The Northern Dragon

CH 28: MISTRUST (PART 1)

– Somewhere North of the Wall –

The advancing Wildlings led by Tormund stopped to set camp. They were getting close to the Wall and needed to plan how to proceed. With such a large group, if they were not cautious, they would be found by the crows and then their plan would be ruined.

The place they stopped at was surrounded by rocks, making it easier to defend and harder to attack. On one side was a lake, the water not freezing despite how cold it was.

After they settled down, Tormund sent everyone to do their own tasks. Jon and Ygritte were between those who went to get some wood to set a fire to keep themselves warm.

There was a forest nearby, so Jon and the others didn't take long to return. Jon walked in front with a couple of logs under his left arm. Together with Ygritte, he went toward Tormund who was sitting on a dead tree trunk.

But before he could draw much closer, Orell moved to stand in front of him, looking him over with those eyes Jon had begun finding extremely annoying.

Not waiting for the two to break into another fight, Tormund chose to speak first, "Orell says there are crows patrolling on the Wall. Tell me what you know."

Jon didn't bother with Orell anymore, looking over his shoulder to Tormund, "There are four to a patrol, two builders to check for structural damage, two rangers to watch for enemies."

"How often do these patrols go out?" asked Orell. 

"It varies." Jon answered Orell then turned back to Tormund, directing his following words at him, "If I knew where on the Wall we were heading, I could tell you."

"You'd like to know that."

Jon sent Orell a glare, his nostrils flaring.

Orell didn't care, directly asking another question, "There are 19 castles guarding the Wall. How many are manned?"

"Three."

"You sure of that?"

Jon just nodded.

"Which three?"

"Castle Black." This was a test and Jon knew it. He was nearly certain Orell already knew the answer, being a warg and all. That didn't make this any easier.

Orell wasn't about to make it easier for him either. Not when he wanted to unmask Jon as the spy he was as soon as possible. "Aye, Castle Black. Everyone knows Castle Black. Which others?"

Jon stared directly at him, not speaking for a long time. "East Watch by the sea and the Shadow Tower."

Orell internally grunted. He was really hoping Jon would lie. Jon had passed the test now, though, and Tormund was quick to speak. "How many men remain in Castle Black?"

Tormund didn't even bother asking about the other two castles, showing Castle Black was the place they had really been interested in from the very beginning. Asking about the other castles was really just to test Jon.

Jon inhaled, "A thousand."

"Liar."

Jon snapped his eyes toward Orell, throwing the wooden sticks he was carrying onto the ground, "What happens to your eagle after I kill you? Does he drift away like a kite with his strings cut, or does he just flop dead to the ground?"

"He's no crow." Ygritte stepped forward. Orell's constant antagonism wasn't something she particularly liked either. Less so when she knew that the only reason he did so was that he was jealous, not because he was actually suspicious.