At the Wall…
Heavy snow and wind blew across Castle Black and lands beyond the Wall. Approaching the entrance to Castle Black, Lord Commander Jon Snow and Mance Rayder both accompany the 17,000 survivors of the Hardhome massacre—the last of the Free Folk; with them are Chieftain Tormund Giantsbane, Eddison Tollett, Grenn and the sole remaining giant Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun. Both Night's Watch and wildling alike, both sides retained the horrific nightmares of the Night King's army slaughtering tens of thousands of wildlings before they were raised as wights during the evacuation.
Standing atop the Wall, Ser Alliser Thorne and Lord Stannis Baratheon look down at the group. The new First Ranger curled his lip in a tense moment before…
"Open the gates," he ordered, sounding rather hesitant.
The lower gate is lifted, allowing the wildlings to pass through Castle Black itself, including many women and children. Jon knew this act would bitterly divide the Night's Watch; and rightly so. As Mance and Tormund led the survivors, the former King-Beyond-the-Wall noticed many men of the Night's Watch glaring at them.
"Once a crow, always a crow," he uttered as Mance finished leading the last of his people.
Jon glanced at them and was aware of the looks he was receiving. "It was a failure," he lamented.
"No. No, it wasn't. You did all you could," Samwell reassured. "Every one of them is alive because of you, and no one else."
"We've all seen what went down at Hardhome, Jon," Grenn mentioned. "This is no longer about keeping the wildlings out; this is about the inevitable fight between the living and the fuckin' dead."
"The White Walkers are real… and they're back, but in much greater numbers," Eddison said. "If we're to ever make it through this, the Seven Kingdoms needs to know about this."
"But will they even listen? The first Lord Commander in history to sacrifice the lives of sworn brothers to save the lives of wildlings."
Many men of the Night's Watch continued glaring at Jon, then Olly who directed a long, cold look at the young man who took him into his care when the Thenns slaughtered everyone in the Gift, including his entire family in front of him at his village. Ser Alliser walks down the steps towards Jon.
"You have a good heart, Jon Snow," he told him. "It will get us all killed."
"I've made my decision, First Ranger," Jon replied. "All that's left is learning to cope with it… and prepare for the winter. It may last several years."
"Our esteemed guest, Lord Stannis… has to be notified that we don't have enough food or space to keep everyone here tended to. He'll have to leave back to the south eventually."
"I'm well aware of that."
Stannis retained his deep scowl, possibly overhearing the conversation. Behind him in one of the buildings his daughter Shireen was teaching a wildling girl Gilly how to read and write. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he knew it was decent.
"Snake… S! It's an S!" he heard Gilly exclaim.
Shireen nodded. "Right, very good!"
"I know 'S'."
"You'll learn, I promise. I taught Ser Davos, and old people are terrible at learning new things."
Stannis paid no mind until his wife Selyse interrupted the lesson, scolding her daughter of such action and gloating that her father conquered Gilly's "people" and that as a wildling she is still dangerous. Shireen attempted to defend Gilly, but Selyse again scolds Shireen for being naïve despite all her reading of books. As he listened, Stannis made his way into the Lord Commander's office to where he saw Jon and Samwell engaged in a deep conversation with their friends.
"Not nearly as many didn't make it out, neither did Skillan or Tom Dunn either. Then the Night King raised his hands," he said. "And they all stood up at once, tens of thousands of them; the largest army the world has ever seen in all of history."
"How do you even prepare for something like this?" Grenn mused.
"White Walkers have been gone for 8,000 years… or so the rest of us thought," Eddison said. "All the rest of the southern lords sit comfortably enjoying the warm summers, then act like these undead bastards are nothing but myths and stories used to scare their kids to sleep at night."
Samwell was the first to notice Stannis. "Ah, welcome, my lord."
Jon, Grenn and Eddison all stand up.
"You're Samwell Tarly?" Stannis asks.
"I am, my lord," he nods.
The Lord of Dragonstone eyes him up and down. "Your father is Randyll Tarly. He defeated my brother at the Battle of Ashford. Only battle Robert ever lost. I told him he shouldn't go so far west so soon, but he never listened – nor did his son. Fine soldier, your father," he explained. "You, on the other hand, don't look like a soldier. But I was just informed that both you and the Lord Commander each killed a White Walker."
Samwell looked at Jon before looking back to Stannis. "We did, my lord."
"How did you do it?"
"Near the Nightfort west of Castle Black with a dagger made of dragonglass."
"Dragonglass?"
"It's what the masters call obsidian—"
Stannis cut him off. "I know what is it. We have it in Dragonstone. Why would obsidian kill a Walker?" he pressed.
"I don't know," Samwell admitted. "I've been going through all the old manuscripts hoping to find something, and all I've learned is that the children of the forest used to hunt with dragonglass."
He then turned to Jon. "And you?"
Jon Snow sighed, still visibly haunted with the memories. "Valyrian steel," he presented Longclaw, "at Hardhome. Any other blade immediately freezes to the point it shatters upon contact. I saw them shatter steel axes like they were glass, but Longclaw…"
"Is made of Valyrian steel," said Samwell, excited by the implications. "I found an account of the Long Night that spoke of a hero killing Walkers with a blade of 'dragonsteel'. How many Valyrian steel swords are left in the Seven Kingdoms?"
"Not enough."
They drink their ale, contemplating this grim truth.
"Hmm. The Lady Melisandre told me that death marches on the Wall."
"How did—" Grenn tried to ask.
"She knows many thing, how is irrelevant."
"We've seen it. The Army of the Dead," Eddison chimed in. "And when they come—"
"We have to know how to fight them," Stannis concluded. "Before I leave for Dragonstone by midday tomorrow, what is the next course of action for Night's Watch?"
"I'm gonna hope they don't learn how to climb the Wall," Jon retorted, almost as if humorously.
Stannis, however, was not amused. "Does that amuse you?" he frowned.
"What about the dragonglass?" Samwell inquired.
"If you're requesting a mountain's worth of it, I can deliver your warnings to King's Landing on behalf of the Night's Watch. In return, I'll have some of my men start mining as much dragonglass and have them delivered before the entire Seven Kingdoms readies itself for war again when Daenerys Targaryen turns her sights towards us."
"Thank you, Lord Stannis. It would mean a lot to us."
Jon, Samwell, Eddison and Grenn each lowered their heads as Stannis Baratheon left the room, leaving the four of them alone again. Once by themselves, Jon noticed Samwell twiddling his fingers and looking as if he wanted to ask him something.
"What is it?" Jon asked.
"I wanted to ask you something. To ask something of you," Samwell begun. "Send me, Gilly, and the baby to Oldtown so I can become a Maester. That's what I'm meant to be, not this."
Jon, Eddison and Grenn all raised their eyebrows; Maester Aemon had long since passed away due to old age of 104 peacefully in his bed while Jon and Mance led the rescue mission to Hardhome. Aemon's age had finally caught up with him and he steadily grew increasingly weaker, having had to be tended to by Gilly and Samwell as his mind started wandering. When he died, it was Samwell who gave Aemon a eulogy before cremating his body on a funeral pyre. Since then, Castle Black had gone without a sworn Maester—leaving the position vacant.
ooOoo
"His name was Aemon Targaryen. He came to us from King's Landing," Samwell eulogized. "A Maester of the Citadel, chained and sworn, and sworn brother of the Night's Watch, ever faithful. No man was wiser, or gentler or kinder. At the Wall, a dozen Lord Commanders came and went during his years of service, but he was always there to counsel them. He was the blood of the Dragon... but now his fire has gone out. And now his Watch is ended."
As the fires lit the pyre, Alliser leans close to Samwell. "You're losing all your friends, Tarly," he whispered mockingly.
ooOoo
"Do you even hear yourself, Sam?" Grenn exclaimed.
"We need you here, Sam," Jon agreed. "If you leave, who's left to give us advice we trust?"
"I'll be of more use to you as a Maester," Samwell insisted. "More use to everyone now that Maester Aemon's gone. The Citadel has the world's greatest library. I'll learn about history, strategy, healing, and other things; things that will help when they come. If Gilly stays here then she'll die. And the baby that she named after me will die. And I'll end up dying, too, trying to protect them; which means that the last thing that I'll see in this world will be the look in her eyes when I fail them. I'd rather see a thousand White Walkers than see that."
Jon thinks about it, and nods. Maybe Sam's love story isn't doomed, unlike Jon's own. Maybe he can still save someone. The Lord Commander sighs. "All right, Sam."
"Thank you."
"You know that the Citadel will make you swear off woman too, you know?"
"They'll bloody try."
Jon senses something in Samwell's voice, a certain swagger before noticing faint bruises. His face is busted, but his grin is as wide as his face.
"Sam?"
"What?"
"You've just been beaten half to death. How did you—"
Samwell cuts him off. "Very carefully," he answers.
"Well, I'm glad the end of the world is working out well for someone," Eddison joked.
It may be a joke, but Jon and Grenn could tell actually Eddison actually meant it.
"I'll come back," Samwell promises.
One que, Jon, Eddison and Grenn raised their mug. "To your return," they toast.
Samwell raises his. "To my return."
By nightfall, a cart carrying Samwell, Gilly and Little Sam pulls out of Castle Black. Jon watches from the balcony where his predecessor Jeor Mormont used to stand. At the gate Sam turns and gives Jon a final sad wave, a gesture he returns to his chambers. Sitting at his desk, with only a lit candle to brighten the room, Jon scours through raven scrolls reading each of them. Each scrolls bear the wax seals of various Northern houses: Hornwood; Karstark; Dustin; Umber; Cerwyn. One-by-one, each message bore the same meaning.
"We hold the Night's Watch in great esteem but are facing a troubling conflict and are unable to spare any men…"
"War has ravaged our House and with winter now passing over us in force their descendants are needed at home…"
"Perhaps when winter has come and gone we shall send a few volunteers…"
Jon sighs frustrated; despite the Night's Watch greatly increased numbers, weapons and supplies, they would not be getting any support until winter ends. He exhales and breaks open another sealed scroll, ready to expect to be refused again until Olly burst open the door unexpectedly.
"Lord Commander!" Olly shouts.
Jon looks up and sees Olly in the doorway; there's a sense of urgency in the boy's tone.
"It's one of the wildlings you brought back. He says he knows your uncle Benjen Stark. Says he's still alive."
Jon stands, stunned by this news. "You're sure he's talking about Benjen?" he asks, half-eager and half-anxious.
Olly nods. "Says he was First Ranger. Said he knows where to find him."
Jon nods and rushes towards the door; this was incredible news. Jon follows Olly out the door, down the steps and into the courtyard. Ghost remained confined in its kennels, poking its nose out and clawing at its cage. The albino direwolf was behaving rather desperate, trying to warn its master of something. Ghost sensed that something was wrong and gave multiple bark-like howls to get Jon's attention, but he was not listening.
First Ranger Ser Alliser Thorne meets Jon and accompanies him towards the far corner of the courtyard. "Man says he saw your uncle at Hardhome at the last full moon," he informs him.
"Could be lying," Jon suggests.
"Perhaps, but there are ways to find out."
Several other Night's Watch men begin huddling around something or someone in the corner. Each of them held torches. Among the men, there were high-ranking leaders of the sworn brotherhood such as First Builder Othell Yarwyck and First Steward Bowen Marsh. Jon pushed his way past them and looked at Alliser.
"Where is he?" he panted.
The First Ranger pointed in a single direction. "Over there," he answered.
Jon walks past through the group of semi-circle rangers and stops when he expected to see a wildling, realizing he saw no one but a simple sign in front of him with a single word written on it: "Traitor".
Confused and feeling something's wrong, Jon turns around to see Ser Alliser gripping a dagger in his hand. Before Jon could react, the First Ranger drove towards him and sank his blade deep into Jon's chest.
*GLURNK!*
"Ugh!" he grunted, feeling the blade driving itself deep into his flesh. 'He stabbed me!' Jon realized. "Why…?" he groaned weakly.
"For the Watch," Aliser answers.
Ghost desperately bit and clawed at his confinements, barking and howling loudly at it watched helplessly as its master got attacked. The direwolf was hoping someone was nearby to hear its cry for help. Jon desperately shoved Ser Alliser away from him and tried to reach for Longclaw, but felt Yarwyck's hand gripping his wrist as he stepped forward to plunge his own knife into the Lord Commander.
*SHLUK!*
"For the Watch," the First Builder echoes.
When Yarwyck pulled his dagger out, Bowen Marsh took out his dagger and lunged at Jon—being the third person to stab him.
*GLISH!*
"For the Watch," the First Steward echoes.
Like a domino effect, each of the assembled rangers of the Night's Watch took turns stepping forward, plunging their knives deep into their Lord Commander and echoing the words "For the Watch."
*SQWELP!*
*SHUNK!*
*SHNK!*
Pain washed over Jon Snow as the last blade hit between his rib cage and nearly came close to his shoulder blade. Feeling his life's blood oozing out of his deep wounds, Jon quickly grew weaker and sank to his knees as the mutineers backed away from him. Only Olly, Jon's own steward, remained in front of him with a dagger in his hand and tears running down his face. The boy was crying.
'Please don't do this, Olly. Not to me… not me,' Jon wanted to say; unable to believe his own men had cruelly betrayed him like this. "Olly…" he pleaded for mercy, his voice was nearly as quiet as a whisper.
*PKKKHHT!*
Jon gave one final grunt, unable to feel the final dagger piercing him in the heart. The last thing he saw was Olly slamming it directly into his chest before finally collapsing face-first into the snow, his eyes still staring up at the boy who looks down at him, still crying.
"For the Watch," Olly echoes.
When Ghost howled his loudest howl, the mutineers quickly fled the scene, leaving Jon Snow to die alone on the ground, laying on the ground in a puddle of his own blood. As the light goes out of his open eyes, Jon's movements ceased as he bled out.
"*Owooooo!*" Ghost howled mournfully.
Unbeknownst to the mutineers, their actions were witnessed by three people. Standing above in a nearby balcony were Lord Stannis Baratheon, Melisandre and Ser Davos Seaworth—all of whom had witness the treasonous action firsthand. Davos visibly looked shocked, though Stannis and Melisandre stared at the scene.
"Gather my personal guard, Ser Davos," Stannis orders.
Davos went to gather his liege lord's men-at-arms without hesitation while Stannis himself calmly walked down the stairs into the courtyard to follow the traitors. Melisandre stood by herself staring at Jon's corpse—clenching the amulet around her neck in her hands. As she looked and noticed it turning glow, the red priestess knew that she was being contacted.
"Valar morghūlis," the voice said. "Emagon se kȳvana issare vēttan? (Have the preparations been made?)"
Melisandre recognized it this voice belonging to Vaeraleah, the High Priestess of Asshai. "Valar dohaeris," she answered. "Kessa. Se Āeksiot Ōño ēza dārōñe Stānīs Barāthēon, se aderī— (Yes. The Lord of Light has blessed Stannis Baratheon, and soon—)"
"Mīlīsāndre, arlī aōha ȳdra daor jiōragon īlva āeksio's kessa. (Melisandre, you have again misinterpreted our Lord's will.)" Vaeraleah telepathically chastised her. "Se rōvēgrie ērinnon given naejot īlva ondoso se Āeksiot Ōño isse se perzyssy gōntan daor urnēptre ēza daor dīnagon syt bisa vala (The great victory in the flames given to us by the Lord of Light has no place for this man.)"
For the first time, Melisandre looked as if she started to waiver at the High Priestess berating her like this. "Kostagon daor; se Āeksiot Ōño hae bisa vala. (Impossible; the Lord of Light favors this man!)"
"Tolī hāregār jēdri, ao iēdrosa gaomagon daor shifang. Se āeksio hae shifang, daor tolī olvie. Bantis zōbrie issa se ossȳngnoti lēdys, se mazemilza hāre naejot pyghagon se sȳndror - daor sepār mēre vala. Issa se āeksio's kessa bona Jōn Snōw sagon mirre glaesagon, hae īles syt Daveth Barāthēon skori ziry rēbagon aril. (After 300 years, you still do not understand. The Lord favors understanding, not fanatical obsession. The night is dark and full of terrors, and it will take three to defeat the darkness – not just one individual. It is in the Lord's will that Jon Snow be kept alive, as it was for Daveth Baratheon when he passed from this world again.)"
"'Arlī?' Skoverdi jēdi ēza se Āeksio maghatan se quptys? (Again? How many times has the Lord brought that heathen back?)"
"Lanta. (Twice)," Vaeraleah answered telepathically.
Melisandre's eyes widened. "Konir sagon kostos daor. (That's not possible)," she gasped.
"Oh, yn issa. Āeksio līrinon va bisa ābrītsos vala. Daveth Barāthēon iksis mēre hen hāre, hae iksis Jōn Snōw. Lo ao ivestragī zirȳla morghūljagon, pār ao maghagon vēdros se qrīdropēnna naejot īlva Āeksio se Daenērys Targārien. Lo ao ivestragī zirȳla morghūljagon, lo ao ivestragī iā hen zirȳ morghūljagon, pār ao maghagon qrīdropagon se vaogenka rigle naejot īlva Āeksio. (Oh, but it is. The Lord smiles on this young man. Daveth Baratheon is one of the three, as is Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. If you let him die, if you let either of them die, then you bring shame and disgrace to our Lord.)"
Silence filled the courtyard for a brief moment.
"Issi ao iā drēje dohaerirot naejot se Āeksiot Ōño? (Are you a true servant of the Lord of Light?)"
Melisandre did not hesitate. "Nyke dohaeragon se Āeksiot pāsābare. (I serve the Lord faithfully.)"
"Pār kesā gaomagon hen zȳhon kessa. Maghagon Jōn Snōw arlī naejot ābrar. Kinvara kessa ūndegon naejot Daenērys. (Then you will carry out His will. Bring Jon Snow back to life. Kinvara will see to Daenerys.)"
Chapter End
Author's Note: And that brings an end to Season 5; next chapter will be the beginning of Season 6 and bring us familiar faces, but a whole new conflict scenario in Westeros and Essos. We all know what happens with Jon Snow, but there were actually witnesses who've witnessed the whole thing unfold before their eyes. While Stannis goes off in pursuit, Davos bringing Stannis's guards, how was the telepathic interaction between Melisandre and Vaeraleah – seeing that Melisandre actually answers to a superior clergy of high-rank? What are your thoughts on the whole thing? Let me know.
mpowers045: Well at least the other red priests know she was wrong
C.E.W: So now Jon Snow is dead, killed by his own brothers despite knowing that he had the backing of Stannis Baratheon. Now its only a matter of time before Stannis' army will deal with the mutineers. Its just a matter of time before Melisandre revives him.
The Boltons still remain a problem to the North, and the second Smalljon Umber finds out Jon let the Wildlings past, he'll turn against the Starks. Umbers and Karstarks take the Boltons' side, and Ramsay kills his father and becomes Lord Bolton then he'll have all he needs to rebel against House Stark.
ALPHAomega239: When will we see the next chapter?
―I'll get to work on it as soon as I'm able.
Hear My Fury: Okay now that Melisandre knows that it's Jon not Stannis, hopefully he can help his nephew with Daenerys and Shireen will live. I hope she does live. I hated what the show did with her and Stannis' characters it completely butchered who Stannis was as a person.