Tormund grunts as he swings his axe against another White Walker and knocks him down, adrenaline pumping through his veins. There are so many of them around him - and he knows there are yet more to come - it is hard to see anybody else, except for his yellow haired beauty, who is fighting next to him. He suddenly wishes he could stop to watch Brienne slay all the enemies that come her way, but he knows he must not.

When the chance for a brief pause appears, however, he does stop, and he is immediately mesmerized by her fluid movements, her fine technique, her seemly endless strength. Her Valyrian steel blade easily cuts a wight in half, reducing him to a million pieces that vanish in the cold wind. It is one thing is to see her spar with her squire, but to see her actually fight is quite another, the Free Folk leader soon realizes with a smirk. What a fierce warrior she is!

Brienne, probably noticing she is being observed, turns her attention to Tormund and prepares herself to say something, but instead she shouts a rushed "Look out!"

He wakes up from his stupor and quickly looks over his shoulder just in time to hit the White Walker's neck who is stalking him from behind with his dragonglass blade and then kick him away. A couple more attack him and he is forced to focus on the task at hand.

Tormund has no idea how much time has passed by since the southern army and the Free Folk army have been battling the White Walkers, but it does seem to stop when he hears a cry beside him.

Brienne.

Fear hits him hard, and he looks to his side and sees his lady warrior surrounded by several Others. He does not think twice, runs for Brienne's aid and helps her get rid of them all. Once she is free, the two warriors, positioned back to back, bring all the enemies around them down with their weapons, protecting each other at the same time. The Free Folk leader feels glad they work well together, like he knew they would. He is so damn exhausted, but it is Brienne and his will to survive that give him strength to keep going.

After a while, the first horde is finally down, but not without casualties from the southern side. Tormund then drops his axe in order to place both hands on each of Brienne's shoulders and presses his lips against hers, barely giving her time to sheathe her sword. After breaking the kiss, he asks, worried, "You alright, love? Are you hurt?"

She shakes her head vehemently. "No, I'm fine. It was just a fright." She raises her hand to touch his face. "What about you? Are you well?"

"Aye, I am," he exhales with relief. He cups her cheek with his right hand as he speaks, "I got so scared when I heard you scream. For a moment, I thought I'd lose you."

He can feel her shudder. "I know! All those monsters encircling me… I thought I was going to die. Thank the Seven you were there to save me," she presses a kiss to his brow.

Tormund smiles. "I would never let you die, Brienne. I'd never dream of that."

"I know, and I would never let you die. either." Then, with a heavy sigh, Brienne confesses, "I never thought I would fight side by side with a Free Folk man, let alone one I love and care about so much."

"That bad?"

"No. Not bad at all. In fact, it's been good so far."

He raises one eyebrow and smirks. "Is that so? Why?"

"Because the Free Folk man a strong, fearless, ferocious warrior, he's very protective and because," she hesitates before adding, "because I always thought I'd die as a maid, but thanks to him, that won't happen anymore."

"Then I'm more than glad to have helped you with that," Tormund laughs and captures her lips with his own in a reassuring kiss. He loses himself in her comforting embrace until Jon Snow's voice, who announces the arrival of more White Walkers, interrupts their tender moment.

The redhead man's mood darkens again. This is it. The time to defeat the Night King and his dead army once and for all has finally come. Reluctantly, he extricates himself from Brienne's arms, retrieves his axe from the snow, looks into her eyes and declares in a solemn voice, "I don't know if I'll survive this last battle, but I want you to know it's been a great honor to fight alongside you, Brienne of Tarth."

Her face saddens, but she nods in recognition of their possible fate. "I share the same sentiment, Tormund Giantsbane. But I pray the Seven we both will survive this war. I can't afford to live without you. We must survive, my love."

His heart skips a beat. She is right. "Aye. We must survive. And we will."

Tormund and Brienne kiss once again, harder this time, like it is their last kiss ever. When they break apart, they wish each other good luck, take up their weapons and brace themselves for the battle. He takes a deep breath and, as he observes the White Walkers come closer, he prays the old gods they both will survive so that he can spend the rest of his like with his towering beauty, make babies with her and see them grow as great warriors who will conquer the world.