Silver Stag

Reunions At The Wall

[Castle Black - Jon Snow's Room]

Longclaw was lying on a table. Dolorous Edd lifted and admired it, then turned to Jon who was putting some items in a bag.

"Where you gonna go?" Edd asked.

"South."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Get warm." He quipped, smiling.

Edd placed Longclaw on the table. "I was with you at Hardhome. We saw what's out there. We know it's coming here. How can you leave us now?"

"I did everything I could. You know that."

"You swore a vow."

"Aye, I pledged my life to the Night's Watch. I gave my life."

"For all nihts to come."

"They killed me, Edd! My own brothers. You want me to stay here after that?"

A single horn sounds outside, causing both men to look to the doorway.

"Riders approaching!" One man announced.

"Open the gate!" Another shouted.

The southern gates opened and Sansa, Brienne, Podrick and Theon entered the courtyard on horseback.

The Night's Watch and the Wildlings all watched them, Tormund staring intently at Brienne.

The quartet dismount from their horses as Jon Snow and Dolorous Edd emerged onto a balcony overlooking the courtyard.

Sansa slowly spun around until she and Jon locked eyes. Jon descended from the balcony and walked to Sansa. They stared at each other, Jon letting Sansa take the lead, only embracing her when she leapt into his arms.

Once they pulled away, he noticed the people behind her.

Two of them were unfamiliar, but the last.

"Theon," he whispered, his eyes darkening as he stalked over to his father's former ward, grabbing by his tunic. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't murder you right here and now."

Sansa rushed over to them. "Jon, stop! He didn't do it! Bran and Rickon are alive. He didn't kill them."

"How do you know that?"

"Because he told me."

Jon's head spun to Sansa. "And you believe him? He betrayed our family, our brother."

"I know, I know. But he is the only reason I made it here. He was subjected to considerable torture at the hands of Roose Bolton's bastard. But, he helped me escape. If not, I would still be subject to Ramsay's abuse. "

Jon turned back to Theon, who he still had in his grasp. "Consider yourself lucky. My sister is the only reason you're alive right now. But, if you step one foot out of line, I will not hesitate to throw you off the Wall. Do you understand?"

Theon nodded meekly and Jon let go of his tunic, throwing him back, causing him to falter before regaining his balance.

Indeed, much had happened in Jon's time at the wall. It appeared the roles between he and Theon were reversed. Where Theon was once bold and and brash, openly mocking him for his parentage, Jon, who had been quiet and sullen, was now fierce and unyielding.

Jon invited Sansa back to his chambers and the two were sitting by the fire.

Sansa lifted a bowl to her lips and drank from it. "This is good soup. Do you remember those kidney pies Old Nan used to make?"

"With the peas and onions?"

"Mmm."

"We nevr should have left Winterfell."

"Don't you wish we could go back to the day we left? I want to scream at myself, "Don't go, you idiot."

"How could we know?"

"I spent a lot of time thinking about what as ass I was to you. I wish I could change everything."

"We were children."

"I was awful, just admit it."

Jon chuckled. "You were occasionally awful. I'm sure I can't have been great fun. Alwys sulking in the corner while the rest of you played."

"Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive."

"Forgive me."

"All right. All right, I forgive you."

Sansa laughed, then held out her hand for Jon's horn of ale and he gave it to her. She took a sip before coughing.