A/N: A crossover chapter I hope you enjoy. I'm not dead!
A blizzard hurls through the northern lands beyond the wall freezing Milkwater, the Haunted Forest, and wildling settlements snowing residents in their communities. Darkness descends on two lone figures trudging through snow striding against strong wind threatening to send them flying off the hillside. Ghost trails Jon and Tormund as they descend the other side noticing a distant light illuminating a village. "The community ahead requested help at Hardhome. Their leaders sent a raven out weeks before my return."
"The letter claimed it was urgent. Let's get down there make sure the people are alright." Jon descends the mountain guided by distant dimming light. "Ghost don't stray too far." Ghost leads the duo down the mountain racing ahead. The pair walk through the community gates examining the barren wood shacks lining miles up the road. They approach the torches hanging above the largest shack in the village center glancing at the darkness in the surrounding area.
The duo enter the shack seeing several Thenn scattered in different sections of the shack. A Thenn enters through the back door throwing logs on the fire into the central pit." For fucks sake ranger its about time you showed up we've been help up for days."
"Where are the rest of your people?"
"We were attacked by rival tribesmen wanting nothing more than to cut our heads off and place them on spikes in front of our wives and children on the other side of the ridge two nights ago." One of them speaks.
"That doesn't explain where your people went."
Tormund says. The Thenn who lived here vanished having abandoned town sometime ago. Tormund had seen villages vacated before where the occupants took every possession they had leave the village bare. This village still had everything intact including belongings which meant they would be returning at a later time.
"Sent them with our horses and supplies told em to go to neighboring communities to the south."
"You should leave. Reunite with your people we'll handle it from here." Jon says heading to the exit. He'd been here less than a few minutes and already felt on edge wondering why these Thenn decided to remain behind while sending their people to villages located to the south. How will the neighboring communities react knowing they'll have to take care of these Thenn.
"We're not going anywhere. This is our home we'll not be driven away as cowards would."
Jon and Tormund leave the village walking up the mountain path's western trail descending the steep ridge. The pair trot for hours noticing the sun rising over the east ridge. They approach the rival Thenn community halting upon getting a closer view. The town is charred leaving few structures intact. Smoke rises out the black wood crumbling in the snow. Jon kneels removing a glove touching the smoking wood embers, "the fire happened before dawn." He glances at human carcasses sprawled across the snow burning out within the village limits.
"Doesn't make much sense if any at all Snow. They took out their neighbors. There should be a banquet going on don't suppose they got too shit faced burning down the village." Tormund says walking around the square examining every part of the town re-examining the human carcass buried underneath the charred debris.
Jon rises off a knee placing the glove on looking around the Thenn village finding the circumstance odd, "unless another group raided them its the only conclusion I got."
The duo search the burned town splitting up to cover more ground. Jon strides through the village finding incinerated bodies in their houses. None of the burnt corpses were placed outside as if they were quarantined. He'd seen sickness before where people had to be locked away from others in order to prevent a spread. This quarantine is different. It appeared that the occupants containing the sickness were burned before the rest of the village—the fire originated from here.
"Snow get over here!" Tormund hauls a carcass through the ice throwing it at the ranger's feet.
Jon folds arms examining the burnt carcass unable to decipher what it was. "This doesn't look like anything I've come across."
Tormund covers his nose, "reeks like shit. This was the only body intact I could find the rest are burned beyond recognition." They inspect the animal closer noting its resemblance to a hound with humanoid arms draped across the sternum. "This is the ugliest fucking animal I've seen."
"We'll haul it back to the other village. They can tell us more about what happened two nights ago and maybe whatever this is."
Tormund hands Jon a rope grabbing hold of the other after strapping it down. "I fucking hate Thenns." The pair track their way east pondering the strange occurrences silently.
The Thenn scrounge the remaining food around town meeting back in the central shack serving as their barracks surrounding a fire warming themselves. Jon and Tormund open the doors fighting against the wind.
"Shut that fucking door!" Thenn assist the pair shouting to shut the doors.
A Thenn moves out the way protecting their fire from dying as Jon and Tormund face them. "What happened to those cannibal bastards? Did you two clear em out?"
"No their village as burnt to the ground before we arrived. There's two explanations; first you're lying about the Thenn's raiding this settlement and burned theirs to the ground after sending your people south." Jon crosses arms pacing the floor glancing at the the Thenns. "Second you're telling the truth and whoever is responsible remains at large."
"I swear by the old gods we're telling you the truth ranger. We would be gone had we burned their village down." A Thenn says.
"Good let those fuckers rot in hell." Another adds.
"I believe you had nothing to do with what happened to the west settlement. It doesn't explain why you'd go through all the trouble covering it up. Besides the circumstances how the Thenns at the other village does is suspicious."
"All you found were charred corpses huh?"
Tormund rips off the covering revealing what they found. The smell takes over the room causing the Thenn to cover their noses staring at the burnt corpse the duo brought back from the other settlement.
The Thenn recoil stepping away, "the fuck is that? That a dog of some sorts?"
"I don't know what it is. Its the only remaining corpse we found intact and my only lead."
"Fuck thats the worst smell."
Tormund takes a headcount of the group, "there were seven of you this morning now there's six. Where'd your buddy run off to?"
"Gael? He left couple hours ago. Claimed there were more Thenn camping out in the caves on the northern ridge."
"We'll check it out. Watch this until we return we should be back before sundown." Jon and Tormund leave as the Thenn stare at the corpse pondering what kind of animal it could be.
Tormund and Jon use wired climbing harnesses scaling the mountainside to keep from running out of daylight. Jon grabs the top of the mountain summit pulling himself up waiting Tormund's ascent. The harness nearly gives way as Tormund clutches the side of the mountain. Jon reaches a hand down grabbing onto Tormund's pulling him up before the line snaps. The duo stop outside the cave entrance igniting torches proceeding on.
They halt coming to a large cave with a three meter wide gap that looks as if was covered in an attempt to hide whatever resides here. Jon wedges a torch between a crevice following the blood trail to Gael's body half crushed beneath a boulder.
Tormund glances above noticing rocks shift, "bastard didn't see it coming. Same will happen to us if we don't hurry."
The pair march toward a strange ice formation unlike any seen before. Jon places a hand on the snow walking along the formation noticing metal beneath it. Tormund climbs on the ledge gaining a better viewing angle, "Snow get up here there's a way inside the ice." Jon leaps off the ledge landing on top staring down into the circular hovercraft.
"Throw me a torch." Jon snatches the flaming wood illuminating the interior. "Keep watch I'm going to look inside."
Jon descends into the spaceship raising his torch searching around the darkness. He'd been in every situation during his tenure with the Night's Watch. There are mystic things he's seen behind the wall that defied comprehension after leaving Winterfell. Everything he encountered had a story, a history someone had seen or heard before—There are no stories written about this. Jon moves electrical circuits out the way stepping on glass finding dozens of containers.
Jon walks through a tightly spaced corridor finding a half closed door. He shoves an arm in prying it open illuminating the smaller room. The chamber is covered in panels, circuitboards and screen monitors things he can't comprehend at the moment. He notes a chair feet away making his way to it. Jon turns the seat placing a hand on Longclaw withdrawing noticing the humanoid corpse frozen beyond recognition.
The ranger stumbles rushing the way he came climbing out the spacecraft finding Tormund standing by the exit. "Get a move on Snow ceilings coming down." Jon jumps to the ledge evading falling boulders diving past another escaping the collapsing cave.
"This doesn't sit right with me." Tormund says preparing their harness gear and repelling lines handing Jon his. Nothing sat right with Jon since they arrived at the Thenn village.
"What do you mean Tormund?"
"Since we got here things aren't adding up. You nearly got crushed by boulders and can't prep your gear right. What did you see in there Snow?"
"Nothing I have an answer for right now. After seeing the shit today I just have more questions." Jon steps to the ledge hooks to the cliff side, "much as I hate to admit I'd rather be facing the dead than this. At least with them I knew what I was up against."
The pair regroup with the Thenns walking to their table as one uses a dagger dissecting the creature they brought from the western village. "You might want to stand back rangers the smell will kill ya." A Thenn says resting against the wall.
"I ain't a fucking ranger." Tormund stands next to the Thenns curious to the current situation as much as they were.
"You're cutting this animal open?"
Yahir nods standing aside allowing Jon to view the carcass and its organs spread on the table. "Its got the internal organs of a hound except," Yahir grabs a set of organs inside the creature slamming them down, "these are human organs. You should know ranger from all the enemies you killed."
"This hound ate the people at the village. That explains its size and the reason why it was found dead among the villagers."
"That's a perfect assessment you're in the right for thinking that until I found these—" Jon and the others step closer examining Yahir's findings. "A human heart mixed with a hounds and something else I don't recognize."
"How's that possible? You're saying this hound is part human?"
"Exactly. What I'm saying isn't possible...Its almost as if this hound was attempting to become human itself assimilating in better terms."
"Cut the shit! You're telling me this animal was turning human?"
Yahir leans over the table still unsure what he's seeing meeting Tormund's gaze. "There is no other way to explain how a human heart ended up in a hound."
"Most likely its a warlock's experiment having crossed the land bridge thousands of years ago remaining frozen until recently." A Thenn says.
"I don't think any human created this, if they did then may the Old Gods curse us all." Yahir glances at his comrade examining the heart closely. He snatches it out his hand wiping his gloves on a cloth, "in any case this creature could've originated out east, we'll never know."
Jon remains silent watching Yahir place the organs inside the creature's body. "Burn this immediately." Jon glances out the wall seeing the sun descend past the mountain killing their light. "We'll stay here the night. Tomorrow we'll head off to recover your people and the ones who were living in the western settlement."
Jon notices Ghost outside running through the snow disappearing in the blizzard picking up. "Where are you going?" Beau asks.
"Going to check out the kennels. If this is a sickness going around affecting dogs we need to know."
"That's no dog sickness."
"Maybe not, still have to check it out."
The Thenn pile out the door followed by Jon and Tormund who remain silent after their findings earlier in the day. Jon was still most in shock about finding an unknown object in the cavern unable to fathom what it could be. Tormund ignored everything he'd seen so far wanting nothing more than to leave the isolated village returning to Hardhome. They can only assume the rest of the Thenn are just as shocked by the findings unable to come to grips with the situation. The group strides through the snow to the edge of town heading toward the dog kennel.
A dog cuddles next to another getting warm as five others find their own spots in the kennel. The dogs run to one side of the kennel witnessing a lone dog shake uncontrollably bleeding out the mouth. Small tentacles burst through a dog's side wrapping around another dog spraying it in brown liquid earning a squeal from it. The dogs bark loudly lining up against the opposite wall as the bleeding dog's face splits open wrapping another tendril around the wet dog dragging him toward it.
Silas Leonel Yahir Amos Beau
Leonel sprints toward the kennel hearing barking unlocking the kennel sliding it open as two dogs run out past the group. Leonel shines the torch in the kennel's depth backing away at the sight. The hairless brown dog rises showing its large body, a giant eye opens on the dog's stomach. The dog roars halting the group's tracks as they shine torches on the Thing unable to comprehend what they were seeing.
Silas grabs the inner kennel door before being halted by Yahir and Beau. Jon and Tormund step to the front seeing the Thing's side open revealing a secondary mouth. Jon tosses his torch at the Thing igniting it on fire causing it to roar attaching long claws on the roof beams as the others throw their torches at the Thing. The group witness the Thing burn letting out a roar unable to escape the fire spreading to the sides of the kennel. The group leave the building watching the place go up in flames.
"What the fuck was that?" Silas questions. The group remain silent watching the dog kennel crumble burning to the ground before walking back the way they came. "Answer me what the fuck was that?"
"I don't know what it was. I can only tell you what we found earlier today." Jon says.
"It has to have something to do with that fucking thing you brought back from the village." Yahir says running a hand over his scalp. "Fuck whatever you found ranger, this is what matters."
"We got to get it the fuck out of here." Beau points at the dissected creature on the table.
"I'll go." Silas adjusts his leg splint slinging the carcass over a shoulder leaving the others. Jon sits in a corner surveying the resting Thenn sharpening Longclaw using a whetstone. He was told through the years a Valyrian blade doesn't need sharpening still he continues the routine. Wether to pass time, keep sanity or avoid sleep is still a mystery to him. Jon halts the sharpening hearing noises outside the shack. He stills keeping Longclaw at his side as the others wake. Silas slams the door shut limping to an empty spot leaning against the wall.
"For fucks sake where were you Silas?" Nasir asks standing over him stretching his legs.
"Get off my back I burned the body like you guys wanted."
"What took so long?" Yahir questions across the way.
Silas sits up straighter realizing all eyes are on him, "I was taking a shit. Look I burned the ugly fuck go have a look if you want."
Jon watches the others settle into their spots keeping an eye on Salis. "You were wearing a leg splint earlier. I didn't see you take it off since we arrived early this morning."
Silas returns Jon's glare, "whats it to you? Got uncomfortable so I took it off."
"You could barley walk two nights earlier when Yahir first applied it. You're telling us you rid of it to get more comfortable. I wouldn't have strength to walk should that have happened to me." Leonel says biting into a chicken leg.
Salis shifts glancing at the others staring at him, "what the fuck are you accusing me of?"
"Where's your leg splint Salis?" Yahir asks.
"I fucking told you alright! Its outside where I threw the shit off."
"Alright thats all we needed to know. No need to get hostile."
"No!" Salis stands using the wall, "I burn the body that reeked of shit, can barley stand and I'm accused of removing a fucking splint."
Salis confronts Leonel as Yahir stands between them. Nasir, Beau and Amos separate the group. Salis reads a strike elbowing Amos's head sending crashing to the floor. The Thenns holler at each other as Beau rushes kneeling out his nose. "Fuck Salis look what you've done. Fuck fuck fuck!"
"Get up Amos I barley hit you."
Yahir rests an ear on Amos's chest. "Goddamnit you son of a bitch why now of all times?"
"What's wrong with him?" Jon asks watching the Thenn clear the table hoisting Amos on top.
"He's going into cardiac arrest its a heart attack." Yahir cuts through Amo's furs placing hands chest pushing rapidly as the others mount torches illuminating the shack.
"No one gets in a condition like that after a hit." Tormund says standing behind the Thenns.
"He's got a heart deficiency, he was born with it." Beau replies tossing the furs aside.
"Back up give him some air." Yahir chuckles seeing life return to his comrade. "That's it friend come back, come on back—" Yahir screams as his hands melt into Amos's skin. Green tendrils wrap around his forearms burning through them. Amos's head splits open revealing a separate jaw biting into Yahir's neck spraying blood on the floor. The Thenns grab hold of Yahir's body dragging across the shack.
Jon slashes a torch sending it tumbling onto Amos's metamorphosing corpse. The others watch the flames burn Amos covering their ears hearing a scream. Whatever lay on the table wasn't Amos nor human or animal. Nothing on earth creates a bloodcurdling sound that scared hardened soldiers into terrified children. They watch Amos's body twitch succumbing to the flames as the screams fade.
Jon throws the door open filtering smoke out the shack tossing a covering to the Thenns as they put out the small fires in an attempt to contain it. Amos's neck rips from its body sprouting tentacles to stand on slithering toward the exit. Tormund notices the creature halt staring at them. "Well I'll be fucking a giantesses tits."
The group turn toward the door unable to fathom seeing their former comrade's decapitated head mutated beyond recognition. Tormund throws a torch igniting the creature as another scream shakes the room. Jon impales the Thing unwilling to let it escape.
The ranger shuts the door keeping Longclaw at his side. "Let us through!" Naris halts the group glaring at the former lord commander.
Jon grips a rope raising Longclaw. "No ones leaving here tonight. Any one of us can be that Thing. Until we find out who we're not going anywhere."
"For all we know you could be that Thing trapping us in here with you."
"Guess we'll find out soon enough."
Jon finishes tying up the five men tugging at the knot ensuring they wouldn't go anywhere. Jon unsheathes a dagger cutting each man's finger placing blood into bowls settling them on the table.
"This is a bunch of horseshit. This doesn't prove anything." Leonel says struggling to free himself.
"We know this Thing assimilates a host. All it took was one touch from your comrade to take over. This means if you're infected your blood will react to a threat predictably as Amos's body did," Jon grabs a torch holding it over the table, "the one weakness we know will draw it out and kill it is fire." Jon cuts his finger dropping blood in a bowl lowering the flame.
"Alright your next." The torch burns the bowl releasing steam. Jon strides over to the group cutting Naris free. "Your clean." He hands Naris a torch telling him to keep watch on the others. Beau, Tormund, Leonel, and Salis stare at the blood bowls on the table awaiting their turn. Jon holds a small bowl up surprising the group, "this is Yahir's blood, he came into contact with Amos last." He torches the bowl glancing at Yahir's corpse draped across the table.
"That's not right. Yahir should be infected we all saw him resuscitating Amos." Naris says. The Thenn shift uncomfortably recalling Amos's corpse turning into something magical eating Yahir then proceeding to attempt to eat the rest of everyone.
"It can't assimilate dead tissue. That or it wants to remain hidden until it chooses." Whatever this Thing is it possesses intelligence resembling a human or beyond considering their circumstance.
Jon moves to Salis causing Beau to struggle as Naris raises his sword halting his comrade's move. "This is a waste of time. A shit way to handle this situation."
"Its understandable you feel that way. You were the one who touched Amos aside from Yahir, I'll save you till last—" The blood leaps away from the fire landing on the floor slithering toward toward the group.
Salis shakes uncontrollably moving the chairs. His eyes leak blood popping out their sockets as the jawbone breaks spilling black vile. The group holler attempting to free themselves. Jon's torch extinguished leaving him scrambling to reignite it keeping his eyes on the emerging Thing. "Burn it for gods sake burn it!" Leonel screams as Salis's feet burst through the floorboards lifting up the others.
Naris breaks out his stupor raising torch and sword missing a lunge. The Salis-Thing attaches to the ceiling landing in Naris's path. "For fucks sake burn the fucker! Burn it!" Naris lowers his sword witnessing Salis-Thing's head split down the center wrapping a tendril around his throat. Naris drops the torch screaming as he's hoisted in the air kicking wildly knocking over mounted torches darkening the shack.
"Fuck Naris no." Beau shouts.
Naris is thrown against the far wall draped in blood. Jon ignites his torch shoving it in Salis-Thing's sternum setting the creature ablaze. The group stills watching the Thing smash through the wall screaming into the darkness. Jon strides after the creature hurling a bag of powder taking cover from the explosion sending loose wall planks barreling through the shack.
The Naris-Thing growls facing the shook group staring at the approaching flame. Jon tosses the torch on it stepping away in slight awe watching the Thing burn silently almost as if it was trying to understand what it was or what it's purpose was.
Jon lowers the flame on the remaining bowls clearing the group cutting them free. "We're getting out of here burn the bodies first." The group hauls carcasses outside tossing them in the fire. They march against the southern storm halting at the mountain's base.
"There was a path here earlier." Tormund says. Snow hails down the mountainside covering the trails making them inaccessible.
"We wait until morning. The storm should pass by then."
"Alright follow me. We can seek refuge at our old tavern. Isn't much but its the best we got." Leonel leads the group to an abandoned tavern lighting torches illuminating their surroundings.
"Stay here." Jon says staring outside into the village seeing movement in the near distance. Jon ties a rope to a nearby post walking in the darkness.
Beau Leonel and Tormund warm themselves around the fire pit in the taverns center. The trio sit in silence staring at the dancing flames. "There's gotta be something to drink here." Tormund rummages through cabinets and shelves throwing aside pitchers and cups.
"You won't find anything here friend. Our people took most of everything."
"I'll find something, always do." Beau buries his face pounding his head repeatedly. Leonel snatches Beau's fists letting go after a moment. Beau sighs wiping away tears pacing the room. "I hate Thenn. Can't say the same for your drinks."
"Aye we know how to make a proper northern drink unlike the Hornfoots."
"You found something? Is it water?"
"Fuck water I drink wine or a good ale."
"How can you drink at a time like this? Our comrades are dead yours might be as well. None of that bothers you? That Thing doesn't worry you either?"
"Nope." Tormund chugs the ale offering it to the pair finishing the rest noticing their somber moods.
"Why do men drink anyway?"
"Should you hold your liquor it gives you courage. We drink because we're scared. Every soldiers who's fought in a war knows fear and if they tell you any different their lying. You'd be a fool not be scared." Tormund stands tossing the cup as the door threatens to barge open.
The three walk around the tavern keeping watch outside wondering what the ranger ran off after. There is nothing outside that can survive the harsh blizzard coming in. For all they knew everyone was dead and no one was the Thing. They couldn't take the chance if one of them was it infecting others when they get out of here.
The trio approach the door slowly hearing Jon's muffled voice from the other side. Beau and Leonel bar the door as Tormund cracks it open slightly noticing Jon covered in ice shivering uncontrollably. "Let me in Tormund there's someone else out here."
"There's no one else out here but us Snow you said it yourself."
Jon nods showing Tormund the rope and dead torch, "I did. I saw something heading toward the north ridge lost it in the storm."
Tormund glances at the others who remain silent, "why do you think they were heading for the northern ridge?"
"Let me in Tormund."
"Can't do that Snow."
Jon withdraws Longclaw slashing partway through the door lock shoulder ramming inside hovering Longclaw at his throat. "You should've let me in." Jon says walking the others toward the fire.
"How do we know you're not one of those Things?"
"Want me to take another blood test?"
"He's clean." Leonel lowers his arms staring at a half frozen Jon, "had he been one of them he would've killed us the moment he broke through the door."
"You said you saw something heading to the northern ridge?" Tormund asks.
"Lost it when the storm picked up. Whatever it is its still out there."
"We should wait until morning when the storm passes we'll have a better chance of survival." Beau says.
Jon sheathes Longclaw, "the storm isn't ending it could last a couple more days."
"We won't last there's no food, limited water and we got few torches left."
Jon unstraps three bags of powders handing them out. "Throw these first then your torch it should be enough to take it out."
The group leave the tavern heading north surveying abandoned houses and shacks peaking inside before moving on branching in different directions. Jon searches a house hearing creaks inside. He holds Longclaw in a hand and a torch in the other weaving his way through overturned furniture. The ceiling cracks halting his steps as he rushes outside examining the roof walking around the house.
Jon notices Leonel and Beau clearing nearby houses emerging moments later continuing to search. Beau heads east seeing a torch in the near distance through a shack pursuing it cautiously at first before noticing orange hair illuminated by the flames. He runs behind a nearby house halting, "I heard you were dead where the hell have you been Gael—"
Gael grasps Beau's mouth silencing his shouts for the others glancing around making sure no one comes running to his aid. Beau's eye roll to the back of his head bleeding profusely as the tendrils assimilate into his body.
Jon and Leonel regroup glancing around the surrounding shacks unable to spot the other torch lights. Jon shoves Leonel to ground diving out an approaching tremor soaring through the ground. The Gael-Thing emerges out the snow towering over the houses. Jaws protrude through Gael's face roaring at the combatants. Leonel throws a powder bag tossing the torch missing its target. Tendrils whip out the Gael-Thing piercing Lionel's chest downing him. He spits blood crawling toward the torch slicing a tendril off. Jon rolls evading claws shredding through nearby houses sending planks flying through the air. His torch slips out his grip splintering before extinguishing in the snow.
Longclaw clashes against the Gael-Thing's claw driving the ranger back. He parries slashing the arm off diving out a tendrils path. Jon tosses the powder supply beneath the Thing shouting for Leonel to light it up.
Leonel raises the torch swept off the ground glancing at the tendril protruding through his chest piercing his heart. He manages a smirk throwing Jon the torch before he's torn apart. The Gael-Thing releases an earth shattering roar loudly facing Jon. "Jon tosses the torch at the powder bags incinerating the Gael-Thing crashing through a shark's back door diving out the window escaping the blast radius.
Jon stares at the northern star unable to move for a couple moments rising steadily watching the fire spread the village's northeast sector. He heaves clutching broken ribs noticing a figure approaching in the distance stepping into the fire's light.
"You made it out Snow. Saw the explosion and came running." Tormund sits across from Jon bellowing a laugh. "The wildlings might be right considering you an unkillable god."
Jon glances at the rising fire consuming the village, "I died once and probably will again soon."
"You lived through worse its only a days walk to the nearest settlement."
"We're snowed in. It'll be a few days at least before we're able to travel the path we came from. Even then we don't have any supplies to hold us out."
"We can try making it out of here—"
"Where were you Tormund?"
"Saw Beau running toward the ridge. When I went to follow I lost him in the blizzard." Silence falls over the duo watching the flames consume shacks. "You don't plan on leaving?"
Jon steels his gaze staring at Tormund, "maybe we shouldn't." Another silence falls over the pair realizing they'd both be dead by morning. "I got you this back at the tavern. Isn't much but it's something." Tormund takes the bottle chugging greedily. Jon glances at the fire smirking leaning against the shack. Snow rains on the abandoned village dimming the fire soon to leave the pair in darkness.
