AN: As always thank you very much for the reviews.
afrozenshadow: Yeah I'll admit Stannis was slightly inspired by his portrayal in the show. I like Stephen Dillane and he tends to have more kindness than Stannis in the book. Hope you like what happens next.
Guest: Glad you like what I did with Aegon. There will eventually be some interactions between Aegon, Jon and Daenerys.
Birdy1210: As always glad you enjoyed the chapter. The scene with Stannis and Arya was fun to write. Davos didn't interject mostly because of the situation they were in and because he knew that Arya was right. The assassination attempt took me the longest to write and it's good you liked the way it came out.
Starkiss666: I'll let you see what I decided to do in terms of the dragons and Aegon. Hope you like it.
Beloved Daughter: I just hope it was a good kind of dramatic
jaufanfic: Glad you like the story, I certainly do otherwise I wouldn't keep writing it. As for Daenerys and Arya they're what I want to see them become and Aerion is just the sort of person I think Arya needs as a partner with how I view her becoming.
MVDB: Thanks for the reviews, yeah things are going pretty smooth even if the fights themselves haven't been particularly easy. The biggest struggle will be coming soon and then the struggle that follows the war as well.
Disclaimer: A song of ice and fire is the property of George R. R. Martin no copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made from this story.
What followed could only be described as organized chaos. Daenerys and Aegon weren't seen for some time. Only Arya, Aerion and Howland Reed knew that they had gone off to perform the ritual necessary to bind one of the dragons to the Prince.
When they returned it was with Daenerys atop Drogon and Aegon atop Rhaegal. Despite the chaos of the whole situation Arya couldn't help but find that piece of information rather humorous. Looks like Jon is going to have a white dragon to go along with his white wolf.
It was when they returned that the situation became more controlled. It was only an hour after Arya finished reading the letter that she and Aerion were once again in the Queen's presence along with every other significant commander of the army: Stannis Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Harry Strickland, Obara Sand, Edric Dayne, Grey Worm, Harry Hardyng, Loras and Garlan Tyrell.
Daenerys' back was turned to them. She was having a hushed conversation with Ser Barristan. The old knight seemed less than pleased by whatever she decided but he relented nonetheless. She turned to her attentive audience with an impressive calm.
"The horses have been saddled and prepared," she began, "The best of our knights shall ride ahead of the infantry, while I shall fly ahead of the army with Drogon and Viserion." Ah so that is why the old knight is so upset, he isn't comfortable with her being without him particularly after the assassination attempt.
"All of you are amongst the most skilled members of the army and as such all save three shall be amongst the cavalry." Arya certainly hoped everyone had the good sense not to argue with the Queen's decision when the situation was so dire.
"Grey Worm, Daario Naharis, Harry Strickland, you three shall remain with the infantry to oversee their travel north." Arya couldn't help but be impressed with Daenerys' decision. Grey Worm was a soldier through and through; the man would never willingly question one of Daenerys' commands. Daario on the other hand was a prideful man but not a fool. The currently bright red-bearded man would understand Daenerys' need to placate the more prickly Westerosi lords. Strickland was the most likely to take offense which is probably why the Queen followed up with.
"I would not have it so for any of you, knowing how valuable you would be in the fight but most of the Unsullied as well as the Stormcrows shall be amongst the infantry and I need Ser Harry to be there to oversee the movement of our remaining elephants."
"The elephants should be left here," Strickland said promptly, "they won't be suited to the North, they were hardly any help in taking the Twins and while I doubt we will be fighting the Others in siege warfare, they still won't be much good in the snow."
Daenerys nodded before continuing, "Very well though you shall still remain with the infantry." She paused a moment, "Now as to the reason Prince Aegon shall not be with me; he, on Rhaegel, will clear a path for the army through the snows. I imagine should we leave the army without a dragon it would take months to reach the front lines of this fight and by then the dead will likely outnumber the living." The gathered leaders seemed more than a little relieved at this news, Stannis most of all. The Baratheon lord had already trekked through the snow once, he clearly didn't look forward to doing it again.
"Lastly, ten thousand men shall remain here in case the worst happens and we are forced back by the Others." That was a sobering thought for many in the room. Daenerys' campaign had happened with little struggle. The battles were very bloody, yes, but they had won all three of the major battles and avoided further bloodshed through negotiation. Now, there was no way of negotiating away aggressions. There was only one option, fight.
The meeting quickly ended after that, each man and woman leaving to prepare for the imminent departure. Arya went out in search of her younger brother while Aerion remained behind to speak with the Queen. When she found Rickon he was in the yard standing next to Shaggydog while Osha saddled up a horse. I knew he would want to come.
Arya approached her younger brother from behind, sliding one of her gloved hands along his shoulder. He looked up and his blue eyes met her grey and immediately lit up. Arya couldn't help but be amazed by his apparent enthusiasm. The smile on his face was not mirrored on his ever present guardian's. Osha looked ambivalent about returning north yet again.
His was happy as he started speaking, "I can't wait to get back to Winterfell! I haven't seen it since Stannis drove the Bolton's out."
Arya envied her brother that, but reconciled herself with the fact she would finally see her home again soon. She gave her brother a small shake of her head, "You aren't going north with the army, Rickon." Her voice was firm though kind.
"What?" He said as though struck. Osha looked immediately relieved.
"You are getting better with a sword, there is no doubt about that but you are not ready to fight in a war." He looked defiant even as she continued, "Lord Stannis did not involve you in any of the fights to this point, what made you think you would be allowed to join us against the Others?"
Rickon still looked unhappy, "But you're going." It was foolish reasoning born of knowing that there was no winning this argument.
Arya actually chuckled, "I'm six years older than you. I learned how to fight and kill for five years nonstop. So yes I'm going to fight," Arya paused for a moment, "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because you came with us."
Rickon smiled shakily at her and Arya gave him a small smile, "I am sure Lord Stannis will have his daughter come further south with the threat so I have no doubt you will have some company soon." His demeanor brightened significantly at that. Arya was happy that he still had a level of youthful enthusiasm and innocence despite everything that had happened to him in the past five years.
Arya bid the pair farewell, sparing a quick scratch of Shaggy's fur, before making her way toward her horse. Upon her arrival she was unsurprised to find Aerion and Nymeria waiting there but was slightly confused to find that he hadn't already mounted up. He noticed her raised eyebrow and gave her a small smile in return.
"Small change of plans love," if Arya had been confused before she was even more so now, she had a question on her lips but Aerion spoke before she had the opportunity to actually speak.
"The Queen has decided that you and I will be going with her north to Last Hearth, as the dragon flies we will be there sometime later tonight." A smile broke across his face at the dumbfounded look on her face.
"You're serious?" She asked in disbelief.
Aerion laughed, "Of course I'm serious. Daenerys has come to enjoy our company and appreciate our counsel, not that she has ever needed it. But more importantly, she believes that your presence will be beneficial when meeting with your cousin and explaining the situation to him." The title cousin still sounded foreign to Arya's ears in reference to Jon but she had more important things to worry about at the moment. I'm going to ride a dragon.
"She would have asked Lord Howland but he knows the fastest ways through the Neck and will benefit the army greatly with that knowledge."
Arya shook herself. I am a trained Faceless Man, I should be handling this far better. "Right, so we will be flying on Viserion? An unbound dragon." She couldn't help the slight bit of skepticism in her voice.
"That is my understanding yes," Aerion confirmed, "she may not command him the way she does Drogon but the dragon is under control. He will not follow our commands but he will do as he is bid with Drogon around to influence him." Arya didn't look particularly pleased with that explanation but knew there was nothing for it.
She pet at the back of Nymeria's ear, "And how will Nymeria be joining me?"
Arya expected him to be puzzled at this but he had a quick response, "Daenerys assumed that would be one of your primary concerns and if you are amendable to the idea and Nymeria does not protest, she has offered that Drogon carry her in his claws." Arya silently contemplated the proposal a moment before deciding they would at least attempt it.
"But should Nymeria protest I will be riding with the army north." She said firmly as they began walking toward the great black creature that would surely be with the Queen.
There was a small twitch at the corner of Aerion's mouth as he spoke, "Of course and I will be on a horse right beside you should that be the case. I honestly had no doubt that would be your decision."
They walked on in silence and just a few minutes later found themselves standing next to Daenerys and Aegon. The prince was arrayed in his black, ruby studded armor though neither of the pair understood why. It will be at least two weeks before he reaches the fight. He has no need of that armor now. Daenerys was not arrayed in any of her armor instead wearing the usual light dress and furs that were common place on the silver haired woman. She smiled as they approached and Aegon gave them a courteous nod, one that they both returned.
Daenerys turned to Aegon, "You should take to the air now. The snows are deep and you will want to begin the process before the army starts to move."
"Of course your Grace." With that, he climbed up onto Rhaegal's outstretched neck. A second later Rhaegal gave a strong beating of his wings and pushed up into the sky.
Daenerys was petting Nymeria when the pair returned their attention to the ground, "Well let's see how my favorite direwolf feels about flight." Drogon rose up and extended one of his massive back claws toward the she-wolf. Nymeria growled slightly but did not run when the great thing closed around her middle with a gentleness that no one would expect from such a powerful animal. In the back of her mind Arya could sense Nymeria's nervousness.
For a moment Arya pushed her consciousness into Nymeria 's. She tried to consume her direwolf's mind with a sense of calmness and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Nymeria relax.
Arya came back to herself as Drogon lowered his head so Daenerys could climb up gracefully. Viserion moved himself into a similar position beside Arya and Aerion, "He will not harm you." Daenerys said from above them.
The pair climbed onto the white dragon's back one at a time. Arya was glad to note that Aerion knew better than to try and help her up. A short moment later they were sat with Aerion in front of Arya. When Daenerys was sure they were comfortable and secure, she pushed at Drogon's wings with her heels and the black beast beat its wings thrice before shooting into the air off of just one of its back legs being sure to avoid harming Nymeria.
Then it was Viserion's turn. He beat his wings and pushed off hard from the ground. Air rushed past them as they held on tightly with their legs and arms. Both were more than a little relieved for their years of training otherwise they doubt they would have had the strength to hold on. Drogon's take off was noticeably more gentle than the white dragon's.
Viserion climbed a good five hundred feet into the air before leveling off and flying north behind his brother. Arya gripped tightly to Aerion's midsection. She wasn't afraid of heights by any extent but her first experience with flight was slightly disconcerting. The white landscape below them flew by in a blur. She could see for miles in each direction as they sped north above the Neck.
In mere minutes, the Twins were little more than a spot in the distance. Still even on the back of the winged legends the near 1500 mile trip to Last Hearth would take almost seven hours. Traveling such a distance so quickly was incredible for both Arya and Aerion. It was over four hours into the journey that Arya could see a long desired sight in the distance. She was more than a little pleased that there wasn't any snowfall to mar the view. At least not yet.
Winterfell had clearly been rebuilt after the burning it suffered at the hands of Ramsay Bolton. The old castle stood out proudly along the edge of the Wolfswood. The most important thing that Arya could see though was the godswood separated inside the Wall. Even from miles away and above, she could see the red leaves and white bark of the weirwoods in the grove. Good to see that Stannis didn't burn what he would see as the false idols of the North, he probably didn't have enough time while chasing Bolton out.
Arya very much wanted Viserion to veer west and land in the courtyard in front of the Great Keep but that wasn't particularly practical given the current situation. It will happen soon. Hopefully it is under good circumstances.
As they soared past the Lone Lake, the weather took a turn for the worst. Snows poured down out of the clouds and the air, already cold, turned downright frigid. At that moment, both Aerion and Arya could appreciate just what winter really was in the North. The South had been cold at times and saw some snow but nothing like the biting cold above the frozen landscape.
The only relief for the pair was the ever present heat emanating from the dragon beneath them. The large snowflakes melted on contacted with Viserion's white scales causing them to glisten with wetness. Between their furs and the shared body heat neither was ovrly bothered by the cold.
The journey was only another hour from there, when finally Last Hearth came into view it appeared the winter had nearly buried the castle. Every window was barred against the cold. There were a good number of tents both inside and outside the walls, half buried in the snow with fires as large as could be built to warm those who could not find lodgings inside the castle. The tents outside will have to be abandoned for the night if we don't depart before the Others come.
It was nearing midnight when the dragons descended from the sky quickly landing in the crowded courtyard, snow melting beneath them. Daenerys dropped down from Drogon with a practiced ease while Arya and Aerion did the same though with less fluidity. They moved stiffly for a few moments before righting themselves and walking with Daenerys toward the doors of the castle, Nymeria at Arya's side. A few men and women exited their tents, stopping dead to stare in open shock at the dragons in their midst. Jon likely didn't expect dragons to come to his aid. His letter was addressed to Stannis after all.
Aerion stepped in front of the two women and with his gauntleted hand thumped on the door loud enough that someone inside was bound to hear. They didn't have to wait long as just a few moments later a young woman Daenerys' age opened the door.
It was obvious to Arya that the woman was nobility of some sort just from the way she held herself. She had dark brown hair back in a braid, a long face with a pointy chin, blue-grey eyes, and small ears. She was thin, unsurprising considering the current environment in the North, coltish and tall.
The woman made to speak but the words died in her throat as she looked past them to the black and white beasts behind them. To her credit, she didn't squeak or squeal or do any of the embarrassing things women tended to do; instead, she stopped a moment looking from the dragons to Daenerys and then after a moment from Nymeria to Arya before steeling herself.
"I am Alys Thenn, daughter of the late Lord Rickard Karstark, I can only assume you are the Dragon Queen we often heard rumors of in recent years." Thenn was not a noble name that Arya recognized but she rdidn't comment on that fact.
Daenerys bowed her head respectfully, "I am Lady Alys, we received your letter after routing the Frey's and Bolton's at the Twins. I would request that you escort me to the former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch." Daenerys used the title to help ensure the woman in front of her that she had in fact read Jon's letter.
Alys hesitated only a moment before stepping out of the doorway to allow them entrance. As they made their way through the castle it became quite obvious that it was jammed pack with as many people as possible. As the trio passed they were able to look in at the dozens of rooms and could see everyone was lined with as many furs and beds as could be mustered. The castle was likely holding far more people than it had ever been meant to.
As they moved through the castle they could soon hear yelling coming from what they could only assume was the Great Hall. As they entered a gaunt old man, with a long white beard and hard face was leaning over a table with a map of the North upon it. Jon was standing beside him and it was clearly their voices that were elevated above the rest.
"We cannot hope to hold the castle against the Others long enough for women and children to retreat. Considering very few of them are even northerners but your wildlings I don't know if I am particularly concerned by that fact." Daenerys scowled at the disregard for life the old man seemed to have, "We need to think about the fighting men, not women and children who will do nothing but hinder our ability to escape the blue eyed killers.
There was a snarl from a broad man with a grey beard nearby that drew Arya's attention. He wore gold bands engraved with runes and from his reaction Arya would assume and those around him were the wildlings the northern lord seemed so unconcerned about. A few feet away from him stood a woman wearing all white furs and leaning on a long spear. She couldn't help but feel the woman didn't exactly look like what most expected of a wildling. She had sleek honey blonde hair, her eyes were a piercing blue-grey and even through the furs Arya could tell she had curves in all the places lads wanted.
The man beside her certainly didn't look anything like one either. And unlike the woman, even his clothing had a refinement she expected of a southerner. He was tall with broad shoulders. The man was better groomed than even Jon, his red hair tied back into a ponytail and his beard trimmed neatly.
The last of the wildings in the room had dark hair and a receding hair line. He was as tall as Jon and lean. He had a scar above his grey eyes. He wore bronze greaves and a leather shirt sewn with bronze scales.
On the other side of the room, the Queen's men stood with Selyse Baratheon sitting in the center of them. For lack of a better way of putting it, Stannis' wife was quite ugly. She was a tall, thin woman with ears far too large for her head and a light moustache above her upper lip. The woman had a sneer upon her lips as she looked on with disdain at the two men who were clearly in charge despite her presence.
It was the woman directly at her side that most men considered Stannis' true Queen, and Arya could understand why. She had heard many things about Stannis' Red Woman and the descriptions certainly got her beautiful appearance right. Like Dany she was in silks instead of the furs every other man and woman in the room wore. She seemed perfectly at peace with letting the two men discuss strategy at the moment. She had burnished copper hair, a beautiful face, and womanly figure. She was taller than most of the men in the room. She seemed supremely confident if not slightly perturbed as the forces of her god's enemy came to cast the world into darkness.
Besides Jon, there were only three other men of the Night's Watch in the room, though it was only obvious because they were in mostly black. One was an overweight man, impressive considering the climate in the North, who Arya had a hard time believing survived at the Wall. He was dressed in furs but the clothing he wore underneath was not armor unlike the other men standing near him. He had a studious look to him, and a maester's chain along his neck. Arya could only assume this was the former maester of the Night's Watch.
The other two men wore armor and had swords at their hips. The first was taller than Jon by a head with dark hair and a thick beard, he seemed bored by the whole conversation though that could just be that he wasn't particularly suited to such conversations.
The second was small, much smaller than the man beside him. He had large ears and black hair that came down to his ears. He didn't look particularly intimidating. Then again neither do I.
Jon's voice broke her from her observations, "My lord we cannot abandon thousands of women and children, including the small folk who take shelter in your castle, to die at the hands of the Others only to be raised up by our enemy to fight against us!"
"And why should I listen to the man who lost the Wall?" It was at that statement that a loud offended noise emanated from the back of the room and from the largest of the former Watchers on the Wall.
"Jon didn't lose the Wall, it was destroyed in the night."
"Calm Grenn," Jon said with a gesture of his hand before returning his attention to the man in front of him, "but the point stands, we had no warning as the Wall was destroyed. Thousands of Free Folk and all but ten men of the Night's Watch from Castle Black survived. My friend Edd died in that attack, so I would appreciate if you didn't mock us, my Lord."
If the old man felt remotely chastised he didn't show it, "Yes well your order is broken, only fifty of you seem to have survived and you have no Wall to protect. Your authority was destroyed when it fell, so I ask again why I should listen to you?"
Jon stared at the man with his haunting grey eyes. He still hadn't noticed the new occupants of the room and Arya could see the slight tinge of purple as they darkened in his anger, "You will listen to me my Lord because I, what remains of the Night's Watch and the Free Folk have more experience fighting the Others than any in the realm."
It was at that moment that he looked past the disgruntled northern lord and caught sight of Daenerys first. Arya almost giggled as he stared at the Queen for a long moment. Jon, like many men before him, was caught up in the image and beauty that Daenerys presented but he didn't feel the need to gawk like many others. Though she could see a flicker in his eyes nonetheless, it was looking at Daenerys reaction that really surprised her.
Arya had seen more than one man try to win the Dragon Queen's attention since offering her service and never once had Daenerys reacted. Handsome men like Edric Dayne had offered themselves up on more than one occasion and always she shut them down kindly yet firmly but now, looking at Jon for the first time, Daenerys' cheeks flushed slightly and her amethyst were locked on his intently. Well that could merit some looking into. Quite funny that they have to choose right before we're attacked by myths to go all starry eyed.
Jon roused himself, "I am sorry but who are you and how did you come to be here?"
"My name is Daenerys Targaryen, the Stormborn, Mother of Dragons, Queen of the Bay, the Andals, the Rhonyar and the First, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm." Before Daenerys could continue any further she was rudely interrupted by a noise emanating from the ugliest woman in the room.
"My husband is the rightful King and would never bow before you." Selyse Baratheon sneered in the younger woman's direction. Melisandre did quite the opposite. Her eyes widened in surprise as she eyed the Queen calculatingly.
Daenerys smiled maliciously at Selyse and on her beautiful face it was slightly disconcerting, "Your husband bowed to me just over a week ago, my Lady. The Iron Throne is mine, I took it with fire and blood just like Aegon over 300 years ago."
"Stannis is the Lord's chosen," Selyse almost shrieked before looking pleadingly to the woman at her side. Melisandre merely looked on silently while Arya and Aerion both resisted the urge to laugh out loud as both the group of black brothers and wildlings rolled their eyes. Jon managed to keep his composure but the slight tightening of his jaw made it obvious how he felt about Selyse's claim.
Daenerys maintained the small smile causing the older woman to squirm in her seat, "I assume you refer to the Lord of Light, the Red God, or R'hllor?" Selyse nodded, "Well than I would remind you that it was me who brought the very embodiment of fire back into the world." Selyse didn't have a response to that so Daenerys turned to Jon.
"Your letter was delivered to the Twins, via Greywater Watch. Almost the entirety of the Seven Kingdom's forces march north to fight. As you can imagine the cavalry will take at least two weeks and the infantry even longer. I thought it best to provide you with what reinforcements I could in the now." She finished with a soft smile.
Jon nodded, "Thank you your Grace. I imagine you flew with your dragons?"
"Only two of them," Daenerys walked farther into the room, "the third is with the Prince Aegon, clearing a path to allow the army quicker travels." Sitting down at the table every eye was on her, "Now I believe we were talking strategy."
Jon smiled, clearly impressed with the Queen's confidence before finally realizing both Arya and Nymeria still near the door. There was a clear recognition in his eyes the second his vision passed over her and a moment later he was over giving her a strong hug which she returned.
Jon was always the favorite of her sibling so she enjoyed the embrace thoroughly. When, a brief moment later, they pulled away from each other he paused to whisper to her, "We will speak later."
Arya just nodded before all three of them headed toward the still seated Daenerys. The Queen surveyed the map a moment before turning to Jon, "How long until the enemy arrives?"
"They should be here tomorrow evening. They do no fight during the day, the darkness is their greatest ally." Jon had turned completely serious once again.
"And do we have an estimation of their numbers?"
"Tens of thousands even hundreds, there were nearly 100,000 men and women at the Wall when it fell, when we arrived here we numbered only 20,000. I can assure you our lost have been added to the enemy's forces." Jon paused a moment and sighed, "I am sorry your Grace, but the truth is I can't tell you their true numbers, they have 8,000 years' worth of dead among their number. Granted the Free Folk customarily burn their dead, but more than a few have died in the cold places of the world with no one there to find them."
"With the dragons though the biggest problem isn't the wights but the Others themselves; they number in the thousands surely and like in legend they have giant ice spiders as well as undead horses. They are incredibly skilled fighters and they are aware of our dragonglass." He shook his head wearily, "We do not have nearly as much of the substance as we did before the initial attack."
Daenerys took in the information for a moment before finally responding, "So we do not know our enemies true numbers and we don't have enough of the substance necessary to hold them off." Jon nodded, "All of this with women and children who need to retreat further south."
Hothor Umber finally spoke up again, "It is my opinion that we should retreat south as quickly as possible."
Daenerys glared at the older man, and he withered beneath her gaze "Leave them to die essentially because they are not hardy fighting men. They won't have the strength to push through the snows at haste even if my dragons help to clear a path. The Others will ride many of them down and that is something I can't allow."
Jon regained her attention, clearly happy that there was someone else on his side, "Then what do you propose your Grace?"
"We fight them of course."
"With only 25,000 men in total? You must be joking your Grace." Hothor Umber's outburst was ignored for the time being.
"All women and children will be organized and leave as soon as possible. One of my dragons shall accompany them through the day, easing their path as best as they can before returning north at nightfall. All of the forces here will fight with whatever weapons can be mustered against the Others. We must hold them here for the night at least, probably longer." The Queen finished vehemently.
"Now I imagine there are very few of you who actually have Valyrian steel weapons."
"You would be correct your Grace, though we have enough Dragonglass for probably 17,000 of our 25,000 fighters."
"Then the other 8,000 shall escort the small folk south, how many horses do you have?"
Hothor Umber responded, "About 500 in total."
"And how many women and children need to flee?"
"2,000 between my lands and the wildling who won't or can't fight, and the Lady Selyse of course."
Daenerys rubbed at her temples, "This truly is an awful situation. The horses will do us little good in the field with dragon's fire all about. Save ten, they shall be sent south with the small folk so they can hopefully travel faster."
One of the Queen's Men spoke up, "My Lady would it not be wiser to keep our forces within the castle than meet the Others in the field."
"It is your Grace ser, and that would be the most unwise decision." She rebuked harshly, giving the man a hard look before returning her attention to Jon, "Tell me, if we stay in this castle would a portion of the Other's forces simply bypass us and pursue those who flee?"
Jon gave her a small smirk, "That would be quite likely your Grace, they wouldn't throw their full force against us instead using a small part of their forces to surround and siege the castle, if we meet them in the field though that won't be the case."
She turned back to the man who had spoken, "Of course the most important reason against sitting in this castle would be how it would limit the ability for the dragons to do damage. Furthermore, we have no hope of outright victory against the Others here and now, instead we are fighting for time. We need the ability to retreat further south otherwise we have no hope. Sitting in a besiege castle would make that impossible."
The man fidgeted nervously under her gaze before mumbling, "Understood your Grace."
"Very good, we have a plan then. Prepare all women, children and elderly for travel, they leave within the next hour. I shall take Drogon to begin the process of clearing a path, we will avoid the wood for now and instead cross the Last River, which was been frozen solid."
"On foot it will take them at least two weeks to reach Winterfell." Jon said in a hushed tone.
Daenerys sighed, "I am aware but hopefully we can buy them a day each night by fighting and unleashing Drogon and Viserion to slow the Others movements."
With the discussion over many left the room until only Jon, Daenerys, Aerion, and Arya remained in the room. Ghost slipped into the room silently, as was his way, and snuck up on Nymeria. They all laughed when they watched the massive she-wolf jump like a frightened puppy dog. The two began to nip at each other playfully as Jon turned his attention to Arya, "It is truly good to see you again little sister."
Arya smirked mischievously, "Ah but you aren't seeing your little sister again."
Jon chuckled nervously, "Come now Arya, I have encountered two different women I was told would be you. One turned out to be Alys and the other was poor Jeyne Poole."
"What happened to Jeyne?" Arya asked seriously, losing her cheek.
"She was the one who stood in your place as Ramsay Snow's wife, when she was saved Stannis had her sent to the Wall for safety." Jon shook his head sadly, "She was so broken, frostbite took the tip of her nose and she died from the cold within a year. I believe she would have survived if her spirit hadn't been destroyed by that bastard." The word left his with a venom more potent than the strangler, "Her life was much easier in the end at least."
"He's dead now," Jon looked at her sharply, "Nymeria tore out his throat at the Battle of the Crossing."
"Good riddance, the bastard deserves far worse from everything I heard." Arya was surprised by his repeated use of the word he once hated. Then again there was never a bigger bastard than Ramsay Snow.
"Anyway I meant what I said, I'm not your little sister." Arya knew this wasn't the kindest way that she could tell Jon about his true parentage but it was in her nature to be unorthodox. Daenerys brought a hand to her mouth trying to restrain the giggles that were fit to burst from her body. Meanwhile, Aerion face reddened slightly as he forced himself not to laugh at her antics.
"Really Arya, that is enough, I know it's you." Jon's voice brokered no argument.
"Oh I'm Arya Stark, daughter of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, which is the exact reason you are my cousin and not my brother."
Jon stared at her blankly for nearly a minute processing that statement before finally speaking far more calmly than she expected, "Would you mind explaining?"
Arya smiled, "Father wasn't the only one who survived the Tower of Joy, there was one other, well two actually, but only one other to remember it."
"Howland Reed," Jon whispered softly.
"Yes, Lord Reed told us the story at the Twins, quite literally, just before receiving your letter. According to him, you are the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark." Jon actually faltered where he stood, bumping into Daenerys in the process who laid a gentle hand on his shoulder to steady him.
Daenerys' hand grabbed his attention and he looked down at the powerful yet petite woman, "I understand this is harrowing news Jon Targaryen," she said with a small smile, "but I am afraid I must request something of you."
Jon collected himself admirably, "What would you have of me your Grace?" The way they looked into each other's eyes Arya knew she was going to have a good time with them when they weren't in life or death situations. There is definitely some attraction there that I have every intention of teasing them about.
"That is quite simple Jon, you are blood of the dragon same as me and your half-brother Aegon. I would ask that you bind with the last of my three dragons."
Jon didn't bow or scrape as she was so accustomed to with most men. Instead he looked at her steadily, "If you think me worthy of such an honor, your Grace."
Daenerys smiled impressed by his courtesy and nerve, "The dragon must have three heads, and I think you will be better suited to it than many of the men who had the honor of riding dragons in the past."
Jon nodded "I shall give you my accommodation your Grace and we can do this binding ceremony tomorrow morning."
The red eyed wolf had loped silently to Daenerys' side and nuzzled her hand. Daenerys smiled down as she began petting the direwolf's neck, "I appreciate the offer but I am afraid we must do the binding sooner rather than later. It will not take long and you will have plenty of time to speak with your cousin upon our return."
Jon accepted her command willingly before looking at Arya and eyeing Aerion calculatingly, "My friend Sam was the maester here earlier. Find him and he will find you somewhere to rest, most places that remain are simply smaller storerooms that have been emptied but he will find you something."
The two Targaryens left the room in a hurry after that as Arya and Aerion wandered the corridors, the two direwolves at their side, in search of the man they had seen earlier. When they found him, he was sitting in the castles library staring at a piece of parchment intently, with a small smile. Aerion gave a slight cough drawing the man's attention to them, "Excuse us but Jon directed us to you?"
The overweight man blustered for a moment before standing, "Right, I am Samwell Tarly… I mean Maester Samwell, I imagine you would like me to show you to a room." They nodded together as Sam started leaving the room. He guided them slowly through the castle.
He gave Arya more than one glance out of the corner of his eye before she finally decided she might as well ask why, "Is there something you would like to ask me maester?"
Sam flushed slightly but did in fact decide to ask the question on his mind, "You're really Arya Stark?" Arya nodded in response so Sam continued, "Jon told me a great deal about you since we met as recruits six years ago. He never stopped believing you were out there somewhere safe."
"Well that does sound like Jon, he was always stubborn." Arya said with a smirk.
Sam laughed deeply, his shoulders shaking with the force of it. Both Arya and Aerion looked at him curiously before he controlled himself. Upon seeing the quizzical look on her face he flushed once again, "Jon always said the same thing about you." That comment caused Aerion to snort and Arya to give him a half-hearted glare. Well it is more than a little true.
Arya decided to let that go, "So Jon has been a friend of yours for some time?"
"The very best," Sam replied happily, "I have never been what one would call a fighter and Jon befriended me when our master-at-arms, Ser Alliser Thorne, was cruel during our training."
"Certainly sounds like Jon," Arya said fondly. She then remembered the small smile on the maester's face when they found him. Thinking it best to continue with the small talk, Arya decided to ask about it, "If you don't find it too intrusive, would you mind telling me about that letter you were reading?"
That same small smile broke out across his lips, "It was a letter from a friend of mine, Gilly, she is a wildling who traveled with me to Oldtown before leaving for my former home at Horn Hill."
"Why?" Arya asked confused.
Sam's smile faded slightly, "She has a child, or had a child I suppose. Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, had a child as well. In order to protect Mance's boy from the Red Woman, Jon switched the baby's and had Gilly go south with his son." Seeing the question on her mind Sam spoke before she had the chance, "Jon did it to protect Mance's son in fear that the Red Woman would use him in some sort of ritual powered by King's blood."
Jon was the Lord Commander he had to make hard decisions and it sounds to me he did what was best. Arya was silent for a long moment before speaking again, "So why did Gilly go to Horn Hill?"
"Claimed he was my bastard son, my mother and sister took her in. They are quite fond of her and little Aemon."
"What happened to her child?"
Here Sam's smile fell entirely, "The cold took him when he was a year old, Gilly didn't send me a raven for month's after that. She has thrown herself into loving Aemon now."
Arya patted his shoulder, "She sounds like a lovely girl." She could see the fondness for the woman in the large man's eyes.
After a short moment of silence Aerion spoke up from Sam's other side, "Were any of the wildlings in the meeting Mance Rayder?"
Sam shook his head, "Mance died at the Wall when it fell, saved Jon's life in fact. I think it was his way of repaying Jon for keeping his son safe. If there is one thing I learned while at the Wall, it was that men are men, even the Free Folk."
"My father was a noble man and a great warrior yet he could never hope to be the sort of man Mance Rayder was, he lacked the sympathy and empathy necessary to care for people that makes a truly great man." At that moment they stopped in front of a small door that led into an empty storage room.
Arya gave the man a sad smile, "I don't know what your relationship with your father was but I imagine it was unpleasant if his heir ended up at the Wall. It might interest you to know he died in the Battle of Blackwater Rush by Barristan Selmy's hand."
Sam shook slightly, closed his eyes and then looked to the door they stood beside, "This isn't much but it is the best we can manage." He turned to Aerion, "If you would come with me."
They both smirked, "That won't be necessary."
Sam's eyes widened almost comically though he recovered quickly, "Right then, I'll find you some furs."
Arya and Aerion pushed into the small room that left them only just enough space to move about. They lit a few candles around the room before sitting down side by side. Aerion for the first time in quite some time went into his pack and pulled out his flute and began playing a soft melody that rang against Arya's ears pleasantly.
It was oddly peaceful as they stayed close to one another for warmth as his music pervaded the tiny room. It was as he finished his third piece a good twenty minutes later that Arya finally broke the spell, "Aerion," he pulled the flute from his lips, "there is a story I would like you to tell me, the one about that other girl you kissed."
Aerion looked her in the eye and gave a slight nod before gently laying his flute down upon the ground, "I suppose I could do that." There was a slight apprehension in his voice.
"I thought it best," Arya said almost sheepishly, "tomorrow is the first time I know we are at a disadvantage and if we are to die I want to know this story." They had heard many of each other's stories over the months they had been together, neither keeping much secret. She knew there were still dozens each could tell but only so many held truly great significance, and I know this is one of them for him.
Aerion smiled and leaned over to lay a gentle kiss on her temple, "Alright then, it was nearly two years ago now. It happened on my return journey from Asshai after trying to meet Daenerys, I was tempted to go to Slaver's Bay but decided against it, instead taking a ship to Volantis."
"I was walking along the Long Bridge when I noticed a distraught young woman openly weeping along the side of the street." Aerion paused for a moment, "I was disgusted, no one stopped to discover what disturbed her. They just walked by as though she wasn't even there."
"So you approached her then?" Arya asked with certainty. She knew Aerion far too well to think he would have left her alone.
"I did, she was quite beautiful even with tears falling down her face. She had light brown hair and big green eyes. She was short, probably a head shorter than me and lithe, though quite curvy." Aerion didn't sound forlorn over this woman though there was a sad sort of fondness in his voice.
"She seemed almost frightened of me at first before I asked her what was wrong. She told me her name was Ava, and then babbled quickly about a situation she was having with her brother. The lad, Sorn, was fourteen and she hadn't seen him in days. She was afraid the worst had happened."
"Naturally you offered your help with the situation." Arya interjected, to which Aerion nodded.
"Ava offered to pay me but I refused instead asking if she might be able to provide me lodging within the city while I helped her. She agreed immediately and was happy to give me a room in her home, her parents had passed away a few years before that but she and her brother still lived in the house."
A ghost of a smile crossed over his face, "We spent quite a bit of time together over the next few months, constantly looking into any lead we could find as to her brother's whereabouts. We looked into any of the slaver's asking if they had seen a boy by her brother's description. None had though a few seemed hesitant when they answered."
"On a personal level though, there was definitely a level of attraction between the two of us. I had very little experience with women," he chuckled, "and really that's only changed since I met you. We played around each other for a time, flirting quite often. Until, two weeks before we finally found her brother we kissed, it never progressed any further than that. I genuinely cared about her; she was a sweet woman, if more than a little naïve about the world."
"I would think a woman who lost her parent's at a young age would know a little bit about the struggle." Arya said bluntly.
Aerion snorted, "Most would probably think the same, but her parents were extremely successful in their business ventures and left everything to her and her brother. She was always self-sufficient as her parents didn't believe in owning slaves but she didn't understand how hard the world could be."
"So how did it all fall apart?" Arya truly couldn't fathom how things could break down, when from Aerion's description, the pair greatly cared for one another.
"We were in the slums of Volantis, asking around yet again about her brother, when a beggar overheard us. He was an old man, blind in one eye but he said he had seen the young man we were talking about."
"I'm guessing you were a few coppers lighter in the pockets after that conversation." Arya said knowingly.
"Couple of silvers actually, but I really didn't mind. The man needed the money and I still had more than enough." He looked away for a moment before continuing, "Anyway, he told us that he had seen Sorn two days prior in the company of some shady characters going into an abandoned building in the slums."
"Was he taken by a group of snatchers?" In Arya's time in Volantis she had heard about the snatchers. Groups that took free people unawares, both noble and common, branded them and then sold them off as slaves, often in another city but sometimes in Volantis.
Aerion grimaced, "That is what Ava's fear was, she wanted to go to the building immediately and see if we could still find him but I wouldn't allow it." He chuckled slightly, "She wasn't a fighter, far from it in fact. Things might have gone much differently if I'd let her come along though."
"I sent her home instead and had the beggar take me to the building. It was a ramshackle thing though quite large, and looked as though no one had used it in quite some time. I entered the place quietly blade drawn and looked everywhere but found absolutely nothing. It was as I was leaving that I heard a noise." Aerion rubbed his nose briefly before continuing on.
"There was something beneath me, I found a false wall leading to a staircase and what I found below was appalling." The revulsion was evident in his voice as he continued, "There were ten men and seven women bound along the wall covered in their own piss and shit. I approached cautiously not wanting to frighten them any further than they already were and starting breaking their bonds. The youngest was a boy of no more than eight."
"But Sorn wasn't in their number," His voice was faraway, back in that moment again, "it was when I freed the last of them that I heard footsteps above. The people I freed cowered in a corner of the room while I awaited the snatcher.
"As the owner of those footsteps came into view I recognized him immediately, it was Sorn. I heard more than enough stories about him over the months spent with Ava to know for sure." Aerion shook his head sadly.
Arya understood this wasn't particularly easy to talk about so gave him some time. A minute later he continued, "He saw that his prisoners were gone and immediately went into a panic until he saw me. I didn't even have the chance to talk to him before he came at me sword drawn. It was clear that he didn't have any training, a short fight later and I'd opened him up from clavicle to navel." He drew a line up his own body with the tip of his finger.
"The seventeen captives thanked me profusely and more than one told me he was the cruelest of their jailors. We left the building quickly after that before any more could show up. I carried Sorn's body back to his sister's house and when she saw the state of him she burst into tears." Aerion shook his head again, clearly not fond of the memory, "When she asked me what happened I didn't have the heart to lie to her."
"She refused to believe you didn't she?" Arya rubbed at the back of his neck gently.
Aerion nodded slightly, "She yelled and raged, called me everything she could think of including murderer before throwing me from her home."
"That must have been quite difficult." Arya ran a hand through his hair affectionately.
"It was, I won't lie. She was the first woman I truly felt something for beyond familial bonds. She wasn't what I needed though," He gave Arya that smile he reserved only for her, "I know that now."
"What did you do?"
"I felt like I had failed her," He shook his head ruefully, his voice almost self-deprecating, "even though I know now that I did nothing but tell her the truth. I went into that single-mindedness my mother dislikes so much and spent two months destroying every snatcher organization I could. By the time I left Volantis and headed north for Pentos the streets were far cleaner than they had been."
"I spent only a week in Pentos before going to Norvos and then Lorath, then when I heard news of Daenerys' voyage from Slaver's Bay I traveled back to Pentos where I met you." Arya leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek.
"And I am very glad of it."
"After meeting you, I don't really understand what I saw in Ava. She was a kind woman, and I was truly fond of her but there is a fight in you, a drive that makes you something entirely different. It's something that makes me love you and respect you more than I ever thought possible."
This time when Arya leaned up she caught him full on the lips. Their lips melded together for a time as they reveled in their feelings for one another. It was maybe five minutes later that Arya decided that they weren't close enough for her liking, bringing one leg up she quickly straddled his hips and ground down into his stiffening member. She pushed his furs from his shoulders as he did the same before reaching to untie and lift his shirt over his head.
His skin was warmer than she would have expected. Probably the lingering effects of the dragons blood that flows through his veins. It was as he untied the laces on her trousers that there was a knock at their door.
Arya huffed loudly before leaning down for one last kiss, "We'll finish this later." He smiled lasciviously before grabbing his shirt and pulling it back over his head as they stood up.
Thinking it was likely just Sam with those furs he had promised nearly half an hour ago, Arya opened the door still disheveled from their interrupted physical activities only to find Jon on the other side, though he did have the furs they were promised. The smile on his face broke the second he saw the state of her, "What were you doing in there?"
Arya gave Jon a faux-innocent smile that immediately put him on edge, "We were doing exactly what you would expect of two people in love when they are very much aware that they could die tomorrow."
Jon looked more than a little scandalized that the girl, well young woman, he considered a sister, even if she was really his cousin, would be so blasé about such a thing. But Arya wasn't finished, "Perhaps you should find someone to warm your furs Jon. If the looks you were throwing a certain purple eyed woman earlier were anything to go by, I think I know exactly who you would like that to be." From the slight flicker in Jon's eye, Arya knew she hit her mark. Of course she didn't know that he and the Queen had spent much of their time together flirting back and forth.
Jon sputtered a moment, but recovered far better than Arya would have expected, "That isn't funny Arya." Though she noted that he didn't make some half assed attempt to say it was against his vows. Fat lot of good vows like that will do him when the Wall isn't there to defend.
Arya cracked a big smile, "Oh but I wasn't joking dear brother, I was doing exactly what I said I was and think you should go and do the same."
Jon glared over Arya's shoulder at a seemingly unaffected Aerion before returning his attention to Arya, "It's brother again now huh?"
The smile fell from Arya's face to be replaced by a far more serious look, "Targaryen or Stark, you will always be my brother Jon." She gave him a hug just as fierce as the one she had given him in the Great Hall. As they pulled away from one another they were both smiling, "How are you handling that?"
Jon went to speak a moment but closed his mouth. He did this three times before finally speaking, "Daenerys told me the full story. I am glad that my mother and father truly loved one another and I am not the product of some desperate act of fucking just before battle." He gave her a pointed a look that she ignored, "To know that my mother loved me so much that her very last act was ensuring my safety is… awe-inspiring. It will take me time to fully accept everything but it is good to finally know the truth." There was a slight wetness to his eyes that Arya kindly ignored as she stepped to the side of the doorway to allow him entrance.
"Now please come and join us, I want to hear all about what has happened to you over the years. Oh," She gestured to the other occupant of the room, "and this is Aerion Ormthair, we are the Queen's Champions and more as I'm sure you can gather."
Jon stuck out his hand and it was clear as they clasped he was trying for the older brother act. Aerion merely smiled and clenched his hand harder. After a tense moment they released and Aerion smiled, "Very nice to meet you Jon, I have heard a great deal about you over the past couple of months."
Jon returned the smile although it looked far less genuine, "I look forward to learning about you Aerion."
Arya decided to stop that, "So I take it with you here the Queen has taken Drogon to help with the march further south?"
"Yes they were prepared when we arrived; they didn't have much to pack after all. They left immediately after her arrival." He paused a moment, "So, tell me where you've been the past five years."
And just like with Sansa in the Vale, she told him some of what happened over the past five years. As she expected Jon wasn't afraid of her when she told him of her time with the Faceless Men. Then again he wasn't sympathetic like Sansa either; instead, he was impressed that Arya managed to not only survive but excel at the assassin's training. He was extremely happy to find that Arya still had Needle. There was a grim satisfaction when she told him of her list and its completion.
Aerion told his story as well when prompted by the older man. Jon certainly seemed impressed when he heard of his tutelage under Ser Barristan, his defeat of the Mountain, and winning in a melee of sorts against both Garlan and Loras Tyrell. That didn't stop Jon from doing the annoying, at least in Arya's opinion, older brother routine.
Jon of course started with the usual glare that older brother's tried to use on their sister's potential suitor, "If you hurt her I guarantee that you will find Ghost looming over your bed in the dead of night." Arya resisted the urge to reach over and slap Jon on the back of his head but she realized that she also enjoyed the fact that they were together again so he could actually give this little warning.
Aerion seemed entirely unperturbed by the threat, "Sansa told me much the same though she didn't have the direwolf to make her point," This was news to Arya though she wasn't particularly surprised, "and I will tell you exactly what I told her. I have no intention of hurting Arya, I love her more deeply than I have ever loved anybody in my entire life and nothing is going to change that."
Jon studied him for a long moment before giving a single nod of his head. Aerion smirked, "Besides I believe you will have to get in line if I should do something to hurt Arya, I think I will have a pissed off assassin, her extremely protective direwolf, and a sister with more cunning than I expected to contend with before you and Ghost get to destroy whatever bones remain of me." Everybody laughed at that, knowing that was the truth.
Arya decided to end the course of the conversation. Jon got to play the intimidating older brother, time to get back on topic. "So how about you Jon, what stories do you have over the past six years?"
And so he told them of Benjen Stark's disappearance, his induction into the Watch, the great ranging led by Lord Commander Mormont. He spoke fondly of his time with the wildlings, particularly the woman Ygritte who he broke his vows with. He spoke of the battle at the Wall, becoming Lord Commander and making the decision to let the Free Folk into the realm. Then he spoke of the attempted coup, "I had just received a letter supposedly from Ramsay Bolton telling me of 'you' and Stannis' defeat at Winterfell. I planned to take as many black brothers and Free Folk as would volunteer to retake Winterfell and kill Bolton's bastard son."
He looked off into the distance, "They attacked me in the snow and darkness just as Wun Wun, a giant, attacked one of Selyse's men, Ser Patrek. I was able to draw Longclaw and fight off the first few of them, before one of them stabbed me through the shoulder. The second blade pierced my thigh."
"How did you survive?" Arya had heard rumor of this supposed mutiny but didn't realize it had been such a close thing.
"A little bit of luck and the help of the Free Folk who had come to respect me. Leathers, a wildling turned brother helped fight off those around me before Ghost burst into the yard and tore out the throat of Bowen Marsh, our First Steward. The other conspirators were forced to surrender." Jon finished with a shrug.
"What did you do with them?" Aerion asked.
"I did the only thing I could do. First, I delayed my attack on the Bolton's. Then I held all the captured would be killers in ice cells until they gave me the names of every man who conspired to see me murdered before beheading over a dozen men myself. There were no uprisings after that, and the Night's Watch lost more than one good man. By the time I finally dealt with the situation we received news that Stannis was still heading toward Winterfell, by way of Jeyne Poole's arrival at Castle Black. She was still claiming to be you." He gestured toward Arya.
"Things could have ended up much worse." Arya said quietly.
Jon gave her a small smile, "They could have but they didn't."
"So what happened with the Others after that?"
The smile left Jon's face, "They reached the Wall in force. More than once we fought them when they would come in the dead of night. We rained down dragonglass arrows and fire with as much frequency as we could manage. I wanted to freeze the tunnels but the chill in the air meant it would freeze before the water could actually reach the passageways we intended to flood."
"So we fought them in the tunnels, with torches and steel for the wights and giant spiders while dragonglass daggers were reserved for the Others. Thousands died over the years, but fortunately they wouldn't attack every night and the Lady Melisandre did a great deal to help our efforts." He shivered slightly rather from the cold or from some memory, Arya couldn't tell, "She could manipulate fire in ways I couldn't imagine. It's probably the reason she has chosen to stay for the fight."
Jon gave a shuddering breath, "And then it happened not a week ago. The Others broke the Wall, how I don't know, but it would be my guess that they found the true Horn of Joramun, or used their own magics to see it done."
"Every man and woman on the Wall died as it came crashing down. We were fortunate that the portion near Castle Black crashed mostly toward the north, sparing many of the occupants. The people further east weren't so fortunate. The shattered pieces crushed seven of the castles and killed thousands instantly. From what we heard, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea was pushed into the Bay of Seals with men and women still inside."
Arya squeezed his arm in comfort, "So you gathered what survivors you could and retreated here as quickly as you possible could, marching day and night."
"Correct," He replied succinctly, "by the time we arrived we put a three days between us and them but we were exhausted. We had to take refuge here at Last Hearth. I sent that letter off claiming they were two days from us because I figured that would be the case by the time it reached Stannis, I never imagined dragons would be my reinforcements." Jon said with a disbelieving shake of his head.
"Yes well I imagine that was quite the surprise." Arya paused a moment before asking a question she definitely wanted an answer to, "So why did you sign your letter as former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch?"
"Honestly, I haven't considered myself such since the attempt on my life four years ago. My closest friends followed me willingly but many of the other brother's only listened to me because of the loyalty shown to me by the Free Folk. With the Wall gone my vows mean nothing. I still command only because others respect me, no other reason." Jon didn't seem saddened by this fact, but it was quite obvious to her that leadership suited him. He and Robb always had a knack for it.
"Well then with no vows of celibacy you are free to pursue a platinum haired Queen." That all too common mischievousness entered her eye as Jon rolled his.
Jon flushed slightly before turning indignant, "Arya she is my aunt by blood."
"That's truem=, there is no denying that," Arya gave Jon a sideways glance that set him on edge, "but you weren't raised that way, she is no more your relative than Viserys Targaryen was. Really she is just a beautiful woman, and Queen, who seems to have taken a liking to. There are certainly worse things in the world Jon."
"The practice of incest brought the Targaryen dynasty low." Jon sounded far more like he was trying to convince himself than anything else.
Arya sighed, not surprised by Jon's reluctance, "A mad man brought the Targaryen dynasty low and I would remind you that our grandparents on the Stark side were cousins Jon, their relation not that much different than yours and Dany's. Just… don't let foolish pride turn you against something that could be great. Death marches at our door, might as well find what happiness you can however brief."
Jon was silent for a long moment before speaking slowly, "She is amazing, even my brief time with her made that apparent." A small smile broke across his face, "I will give you this much Arya, should the Queen show any genuine interest in me I will not actively repress any feelings I might develop for her."
"In truth, I find the woman stunning and extremely pleasant company." He finished with a chuckle.
"I never would have guessed." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice to which Jon only chuckled in response.
They spoke only a little longer before Jon stood, "It is late, far later than we should be up before a battle. I will leave you to rest for the night." He went to walk away but paused in the doorway, "It is going to be odd being above the battlefield instead of in the thick of things on the ground."
The pair bid him farewell; Aerion and Jon's was far more genial than their greetings at the beginning of the conversation. When the pair was alone again they stripped down to nothing and crawled beneath the furs allowing their body heat to keep them warm in the cold of the castle. They spent half an hour finishing what Jon interrupted before sleep claimed them.
The pair woke up early the next morning as was their custom, though one couldn't tell day had broken looking outside. The ever encroaching darkness, the cover that will allow the Others to walk the world day and night before all light is driven out. Arya was not a follower of the Red God but she very much believed that the Others would be the end of everything good if not stopped.
When Arya and Aerion reached the Great Hall, there was only one person there, far better rested than someone in that environment for so long had a right to be.
While Lady Selyse fled south with the rest of the women and children, Melisandre stayed. Currently, she sat in a nondescript chair toward the far end of a long table that had very little food actually placed upon it when one considered the number of people currently housed there. Unsurprising considering the Winter, it's a miracle they have this much to provide. The woman had only a piece of bread and cheese on her plate and a goblet of water in her hand. She smiled serenely at them as they entered the hall.
As she spoke the words seemed to roll off her tongue in that exotic accent Asshai'I accent of hers, "It seems I'm not the only person in the castle who wakes so early."
"Habit," Was the pair's one word reply as they sat down at the table near the Red Woman.
She looked at both Arya and Aerion appraisingly before finally speaking, "Tell me Arya Stark," Arya's head snapped up from the piece of bread she was currently buttering, "how is it that someone who has spent much of her life serving the Great Other comes to fight his worldly servants?" There was no accusation in her voice, though there was a certain edge to her question.
Arya was well acquainted with the Red Priests but from what she had heard Melisandre was the most fervent of the faith. She looked at the beautiful older woman, "The god I served went by many names, the Great Other among them. I gave the gift to dozens of men and women during my service but that wasn't because I wanted to see the world fall into the darkness for all time." Arya stared hard into Melisandre's Red eyes.
"Then why do it at all Lady Arya?"
"Necessity," Arya said sharply, "and in my younger years no small amount of anger. I learned many things serving the Many-Faced God, the most important was simple. Death comes for us all but we can fight with every scrap of our being to hold its grip at bay." Her voice was as strong as the wind's that battered the castles outside, "I have every intention of doing just that."
Surprisingly, Melisandre smiled, "An interesting answer and not what I expected. You served Death and in doing so developed a greater respect for life. You are an intriguing woman, Arya Stark."
Aerion chuckled beside her drawing Melisandre's attention, "Why do you laugh?"
Aerion didn't stop immediately, something the Priestess likely wasn't used to here in Westeros but a few moments later when his soft laughter died out he returned her gaze, "I was not laughing at your statement for what it was Lady Melisandre. I laughed because I have been thinking that exact same thing since the moment I met her." This caused the red woman to laugh lightly. Arya leaned over to peck him on the cheek as they went back to eating.
As they ate others walked into the hall, Jon first among them. He introduced Arya and Aerion to Pyp and Grenn, his former black brothers. They made pleasant conversation before moving out into the yard in order to prepare for the coming battle. Every tent and fur in the castle was packed and put on the ten horses that had been kept with the army for the explicit purpose of carrying such things.
There was a light snow in the dark afternoon, as men sparred in the yard to keep themselves loose for the battle. Looking around both Arya and Aerion were impressed by the skill shown by the Free Folk. They had certainly learned something of proper fighting techniques over the years spent under Jon's command. They were better with the dragonglass weapons than any of the Northerners still present.
Daggers weren't swords they required an entirely different sort of skill, one that Arya had in spades. Luckily I will have the advantage of Blackfyre in my hand for the entirety of the fight. She was running a whetstone over the curve of her wolf dagger though the weapon didn't truly need it. It held its edge nearly as well as Valyrian steel after all. I certainly hope that this will work as well against the Others as true obsidian.
Aerion walked up beside her small beads of sweat on his forehead despite the col d. She gave him a stern look that he truly wasn't expecting, "You will be sure to have a dragonglass dagger with you during the fight." Her tone brokered no argument.
"I'll carry one love, I have no intention of risking my life hoping that my sword will work as well as Valyrian steel against the Others." The brief moment of tension broke as Arya reached up to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow.
"Just making sure you knew." She looked around the yard, "So how was the fighting? I was kind of in my own world over here."
"Sigorn of Thenn, Alys's husband, was quite skilled. A little slow but otherwise a very good fighter. Val is the first woman I've fought besides you in quite some time and I must say she wields a spear with the same sort of skill as an Unsullied."
"However the best fighter of the bunch was by far your brother. He wields that bastard blade with a talent born of much use and practice. I would say of all the men I've fought he was one of the best, certainly on par with Harry Hardyng." Aerion's analysis was calculated and genuine, not something he said just to please Arya by complementing her favorite brother.
"Jon always was better with the blade than Robb, if he wasn't believed to be a bastard he likely would have been fostered in the south, squired with some Noble Lord, and been given a knighthood years ago."
"Well the path he has taken may have been far more difficult but he seems all the better for it."
Arya smiled, "That he does." She stood drawing Blackfyre at the same time, "Now I think you and I should have a quick spar love." She finished with a wink. They spent the next half-hour doing just that before retiring back into the castle for one more meal before nightfall.
Daenerys arrived back to the castle just as their forces were preparing to leave. Jon atop Viserion cleared a good portion of the snow beyond the walls to give them a better foothold to fight upon. The dragons would sweep in from the west and unleash as much fire as they could upon the wights. They didn't know what kind of magic the Others might employ to counteract the dragons but they were prepared nonetheless. Jon stood before the entire army to give a brief speech, "Any wight that makes it through the dragon fire can be killed by the torches some of you hold or by severing their heads from their body."
"The Others themselves are another matter entirely, they are hard to see as they wear armor of translucent ice and their swords are so cold they shatter common steel like glass. Stick them hard and stick them deep with the dragonglass." The noise rose at those words, "We can hold out the night, we can keep the people relying on us now safe and come the morning we will fall back knowing that we did what was necessary to fight the darkness!" He finished his speech with a yell that went up among their ranks like wildfire in a forest.
They didn't have to wait long after that before the army of the dead eclipsed the mounds of snow. Even in the darkness they could be seen. The wights with their cold blue eyes that seemed to burn with their own inner light, but it was the Others atop their giant ice spiders that drew Arya's attention. They had a terrible sort of beauty to them, even at a distance that was evident. Their pale skin shown in the darkness as their bluish white hair seemed to flow in a nonexistent wind, their features were sharp and were it not for their otherworldliness Arya would think every one she could see a beautiful human.
There was an eerie silence on the soon to be battlefield, it was broken by a scream from one of the myths atop their spiders. It sounded like ice shattering and urged the army forward. It was met by a dragon's roar and a torrent of flame as battle began.
AN: So initially I had every intention of the first big fight against the Others happening in this chapter but I decided against it. It will be at the start of the next chapter instead.
Hope everybody liked the chapter. As always leave a review if you want and thank you for reading.