Wildling Queen In The North

CHAPTER 18: THE BATTLE FOR WINTERFELL (PART I)

The night began to fall slowly over the battlements and rooftops of Winterfell. The Great Hall was almost empty, except for the two Lannister brothers, Jaime and Tyrion, drinking and talking. - So what does our sister dearest plans to do in King's Landing? - Tyrion asked. - I don't know - Jaime replied, waving his head - the last time I saw her, she was trying to halt me leaving, for a second I feared that she will order ser Gregor to cleave me in half with that big a** sword of his. - And maybe she plans to send a man you promised a castle to kill you - a mocking voice spoke from the shadows and a man with long, thin face, unkempt black hair and a thick stubble walked in the range of a torch; he was armed with a sword and a crossbow... - Bronn! - Tyrion exclaimed in surprise, looking at his former sworn sword standing there - I guess that our dear sister hired you to kill us both, Jaime and me, did she not? - he asked. - She did, Imp - Bronn scoffed - and she offered me Highgarden in return. - You could do better than trusting my dear sister, Bronn - Tyrion replied - if you leave us alive, you could have the opportunity to turn Casterly Rock upside down from rooftops to the dungeons, from top to bottom. Every jewel, every gold dragon and silver stag you find will be yours, I swear to you on my honor as a Lannister; we always pay our debts. - And yet there is a debt to me that is still left unpaid - Bronn replied sarcastically. - I promise you, Bronn, after the war is over, all you want you name it, and you will get it - Tyrion replied; Bronn put the crossbow onto the table, sat down, pulled himself a cup and poured the wine in it, taking a long sip which emptied out almost the whole cup. 

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With a loud screech, the wight Viserion flew over the battlements and towers of Winterfell, the Night King riding on its back, his cold blue eyes scanning the surroundings around the castle. Down below, the armies started pouring out into the training courtyard at first, and then running out through the Southern and Eastern Gate; the Dothraki, Unsullied, soldiers of House Stark, all of them putting their armors on and arming themselves... Bronn, Jaime and Tyrion ran out of the Great Hall as well, Bronn carrying his crossbow, Jaime unsheathing his sword; they spotted Jon, Ygritte, Arya, ser Jorah and Tormund running out as well. Ygritte pulled an arrow, aimed and released while Viserion did another flight over above the battlements, but her arrow flew away into emptiness... - Save your arrows, lass - Bronn suggested dryly - you'll need them when those icy dead c*nts start pouring out at us and attack us. - Aye - Ygritte commented with a short nod of her head. A dead rider and horse appeared across the Northern gates of Winterfell, one hundred meters in the distance; the horse' hooves kicked the ground aggressively. Ser Davos, Sam, Gilly, Lyanna Mormont, Bronze Yohn Royce, lord Robett Glover, they all started coming out into the courtyard as the large army of wights and White Walkers started approaching closer to the gates of Winterfell at a slow pace... In the corner by the stables, near the smithy, Missandei and Grey Worm exchanged a short kiss before he put his helmet on and left to stand in front of his soldiers; seeing the commotion in the courtyard, Gendry put down the hammer and tongs he held, walked over to the corner of the smithy and grabbed his warhammer, gripping it tightly with both hands... The Dothraki Blood Riders on horsebacks rode out in front of the gates, holding their arakhs, closely followed by the Unsullied, armed with spears and round shields; a woman in red appeared in front of the Dothraki, grabbing the blade of the khal's arakh and saying something in a strange language; in the next moment, all blades of the arakhs started burning as one! - Valar Morghulis - Melisandre spoke calmly to Grey Worm, greeting him before the beginning of the battle. - Valar Dohaeris - Grey Worm returned the greeting, and then Melisandre rode back inside the sturdy stone walls of Winterfell... Inside the courtyard Jon, Arya, Ygritte, Tormund, ser Davos, ser Jorah and Gendry climbed up in the saddles of their horses and then they rode out, slowly, unsheathing their weapons, while Beric and Edd escorted Sansa, Tyrion, Sam and Gilly to hide in the crypts, and they too came back a few moments later, jumped into the saddles and rode out after the others; The Hound, who remained behind, ran to the crypts, intent on protecting Sansa; all the gods, the old and the new, be damned to all hells if he lets his little bird to have even a hair missing from her head, Sandor Clegane thought, unsheathing his sword as he ran down the stairs...