Chapter 152: The King Beyond the Wall
"Keep your swords down," Jon ordered.
The Winterguards obeyed, though none looked pleased about it.
Wildlings surrounded them among the trees. They wore mismatched furs and carried whatever weapons they possessed—spears of wood and bone, old swords darkened by rust, hunting bows and axes with chipped heads.
A broad man with a frozen beard stepped forward.
"You Jon Snow?"
"I am." Jon replied.
"Mance is waiting."
The man turned without another word.
Jon followed.
The six Winterguards moved with him, keeping their hands close to their swords but leaving the blades inside their sheaths. Ghost slipped between the trees nearby, silent as the snow beneath his paws.
The wildlings led them north through the forest. More armed men appeared as they travelled.
Some followed openly. Others moved between the trees, keeping arrows resting against their bowstrings.
Harl brought his horse alongside Jon's.
"This feels less like an escort and more like prisoners being marched to their deaths."
"If they meant to kill us, they would have tried already."
"And That does not comfort me." He said sighing.
"Comfort is a expensive thing to get in North. Our only choice is to trust them for now." Jon said, he didn't like it but Beggars can't be choosers. It is way he decided on, A hard way but a way nonetheless.
They emerged from the forest into the great valley Jon had seen earlier.
Hundreds of fires burned across the snow.
A wildling host stretched far.
Jon studied everything as they passed.
This was not merely an army. An army did not bring infants, old women and crippled men into a war. An army did not move with every possession its people had managed to tie onto sledges.
These people had not gathered only to attack the Wall.
They had abandoned their lands
The question was why.
The wildlings led them to a large tent made from stitched hides near the centre of the camp.
Armed guards waited outside it.
The broad man turned to Jon.
"Your swords stay here."
"No."Jon shook his head. It isn't a option for him.
Several wildlings shifted at the answer.
The man stared at him. "You enter the tent without steel."
"Then your king can come outside." Jon said coldly not backing down and inch. " We are the one who are outnumberd not you." He said glaring.
Harl glanced at Jon but said nothing.
A voice came from inside the tent.
"Let him keep his sword."
The wildling frowned but stepped away.
Before Jon could enter, a woman approached carrying a large drinking horn. Her white cloak was lined with fur, and a bone knife rested at her belt.
She was Val, Sister of Dalla Wife of Mance Rayder, King of the Free Folk.
"I am Val, Representative of Mance. Here take this." She said
She held the horn toward him.
"Drink."
Jon looked into it. Dark ale filled nearly half the horn.
"What is this?"
Val smiled "Mance passed a message, He said you could see this as a guest right."
"Guest right?"
"We have rights too, crow." She smiled vicious not at all trustworthy one could say.
Jon glares at that, don't know if he drinks or not
Val smirked seeing it " Are you afraid that we poisoned it. We aren't decievers like you crowd" she said mockingly " I can drink it first if you want."
Jon took the horn though he wasn't pleased by name crow. Jon shook his head and said
"Don't bother."
He drank deeply, enough that no one could claim he had only wet his lips, then handed it back to her.
"The rest drink too."
Each Winterguard drank from the horn.
"Now we talk."
Val pulled aside the hide covering the entrance.
The tent was larger than Jon expected. A fire burned in a shallow pit at its centre, its smoke escaping through a hole above. Rough stools and logs surrounded it.
Six people waited inside.
The man sitting nearest the fire wore black and red wool beneath a plain cloak. He was neither the largest nor the most frightening of those gathered, yet everyone else had arranged themselves around him.
Mance Rayder.
To his right sat a large man with a thick red beard and a horn of mead in his hand. Tormund Giantsbane smiled as Jon entered, as though visitors from the Wall were common entertainment.
Beside him sat a lean man without ears.
The Magnar of Thenn.
Styr.
The Thenn's face remained still, but hatred lived clearly in his eyes. His people had lost many warriors in their failed attacks against the Wall.
Jon could see it very well. The anger in them and the similar clothing and face carvings as well.
Jon had ordered some of those deaths himself.
Val entered behind the Winterguards and stood near Mance. Two other wildling chiefs watched from across the fire, their names unknown to Jon.
Mance looked at Jon's sword and then at the men following him.
"Six guards," he said. "I expected less from the Watch but there are none. I didn't expect so much authority within you, coming here all by yourself and your guards to represent the Wall."
Jon kept a cold face" Because I am not representing the Wall. I am here representing the place beyond the Wall. "
Mance seemed suprise at that, he knew Watch was still respected among North yet so much arrogance and confidence that he is saying such a statement, he gestured toward an empty log.
"Sit, Jon Snow."
Jon sat. Harl and two Winterguards remained behind him while the others waited near the entrance.
"You have my Thanks Mance."
Mance studied him carefully.
"You asked for this meeting."
"I did." Jon said confidently.
"Then speak." Mance said observing the lack of fear or even a hint of it missing from Jon face.
Jon rested both hands upon his knees.
"For more than a year, your people have attacked the Wall. At first they came in raiding parties. Now clans that once killed each other are fighting beside one another. The Thenns, Hornfoots, ice-river clans and men who follow no chief at all have gathered beneath one king."
"And that concerns you?" Tormund asked with a big stupid smile on his face.
Jon scoffed " Isn't it obvious. You attack and raid my lands. So aye, it fucking concerns me."
The warmth inside Jon words broke Tormund's smile.
Several hands moved closer to weapons. Especially Styr
Jon did not look away from Styr.
"Enough," Mance said quietly.
Nobody argued.
Mance turned his attention back to Jon. "You haven't told us who you are."
"Jon Snow. You already know my name. " Jon said confused.
"I am not talking about your name Jon Snow. I know if you are here talking about representing forces beyond the Wall. You are not a random man. Must be someone of great influence that Even Lord Commander Jeor Mormount gave you permission to come. That man is one rigid man. He won't bend if you weren't important enough."
Tormund took a long drink.
Mance continued." Snow, A bastard name, a great white direwolf and a sword worth more than most villages. You must be a very important bastard. So WHO ARE YOU REALLY" Mance asked.
Jon almost smiled, impressed at the deduction so well
"It seems you are a King for a reason. Consider me impressed. You aren't fool, this proves that so why attack the Wall, by now you should know it nothing but a Stupidity." Jon took a pause "Fools Errand may I call. "
Mance scoffed at it hard.
But Jon continued, in his opinion he had to get the upper hand in this conversation otherwise he won't get what he want " But you are living here I wouldn't call it the most clever thought, I know Wall's life isn't pretty but wandering the Cold North. " Jon smirks " I guess my Uncle was right about the Wall when I wished to join it once, The pleasure of woman's love and body is a pleasure that is quite endearing. Hard not to get ensnared by , so tried my best not to Buy I am here still not in black and you are here living in the Lands of Always Winter trying to attack the very thing you took a oath to protect. " He provoked Mance Rayder in his homeground at that.
Harl looks nervous, sweating even in that cold.
Mance at first glares at Jon who has the balls to come here and call him out. But he needs to keep his composure.
So he did and focus on his initial query, "Don't be so quick to judge, you are still just a pup." He scoffs " Regardless who is that 'wise' Uncle you spoke of atleast he is somewhat clever."
Jon scoffs at the reply" You do seem quite adamant to know me old man."
Tormund , Styr and Mance stared at the smirking face of Jon.
Mance replied back " Don't play with words. I thought we are here to discuss and not to play your little games."
Jon smirks "Aye, Aye. You seem so eager to know me. I guess I will tell you. " Jon said rage baiting him again.
Mance made a face but before he says anything else Jon continued.
"My name is Jon Snow, I am from Winterfell—My father is Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden and Lord Paramount of the North. You are a former Ranger of the Watch. You must know what that mean."he says.
Silence followed. Although they may not be aware of Politics of beyond the Wall not are they particularly interested but they knew the Name Stark well.
Val studied him with new interest. Tormund's smile faded into thought. Styr's expression remained cold.
Only Mance seemed to understand the whole meaning.
"Ned Stark's bastard," Mance said. "That explains some of this. Though your behaviour is different from him, atleast from what I know" he says snaring at Mance.
Jon let the silence remain for a time before continuing.
"The soldiers defending the Wall were raised and equipped by Artos Stark, My wise uncle as you called him. You must have heard of him even in the Wall. "
Mance's eyes sharpened.
Styr merely scoffed. "Another kneeler lord."
"No," Mance said. "Not merely another lord." He said shaking his head." Not at all."
The others looked toward him.
Mance had served in the Night's Watch. He had listened quite enough from southern Brothers and Northern recruits and heard the names spoken throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Especially the men who came after getting prisoned by him. Lord Jeor Mormount also respected the man and told many stories.
He understood what it meant for Artos Stark to take a personal interest in the Wall.
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