End Game// Tormund Giantsbane (3)

4. Feisty

"Your nephew has to speak with a prisoner." Stannis remarked. "He will be back, please, let us get acquainted." Stannis offered. 

"It's okay Auntie," Jon assured. "I will be right back. I promise." Caro nodded letting go of him reluctantly. "Could you keep an eye on my aunt Caro?" Jon asked as he passed Tormund.

"More than an eye." Tormund agreed. 

"Forget I said anything." Jon grumbled. He knew Caro was a warrior, brave and strong, knew she didnt need protecting but for as much as he liked his brothers in black he didnt know the last time any of them had seen a woman and his aunt was certainly beautiful. 

+

''So here we are."

"Here we are." Jon agreed

"When we first met, you were my prisoner. And now, for our last meeting..." Mance remarked.

"This doesn't have to be our last meeting." Jon countered

"No, but it will be."

"You know what Stannis wants?" Jon questioned getting closer. Mance was a prisoner and Jon was just trying to help, he liked Mance, admired his passion.

"He wants me to bend the knee. And he wants the free folk to fight for him. I'll give him this much, he's bold." Mance agreed

"Shouldn't a king be bold?" Jon countered.

+

"Carolina Stark, I welcome you." Stannis remarked. 

"Your red headed friend is less welcoming." Caro countered turning her gaze to the red woman. 

"She worries." Stannis remarked waving a hand for her to leave. 

"I'm sure. Kings are dropping like flies." Caro agreed. 

"Hello." Tormund declared sitting down beside her. 

"Another ginger on your pay roll trying to make me call you king?" Caro mused. 

"Naw, honey, I'm a wildling." Tormund remarked leaning into her. 

"You want to stay wild, you will keep all body parts away from me." Caro countered glaring back at him. 

"I like em feisty." Tormund declared. 

"So did Tywin Lannister until I tried to drive my blade into his sons eye." Caro informed him innocently. Stannis chuckled out. 

"I heard Jaime was attacked when he got home." Stannis remarked. "I didnt hear by who." 

"They wanted to keep that hush, hush." Caro supposed. "One handed, and one eyed man, bested by a woman, little ole me." Caro remarked. "What shame he has brought to the Lannister's fucking name." 

"I like you." Tormund remarked. 

"I still don't like you touching me." Caro countered scooting away from him. "The last man that put his hands on me was a Bolton man and I broke his arm and left him whimpering on the frozen ground, want to keep pushing your luck?" Tormund stared back at her debating if she was serious before scooting over and giving her an awkward bow from beside her. 

+

"Oh, aye. I respect him. If he gets what he wants, I expect he'll be a better ruler than the fools sitting on the Iron Throne the last hundred years. But I'll never serve him." Mance assured

"You told me you weren't here to conquer. You told me your people have bled enough." Jon recalled

"That's right. I don't want them bleeding for Stannis Baratheon either." Mance declared.

"You spent your life convincing 90 clans to come together for the first time in history. Thenns and Hornfoots, the ice-river clans, even the giants. A life's work uniting them. You didn't do it for power. You didn't do it for glory. You brought them together to save them because none of them will survive the winter, not if they're north of the Wall." Jon declared hoping he would see reason. "Isn't their survival more important than your pride?" Jon begged but Mance scoffed.

"Pride? fuck my pride. This isn't about that." Mance declared as he rose up to face Jon.

"Then bend the knee and save your people." Jon begged

"They followed me because they respected me. Because they believed in me. The moment I kneel for a southern king, that's all gone." Mance informed him confidently.

"And how many tens of thousands are out there right now? How many women? How many children? And you won't go out and rescue them because why? You're afraid of looking afraid." Jon informed him.

"Oh, I am afraid." Mance agreed "No shame in that. How will they do it? Beheading? Hanging?"

+

Caro glanced over at Tormund as he watched her from afar before looking to Stannis. 

"Your witch kill Renly?" Caro questioned. 

"No idea what you mean." 

"Big lady was telling-"

"Brienne of Tarth killed Renly." Stannis corrected. 

"You see, that was a test. You failed." Caro remarked calmly, Stannis stared back at her trying to keep his face nerutal. "She was declaring that a shadow with your face killed Renly. She was really torn up about it too."

"A shadow." Stannis scoffed but Caro wasnt buying what he was selling. 

"Shadow, I've seen crazier." Caro countered. "Excuse me, I'm tired, long journey, think I might freshen up."

"Of course." Stannis agreed through gritted teeth.

+

"They'll burn you alive." Jon remarked, bend and save his ass, what was so damn hard about that?

"Bad way to go. I'll be honest with you." Mance remarked as he glanced back out at the snowy north. "I don't want to die. And burnt to death, I don't want people to remember me like that, scorched and screaming. But it's better than betraying everything I believe." Mance informed him confidently.

"And what happens to your people? You preserve your dignity and die standing and they'll sing songs about you. You'd rather burn than kneel. The great hero. Until winter comes and the white walkers come for us all and there's no one left to sing." Jon begged, but Mance was past reason

"You're a good lad. Truly you are. But if you can't understand why I won't enlist my people in a foreigner's war, there's no point explaining." Mance countered as a pound sounded on the door.

"I think you're making a terrible mistake." Jon remarked desperately.

"The freedom to make my own mistakes was all I ever wanted." He countered.

+

"What's his deal?" Caro murmured pulling Tormund along. 

"Calls himself king, wants everyone to bend." Tormund informed her simply. 

"No shit." Caro countered. "The skinny witch?"

"Hot." Tormund remarked and Caro glanced back at him. "Witch, has fire within her, told us all, lord of light and all that." Tormund informed her. 

"You know my Jon." 

"He's alright." Tormund agreed. "I would love to know you." 

"You're free folk." Caro remarked. Tormund smiled a big cheeky smile down at her. "How did you meet my Jon?" 

"Better question," Tormund retorted taking a step closer to her. "How do I get you to call me, Your Tormund?"

"What's a Tormund?" Caro mused.

"Cheeky thing you are, I like that."