[Castle Black]
Inside the war room at Castle Black, the air was heavy with tension. Maps of the North lay spread across the wooden table, candles flickering in the cold wind that slipped through the cracks in the stone walls. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont stood with his arms crossed, a stern look on his face. Ned Stark was nearby, and for some reason, they believed it was necessary to have Alliser here.
Who exactly wanted this guy to be here?
"Sigh, as I said, I'll go beyond the Wall," I said firmly. "Alone."
Jeor Mormont slammed his hand on the table. "Are you a madman? No one goes into that frozen land and comes back. It doesn't matter alone or with men," he said, irritation building.
He didn't mind letting me go beyond the Wall. What he opposed was me travelling all the way to the Land of Always Winter.
And that was also just a minor thing. The fact that my original goal is to convince the wildlings to come here has yet to be discussed. Oh, I know for a reason this is gonna be a long day.
"Good, since I can assure you I'm not just any man," I replied, brashness suddenly coming to my tone. Don't know why, but I'm just fed up acting good in front of everyone.
"Oh, I believe that. I heard the king offered you a position among his whores. Should have taken it—with that face of yours, you would have made a lot of men happy, Odinson."
An annoying voice came, and I knew who it was. Part of the reason I might be losing my cool was this guy. Alliser was an asshole of the highest order. I thought he was sent to King's Landing by the Commander but then was recalled back.
Shame he wasn't there when I fought. I would have loved to bring down thunder on that ugly mug of his.
"You mean furious when their women line up to share my bed with their money. If I'm not wrong, House Thorne resides in the Crownlands. I will perhaps give them a visit one of these days. I'm sure women in your house would have a fine arse, seeing how yours is big enough to forget where to butt in..."
He glared at me, almost screaming bloody murder at this. I was not behind—I wasn't the one to throw the first punch, that was putting his death on me when we end—but I can urge him to act first. Then killing him would be justified, right?
"Enough! Quit being at each other's throats. I can't have my master of arms and the man who might be the single most capable warrior in Westeros—if not the world—acting like common street scoundrels in petty fights," the Lord Commander shouted.
"Then keep a leash on your dog, Commander. Once they grow old, they start biting far more than they can chew," I snapped. Alliser was ready to intervene, but a glare from Jeor Mormont stopped him. He started it, so it's only fair.
"Look... I've fought the dead before," Thor said. "And I survived." I turned to the Lord Commander and said.
"That was one," he cut in. "One White Walker. This time, you don't know what's waiting for you. Hell, they would know someone would be coming after our rangers went missing."
"Oh, let the bastard go. Let's see what he does when an army of undead is ready to fuck that shiny arse of his," Alliser responded, definitely a jab at my ass because of that earlier comment.
I promptly ignored him. I didn't need anyone's permission to go out. What I was here for is to convince Jeor Mormont about taking in the wildlings once I bring them with me. This conversation is going fucking nowhere.
"Are you just gonna stand there and not say anything?" Jeor turned to Ned Stark. Even Jeor knew that I was not one of Ned's men, but still, the man's complete silence was not helping.
"Bran is out there. Benjen and Jon both are out there as well. I won't sit here while they freeze or die."
"Great... Now we have to convince both of them," Alliser muttered with irritation.
"Stark, we talked about this. You have to stay at the Wall," I commented.
"And let my two sons and brother be lost there? No. The members of my pack are beyond that Wall, and I'll not stand still here. I'll..."
"You will stay here," I said with a little heat in my tone. Perhaps it was my anger that did the magic, but just as I spoke, outside a thunderous sound was heard, making everyone stunned.
"Seems like a storm's coming." Of course, Jeor and Alliser didn't understand. Ned, however, just kept on watching me.
"I didn't save your arse in King's Landing for you to go dilly-dally beyond the Wall. Your duty is here within the walls. As for Bran and your bastard, even your brother—I'll do my utmost to find them and bring them back if possible."
"And what if I don't agree with that?" he said with a glare.
"Then House Stark will lose its head. The North will lose another Stark. The Wall loses a capable man who could have united the North in these times when necessary. The world might lose the Wall shielding the living from the dead—and I lose my chance to go back home."
Silence was resounding.
"And I assure you, I won't do a thing in this madness."
Ned finally relented at this, again looking away. Even he knew that him going himself was a bad idea. But being a father, he just couldn't stand still.
Is this how Odin would have been in Asgard when Thor went missing? Hell, if he even went missing—for all I know, I could be someone with his powers and memories, but not really him.
Jeor shook his head. "You might be a Lord, but you're not a fool. The lad is right. If you die, then there would be just more chaos in the North. Robb Stark would have to handle the Wall. You want that?"
"Send a small party," Ned finally said. "If you must go, go with men who know the land."
Jeor just relented at this, seeing no way to stop me from going north.
"No," I however firmly denied, voice rising.
"Must you deny everything I say?" Ned grumbled.
"Which men of yours know the Land of Always Winter? The more you send, the more will die. I can't keep everyone safe. I'll be faster and more efficient at moving through this snow-filled land if I'm alone."
"And more likely to end up dead alone too," came a mocking voice from the corner.
I turned sharply. Alliser Thorne leaned against the wall, arms folded, a smirk on his face.
"If I die there, then believe me, Westeros is doomed when they bring me back. Snow and ice would be the least of your concerns in that case, Thorne. Because then the very sky will bring down its fury on you."
Others didn't get it, but a shiver passed Ned's back hearing what I said.
"That's enough!" Jeor barked. "Both of you!"
Ned stepped between us. "We're wasting time. Thor, I understand your will to act. But this isn't about pride. It's about the North. We need you here just as much as out there."
"The very fact that you need me out there is the reason I need you here, Stark. And now let's not talk about this pointless argument. You know more than I do that there ain't no one stopping me going north. Let's talk about what we're here for."
"What do you mean here for?" Mormont asked.
"Sigh... it's the wildlings. He wishes to bring them here," Ned finally bit the rotten jerky and said it.
"What madness! I knew he was up to something," Alliser immediately said, making Jeor shush him again.
"What in the bloody name of the old gods has gotten into you to even suggest that?" he asked, an almost equally scandalised look on his face.
"There we go again," I muttered, knowing this was gonna be a long day.
xxx
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