The Young Lioness

Beyond the Wall

Few days later they were already ready to departe.
Joanna packed her things and then she went to the beach, they would go to the East-Watch.
When Joanna got to the beach everyone was already there, she put her belongings on the boat and then went to where her brother was, "See you in a few weeks." Joanna said giving him a hug. "You'd better." Tyrion said. Then Joanna and the others went to the large ship in which they would make their journey.
On board, Joanna noticed that there were some people she did not recognize, therefore she went to meet them. Jon was talking with the lad that Davos had brought from KingsLanding. "Everything's ready, Jon." Joanna said. "Good, a few more days and we are there." Jon said. "Good." Joanna said. "By the way, this is Gendry. Gendry, this is Lady Joanna Lannister. She's a good one, don't worry." Jon said. "It's a honor to meet you, my lady. I'm one of Robert's bastards, just so you know..." Gendry said. "Likewise. You can call me Joanna." Joanna said giving him a handshake. Then a knight came to meet them and said to Joanna, "I don't believe I had the plesure, my lady. I'm Jorah Mormont." "Joanna Lannister. It's a honor to meet you, ser. I heard a lot about you..." Joanna said. "And I heard you defeated a Dothraki in single combat. And fought in the battle of the Blackwater." Jorah said. "You defeated a Dothraki in single combat?" Gendry asked surprised. "She did, and quickly too." Jon said. "I'm glad you came with us." Jorah said. "This is our best chance, I could not stay down, while other people risked their lifes." Joanna said. "I bet your brother didn't like that." Jon said. "I don't need my brother's permision." Joanna said. "I didn't say you do." Jon said. "I know." Joanna said.
Few days later they were there.
They docked the boat and went into the castle. They reunited all in a room to discuss the plan. Jon layed out the plan to Tormund and he said to Davos, "Isn't it your job to talk him out of supid fucking ideas like this?" "I've been failing at that job of late." Davos said. "And you?" Tormund asked her. "I'm with Jon on this one, sorry." Joanna said. "So also crazy then." Tormund said. "Pretty much, yeah." Joanna said, she knew that what they were doing was madness, still it was the best chance they'd got. "How many Queens are there now?" Tormund asked. "Two." Jon answered. "And you need to convince the one with dragons or the one who fucks a brother?" Tormund asked and Joanna rolled her eyes. "Both and don't." Jon said. "Why?" Tormund asked. "Because I'm the sister of the Queen who used to fuck a brother." Joanna said. "Oh. Sorry. How many men did you bring?" Tormund asked. "Not enough." Jon said. "The big woman?" Tormund asked. Jon laughed and Joanna thought, For gods' sake. "We were hoping some of your men could help." Jorah said. "I will stay behind, I'm a liability as you well know." Davos said. "You are." Tormund said. Really? Where did I get myself into?, Joanna thought. "You really want to go out there still?" Tormund asked and Jon nodded. "It's our best chance." Joanna said. "You're going too?" Tormund said. "I didn't come all this way for nothing." Joanna said. "Well, you're not the only ones." Tormund said. And then he led them to the dungeons.
"The scout found them one mile south of the Wall, they said they were on their way here." Tormund said and Joanna looked into the cells and was surprised to see Sandor Clegane. Jon said, "You're the Hound. I saw you once at Winterfell." "How did you come back to life, Clegane?" Joanna asked. "What the fuck are you doing here, Lannister?" the Hound said. "They want to go beyond the Wall too." Tormund said. "We don't want to, we have to. Our Lord told us that the Great War has came-" a man with a blindfold was saying. "Don't trust them. Don't trust any of them. They're the Brotherhood. The last thing their Lord told them to do was to sell me to a Red Witch to be murdered." Gendry said. Really? We're going to stay here fighting? We're loosing time, Joanna thought. Joanna had heard stories about the Brotherhood a long time ago. "Thoros." Beric Dondarrion said. "I hardly recognized you. Ser Jorah Mormont. They won't give me anything to drink down here. I wouldn't be feeling like myself." Thoros of Myr said. "You're a fucking Mormont? Like the last Lord Comander?" Tormund asked Jorah. "He was my father." Jorah said. "He hunted us like animals." Tormund said. "You returned the favor as I recall." Jorah said. And Joanna was done with them fighting. "Boys, we have few to no time to get the fucking wight, so instead of staying here fighting about things that happened in the past and won't change just because you're fighting over it, we should be preparing to move, together or not. Just be quick about it." Joanna said. There was no one there to complain about what she had said. She just spoke her mind and the room fell silent. "The lady is right. Still here we all are at the edge of the world at the same moment heading in the same direction for the same reason." Beric said. "Ours reasons aren't yours reasons." Davos said. Come on, Joanna thought anoyed. "Doesn't matter what we think our reasons are. There's a greater purpose at work and we serve it together, wether we know it or not. We may take the steps but the Lord of Light-" Beric was saying. "For fuck's sake, will you shut your hole? Are we coming with you or not?" The Hound said. "Do you want to know what we're doing?" Beric said. "Freezing ourselves in this freezing cell, waiting to die." Thoros said and at last Jon said, "He's right. We're all on the same side." "How can we be?" Gendry asked. "We're all breathing." Jon answered and Joanna thought, Finally!
Then Jon opened the cell and they were ready to go beyond the Wall.
They got to the gate of the tunnel and it opened slowly. This is it. This is where it begins, Joanna thought. They marched into the snow.
They were walking in the snow, the landescape was beautifull. Joanna had never seen so much snow, it was magnificent. If there were no wights and if it was warmer, this would be a beautifull place to live in. She was looking at it amazed when,
"Why the hell are you doing this?" The Hound asked. "I'm not going to stay down while other people fight." Joanna said. "So you fight for the Starks now?" The Hound asked "I fight for the living." Joanna said. "At least, you're not fighting for your sister." Clegane said. "Why would I fight for her?" Joanna asked. "You were always running after your siblings when you were a child. Look at you now, off to kill wights." The Hound said mockingly. "Piss off. You were after Joffrey if I recall rightly." Joanna said with the same tone. "Good to see you again, Lannister." Sandor said. "You too, Clegane. Try not to die this time." Joanna said. "I was just trying to protect her." Clegane said. "You both were, but she didn't need it." Joanna said smiling. "How do you know?" Sandor said. "Because I was once her age." Joanna answered and he smiled.
Then Joanna went mooved forward on the column and heard Jon asking Gendry, "You allright?" Gendry nodded. "And you?" Jon asked her. "I'm fine, it's freezing but I'm fine." Joanna said. "Never been North before?" Tormund asked Gendry. "Never seen snow before." Gendry said. "Beautifull eh." Jon said. "I can breath again, down south the air smells like pig shit." Tormund said. "You've never been down south." Jon said. "I've been to Winterfell." Tormund said. "That's the North." Jon said. "You should visit KingsLanding some time, that city smells worse than pig shit." Joanna said. "That's right." Gendry said. And Jon chuckled. "How do you live up here? How do you keep your balls from freezing off?" Gendry asked. "You have to keep moving, that's the secret. Walking is good, fighting is better, fucking is the best." Tormund said. "There's not an avaliable woman in a hundreds miles here." Jon said and Joanna chuckled and thought, Men. Idiots. "We have to make it do with what we got." Tormund said looking at Gendry. And he stopped a bit, shocked. Joanna put a hand on his shoulder and said, "He's kidding, don't worry."
They were walking and walking and Joanna a little accidentaly heard the people talking about what had happened to Gendry because of the Brotherhood and thought, Why am I the only woman here? I should have listened to Tyrion.
After Gendry stopped, Joanna went to him, "Don't mind them." Joanna said. "How do you do it? Stay here in the middle of us, hearing us talking like this." Gendry asked. "I try to ignore it." Joanna said. "Is it working?" Gendry asked. "Sometimes." Joanna said. "Well, I don't think it is going to stop." Gendry said. "It's allright. Come on, we gotta to keep moving." Joanna said and they kept up with the grup.
The journey continued with more small talks, however Joanna did not pay atenttion to it, because she was too focused on the landescape.
At some point, it began to snow strongly and it became almost impossible to see, they had to keep together not to loose the road.
One of the man went in the front, suddenly they stopped and Tormund pointed to a white blur far away and said, "There." "What is it?" Joanna asked. "A bear. Big fucker." Tormund said and Joanna thought, Why is it that there always has to be a bear involved?! "The bear has blue eyes." Gendry said in pannick. Great! A fucking wight bear! I really hate bears, Joanna thought. Then the bear started to run in their direction and they draw their weapons, Joanna hold Sharp Claw tightly, her heart beating fast in her chest and anxiety began to rise. The man came running back fast, still not fast enough, the bear caught him right in from of them. Jon went to see if the body was there, but there was none. They followed him and then formed a circle to cover more area, weapons in hand, trying to see between the snow and hear through it. Suddenly, the bear attacked one of the men from behind them, it tore him apart, Jon and Joanna went to attacked it, they had Valyrian steel. Jon was hurled back and Joanna would be too, if she had not been quickly enough to dock from the thrust and backed away. Then Thoros's and Beric's swords flamed up and they went to attack the bear that had manage to kill the other man, the bear caught fire, but was still alive. It turned to Clegane and it was full with flames, The Hound froze. Joanna was going to attack the thing, when Thoros stood in the way with the flaming sword and attacked it first. It was too strong however, and when Tormund and Joanna tried to help him, the bear pushed them away into the snow, they fell hard on their backs. It was killing him, until Jorah somehow managed to strike it with a dragonglass dagger and it returned to the dead. Then Gendry and Beric pushed Thoros away from the body. They all reunited around him, he was badly hurt. Jorah said, "We have to get him back to the East-Watch." But Thoros nodded for them not to and said, "It's allright. Go on." And then they gave him his drink and Beric pressed the flaming sword against the bleeding and stopped it. Sandor looked to the other side. "Are you allright?" Beric asked Thoros. "I just got bit by a dead bear." Thoros said. "Aye. You did." Beric said. "I love life." Thoros said. He's not gonna make it back, Joanna thought sadly. It had been an hell of a scary fight. It was almost impossible to hit the thing, however it was over by then and they had to continue. Jorah, Gendry and Beric helped him to his feet and Jon and Joanna went to where Tormund was. "It's gone." Joanna said once the dead bear had suddenly disapeared. "Aye." Jon said. "Is it gonna come back?" Joanna asked a bit afraid. "I hope not." Tormund said. And they got back to their journey. It just got real, everything just got real, Joanna thought, while walking, looking down and trying to calm down her heartbeat. She did not say a word, though. Jon went to her and asked, "Are you allright?" "Yes." Joanna said simply. "It's allright, if you aren't. I've seen the Night King and it still scared me back there." Jon said puting a hand on her shoulder. "It's just... it got even more real." Joanna said looking at him. "Aye." Jon said, nodding. "We have to hurry up. Cersei is not going to wait long." Joanna said seriously. "We will." Jon said in the same tone. And they continued the journey.
Not for much time, though, because they stopped again. Tormund and Jon went in front and saw some wights. They all hid and, when the White Walker stopped and the wights too, they attacked. Joanna swinged Sharp Claw at the wights while defending the messy strikes they did. It was a struggle still, then suddlenly when Jon manage to kill the Walker, all wights disintegrated, but one. They circled it and managed to catch it. It made a lot of noise, almost unbearable.
When they were almost finish they began to hear the army, they tied it as fast as they could, they had to run. Quickly. Jon turned to Gendry and said, "Run back to the East-Watch, get a raven to Daenerys tell her what is happening." "I'm not leaving you." Gendry said. "You're the fastest. Go now!" Jon said. "We have to run." Joanna said. And they did while Gendry run to one side, they run to another. They were running, until they got to a part where the ice was begining to break, "Stop!" Jorah said. And they did as carefully as possible for the ice not break. It was a frozen lake. We have to get to the center, Joanna thought as she noticed an elevation in the midle of the lake that resembled an island, it was the logical option. "We have to keep going, they're coming. We have to get to the center." Joanna said. "It's impossible, it is going to break." Jorah said. "Not, if we are quick enough." Joanna said. "Didn't you hear him? We are against the odds." The Hound said. However, the army was coming. "Never tell me the odds! Come on!" Joanna said and then immediately Jon said, "Go!" And they started to run as fast as they could until they get to the center, the wights were surrounding them. Once at the center they draw their weapons again. The wights caught one man and because of that they broke the ice and it drowned a few of them. Then they stopped and just stood there. They were trapped, there was no escape, their only hope was Daenerys.
Some time later the night fell and it was all dark, the wight they had caught never shutted up and Joanna was begin to get seriously anoyed by it. They stood at watch, however eventually the men fell asleep... Joanna did not. She never did in situation like this. She knew that she would stay awake all night and all the time they would spend there, even if she was tired, she could not sleep, no matter how hard she tried. In what did we get ourselves into? 'Hard travessy on ice' Hard? It would be a small word to describe it. We have to make it back, Joanna thought during the night.
The next day the men awoke, The Hound went to the wight and kicked it and it screamed loudly as did the whole army. "Stop that. I can't believe you slept." Joanna said. "I can't believe you didn't." Jon said. Then Beric went to Thoros and asked, shaking him, "Thoros?" Thoros had died during the night, in his sleep. The Hound knelt beside the body too and said, "Can't say it's one of the better ways to go." Then the Hound took Thoros's drink and drank it. "Lord of the Light, shows the way. Come to us in our darkness and lead your servant his way." Beric prayed. Then Jon took the drink from Sandor and said, "We have to burn this body." Then Jon spilled the drink over the body. "Lord be close behind." Beric said and then Tormund said, "Only if the Lord of the Light was kind enough to send us a bit of fire." Then Beric draw his sword and lit it up, pressed it to the body and the flames lit it. "Lord of the Light come to us in our darkness. For the night is dark and full of terrors." Beric said.
They gathered all on the edge looking to the White Walkers. "We go for the Walkers then, we stand a chance." Jorah said. "No, we need to take this thing back with us. There's a raven flying for Dragonstone now. Daenerys is our only chance." Jon said. "No, there's another. Kill him. He turned them all." Beric said pointing to the Night King. "You don't understand..." Jon said. "It's suicide. We can't get there." Joanna said. "The Lord brought Jon back, he brought me back. No one else, just us. Did he do it to watch us freeze to death?" Beric said. "Be careful, Beric. You lost your priest. This is your last life." The Hound said. "I've been waiting for it for a long time. Maybe the Lord brought me here to find it." Beric said. "Any lord I've ever met has been a cunt, I don't see why the Lord of the Light should be any different." The Hound said. "We better wait for Daenerys. If it goes down, then we go for it." Joanna said.
Time went painfully by and nothing happened, Jon said to Joanna at one point, "You should sleep." "I can't." Joanna said. "We'll stay on watch." Jon said. "You don't understand, I really can't. Don't worry, I'm used to it." Joanna said. And the silence continued.
At some point, the Hound began to trow a stone at the wights. "Cunt." He said after doing it. "Will you stop doing that?" Joanna asked. "Shut up, Lannister." Clegane said and she rolled her eyes. Then he trew another and the wight began to move in their diretion, "Fuck." the Hound said. "Thanks a lot, Clegane." Joanna said as she unsheathed Sharp Claw. They all assumed a defensive position. The ice was solid and wights began to walk in their direction, then they began to attacked them. Joanna swinged Sharp Claw at them with a lot of strenght and they disintegrated. They were too many still. They fought and fought and got close together. The creatures wanted the wight and they would never let them take it. They were too many for them to handle, then Jon said, "Fall back!" They did. They were after them still they fought their way to the top of the rock, always fighting, they could not stop. They fought, saving each other, falling back, they were always upon them. Pulling the wight they had caught as well, Joanna swinged her sword and yelled at the same time, it seemed that the strike went even more strong, step by step, swing by swing, pulling the wight sometimes, fighting others, they reached the top. They were even more trapped by then, without a way out, the only thing left was the figthing. Two more man had died, they were the only ones left. They had to fight. Always. Until the end. Without hesitation. The fate of man kind was on their hands. They had to bring that wight to the capital. No matter the costs.
When it all seemed lost, without hope, raging above in the sky Drogon came breathing fire above the wights. Burning them all. Then Raeghal and Viserion came too breathing fire as well. Finally! We may have a chance, Joanna thought hopefully. The dragons killed most of the wights however they did not stop coming and they kept burning them. Finally they caught a break. Daenerys landed the dragon and Jon tried to climb on it, but he hesitated and the dead kept coming and he had to fight again. The rest of them climbed on the dragon the only ones left were Jon that was fighting, and Jorah and Joanna. "Jon!" they called him, but it seemed that he didn't listen. Jorah climbed on the dragon, but Joanna was still on the ground. Then suddlenly Viserion fell, dead on the ground crashing the ice and drowned. They were all shocked. No one could believe it.
Jon killed a wight and then looked at the Night King angrily. Joanna called him, "Jon! We gotta go! Come on!" He seemed that he had not listened, then he said, "Go! Go now! Leave!" Turning back and fighting the wights. Joanna was fighting them too. Jon was running but got caught and trown into the lake. "Damn it! Go! Now, you have to leave!" Joanna said as she fought her way to where Jon was. "What the fuck are you doing, Lannister?" Clegane said. "Go! I'll be fine!" Joanna said. She had to save Jon, she had promised Sansa. "What about you? And Tyrion?" Daenerys said. "Go! Daenerys, go now!" Joanna said and then Drogon went away with a bit of dificulty and reluctantly. Joanna dived into the freezing water of the lake and it was just in time to catch Jon and pull him to the surface. They still took sometime to get to the surface and the water was freezing more than anything Joanna had ever exprienced.
They managed to get out of the water with dificulty. Joanna got out first and then helped Jon. "Come on!" Joanna said. They were on the ice again. Alone that time. They had to stop for breathing. They were both shaking. "Are you allright? Jon?" Joanna asked. "I-I..." Jon said. Joanna pulled him up and put his arm around her shoulders and said, "Come on! We have to get to the Wall." Then they began to walk. The dead were leaving but they turned back and saw them and started to run in their direction. Jon dropped to one knee. "Come on, Jon. Don't you dare to die on me, Snow. I promised I would bring you home." Joanna said and he got up. They were too many, they would never manage to get to the Wall in time. So they assumed a fighting position, sword in hand. Then they saw a light killing the wights. It was a man. He came to them on horse, dismounted and Jon said, "Uncle Benjen." Then he put Jon on the horse and told Joanna to climb on it too and lead the reines. She did. "Ride for the Wall." the man told them. "Come with us." Jon said. But the man said, "There's no time. Go!" And put the horse in moviment. As they rode, Jon looked behind and saw his uncle fight the wights until he disapeared in the middle of them. Their ride seemed endless, they were exhausted. The water was freezing and their breathing got heavier and strengths got weaker. They had to make it to the Wall. Joanna was trying not to break, but it was too much... At last, Joanna saw the Wall, Jon had passed out, some time before. And as she heard the blow for ranger arrival, she let herself pass out too.
Next thing Joanna knew, was waking up in a bed, in a chamber, aboard of a ship. The only person there was Gendry. "Hey, you're awake." He said. "Hey. How's Jon?" Joanna asked a bit difficultly. "He's recovering. The handmaidens took care of you and of the wounds." Gendry explained. "Wounds?" Joanna asked, she had not noticed it at all in the middle of the battle. "One stab on the left side and two broken ribs. At least, it was what they said to Davos." Gendry told her. "And the others? And the wight?" Joanna asked. "The others are fine. Tormund and Beric stayed at the Wall and the rest are here. The wight is in the wagon, in a box completely sealled." Gendry said. "Good. Thank you for staying, while I was unconscient." Joanna said. "No problem. You helped me, while we were out there, it's the least I can do." Gendry said. Then there was knock on the door. It was Daenerys. Gendry let her in and got out. "How are you feeling?" Daenerys said. "Like I've been hit by a bell." Joanna said with a giggle and then regreted it because it hurted. Two broken ribs, right, Joanna thought. "Easy. What you did was very brave." Daenerys said. "I didn't do anything more than what any other person would do. I'm sorry about Viserion." Joanna said. "It's allright..." Daenerys said with visible pain, then in an atempt to proceeding she said, "Anyway, we're sailing for Dragonstone and then we will go to KingsLanding in a few days." "Good. Thank you for coming for us, Your Grace." Joanna said. "Please call me Daenerys." Daenerys said. "Then call me Joanna." Joanna said. "Can I asked you a question?" Daenerys asked. "Sure." Joanna said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but are you and Jon a couple?" Daenerys asked. "No! He's like family to me and eventhough Jaime and Cersei got into that, I don't. No offense. Besides, I have someone waiting for me at Winterfell." Joanna said. The idea was repulsive, Jon was her friend and almost like a brother. In that aspect, she and Jaime or Cersei had nothing in common. Then it strucked her, I'm going to see him again. When we get North, I'm going to see Pod again, Joanna thought. They had just fought the dead and she was pretty sure that they had given her milk of the poppy, so it would not hurt thinking about one happy thing for a second, after almost dying. "None taken. Then why did you stay back?" Daenerys said. "Because I promised Sansa, his sister, that I would bring him home and like I said, he's like family to me, so..." Joanna explained. "So there's no Queen in the North?" Daenerys asked. "No, there's no Queen in the North. Why?" Joanna said. "Nothing. I just think he's cute." Daenerys said. "I see... That's how it starts." Joanna said and she was even more sure that she would never ever again take milk of the poppy or any other potions to help with the pain. "Maybe. I'm going to see him. I'll come later." Daenerys said. "See you. Good luck." Joanna said. She left to talk to Jon.
Few days later they arrived at Dragonstone.