Chapter 46: Snow Fall

Jon Snow

Jon did not agree with a lot of what his brother was doing in the Westerlands. Allowing the men to pillage and plunder through the land was not going to win them any friends here. But it seemed Robb was far more content to send a message than to actually achieve what it was they'd marched south to achieve. He got the feeling his brother was paddling in a pool, not sure how to leave, and not sure if he wanted to leave. That worried Jon, he was not sure what to do to convince his brother to head back north, he knew Robb still wanted revenge, hell he wanted revenge, but Joffrey no longer sat on the iron throne, there was another who sat there, another who had Uncle Benjen, but something was stopping his brother from bending the knee and giving them a chance to go home. What it was, Jon did not know, and he was not sure how to ask, or whether he should ask.

He did not know what was happening between him and his brother, or to his brother in general, but things were changing. His brother no longer came to him to seek advice, his brother remained to himself, seeking counsel in the godswood of the western fortresses, and occasionally speaking to other lords, but not to him. It was a sad thought; one he was very annoyed about. But there was nothing he could do, his brother was his liege lord, and he was honour bound to follow orders. Hence why he was commanding a battalion of soldiers out on a raiding mission. They had learned that Jaime Lannister or a Lannister band was coming toward their position, and Robb had asked him to go and cause a bit of chaos. He had left gladly determined to avoid the simmering tension in his brother's eyes, and so here he was, mounted atop a horse, Ghost at his side.

They ride through barren wasteland, a once prosperous and beautiful land now reduced to rubble due to the efforts of his brother and himself and their men. The thought causes shame to course through him. War is not the game he thought it would be, perhaps that is what has caused all of this. Robb must be dealing with everything a lot worse than him, and he himself is not dealing with it well. He does not know, he does not have time to think over it, before there are horns sounding and the Lannister army they have been tracking for days comes into view. Jon follows the plan, and draws his sword, and moves toward the enemy. They come bounding toward him, something intent on their faces, the crash comes and all hell is unleashed. Men are all around him, swearing, cursing, doing what they can to remain alive. He is amongst them, swinging his sword as if it is the beacon to a better future. He does not know what is there within a man, that when he fights, all sense goes. All Jon knows now, is that he has to live.

The enemy progresses through their lines, as planned, they swing, they fight, they claw, the surroundings get hotter, so much hotter, and he feels as if he is baking alive in his armour, but he keeps going. Jon has never been one to stop fighting when there was a fight to be had. He keeps going, he sees images, boys no older than Bran cut down before his eyes, by him, and it will haunt him, but he keeps going. Duty and honour dictate he keeps fighting. His men are at his side, swinging their weapons, slashing away, cutting life from men just doing their duty. He keeps going, fighting the urge to be sick, the urge to scream, he keeps going. He does not know if this will make a change, but he keeps going. Through it all, Ghost is at his side, snarling, tearing chunks out of people and they continue, working liking a well-oiled weapon.

He sees Ghost go down, and something in him breaks. He roars a challenge, and cuts down the next man he sees, and then another man, and another. The plan is abandoned. No one hurts Ghost, no one! He swings his sword, chasing after the person who did the damage to Ghost, and he comes after him, they meet in the middle, but then the man disappears behind the rush of more men. Jon howls in frustration and moves. Cutting through the people who get in his way, it is a rush, and there is no one there. He growls again, and moves, his helmet is sticky with sweat, his armour is chafing him, he is bleeding in several places, but he keeps going. Ghost must be avenged, he moves and moves, but there is no sight of the man, nothing at all. He growls in anger, and pushes through, determined to have his revenge.

Pain shoots through him then, he looks up and sees just how far away he is from the rest of his battalion, they are immersed in the fighting, none know just how far away their commander is. He knows he could try to get back to them, but there are men coming toward him, and Ghost is there, lying whimpering before him. He dismounts from his horse and rushes towards Ghost, he stands before his wolf, his sword raised, his chest heaving as the enemy comes toward him. He swats away blows, takes some, kills some, and keeps going. He stands in front of Ghost, he remembers what happened at Ruby Ford, he remembers what happened to Sansa's wolf and he knows he cannot let that happen to Ghost. He fights and fights. Bodies lie near him at the end, he is on his knees, his men are still fighting. He slumps to the ground, a voice laughing in his ear. "You have done well, but now you are mine." He sees a hooded man and then the world disappears.