King Beyond the Wall

The Wildling camp was much like he had expected in some respects, but different in others. Makeshift tents that looked like a strong wind could blow them over, a large number of fires burning to keep people warm, snow everywhere and Wildlings sharpening crudely forged weapons. Each of them rising to their feet and glaring, some even snarling at them threateningly.

Leading the small cavalry contingent, Jon ignored them all and instead looked behind him at the warriors who had chosen to accompany him. His trusted friend, Owen Norrey was there, his gaze sharp and his hand resting on his axe in preparation. There was even his friend Eddison along with numerous Brothers of the Night's Watch and soldiers of the North.

In total more than fifty men had accompanied him, a small number in comparison to the one hundred thousand strong hordes the Wildlings had brought. Though due to the sheer size of their horde, Jon couldn't get a good estimate on just how accurate that number was.

Hearing loud, thunder steps that shook the ground and branches snapping, they looked to the side to see a large foot land on the ground. "Fucking hell!" Owen Norrey cursed, watching as a Giant walked towards them, his large strides eating up the ground between them in a few moments.

Many of his guardsmen, began drawing their weapons, but this, in turn, made the Wildlings raise their weapons threateningly. And as the Giant came into full view nearly fourteen feet tall.

In response their horses neighed and bucked, taking the entourage time to calm them. In that time, the Wildlings laughed and jeered.

"What brings you to our camp, Jon Snow?" A voice called, the man in question turning to see a man he recognised, Mance Ryder. As soon as the name was uttered a sudden shift amongst the Wildlings, a tenseness, a coldness, anger, a fearful tint to it.

"It's Jon Stark." He replied shortly, ignoring the strange reaction of the Wildlings. "And I've come to negotiate."

Mance chuckled. "Negotiate. You may be a legitimised bastard, but you don't hold any weight to your name. You can say all you wish, make promises that you can't keep, but at the end of the day my people are coming south of the Wall, no matter what."

"I'm very much aware that you have no intentions of stopping your march south." More and more Wildlings came towards them. Staying a few meters away, but their positioning was nonetheless a threatening action. "However, you're mistaken, I do hold the authority to negotiate, not only as Jon Stark, Lord of Moat Cailin and its surrounding lands but also through the authority given to me by my brother, King Robb Stark."

There was a moment of silence before Mance laughed once more.

"King Robb Stark?" Mance questioned dubiously. "The boys a fool who's probably bitten off more than he can chew and is coming to us to save him. I remember when you and Robb were boys, playing pranks, you expect me to believe that this is real."

This made more than a few members of his entourage slightly draw their weapons at the insult given to their King. Jon however, remained calm. "What I'm telling you is the truth, Mance Ryder. My father and sisters were held captive in Kings Landing by the Lannisters after Robert Baratheon's death. My brother marched south with an army to defeat the Lannisters and he has done so. The Lannisters are now camped at Kings Landing with their tails between their legs."

Here Jon's smirk widened, a subtle warning to Mance and the Wildlings.

"My brother has the loyalty of the Lords of the North and the Riverlands as well as Lords of the Westerlands. Combined with the loyalty of the Lords of the Reach my brother commands an army over a hundred thousand strong, each battle-hardened and bloodied. How many warriors do you have?"

"Look around." A large man with a beard as white as snow proclaimed.

"I am, and I see that this horde of yours doesn't consist purely of warriors, but women and children as well. How many of them are warriors?" Jon pressed. "My brother commands an army purely comprised of one hundred thousand soldiers, well-trained and disciplined with him and the greatest military commanders in Westeros at its head. The moment you march south, you'll be crushed along with the other threats to the North."

Mance didn't speak straight away, instead indicating for Jon to follow him. Coming down from his horse accompanied by Owen he followed after him, giving the order for his entourage to wait.

Walking through the Wildlings, Jon and Owen made their way towards a large tent with elk antlers on top, entering inside after Mance and were offered a seat.

"What you say is true? Your brother has an army of one hundred thousand?"

"It's true," Jon answered, Owen, nodding his head in agreement.

"Then why offer me land? You said there were other threats, surely your brother should be capable of dealing with them himself?"

Jon frowned. "The Ironborn invaded us, the Bolton's and Dustin's have risen in rebellion." It was Owen Norrey that spoke first. "The Ironborn have over five thousand men left of their original twenty thousand. The Bolton-Dustin alliance have around nine thousand men. We have over twenty thousand available to us, but we cannot attack the Bolton-Dustin alliance due to them holding Lady Stark and her two youngest sons hostage. As for the Ironborn, we can't move without leaving ourselves exposed."

"And what of Robb Stark?"

Owen continued. "The Lannisters still have ten thousand men camped in King's Landing, to ensure that the Lannister's are finished once and for all, King Robb is continuing the campaign taking it slowly and cautiously. Once he's done..."

"He'll march North and finish off the Bolton-Dustin Rebellion as well as the Ironborn. Also making it impossible for me to come south as you'll all be there waiting." Mance deduced, he was many things, but he wasn't a fool. If what they were saying was true then even if they took the Wall, it wouldn't mean anything. "You want my people to clear up your mess before that happens."

"We want you to prove your worth," Owen stated firmly.

Jon remained, what Mance said was true. He was given the task of protecting the North by Robb and he had failed. Jon didn't know the full details of what was happening in the south, but he knew that reinforcements wouldn't be arriving anytime soon. He needed the Wildlings and the horde, as untrained as they were it would provide much-needed men to help remove the Ironborn threat from the North leaving only the Bolton's and Dustin's remaining.

"We're offering you land in the North; all you have to do is recognise Robb as the true King of Westeros and help me deal with the Ironborn and the rebels. The land will be yours; the Free Folk will have land south of the Wall and you won't have to go to war with the entirety of Westeros to get it. And you get safety from the true dangers that lie beyond the Wall." Jon continued.

Both Owen and Mance pausing while the former looked entirely lost to the meaning, the latter knew what he was saying.

"It's a good deal, take it. If you don't, you know there's only one way it will end." It was Mance Ryder this time that frowned in thought.