Oathkeeper

Chapter 9: Aftermath

Collecting the limp cold bodies of thousands of beloved Northerns was simply too hard of a task. Many wept against their lifeless corpses for what seemed like forever before mustering up the courage to lift them. They were strategically placed in groups of eight on hand-built wooden pyramids. There were too many pyramids for the plain eye to see. The further out you looked, the more they blurred behind the dewey morning air. A lot of them were Dothraki and Unsullied men, but that was because they were the majority of the North's army. The foreign queen wasn't pleased to lose so many of her men, but if everyone were slaughtered by the wights she would have no one to rule over.

All of the remaining soldiers stood in lines facing the pyramids of noble men and women. Jon gave a speech inspiring all of the remaining men to feel proud about their victory, and to live each day proud of the men and women who died for them to continue to live. The Red Woman used her magic to light all of the fires at once. Everyone stood in silence as they watched their comrades turn to ashes.

A few hours after they honored their dead, they all gathered in the great hall to celebrate. There was enough food to feed the entirety of Westeros. Enough all to overflow a sea. The soldiers reminisced their top moments slaughtering the wights. Jon, Daenerys, Bran and Arya sat at the head table enjoying their people basking in the glory of saving humanity. They were all too happy about their survival to notice that the oldest Stark girl was missing.

Sansa knocked on the door before entering Brienne and Podricks sleeping chamber. She found herself inside their room for the third time today. Of course, she felt the need to check on Brienne. The blonde sustained pretty serious injuries during the battle. Sansa winced everytime she looked at the blackish blue marks forming in between the cuts on her face. When the sea of dead pushed through the walls Brienne lost her balance and was trampled by the wights and her fellow comrades, causing her armor to cave in slightly. Her ribs felt as if she'd been struck with a metal pipe in the area repeatedly.. Although Brienne had taken a rough beating, the Maester relieved both of their concerns when he stated she would make a full recovery in due time. Brienne laid flat on her back with her eyes closed, this was the only way she could sleep comfortably. Sansa approached the woman quietly in attempts to not start startle her. She placed her hand on her cheek gently, rubbing her thumb over a cut that started on her upper cheek and ended past her lip. She had another cut through her eyebrow, and another just under the bruise that surfaced around her eye. They were hard to look at, but Sansa knew they would fade into nothing. Brienne's eyes fluttered open at the feeling of a hand on her face. She looked up at the redhead, giving her a weak smile.

"Evening, My Lady" Brienne was still formal, even wounded on her back.

"Good evening, Ser Brienne," Sansa smiled, feeling proud of the woman.

*Immediately After The Battle*

Sansa rushed through the Castle, looking for Brienne. There were at least six people packed into every room available in the castle, either being treated or awaiting it. Bran and Arya were the first two people she saw when she came out from the crypts. Arya informed Sansa that Jon was safe and that she was the one who slayed the Night King. Sansa's eyes lit up when she heard the news. Then the thought of her beloved Brienne popped into her mind and her feet were moving faster than her brain. She watched as people were being brought into private rooms of the Castle, but she couldn't find Brienne. Sansa moved her search downstairs starting with the first room past the library. First her eyes settled on The Hound who clearly passed out from the heavy bleeding coming from his leg. Then they shifted on Brienne who laid on the other cot groaning as she grabbed her side.

"Brienne!" Sansa rushed to her side.

"My Lady" Brienne groaned, still trying to be respectable.