When Jon's reinforcements arrived at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the Wall's defenses were on the verge of collapse.
The biting wind, laden with ice mist, froze the ramparts into a stark white barrier; arrow slits were choked with semi-melted ice shards, and dragonglass arrows fired by the Night's Watch were coated in a thin layer of frost the moment they left the bowstring, shattering into ice chips upon hitting the Ice Field Beast's ice armor, leaving only a shallow white mark.
"My Lord! The one on the left has gone mad!" the adjutant's roar pierced the din of battle.
Jon looked up to see the largest Ice Field Beast smashing its curved ice horns against the Wall.
Each impact caused the Wall's stones to crumble, and the cold air seeping from the cracks instantly froze nearby Night's Watchmen into rigid ice sculptures.
Below the Wall, another beast was spewing pale blue ice mist; wherever the mist touched, the ground turned into a slick sheet of ice, causing several Night's Watchmen attempting to charge to slip and fall, only to be crushed into pulp by the beast's claws.
Thorne, leaning on his broken dragonglass longsword, climbed down from the rampart.
His left arm hung unnaturally, clearly frostbitten, his armor was encrusted with ice shards, and even his beard had frozen into white icicles.
"Lord Jon, if you had arrived any later, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea would have fallen!" His voice was hoarse, tinged with the exhaustion of near-death.
"The beast's ice armor is too thick; dragonglass arrows can't penetrate it at all, and only thirty R'hllor Warriors are left, trapped by the ice mist in the west tower!"
Jon looked in the direction Thorne pointed, and the top of the west tower glowed with a faint orange light—that was the R'hllor Warriors' holy fire staff resisting the ice mist.
Lena was leading the remaining R'hllor Warriors in a small formation, the holy fire's light struggling in the ice mist, like an oil lamp about to be extinguished.
On the other side of the battlefield, Tod, a Night's Watch recruit, was cradling the injured veteran Carter, hiding in a recess of the Wall.
Carter's leg was frostbitten by the ice mist, his skin a pale blue-white, and each breath brought a painful groan.
"Everyone, heed my command!" Jon dismounted, longclaw gripped tightly in his hand, the Direwolf pattern on its blade glowing faintly in the ice mist.
"Northern cavalry, divide into two teams, outflank from the left and right, use dragonglass spears to restrict the beasts' movement; R'hllor Warriors, follow Captain Lena, break through the ice mist and immediately form a Holy Fire Formation, aiming to melt the beasts' ice armor; the Night's Watch is responsible for clearing the ice shards below the Wall, opening a path for dragonglass attacks!"
No sooner had the order been given than a colossal crash came from the east section of the Wall—a third Ice Field Beast had actually pierced a low wall with its ice horns.
Several Wights, infected by the cold, crawled through the breach, their fingernails glowing with ice, rushing towards the civilian shelter.
"Stop them!" Jon shouted, charging forward.
longclaw sliced across a Wight's neck; the Wight's body instantly turned into ice shards, only to re-coalesce in the ice mist.
"Use holy fire ash! Wights fear holy fire!"
The Night's Watchmen immediately pulled r'hllor powder from their pockets, scattering it over the area where the Wights were gathered.
The orange powder, upon contact with the cold, emitted a sizzling corrosive sound, and the Wights' re-coalescence speed visibly slowed.
Jon seized the opportunity to lead the cavalry forward, their dragonglass spears stabbing in a dense volley, finally clearing the Wights at the breach.
But this brief delay allowed the beast smashing the Wall to find an opening—its ice horns slammed into the Wall again, and a ten-foot-wide crack spread from the top of the Wall to its base.
Cold air surged from the crack like a tide, instantly freezing two Night's Watchmen who couldn't retreat in time.
"We can't keep taking hits passively!" Jon wiped the ice shards from his face, his gaze falling on the holy fire's glow from the west tower.
"Lena! I need your R'hllor Warriors to attack at close range! Use holy fire to melt the beast's ice armor, and we'll attack its weak points with dragonglass weapons!"
Lena heard the command and immediately led the R'hllor Warriors out of the ice mist's encirclement.
Their holy fire staffs burned brighter as they ran, the golden flames tearing a gap in the ice mist, like a warm river, rushing towards the nearest ice mist-spewing beast.
"Holy Fire Formation! Circular!" Lena shouted, stopping in her tracks.
Thirty R'hllor Warriors quickly formed a circle, the flames of their holy fire staffs converging at the center, forming a golden light shield about ten meters in diameter.
The moment the light shield touched the ice mist, the pale blue mist dissolved rapidly like ice meeting hot water, revealing the beast's ice-armored body.
"Now!" Jon swung longclaw, and the Northern cavalry immediately split into two teams.
One team, armed with dragonglass spears, circled to the beast's abdomen from the left; the other team raised dragonglass arrows, aiming for the beast's eyes on its head—the weakest point of its ice armor, where Thorne's longsword had previously left a shallow mark.
Cavalry captain Graym charged first, his dragonglass spear thrusting towards the beast's abdomen.
The moment the spear tip touched the ice armor melted by the holy fire, there was a muffled thud, and the spear easily pierced the beast's body.
Pale blue blood gushed from the wound, instantly freezing into ice beads upon hitting the ground.
The beast let out a deafening roar, its body thrashing violently, flinging Graym away to crash heavily against the Wall's stones, spitting blood.
"Keep attacking! Don't stop!" Jon swung onto his warhorse, longclaw pointed directly at the beast's eyes.
"Tod! Use your spear, aim for the wound from earlier!" Tod, hiding in the recess, heard the command, gritted his teeth, helped Carter up, handed a dragonglass spear into Carter's good right hand, and then shouldered another spear himself, charging towards the beast.
Carter leaned on Tod's shoulder, using all his strength to plunge the spear into the wound on the beast's abdomen.
The spear tip pierced through the beast's internal organs, and the beast's roar suddenly became shrill.
It swayed back, retreating, but accidentally stepped on the Holy Fire Formation's light shield.
The golden holy fire instantly spread along the beast's paw, the ice armor rapidly melting in the flames, revealing the dark red flesh beneath.
The flesh, upon contact with the holy fire, immediately emitted a sizzling burning sound, giving off white smoke tinged with cold.
"It's working! Holy fire can melt the ice armor!" Thorne shouted excitedly.
Enduring the severe pain in his arm, he picked up a fallen dragonglass longsword and charged towards the beast's wound.
"Everyone, concentrate your attacks on the melted areas!" The Night's Watchmen, as if seeing hope, rushed out from the recesses below the Wall, dragonglass weapons brandished in their hands, stabbing at the beast's wounds, eyes, paws, and other weak points.
Pale blue blood converged into small streams on the icy battlefield, only to be quickly frozen by the cold.
But the dawn of victory did not last long.
The beast on the west side suddenly turned and charged towards the Holy Fire Formation.
Its ice horns, carrying the cold, instantly shattered the R'hllor Warriors' circular formation.
Two R'hllor Warriors, unable to dodge in time, were impaled through the chest by the ice horns; their holy fire staffs fell to the ground, their flames quickly extinguished by the ice mist.
Lena immediately adjusted the formation, concentrating the remaining R'hllor Warriors on the east side.
The holy fire's glow re-coalesced, but it was much dimmer than before—the blow of losing two comrades had shaken the R'hllor Warriors' faith.
Jon noticed the wavering of the Holy Fire Formation, immediately reined in his warhorse, and shouted across the battlefield: "Adjust tactics! R'hllor Warriors in two layers! The outer layer forms a barrier with holy fire staffs, the inner layer throws r'hllor oil at the beast! The Night's Watch follows behind, finishing them off with dragonglass weapons! The cavalry is responsible for distracting the other two!"
Lena immediately understood Jon's intention, dividing twenty R'hllor Warriors into two groups: the outer layer of ten warriors raised their holy fire staffs, forming a more compact light shield, firmly blocking the beast's charge path; the inner layer of ten warriors unhooked r'hllor oil canisters from their waists, evenly dousing the ground in front of the light shield with the oil.
When the beast that had charged the Holy Fire Formation came again, its hooves had just stepped onto the oil-soaked ground when Lena lit a tinder, and orange flames instantly ignited on the ground, forming a wall of fire.
The flames spread along the beast's hooves, quickly covering its front half.
"Awooo—!" The beast let out a painful roar, black smoke rising from its flesh scorched by the flames.
It tried to retreat but was restrained from both sides by the Northern cavalry.
Graym led the cavalry, stabbing its hind legs with dragonglass spears; although they couldn't pierce the ice armor, they slowed its movements.
At this moment, Tod and Carter charged forward again; Tod used his body to brace against the beast's ice horns, while Carter aimed his dragonglass spear at the beast's chest, melted by the flames, and plunged it in—this time, the spear completely pierced the beast's heart.
Pale blue blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out, the beast's body swayed twice, then crashed to the ground, its massive body instantly turning into a pile of shattered ice upon contact with the ground, due to the combined effect of holy fire and dragonglass.
"One down!" A brief cheer erupted among the Night's Watchmen, but it was quickly suppressed by the roar of another beast.
Jon looked up to see the last and largest beast furiously smashing the Wall; the crack had already widened enough for two people to walk abreast, and several Wights were climbing up the crack, ice spears in hand, stabbing at the Night's Watchmen on the Wall.
"Lena! Take the R'hllor Warriors to the Wall! Use holy fire to clear the crack!" Jon leaped onto the Wall, longclaw cleaving a Wight's head.
The Wight's body turned into ice shards, but more Wights surged through the crack.
"Thorne! You take the Night's Watch to hold the left, I'll take the right!"
Thorne nodded, raised his good right arm, and charged towards the Wights on the left.
The Night's Watchmen followed him, engaging the Wights in close combat with dragonglass weapons.
Although the Wights' movements were stiff, being stabbed by their ice spears would instantly cause frostbite.
Several Night's Watchmen had just pierced a Wight's body when they were ambushed by a nearby Wight, falling to the ground, never to rise again.
Lena led the R'hllor Warriors to the top of the Wall, the light of their holy fire staffs illuminating the entire crack.
She had two warriors brace the sides of the crack with holy fire staffs to prevent Wights from continuing to climb, while the remaining warriors poured r'hllor oil into the crack.
Flames spread along the crack, and the Wights' agonizing screams came from within, quickly dying down.
But the beast below seemed enraged by the flames; it raised its head and spewed ice mist at the top of the Wall.
The pale blue mist instantly enveloped two R'hllor Warriors; they didn't even have time to scream before turning into two ice sculptures, falling from the Wall.
"We can't let it spew ice mist anymore!" Jon stared at the beast's head, suddenly noticing that its throat would visibly swell before each ice mist spray.
"Tod! Carter! Circle around to the beast's rear, and throw r'hllor oil at its throat!" Tod immediately helped Carter up, and the two slid down the Wall's drainpipe, hiding in the Wall's shadow, moving towards the beast's rear.
Meanwhile, Jon raised longclaw and shouted to the cavalry below the Wall: "Graym! Take five cavalrymen to distract it!" Graym immediately led the cavalry to charge the beast's front, brandishing dragonglass spears in their hands.
Although they couldn't wound the beast, they successfully made it shift its attention forward.
Tod and Carter seized the opportunity, quickly ran to the beast's rear, and threw r'hllor oil at its throat—the ice armor there was thinnest, and pale blue mist could still be seen flowing within.
"Light it!" Tod shouted.
Carter lit a tinder and threw it at the beast's throat.
Flames instantly ignited, and the beast let out a heart-wrenching roar; the ice armor on its throat melted in the flames, revealing the vulnerable flesh beneath.
Jon seized this opportunity, leaped down from the Wall, longclaw making a sharp whistling sound as it fiercely pierced the beast's throat.
Pale blue blood sprayed all over him, but upon contact with the r'hllor powder on his armor, it instantly froze into ice chips.
The Ice Field Beast's body convulsed violently, and its massive frame crashed to the ground, crushing a section of the low wall beneath the main wall. The rising ice mist was quickly dispersed by the holy fire's radiance.
When the last trace of cold dissipated, the battlefield at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea finally fell into a temporary silence, leaving only the heavy breathing of the Night's Watch and soldiers, and the faint roars of Wights from the distant Arctic Ice Field.
Eastwatch-by-the-Sea after the battle resembled a tomb encased in ice. The area beneath the wall was piled with shattered ice remnants of the Ice Field Beast. These remnants, under the combined effect of holy fire and dragonglass, were melting at a visible speed, leaving puddles of cold water.
The Night's Watch and soldiers were scattered across the battlefield; some were carrying injured comrades, some were clearing ice shards from beneath the wall, and others leaned against the stone wall, panting heavily, the ice shards on their armor melting into water droplets that dripped down their clothes due to body heat.
Jon stood atop the wall, watching the busy figures below, yet felt no joy of victory. His armor was stained with pale blue blood and ice chips, and the blade of longclaw still bore remnants of the beast's flesh.
A cold wind whipped across his face, carrying a bone-chilling cold that reminded him of his comrades killed by Others during his watch on the Wall.
"My Lord, the casualty report is in." The adjutant, holding a roll of parchment, approached Jon with a heavy expression. "One hundred and twenty-three Night's Watch killed, eighty-seven wounded; forty-five Northern cavalry killed, twenty-six wounded; twelve R'hllor Warriors killed, eight wounded.
There were no casualties in the civilian shelter, but three-tenths of the grain in the granary was ruined by the ice mist."
Jon took the parchment, his fingertips tracing the numbers. Each number felt like a knife, piercing his heart. "Send the wounded to the medical tent and treat them with r'hllor powder and anti-cold medicine," his voice was low. "Transfer the grain from the granary underground, and protect it from moisture with r'hllor oil and weirwood fiber.
Also, send scouts north to monitor the movements of the Wight army closely. I suspect these two beasts were just vanguards."
Thorne walked over to Jon. His left arm had already been treated with r'hllor powder; though still stiff, he could at least move it. "Lord Jon, we won this battle thanks to your tactics," he said with admiration in his tone.
"The holy fire melts the ice armor, and dragonglass attacks the weak points. This 'holy fire + dragonglass' combination is more effective than any of our previous tactics. If not for the R'hllor Warriors melting the beast's ice armor in time, our dragonglass weapons wouldn't have been able to harm them."
Lena also approached with the remaining R'hllor Warriors. The tip of her holy fire staff glowed with a soft orange light, indicating she had expended too much power.
"My Lord, the holy fire's restraint over the cold is far beyond our expectations." She offered a fragment taken from the beast's ice armor; the fragment still bore scorch marks from the holy fire.
"You see, under the effect of holy fire, this ice armor's structure becomes loose, allowing dragonglass weapons to penetrate easily. Moreover, holy fire can not only melt ice armor but also purify the cold within it, preventing soldiers from getting frostbite."
Jon took the ice armor fragment; his fingertips could clearly feel the faint cold lingering on it, which instantly dissipated upon contact with the r'hllor powder on his armor.
He suddenly recalled what Melisandre had said earlier: "Holy fire is the cold god's bane, and dragonglass is the Wights' natural enemy. Only by combining the two can we truly fight the darkness." Now, it seemed, these words were far from empty.
Tod, carrying Carter, walked from the direction of the medical tent. Carter's leg wound had been treated with r'hllor powder, and his pale blue skin was gradually regaining color. Though he couldn't walk yet, he was at least out of danger.
"Lord Jon, thank you," Tod's voice was filled with emotion. "If not for your tactics, we would have been the beasts' snacks long ago! The next time we encounter such monsters, we'll know how to fight them!"
Jon patted Tod's shoulder, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield: "These tactics still need refinement. For example, the number of R'hllor Warriors is too small; next time we encounter more beasts, the Holy Fire Formation might not hold.
Moreover, we need more r'hllor oil and dragonglass weapons to cope with larger-scale battles." He paused, looking towards the Arctic, where the ice mist grew thicker and more dark figures could vaguely be seen moving.
"I will immediately write to King's Landing, asking Tyrion to expedite the allied army's advance north, and also asking Melisandre to send more R'hllor Warriors and holy fire supplies. The battle at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea is just the beginning."
At dusk, Jon, Thorne, Lena, Grem, and others recorded the details of the "holy fire + dragonglass" tactics in the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea war council room.
A battlefield map was spread on the stone table in the war council room, with charcoal markings indicating the beasts' positions, the deployment of the Holy Fire Formation, and the angles of dragonglass attacks.
Every detail was meticulously recorded, accompanied by firsthand accounts from Tod, Carter, and other participants, ensuring the accuracy of every aspect of the tactics.
"The core of the tactics has three points." Jon used charcoal to highlight key areas on the map. "First, the role of holy fire is 'armor-breaking + purification'; prioritize using the Holy Fire Formation or r'hllor oil to melt the ice armor and simultaneously purify the surrounding cold, creating conditions for dragonglass attacks.
Second, dragonglass weapons target 'weak points,' such as the beasts' eyes, abdomen, and throat, where the ice armor is thinnest and easily penetrated. Third, 'layered cooperation' among different arms: R'hllor Warriors are responsible for breaking armor, cavalry for distraction, and the Night's Watch for finishing blows; none can be omitted."
Lena added: "Additionally, the training of R'hllor Warriors needs to be strengthened. In this battle, some warriors' wavering faith led to gaps in the Holy Fire Formation; if not for timely adjustments, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
We need R'hllor Warriors to control holy fire more skillfully and improve their combat capabilities in icy mist environments."
Thorne also offered a suggestion: "The supply of dragonglass weapons must keep up. This battle consumed nearly five thousand dragonglass arrow, and the Wall's reserves are insufficient.
The Citadel needs to send more dragonglass ore quickly, and craftsmen need to accelerate the crafting of dragonglass longsword and daggers. Additionally, we can smear r'hllor powder on dragonglass weapons, so even without R'hllor Warrior cooperation, dragonglass weapons can still inflict some damage on ice armor."
Jon nodded, recording these suggestions one by one on parchment: "I will emphasize these points in my letter to Tyrion, asking him to coordinate with The Citadel and Melisandre to ensure resources and personnel arrive as soon as possible.
At the same time, we must conduct targeted training at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to familiarize the Night's Watch and soldiers with the 'holy fire + dragonglass' tactics, preparing for coordinated operations after the allied army arrives."
Outside the war council room, the last rays of the setting sun cast a faint golden light on the battlefield through the ice mist.
The Night's Watch were repairing cracks in the wall; they filled the gaps with dragonglass ore mixed with r'hllor oil, then covered them with wildfire runes, ensuring the cracks would not be re-eroded by the cold.
In the medical tent, Maesters from The Citadel were treating wounded soldiers. The mixed scent of r'hllor powder and anti-cold medicine permeated the air. Several frostbitten soldiers were already able to sit up, drinking hot ale and discussing the recent battle.
Jon walked to the window of the war council room, watching the busy figures below, and gradually felt more confident. Although the cold god's threat remained immense, and the shadow of the Wight army loomed in the nearby Arctic Ice Field, the success of this "holy fire + dragonglass" tactic gave him hope for victory.
He remembered what Daenerys had said in King's Landing: "As long as we are united, there is no enemy we cannot defeat." Now, he finally understood the meaning of this sentence—unity is not just the convergence of forces, but also the synergy of tactics, the combination of holy fire and dragonglass, and the unyielding faith in the heart of every person fighting to protect their home.
"My Lord, the letter is written." The adjutant handed Jon a sealed parchment letter, which detailed the "holy fire + dragonglass" tactics, casualties, material needs, and the movements of the Wight army.
"The raven is ready and can depart at any time."
Jon took the letter, pressed his Direwolf seal into the wax, and handed it to the adjutant: "Send the raven immediately; ensure the letter is safely delivered to Lord Tyrion.
Tell Queen Daenerys that Eastwatch-by-the-Sea has held, the 'holy fire + dragonglass' tactics are effective, and the allied army can prepare to advance north using these tactics."
The adjutant left to follow orders, and Jon looked towards the Arctic again. The ice mist was still thick, but he knew that as long as the alliance could quickly gather, and as long as the "holy fire + dragonglass" tactics could be promoted among the allied army, they would surely hold the Wall and Westeros's first line of defense.
And this battle at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea was not only a victory in desperation but also a crucial turning point in the war against the cold god—it validated the existence of hope and laid the most solid tactical foundation for the subsequent decisive battle.
Deep in the night at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, all was silent, save for the patrols of the Night's Watch and the faint roars from the distant Ice Field.
Jon stood atop the wall, longclaw in hand, his gaze piercing the thick ice mist, looking deep into the Arctic. He knew that the two defeated Ice Field Beasts were merely the cold god's vanguard, and in the more distant Ice Field, a hundred-thousand-strong Wight army, accompanied by more beasts and the resurrected remains of an Ice Dragon, was moving towards the Wall.
Thorne walked over to Jon, handing him a thick woolen cloak: "My Lord, it's cold at night; be careful not to get frostbite from the cold." His gaze also turned towards the Arctic.
"Scouts have reported that the ice mist is expanding and is expected to cover the entire perimeter of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea within three days. At that time, our vision will be completely obstructed, and we will only be able to passively endure attacks."
Jon took the cloak and put it on, but still felt the biting cold wind. "We don't have time to passively endure attacks," his voice was firm. "Starting tomorrow, we must accelerate the repair of the wall and expand the range of the Holy Fire Formation, establishing three holy fire defense lines on the outskirts of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
Additionally, have all soldiers begin to familiarize themselves with the 'holy fire + dragonglass' tactics, ensuring everyone knows their position and mission."
Just then, Bran's Greensight warning arrived via raven. The letter contained only a short sentence: "The Cold God's Altar has been activated, the Wight army will arrive at the Wall in three days, carrying Ice Dragon remains, targeting Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and Castle Black."
Jon gripped the sealed letter, his fingertips white from the force. He looked up at the night sky; the stars were obscured by the ice mist, leaving only a pitch-black firmament, as if the cold god's eyes were coldly watching this land about to be engulfed by war.
"Thorne, inform everyone: no rest tonight." His voice carried an unquestionable authority. "We must make all preparations within three days to meet the cold god's full assault.
This time, we must not only hold Eastwatch-by-the-Sea but also let the cold god know that the people of Westeros will never easily surrender."
Thorne left to carry out his orders, and Jon stood alone on the wall, longclaw gleaming faintly in the moonlight. He recalled his father Ned's frequent saying: "The Wall is the soul of Westeros, and the Night's Watch are the sword of the Wall.".