Fire Beyond the Wall

Wildlings

I was happy for Jon, he was Lord Commander and could make some changes to the Watch, for the better. Jon was at the main hall, he was assigning positions and doing Lord Commander duties. I decided to skip dinner in the main hall and bring some soup to Maester Aemon's chambers as he was not feeling well.

"Hello, Maester, I brought you some soup, I heard you weren't well" I smiled and walked over to the man who was sitting up in his bed.

He stammered, "Thank you dear" He smiled shakily.

I walked over and carefully handed him his soup, so he could hold it.

"Do you need my help?" I asked, unsure if he was well enough to manage feeding himself.

He tutted me, "No no, i am fine, I found a reading you might like, it's on the table there" he said head nodding to the direction, he memorized his surroundings it surprised me sometimes.

I gingerly walked over and took the book in my hands. I read the title and inspected the carved details, "This is about Targaryen's" I said looking to Aemon who nodded.

"It is one of my favorites" Aemon spoke "would you read it to me?".

"Of course" I happily replied and skipped over to a chair by his bed and began reading.

I left when he had finished his soup and I had read a good quarter of the book.

The next day, as Rhae went to visit Aemon again, Jon was speaking with Tormund.

The ginger man was glaring at Jon as they sat across from one another.

"Where are the rest of the free folk now?" Jon spoke first.

Tormund didn't reply just reajusted himself on the chair.

"Who leads them?" Jon tried again to make his friend talk, although Tormund would probably not use the term.

"They followed Mance, they won't follow anyone else" Tormund replied

Jon nodded and looked down briefly and looked back up when he replied, "What about you?".

Tormund shrugged slightly, "Hard to lead when you're in chains" holding his shackles up.

"What if I unchained ye?" Jon asked, with the smallest sigh.

"Why would you do that?" Tormund asked immediately.

Jon stared at the Wildling, "Because you are not my enemy...and I am not yours".

Tormund began to inspect Jon in curiosity, "You sure seemed like my enemy when you were killing my friends".

"For a thousand years the night's watch swore to be the shield that guards the realms of men and for thousands of years we have fallen short of that oath You belong to the realms of men, all of you" Jon nodded at his friend.

"And now everything is going to change?" Tormund asked

"It is" Jon nodded

"Why now?" Tormund asked

"Cause now I am Lord Commander of the Night's Watch" Jon said leaning forward on his oak desk.

"What would you have me do Lord Co-manda" Tormund asked also leaning in.

Jon stood, knowing his friend was going to listen, "I'd have you go north of the wal, gather the remaining free folk and bring them back her. I'll open the gates for them and let them through" as Jon spoke he walked around his desk to stand in front of Tormund.

"I'll find them lands to settle south of the wall".

"They won't kneel for you" Tormund said flatly to Jon, "and neither will I".