End Game// Tormund Giantsbane (3)

15. Fuck 'em, They're Dead

Look what you made me do// Ramsay Bolton out now!

 & 

It's time to go // Criston /Harwin out now!

''My name's Jon Snow. I'm Lord Commander of the Night's Watch."

"We're not friends. We've never been friends. We won't become friends today."

" This isn't about friendship." Jon remarked. "This is about survival." he declared confidently. "This is about putting a 700-foot wall between you and what's out there."

"You built that wall to keep us out. Since when do the crows give two shits if we live?"

"They dont." Caro agreed. "Jon does."

"In normal times we wouldn't. But these aren't normal times." Jon informed them. "The white walkers don't care if a man's free folk or crow. We're all the same to them, meat for their army. But together we can beat them."

"Beat the white walkers? Good luck with that. Run from them, maybe." Jon sighed as he pulled his blade free they tensed about to attack but Jon didn't hold it in a matter of violence but a display.

"Calm the fuck down." Caro instructed. "If we wanted you dead, you would be dead." 

"It's not a trick." Jon declared. "and you could have worded that better." he added looking to Caro, she shrugged. "It's a gift for those who join us. Dragonglass." The stared at the blade, different from anything they had seen or used. "A man of the Night's Watch used one of these daggers to kill a walker."

"You saw this?"

"No." Jon admitted. "But I trust the man."

"There are old stories about dragonglass. There are old stories about ice spiders as big as hounds. And with the things we've seen, you don't believe them?"

"Come with me and I'll share these weapon." Jon remarked. Caro stared back at him, did they have more? She didnt think so. He was making false promises but that was the game. Do first and ask forgiveness if anyone survived.

"Come with you where?"

"There are good lands south of the Wall. The Night's Watch will let you through the tunnel and allow your people to farm those lands." Jon informed them.

"I knew Mance Rayder." Jon spoke up after a murmured quick discussion between the wildling commanders. "He never wanted a war with the Night's Watch. He wanted a new life for his people, for you. We're prepared to give you that new life."

"If?"

"If you swear you'll join us when the real war begins." Jon answered.

"Where is Mance?"

"He died." Jon answered honestly. 

"How?"

"I put an arrow through his heart." Caro admitted. There was shouting, blades drawn but Caro didnt flinch back. Tormund moved in front of her and Jon was surprised to see him protecting Caro. He barely knew her yet he stood, defending her against his own people. 

"Hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey." Tormund must have said hey a hundred times as he tried to get his people to settle down and not take Caro's head.

"I say we send the Lord commander back to Castle Black with no eyes." Loboda declared.

"Hey, none of you saw Mance die." Tormund corrected. "I did." he reminded them as his gaze shifted around the murderous group. "The southern king who broke our army, Stannis, wanted to burn him alive to send us a message."

"Carolina Stark defied that cunt's orders." Tormund corrected. "Her arrow was mercy. What she did took courage." He added looking to Caro and he felt her hand reach out grazing his.  "And that's what we need today, the courage to make peace with men we've been killing for generations." Tormund went on.

"A woman." A wildling huffed. 

"Damn right." Caro agreed. "Dont underestimate me." 

"I lost my father, my uncle, and two brothers fighting the damn crows." Loboda shouted out.

"I'm not asking you to forget your dead. I'll never forget mine." Jon corrected gently. "I lost 50 brothers the night that Mance attacked the Wall. But I'm asking you to think about your children now. They'll never have children of their own if we don't band together." Jon begged. "The Long Night is coming and the dead come with it. No clan can stop them. The free folk can't stop them. The Night's Watch can't stop them. And all the southern kings can't stop them. Only together, all of us." Jon decided. Caro nodded in agreement.

"And even then it may not be enough, but at least we'll give the fucker a fight." Tormund added.

"You vouch for this man, Tormund? And this woman?"

"He's prettier than both my daughters, but he knows how to fight." Tormund agreed. "He's young, but he knows how to lead. He didn't have to come to Hardhome. As for Caro... shes a northern woman but she has heart. Not frozen like us, she cares. But I see fire in her too. A fire we need. They came because they needs us and we need them."

"My ancestors would spit on me if I broke bread with a crow."

"So would mine, but fuck 'em, they're dead." Tormund declared with a cheeky grin.

"Fuck 'em." Caro chuckled softly. 

"I'll never trust a man in black. But I trust you, Tormund. If you say this is the way, we're with you." Tormund smiled smugly back at Jon.

"This is the way." Tormund agreed.

" I'm with Tormund." An elder declared.

"We stay here, we're dead men. At least with King Crow, there's a chance." Tormund went on.

"Tormund." Their giant growled out. "Keep that new life you want to give us. And keep your glass, King Crow."

"As soon as you get on his ships, they're gonna slit your throats and dump your bodies to the bottom of the Shivering Sea. That's our enemy. That has always been our enemy."

"I'm not a crow." Caro reminded them. "I would rather Stannis and his little priestess dead and bring you all back safety."

"You expect us to believe you?" 

"No." Caro admitted. "But I like Tormund so if he wants you to live then so do I... your choice." 

"She likes me." Tormund declared.