chapter 18 : Return

During a long travel, they came down from the mountains with the giants to finally reach the gigantic encampment of the Free Folk army where Mance was in the Skirling pass south of the frostfangs.

 They arrived in the camp and everyone looked at them in astonishment, they had already seen giants and direwolves but never a giant wolf in the literal sense of the term like Ghost.

 They had never seen a horse so large with such piercing eyes or a raven as large as Night.

 Val announced Jon as the Raven King who wanted to speak with Mance and there were a few insults thrown at him but no throwing stones like in the series because of a certain giant wolf.

 They walked a little further to a large tent where Mance was staying after they had led the giants to where the other tribe of their kind was.

 "I sincerely hope you know what you're doing Val." Jarl said before entering the tent.

 She watched as Jon got off his horse and asked him to come in as Ghost laid lazily outside just like Shadow and Night who flew off.

 In the big tent, Jon saw several men, they were the warlords of the Mance army like Tormund Giantsbane, Harma, Rattleshirt the bone lord, Styr the magnar of the Thenns clan and finally, Varamyr Sixskin the warg the most powerful known and capable of controlling 6 beasts.

 They all looked at Jon each analyzing him and it was Rattleshirt who approached him first to look him up and down but while he wanted to speak, Jon continued on his way ignoring him while banging his shoulder against his.

 Immediately after this provocation, the bone lord wanted to brandish his weapon but at a speed he could not keep up with, Longclaw's blade was already on his neck.

 Val: You can't beat him bone lord and I'm sure no one here can win against him after seeing him in action.

 Styr: I'm willing to take a gamble and find out what the Raven King tastes like.

 Varamyr: Can he beat a bear? I would like to see it.

 Jon: I want to talk to your boss, I'm not interested in the rest of you. It's Mance I want to talk to.

 Tormund: Who tells you I'm not Mance Rayder?

 Jon: Because I already know you Tormund Giantsbane just like the other Mance generals in this tent. I have been north of the wall for three years and I have taken the time to carefully observe you and your clans.

 "Three years huh ?! The Raven King now speaks the ancient language and knows our people…" Mance said as he entered the room with a woman who was blonde and apparently a few months pregnant.

 Jon: King-beyond-the-Wall.

 Mance: Raven King.

 Jon: I'm not a king.

 Mance: I'm not one either. You are much younger and handsomer than rumors say. What is your name and what do you want from me? I like to know who I'm talking to.

 Jon: I am Jon Stark, Captain Commander of the Night's Watch.

 Mance: A Stark ?! Captain Commander?! I don't know this title and yet I was once a sworn brother.

 Jon: It was recently created and gives me authority similar to that of Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. What I want to tell you is simple and clear, you will never cross the wall in the way you want to use.

 " Is it true ?!" Mance asked amusedly as his generals started laughing.

 Jon: Others before you have failed and you will not do better. I know what you are running from, submit and perhaps the Watch will give you passage under certain conditions. The blood of the first men also flows through my veins just like you.

 Mance: Do you want us to kneel ? Let us submit ?!

 Jon: It's about your survival.

 Mance: Yes, our survival. But why would a crow care ?! You and yours have been killing us for a long time.

 Jon: Because your people are carrying out raids to pillage, rape and kill our homeland. We don't have to be enemies, the future threat is far too great. Submit, Mance, this story between our peoples because some found themselves on the wrong side of the Wall has lasted long enough.

 Mance: We don't submit…

 "I would have tried anyway…" Jon said before leaving the tent to leave and Val followed him, he wasn't going to stay there and insist because they are old enough to be aware of the stakes.

 Jon: Thank you for vouching for me, when blood is shed, I will do the same for you with my brothers.

 Val: Let me take you home, my people are unpredictable.

 Jon: My wolf is even more so.

 Val: You're a good person, it's a shame we're...enemies.

 "You are not my enemy Val. I hope we see each other again in better circumstances, I have learned to observe your people, and I sincerely wonder why our ancestors managed to kill each other " he mounted Shadow before leaving with Ghost at his side leaving Val watching him leave with mixed emotions.

 She'd be lying if she said she didn't fall under his charm at first sight.

 Having already lasted too long in these lands and even if he already had a certain attachment to these wild lands, Jon knew that he had already spent too long there and had to return to Nightfort, he had not had any news from the kingdom and it was time for him to return.

 Much later above the black door, on the wall, one of the sworn brothers saw the captain commander returning with his mutated animals and he blew the horn once to announce his arrival so that the large door could be opened for him. 

 "Captain Commander…"

 "It's good to see you again Captain…"

 "Thank you for your work Captain…"

 "Captain Commander has returned…"

 "We missed you Captain…"

 He was greeted warmly by his brothers and he noticed that Nightfort had grown even larger and had even more men. He ended up meeting Torrhen who looked at him smiling.

 Torrhen: Captain Commander…

 "Torrhen. Good to see you again my friend…" Jon said as they hugged each other under the smiles of the other sworn brothers.

 Torrhen: Is that Ghost ?! Has he grown that much ?!

 "He's a giant wolf in the literal sense of the word..." Jon said as Ghost took a proud posture but was mocked by Shadow who deposited poop right in front of him.

 Jon requested that his three companions be released on the other side of the wall to the South, they liked the open spaces and knew how to come back when Jon needed them. Obviously, the new people were greatly frightened, especially by Ghost.

 Later, after taking a bath and shaving his beard, Jon was standing in his office with his long hair down and Torrhen was sitting in the room with a glass of apple liqueur to give him a debrief as reported by their Spies in the kingdom.

 Jon: I'm listening to you my friend, give a brief summary of what happened behind me.

 Torrhen: I tell you again, this won't be easy to listen to.

 Jon: When I last contacted the Starks, Catelyn had left Winterfell after Bran's assassination attempt. I went to see Bran, awake but with amnesia, and Rickon to give them my farewell gifts. What happened right after?!

 Torrhen: Apparently the assassin was armed with a dagger belonging to Tyrion Lannister and Lady Stark placed all suspicion on him and his family.

 Jon: I already know that, I was there before she left. What else ?

 Torrhen: Behind you, Lady Stark is said to have taken Tyrion prisoner after meeting him in an inn on the royal road.

 Jon: By witch authority did she do that ?!

 Torrhen: Out of pure personal justice, she took him to the Vale to her sister Lysa and stand a trial that brought troubles. It turned out that for reasons of dispute with the king, Lord Stark had given up his position as hand and Jaime Lannister had taken the opportunity to attack him in the streets of the capital with Lannister soldiers following the stupidities of Lady Stark against Tyrion .

 Jon: Result?

 Torrhen: Lord Stark (mutant) and his bodyguard Jory (mutant) almost killed Jaime and his men. It is said that there was a duel between the two men and that Ser Jaime Lannister got his ass kicked like never before but honorable as he was, Lord Stark had spared his life. Tywin in retaliation had sent his soldiers to take Riverrun. 

 Jon: Are you talking about Lord Stark in the past tense?

 Torrhen: Jon…

 Jon: Go on...

 Torrhen: Some time after that, King Robert had a very serious accident during a hunting trip and the injury was fatal. As soon as this happened, Lord Stark felt things getting awkward and wanted to send the girls back to Winterfell. Arya followed her father's wishes but Sansa, who was promised to the prince, refused to go to the point of running away and hiding in the queen's apartments with his complicity. Arya was sent back to the North under Jory's care but Lord Stark remained in the capital hoping to find Sansa. As for Tyrion, he was acquitted by a legal duel where a mercenary fought and won for him.

 Jon: This girl is at least as stupid as her mother. Tell me about the events with Lord Stark…

 Torrhen: It turned out that Lord Stark had discovered a secret about the king's children. He challenged the legitimacy of Prince Joffrey and was arrested by the Queen. There my lord, there was a massacre, all the men of the North were killed but Lord Stark, a great fighter, escaped after killing more than 20 guards and even wounding Sandor Clegane. With Lord Stark nowhere to be found for days, Queen Cersei lured him and Sansa to the capital in a trap that unfortunately proved fatal. They told him to pose as a traitor in exchange for Sansa's life. Lord Stark... He renounced his honor to save his daughter and he was executed in the public square and Prince Joffrey displayed his head for days along with those of the brave northerners killed there.

 Jon:…

 Feeling some dizziness, Jon sat down heavily in his seat as his eyes grew watery and his hands began to shake.

 His father had listened to him and could have gotten away with it but Sansa's stupidity had cost him his life. Torrhen said nothing for a few seconds while Jon could digest the news.

 He immediately thought of the day they found Ghost, he had a feeling of foreboding. The deer they found dead first may have represented Robert and the dead giant wolf found further away leaving his orphaned cubs was his father. It was an omen he hadn't been able to understand at the time, but it was too late.

 [ The entities ]

 Death:...

 Eternity: SANSA!!

 Death: Even in this reality she is poison...even worse than in the original story.

 Reality: Eddard Stark really could have gotten away with it this time, he could have left.

 Death: As for the omen, even I didn't notice it.

 Reality: No one could have imagined what was going to happen, that was the strength of this series.

 Eternity: Ned could have survived cleanly. That jerk Robb sure went on a retaliatory war, I hope he didn't ruin everything on the show.

 Fact: Jon had given up romance with Ygritt for his duty with the night guard but Robb had betrayed his duty for his romance with the other caregiver. This stupidity had cost the lives of several lords and brave people of the North.

 Death: Sansa and Robb, the blood of the Tullys is pollution. These two drank too much of their mother's milk.

*** I know many will be disappointed but aren't you tired of reading dozens of fanfictions where they all survive?! The notion of choice and consequence has been the strength of this series and I intend to respect that. I would have liked Ned to have survived, but his death was necessary for us to fully grasp the essence of this work. It was sad but it made us watch this series until its shabby ending ***