Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and favorites so far.

Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for his help with this chapter. Couldn't have done it without you.

Beyond The Wall

Jon Snow moved a hair out of his eyes as he looked out at the camp.

It wasn't quite as big of a camp as the one Ygritte had brought him too all those years ago, but it had been growing over the years. The legend of Jon Snow who had fought for the Wildlings and then been shunned by his own people drew many of the Wildlings to him. Jon didn't particularly like it, but Tormund had pointed out they needed a leader.

Which is how Jon found himself elected the next King beyond the Wall. Jon had never called himself that, but he'd heard the whispers among the Free-Folk. Jon did not like it; he'd had enough of leadership. But, Jon reasoned reluctantly, someone had to do it. Better him than another Mance Rayder who would try to rally the Free-Folk into another army, start another war. There had been too many wars lately, too much life lost, on all sides.

"You seem troubled."

"No. Just thinking," Jon said as his wife stepped up beside him.

"Of what?" Val inquired.

"Just the past, what led me here," Jon said with a wistful look.

"You should not dwell on it, it will make you grey before your time," Val said with a grin and Jon let out a laugh.

Jon had met Val shortly after his exile; she'd been part of a small group of Wildlings that had first come to Jon in the months he'd been coming to terms with everything. To his surprise, Jon learned she was the sister of Mance Rayder's wife, who had died in childbirth shortly before Jon had infiltrated the Wildlings. Mance had sent her on a scouting mission that had ended with her captured by a rival tribe. She had been held prisoner for a few moons until one had decided to try his luck and attempt to 'steal' her, the Free-Folk version of courting and she'd escaped. By the time she'd found her way back to what was left of Mance's forces, Mance had been captured by Stannis.

She'd largely sat out the war with the Boltons, not wishing to involve herself in a 'southern conflict'. But she had returned with Tormund to face The Others with them, although Jon had been too preoccupied with everything else to even notice. It was only once Jon's exile that they met properly.

"Where's Ghost?" Val inquired.

"With the pups," Jon joked and she smirked.

Elsewhere, Ghost licked the face of a dark haired boy with light eyes, who laughed. On Ghost's back, a girl with blond hair clung to Ghost's back, laughing as the Direwolf tried to playfully shake her off.

Ghost suddenly stiffened, sliding the girl off his back. The children looked at him confused as Ghost whirled around, assuming a protective position as he growled at the figure that approached from behind. The figure immediately held up his hands.

"Ghost, easy. I don't mean any harm," the figure said, lowering the hood around his face to reveal the bearded Face as Sam Tarly. "It's me, Sam. Don't you remember me?"

Ghost started at him for a moment, standing protectively in front of the children. Then, Ghost slowly approached Sam, sniffing him. Then, he reached up and licked Sam's cheek, causing Sam to laugh.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, boy," Sam said as he reached out scratching behind Ghost's uninjured ear before looking over at the children, who were eying him curiously, obviously determining he was no threat if Ghost liked him. "Hi, I'm Sam. What's your name?"

"Robb. This is Lyanna," the boy said after a moment.

"Nice names. Your father, he's Jon Snow, isn't he?" Sam asked, surprising the pair. "It's okay. I'm a friend of his, he might have mentioned me. Sam, Samwell Tarly?"

"You're Sam?" Lyanna asked, her and Robb's eyes lighting up in recognition and wonder.

"Yes, I am. I'm looking for Jon. Could you maybe take me to him?" Sam asked.

Later, Jon and Val were sitting around a fire with Tormund and a few other Free-Folk, when Tormund looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"King Crow, you won't believe who just walked into camp," Tormund said.

Jon looked up, hearing whispers across the camp. His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Ghost lead his children and Sam into camp, heading towards the fire.

"Papa! It's Sam, your friend!" Lyanna said excited as she and Robb ran up to them.

"I see that," Jon said, a patient smile on his face as he ruffled Lyanna's hair before turning to Sam with a frown. "What are you doing here, Sam? I doubt you came all the way from King's Landing just to see a friend."

"You're right, I didn't. Is there somewhere we can talk, privately?" Sam asked, all too aware of the wildlings looking at him warily.

Sensing the same thing, Jon nodded. Whatever Sam had come here for, he clearly didn't want it overheard by prying ears. After everything they had endured together, he owed Sam at least this much.

Not long after, Jon led Sam into the tent he shared with Val and their family. Sam looked around, finding the tent very Jon. It was nothing too fancy, just some cots with furred blankets on the floor.

"It's not much," Jon said with a shrug.

"It's more than enough," Sam assured him and Jon chuckled before growing serious.

"What are you doing here, Sam?" Jon asked finally and Sam was silent for a moment.

"I've been trying to figure out how to tell you this for days, I still don't know how to say it," Sam said, pausing as he considered his next words. "It's about Bran."

"Has something happened to Bran?" Jon demanded his mind racing with possibilities of whatever horrifying fate awaited his brother.

"Yes, something did, but it's…not what you expect," Sam said, still trying to future it out. "Did Sansa or Arya ever tell you about what happened when Bran was crowned king?"

"Only that Tyrion convinced everyone that he was best suited for the job," Jon said, not understanding where Sam was going with this.

"Bran said 'why do you think I came' when it was decided. I didn't think much of it at the time. But now…things are becoming more clear," Sam said with a sigh. "I don't think that it's Bran."

"Sam…what are you saying?" Jon asked, his heart hammering in his chest as Sam looked at him with a look that part sympathy and part horror.

"I don't think Bran came back from Beyond the Wall. I think whatever he was trained by…it took control of him," Sam finally said and Jon stared at him in shock for a few moments before finally speaking.

"What makes you think that?" Jon asked, still trying to wrap his head around the idea.

"It was a bunch of little things mostly. How did he really help anyone during the Long Night? What role did he play beside just sitting around, waiting for the Night King to attack? Then there's what happened with Daenerys," Sam said, looking at Jon for any sign of discomfort or pain but Jon merely waited for Sam to continue. "Bran had to have known what she would do. That she would kill everyone, but he didn't do anything to stop it. I kept trying to figure out why, and the only reason I could come up with was because it eliminated all other threats to the throne. Cersei and Daenerys were dead and you were exiled for killing Daenerys, meaning that no one could stand in his way to claim the throne."

"You're saying that Bran did this, all of this, just to become king?" Jon asked in disbelief.

"Not Bran, whatever is controlling him," Sam corrected. "And I wasn't the only one beginning to suspect. Davos came to me with these suspicions, I thought he was mad. The next day, he was found dead at the bottom of the steps. Bran said he fell, but I examined his body. There were marks on his neck like he'd been strangled. The 3-Eyed Raven can see the future. It would be very easy for him to see this coming and then have Davos killed."

Jon was silent, processing all that he had heard, including the death of his friend and former advisor. But he would have to mourn Davos later; he had to stay focused at the moment.

"If Bran or the3-Eyed Raven did do all of this, including killing Davos, why would he let you go? How are you standing here?" Jon questioned.

"I thought it was luck at first, but now I don't think so. Lately, it's like something's blocking his visions, his ability to see the past and future. He seems caught off guard by things he was able to predict before. I don't know what, but it's like he can only see half the room, if that makes sense," Sam said and Jon mused on his words for a moment.

"I think we both know that there are things in this world that defy any sort of explanation. But what you're saying…" Jon trailed off.

"I know. It's hard to believe, and you don't want to believe it because it means not only did we place a monster on the Iron Throne, but that your little brother is dead. But you might not have a choice. Before I came here, I sent Gilly, Little Sam and our son to Winterfell," Sam said and Jon looked at him sharply. "Knowing Gilly, right now she's telling Sansa everything. If she believes her, then she's preparing to go to war with the 3-Eyed Raven right now. What do you think he will do to her, if I'm right?"

It took only one second for Jon to imagine Bran, or the 3-Eyed Raven raising his armies and invading Winterfell. Jon clenched his hands into fists, knowing Sansa was not a warrior. In her last letter, she had mentioned that Arya was still not back from her trip across the world. She was alone.

The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.

"Jon," Sam said softly and Jon looked over at him. "I know it's hard to believe. But if I'm right – and I do think I am – then Sansa is about to find herself at the center of another war. She needs you, Jon. We all do. We need your help to stop the 3-Eyed Raven."

"I've been exiled," Jon said weakly, although they both knew it was a weak excuse.

"No one will care. Daenerys was a monster, we all know it. Only those loyal to her couldn't see that. Are you really going to let an exile stop you from saving your sister and your home?" Sam demanded and Jon was silent for a moment, before with a sigh, Jon nodded.

"I need a few days to talk it over with my wife and gather as many fighters as I can. Then…then we head to Winterfell," Jon said softly, feeling the weight of the words wash over him.

He knew it would come with consequences, but he couldn't find it in him to regret them. Not just for Sansa, but for Winterfell.

As he had said so many years ago, The North was his home. And he would never stop fighting for it.

I liked Val's dynamic with Jon in the books and definitely feels like George was setting up a romance there. She's played by Katheryn Winnick. Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for the suggestion.

And that's what's going in with Bran. Hope the explanation makes sense.