The Guardian of the North (Robb Stark) Completed

A song of ice and fire

"The price of freedom is high, always has been, but it's a price I'm willing to pay." -Steven Rogers, captain America the winter soldier

"Wait for my signal." Steven commanded, speaking to all the Guardians mentally.

"Are you all right, my lady?" Robb asked and looked down at Elena, who was staring at the Wildlings who hadn't attacked them yet. They just stood there, yelling things she didn't understand.

"Why are you calling me my lady again?" Elena frowned and looked at Robb, trying to get the fear out of her head for a little while longer.

"Because I tried to kill you a little while before, I'm trying to make up for it." Robb answered and diverted his eyes from Elena.

"That wasn't you." Elena squeezed his hand and looked back at the Wildlings.

"And, of course, because you are my lady." Robb added and smiled.

"Please don't die tonight." Elena pleaded after a while, looking back up at Robb.

"I won't if you don't." Robb said then pulled Elena closer and kissed the top of her head.

"That's the last of the oil, ser Alliser." Jon said after he had brought all the barrels filled with oil to their places. By now all the men on the Wall and in Castle Black were running around frantically, readying everything for the battle to come.

"100 000 you say?" Ser Alliser sighed and looked down at the Wildlings. Jon had told him before about the wildlings, when they were going to attack, how and with how many. Ser Alliser didn't listen though, the two had been rivals since the day Jon had arrived at Castle Black.

"Yes sir." Jon sighed and stood behind ser Alliser Thorne.

"You can say it if you like." Thorne sighed deeply, feeling ashamed that he had to admit his faults. "We should have sealed the tunnel while we had the chance, like you suggested."

"It was a difficult decision either way, ser." Jon, being the loyal man he is, didn't want to go on about how he had been right all this time.

"Do you know what leadership means, Lord Snow?" Ser Alliser asked while still looking at the Wildlings, using the nickname he knew Jon hated.

"It means that the person in charge gets second guessed by every clever little twat with a mouth. But if he starts second guessing himself, that's the end for him, for the clever little twats, for everyone. This is not the end, not for us. Not if you lot do your duty for however long it takes to beat them back. And then you get to go on hating me and I get to go on wishing your wildling whore had finished the job." Ser Alliser said. The horn blew again twice, making the men shiver in fear.

"Archers, nock! Everyone else hold!" Ser Alliser commanded. Nevertheless Grenn, a friend of Jon, dropped a barrel from the wall and send it crashing onto the ground, making Ser Alliser suck in a deep breath.

"I said nock and hold, you cunts! Does nock mean draw?!" Ser Alliser almost exploded out of irritation.

"No ser!" The men on the wall replied.

"Does fucking hold mean fucking drop?!" Thorne yelled.

"No ser!"

"You all plan to die here tonight?" Alliser looked around at the men.

"No ser!" The men replied, Jon included who sighed deeply.

"That's very good to hear!" Ser Alliser rolled his eyes. "Draw!"

A horn from down below blew twice. Steven furrowed his eyebrows but still fixated his gaze on the wildlings at the other side of the wall, who hadn't attacked yet. All the other guardians were waiting for him to give a signal.