Northern Conqueror

Chapter 8: First Blood

Chapter 8: First Blood

Sansa stood with Davos beside Jon as he and Tormund convinced the Free Folk to prepare for war. She stood beside him and Davos as they traveled to meet with the Wulls and she convinced the mountain clans to join their cause. She stood beside him and Davos as they sailed to Bear Island and convinced little Lady Lyanna and her sixty two men to join their cause.

Glover turned them away, saying he wouldn't fight with wildlings and half-wildling mountain men.

They kept their distance from Winterfell as they met with the Tallharts, who pledged themselves to their cause. Then came the Dustins, lead by Lady Barbrey Dustin, who greeted them in Barrow Hall.

"So, you're planning to kill my good brother's bastard?" She asked looking over the trio before her. She was a tall, older, handsome woman with few wrinkles and graying brown hair tied in a widows knot behind her head.

Jon and Sansa shared a look before he nodded. "In a sense."

Barbrey leaned forward. "And how exactly do you plan to do that? A bastard oathbreaker and the wife of a southern fugitive."

"With three thousand men," said Jon, unphased by her bitter tone. "And a giant."

Barbrey's thin brow arched even more than it did naturally. Before she could speak, Sansa added, "We've sent a messenger to meet with the Manderlys and my aunt in the Vale. They've sent letters to the houses we haven't already sent word to or don't plan on meeting. Even without the Vale, we'd have almost as many men as the Boltons. With them we'd outnumbers him."

Barbrey's lips thinned as she sat back. "Why come to me then? Sounds as if you've already won."

Sansa looked to Jon, who stepped forward. "Because you're of the North, and the North won't be safe so long as Ramsay Bolton lives. This is a battle all of us have to fight, together, because it will only be the first."

Barbrey's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I've been freed of my vows to the Night's Watch," Jon said carefully, "but I haven't abandoned them. I can't, not after what I've seen beyond the wall."

A bitter laugh left Lady Dustin's throat as she shook her head. "And what's that? Giants?"

"White Walkers and a hundred thousand wights marching on the Wall."

Barbrey's dismissive smile faded as she met Jon's eyes, the fear creeping into her expression telling Sansa Lady Dustin saw the same honesty she had when he first told her. With a breath, Barbrey sat up. "You can't be serious."

"The new Lord Commander's already said he'd send out rangers to scout for them. Once we retake Winterfell and reclaim the North, we'll go and capture some to bring south and prove their existence to whoever needs it."

"Jon's fought them," Sansa said firmly. "He's killed a wight to save Jeor Mormont, he's fought off wights at Hardhome, fought and killed a White Walker by himself."

"You've killed a White Walker?" Barbrey scoffed. "I thought them undying ice made flesh."

"They shatter steel like glass, but they can be stopped. It requires dragonglass or valyrian steel, but it's possible."

Barbrey's jaw shifted. "So if you win this war, you plan to lead us all North? Beyond the Wall?"

"No," he answered firmly. "I'd keep us behind the Wall as long as we can. Man the castles along it as best we can without worrying about the South. When the Night King marches on the wall, and he will, we'll be there to meet him. It's either that or we leave. Every man woman and child start building boats and sail wherever they can, let the Night King kill whoever's fool enough to stay behind." He exhaled, finishing, "Including me."