LD
Veteran 
Posts: 35
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Post by LD on Jun 13, 2020 7:33:19 GMT -5
Alysane looked up towards the approaching man, wondering who he was. Given his coat he was none of the brothers, so she assumed he was either a noble from the North or one of Stannis retainers at first.
"You're speaking to Alysane Mormont, daughter of Lady Mormont, Sire", she replied, trying to be polite as possible, as those folks around the Red God could be quite difficult, "I have accompanied the men which Stannis Baratheon had sent out to bring back Arya Stark in order to reunite her with her brother Jon Snow, the Lord Commander. Ser Justin Massey has already informed your queen, while we're currently waiting for her."
She pointed towards the girl next to them, who waited shyly next to the guardsmen with the burning stag on their chest. So far Alysane wasn't really sure who the man in front of her was, but to some point the frame seemed familiar. Maybe she had already seen someone, who looked like him, maybe someone related. It was hard to tell in the North for she rarely left Bear Island.
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Post by oznerol on Jun 13, 2020 8:39:25 GMT -5
"I am he. But I'm not longer the Lord Commander"
Replied Jon. Something turned inside out within his chest when she uttered the name of Arya. He did not realize but his direwolf did not get close, instead he was sitting at the armory's door, uninterested.
"Arya?"
He hurried himself towards the girl, embracing her.
"Arry, you've grown so much! Yo--- Wait"
Jon stared at the girl's frightened eyes. They were wrong. They were plain brown. He grabs her arms, pulling her from him, looking at her features.
"Jeyne... you're Vayon's daughter... Jeyne Poole. This is not my sister! What happened to you, Jeyne?"
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Post by Gandalf on Jun 13, 2020 9:32:01 GMT -5
Tormund had gathered whatever of the Free Folk that were on hand and willing to march of Winterfell, to save Mance their once-king and to deliver death onto the Bastard of Bolton in the name of Jon Snow and Lord Eddard Stark. Tales and stories ruled the Wall of the Lord Commander having died and been reborn, and in the custom of the Free Folk these tales had only grown in the telling. To many, Jon was now a champion of the fearsome Red God, born anew amidst salt and smoke after being betrayed and murdered by his brothers who he loved and protected most. Those that are not garrisoning the castles of the Wall or being granted lands of their own on the Gift flock to the banner of Tormund Giantsbane and Jon Snow. The former wandered up the Lord Commander with a throng of Free Folk at his back, the various chiefs and warlords that had looked to Tormund for leadership.
"Crow. I've got eight hundred Free Folk at me back, ready to march with you ta Winterfell."
Wun Wun loomed in the background, leaning on a tower. Apparently, he had also vowed to come, though none could say why.
"Give us a few more days, I can rally more from Eastwatch, where me kinsmen are coming through on Mammoths."
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Post by oznerol on Jun 13, 2020 10:56:55 GMT -5
"Tormund"
Said the former Lord Commander, wearing leather and mail like any other of his former brethren, albeit not the black cloak of the Watch. He was wearing grey, a cloth woven by Val herself, and someone had found a silvery wolf to pin his cloak, probably part of an old member who had sworn off titles and name.
"Not too many, if we want to ride to Winterfell, we need more, Tormund. I'm afraid to linger for too long, but, there's no other way"
He added, pensive. He open and closes his sword hand. It wasn't nearly enough, they would make no dent to the black-hearted Bolton with that.
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Post by Gandalf on Jun 13, 2020 11:02:44 GMT -5
“What can I say, Crow. Folk are afeared. Word has come from Beyond the Wall, and none good. Like yer father said, Winter’s coming.”
The Free Folk who had knelt had been settled with lands in the gift or garrisoned the towers. They were loath to march from one war to another. Giantsbane shrugged his shoulders.
“Maybe we can pick up a few stragglers from Eastwatch. If they saw you as you are, back from the dead, they might forget you’re a Crow boy with a small member.”
Tormund chortled, slapping Snow on the shoulder.
“We’ll have enough, Snow. We’ll have enough.”
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Post by oznerol on Jun 13, 2020 11:15:18 GMT -5
“What can I say, Crow. Folk are afeared. Word has come from Beyond the Wall, and none good. Like yer father said, Winter’s coming.” The Free Folk who had knelt had been settled with lands in the gift or garrisoned the towers. They were loath to march from one war to another. Giantsbane shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe we can pick up a few stragglers from Eastwatch. If they saw you as you are, back from the dead, they might forget you’re a Crow boy with a small member.” Tormund chortled, slapping Snow on the shoulder. “We’ll have enough, Snow. We’ll have enough.” He grabs Tormund's own shoulder. "We shall ride and meet your people. I will talk to them"
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Post by Gandalf on Jun 13, 2020 13:38:53 GMT -5
They rode on horseback across the bottom of the Wall, with Free Folk and Black Brothers alike gathering to witness the apparently returned Lord Snow, who'd many had seen dead and bloody in the ice only a few hours before. Many removed their helms and bowed as a mark of respect, even those who had perhaps considered him an enemy - few things touch the hearts of men and women alike than a genuine miracle. They had the Red Woman to thank for that, a dangerous witch though she was even by Wildling standards.
"Here they are, Lord Snow, Crow and Free alike. They think you are some kind of God."
Giantsbane gave a deep-throated chuckle. They were close to Eastwatch, now, after almost a day's ride.
"A few thousand of them are here. You might be lucky and get a mammoth."
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Post by oznerol on Jun 13, 2020 14:14:51 GMT -5
They rode on horseback across the bottom of the Wall, with Free Folk and Black Brothers alike gathering to witness the apparently returned Lord Snow, who'd many had seen dead and bloody in the ice only a few hours before. Many removed their helms and bowed as a mark of respect, even those who had perhaps considered him an enemy - few things touch the hearts of men and women alike than a genuine miracle. They had the Red Woman to thank for that, a dangerous witch though she was even by Wildling standards. "Here they are, Lord Snow, Crow and Free alike. They think you are some kind of God." Giantsbane gave a deep-throated chuckle. They were close to Eastwatch, now, after almost a day's ride. "A few thousand of them are here. You might be lucky and get a mammoth." He said, with a slight smile. Even if he lived anew, Snow had lost something beyond the veil, the mind was not quite the same after one looked into the abyss. Jon had dreamed of being a direwolf, but a part of him had slipped into the darkness, he was sure. Maybe, it was just the boy he once was, like Aemon said, or maybe was his belief in the inherent goodness of men. However, he felt did feel more alive than ever, brimming with an inner fire. "Maybe. Maybe not"
Jon wondered what would the people of the North think when he ventured through their lands with a wooly beast larger than a hut, but he did not concern himself much. The Free Folk had raised an enormous camp outside Eastwatch, where they were gathering until orders came of where to settle. Jon had laid plans with Tormund, who would get castles and land on the Wall and who would move the Gift and the New Gift. But, now, Jon had something else in mind. The wildlings gathered, the former Lord Commander's presence felt like ripples in a lake, the murmur grew and the folk flocked like crows sensing fresh carrion. Tormund had to use his large arms to open a way for Jon, who chose a small rocky formation next to the sea, where he could be seen and heard. Cotter Pyke and a score of his men had arrived, curious. "Free Folk!"He started, at the top of his lungs.
"I'm not who I once was. I was dead, but now I'm not. A dagger went to my heart and gave me clarity: some men are rotten and thus should be removed from this earth if we're to survive the Long Night that is coming"
Ghost stood under the rock, silent, as always, its mere presence keeping folks away. Jon removed his cloak. Since he was reborn he barely felt cold, at least not as much as he once did. "I died for the Watch and my brethren, but the same brothers I was sworn to plunged their knifes into my flesh"He unlaced his doublet, openning the shirt and showing the grievous wound on the pale flesh, a star of scars over the heart. There were a few more in sight. "I returned, I was brought back, I saw the black abyss laying beyond. Because my duty to the people of this land is not done. A monster lurks in Winterfell, my father's halls, and beyond and while there is no peace at the North we shall not be able to fight the real threat"He points to the lands beyond Eastwatch, to the shadowy pinetress in the horizon. "The undead army shall come and try to claim our flesh. And they will, if the whole North is not united under one banner, whatever it might be. I don't care for castles, keeps and crowns, they won't win the real war"Jon unsheathed his Valyrian sword, the ripples shinning with the sunset. "I care about steel and the strenght of our arms. I was killed, because I let you, Free Folk, cross this Wall that wasn't made to keep you beyond our lands, but the Others, the end of the world. I was killed because I wanted to get the world rid of monsters like the black-hearted bastard of Bolton and the lord of the Dreadfort!"
He places the sword over the shoulder. "But, I was brought back..."Jon gestures towards his chest. "And I will ride South, I will get us rid of this threat and once the North is united all of us, kneelers and free peoples, will face the Night King and end his doom!"
Then, he gestures to the crowd.
"But, I need you, I need you as I need my own brothers, long dead. You will be my kindred, you will be my people, my free folk, untamed and fierce like flames"
He took a moment, to let it sink.
"We will kill Roose Bolton and we will take his lands! And they shall be yours to settle, not the cold lands of the Gift, so close to our Enemy and in the grip of deadly winter. You will seize lands watered by rivers, grassy and glenter than those, where your families might rest, feeding on the cruel lord's granaries, until the war is turned and the dead defeated. This, I swear, on the Old Gods and the new, including the Red God who brought me back!"Jon raises the sword in the air, where it shone with the last light of the day. Ghost eyes burn like twin braziers. "WHO WILL RIDE WITH ME, TO THE END OF THE WORLD?"
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Post by Gandalf on Jun 13, 2020 16:10:52 GMT -5
A great cheer went up amongst the Free Folk, who stamped their feet and rattled their weapons against their shields. They had no love for the Night's Watch, but they held both Tormund and Jon in high regard. They were enthralled by his tale of death and his return, and the reminder that the true enemy had yet to come to face them. With promises of land to call their own they gladly went to Jon's side, with another fifteen hundred pledging their swords to Jon and Tormund to take the fight to the Boltons. The Crows watched from the Wall, silent as the grave, as the horde of Free Folk gathered one-by-one pledged their swords and their lives to the cause of Jon Snow, who might have been a King-Beyond-the-Wall in another lifetime.
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Post by oznerol on Jun 13, 2020 17:16:17 GMT -5
Jon raised his new standard for the wildlings to rally around, a black cloth with a white wolf pasant, his father's arms inverted and modified. The banner had been sewn by Val herself, using old cloth, but the result, albeit nothing compared to the heavily embroidered banners of the Southrons, was effective, imposing. Lord Snow had now a force of wildlings. And a giant. And he would march, not even death had kept him from going after the man who had defiled his home. He had to set right the wrongs of the Boltons, could no longer stomach his treacherous presence at his father's halls.
The twenty four hundred men and women, warriors all of them, headed south. Halleck -brother to Harma Dogshead-, Kyleg of the Wooden Ear -deaf but as fierce as a pack of hounds-, Blind Doss -with the eyepatch covering half his face-, Gavin the Trader -one of the very few wildlings with a mail hauberk and an old iron helm-, the Great Walrus -an inmensely fat man by wildling standards, carried in a war sledge made of walrus bone-, Harle the Handsome and Harle the Huntsman -twins with a heated rivalry over a woman, both nimble and good with bow and lance-, Howd -a lonely man wearing hard leather and a dangerous look over him-, Ygon Oldfater and his large kindred -who made up a clan on his own, all had sworn to follow Jon, warriors and spearwives both-, Soren Shielbreaker -wielder of a large black iron axe, like most his men- and more. They were the colorful lot of chieftains that now followed the bastard down South. But, that would have to wait to the morn, dark had come and the night was full of terrors. However, the free folk feasted that day, with Jon sharing meals and ale with the chieftains and offering them swords, axes, lances and light armor he had brought from Castle Black as gifts.
Lord Snow's Army:
2,400 Wildlings.
Chieftains:
-Tormund Giantsbane.
-Gavin the Trader.
-Halleck.
-Howd.
-Ygon Oldfather.
-Harle the Huntsman.
-Harle the Handsome.
-The Great Walrus.
-Kyleg of the Wooden Ear.
-Blind Doss.
-Soren Shieldbreaker.
1 Giant.
-Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun.
1 Direwolf.
-Ghost.
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LD
Veteran
Posts: 35
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Post by LD on Jun 13, 2020 20:23:09 GMT -5
"I am he. But I'm not longer the Lord Commander"
Replied Jon. Something turned inside out within his chest when she uttered the name of Arya. He did not realize but his direwolf did not get close, instead he was sitting at the armory's door, uninterested. "Arya?"He hurried himself towards the girl, embracing her. "Arry, you've grown so much! Yo--- Wait"Jon stared at the girl's frightened eyes. They were wrong. They were plain brown. He grabs her arms, pulling her from him, looking at her features. "Jeyne... you're Vayon's daughter... Jeyne Poole. This is not my sister! What happened to you, Jeyne?" Alysane Mormont looked more than perplex, her eyes clearly showing the surprise for a moment as if she didn't understood what was going on. Even after she actually realized that it was indeed Jon Snow, who was standing in front of her, the She-Bear wasn't even sure if she understood the situation right. "Jeyne Poole?", she only asked, scratching her head, "But what about the real Arya Stark then? I was told that the traitor Greyjoy had saved her, so what is this foolery? Are you telling me, that I came all the way here for nothing, Lord Snow? By the Old Gods, this be outrageous if Bolton has not only tricked that Southron King but us as well with a decoy!"
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Post by oznerol on Jun 14, 2020 3:15:56 GMT -5
"I am he. But I'm not longer the Lord Commander"
Replied Jon. Something turned inside out within his chest when she uttered the name of Arya. He did not realize but his direwolf did not get close, instead he was sitting at the armory's door, uninterested. "Arya?"He hurried himself towards the girl, embracing her. "Arry, you've grown so much! Yo--- Wait"Jon stared at the girl's frightened eyes. They were wrong. They were plain brown. He grabs her arms, pulling her from him, looking at her features. "Jeyne... you're Vayon's daughter... Jeyne Poole. This is not my sister! What happened to you, Jeyne?" Alysane Mormont looked more than perplex, her eyes clearly showing the surprise for a moment as if she didn't understood what was going on. Even after she actually realized that it was indeed Jon Snow, who was standing in front of her, the She-Bear wasn't even sure if she understood the situation right. "Jeyne Poole?", she only asked, scratching her head, "But what about the real Arya Stark then? I was told that the traitor Greyjoy had saved her, so what is this foolery? Are you telling me, that I came all the way here for nothing, Lord Snow? By the Old Gods, this be outrageous if Bolton has not only tricked that Southron King but us as well with a decoy!" Jeyne Poole bursted into tears, throwing herself to Jon's arms. "Please, there was n-n-n-ever an Arya, it was me. He... They... they... they thought... Lord Tywin and the brothel owner, that man called Littlefinger, they thought I would p-p-pass as her"Her eyes are desperate like those of a hunted animal. "Don't return me to him, please, kill me. I still can feel him. Kill me. My body still aches from him... The cuts... the beatings... the... he used me like an animal. He threw his pets on me. It hurts to even stand. Please, Jon, I beg you, I've known you since I was a kid. I'm Jeyne, Jeyne, Jeyne Poole, I never wanted to be Arya"Snow embraces her again. "It's alright, Jeyne. You're safe now"She stays sobbing at his chest, her tears falling on his doublet like they were raindrops. "Lady Mormont. I'm afraid you were not tricked, but we all were. Just like I fear my sister is dead"The former Lord Commander grabs her head between his hands. "You're gonna go now to that tower, a woman called Val will take care of you"She releases her desperate grip on Jon and nods, simply walking to the tower, he stares as she left. "Black-hearted monster..."Then looks back to Alysanne. "Care to join me for supper, Lady Mormont? Will you be back to the road soon? I will go to Winterfell myself, because... your king might be dead at least a letter we received said as much"
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LD
Veteran
Posts: 35
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Post by LD on Jun 14, 2020 6:01:46 GMT -5
Although the news of Arya Stark's death slightly shocked Alysane, she shook her head, when Jon Snow talked about Stannis.
"He's not my king, not one whom I follow by heart", she replied towards Snow with a lowered voice, before looking stern towards him, "My allegiance lies with House Stark and its bloodline. If Arya Stark is dead, this is grave news, yet ones I have to accept - even more reasons for me to bring down Bolton and his wretched bastard alongside those treacherous Greyjoys.
No matter if the Stag king failed or not, I'll gladly join your services, Snow. It's time to serve the Leech Lord and his allies some justice!"
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Post by oznerol on Jun 14, 2020 9:31:08 GMT -5
Although the news of Arya Stark's death slightly shocked Alysane, she shook her head, when Jon Snow talked about Stannis. "He's not my king, not one whom I follow by heart", she replied towards Snow with a lowered voice, before looking stern towards him, "My allegiance lies with House Stark and its bloodline. If Arya Stark is dead, this is grave news, yet ones I have to accept - even more reasons for me to bring down Bolton and his wretched bastard alongside those treacherous Greyjoys.
No matter if the Stag king failed or not, I'll gladly join your services, Snow. It's time to serve the Leech Lord and his allies some justice!"He said. "You Mormonts are folk of honor and none are braver than you: I would gladly have you by my side"Jon then removes his belt and scabbard and offers her the sheathed sword. "You're Lady Maege's heir. This was Lord Mormont's sword, he gave it to me for saving his life -he had the hilt reforged, you see-, but the blade has been with your kind for a long time"The pommel, a white wolf with inlaid garnet -just like Ghost- stares at Alysanne. "I did not mean to usurp it"
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LD
Veteran
Posts: 35
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Post by LD on Jun 14, 2020 9:48:58 GMT -5
Alysane recognized the blade immidiately, knowing the origin of it before Snow even explained it. A few times she had seen it herself, when she was younger, before it was taken to the Wall. Longclaw, the ancestral blade of House Mormont.
Yet, the She-Bear only nodded.
"My mother shall decide on this, but if the Old Bear trusted you with this, he had most likely his reasons and I'm not the one to question it", she solely replied, "It is sad to hear that he has passed away, no matter the terms under which he left the island for the Watch."
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