Velaryon: A Game of Thrones Fan Fiction

The Battle for Castle Black - Rhaena/Jon

[A/N: This might be my longest chapter yet! Prepare yourselves! :D]

[Coincides heavily with the Season 4 episode 'The Watchers on the Wall'. Spoilers will ensue!]

     The horns sound on the fifth day of their duties. Preparations come to halts, forcing her brothers to work with what they had. Barrels of oil and debris that were in transit to the top of the Wall remain on the ground, scattered and leaking. Rhaena was asleep in her barracks room, dreaming of crashing waves that grew more and more violent until the raw, blunt noise sounded. Two blasts means wildlings. She springs to her feet and prepares herself by donning her leathers and sword, as well as a leather cap that Jon gave her the day prior to hide her hair. Snow white hair on a battlefield stands out, he said. She secures her hair in to a braid tightly before placing cap on her head and pushing any stray stands inside. Her driftwood bow she brought with her from Driftmark leans idly against the Wall, almost gleaming from its dark polished wood. She takes it, securing it around herself and heading out the door.

     There is a fiery glow illuminating the sky just over the Wall. Towers of smoke climb up through the darkened sky, covering the stars that once burned brightly. Men race around the courtyard in all directions, to defend or to hide like cowards. Gooseflesh rises on her skin. Her bow feels like it's growing tighter and tighter around her chest, it's sliver of string coiling around her and her breathing grows ragged. For the first time in a while, she truly feels fear well up inside of her.

     "Rhaena!" She hears Sam calling her. She scans the yard quickly, trying to place the only fat boy's voice. "Rhaena! Over here!" Rain sees Sam waving his chubby arms wildly beside Pyp. She hurries down to them, drawing her bow and following them when they retreat up to the top of the gate. She evades the small chunks of ice along the wood steps and takes cover beside them as they duck just below the openings in the wall. An arrow soars through the opening just over their heads, where hers just was.

     "Blow the horn! Wildlings advance!" One brother shouts. The sound of the horn drowns out all other noise. Rain covers her ears, waiting for it to stop. When it does, she hears shouts and cries of war coming from below the gate. Bangs and clatters are heard against the grand wooden gate. Arrows soar through the openings along the battlements, felling one of their brothers. Sam prepares a crossbow and hands it to Pyp, then beginning to prepare another. Taking Pyp's incentive in firing his crossbow at the advancing wildlings, Rain stands and draws her bow. She send an arrow in to one wildling before ducking down to nook another arrow. She hears the wildling scream in pain.

     "Did you get one?" Sam asks, handing Pyp a crossbow. Rhaena nods.

    "I think so." Her voice is shaky, as is her heartbeat. She peeks over the edge of the opening. Flaming arrows scatter the dirt road and an unknown number of wildlings charge the gate. She fires again, seeing her victim go down this time. "Yes!" Rain breathlessly cries in victory. She ducks beside Sam. Pyp groans loudly in frustration after he fires another shot.

     Handing Sam his crossbow, Pyp gathers the other and fires below again. "Hit anything?" Sam asks him.

     "No." Pyp says hopelessly. He takes another and repeats. "Shit!" He curses and ducks for a moment. "Sam, Rhaena?" The two look at him. "I think we're going to die."

     Just a few feet from them, an arrow pierces the neck of another brother. He falls, dying instantly as the blood pools from his neck. "Shut up." Rain warns Pyp. "Stop complaining like a little girl and keep firing." She rises to fire another arrow. Their numbers seem endless. Many of them she sees are scrunched up against the gate directly below them, making it impossible to hit them with anything but a useless rock as the others along the battlements are doing. Arrow after arrow, she tallies in her head the number of how many wildlings she has killed - four. Firing her next arrow, she pants and grins. Five.