The Wall weeps (Jon Snow)

[Jon Snow]

Everything happened in a flash. Jon followed Brian down to the bottom, listened as he barked commands to the few members of the Watch who had been close enough to respond quickly and those who were light enough sleepers to respond as well. Jon had Longclaw clutched in his hand as he turned to face the wildling hordes. Horror twisted his insides, as for a moment all he could see was the cold, blue forms of the Others. Then he blinked and the living dead became a horde of wildlings once more. Ghost tore past him, a pale white shadow in the moonlight. With a roar of "THE WALL", Jon charged forward. A wildling, a man with a messy beard holding an axe, charged to meet him. Jon ducked under one of his swings and sliced, and the man's neck exploded into a grisly waterfall of blood. Near him, a wildling fell, an arrow sprouting from his neck, his body landing atop that of a black-clad warrior, slain by the man Jon just killed. Fresh, red blood ran into the snow. Jon looked around. There were more of the Black Brothers, but many were tired and just woken from sleep. The wildlings were fierce and ready.

Jon felt something behind him, and turned in time to counter a bloody sword held by a grizzled wildling with hated glinting in his eyes. He pushed the man back and tossed his cloak at the man, startling him. He swung his blade up at him, but the warrior was ready. The man's strength began to push him back, but a blade sprouted through his chest, and the man fell, dead, to reveal a black-clad ranger who nodded at him, then sprang away across the battlefield. A horn blew across the battlefield, grizzled and wild. It was a wildling horn, he realized. Reinforcements.

Indeed, wildlings began to lope out of the fog and the snow, roaring angrily. Jon raised his blade, ready to fight them. Behind him, more Watchers began to stream out. Ghost pounced onto a wildling, ripping his throat out. Blood stained the white snow as the night and the cold fell upon the Wall.

[Deleted]

Brian knocked the axe from the wildling's hand and drove the sword into his belly. He quickly took it out and saw the blood all over his sword. There was no time to feel remorse, he ducked under another attack and drove his sword with his full weight through the attackers stomach. He pulled out and dodged the next attack, cutting behind his knee and driving his sword through the man's back. Before he could attempt to retrieve his sword, a wildling attack him. Brian drew his dagger and blocked with his guard that could catch blades. The attackers blade was black, not steel. He couldn't make it out nor did he care. He thrust it backwards then shoved the dagger in the man's heart. He pulled his sword out and his dagger, making a note of the sword. He wanted that blade. Brian parried another attack and cut the man's throat with a single slash.

He saw Jon Snow fighting like a demon with Ghost at his side. A brother had saved his life for a moment. Then came the next one, Jon was too busy with the one in front. But Brian already was on the one behind him. He jumped on the man and quickly shoved the entirety of his sword through his chest, then drew it out and put his back to Jon. At least nobody will be behind us, were his last thoughts before he ducked under an attack and sent his dagger into the man's stomach. He shoved him off and cut another man's head clean off. The fight was raging all around them. The spears had kept some at bay but now they were dropped and swords clashed with axe's. He slid under the next attack and cut one of his attacker's legs clean off. Then he heard it... a loud screech. What the hell...? he thought. Something very large had come out from the trees and charged. It bellowed as it trampled through wildlings. Brian's eyes widened. He grabbed a spear and pointed at what he thought would be its center.

"Men!" he yelled over the battle, "DEFEND THE WALL!" other spears were picked up and stood in a line with him. The awaited for the impact.

[Jon Snow]

Jon felt Brian join him in fighting, and for a few moments, lost himself in the fighting. His blade gleamed in the moonlight, Valyrian steel stained red. Ghost was here and there, a pale white shade, death, descending upon the wildlings with a gaping, blood-stained maw, his howls ringing across the battlefield. Jon gazed out across the bodies, the pale snow falling lightly, mixing with the blood to create a hellish red mush that the living were forced to trample through. Jon blocked an axe, lopping off the arm of a wildling wearing a shadowcat skull. The big man fell backwards, howling in pain as Jon swung his blade at another wildling.

They will all have to burn, when the battle is done. Thought Jon blearily. The Others would not profit from this battle, damn them. Even as he stabbed his blade through the chest of a female wildling with a necklace of fingers, he heard a hellish screech ring across the battlefield. A monstrous creature lumbered out of the forest, with large tusks and a long nose. Rage filled it's tiny eyes, and a wildling sat atop it, a huge man with a helmet made from the skull of some hellish beast. It was one of Old Nan's tales, come to life. Brian and several other rangers grabbed spears and formed a wall against the creature. Jon barely had time to stare in shock before he had to duck a wildling's axe, rising up to plunge his valyrian steel into the man's face, cutting through flesh, cartilage, bone, and brain. With a wet ripping sound, he tore it out and turned to face the creature.

[Deleted]

The impact was greater than any of them had expected. Brian slid backwards a few meters with the spear still in head and so did others. Some nearly lost their footing but they all stood in the end. Their spears had stopped the giant creature in its tracks. He realized from the tusks and long nose that this was a wildling mammoth. He Saw that one of his brothers had been pierced by a tusk and was coughing up blood as he died. Brian pushed hard against the beast, it was still trying to get to the Wall. It wanted to hit their tunnel into their gate, where his brothers were still streaming out of. He would not allow this. The spears went further into the animal, making it go wild. Its head started to shake too and fro, breaking some spears. But not Brian's. he could barely see because of his hood over his face now, but some of his brothers were beginning to be frightened. He could not have that!

"Men!" he yelled over the battle once more, his voice carrying to every ranger and steward near him, "do not run! They can't fight you with your wits about you! Hold the damn beast back and kill the wildlings! FOR THE WALL!" he bellowed as he jammed the butt of the spear into the ground and drew his sword once more. It was still wet with blood, perhaps only seconds had passed since he had sheathed it. Who could say? Not he, at least. Brian ran for one of its legs and hacked at it before grabbing a tusk to try and fling himself higher. Remarkably it worked, as he plunged his sword into the damned beasts upper leg. He held on to it with all his might as the mammoth tried to move, but his brothers would not have it. He took out his dagger and drove it into the mammoth's leg. It's curve may yet serve to hold him fast. He then took out his other dagger and plunged it into that same leg. With his strength, he climbed up the beast. His arms nearly failing with each reach. The mammoth had broken two more spears and knocked some of his rangers down. But he was at the top, with four wildlings driving the beast. Two had bows, but they had not noticed him.

Quick as a snake, he cut one of their throats, but he had cried out. The other bowman had looked behind him and found Brian. But he was too fast. Brian threw a dagger at him and grabbed the bow from the dead man. He nocked one arrow and sent it flying into the wildling's chest. My skill lies in archery and daggers! he thought, I'm in my element! He jumped on the driver and drove his dagger into the man's throat. He grabbed his axe and hacked away at the mammoth's head. He couldn't give warning to his brothers to stay away now. It was screeching and bellowing far too loud for any man to yell over it. He saw some men hit but they would survive a knocking around from a piece of flesh. He continued hacking away at the beast until it fell on its knees and then tumbled sideways. Brian jumped off just in time before he was crushed.

He stood up warily, trying to not let exhaustion take over. He saw more wildlings coming from the forest, and some rather larger manlike beasts.

"Giants!" he yelled, he saw Jon Snow near one of the boar spears, "Jon! Grab that boar spear near you and aim for its belly! There's a giant coming for you!" Brian didn't have his sword but he could still help. He grabbed an axe from the ground and rushed to Jon, hoping to get to him before the giant.

[Jon Snow]

Jon finished messily beheading a small wildling woman who had attempted to slit his throat and had fought like a dog. His clothes were stained with dried blood, pale crimson splattering his black clothes. He looked up to see Brian finish killing the huge elephant, and across the field he could see wildlings and brothers both, all killed or trampled by the mad beast in it's death throes. And then he heard Brian begin to scream at him. His eyes widened and he turned. A massive humanlike creature with shaggy fur lumbered towards him, holding a rough club. He grabbed the boar spear from nearby and ran at it.

The giant raised an arm to kill him, but he dodged, rolling away. It swung at him, and he leaped out of the way, but it's hammer caught the edge of his cloak. Furiously, he scrabbled to get away, ripping the fur and leather cloak. He grabbed the spear and plunged it into the giant's hand. The giant howled in pain, blood oozing from it's hand, and swatted him away. He flew through the air, and time seemed to slow. He could hear Ghost's howl of rage, the screams of the dying, see a ranger push away an enemy axe only to be beheaded from behind. Then it stopped. He crashed into the snow a few yards away from the giant, the spear still miraculously clutched in his hand. He rose from the snow, ignoring the pain in his chest as he did so. The giant lumbered towards him, hatred in it's eyes. Jon filled his lungs, settled into a charging position, and let out a long scream as he charged towards the beast.

"WINTERFELL!!!"

Brian ducked the giant's hammerswing, slid between it's legs, and hurled the spear like a javelin. For a brief second, he feared his aim had been off, but the spear sprouted from the giant's neck. The giant stumbled, then fell.

Backwards.

[Deleted]

Brian was too late, the giant had reached Jon Snow before he had. Threw his axe and the giant but missed completely. He saw Jon duck under the attacks the giant threw at him and leaping backwards. The giant caught Jon's cloak and for a sickening moment Brian thought he lost his friend but Jon resisted the momentum. Somehow, someway, Jon managed to kill the beast. But there were more. He turned behind him to see more brothers taking up arrows against the beasts, but they did nothing. I need to do something! Fast! He saw the boar spear lying three meters away. He dove for it and grabbed the wood. The boar spear was glazed with blood, probably from the mammoth. He saw another giant charging through men. He couldn't tell if they were brothers of the Night's Watch or wildlings. At the moment, he didn't care. He stood his ground and spread his legs a bit further.

He bent his knees and felt the impact of the giant's belly as his spear drove in. He could barely hold back the pain his felt from the spear hitting his hip. he hadn't held it right and it dealt a mighty blow, but he held his ground. The giant was moving forward, slowly but it could barely make any ground. Brian, however, slid backwards very easily. He grunted as he pushed harder against the giant. For a moment, he managed to get it off balance and make it take a step back. A wildling woman attack him, he had no time to stop her attack. She had a knife, that was all. He turned his body so the knife would hit his left arm. Though his stronger arm, his instinct had taken over. Brian screamed in pain as he plunged the spear into the snow and punched the woman. He grabbed the dagger and pulled it out before stabbing the woman in her chest.

He grabbed the spear again and pushed hard. His strength was failing, in a few seconds he would surely fall and be trampled. Out of nowhere, two other spears hit the belly of the giant. He looked to his left and right. Two of his brothers came to his aid. They yelled something, but he couldn't tell what it was. All he could think of doing was to push harder. He slipped and fell onto the snow, his strength gone for the moment. His arm shot up in terrible pain. He could not fight much longer. He lifted himself off the ground and stood up. He was hunched over and knees bent when he saw the giant fall over in wailing pain. He charged at it with his own dagger and attacked its neck, hoping to kill it before it found the strength to get back up. He screamed as loud as he could, hoping to break the giant's spirit. It was dead.

He turned back to the battle, it was still raging and the night was young. He took out his horn and blew twice for wildlings. Some of the wildlings were confused, they used horns as well. More brothers poured out and he could barely see the black rain of arrows coming from the wall. This was a small raid, but the Night's Watch took it very seriously. They don't have that many men but when they have to fight they really do fight! He saw Jon fighting some wildling before slumping down and leaning back against the giant. The battle may still be raging but he needed to bandage his wound. He called out to Jon in hopes that he could stand guard while he bandaged. He didn't wait for an answer and began to take out his wounded arm. The blade hadn't gone deep, he could probably still fight. He bandaged himself up. But he could barely move the arm like he used to. He was happy for a moment until he saw the two burly looking wildlings coming with the biggest stone axe's he had ever seen.

In horror, he watched them come. His courage had failed at that moment and just stood frozen.

[Jon Snow]

Jon had rolled out of the giant's way, avoiding being trapped under it. He and a few other rangers had gone to kill a small band of wildlings who were attempting to sneak around the battlefield and into the gate, and now Jon stood holding Longclaw in one hand and a bloodied wildling axe in the other. Three brothers followed him, grizzled warriors with large swords. Suddenly, he noticed Brian, wounded, with two large wildlings coming at him. With a wordless cry, he attacked them. The first wildling struck down one of the three Watchers who had been following him, and the other two stood their own against him. Jon fought the second one, struggling to push back his massive stone axe. He buried the stolen axe into the wildling's arm, which seemed to enrage him even more. The wildling attempted to smash his head with the axe, but he ducked, and, with a swing, lopped off the wildling's head. Jon strode over to Brian, Ghost bounding up out of nowhere to follow him. "Are you alright? I-" Jon stopped, his eyes widening in horror.

A large mammoth strode into the clearing, trumpeting angrily. A wildling larger and burlier than the one Jon had just slain, wearing proud furs and black armor, stolen from men of the watch. He wore a mammoth's skull on his head, and held two massive axes in his hands. He howled at the top of his lungs, then yelled something.

"I AM ROLGIUR, LORD OF THE MOUNTAIN-PASS, SERVANT OF THE GLORIOUS MANCE RAYDER, KING-BEYOND-THE-WALL!!!" Silence fell across the battlefield as the wildling lord's words echoed. The wildlings broke into a ferocious roar, and resumed fighting with vigor as Rolgiur's mammoth trumpeted and began to rampage through the battlefield. The snow continued to fall, harder and faster than before, and it seemed that all the wolves beyond the Wall were howling, the night itself crashing down on the Wall with the fury of a storm.

[Deleted]

Jon came to the rescue. Thank the old gods, if you're there! Thank you! He watched as Jon Snow cut down his attackers, but at the cost of another ranger. Jon had begun to say something, but Brian hadn't heard. He only saw the great mammoth crash in from the damned forest. The rider had bellowed incomprehensible words. Brian was beyond hearing anything feasible. Everything had gone quiet and then the fighting resumed. He sighed and knew that they couldn't just take that mammoth down. It was too big and its fur would probably block a lot of their force. But the rider was exposed. Brian, with his arm still in pain, grabbed his black bow and drew one arrow. He held the bow with his left arm, it felt rather awkward. But it would have to do. He aimed carefully, the rider laughed at the men who were being trampled or speared by his mammoth's tusks. Brian held back the cries of pain he felt from his left arm.

He let the arrow fly, and it hit its mark. The neck of the wildling had been penetrated and blood spurted from his neck. Brian smiled at his shot and fell to the ground in agony only a moment later. He could see the wildlings had lost their will to fight after that. If two giants, a mammoth, and their great driver were killed, how could the go on? They began to retreat. Brian tried to push himself up against the giant right behind him but his strength was gone. He simply laid back in the snow, hoping that no wildling came to kill him. Damn, he thought to himself, injured again! The battle was most likely over. But Brian could not move, his left arm was in searing pain. The rest of his body was exhausted from climbing mammoths and holding back giants. He could hear the word "victory" being shouted over and over again. He hoped their casualties were minimal in comparison to the wildlings.

[Jon Snow]

The winds blew, cold and bitter as ice, as snow descended sluggishly from the bloated grey sky above. Far to the horizon, light was beginning to peak over the mountains, the sun, coming once more to the land-beyond-the-Wall. Bodies, some dressed in black and others in furs and stolen armor, lay crumpled in the snow as a fine coating of snow descended upon their bodies, and the fine red mush that was once their blood. The last of the wildlings was fleeing into the forest. A small band of brothers had already started a fire, and were lobbing the bodies of the dead into it. The wildling lord's mammoth was moaning in it's death throes as several brothers plunged boar spears into it's neck. Jon had almost no doubt it would become some form of stew within a few weeks. A small fire was burning a swatch of trees, and Jon's friend Samwell Tarly was leading a small band of brothers in putting it out. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont himself stood in the middle of the battlefield, patching a wound on his arm while surveying the dead. He noticed Jon, and in a few brisk steps, stood next to him, looking down on Brian's wounded body.

"Lord Commander, this is the ranger who sounded the horn. He led the first assault on the enemy. Without his diligence, we would have lost. I...I personally owe my life to him, along with many others." said Jon haltingly.

Mormont nodded, and signaled to two rangers, who rushed over and began to tend to Brian's wounds, lifting him up on a stretcher and patching his arm. For the first time, Jon noticed his own wounds. There was a nasty cut on his forehead, and his chest hurt badly from when the giant had hurled him, possibly a broken rib. He had minor cuts across his body, and he felt sore all over. Jon could hardly hold his sword, and he had to lean upon it for support. Ghost bounded up to him, his white fur matted with blood, only some of it his own. Jon gazed out at the rising sun and spoke to Mormont.

"We have held the Wall this night. This was but a skirmish, yet our losses could have been far more devastating. But now...we have seen what they can do. We have to prepare our defenses. Mance Rayder will send more. His goal is to weaken us, to make it so that when he attacks with all his might, we break and bend before him." Mormont nodded sadly.

"I know, boy. A dark age descends upon the realm. The kings will not heed us, so we must stand alone. We are the horn that wakes the sleepers, and the horn will blow until the Realm wakes." Mormont abruptly turned away, going to assist a small band of brothers looting the dead for weapons and armor. Jon turned and followed the two brothers who had taken Brian upon a stretcher.

[Deleted]

Being lifted caused Brian pain, his entire body felt like it was shot. His bandage felt wet as the stretcher went into the air. He still felt pride from when Jon had explained to the Old Bear that he was the one who blew the horn. How he had lead the first defending assault. He smiled upwards towards the sky as he was carried back into Castle Black. He was lain down next to the other wounded, most of them were dead. The four spear men that originally came with him were laying down, completely covered in blood. Brian sighed and the smile went from his face. He saw Jon looking down at him. Brian felt sorrow for the men he had lost. He knew those four. They were complete jerks to him, but they had been friends none the less. Friends were always jerks to each other, or at least it seemed that way.

"Jon," Brian said, "I heard what you told Lord Commander. Thank you."

Brian smiled up at Jon. Not only did the Old Bear know of his deeds, but he had proven himself to not be a craven. He had picked up his sword and- My sword! Damn it! It must be in the elephant that I climbed! "Jon, I need you to go out there and find me two things. One is my sword, it's probably still in the elephant that I climbed, the other is a black sword that a wildling attacked me with. It looked amazing and I just want it." He sighed, knowing that he probably wasn't going to get that sword but he hoped none the less.

[Jon Snow]

Jon nodded, smiling down at his friend. Jon walked out into the battlefield, stepping over the bodies that remained. Next to the fire where the bodies were being burned, there was a large pile of weapons. Jon knelt to examine it, shifting aside crude axes, broken swords, daggers, gleaming blades stained with blood, and even spears. Just as he was about to give up and go inspect the elephant's corpse, he saw a glimmer of pure black against the snow. Reaching into the pile of snow, he pulled the blade out. It was mesmerizing, and the light seemed to reflect off of it in a thousand ways. It was beautiful. He stuffed it under his arm and strode to the elephant's corpse. He easily saw the hilt of Brian's sword, but upon pulling it out, found that the blade was shattered in several places. A pity. He took the hilt of the blade and returned to Brian, handing him the items.

"Your blade was lost, but I found the sword you asked for." He smiled at his friend.

[Deleted]

"My blade," he said sadly, "that is unfortunate. It may have been simple but it sure did the job." He took the black sword in hand. It was pure black, and the material was not steel. It was something else. He could not put his finger on it. What could it be? Iron was also not of this feel. He could only think of one substance but it just wasn't coming to him. It was on the tip of his tongue. He looked to the sky again. He would need a scabbard made for this blade. He dare not name it, though some of the best swords have names. Perhaps the better than the best did not. He looked at the blade once more, his mind finally clicked. I knew it! he thought to himself. He was so full of joy he tried to sit up but the pain held him in his place. He grimaced as he looked to Jon and held the blade as high as he could.

"Obsidian!" he yelled, "It's obsidian! The blade is made of obsidian!"

The sword was made for the Night's Watch of old! This blade! he thought, This blade was reinforced to be made into a sword! This dark sword, as I hear, can slay Others! The fat Samwell Tarly did it with a dagger of obsidian. A whole sword may stand a better chance! I'll still need a normal sword just for wildlings and wights. I don't need to break the sword or wear it out too soon.

"Jon," Brian said, "I'll need a new longsword and a scabbard for this one. If you could please help me up, I'd like to go make my new sword now and ask for a scabbard to be made. This sword can slay Others if I understand the stories of Sam the Slayer. I'll be keeping this one!"

[Jon Snow]

Jon nodded. The information was useful beyond imagining, but he was too dull to think about it just then. His wounds seemed to come rushing back to him with perfect clarity. He looked out to the battlefield, and was awestruck by the height of the pile of burning bodies. The Others would get no new walkers this day, but both wildling and Watch had lost much-too much. And from the tales he had heard of the war-one of the Kings was dead, slain by some black magic, and the rest ripped themselves apart over a throne made of swords. And they ignored the pleas of the Watch. If the Realm could not stop fighting itself, how could it ever hope to rally against the Others and Mance Rayder? Jon decided to go up on the Wall to think. A new day was coming, for all, and with it, the dawn of Winter. Jon propped Brian up, slinging the fellow bastard's arm over his back to help him walk, and together, the two walked to the top of the Wall. Ghost followed, limping slightly, his fur crusted with dried blood, his eyes hellishly red.

When he reached the top, Jon propped Brian up against a wall and turned to look out at the rising sun. The flames of the sun seemed to lick at the mountains, and for a moment, one of old Nan's tales came back to him. The cold and the dark, spitting out the sun like a man spits out a bitter orange. Light always returns, no matter what Jon looked down upon the battlefield, the snow stained red with blood, so much blood. But he took comfort in the fact that this time, their enemies had had blood to spill. The next time he and Brian fought, his friend might have to use his new obsidian blade, and their enemies would shed no blood, scream no cries of pain, feel no fear. The next time, they might not live. But that was next time.

Now, the sun rose on the North, warming the snow and blessing a new day. In the south, war raged on, brother turned against brother, and kings and knights fell prey to the darkest of depravities. In the south, the religion of the Lord of Light, R'hllor, spread like fire through the holdings and ranks of Stannis, the King in the Narrow Sea. In the South, war touched every aspect of life, as the tyrant king fought with Jon's own half-brother and Stannis Baratheon for the fate of the Realm.

But in the North, the Wall still stood, unchanging, as it always had. And the Watch still guarded the Realm, as it always had, for a thousand years past, and as it always would, for a thousand years hence. The sun would fall upon the Wall again, and the Watch would still stand, that Jon swore. The armies of the Wilding King could fall upon them, the Others could come roaring out of the North, the South could fall to one of the numerous Kings, but the Wall would stand, and the Watch would guard. Men would still don the black and forgo land and woman, king and crown, for the honor to defend the Realm. The fire would still burn in the North. The Night's Watch would still pledge it's lives and honor. For this night...

And all nights to come.