c34

Two Months later, Outside the Ruin of Kings Landing…

The rubble of Kings Landing was as depressing a sight as it had been to those that had seen the city burn to nothing but a large area was now starting to team with life again as a large number of tents stretched out across the area. Palisade walls stood around the edge of the camp to provide some protection for the tens of thousands who had decided to stay until the city was rebuilt. Many had left to seek shelter from the winter and a new life further south or across the Narrow Sea if they could manage it. Those that were staying however were determined to see 'their' city restored and daily worked to clear the rubble from the area and salvage useable stone to begin the work on rebuilding the city specifically more hard wearing and protective homes for them. Supply shipments from the south coming by either ship or land convoys to keep them warm and fed while the work continued and likely would for years.

-x-

Highgarden, the Reach…

Harry sat at the head of the table in the New Small Council Chamber, listening intently to the man sitting at the other end.

"The gold has been deposited and the Iron Bank is happy to declare the debt owed by the Iron Throne paid in full." Tycho Nestoris spoke with calm authority and slight smile on his face. Their silent partner had certainly risen high he thought and the recent payment of four million gold dragons to the Iron Bank had made that all the sweeter. He and the rest of the Iron Bank had been instantly aware of the chance of the profit to be gained in the reconstruction of Kings Landing and had only been too happy to agree to provide funds for the rebuilding process which was likely given the size of the project to go on for years, maybe a decade or maybe even more than that. "The gold will be paid in intervals and can be negotiated on if necessary, repayment will be sought as the work come to an end."

"Then that is a matter settled." Harry said with a nod, unless he depleted his own private stash (which would raise questions about where the gold had come from) rebuilding the capital was going to be hugely expensive and prolonged given how big of a job it was. So he had arranged for the Iron Bank to loan them the money in smaller amount that they could pay slowly as the work continued to keep the interest low. The result was a long lasting source of income for the Iron Bank and more funds to get the city to rebuild the city quicker.

Harry got to his feet and walked over to shake Tycho's hand with the other man meeting him half way, the two of them shook hands firmly and Tycho took his leave, eager to return to Braavos and put their latest enterprise into motion. Harry watched him leave before sighing slightly, knowing he had to meet with the new Small Council about the state of things in Westeros and then talk with Rhaenys about the various architects that had come forward with ideas for the new Kings Landing and not just the buildings but a sewer system had been called for and docks too. It was going to take days to get through them all.

And on top of that but the only real bright spark of the day was at last he would get to meet his nephew as Margaery was coming to Highgarden so she and their grandmother could meet Little Loras at last.

So it was going to be a long day he thought wearily.

-x-

The Small Council met slightly less than half an hour later, to Harry's right was Randyll who sat in pride of place as Hand of the King, while they looked around the table at the men they had selected to rule the realm with them. Kanoro as leader of the Royal Guard sat on Harry's left easily implying their importance and the trust that the King had in them.

Humfrey Hightower, the youngest of Gunthor's brothers sat in the chair of the Master of Coin. He was a thin and sticky man but with an aptitude for numbers that had made him think he was only ever going to be a Steward for his father and brother. He was a quiet man but firm in his loyalty.

In the seat of the Master of Laws was Ser Clifford Swann, a nephew of Lord Gulian Swann he was not likely to inherit any castle or title but he knew his duty and as a former squire of Ser Alyn Estermont was steadfast in this loyalty to the crown. He was a stern man of thirty years but could occasionally be roused to humour.

The Grandmaester's seat was now held by Maester Marwyn, an older man of fifty he was recommended by Alwyn who had been his student as Alwyn much preferred to stay in the Islands and work on his experiments than attend court. Marwyn also known as the Mage for his dabbles into magic had more links in his chain around his neck than any maester Harry had ever seen and knew more than Alwyn ever pledged to know. He smiled jovially to his king which Harry returned albeit more restrained.

The Master of Whispers was not really the appropriate title to give to the person sitting in that seat, Zara smirked at them all as she controlled their spy network which she was continuously.

The final member was Ser Corlys Velaryon, a cousin of the house and named for his famous ancestor who had sailed the world and built High Tide castle. He was smiling as he sat there, pleasant enough but on the sea that he had been raised on Corlys knew everything there was to know about sailing and ships in general. While there was no royal fleet at the moment they could call on the combined navies of various houses and there was the matter of putting to together plans for rebuilding the crown's own fleet to attend too.

"So is there any issues with any remaining Lannister loyalists?" Harry asked turning to each member of the council and Randyll answered.

"A few knights that ran away before the castles were stormed have attempted to drum up support for a rebellion but after a demonstration of the crown's power they remain isolated and without any kind of support." Randyll told him and Zara then added what information she had.

"They've been trying to contact other lords to get funding but most are being arrested the moment they ask. The other lords are not keen to bring the wrath of House Tyrell down on their families." Zara said calmly and Harry nodded, fear had its uses he thought solemnly although he would never end a family without a very strong reason.

"Preparations for winter?" Harry asked his people, it was Marwyn that answered.

"The war has not helped matters since we have no true idea just how long this winter is going to be, but we have enough food stored for five years. The camp in Kings Landing's ruins is going to have an issue if the roads become impassible." Marwyn told them and Harry nodded and not for the first time considered forcing them to move to a more warmer climate till winter had passed but sighed as he realised that short of holding them prisoner they would escape and return to the city if not resist outright.

Never underestimate the power of human stubbornness, he was a prime example of that.

-x-

While Harry was dealing with the logistical issues of making sure their kingdom ran smoothly, Rhaenys was attending to her own personal project...find the right people to rebuilt Kings Landing.

The small hall that belonged to the Lady of the castle hence hers now was covered as designs submitted by different architects, showing their different visions for the rebuilt city in the hopes of getting the impressive commission being offered. Her eyes moved over the various images and some honestly made her scoff, they were so elaborate and gaudy that only in places like Qarth would you see something like them. One man had made the entire city a mere extension of the Red Keep with pyramids all over the places covered in statues of dragons and other majestic beasts. She shook her head, some people really need to listen and read better, we did say it was a city we need to build not expand a castle.

She then took a look at a design sent by a Braavosi man, his buildings looked interesting with a great deal of attention to detail and the sewer design looked both practical and efficient to build and maintain. The houses were laid out in an ordered grid system and the docks were far more able to handle a large number of ships than the old ones had been. Suitably elaborate but not overtly so while also being sturdy and practical.

This was promising she thought and wanted to invite this man to Highgarden so they could discuss his ideas in more detail but before she could go to the table in the room to write the message her goodsister Margaery entered with a bundle in her arms.

"Found a good architect yet?" She asked with a smile, sounding far more upbeat than she had been in a while. Maybe part of that was being back in Highgarden but more Rhaenys suspected was due to the presence of the baby in her arms, Rhaenys smiled as they came closer any problems between the two of them was forgotten as they peered at the baby in her arms. Little Loras was sleeping but he was a cute enough Rhaenys thought although she was hopelessly biased towards her own children. Currently they were with Caelys practising Valyrian though and were somewhat still confused as people addressed them as 'your grace'...their new royal status not having hit home yet.

"This one from Braavos shows promise." Rhaenys said pointing to the images in question. Lady Olenna sat sampling some cheese in the corner smiled as she approached, looking at the bundle in Margaery's arms and giving a brief smile at her latest great-grandson.

However they were broken from this tender moment by the sight of her husband coming in the door with a letter in his hand, he had a happy expression as he came up to them and placed a kiss on their cheeks before smiling at young Loras but Rhaenys as only a wife would noticed a tightening around his eyes.

Whatever was in the letter had him worried….very worried she amended at the way he held both her and Margaery closer and tighter than he normally would when embracing them.

The Wall, the North…

A flock of ravens soared over the Wall, going past it to the empty white expanse beyond. There was nothing for awhile except the forest that still had not regrown after the fire set by the wildlings when they had attacked the Wall awhile ago…but miles later as they came to a frozen lake a dark mass appeared beneath them. At closer inspection you could see the enormous mass of what looked like people and animals massing on the lake's frozen surface, all stumbling forward like puppets under the direction of their masters, a group on horses with flesh stripped from their bones in some places and rotting slowly due to the extreme cold riding either at the head of the enormous column or at the centre.

The Night King, leading his Army of the Dead looked up as if sensing the ravens above him were more than mere birds, he did not sneer, smile or make any kind of expression on his grey and seemingly lifeless face. So he kept his army marching forward until they came to the barrier that had been his bane for thousands of years beyond which was the world of the living and one that he would snuff out.

-x-

At Winterfell, Bran using the Weirwood in his ancestral home's godwood looked at the approaching army and grimaced at the sight of it. Not only did the sheer size of it but the fact it was made up of animated corpses that would kill on the command of the ageless demonic creature that had dared usurp their rest to kill more people and add them to his undead horde as well. The sight of the creature himself was enough to make Bran fearful...hoping that the letter he and his family had sent to Highgarden had reached it by now. The War for the Dawn was about to start again and this time it was anyone's guess who would win it.

Highgarden, the Reach…

The letter was in Rhaenys' hand as she watched her husband getting his armour on, not his usual suit but the Valyrian steel one he had acquired in Valyria which was far more like the traditional knight's armour that Westerosi knights wore to protect more of their body at the cost of some movement. She was quiet and her lip trembling slightly.

"Why do you have to go?" She finally asked him, why couldn't her half brother handle it she thought with anger. Why when everything seemed to be going right for them did they have to bring this up? It was not just that her husband was once again off to war but what he was fighting against. After he had told her of the Three Eyed Raven's warning she had read up on the White Walkers and even those dusty moth eaten books had been enough to make her sweat. "Why not let others go for a change? Why does it have to be you?" She asked with her eyes watering slightly.

"Because I can fight." Harry said as he turned to face her, his expression grim as he knew full well what was waiting for them in the North. "What is coming cares nothing for money or power, only to kill everything that lives. If we want to survive then everyone that can fight must and I can do more than most." Harry told her, he had sent out at call for volunteers to go up North to fight the walkers, offering ten gold dragons in payment to each man. Many had actually turned the offer down as the legend of the walkers scared many off or they did not want to journey to such a cold and inhospitable land especially with winter coming but around five thousand men had joined the crusade. Now armed with a crossbow each that could fire arrows and an ironwood spear tipped with dragonglass they were sailing to White Harbour. That was not much of a fighting force but it was better than nothing.

"And what if you don't come back?" Rhaenys asked now feeling a deep rooted fear that this would be the last moment they had together, Harry sensing his wife's worries came over and enveloped her in a hug.

"I will be coming back." Harry told her, with a surprising amount of certainty that he was not sure he felt himself. "But I cannot ask men to do something I wouldn't do myself, how would they view us if I sat here while men died to save my throne. I would be no better than Joffrey." He said, the mad boy had not lifted a finger for anything but his own enjoyment even as men fought and died to keep him on the throne.

Rhaenys buried her head in his chest and he just held her, taking comfort from each other as they approached what could be the hardest fight of their lives.

-x-

In ports around Westeros men boarded ships that would carry them north to join with Harry for the confrontation with the White Walkers. Some had come thinking it was nothing more than superstition but were glad to take the money, other joined because they wanted to travel and a few joined so they would not be a burden to their families in the coming winter.

In one port in the Reach, a tall and well built man boarded the ship alongside Samwell Tarly and his woman Gilly wearing a cloak to disguise his identity. He lowered it once the ship had sailed and the now slightly bearded face of Jorah Mormont appeared, would he knew need to put it back on once he reached the North. There was little chance of being recognised in the south but in the North he was well known enough to be recognised, he had intended to return to his Khaleesi the moment he was cured of his affliction but he had then heard of the rise of the White Walkers in the Far North and in his heart knew his homeland was facing the greatest danger in its history, his family were in danger.

He could not turn his back and walk away.

Going home would mean almost certain death but 'Here We Stand' meant more than just we will not move, to the Mormonts it meant regardless of the risks they would stand their ground and face the danger without fear of death, that come what may they would do the right thing whatever the cost.

He had not heeded those words and paid for it, he had lost his castle, lost his family...lost himself even Jorah thought sadly remembering a time when he had been a man of honour and integrity, respected across the North and especially the proud day that his father Jeor had handed the reins of power over to him when joining the Nights Watch saying he was leaving their house in the best hands.

A father that had died thinking him nothing more than a slaver and a coward.

The mere idea of it brought so much shame to Jorah that he hung his head, wishing for a moment that he had never even gone to fight in the Greyjoy Rebellion...never become a knight...never met Lynesse.

He took a steadying sip of ale from his wineskin to settle his nerves, if he did one thing right in this world it would be defending his homeland in its darkest hour and if he died then he could deal with that he thought. Better him than his cousins he thought remembering the girls that they had been and wondering what sort of women they had become in Dacey's case or were becoming in Lyanna's. They would not want to see him he realised with a pang of regret, not with the situation he had left them in paying his debts and baring the shame he had brought on their house but he would like to see them at least once he thought.

To know they were alright.

Winterfell, the North…

The North had become even colder since he had last been here, Harry hadn't thought that possible but wrapped up in his furs which was thankfully layered with warming charms he hardly felt it. The wind probably wasn't helping the temperature though Harry thought as Talos fought the cold winds to approached the ancient castle. Grimacing as he touched down outside the castle he saw that the Starks had lined up to greet him and the moment he dismounted they all knelt in the snow. Harry hid his frown though and came up to Sansa, Arya and Jon. Talos immediately saw the nearby Caralys, Jon's dragon and stared at her intently. They all looked at the dragons stare each other down but then they took to the skies and started racing each other around the local area. Through the bond he had with his dragon could feel the joy and metaphorical thumping of the chest, he was trying to impress a female, Harry was almost amused but had other things to deal with.

"Rise Ladies Stark, Lord Snowstark." Harry said with formality in each word before turning to see the Karstark boy Sansa had married looking at him with awe which made him realised how well Sansa had chosen her husband, strong and brave from a noble family but someone she could easily dominate. Just like grandmother Harry thought with amusement and shook their hands before he went to the main solar where he and the Starks could talk, Bran was waiting in his wheeled chair and smiled distantly at him not having been in the courtyard due to the chair and could not kneel. The faraway look was somewhat unsettling to him but they had more important things to discuss so they settled around the table but they only started talking when the door was firmly locked and Harry silently cast a privacy spell.

"So do we know how many they are and where?" Harry asked getting straight down to business. Bran answered with an airy kind of voice.

"Tens of thousands of wights that are marching closer to the Wall."

Harry looked at him as did the rest of the Starks expecting more information but seeing no more was coming Harry turned to the rough map that had been prepared of Beyond the Wall.

"Well I have five thousand volunteers armed with dragonglass weapons on their way here and the way I see it the wights are the real problem. They swarm people without any pain or hesitation and that is what will get people killed however dangerous the walkers themselves are. We know wights are vulnerable to fire so perhaps if Jon and I use the dragons we can burn away their army, without the wights the Walkers are far less of a threat." Harry suggested, seeing that as the most sensible form of action. Jon nodded having thought of this too but just as Arya and Sansa were giving the slightest of nods to signal their agreement when Bran suddenly interrupted.

"NO!" He said his voice very firm and insistent which surprised them all given how detached he had seemed before, his eyes now focused on them and shockingly alert. Bran's mind thinking on the vision he had received of a possible future, three dragons circling the Army of the Dead and burning them away before the Night King killed one with a spear and then brought it under his control as a wight. How it burnt the Wall down and allowed the Army of the Dead to enter the North and while the silver haired woman was not here the point still remained...use dragons and their last barrier will fall.

"The Dragons are not safe from the Night King, he can kill them easily and then bring them back as wights which can burn down the Wall." Bran told them.

The looks of depression that came over all four of the other people in the room was like a dark cloud had descended on the room, their best weapons was too vulnerable to use against the walkers.

"That leaves a field battle against the Wights and the Walkers, a swarm of undead that can cut through men like wheat and for everyone they kill their numbers grow. I really do not want to have to commit to that kind of fight." Harry told them massaging his temples as his original plan went out the window. The reason he had not call the banners and marched all the armies of Westeros here was that he had imagined using the dragons to get rid of the Wights and then use their specially armed force of volunteers to overwhelm the Walkers with sheer numbers. His anger blossomed as he started pacing.

Jon and Arya both looked to each other and now looked anxious themselves at the battle they were now presented with, Sansa meanwhile looked with worry to Harry and asked.

"Your grace you have magic, there must be some spell or potion that can help us?" She said hoping that although her own exposure to his powers had been brief there might be something in his bag of tricks that could help them now. Arya and Jon then turned to look at Harry themselves who stood there lost in thought. When he finally did come back to the moment it was with a look of great unease.

"There might be a way." He admitted with reluctance, really not liking the idea of this. "There is an ability that could be even more potent than a dragon's breath, enough to destroy the Army of the Dead completely if done right but I really am uncertain if it is safe."

"Safe?" Arya said incredulously. "Rather than fight all the wights with men when you can wipe out their entire army by yourself?"

"Quiet!" Harry said sharply in angry rebuke, shocking all of them before he sighed and explained. "Some magic is far too dangerous to be used so casually, the one I am thinking of I have only used twice before and the first time it nearly killed me and the second was extremely brief. It is Fiendfyre, the element spirit." Harry told them and sighed again as they looked at him, expecting more answers so he explained his reluctance to use it on such a scale.

"Fiendfyre is literally living fire, more instinctual than intelligent it only wants to destroy and it burns hotter than a dragon! It is impossible to fully control and you can only really direct it to where you want it to go with great effort. I would only be able to hold it for a few minutes at the most at the scale we need and while I am doing it, I won't be able to do anything else! I have to devote my full attention to directing the fire, leaving me completely defenceless against any wights that manage to get through or the Walkers themselves." He told them and now they too looked uneasy at the thing they were asking of him. Jon then spoke up.

"What if I go with you?" He asked surprising Harry slightly. "I could defend you from the Wights and Walkers while you control the flames."

"Me too." Arya said making Sansa look at both Jon and Arya with alarm and worry. Harry meanwhile frowned deeply.

"Anyone close to me while I am using Fiendfyre is risking being burned by it too, I really can't recommend it." Harry warned them, he should be able to create a safe zone around them but it was still risky for anyone to be with him especially if his control slipped even for a moment.

"I'll take that chance." Jon said, Arya nodding along with him. Harry sighed knowing that taking any more would be too risky so he returned the nod and told them.

"I'll need to make a brief trip back to Bloodstone before we go to pick up some equipment we are going to need and conserve my magic as much as possible until the time is right, I'll create portkeys to get us back to Winterfell when we're done. I won't have the strength to apparate myself more than a few feet, let along all three of us miles and miles." He warned them, remembering the last time he had used magic on this scale during the Battle off the Summer Isles against the Slaver Fleet. Granted he knew a great deal more now and had a better understanding of what he was doing but that in some ways made it far worse...that and the result if he failed he thought grimly.

The next day Harry, Jon and Arya bid a difficult farewell to Sansa and Bran as they set out on horses for Castle Black. They could have gotten there much faster by dragon but they did not want to risk bringing the great beasts near the Wall in case the Night King surprised them, so they rode horses. Both Jon and Arya admired the Valyrian steel armour he had brought from Bloodstone for them but since the Night King and his Walkers were going to be so close it made sense to give them armour the Walker's weapons couldn't penetrate which was also light and did not inhibit movement. It was rather basic but Harry had as a precaution told Brynden to make, in case the Walkers ever came or as a symbol of their strength and importance to the rest of the world. The dragons had stayed behind and while he was worried for his human going somewhere without him, Talos had seemed just fine in staying with Caralys. That did bring a brief smile to Harry's face wondering if there might be a clutch of dragon eggs soon.

Harry meanwhile wore the crafted suit he had gotten in the Ruins of Valyria, it was inlaid with gold and jewels for decoration but he did not ever care in the slightest about that given where they were going and the danger. He had made the portkeys that would bring them back to Winterfell from their undergarments so there was no chance of losing them and that would be the last magic he did until they reached the spot. He had spent a good part of the night meditating to build up his magical reserves as well as his mental focus.

He only gave the slightest of nods to the Commander of Castle Black and left Jon to deal with his friend while going to a room, locking the door and sat cross-legged on the floor to make sure he had reinforced his control and magic as much as he could.

-x-

Arya had never seen Castle Black or the Wall before but she had somehow imagined much more in regards to the Castle than the bleak and near ruin it really was, the Wall was impressive though she thought especially as she saw the breathtaking view from the top with Jon and his friend Edd. She wondered if maybe one day she would have the chance to explore the vast and untamed lands beyond, if she thought grimly they managed to kill the Night King.

"Are you sure about this?" Edd asked them quietly, looking very worried at the idea of going out to face the Walkers and their army, just the three of them. Jon nodded slightly before trying to reassure him.

"We will meet with the dragons on the other side of the Wall, we cannot risk their fire near here though just in case they damage the Wall." Jon said sticking to the cover story they had come up for how they were going to deal with the wights. No one would doubt the power of dragons and it enabled them to protect Harry's secret, hopefully Jon thought to himself.

The trio rode their borrowed horses through the long tunnel to the other side of the Wall, they had eschewed Edd's offer of a guide or men to accompany them. The fewer lives at risk the better.

Riding through the burned and seemingly dead forest was spooky and uncomfortable, all three humans felt like eyes were looking at them from behind every single burnt and dead tree trunk or snow covered rocks. They stuck closely together as they rode, worried that the Army of the Dead might be all around them so when they heard a branch snap nearby none of them hesitated at drawing their weapons and focusing intently on the spot in question.

When a tall, broad shouldered man emerged out of the burnt under-brush dressed in black they immediately thought he was a wight but when they saw he straighten up to a stand tall with eyes that were grey rather than the strange and supernatural blue of the wights and their masters. Both Jon and Arya froze at the sight of him.

"Uncle Benjen!" They both cried out in unison and leapt from their horses to go over to him, he accepted Arya's hug slowly while Jon stood slightly back and looked around to see if anyone was around them. Harry meanwhile was staring at the last brother of Eddard Stark, there was he could see a distinct resemblance between him and his late brother but the man's skin he noticed was extremely pale and marked with scars. That was just what his eyes told him, something magical was holding this man just back from the brink of death and it felt like the primal magic of the Children. A last gift he wondered before they had fled the North altogether.

"Jon, Arya its been a while." Benjen said with a slight smile at his niece and nephew. "I have heard about all the troubles you have faced since I last saw you, I know Ned and Lyanna would be proud of you all." He added and a warm smile came over the Stark children, Arya then as she pressed her head against Benjen's chest in another hug noticed something about her uncle that was not right. She looked up at him shocked and he sighed before leaning back against a tree truck.

"As you know Jon, I led a ranging party deep into the Far North to find the White Walkers...they found us first." He said sighing as though he were a man relieving the worst moment of his life, which in this case was probably true. "A walker stabbed me in the gut with a sword of ice...then left me there to die, to turn. The children found me and stopped the Walker's magic from taking hold." Benjen said and that instantly got Harry's attention as maybe it was something they could use against them.

"How?" Harry asked only for another voice to answer the question for Benjen.

"They put a shard of dragonglass in his heart, exactly the same as when they made them." It was a woman's voice and rich with a foreign accent, they all looked over to see a woman in red robes smirking at them. To Arya she was a stranger who made her wary but Jon and Harry instantly recognised her albeit for different reasons. To Jon she was the witch that had made him Lord Commander of the Nights Watch, brought him back to life after being murdered and indirectly gave him the army that had helped to win Winterfell.

Harry however immediately went for his swords, he remembered the woman as the witch at the side of Stannis. One that had burned people alive and used magic to assassinate Renly Baratheon. She merely smiled as she had anticipated his presence.

"Your grace, welcome to the Far North. I see you come equipped to fight the Others and channel my lord's power." She said having seen visions of him coming here and using the flames of R'hllor himself to wipe away the undead. She had been confused at first that her lord would chose to act through one that had slaughtered his servants and worked to prevent the spread of his word in Westeros but she would not question his will. The Rose was the one, so she would ensure it came to pass.

Harry meanwhile was ready to cut her down in a heartbeat, he knew the danger she represented properly now and his first instinct was to kill her, Benjen seeing this spoke up for her.

"She found me, used her magical fire to kill wights while we waited for you to show up." Benjen said in her defence and while he kept a wary eye on her, Harry left his swords where they were.

"Why haven't you brought him back? Like you did with me?" Jon asked standing near his uncle and looked on as Melisandre looked at the king with amusement while Harry glared at her with revulsion. Melisandre briefly turned to him before explaining.

"The shard of frozen fire is what holds back the Other's power but it also would tear his heart apart if it started beating again, to heal him I would have to remove it and that would allow the injury to do its work. Now shall we?" She asked, eager to get going.

Harry was feeling incredibly uneasy around this woman and really did not want her anywhere near this especially as she seemed to know his plan but if Benjen Stark was telling the truth then her powers, she could be a useful asset. However as Arya got back on her horse he whispered in her ear.

"If she shows any sign of betraying us, kill her."

Arya nodded, her own instincts sensing this woman was bad news.

A wind had whipped up as they approached the lake and started to cross its frozen surface, on any other day Harry would have been worried about them falling through the ice but this sudden blizzard had him on edge more. Visibility was down to no more than a few steps and he could not shake the feeling of corrupt magic, it was magic like his but perverted beyond anything he had ever felt. Even the Warlocks in Qarth had not been as bad as this he thought visibly uncomfortable from the experience.

Then as they reached what was apparently an island in the middle of the lake, the wind which had been growing so strong and was whipping the snow right into their faces suddenly broke for a second and they saw what was immediately around them.

The entire coastline of the lake was covered by a dark mass that they realised to their horror were wights, far more than any of them had ever managed possible. They couldn't see any walkers but for this many wights to be here they must be close by.

Harry gulped and looked at his allies, Jon and Arya were staring in opened mouth horror as although they had known what to expect they had never imagined so many. Benjen and Melisandre meanwhile just stared impassively at the nightmare around them, focused on what they had to do. The small group moved to the centre of the tiny island, Harry at the centre while each of the others established their perimeter around him. Jon briefly looked to him and nodded which Harry returned more nervous than he had ever been. Reaching his hand high into the sky he summoned all the magic he had spent the last few days storing and all the willpower he had.

"FIENDFYRE!"

For a moment it looked like nothing was going to happen, Harry just stood there with his hand in the air and his companions were concerned something bad had happened but then time seemed to slow down as a strong glow appeared in the palm of his outstretched hand which seemed to get brighter and brighter until they all had to turn away or be blinded.

Then it exploded upward with enormous force, knocking each of his companions to the ground as Harry staggered from the sheer force of it but from his hand a torrent of flame appeared and reached high into the sky, forming quickly into a hawk that seemed to shriek before diving down onto the wights who started charging.

-x-

Jon started in pure fear and amazement at the sight before him, the golden flames so large and so hot that they made those from his dragon look like paltry embers in comparison. He only felt like his skin was burning thankfully and was exceptionally glad Sansa and Arya had agreed to keep his secret (his dragon explained away as having a Valyrian mother) rather than face the kind of power his goodbrother was using now in some doomed attempt to seize the throne.

Looking as the flaming hawk crashed down on the shore and the frozen surface of the lake, wights seemed to burst into nothing upon contact with the golden fire. Any snow or ice vanished like it was never there as the flames moved in a circle around them and at last he understood why Harry had not wanted too many people around him. The heat was more intense than any thing he had ever seen and in his warm furs he felt like he was burning, sweating running down his face.

Suddenly he saw wight shadowcats and wolves moving towards them, some slipping through the curtain of flame that surrounded them. He raised Dark Sister and readied himself only to be shocked when the blade of his sword was engulfed in flames, catching Melisandre out of the corner of his eye give him a sly wink before turning back to face the enemy.

Jon however had no chance to be confused as the wight shadowcat lunged at him, reacting by instinct Jon struck with a slash at the creature while sidestepping slightly so the flaming corpse went straight past him.

This was certainly one of the strangest days of his life he thought as he saw a pair of wight wolves coming at him and took his ready position.

-x-

Arya was likewise stunned when her sword was covered in flames but glad of it when a wight direwolf leapt straight at her, ducking low she impaled her sword into its belly causing it to erupt into flame before pulling her sword free to stab it into the head of the next wolf that came at her. Seeing beasts that were just like her own familiar rotting and still charging at them with those horrible blue eyes was deeply unsettling to her but with the discipline instilled in her by Jaqen and Syrio during her time at Bloodstone she kept fighting.

Those quick reflexes and training to be flexible are what saved her moments later as a wight unicorn came charging at her with its horn trying to impale her, she only just managed to dodge the incredibly fast thrust, feeling the horn as it missed her stomach by less than the width of a finger. She pulled the dragonglass dagger from her waist with her free hand before stabbing it straight into the creature's eye. It shrieked before falling down dead at her feet.

Her heart was thundering in her chest and she had never been more scared in her life, surrounded by the undead and their demonic masters but at the same time never had she felt so much a Stark, like her ancient ancestors she and her family stood against the Others in defence of the living.

-x-

Melisandre was smiling wider than she ever had before as she saw her god's essence emerging from the man she had dismissed as a heretic and a murderer, his power washing over her in waves like a soothing and refreshing rain and giving her greater strength in her magic. Looking over she saw some wight snow bears had managed to get through the veil of fire, so she grinned widely and summoned her own power and with a laugh that was both childlike in its joy and disturbing at the same time released a stream of fire from her hands.

The snow bear was consumed by the flames and as more wights came towards her she thrust out her hands, blasting them with fire that while not as hot or destructive as her lord's flames was more than strong enough to deal with these moving corpses.

Benjen was dealing with a wight boar using the dragonglass daggers she had given him and looking vaguely hopeful that things were going well, and she was feeling better than she had for a long time. Everything was going just as she had foreseen.

-x-

Hopeful and invigorated were the last words Harry would use to describe his own thoughts on the situation at that moment though.

He had never in his life experienced the sheer intensity of pain that he was feeling at this moment, every part of his body from his toes to the top of his head felt like it was burning, white hot pain stabbed at his eyes.

He was in complete and total agony but given the situation he gritted his teeth so hard he expected them to break, and kept on going. The skin of his hand was slowly blackening from the heat and still he forced himself to continue, it was vital...they had to destroy the wights he thought with difficulty to keep his mental focus as his heart beat painfully hard in his chest and blood started running down his face from his ears, his nose, his mouth and the corners of his eyes.

-x-

The Night King watched having already lost his steed to the flames conjured by the outsider which had also wiped away most of his army, he fumed this creature was not part of his design and had cost him too much as it was. So he took hold of the ice covered spear that he had strapped to his back and took careful aim at the sorcerer casting the flames, drew back his arm and threw that long projectile straight at the target with all of his enhanced strength.

-x-

With his attention focused so completely on keeping the Fiendfyre going Harry had no time to react to the deadly javelin that was coming straight at him, even if he had noticed it that would only leave him a split second to evade it anyway.

The impact created a clang so loud that it for a moment deafened those who heard it and the Valyrian steel that protected Harry's chest was actually dented from the sheer force of impact but thankfully the metal held. The flames he was created disappeared in an instant as he was thrown backwards and knocked unconscious, Jon and Arya looked on with horror as Harry fell before rushing over to see if he was okay. Much to their relief he was still breathing but the blood coming from all over his face and the very laboured breathing was certainly not a good sign they realised. Nor was the heavy burns on his right hand.

Melisandre was strangely calm as she conjured a wall of flame around them and came over to the fallen king, her magic could clearly see the damage her lord's power had reeked on his body. His heart was under great strain, he was bleeding inside and his own magic was too depleted to begin healing him.

Without help he would not survive and for a moment she considered letting him die for what he had done to the followers of the true god in the past, however as Benjen kept watch and saw the last wights and their masters charging she knelt down and pulled a tiny bottle from the depths of her robes before handing it to Arya who looked at it with confusion.

"Phoenix tears, the birds are not gone as many believe but they can save his life. Pour the contents down his throat when you get back to Winterfell." She told her and turned to Benjen who nodded, she had described her vision to him and this was how it must be...the only reason she was helping Harry Tyrell.

Arya looked shocked having learnt about magical legends while on Bloodstone and she had heard the Phoenixes were extinct, but Jon said to both Melisandre and Benjen with particular attention paid to his uncle who he had only just gotten back.

"We can't leave you here!"

"Calm yourself Snowstark, we will not die at their hands but our own as I am sure the old one has told you about these." Melisandre said pulling out small crystal from the depths of her robes, it was clear but inside a flame burnt before their eyes. Closing her eyes she said with magic in her voice too ensure it had the desired effect.

"Activate."

Before Jon or Arya could protest the portkeys pulled them and the unconscious Harry away from the lake and the walkers who had surrounded them with all the wights that remained. Benjen turned to Melisandre who smiled before she crushed the crystal in her hand, pouring all the magic she had into it.

The explosion was immediately, spreading outwards fuelled by her magic and consuming the last of the wights.

-x-

The Night King and his brothers and sons if your took that viewpoint to see them that way was knocked back a step by the sheer force of the explosion but weathered it with their extreme inner cold however as he looked around the now scorched lake bed he glared.

At least he had the scant satisfaction of killing the sorcerer that had destroyed his army.