Tyrion's hand gripped his brothers tightly.
Jaime let out a long sigh.
"I'm fine."
"If you need, you can go back to your chambers and thrash the place. They will magically fix it all for you so you can do it as much as you like."
Jaime snorted.
"Noted."
Jaime did not get up to go vent his anger.
Nor did Tyrion let go of his hand.
[YGRITTE and TORMUND lead a group of wildlings with weapons drawn. Other wildings stand above the crevice where they advance. Some Thenns approach, led by the menacing STYR.]
"Thenns. I fucking hate Thenns."
"Why does he hate the Thenns?" Bran asked Brynden, the only person who seemed to have any idea about what's Beyond The Wall.
"Do not confuse the Thenns with other free folk" Brynden began. "The Thenns have their lords and laws. They mine tin and copper for bronze and forge their arms and armour instead of stealing them. They are proud folks, and brave. They consider themselves the last of the First Men, speak mostly in the Old Tongue but are able to speak in the common one as well. The other clans consider the Thenns more sophisticated and closer to the people South of The Wall."
"And they hate the people from the South of The Wall" Bran nodded. "I understand."
Brynden looked like he wanted to say more, but decided not to in the end, instead just smiling.
"Mance sent you?"
[STYR grunts, the Thenn party continues to walk through]
"How did you find us?"
[STYR nods back at a THENN WARG, who releases a bird for reconnaissance.]
"I wanna be able to do that" Arya muttered under her breath. It would be cool to be able to fly.
"You came from the south, not the north."
"Took a detour. Got some supper from a village down that way."
[A Thenn drops a heavy bag from his shoulder to the floor of the crevice.]
Ned looked disgruntled at the bag. How many had they killed to get that food? How had they even crossed over? Had they climbed the wall as well? It was a worry he'd need to tackle soon rather than late.
"Why does the meat down here taste so much better than it does on our side of the Wall? Maybe everything's just better fed down here. Fat and lazy. Easier for us, hmm?"
[STYR pats TORMUND on the shoulder as he walks past. TORMUND follows, with YGRITTE further behind.]
"You didn't see us coming? Lost your warg? And that baby crow you had with you, lost him too?"
"I'll answer to Mance. I won't answer to you."
"She yours?"
"Sophisticated my ass" Yara snorted. But then again, men down South of The Wall were no different in their treatment to other women. She'd know, she'd broken jaws and noses because of it.
[YGRITTE notches an arrow and places it directly on STYR's throat.]
"Do you think she's over you betraying her?" Arya asked.
Jon winced.
[Two of his Thenn companions draw their swords. STYR stares YGRITTE down.]
"Too scrawny. Not like those crows at Castle Black."
"Must be a pillow biter if that's how he thinks" Robert snorted. Thin or thick, all women had things they were good at in bed. He was an expert in that matter.
[STYR turns his attention to TORMUND. YGRITTE lowers her bow a TORMUND's command. The other Thenns continue to work at the fire.]
"Think of them stuck in their larders stuffing their faces with ham and blood sausage and stew, getting nice and fat and marbled. I know we've had our differences, Tormund, but just one time before you die, you really ought to try crow."
[STYR kneels before the fire, where the other Thenns have skewered a human arm on the spit roasting in the fire.]
"They are cannibals" Brynden revealed with an amused smile, seeing all the blanched faces.
The hall had grown silent and uneasy seeing the arm roasting in the fire. All the comments that Thenn man made… none of it was sexual. Stomachs heaved and people felt sick.
Ned especially. How was he going to welcome these monsters South of The Wall?
[CASTLE BLACK, JON's QUARTERS]
[Jon is dressing in pain. SAM stands behind him.]
"You made it back" Lyanna sighed in relief. Her son was safe. But for how long… She shook the thought away. She'll get there when this vision gets there.
"Last time I saw him, he was in the courtyard at Winterfell. He said, Next time I see you, you'll be all in black."
Jon's eyes softened. So he was just learning about Robb's death…
"I was jealous of Robb my whole life."
The softened eyes widened in alarm and he winced. This was too personal, only for himself to know.
"The way my father looked at him, I wanted that. He was better than me at everything... fighting and hunting and riding and girls. Gods, the girls loved him. I wanted to hate him, but I never could."
"You're better with a sword than me when you stop holding yourself back" Robb placed a hand on Jon's shoulder. "And you're a stronger swimmer than I am. And gods the women swoon for you, if only you'd notice that."
"Robb-"
"You are my brother and nothing will change that" Robb told him viciously, "your place is in Winterfell like the rest of us. And you are no less a Stark than my siblings or me. Understood?"
Robb wouldn't understand, Jon knew. So he just smiled and nodded.
Ned watched his nephew with a deep frown. He had tried his best to be there for him and support him in everything. Yet the boy still felt like this… had he failed him? Had Ned been so consumed with keeping him alive that he'd ignored more than he knew? He'd let Catelyn continue her treatment because it would help hide Jon better… but had Ned thought how it would affect Jon?
Ned was keenly aware now of his shortcomings as a guardian, to Jon and perhaps to his other children as well.
Lyanna just held onto Jon's hand tightly. This was her fault. If she had not run off with Rhaegar and forced the man to declare their marriage, so many things could have been different. The most prominent difference would have been that Jon would have grown up properly loved and cared for, not just alive. This was her fault.
"Sometimes I want to hate you."
[JON turns in surprise.]
"Well, you're better than me at everything. Except reading."
Jon snorted and shook his head. Sam got him there.
"They're... they're ready for you."
"Oh, right, you need to tell the rest what the fuck happened" Brandon the Elder clicked his tongue. This was going to be fun.
[CASTLE BLACK, GREAT HALL]
"So you admit you murdered Qhorin Halfhand?"
"I didn't murder him. He wanted me to kill him."
"A bastard son of a traitor. What would you expect?"
"Fuck sake, he's still alive" Tyrion sighed. Why couldn't someone take the hint and throw his ass overboard on the way?
"He'll be a problem for our young Prince" Jaime mused.
"Prince?"
"Jon Snow is Rhagar's son, he's claimed him. That makes him a Prince. A bastard Prince but a prince nonetheless."
"Not once he's taking the Stark name of his mother" Tyrion pointed out.
"A completely foolish thing to do. The amount of power he'd wield with just that name" Jaime shook his head. "And I'm fairly certain Ned Stark could convince Robert to name Jon heir. He might not even need to, considering who his mother is."
"Ned Stark isn't the type to reach for power" Tyrion pointed out.
"A shame for poor Jon" Jaime mused.
"The Halfhand believed our only chance to stop Mance was to get a man inside his army."
"Don't talk about the Halfhand as if you knew him. He was my brother."
"Then you'd know he'd do anything to defend the Wall. The free folk would have boiled him alive, but letting me kill him..."
"The free folk? Listen to him. He even talks like a wildling now."
"Aye, I talk like a wildling. I ate with the wildlings. I climbed the Wall with the wildlings. I... I laid with a wildling girl."
"You admit to breaking your vows, then?"
"I'm fairly certain the vows say nothing about laying with a woman" Tyrion drawled.
"He's trying to assert himself, the rascal" Jaime snorted.
"The law is the law. The boy must die."
"If we beheaded every ranger who lay with a girl, the Wall would be manned by headless men."
"Yeah, you tell 'em Maester!" Arya cheered. She would not accept her brother losing his head for fucking a girl!
"There's a difference between sneaking off to the Mole's Town brothel and sleeping with the enemy."
"A woman is a woman" Tyrion shrugged. "You forget who the enemy is when you burn with desire."
"Must you?" Joanna sighed.
Myrcella had Tommen's ears covered, but she had heard it all and was blushing furiously.
"While we sit here debating which rules I broke, Mance Rayder marches on the Wall with an army of 100,000."
"Impossible. You can't get 50 wildlings together before they start killing each other.|
"100,000. He's united the Thenns, the Hornfoots, and the ice-river clans. He has giants fighting for him."
[JANOS SLYNT laughs]
"Giants?"
"Have you ever been beyond the Wall, ser?"
"I commanded the City Watch of King's Landing, boy."
"And now you're here. You must not have been very good at your job."
Tyrion snickered.
"There's a band of wildlings south of the Wall already led by Tormund Giantsbane. I killed their warg and three others. They shot me full of arrows. Their orders are to attack Castle Black from the south when Mance hits it from the north. The signal for the attack will be a bonfire. Mance said it would be the greatest fire the North has ever seen. That's the truth. All the truth. Do you intend to execute me or am I free to go?"
"Hard to do when you've made yourself invaluable to them" Jaime smirked. There was a certain Rhaegar-esque aspect to what Jon had done. Rhaegar had done the same multiple times against his father to ensure the mad fool did not burn him too.
"None of us are free. We are men of the Night's Watch. But we won't be taking your head today, Jon Snow. Go on."
[JON nods and leaves. MAESTER AEMON stands to leave, frail and helped by his assistant. He moves slowly down the wooden stairs from the dais to the floor.]
"I am acting commander here, Maester Aemon."
"Yes, you are."
"And I don't trust the bastard."
"I don't trust you either" Jon rolled his eyes.
"He told the truth."
"And you always know when a man's telling a lie? How did you acquire this magical power?"
"I grew up in King's Landing."
"People often forget who his family was and what he grew up in before taking his vows" Rhaegar sighed.
"Life must have been hard for him," Daenerys said sadly.
"He took his vows so people wouldn't use him to depose his brothers and cousins for the throne. He's been through much even before House Targaryen was reduced to two people."
"One according to his knowledge. He doesn't know about me" Jon said.
"He knows, I'm certain of it. And if not, he has a feeling" Rhaegar said with a smile.
[ESSOS]
[The unsullied are marching past DAENERYS and MISSANDEI, who stand on a cliff overlooking the shore while they converse. Footsteps approach, and DAARIO NAHARIS enters.]
"You were told to ride at the back of the train."
"Yes, my queen. But I need to speak to you about something important. A matter of strategy."
[DAENERYS signals for MISSANDEI to leave them. MISSANDEI exits.]
"All right, what is this matter of strategy?"
[DAARIO presents DAENERYS with a purple flower.]
"Some strategy" Arya snorted. He was trying to weasel back in.
"A dusk rose."
"Would you like to walk at the back of the train instead of riding?"
[DAENERYS starts to walk away, but DAARIO follows and presents her with another small flowering plant, this one is white.]
"Well he's persistent" Sansa smiled. As open-eyed as she was, seeing something romantic was still something of a thrill to her.
"And this one's called lady's lace."
"Would you like to walk without shoes?"
"You have to know a land to rule it. It's plants, it's rivers, it's roads, it's people. Dusk rose tea eases fever. Everyone in Meereen knows that. Especially the slaves who have to make the tea. If you want them to follow you, you have to become a part of their world. Strategy."
"Smart man" Tyrion smirked. No better way to get closer to a woman than to use her interests and hopes to your advantage.
Arya's face scrunched up with concentration. It would be nice to learn those things, would be useful. She'd prefer that over learning flower arranging!
[DAARIO presents her with a red flower.]
"Harpy's Gold. No tea from this one. Beautiful but poisonous."
[DAARIO presents the three flowers to DAENERYS in a small bouquet.]
[A man shouts in valerian. She joins, BARRISTAN SELMY, JORAH, GREY WORM and MISSANDEI. They have found a mile marker, festooned by a woman's corpse who points the way to Mereen.]
"What… is this" Margaery asked in shock.
"Cruelty," Varys said coldly. He was in those lands once, and he'd seen too much. Even years of it had not desensitized him to it.
Daenerys bit her lips to hold back the curse at the back of her throat. She'd need to deal with these people. She needed to plan for it once she returned. She could not have these people suffering.
"There's one on every mile marker between here and Meereen."
"How many miles are there between here and Meereen?"
"163, Your Grace."
"163 slaves" Daenerys muttered in horror. How could these people do such a thing?!
"I'll tell our men to ride ahead and bury them. You don't need to see this.
"You will do no such thing. I will see each and every one of their faces. Remove her collar before you bury her."
She understood the command. Daenerys wanted to see each face so she could stoke her flames to bring down the cruelty of the masters.
[KING'S LANDING.]
[SANSA stands on the shore with eyes closed. BRIENNE and JAIME stand on the cliff above. SANSA comes up from the shore. She hears something and realizes that she is not alone. She quickens her pace through the woods. A man trails her, stealthily. She speeds her walk, and comes to a table.]
"Ser Dontos. The king's nameday celebration. I'm sorry. I should have remembered."
"Guess he's got legitimate reasons to remain drunk now" Margaery made a face.
"He's lucky to still be alive, knowing how Joffrey is" Sansa murmured.
"I can't accept your apology. I may be a fool, but I'm a living fool, thanks to you."
"Anyone would have done the same."
"They would not," Margaery said with a smile. "Nobody would risk earning Joffrey's displeasure."
"I don't blame them" Sansa blanched. She knew how cruel Joffrey could be. She was seeing it right now.
"But only you did. I can never repay you. You gave me my life. But this, this is worth more than my life."
[SER DONTOS gives SANSA a necklace with blue stones. SANSA looks closely at it.]
"Pretty necklace" Sansa's eyes sparkled. Oh, those blue stones would match her eyes so well!
"An expensive-looking gift" Olenna mused. "Wonder how he can afford that."
"He was a Knight once. Perhaps it's a family heirloom" Margaery suggested.
"No knight from a well enough family will end up as stupid as he was" Olenna rolled her eyes.
"You smell a plot," Margaery said finally.
"I always smell a plot, dear" Olenna hummed.
[RIVERLANDS, Outside an Inn]
"I'm hungry. You're hungry."
"Five horses, five men. More than I feel like killing on an empty stomach."
[Two men exit the building, and ARYA recognizes POLLIVER.]
"Odd how things seem to fall in place" Oberyn mused softly. "The man that killed a friend and stole your sword, right there."
"You remember that?" Daenerys asked in surprise.
"I hardly if ever forget things I see, my dear" Oberyn smirked.
"He killed my friend. Polliver stole my sword and put it right through his neck. He's still got it. My sword Needle."
"Needle? Of course, you named your sword."
"Lots of people name their swords."
"Lots of cunts."
People without named weapons snorted.
People with named weapons shifted in discontent. How dare he insult them!
[The two men finish relieving themselves and return inside. The HOUND notices that ARYA has started towards the Inn.]
"Stay away" Catelyn hissed. She was the only of her children relatively safe. Why did she need to jump into trouble?!
"My brother gave me that sword."
"Get back here."
"He killed my friend."
[The HOUND grabs ARYA roughly by the shoulder and puts himself between her and the door. The door opens behind him and a soldier meets his eye. The HOUND turns to face him fully. He retreats, allowing the HOUND to enter. The HOUND enters the door, and a woman can be heard whimpering while the soldiers egg each other on.]
"Fucking pigs" Margaery whispered under her breath.
"Always the same everywhere! Men who think they own us because they got cocks and we don't" Yara snorted.
Robert shifted uneasily. Not long ago that was him, fucking wenches from tavern to tavern. How many of their whimpers had he ignored?
[The INNKEEPER'S DAUGHER struggles in the grasp of one of the men ARYA enters behind the hound and shuts the door. The soldiers look warily at their the duo. Everyone goes quiet as the HOUND and ARYA enter the inn. The HOUND and ARYA sit at a table in the back. The men return to their assault on the girl. POLLIVER turns to look at ARYA. He recognizes her. ARYA grasps the hilt of the HOUND's sword. POLLIVER stands. But it was not Arya he recognised, but the Hound. ARYA is relieved. She releases her grip on the HOUND's sword. POLLIVER walks over and joins their table. The INNKEEPER pours them some ale. The HOUND drinks.]
"Stannis defeated at the Blackwater. Robb Stark killed at the Twins. And where am I for all of it? Stuck with your brother. Meaning no offence."
"I don't think he takes that as an offence" Tyrion snorted.
"He's good, the Mountain is. Best at what he does. But torture, torture, torture, torture. You spend enough time putting the hammer to people, you start to feel like a carpenter making chairs. Drains the fun right out of it. And what's life without a little fun?"
"He makes torture sound so… mundane" stated Arya aghast.
"People like him associate it with mundane things to explain their own twisted desires away, that it was all orders to follow and all that," Margaery said with a dark frown.
"Or perhaps that's how he chose to describe what he does to hold on to a semblance of sanity. Perhaps he was thrust into this and this is how he deals with it" Myrcella added.
You she was, but her words did not go ignored.
Tyrion smiled proudly at her for seeing a new perspective, and Myrcella smiled back slightly.
" You know what? You should come with us. His kind, they've always got something hidden away somewhere. Gold, silver, more daughters. Always something if you know how to make them talk. And there's plenty of him between here and King's Landing. You could do well for yourself. We certainly have been."
"I'm not going to King's Landing."
"Think about it. We could do whatever we like wherever we go. These are the king's colours. No one's standing in his way now. Which means no one's standing in ours."
"What men would do with an ounce of power" Sansa snorted.
"You'll be surprised with how many women do it too" Yara pointed out. "Wait, not surprising. You've seen the shithead Cersei is!"
Sansa nodded. The woman had a point. It was only later she realised that she had a civil conversation with Theon's sister.
"Fuck the king."
[The chatter in the inn stops. The HOUND takes a drink. POLLIVER and The HOUND converse on The HOUND's desertion. The HOUND takes POLLIVER's ale at one point and finishes it in one long drink. The men stare one another down. POLLIVER rises to attack, but the HOUND turns over the table, knocking him down. He then sets to the room and dispatches the soldiers one by one, while the INNKEEPER cowers. The fight is brutal, using both sword and fist. POLLIVER and a companion. are able to get the upper hand, and the HOUND falls to the ground, where they kick at him violently. ARYA watches in fright. The HOUND manages to fend them off with his sword, even from the ground. He sweeps the legs out from under one of them, and POLLIVER scrambles on all fours towards his sword.]
"He's a good fighter" Robert mused. "A bit of a brawler but good with a sword too."
"The Hound has always been good at what he does. You've just been blind to it. As with many other things," Stannis rolled his eyes.
"Aye, I have" Robert grunted. The Hound was not as loyal to the Lannisters as he'd thought. Perhaps he could bring this dog to his side.
[The HOUND steps on the blade and slugs POLLIVER violently, who crumples to the ground. The fight continues, and the HOUND gores another soldier before TOMMY pins the HOUND to the ground, a dagger to his throat. With great strength, the HOUND pulls the man's dagger away from his throat while gouging at his face. He positions the man's face over his own dagger and swiftly slams the soldier's face into the dagger, repeatedly. ARYA moves from shock into action. She shatters a jug over a soldier's head, then picks up a sword and stabs him through, slowly. She comes up behind POLLIVER, who is stalking the wounded HOUND and stabs him through. She takes Needle from him before he falls forward to the ground. The HOUND runs another soldier through. ARYA walks calmly over to POLLIVER, who lies on his back.]
"Something wrong with your leg, boy?"
Arya smiled in smug satisfaction. Good, she was finally getting some revenge.
"Can you walk? I've got to carry you?"
"Carry me?"
"Fine little blade."
[ARYA puts the point of her blade under POLLIVER's chin. He raises his hands weakly in surrender.]
"Maybe I'll pick my teeth with it."
[A light of recognition fills POLLIVER's eyes, met quickly by ARYA stabbing him through the chin, slowly. He gasps and gurgles. She removes her sword and watches the blood fill his mouth. He chokes, spurts, and dies.]
Arya was extremely pleased at being able to avenge a friend.
Her family on the other hand were not. If anything they were slightly taken aback by her attitude in the future.
However, not all were to be honest. War changed people in many different ways.
Ned Stark for one was thinking of ways to stop his daughter from ever going down this path, regardless of whether she was a natural on it or not.