Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

Chapter 105: For the Watch

―The Wall―

Castle Black...

Heavy snow and wind blew across Castle Black and lands beyond the Wall. Approaching the entrance to Castle Black, Lord Commander Jon Snow and Mance Rayder both accompany the 17,000 survivors of the Hardhome massacre—the last of the Free Folk; with them are Chieftain Tormund Giantsbane, Eddison Tollett, Grenn and the sole remaining giant Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun. Both Night's Watch and wildling alike, both sides retained the horrific nightmares of the Night King's army slaughtering tens of thousands of wildlings before they were raised as wights during the evacuation.

Standing atop the Wall, Ser Alliser Thorne and Lord Stannis Baratheon look down at the group. The new First Ranger curled his lip in a tense moment before... "Open the gates," he ordered, sounding rather hesitant.

The lower gate is lifted, allowing the wildlings to pass through Castle Black itself, including many women and children. Jon knew this act would bitterly divide the Night's Watch; and rightly so. As Mance and Tormund led the survivors, the former King-Beyond-the-Wall noticed many men of the Night's Watch glaring at them.

"Once a crow, always a crow," he uttered as Mance finished leading the last of his people.

Jon glanced at them and was aware of the looks he was receiving. "It was a failure," he lamented.

"No. No, it wasn't. You did all you could," Samwell reassured. "Every one of them is alive because of you, and no one else."

"We've all seen what went down at Hardhome, Jon," Grenn mentioned. "This is no longer about keeping the wildlings out; this is about the inevitable fight between the living and the fuckin' dead."

"The White Walkers are real... and they're back, but in much greater numbers," Eddison said. "If we're to ever make it through this, the Seven Kingdoms needs to know about this."

"But will they even listen? The first Lord Commander in history to sacrifice the lives of sworn brothers to save the lives of wildlings."

Many men of the Night's Watch continued glaring at Jon, then Olly who directed a long, cold look at the young man who took him into his care when the Thenns slaughtered everyone in the Gift, including his entire family in front of him at his village. Ser Alliser walks down the steps towards Jon. "You have a good heart, Jon Snow," he told him. "It will get us all killed."

"I've made my decision, First Ranger," Jon replied. "All that's left is learning to cope with it... and prepare for the winter. It may last several years."

"Our esteemed guest, Lord Stannis... has to be notified that we don't have enough food or space to keep everyone here tended to. He'll have to leave back to the south eventually."

"I'm well aware of that."

Stannis retained his deep scowl, possibly overhearing the conversation. Behind him in one of the buildings his daughter Shireen was teaching a wildling girl Gilly how to read and write. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he knew it was decent. 

"Snake... S! It's an S!" he heard Gilly exclaim.

Shireen nodded. "Right, very good!"

"I know 'S'."

"You'll learn, I promise. I taught Ser Davos, and old people are terrible at learning new things."

Stannis paid no mind until his wife Selyse interrupted the lesson, scolding her daughter of such action and gloating that her father conquered Gilly's 'people' and that as a wildling she is still dangerous. Shireen attempted to defend her, but Selyse again scolds her daughter for being naïve despite all her reading of books. As he listened, Stannis made his way into the Lord Commander's office to where he saw Jon and Samwell engaged in a deep conversation with their friends.