: the threat of the White Walkers and their undead army. If the Free Folk were to ever survive, if the Night's Watch was to ever survive, if all of Westeros were to ever survive… Jon and Mance needed to negotiate an alliance.

"Turn us about!" one of the Night's Watch rangers shouted.

Jon gazed on the horizon, looking at the approaching settlement as they drew nearer. "This is…"

"Hardhome," Mance confirmed. "A fishing village along Storrold's Pont, the closest thing to a true town the Free Folk ever built… and our last refuge. When you crows routed us, most of my people fled here. What's left of us anyway. If we don't get south of the Wall, well… you know what fate will be in store."

The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch said nothing as the ships full of wildlings and Night's Watchmen slowly reach the docks at Hardhome. Disembarking, they see a large gathering of wildlings—a total estimation between around 50,000 to 100,000—already assembling near the shore, swords attached to their hips.

"Hardhome is an unholy place, it's said. Cursed," Grenn whispered.

"Cut the chatter back there!" hushed Cotter Pyke.

Tormund approached Jon. "Do you trust us, Jon Snow?" he asked.

"Does that make me a fool?" the Lord Commander replied back.

Mance stepped in front of him. "We are fools together. Might as well decide on how we go out."

Once they stepped off the rowboats, some of the wildlings immediately recognized who was walking towards them. They walk to meet the wildling men and women of Hardhome, led by one of Mance's lieutenants, Lord of Bones.

"Look, mama! Look!" one of the children exclaimed.

"The King-Beyond-the-Wall…"

"Mance Rayder!"

"We're saved!"

Mance noticed the attention he was getting, but paid no mind. "Been a long time, Lord of Bones. Thought you were among those who fell at the Wall."

The Lord of Bones remained indifferent. "It'll take much more than that to kill me," he retorted before noticing Jon. "When we heard the little crows took you and our brothers and sisters prisoner, most of us made our way here. What we were not expecting, however, I see that same crow who turned his back on us in your company. What happened?"

"War," answered Tormund.

"You call that a war? The greatest army in the North has ever seen was cut to pieces by some southern lord!"

"Perhaps we should find some place more quiet to talk. Gather the elders."

"You don't give the orders here—"

Mance cut him off. "No, but I do. Get the elders. There's much to discuss, and not enough time to waste."

Figuring out that Mance Rayder was not joking around nor was he in any mood for nonsensical bickering, the Lord of Bones begrudgingly turned his back and ventured deep into Hardhome to gather the local wildling elders. Believing that the initial problem was settled, Mance turned to Jon and Tormund.

"We should be getting an audience now. Come. The more time we waste here, the faster they'll be coming."

Mance followed the Lord of Bones' trail, accompanied by Jon Snow and Tormund. Each gathering to assemble into the village's largest shelter, the wildling elders of different clans were quick to see their King-Beyond-the-Wall once more—despite some growing discontent among the Free Folk clans at the presence of the Night's Watch. A small fire lit the room in the middle, warming everyone and everything inside with only a small hole in the roof to filer the smoke out. Only high-ranking wildlings were permitted inside such as Karsi, a spearwife; Loboda, a Thenn elder; and various others. Most of them were complaining rather loudly.

"Why are there crows here?" one of them snapped.

"They slaughtered our people!"

"Dead crows!"

Feeling a headache growing, Mance sharply stood. "ENOUGH!" he bellowed. All was quiet before he spoke again. "Have you all forgotten my warnings? 90 clans, half of whom want to massacre the other half for one insult or another, those among you who speak seven different languages…"

Karsi chimed in. "The crows built that Wall to keep us out!" she exclaimed. "I lost my father, uncle and two brothers fighting the damn crows."

"Since when do the crows give two shits if we live?" demanded Loboda.

Mance turned to Jon, motioning him forward. Snow stepped forward—standing side-by-side with the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Feeling the tense atmosphere, Jon cleared his throat.

"My name is Jon Snow. I'm Lord Commander of the Night's Watch," he begun. "We're not friends. We've never been friends. We won't become friends today. This isn't about friendship. This is about survival. This is about putting a 700 foot wall between you and what's out there."

"Loboda," Mance looked at him, "the Thenns hate the Hornfoots, but you understand the importance of survival against the real enemy out there." He turned to another wildling leader. "Narwynd, the Hornfoots hate the Ice-river clans. Hell, everyone hates the cave people. Cannibals, moon-worshipers and giants. I warned you all what would happen if we don't get south. In normal times, the Free Folk and crows would never be friends. But times have changed, as did our circumstances. We all saw what was out there. Near the Frozen Shore, Milkwater, Giant's Stairs, Skirling Pass, at the Fist of the First Men… If we don't put this animosity between the Free Folk and the crows, then we're just meat in their army."

"Only together can we defeat them," implored Jon.

"Beat the White Walkers? Pfff! Good luck with that," Karsi scoffed. "Run from them, maybe."

"Snow," the King-Beyond-the-Wall beckoned, "show them what you showed me."

Hoisting a large bag over his shoulder, handed to him from Grenn and Eddison, Jon threw the bundle to the ground near the wildlings. Hesitantly, Karsi stepped forward and looked inside at the contents.

"It's a gift for those who join us in an alliance against the White Walkers. Dragonglass. A man of the Night's Watch used one of these daggers to kill a White Walker."

"'Alliance'?" Loboda retorted. "Is that what you're calling this now, crow?"

"An alliance is what was recommended between myself and Mance Rayder to keep you safe from everything you've all seen," Jon said. "Come with us. There are good lands south of the Wall. As Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, I will allow you through the tunnel and allow your people to farm those lands. My brother, Robb Stark, is Warden of the North. Once I explain to him the severity of the situation, he'll understand. My sister, Sansa Stark, is Queen Consort of the Seven Kingdoms. Once explain the same to her, she'll come around."

There was some hesitation; Mance knew this and tried to up the ante. "I never wanted a war with the Night's Watch. A new life for all the Free Folk, for all of you, awaits us south of the Wall. To be honest, we'll need each other when the real war begins so we're not asking you to forget your dead."

"I lost 50 brothers the night that Mance attacked the Wall," Jon joined in, his eyes ablaze with passion and determination. "But I'm asking you to think about your children now. They'll never have children of their own if we don't band together. For the first time in 8,000 years, the Long Night has returned and the dead come with it. No clan can stop them alone. The Free Folk can't stop them alone. The Night's Watch can't stop them alone. And all the southern lords can't stop them alone. Only together, all of us, and even then it might not be enough, but at least then we'll give the fuckers a fight!"

Mance looked impressed with Jon's speech, how a bastard crow was willing to put old, historical grudges aside for what is right. This earned him some small nods of approval throughout the room.

"You vouch for this man, Tormund?" Karsi asked.

He grunted. "He's prettier than both my daughters, but he knows how to fight. He's young, but he knows how to lead. He didn't have to come to Hardhome. He came because he needs us. And we need him."

"And you?" she turned to Mance.

The King-Beyond-the-Wall remained adamant in his decision. "Ned Stark's bastard might be like him, but once we exposed him to the same horror we had to, well… Imagine how fast a boy his age can quickly change his mind. If this alliance guarantees the survival and integrity of the Free Folk, then I suggest we take it."

One of the giants, Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun, grunted and snorted—still fiddling with a shard of dragonglass between the tip of his fingers before slowly rising to his full height, his head banging against the roof causing cracking wood to be heard throughout the room.

"Caballein misain ye (I am a free man)," Wun grunted in the Old Tongue. "Ye moridin ye caballein (I die a free man)."

Eddison leaned towards Green. "The fuck did he say?" he whispered.

Grenn shrugged his shoulders. He didn't understand the Old Tongue dialect the giant was using to communicate.

"My ancestors would spit on me if I broke bread with a crow," said Loboda disapprovingly.

"So would mine, but fuck 'em, they're dead," Karsi replied. "I'll never trust a man in black, but… I trust Tormund. And I trust our King-Beyond-the-Wall. If you say this is the way, then the Frozen Shore tribes are with you."

"This is the way," both Tormund and Mance nodded.

A wildling elder stood. "I'm with Mance Rayder. If we stay here, we're all dead. At least with King Crow and our King-Beyond-the-Wall, then there's at least a fighting chance for the Ice-river clans to survive."

"Tormund," Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun grunted as a signal of agreement. "Rayder."

"The Hornfoot clan stands with Mance Rayder," acknowledged chieftain Varnamyr.

"As do the Cave people," stated chieftain Gogir.

Knowing that the only reason that more wildlings were joining Mance Rayder and Jon Snow was because the mere presence of their returning King-Beyond-the-Wall, who remained adamant on them needing this alliance solely for the benefit of the Free Folk and their collective clans. Jon, Grenn and Eddison felt confident in themselves that this gambit was paying off in their favor in the long run, as was Mance Rayder too.

Unfortunately, only one group of Free Folk remained adamant in their decision. Loboda, chieftain of the Thenns, threw his share of dragonglass onto the ground. Everyone around them looked at him in astonishment.

"Keep that new life you want to give us and keep your glass, King Crow," Loboda spat, brandishing his axe. "I don't know how you twisted the King-Beyond-the-Wall's mind, but the Thenns won't fall for your tricks. As soon as you get on his ships, they're going to slit your throats and dump your bodies to the Shivering Sea." He pointed to Jon menacingly. "That's our enemy. That has always been our enemy!"

Despite the backlash and condemnations, Loboda left the cabin with some of his warriors. Mance shook his head in annoyance. Karsi, however, glanced at Tormund and spat in Loboda's direction.

"I fucking hate Thenns."

Tormund nodded.

'Let's just hope this will be enough,' Jon pondered.

•••

Once outside, Eddison and Green along with several Night's Watch rangers were seen assisting Tormund and Karsi loading volunteering wildlings onto the rowboats to take them to safety. Dozens were seen departing towards Stannis Baratheon's ships off in the distance before coming back to carry some more. Women, children and elders were brought onboard first, followed by the Free Folk warriors and chieftains.

"Move it," one of the men called out.

"Be careful," replied a woman.

"Move 'em along, now."

"Cast-off time."

"That's it, come on."

Jon and Mance observed more Free Folk approaching the small docks. The center of Hardhome was being cramped due to the large population.

"How many are with us?" Jon asked Mance. "5,000? 8,000?"

"I estimate somewhere between 15,000 to 20,000. Men, women and children," the King-Beyond-the-Wall replied. "Don't worry, Jon Snow. The Free Folk may be a stubborn bunch, but we're loyal to no one but our own. Trust me. It took me 20 years to unite every single one of the clans together."

"We're still leaving too many behind."

"They know there's nothing left in the surrounding area to hunt, and we're running out of food. Pride is not a trait of the Free Folk, living to fight another day is. Get your people ready. I'll do the same with mine."

Karsi lifts up one of her daughters onto the rowboats. "Your sister Johnna is gonna look after you. You hear me, Willa? She's in charge, so listen to her."

The little girl shook her head furiously. "I wanna go with you!" she wailed, tears poured down her cheeks. Willa looked at her mother with big brown pleading eyes.

"I need to get the old folks on the boat," she explained, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "I'm right behind you, I promise. Go on."

The boat began to sail away as more voices began overlapping each other with more wildlings were being loaded onto the boats.

"Another one."

"Keep moving. We'll meet you out there."

"Won't be able to take that on the boat. It's too big."

"That's the last one!"

"Three more! Move on!"

Nearby, the giant Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun picks up a piece of dragonglass and strokes it intently. Eddison and Grenn began picking up the pieces of glass and looks at the giant with their piece of glass. Wun Wun turns to them and stares annoyed.

"Lokh kif rukh? (The fuck you looking at?)" the giant bellows in Old Tongue.

Eddison and Grenn quickly darted away from Wun Wun when the dogs started barking outside. Jon Snow and Mance Rayder loaded more children onto a boat, their concentration breaking as soon as they both heard dogs barking. Then… they felt it. The cold wind pummeling Hardhome suddenly started whipping from a neighboring cliff, causing the dogs to immediately start whimpering. Every Free Folk and Night's Watch slowly turned towards the source of the noise.

*FWOOSH!*

*WHIFF!*

*WHOOSH!*

"Oh no…" Mance said quietly, his voice filling with dread and fear.

"What is it?" Jon asked concerned.

"They're here…"

Gripping his axe in his hands, Loboda turned to his men. "Shut the gate."

The Thenns hurry forward towards the gate near the entrance to Hardhome and begin to quickly start boarding it up. More howling winds are heard in the distance as thick, heavy fog began to quickly enclose the area with a deafening sound at an alarming rate. The Free Folk still on the other side of the gate, filled with fear, begin charging the gate.

"SHUT THE GATE!" Loboda shouted again.

Men rush to put a board in place to hold the gate shut.

"Wait! Open the gate!" the Free Folk locked on the other side shouted, pounding their hands desperately on the wood. "Let us in! Help us! Please open it!"

"What are you doing?!" Jon shouted. "There are still people outside!"

"If we let them in, we'll all DIE!" Loboda shouted.

Both the Night's Watch and Free Folk could do nothing but look on helplessly, watching and listening to the thousands of stranded wildlings continue to scream and plead for help, begging their brethren on the other side to open the gates and let them in before the fog rolled in and consumed them all. Then silence fell upon Hardhome. It was quiet… too quiet.

Jon, Mance and Tormund each gripped the hilt of their weapons. They felt disheartened at the sound of the Free Folk's cries and pleas for help, only to be left to die. The Thenns stationed at the front of the gate slowly back away. Loboda slowly approaches to the gate with his axe and peers through a small hole in the wall. There is a faint scream in the distance, but almost instantly was met with a frightening sight.

"*RAAAAUUUGHHH!*"

An undead wight charged at the hole in the wall, nearly grabbing Loboda—who instantly jerked backwards.

"*SNARL!*"

"Ready your arrows!" Tormund called to the archers.

One by one, the wights claw at the gate. Arrows are nocked and fired. When a wight sticks its hand through the gate, Loboda rushes over and chops it off.

"Everyone, get to the boats!" shouted Mance Rayder.

Immediately, there is a mad rush towards the boats with many wildlings jumping in the water to catch one.

"Wait! Wait!" Tormund exclaimed.

"Get in line! Get in line!" shouted Jon Snow.

More and more wights kept thumping against the gates, snarling and growling like rabid beasts—determined to get into Hardhome to reach their prey. Their menacing, lifeless glowing blue eyes peaked through the holes. One wight tries to climb the gate, crawling to the top of the cabin and jumps through the hole in the roof; Free Folk and Night's Watch rangers prepare their weapons as Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun growls menacingly.

One wight tries to climb under the gate. A barrage of arrows flies at the wights trying to get through the wall. Most of them land. Another wight crawls even further under the gate. Combining their body weight against the wooden frame, each of the wights start collectively making holes in the gate; a sword sticks through the gate coming close to Loboda on the gate. Loboda dodges the sword, looks down to see the wight crawling under the gate, and stomps its head in. Back at the docks, the people continue to rush onto the boats with Jon, Tormund, Mance and Karsi leading them.

"Duncan, hold the line!" Jon shouted. "Hold the line!"

"Lord Commander!" one of the rangers exclaimed.

"Get them to the ship and come back for me!"

"But you'll never make—"

"Now!" He notices Karsi approaching him. "You should be on one of those boats!"

"So should you!" she retorted. "My little girls have gone on. They're gonna let them pass the Wall even if you're not there?"

"You have my word. I've given the orders."

"Don't think you're gonna be there to enforce those orders!"

Mance grabbed her arm. "We'll time to argue once we get there! Now get going!"

*RUMBLE!*

"If the dead make it past the gate, everyone dies!" Tormund pointed out.

"Then we make our stand here. Give the others time to escape!"

Jon unsheathed Longclaw. "Night's Watch with me! Move! Move! Move!" he ordered.

Jon, Tormund, Karsi and the Night's Watch broghers charge from the shore to the gate; the wights managed to knock a hole into the gate big enough to crawl out of. One breaks through, tears someone apart, and then is taken down. A group of wights storm through the same hole. Jon arrives at the gate and pins a wight to the gate with Longclaw as Tormund, Mance and Karsi kill the wights that have already gotten through. The archers take out the wight Jon pinned to the gate, and then the men cover the hole the wights had been escaping from with a sled. Nearby, a group of wights tear into a Night's Watch ranger.

Jon looks up through the mist and sees four White Walkers mounted on undead horses on the top of the cliff, staring down at him – overseeing the battle. He stares back at them intently before noticing several wights climbing atop the hut. Realizing the need for the only known lethal substance against the White Walkers, Jon panics.

"The dragonglass!" he exclaims.

Mance turns to Jon. "You're with me, Jon Snow! You too, Thenn! Now!"

Nodding, all three charge towards the building. Jon cuts a wight in half then kills another. Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun breaks through a wall in the cabin as the cabin starts to go down in flames. He shakes the wights off of his back, snapping some in half and stomping others into pieces. Jon, Mance and Loboda storm the cabin. The building is on fire.

"Get the glass," Loboda shouted.

Unveiling to pick-axes from his sheath, Mance Rayder easily swings his weapons left and right, cutting down multiple wights before turning around to see a fire wall in front of him dissipating in the center, revealing a White Walker lieutenant confronting the trio.

"So this is how it's going to be, eh?" Mance scoffed, ready for battle. "Well, let's make this a good one."

Mance and Loboda charge the White Walker as Jon scrambles towards the dragonglass. Loboda misses with his axe twice, getting it caught in the wall. Mance swings both arms and drives his pick-axes into the White Walker's backside, but the weapons shatter into pieces. The Walker glares at the King-Beyond-the-Wall and backhands him aside, sending him off a platform and onto the hard ground.

"Ooof!" he grunted and groaned upon impact.

Loboda frees his weapon as the White Walker swings its icy spear. The Thenn elder parries in time, but the weapon shatters upon impact. The White Walker lieutenant then plunges its spear through Loboda's stomach, killing him.

Jon reaches the dragonglass but is thrown across the room by the White Walker before he can pick it up, causing Longclaw to fly out of the cabin. Jon ducks from the Walker's swings with his spear, and runs out to grab another sword. The Walker swings and shatters the sword. He knocks Jon down again with the hilt of its icy spear. Jon retreats from the burning town hall and struggles before getting up again, running to pick up Longclaw.

"Over here!" Mance shouted. Picking up an ordinary sword, the King-Beyond-the-Wall swings hard but his too shatters upon impact and is again backhanded by the White Walker before it returned its attention to Jon Snow. Jon stumbles and drops his sword as the White Walker staggers towards him.

*SHIING!*

*CLASH!*

*RING!*

Just in the nick of time, Jon manages to pick up Longclaw to match the White Walker, and to both their surprises, Longclaw stops the White Walker lieutenant's icy spear and doesn't shatter on contact. Seizing the opportunity, Jon moves to counterattack. The White Walker deflects one blow from Jon, but then he swings and shatters the White Walker into pieces after being touched by Longclaw. Jon falls to the ground, exhausted after the struggle.

Little did he know, standing atop the cliff with its lieutenants, stood the White Walkers' ultimate master: the Night King – staring at the slaughter with its cold, glowing blue eyes and a crown of horns jutting from its head. Having existed since the age of the First Men, it was the Army of the Dead's supreme leader. The Night King watched Jon with interest, having slain one of its White Walker lieutenants in single-combat.

Now back on his feet again, Mance Rayder aided Jon Snow back to his feet and both towards Eddison and Grenn, who were seen waiving them over. Karsi looks up, and sees a group of blue-eyed wight children staring at her. They do nothing for a moment, then charge at her, chewing and clawing her to death.

"There's too many of them!" Mance pointed out.

"I know!" Eddison exclaimed. "We'll die if we stay here! We have to go! Now!"

Noticing that was their cue, Tormund and Wun Wun roar as the gate comes crashing down. The giant swings a fiery log. The rest of the surviving Free Folk sprint towards the boat with Wun clearing a path for them with the log; Jon, Tormund, Mance, Grenn and Eddison jump off the dock onto the boat.

"Go! Go! Go!"

"Wun Wun," Mance called out, "to the sea!"

The giant stays back, continuing to take out loads of wights by swinging his flaming log. He begins to walk towards the boat, ripping the wights hanging onto him off of his back and throwing them into the water to die.

"Let's go! Now!"

"Quickly, row! Row!"

Glancing back to the shore, Jon and Mance see the wights along with a White Walker, killing the last surviving wildlings that unfortunately couldn't make it to the boats in time or were unwilling to board Stannis's ships.

"17,000 Free Folk…" Mance mourned. "That's all that's left of us now…"

Tormund placed a reassuring, comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder—trying his best to lift Mance's disenchanted spirit at the outright slaughter of the Free Folk who followed his leadership. Once 100,000 strong was now reduced to 17,000. Not enough to survive the winter unless they're permitted through the walls of Castle Black to reach the safety of the south.

"Jon! Look!" Grenn pointed.

Slowly, a figure walks to the end of the dock reveal the Night King. He stares at Jon and Jon stares back. The Night King turns his head to the carnage at the edge of the shore and then looks back to Jon before slowly starting to raise his arms up. The dead wildlings twitch, then one by one they open their eyes to reveal a glowing bluish hue. Karsi comes back to life, blue-eyed. They all start standing up, joining the Army of the Dead, and staring at Jon.

Jon can do nothing but stare back at the Night King back as the boat drifts away.

"We have to warn the others," Jon said simply. "We've got to warn them all before it's too late."

Chapter End

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, guys! But here you: the massacre of Hardhome and the first ever appearance of the ultimate villain in all Game of Thrones: The Night King. Battle remained mostly the same, but Mance Rayder actually participated in the conflict and the evacuation had a much greater number than the initial 5,000. This time, 17,000 wildlings were rescued. What do you guys think? Think Mance will feel an overwhelming desire for revenge against the Night King and the White Walkers when the inevitable conflict comes to a head? Thoughts? Let me know.

Rudy P: This is a good story, I look forward to more.

kellen23: Chilling chapter

RHatch89: Awesome update :)

―Thanks.

The Last Kenpachi: I can absolutely see Mance swearing to Daveth that as long as he lives he will serve him IF Daveth swears to help him kill the Night King.

10868letsgo: Okay good stuff! Mance is a now a wildling and any people of the North would want to Night King dead.

Hear My Fury: Well, considering the numbers now, it seems like Ramsay's gonna have trouble with taking on the Starks, Stannis and the wildlings now even if he gets the Umbers and Karstarks to side with him in the eventual rebellion in the North. He had 6,000 men in the Battle of the Bastards, but Robb Stannis and Jon now have probably, 60,000 maybe more considering Stannis brought 28,000 men and Jon rescued 17,000 Wildlings. Good thing you kept Mance alive too, I was afraid you were going to kill him. Nice work!

―The King-Beyond-the-Wall's tale isn't over yet!