Fire Beyond the Wall

Bastard Letters

The next morning during breakfast a letter came, from Ramsay Bolton, Sansa Husband, not that it mattered, he was a shite human being.

It was Sansa and the two people who brought her to Castle Black, Tormund, Myself, Jon and Ed.

We were all eating peacefully before it came, I could tell Sansa was not fond of the food the way she picked at ti before she brought herself to eat. I'll admit it wasn't good food, but better than nothing. I was in between Jon and Tormund, although I wish I wasn't. Tormund seemed enthralled with Brienne of Tarth. He was giving her these eyes that...I don't know they just made Rhaenna jealous. He was watching Brienne as he ate, the woman made the mistake of looking at the Wildling who looked her dead in the eye and bit into a piece of bread, Rhae had never seen someone try and and make eating seductive.

She saw Brienne squirm from the uncomfortable stare and look away. Rhae swatted Tormund's arm and leaned close to his ear, so close her lips almost touched it, "You are making her uncomfortable, stop it".

Tormund smirked and put his food down looking at the dainty girl who was ten times as fierce as the big lady. He mimicked her actions and leaned to her ear, "are you jealous?".

Rhae scowled and ate her food ignoring how the man bumped his leg against hers from under the table, she also tried to hide how his words sent shivers up her spine.

It was then a night's watchman came in with a letter handing it to Jon before leaving.

Rhae could see the red wax seal from her spot beside Jon and she froze eyes flickering to Sansa who looked concerned when Jon looked to her as well.

Jon torn the seal off and reluctantly read the letter aloud.

"To the traitor and bastard Jon Snow,

You allowed thousands of Wildlings past the wall, you have betrayed your own kind, you have betrayed the north.

Winterfell is mine bastard come and see. Your brother Rickon is in-" Jon paused his words and Roanna hand flinched grabbing the thing nearest, which happened to be Tormund wrist.

The Stark children shared a look before Jon continued.

"Your brother Rickon is in my dungeon, his direwolves skin is on my floor, come and see.

I want my bride back send her to me and I will not trouble you or your Wildling lovers.

Keep her from me and I will ride and slaughter every Willing man, woman and child.

You will watch as I skin them living-" Jon stopped again, but Rhaenne could see his eyes were still reading.

Rhae had a firm grip on the furs at Tormund's wrist as she waited.

"Go on" Sansa spoke.

Jon shook his head closing the letter, "It's just more of the same".

Sansa quickly reached over the table and snatched the letter from Jon's hands.

She scanned the page and found where Jon stopped, everyone looked and listened for what the bastard Bolton planned to do.

"You will watch as my soldiers take turns raping your sisters, you will watch my dogs devour your wild little brother, then I will spoon eyes from your sockets while I take your twin sister, she will be my whore and will watch as my dogs do the rest. Come and see...

Ramsay Bolton, Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North".

Sansa quickly folded the letter and was shaking, Rhae was too as much as she was fierce the thought of a man being that cruel shook her to her soul.

She hadn't even noticed as she listened to the letter being read that Tormund had his hand over hers and was rubbing hers gently.

"Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North" I repeated, Ramsay's father had that title last I heard.

"His father is dead" Sansa says "Ramsay killed him and he has Rickon"

"We don't know tha-" Jon says but is cut off.

"Yes we do" I mumer, "I thought it was a memory but it was a dream I now know, I saw Rickon, surrounded by dogs, I thought they were wolves, but they are not".

"How many men does he have in his army?" Tormund asks Sansa.

"I heard him say five thousand once when he was talking about Stannis' attack" Sansa replies

Jon turned to Tormund looking past his sister, "How many do you have?"

"That can fight ...two thousand" Tormund replies to Jon.

Jon looks to his sisters.

"You are the last make heir to the warden of the north, the northern houses will fight for you if you ask" sansa says.

Jon still pauses.

Sansa reaches forward taking his hand and Rhae clutches his shoulder,

"A monster has taken our home and has our brother, we have to" Sansa wills.

Jon swallows and nods his head. The battle of the bastards will begin.