Winter Is Here

Winterfell 

A young boy ran through the streets of Wintertown, he hopped over a crate to get a better look at the marching army.

He saw Lannister red, the Arryn blue, the Tyrell green, the Dornish Sun and Stark grey and in the middle were hundreds of men in black then finally he heard the screeching of beasts.

At Winterfell, Rickon, Arya, and Bran watched Drogon, Viserion, Rhaegal, and Sheepstealer fly overhead of the castle. Bran nodded and the three started heading towards the gate where they will wait for their guests to arrive.

Within one of the wheelhouses, Tyrion and Varys and a sleeping Olenna were sitting.

Outside, many of the notable men and women were riding their horses. Sansa Stark, Waymar Royce, Daenerys Targaryen with Jorah Mormont, and Rodrik Arryn led the column of soldiers. Grey Worm, Missandei, Yohn Royce, Garlan Tyrell, Randyll and Dickon Tarly and many others were at the center and the small militia of 5000 men that were the last volunteers on the morning the great army left, one of note was Gendry who worked as one of the smiths when Dragonstone was being mined.

The leaders of all the armies and the heads of the many Houses rode into Winterfell's gate, Sansa Stark quickly spotted Bran and her wolf, many of the wolves were there. She dismounted and ran to her brother who was thought lost after all this time.

Rodrik glanced towards Daenerys who glanced back, Varys took notice but ignored it for now.

What had many shocked was the sight of a group of small children, their skin was dark and their eyes were green. Tyrion was intrigued when he saw them, they looked liked dwarves but had no stubby legs, no large heads and definitely didn't look human.

Arya spotted Rodrik and smiled, walking over as he dismounted from his horse.

"I do hope you brought more than a few thousand." He smirked and patted her on the head.

"I have, let us all introduce ourselves." He told her and she smiled, that is a fine idea.

The Lords of the North, Reach, Westerlands, Riverlands, Crownlands, Dorne, Stormlands, and the Iron Islands all gathered in the great hall. Bran was sat on the right of Sansa and Rickon sat on her left, Arya sat with Beric, Thoros and the Hound. The Brotherhood was a large group that had their own table. Gendry and Arya found one another and had embraced one another, they talked though they had an awkward reunion with Beric, it all eventually smoothed over.

The feast began and although it was a little tense between the Lords of the North and Riverlands and those of the Westerlands. They were seated apart from one another, it was to avoid an incident.

Outside, the largest war camp was set up, the army will rest after traveling for almost a month and a half of marching.

"I do believe it is going well, now," Daenerys told Rodrik who chuckled a response, thinking back on his memories.

"You know, if I told my father that there will be a feast of every House that hated one another, he would say I was insane." He said and she smiled as she sipped her wine. "Robert is turning in his grave right now." He muttered and that alone made her frown.

Daenerys thought that tonight shouldn't be about the past, it should be about the future of Westeros, a new era will begin once the undead are defeated and the Long Night stopped once more.

Arya Stark was talking with Gendry, "You should ask her." She urged her friend who shook his head.

"I think she would soon burn me," She doesn't think that will ever happen, not here. Rodrik and Sansa won't let that happen and neither will she or the Brotherhood Without Banners.

She'll prove it, and no, her bravery is not because of the wine. Arya pulled Gendry from his seat and dragged him over to the high table, he was frightened about what to even say to the Dragon Queen.

"Your grace!" Rodrik and Daenerys stopped talking to one another to address Arya, she had a friend and it took a moment for Rodrik to realize who the boy looked like.

"I cannot believe it," Rodrik said and Daenerys looked at her fellow ruler with confusion.

"Who is this?" She asked him and Arya answered for Rodrik.

"This man is Gendry, a smiths apprentice in King's Landing... He is also the last son of Robert Baratheon. Lord of Storm's End and I ask you to allow him to claim his ancestor's lands as Gendry Baratheon." Daenerys looked at Gendry with a little anger, Rodrik looked worried and took a deep breath.

"The Stormlands hasn't had a Lord Paramount since the War of the Five Kings as I have heard. Robert's brothers are gone, his niece is gone. If I do this, I would require your oath, swear your allegiance to me and I will grant you your fathers land and name." Gendry glanced between Arya and the Queen, he never knew how to be a Lord, the last Lordly thing he has done was being used to cast a spell by Melisandre who is also here, well, at the Wall.

Sod it, he thought as he got to one knee, looking up to the Queen on the Iron Throne, "I, Gendry do hereby swear my loyalty to Queen Daenerys of the House Targaryen." It was short and sincere and Daenerys saw this while standing from her chair, raising her chalice.

"Then rise, Lord Gendry of the House Baratheon. Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands!" Many rose to their feet in the hall and congratulated him.

The feast continued on into the night and soon it came for everyone to rest, Rodrik sat in the halls and didn't feel so tired, he got up and saw Bran sitting near the hearth, one those Children standing guard by him.

From what Lady Meera told him before she left is that they are the actual Children who were many back thousands of years ago, they were the ones to raise the first White Walker, the Night King himself and he was initially angry, as was Daenerys and the others they allowed to know the truth.

"My Lord Bran, you do not sleep?" The boy shook his head no, "Good, neither do I most nights." He added and took a seat, other Lords were asleep or past out at the tables.

"I know what you've been through, Rodrik, I know you loved him dearly." He frowned and stared daggers at Bran, he questioned why the young man would know about that. "I would like you to know we are wasting time, this army must go North, Jon and the others are waiting at the Wall, at Eastwatch by the Sea." He got to his feet and was frankly frightened by the boy and his friend.

"What do you mean?" He asked Bran who didn't speak but the Child of the Forest did.

"The Night King is going to strike at the Wall, he will not stop until Bran is killed... Just as the other was killed." The other? He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Have you seen how many he has in his army? I know Jon said it was in the thousands but... " Rodrik didn't like thinking about that, that maybe they are quite outnumbered and outmanned despite the great army they gathered.

Bran looked into the fire for a long moment, his face was calm, a deathly calm.

"He has many, they are legion. Eastwatch will need to be protected but so must Winterfell, the Night King wants me dead." Bran said to him and continued with, "He has tried to erase man since he was created, his purpose is to keep man back but now his intentions are twisted. He intends to bring an endless night to our world, shrouded in snow and darkness." That isn't good, he left the room to get the others together, he stopped at the entrance of the hall and turned back to Bran.

"Brandon, I wanted to tell you, I am sorry I couldn't save Robb, sorry I couldn't save Ned." He could have, he could have stopped Cersei from seizing the throne, he could have had the manpower to save the Starks at the Red Wedding.

Bran smiled, "What happened was meant to happen, you were meant to kill your brother be King of the Vale. It brought you here, it brought the Dragon Queen here." He took a deep breath and left the great hall, he walked for a long while until he was at the door of his fellow companion, he knocked twice before Daenerys opened the door and was surprised by his visit.

"What's wrong?" She asked him and he sighed.

"There are some things we need to do, Winterfell must be shored up and defensible... And we need to move on the Wall, now."

Eight days pass by, the great army left Winterfell and a force of 10,000 men was left to guard Winterfell and Bran Stark. While they are gone, the force here will build defenses and traps in the case that they fail to defend the Wall.

An additional force of 5000 has been sent to Moat Cailin, if the Wall falls and Winterfell is taken, that fortress will be the final line of defense for the living.

Rodrik walked out into the field where Sheepstealer was rising up, he petted the snout of the large dragon and smiled, "It's time for war, friend." He said before climbing the dragon and he settled in.

The dragon took flight and he met Daenerys and her three dragons as they left for Eastwatch.

At the fortress of the Night's Watch, Jon Snow readied his horse for a ranging.

He knows that fighting the dead face to face is suicide for them until the rest of the army comes here, but, he can put together raiding bands to hit the dead and harry them, maybe even slay a few of the White Walkers along the way.

"We can't wait, the least we can do is to lead warbands and raid their lines." He told Edd and Tormund, "Wun Wun is a liability out there, we need to move fast and hard." The giant growled in frustration

"It is dangerous. But it will be good to be North again, I can't wait to take some of the dead bastards out." Tormund was excited, many of the Free Folk he is bringing on the raids are.

He'll only be taking 300 riders, just like Jeor took on the Great Ranging except they have more horses, fast strikes not full battles, they can't afford to give them more men than the Night King already has.

"I bid you good fortune, Jon. I'd join ya but I'm no fighter." He nodded to Davos's comment, gesturing to the older man's hand.

"That means he gets to live, hurrah!" Edd said sarcastically, hopping on his horse and took his dragonglass sword.

Davos isn't the only one, Sam came to the Wall once he returned and told him he left Gilly and his son at Horn Hill since his father allowed them to stay.

He turned and saw Ghost, he petted the wolf's snout and scratched his ear a little, "Ready to go, boy? I am not." He told the wolf before mounting on his horse.

The gates to Eastwatch opened, up and he urged his horse down the tunnel and led the three hundred through. Edd took a hundred, he took a hundred and Tormund commanded a hundred. They will raid up and down the Haunted Forest, the main target is White Walkers, killing them might do something to the dead they raised.

He can hope, can he, that there is a light at the end of all this?