Northern Conqueror

Chapter 43: Fall Back

Chapter 43: Fall Back

After Jon's company left, Daenerys and Sansa went about preparing the rest for war. Even with their final count of dragonglass being a bit shorter than they'd thought there was still enough for everyone, even those wielding valyrian steel. Gendry managed to finish another batch of weapons for the lords. Some got two, but they were always smaller weapons, leaving most with the same amount of steel bar the rare greatsword or Gendry's valyrian steel shield he made himself as a test.

Both women did their best to keep themselves occupied, working on projects or training, waiting for a raven that would never come. They knew he wouldn't be reach the Wall for a while, yet Daenerys found herself wanting to take Drogon and fly out to help or at least check on them. Sansa helped quell her some, but she was starting to feel anxious herself.

Sansa was making rounds with Sam and Rickon, preparing him for the day they left him in charge when everything went dark. At once the world looked up to watch night bleed from the sun, coating the planet darkness.

Worried murmurs gave way to panicked talking and frightened screams. Sansa stared at the dimmed sun and felt her stomach twist until she was nauseous.

The Long Night had come.

With that she knew the Wall had fallen. She thought of everyone she'd met at Castle Black, all the free folk they'd sent to Eastwatch, all trapped beneath the ice. As she started to picture Jon among them she took a breath and shook her head. She'd doubt him this time, think he hadn't made it. He would've had to run the horses ragged to get there by now, barely slept most nights and took only quick stops.

Drogon and Viserion letting screeching roars which seemed to make Ghost howl from wherever he was hunting.

Daenerys rushed out of Winterfell and stared up at the blackened sky, her regal mask breaking as fear overcame her. She was shaken from it when she heard footsteps and turned to see Sansa leading a small group toward the Godswood, so she moved to join them.

"Sansa," she called out, making the woman glance at her.

"We're going to find Bran," she told Daenerys.

Relief flooded Daenerys as she ran to Rickon's side, walking beside the boy and following Sansa to the weirwood Bran spent most of his days beneath.

That relief vanished when they saw the boy sat in his chair, his eyes clouded white with tears down his cheeks. Any emotion from the withdrawn boy was surprising, but to see him crying made them think the worst.

"Bran," Sansa called out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"He never wakes when I call him," Rickon said frowning at his brother.

Thankfully they didn't have to wait long for Bran to take a breath and blink, his pupils returning as he sat up and looked to the group gathered around him.

"It... The Wall fell," he said somberly. "Jon he's... I don't know."

"Oh gods," Sansa gasped with a hand to her mouth as Daenerys clutched her chest.

"He fought the Night King. He broke Longclaw and stabbed Jon with it. Thoros, he sacrificed himself to stop the Night King from killing Jon, but he left and... he made a Horn of Winter and brought down the Wall. That was when the sky went dark."

"What happened to Jon?" Daenerys asked clutching Sansa's hand.

"When the Wall started breaking up he told everyone to get off the ice but there were all these wights on him, holding him when they broke the cracked ice and he sank with them. I couldn't see him after that, only that Arya and the others got off before it all broke and managed to get away from the Wall. But Rhaegal dived in and Jon was on his back when he came out, but I couldn't see if he... I couldn't see if he was okay."