Chapter 30: (28) Defence of the Wall
The fire crackled and roared in the fire place "Corn!" The Old Bears raven squawked but it was ignored. "Mance said forty thousand filled his ranks, hundreds of wargs, the remaining giant clans and two dozen war mammoths." Benjen Stark said, pointing at the map were the wildlings camped. "By my own count it was closer to sixty, nearly a hundred giants and less than half as many mammoths" Qhorin Halfhand said
"Eleven thousand, against sixty!" Ser Alliser scowled. "Sixty thousand wildlings, they fight like beast true, but they have no armour or arms, nor battle formations or discipline." Iron Emmet scowled right back at the angry knight.
"Whereas The Wolf King has sent us his greybeards and his cripples, most of his host is Mountain Clansmen, practically Wildlings!" The ageing knight complained, and Jon was getting tired of listening to his moaning.
"You called for aid to all the Five Kings, it was my brother alone who answered, would you rather we take our men back South?" Jon questioned, his hand sinking into Ghosts fur. Both Yohn Royce and Galbert Glover nodded in agreement. "Ah yes how could I forget, along with greybeards, green boys and wildlings the rebel king also sent his traitor fathers bastard. We're all saved Lord Snow." His scowl deepened as he continued.
"Alliser! I'll not have you insulting my guests under my roof, not less the son of Eddard Stark!," It was clear the Old Bear had also grown tired of the Knights complaining. "You'll find not many in the North will take kindly to that man being sullied." The Old Bears statement was backed up by the fury in the eyes of Lord Glover and ten times as much anger from Benjen, who did not take kindly to the words.
"I forsook my brother when I swore my vows before the Weirwood, I took you as my brother, all the Nights Watch as my brothers." Benjen began sending a heated look at Alliser, "But I won't hear another word about traitors, not from you!" His hand slammed into the table as the wolf blood coursed hot through his veins. It was times like these when Yohn Royce was reminded of the Melee at Harrenhal, when Brandon Stark faced his opponents with the same look in his eyes.
"Alliser that's enough!" The Old Bear brought an end to the arguments with a single gruff sentence. 'Enough!''Enough!''Enough!' Mormonts raven echoed. "Instruct the new Stark men, have them begin repairs to the defences atop the Wall!" With that Alliser turned wrapped his cloak around himself tightly and left.
"Forget about him, we have more pressing concerns." With that statement Qhorin Halfhand cleared the air and brought everyone's attention back to the more pressing issues. "Mance Rayder claims he has the Horn of Joramun." The statement brought a silent worry over them all, except for Yohn who was confused. "What is this Horn?" The Bronze Lord asked and it was Mormont that answered.
"It is the Horn of Winter, before the Wall, or the age of heroes. When Andals still resides in Essos and the Valyrian Dragon Riders were still sheep farmers. Joramun blew his mighty Horn and woke the Giants from Stone." The Lord Commander recited the tale told often in the North and even more so at the Wall.
"But what does the Horn mean to us, the giants have been awake and extinct for thousands of years, now the last march on the Wall." The Lord was still confused as to why the Horn meant anything to them. "As the tale goes a King Beyond The Wall will rise and the Horn of Winter will be sound in the North once more, and the Wall will crumble." It was Benjen who finished the tale.
"If the Horn is real then all is lost, there is nothing to do, we must make ready for battle." It was Iron Emmet who spoke this time, his youth and hunger for action clear. "He's right, come battle fire and sword steel, dawn will come and we will know if the Horn is true." It was Jon who spoke at last as he nodded to the Old Bear.
'True!' Squawked Mormonts raven
'True!'
'True!'
'True!'
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Jon Stark stood atop the Wall. Hundreds of Nights Watch brothers beside him. Hundreds of others as well. It was Mountain Clansmen mostly. The Glover men had left with their Lord to deal with Wildling raids in the North, a series of Raiding Parties had slipped past the Walls defences. Ghost was restless at his side, Parthunax even more so. Jon turned to his men, addressing them.
"Men and women of the North! I call to you!"
"Listen and listen well, It is your homes these Wildlings want to raid, your food they wish to steal, your wives, sisters, mothers, daughters that they wish to rape."
"It is your sons they wish to kill. Not the sons of Rivermen nor Westermen nor Valemen! No the sons of the North! Born of winter and ice! Blood of the Firstmen! Blood of the North!"
"I will not ask you to take the Black but I ask you to help me defend the Wall! Until the North is safe you are the Watchers on the Wall!!!" As his speech was finished the drums began
Drums sounded the dawn. War drums and the trumpeting of mammoths. It was to this beat that the march began, if it could be called a march. Hundreds and thousands of wildlings walked from the tree line. Giants atop mammoths wielding great clubs. Men and women in furs with weapons of bone and beasts by their side. What was more hidden however were the short child like forms. Skin of green and brown with catlike eyes and leaves growing from their heads.
"Mully! Give me a range!" The Old bear barked his order to a tall ginger man in all black who upon hearing the order drew back his yew bow and released a fire arrow.
Below the Wall Mance Rayder saw a single arrow land. The line was drawn. The battle neared. "Tormund!!! It is time!" The command cut above the drumming and Tormund Giantsbane came forth, the Horn of Winter in his hands. As he walked to the front of the host the men began calling his many titles.
"GIANTS-BANE!!!"
"TALL-TALKER!!!"
"BREAKER OF ICE!!!"
"THUNDER-FIST!!!"
"HUSBAND TO BEARS!!!"
"MEAD-KING OF RUDDY HALL!!!"
"SPEAKER TO GODS!!!"
"FATHER OF HOSTS!!!"
"HORN-BLOWER!!!"
"HORN-BLOWER!!!"
"HORN-BLOWER!!!"
It was to chants of Horn-Blower that he raised the Horn of Joramun to his lips and blew. A great wind was picked up as a strange Misty form emerged from the Horn. The foundations of the Wall itself shook and trembled at the magic from the Horn but it wasn't unanswered. A roar responded to the Horns call. Parthunax sprang from the top of the Wall. Flame and claw locked in battle with a shapeless form. They flew to the clouds were the battle continued. Though human eyes could not tell what the Ice Dragon fought.
"Their Horn has failed!!! Now comes the savages!!! They run to their deaths!!!" Mormont shouted as he raised Longclaw and his raven took up the chant. 'Death!' 'Death!' 'Death'
And so the Battle for the Wall began. Jon commanded his men along with Lord Commander Mormont from atop the Wall. They rained fire arrows down upon the Wildling archers and the giants. The Wildlings carried forth wooden barriers that their archers hid behind as they fired up at the Wall, however they were quickly set aflame.
Then came the climbers. Hornfoots from the Frostfangs with bare feet and crude hooks began to scale the Wall. From atop the Wall men began throwing down stones or firing arrows at the climbers. Hundreds began the ascent, less than ten made it to the top and those that did faced spear tips.
Next Mance sent a large shield. It was the size of a boat hull but upside down. It was carried by two giants and hiding beneath the giant shield was a raiding party. Fire arrows rained down upon the shield but it had been covered in soaked skins and refused to light. Deciding that fire arrows wouldn't work Jon turned to the trebuchets. Launching stone and ice down at the wooden shield until it was crushed beneath the weight, impaling one of the giants and killing most of the raiders.
It was then, as they celebrated that the next wave of Mance's forces came. This time they weren't prepared. Ravens and crows descended upon the Wall, transforming into humanoid creatures and attacking the defenders. Children of the Forrest and Greenmen now stood upon the Wall wielding Weirwood staffs and magic in equal measure.
The Children threw glass fire itself at the trebuchet's, destroying them with their magic. The Greenmen began tearing through the unprepared men, throwing many from the Wall. They transformed into wolves and crows and despite their small number the damage inflicted was immense. Jon rallied the men and used their superior number to surround and kill the Children of the Forrest and the Greenmen.
Jon would return to Jeor Mormont to find him wounded. Standing over him was his squire Eddison Tollett, clutched in the squires hands was Longclaw and around them littered the bodies of three Greenmen and a Child of the Forrest. At that Moment the lift reached the top of the Wall and out stumbled a ragged man who told Jon of the attack on Castle Black.
"You have the Wall." Was all the Northern prince said to Dolorous Edd before rounding up a group of men and entering the lift.
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