Chapter 26 The Calm before the Storm

The sun was setting over the horizon of the sunset sea as the city streets where full of panicking people. Men rushed around in the standard Lannister armor; a standard forced on them because Lord Tywin Lannister liked having all his troops look the same. So they did look the same even as fear could be seen under their helms as they headed toward the walls of the city while up on the hill which overlooked the city a rather impressive looking castle was a glow as the defenders prepared. Outside they there where multiple horn blasts, each blast sent a chill down everyone spine because they didn't know what it meant. All the common folk knew that they were under attack and the city watch and castle garrison was rushing around pulling every man they saw out and arming them with any weapon they had, mostly spears and daggers. The horns kept blowing filling everyone with fear and sending chills down their spins.

They didn't send chills down Yara Greyjoy's spin as she made the way through the crowd dressed in something she hated most of all.

An actual dress.

She hated having to move around in a dress, she had spent most of her life dressed in boiled leather and armor, not cotton and wool. Still, she was doing something none of the other Iron Born captains could do. She had gotten into the city without raising any notice, she had gone ahead of the main force arriving within the walls just as the first war horn of the Iron Fleet blew marking the start of their attack.

A man would have gotten attention from the city's watch or would have been forced to take up arms and man the walls. A woman…not a chance, they were weak and made only to serve man in their view, a view shared by most Iron born as well as Greenlanders. She would prove them both wrong, because she would be the one to capture Faircastle, something no Ironborn had done in almost 200 years. If she did that…well songs of her glory would be sung in halls across the Iron Islands for generations and may secure herself to become the 1st women ever to sit the Sea Stone Chair and rule the Iron Islands.

She moved toward one of the side gates, she could see many men on the wall rushing around with longbows and crossbows in hand ready to attack the Iron born which stood yelling their war cries just outside of range.

The gate was a double gate with two wooden/iron gates with a tunnel which ran under the walls, both gates were raised and locked into position. Even if the outer most gate was taken down anyone coming into the tunnel would find themselves at the mercy of death coming from above from a room located above the tunnel with multiple murder holes which opened up to below. Boiling oil, arrows and the like could be used by the defenders with no risk of being harmed.

However, that room also was where both locks for the inner and outer gate was located and since the buildings of the city went right up to the walls no one paid Yara any mind. They were all too busy and assumed she was heading home or was trying to find her husband among the defenders. She had no husband…her husband was the sea and her children where the multiple throwing axes she had hidden among the skirts of the damn dress she was wearing.

To her amazement she didn't have to pull out any of the axes or even talk to anyone, she simply walked up the stairs built into the wall and found herself outside the room above the gate. She pushed it open to find a dozen men some firing crossbows from arrow slits located on either side of the gate or starting fires to boil large vats of oils located over the murder oils in case any got through.

"What in seven hells are you doing here you stupid whor…" started one man, clearly the leader judging by the more gold on his armor. He didn't get to finish his words as one of Yara's children…a throwing axe was brought up from her skirts. She drove it deep into the man's skull killing him before pulling it out and throwing it at one of the two crossbow armed men. She hit him the chest sending him down, the padded armor he wore being no match for her axe. A second axe was already in her hands as the stunned soldiers finally started to move, but it was too late.

With all the screaming of orders and the yell of the Iron born outside none heard the screaming of the men she killed in that room.

Her dress was stained with blood and brains as she whipped away some from her face before moving over to the large locking pins which held the outer gate in place. She pulled both and released the locks on the chains which lifted the gate up. The outer gate fell with a crash to the stunned expression of the defenders on the walls, but it was just what the Iron Born outside were waiting on. A large war horn blew long and load as the men rushed forward into a hail of arrows, but the outer gate was down and within moments the inner gate fell as well.

Many men died in that mad dash, but more than enough made it as they came pouring into the city and began to go up the walls to clear it from the archers.

Two of her men rushed into the room to see the work that their captain had done. She paid them no mind as she stripped off the dress showing her leather armor and her normal pants.

"Here captain." Said one as they handed her a larger axe, her normal weapon but one she couldn't carry on her for their task.

"Thanks, now let's finish taking this fucking city." ordered Yara as both men grinned.

A couple of hundred yards away onboard the flagship of the Iron fleet her Uncle Victarion had watched as the gates came down and the mad dash to take the walls. It had worked far better than he had ever dared to hope, when his niece had come up with that idea he had thought her a fool now he was shown to be the fool.

"Fair castle is ours." announced Victarion loudly to his crew as a cheer went out from the crew. "Yara and her crew have taken the walls."

"Good for her." added his brother Aeron, he stood on the deck without armor or without a weapon beside a large driftwood walking stick. As a priest of the drowned god he wore only cloths made from sea weed and used only items taken from the sea. He had come to be a witness of the capture of this land by the Iron Man.

"Still upset about our brother abounding the Northern campaign?" inquired Victarion in a soft voice so none of the crew could hear him talk to his brother. It was said that once taken a kraken would never let go of its prey, but it had done so with the North here. The kraken let go of the north to grab a smaller yes, but more valuable prize in the coastal lands of the Westerlands. Most had agreed with the logic of their King which in truth had come from his daughter not that many knew that. Word was spreading however that this had been her idea and with the capture of Faircastle her legend would only grow, if she became legendary enough she might be able to sit the Sea Stone Chair and rule the Ironman after all even though she was a women and traditionally the only job acceptable for a women was birthing, rising future Iron Men and other weak crafts like weaving cloth from the large number of sheep on the islands.

Aeron eyed him but said nothing, their niece was a rare breed when it came to women.

Victorian had known his brother since he was born and knew how to read him.

"No, your upset that our niece is getting glory." added Victorian "Your upset that she may just earn enough respect to be named ruler of the Iron Islands when our brother dies."

"A woman's battle is in the birthing chamber; they are not made to rule." countered Aeron as he turned and walked away heading below decks.

Victorion shrugged, he actually agreed with his little brother but if not Yara then who? Who would rule after his brother and king passed? He saw no other answer beside her.

Theon had lived almost his whole life in Winterfell, he as a Greenlander at heart not fit to rule over the Ironman, place him on the driftwood throne and civil war would follow. Aeron as a priest of the Drowned god couldn't rule, Victorian himself didn't want the job he was a warrior/captain not a ruler. That left Yara and only one other, and he didn't want to imagine what his brother Euron the crow's eye would do if he sat the driftwood throne. Lucky the Crow's eye had been banished under plenty of death should he return to the Iron Islands.

Night had fallen over Riverrun as Jon sat outside his and Deanery's tent with a mug of Northern ale in his hands with a roaring fire before him.

"Kinds of reminds me of our time in the watch." Stated Sam as he sat with his own mug of Northern ale. He took a drink only to cough a bit from the strength of the ale. Most high lords drank wine or soft light ales, even Northern Lords known for drinking strong ale by southern standards drank lighter softer ales then average ales then commoners. Jon was an outlier and preferred thick strong northern ale that even some other Northerns called too strong. It was so strong that Deanarys actually recoiled a bit when she smelled it and the one time she tried it, sent her coughing which made him laugh and in the end she gave him a playful smile saying something like he should try some Dortharki Meer Mead before going back to her wine.

"Ya, both of us stewards." laughed Jon taking a pull from his own wooden mug, before looking around at all the tents, that was very different then life at the top of the Wall. "We have come a long way from that time."

"In a way but not really." countered Sam holding his own mug in his hands as he looked up at the stars. "If you think about it, right now we I would have gotten back to the Wall with Gilly and…"

"I would have just returned with more than a few arrows in me from Ygritte." stated Jon with a shake of his head before reaching over his shoulder and touching the one of the scars he had on his back from Ygritte's arrows. He turned away from the memory and looked around at the army around them. "Well, I think you got at least some of your wish."

"And what wish is that?" inquired Sam confused.

"Being a wizard, how us could we be here without magic." stated Jon as Sam laughed a bit.

"I think your cousin, Bran has me claim in the wizard area then I do." countered Sam before he looked toward the tent where Gilly, little Sam and the unborn child within Gilly would be resting. In truth it was the tent saved for Measter Aemon, but their duty was to take care of him and the old Measter seemed to enjoy teaching little Sam when he had free time. "I think I have a much better life then I would have had as a wizard."

"And I have a better life now than I did when I wanted to be a ranger." agreed Jon as he looked to his own tent. Daenerys was having a private word with Missandei. He didn't know Missandei all that well, but he didn't have to, he knew that she was Deanery's best friend just like Sam was his. She and Missandei had been through a lot together just like he and Sam had, he wasn't about to ask her not to spend time with her friends just like she wasn't about to order him from talking to Sam. He knew Sam hadn't forgiven Dany for killing his father and brother in their past, but he knew not to bring it up and now both of them were alive again. Both had basically agreed without words not to bring it up and to accept the other as very important parts of Jon's life.

"I am just worried about how my parents will accept Gilly." admitted Sam as Jon eyed him slightly confused. "I know, they met but that was when she was a girl who I had fathered a child on, not a wife. I am not sure how Gilly will take to being a southern lady, it is a very different world."

"And I don't know how I will be as King Consort." offered Jon "We just have to walk down that path, besides I have a feeling you will be spending most of your time in Kings Landing with us."

"Really?" inquired Sam

"Really I need someone besides Dany who I can talk with fully and your idea today all but guarantee you a spot on the small council." Reassured Jon, he knew he had no real say on if Sam was on the small council but he had been at every single small council meeting helping Measter Aemon, Tyrion Lannister as the Hand Queen talked things over with him as well so while not officially on the council he was.

"Not sure if King's landing would be better for Gilly or myself truthy." admitted Sam "I am not sure if we would belong there."

"And I belong in King's landing?" laughed Jon before shaking his head. "I will do it for Dany and you have to do what is best for your future wife and your family. Worse case, I am sure I can talk Dany into giving you land in the North to make a keep of your own. The North will accept Gilly and you."

The sound of approaching footsteps caused both to look out into the semi darkness. There where countless campfires and men walking around but it was still dark enough that it was hard to know for sure who was coming until an additional figure, one on four legs moved out from behind him, Greywind.

"Robb." said Jon as he ross and hugged his cousin whom he considered a brother. "What brings you here."

"Want to talk to you, like family not like Lord speaking to a future King Consort." stated Robb "Got any more of that Ale?"

"I think I can get some more." laughed Jon as Sam suddenly rose.

"I think I better go and leave you two, I am sure you have a lot to talk about." stated Sam

"Are you sure Sam?" inquired Jon as Sam nodded.

"I need to check on Gilly and little Sam." excused Sam

"Alright." said Jon "Goodnight."

"Night." answered Sam as he moved off as Jon lead Robb away from the fire toward where a barrel of Northern Ale was kept. It along with a couple barrels of wine was under guard for it was the Queens/King consort personal supply, if it was a prime target to be poisoned. Jon poured a mug which Robb took a drink only to gag a little bit.

"It's extra strong, it's a Night's Watch receipt." explained Jon "Learned to love it standing watch on the Wall."

"It is indeed extra strong." stated Robb with a slight cough, he had drunk northern ale a lot but he had also gotten into the habit of drinking southern wine and the weaker southern ale.

"Come there is much we need to catch up on." Said Jon as they returned to the Fire.

"So, you and Daenerys, for someone who was afraid to even talk to women in the Winter Town you know how to pick them." stated Robb as Jon shrugged.

Winter town was a large town located to the south of Winterfell. Most of the summer it was empty but every winter those who spent most of the time away from civilization came there to ride out the long winters together. Ramsay had burned it to the ground when he took Winterfell back from Theon and they didn't have time to rebuild it before the White Walkers came down on them.

"I wasn't afraid of women; I was afraid of getting attached." countered Jon "I knew I was going to be in the Night's Watch and the last thing I wanted was to father a bastard. I didn't want him or her to have the name Snow, to grow up like I did. Now I am no longer in the Watch and once Daenerys and I wed any child which we are blessed to have will not be a bastard."

"I never knew you disliked Snow that much?" inquired Robb "Father and others always treated you well."

"You forget about your mother and Sansa, Sansa learned her lessons and she was only doing what Lady Stark taught her." countered Jon "She is my sister, just like Arya and the rest of you Starks are but take no offense Robb I can never forgive Lady Stark for what she did. Others in the household, the servants took after Lady Stark as well, Snow was a badge of shame for me."

"I can understand, you're a Stark now as well and there is no rule about every pack member liking each other." stated Robb as Jon smiled and nodded his head. "Arya and Sansa prove that."

"True, but the two of them are rather close now." Stated Jon as Robb raised an eyebrow not believing it. "I swear to the old gods and the new but that was after a lot of struggles in both their lives. As much as Arya has changed so has Sansa."

"I will believe it when I see it and soon, I hope that another Stark will be joining our family, hopefully my son will take after me and his Uncle Jon. We plan to name him Eddard after father." Added Robb

Jon raised his mug to that, personally whenever he and Daenerys had kids he didn't care if it was a girl or a boy as long as they and Daenerys where health at the end. They had talked about it, and both wanted to have three or four kids and odds where at least one would be a boy. Jon's biggest issue was that didn't want all girls or all boys, he wanted a mixture and so did Daenerys, but she didn't feel as strong about that as he did. If he was forced to choose, he did want a daughter first because in his view she would be more likely to take after her mother then him and would make possibly the greatest ruler of Westeros in history, just ahead of her mother Queen Daenerys that is. Daenerys had laughed at that, joking that she wanted to be the best ruler in the history of Westeros but coming in second to their daughter or son would have no complaints.

He didn't tell Robb that even if he had a girl first, she would more than likely rule the North for Daenerys planned to make Dornish law the law of the entire land. That would be an issue they would have to deal with, outside of places like Bear Island and Sakoos where women were trained to fight to deal with raids done by the Free Folk the North was possible more male dominated than anywhere else. In true the Free Folk where far more accepting to women then the north, spear wives where common and while not as common every tribe had at one point in their history a women lead them.

"A big battle is in our future." stated Robb as Jon nodded his head. "With Dragons we are sure to win against Joffrey."

"I am not thinking about Joffrey." countered Jon as Robb looked at him. "Joffrey is just an annoyance that we need to get out of our way, a dangerous announce yes but an announce none the less. The real enemy is the White Walkers and the Wight."

"I saw the one you brought down; it is horrifying yes but it shouldn't be hard to beat." Countered Robb

"One on One…Aye they are not that hard." agreed Jon his voice becoming haunted as his eyes became distance as he remembered rowing away from Hardhome. "When you see thousands and thousands of them, an army that fills the horizon all standing there without making a word…their blue eyes locked on you. And that is just the wights, not the White Walkers and not the Night King."

Robb seamed taken aback, he had seen how Jon be fearless in the yard which is easy and he had heard stories from some of the others about how Jon had charged across a field on horseback in an attempt to save Rickon. He had fought against him only a few hours ago and knew just how good he was, yet now Jon spoke with hardness and fear.

"Our enemy isn't Joffrey, Tywin Lannister, Cersei Lannister or anyone else who has warm blood in their veins." Finished Jon "It's the undead and their masters. The war in the south is only important in the sense because we need to bring everyone together to fight for the living against the dead."

He stayed out later then he planned to catch up with Robb before finally he threw water on the fire and headed back inside the tent passing by two knights who where severing as guards with only one and now two King's Guard here they had to split the duties up as best they could. Deanarys was fast asleep with Ghost sleeping on his side of the bed. After getting the giant direwolf to leave the bed, a struggle in itself he crawled in and wrapped his arms around Daenerys.

'Enjoy your talk with Robb." Said a half asleep Daenerys

"Yes." Confirmed Jon as Daenerys smiled before snuggling closer to him.

"Good, now get some sleep we have a busy day tomorrow." Ordered Daenerys

"Yes, my love." Said Jon lovely as both let sleep take them.

While people where just going to sleep outside of Riverrun in Westeros, the sun was high in the sky over Meerreen in slaver's bay. For former King's guard now Queen's Guard to Daenerys Targaryen, Sir Barristan Selmey walked toward a large tent which had been set up on the docks. Maybe tent was the wrong word, it had no sides, but multiple poles had been set up with colorful silk canvas set up to provide shade from the hot sun beating down from above.

Armed guard stood by the large man dressed in rich silverly robes with a thick brown beard with two braids coming out of it.

"Ah…Sir Barristan." Stated the large fat man "It is good to see you again."

"Lord Mopatis." Stated Selmy as the man who had helped find Daenerys when he left Westeros after tossing his sword at foot at the Iron Throne laughed.

"I am no lord, just a simple cheese merchant." Stated Illyrio before giving a knowing grin, telling everyone he wasn't fully telling the truth. "Maybe I am more than a simple cheese merchant, considering the friends I keep."

"You, are you a slaver!" yelled an Unsullied commander as he and a dozen men came forward, Illyrio's armed guards gripped their swords only to have Illyrio laugh causing them to relax a bit and threw off the Unsullied by his laugh.

"I guess you could call me that, as well." admitted Illyrio "But I am looked down upon by most "slavers" not only because of I married a slave for my second wife but how I treat them."

"What does that mean." Said the Unsullied with venom in his voice.

"I do buy slaves, but I pay them. Paying them tends to get the best work out of them. Also I find it is easier to pay them then to have to worry about them slitting my throat." admitted Illyrio as the former slave soldiers shared a confused look. "It is a small amount true but I do pay for their food, clothing, and the like. With their own coin, they can use it how they see fit. If they don't mind the life, I provide for them and they would rather spend that coin on more drinks and time in the pleasure house good for them. If they want to save that coin and buy their freedom from me they are welcomed to and once they pay they are free to walk away or keep working at an even greater agreed upon price. I am not popular among the other slave masters of Pentos for my actions there."

That statement caused confusion among the Unsullied and even Barristan, like all Westerously he looked down on those who practice the enslavement of their fellow man for all where children of the Seven. The problem was that arrangement he described sounded a lot like some of the working relationships lords had with skilled laborers where they would provide material and startup funds for smiths, tailors, and the like in return they had to stay and work for a certain amount of time and leaving before your contract was over was a crime unless you paid it out. His own late father had done almost the same thing with a skilled blacksmith and it was perfectly acceptable by everyone in westeros. The only thing Ilyrio was doing was buying slaves at the market and forcing this deal upon them but considering the other more likely outcome to those poor souls who found themselves on the auction block it was likely the best outcome.

"Why are you here?" stated Selmy wanting to avoid dealing with whatever was brewing there and moving onto something else.

"Why I am here to bring you, your army and your dragon to Westeros in the service of Queen Daenerys." explained Illyrio as Selmy looked at the single large ship docked in the harbor. "The rest of the fleet is a day or two out, but there is more than enough for all the Unsuilided and given what I have heard about Queen Daenerys, I have room for a large amount of common folk of the city if they wish to leave."

"Why would they want to leave this is their home?" inquired an Unsullied

"Please, don't be so foolish, the other slave cities will swoop down like birds of prey once the Unsullied leave and enslave everyone." stated Illyrio "I am surprised armies haven't already arrived at your gates but an uprising of this size has never happened in Slaver's bay for thousands of years so they are all kind of stunned but that will not last forever."

Selmy knew he was speaking the truth, they had already gotten whispers that the other cities, Astapor and Yunkai were raising armies and supposedly a massive foot army was heading their way from Old Ghis. With half of the Unsullied disappeared, a sell sword company and one young dragon there was no way for them to hold the city from the forces which were gathering.

"You plan to take us to Westeros?" inquired Selmy "And Queen Daenerys is there?"

"She is there and when I left home, the North was under her control and a large part of the Vale had bent the knee to her." explained Illyrio as Selmy's eyes widened at that news. Illyrio pulled out multiple scrolls and handed them to Selmy. All the scrolls were sealed with the three headed dragon of house Targaryen and a number. "The story you needed to know couldn't fit on a single scroll, so Queen Daenerys had them numbered so that you knew which ordered to read them. Also I have scrolls for Yellow Cat and Red Fly, they are messages from Greyworm."

"Alright, we need to talk this over." Stated Selmy as he turned to the Unsulided. "Get the council together and until then Illyrio is under my protection."

"Very well." Stated the Unsullied, he clearly didn't like Illyrio and considered him a slaver who needed to be hung from the walls like so many of those who had owned slaves in the city when they took it by storm after Queen Daenerys disappearance. As if it was a sign the dragon Viserion came swooping down out of a cloud and with a thump landed on the stone road behind them all.

Viserion, his long neck moving back and forth began to move forward toward the tent, visibly shaking Illyrio watched as the Dragon moved past him and toward his ship. The sailors on board got out of the way as the Dragon, whom while compared to his brothers who were now in Westeros was small but was still a massive creature leaped onto the ship. The decks where hardly able to contain him and the cog was designed to carry a large amount of cargo and therefor was very large. He turned back toward the group visibly stunned before spreading his wings and letting out a roar before laying down on the deck of the ship curling up like some kind of massive cat but it's eyes where looking out.

"I…I think that was a sign in your favor." explained Selmy looking at the resting dragon on the cog.

It took the better part of an hour to gather the council which aside from Selmy where mostly Unsullied commanders and the commander of the free company the Second's Sons, Daario Naharis. The sell sword which had clearly taken a liking to Queen Daenerys before her disappearance stood leaning against the wall with a cup of wine in his hands. Once the council was gathered Illyrio began his story and it was a story which would have made a playwright throw his scroll out because of how crazy it was.

"So this Jon Snow, the Bastard Son of Eddard Stark is really the trueborn son of Prince Rhaegar and Lady Lyanna Stark of Winterfell?" inquired Selmy, not wanting to believe it but he also felt that kidnapping was something very odd for a man like Rheagar to do.

"That is what I have been told and I have seen documents from the previous High Septor who married the Prince and the Lady Stark." stated Illyrio "However that man apparently doesn't want the throne, he is going to give it to Daenerys. She is taking him as her husband which from what I have heard about how Daenerys is the most beautiful women in the world may be worth more to him then some metal throne. Word is the two of them truly love each other, rare among those forced together for political reasons."

Daario seamed to shift a bit; he clearly didn't like the idea of Daenerys being with someone other him him. Selmy didn't know if Queen Daenerys had given Daario her favor be he clearly wanted it and she was interested at least. Now however if she was married to this Jon snow…Jon Stark he would have her favor.

"And an army of the dead is coming out of the North under these White Walkers?" inquired Daario "Sounds like the fever dream of a mummer."

"Some would say, a woman walking into the fire and coming out with three baby dragons a fever dream of a mummer." Countered Illyrio "However I have seen two dragons bigger than the one sleeping on my personal cog flying over King's Landing."

"I don't believe him." stated an unsullied commander

"We will never know if we stay here, and this is Queen Deanery's handwriting. Either way, this is a direct order from Queen Daenerys we need to follow it." stated Selmy

"And leave the city in the hand of slavers?" stated a different unsullied commander "NEVER."

"We can't hold the city; our best bet is to leave." countered Selmy "And our queen has ordered us to head toward Westeros."

"I think we can, and we shouldn't believe the words of a slaver and once on these ships we will be put back into bounds." stated another Unsullied commander. Selmy took a breath before pouring himself a large cup of wine, this was going to be much harder than he wanted.

The early morning found King Joffrey Baratheon up and about much earlier than normal, he had already put on his armor and his sword and was preparing to mount the warhorse which he would be riding today. He had always been tall for his age but on the massive warhorse he looked even taller, older and in his own mind at least more powerful. To any commoners or less experienced men-at-arm or commoner pressed into his army he did look more powerful. To anyone who had ever seen combat or had been on the march before they knew he was a fool, a warhorse wasn't meant to carry a rider a long distance. They were breed for strength and bursts of speed, a normal horse would have carried the king better across the long ride and given his horse more of a rest. Still none dared to correct him.

"My King." greeted Sir Loras Tyrell as he rode up to his King and future brother-in-law. "Did you sleep well."

"I would sleep better once we have crushed our enemies." snapped Joffrey as his massive tent was busy being taken down by more than 40 men who would load everything into almost 20 wagons that would be pulled through the woods only to be set up later that day a couple of miles away.

"We are still at least 3 days away from Riverrun so at least four days before we can end this." stated Loras as Joffrey eyed him. "The men will need time to rest and for us to position our forces for the attack."

"I don't care about rest; the men can storm the walls the moment we arrive." countered Joffrey as he pointed to one of the massive siege towers which could be seen from their location. "That is why we brough the siege towers already finished."

"My King…" started Loras as suddenly a horn blast filled the air, causing both to look in that direction as the call of Dragons reached their ears.

"Well, we may have battle sooner." Stated Joffrey with a smile as he headed toward one of the nearby large ballista which had been set up around the army. Already the men were loading a large wooden bolt with a twisted pointy arrowhead on the top. Up in the sky Joffrey could make up two massive shapes flying over the army. He knew what they were and knew that that it meant that the Dragon whore Daenerys was nearby. She held the Twins and reports where she was heading to Riverrun.

"Why isn't anyone firing?" inquired Joffrey as he eyed the distant dragons, they were tiny from where he sat on horseback but they were nearly right over head.

"They are out of range my King." said the Man-at-arms commanding this ballista. "If we fire the bolt will never reach them and by the time we reload they will be one us."

Joffrey grit his teeth as he looked up the massive dragons, they did look small from down here and they disappeared from time to time behind the clouds so maybe this common man was right they were out of range.

"They are cowards too afraid to fight you, your grace." offered Sir Loras as the praise caused Joffrey to sit up even taller in his saddle.

"Very true, as they should be afraid." Confirmed Joffrey but no more than a heartbeat later a crashing sound filled the air followed moments later by screams. Drawing his sword fearing a raid while the dragons where overhead Sir Loras joined by four King's Guard rode with Joffrey toward the screams. What they found was a group of men, all bloody and wounded with a handful dead. There was no sign of any attack aside from a large dent in the ground, some wooden shards and the ground covered with small stones.

"What happened here?" yelled Joffrey to the injured man and for a moment no one answered him. "Answer me or I will have my King's Guard kill all of you!"

"Your grace…" said a man with multiple small cuts on his body which made him look far more wounded than he was. "We were just sitting here when suddenly we were hit by something from the sky."

"That makes no sense." stated Sir Loras "There is no way the enemy could get a catapult in range without us knowing."

Then suddenly there was more screaming nearby, they rode that direction to find a matching scene only in this case it was a wagon smashed and multiple bags full of food spread out across the ground. The two mules pulling the damn thing were dead and another two were screaming in pain and had to be killed as well.

"What is happening?" inquired Joffrey as suddenly a massive smash filled the air, he turned in the saddle to see a siege toward swaying like a drunk man before it fell over with a crash. Luckily the men had gotten out of the way but one of the siege towers needed to take Riverrun was now only good for firewood.

"We are under attack but from where?" Inquired Joffrey

High above their heads the dragons flew and Daenerys smiled. She had to give it up to Samwell Tarly his plan was working perfectly. As she looked over Drogon's side at the massive army below, she couldn't help but think of ants on the ground. Still, those where men and horse, an entire army heading toward Riverrun, still from above they looked like ants from so far up. She looked over the edge, the chains keeping her safety in the saddle as she flew Drogon slowly overhead. Then with one quick movement she reached behind her and hit a release. When she did she felt Drogon rise a bit as the last of four small barrels about the size of used to hold ale which had been attached to the underside of the saddle dropped away. The barrels however where not filled with ale but instead rocks and gravel.

Samwell's idea was simple and taken from one of the defenses they had for the Wall, which was dropping barrels full of small stones from on top of the Wall. The barrels would fall and smash into the ground, when they hit they would send the stones flying in all directions killing or wounding anyone they hit. Marrying that idea with dropping them from Dragon back had been a brilliant idea, the barrels would fall and destroy anything in their path. They would miss more than anything because unlike from on top of the wall it was harder to aim so it was a kin to firing an arrow at a darken mass, you couldn't pick a target all that well. She knew it was pure luck but still her last barrel had smashed into one of the Siege Towers and she could see that it had fallen. Beside her Jon had dropped his last one and they watched as far below a couple of carts where destroyed. With that done both turned and headed back to Riverrun.

The dragons landed back at Riverrun and after a short rest, they took to the sky again and back over Joffrey's army. They hadn't moved all that much; the army was massive, and they dropped the barrels and headed back to Riverrun to repeat the same thing.

A cool wind was blowing out of the north, but it wasn't cold enough to make her breath visible as Sansa, road on horseback around Winterfell. She looked toward the North, and it was hard not to remember when she did the same thing in the days before the that horrible night when the dead came down from the North. They had lost the battle because they hadn't started preparing soon enough and in the middle of winter, they couldn't do things they could do now.

The sound of crashing trees caused her to look toward a nearby woods, the same woods which the dead had come marching down from. That forest was now being cut back, men with axes were cutting down the old trees, most would become either firewood, lumber or spikes.

Moving in with the men where groups of beings Sansa would never have believed in until she saw one when the Free Folk fought for her and Jon in the field, she now rode in.

A group of giants with mammoths had come down from their new home in the gift to aid in their preparation.

The giants could do things which where impossible for even a team of men, and with large axes which they had been provided they were cutting back the forests. The trees were lied on carts to be pulled by the mammoths.

She nodded approval as she rode back toward Winterfell, as she did she road past a series of men who were busy putting up a simple wooden wall. This was something they had wanted to do but the ground had been frozen solid making it extremely hard to do so. The wall was designed to slow down the undead to make the bunch together.

"My Lady stay back." ordered Podrick who was her protector as the sound of a flying object caused her to look up as a large bolder landed a safe distance away to her right. That was another thing they were doing before they only had enough time to make a dozen catapults. Now there was already twenty of them being set up next to the walls of Winterfell with the first of nine planned trebuchet rising from within the walls of Winterfell. Multiple smaller ballista where already being built and the positions for four larger ballista chosen to take down any undead dragon. With luck the wooden wall would hold long enough for the siege weapons to do some damage.

"It should be safe to carry on." said Sansa as she moved forward into a large open area which was currently being used as farmland. When the time came, they planned to send men and women out here to dig small holes in the ground, the holes should break any undead leg and while it wouldn't stop them it would slow them down hopefully spreading out any rush attack so that the undead didn't overwhelm them like a unstoppable tide. That was in the future for the moment it was being used to grow food for the coming winter.

Sansa stopped next at a large group of men and a couple of giants digging a massive ditch, another wall was going up with the dirt from the ditch being put behind the wooden wall to make a kind of natural hill on one side. That had actually been Tyrion's idea but the frozen ground prevented them from doing so. From here archers and smaller ballista could fire on the larger wall and the field where the tripping holes will be dug. Spear man, possible Unsullied would man this post, with their long spears they could strike down at the undead from a mostly safe position.

That safety wouldn't last however, and part of the plan was for the men on this wall to fall back to beside the walls of Winterfell itself. Archers on the wall and more ballista would cover them. They would run over another ditch which hadn't been dug yet filled with oil. It had held back the undead for a little while before hopefully a bigger one would have better luck this time. Then at the walls of Winterfell behind all these defenses would be the foot soldiers and with luck all their defenses would break the undead army long enough to kill the White Walkers until only the Night King remained.

He was a problem, a problem none of their defenses could handle. Fire couldn't hurt him not even dragon fire, valerian steel didn't either so likely dragon glass would do nothing against him either. According to Bran he was unkillable, but he could be captured and contained.

"How do we do that?" inquired Sansa as Podrick looked at her.

"My Lady?" he inquired confused.

"Talking to myself." stated Sansa slightly embarrassed as she sat on horseback looking at the defenses. This was only one of many going up. She had ordered Lord Manderly to look to the defensives of White Harbor. That was the largest city in the North and the fifth largest city in all of Westeros, if the Night King took it and turned the population that could end all of Westeros. To get to White Harbor the undead had to get past Winterfell. "Maybe I should ask Lord Thenn if he can talk the Chieftain of the Gaint's into sending another party or two to work down in White Harbor."

"You could try." added a new voice as Sansa looked down to see a women walking past, she wore thick furs and leathers and had a bow on her back and a dozen dead rabbits hanging from a piece of rope. "The Magnar…sorry Lord Thenn, he bent the knee to you has good relationship with the giants but they have fought more than a couple of wars you southern would call it."

Sansa wrinkled her nose a bit at being called a southern, but Ygritte was from North of the Wall so she was right in some ways.

"Well, we had to promise the chieftain castle forged chainmail for himself and his commanders." stated Sansa "Maybe something similar can be worked out."

"Worth a shot, besides seeing a Giant in chainmail would be scary against the undead." Confirmed Ygritte "Unless they become one that is."

"Truth." confirmed Sansa as she eyed Ygritte she wasn't a bad looking women, she could see why Jon or any other man would take a fondness for her. She had a rough beauty to her but there was an attitude there that would turn most men off but it was actually somewhat similar to Deanery's so maybe that is what Jon found more interesting in her. "More food for the kitchen?"

"Ya, might as well use them for food…don't want the Walkers to get them and turn them." Stated Ygritte as she padded the line of dead rabbits. As Sansa blinked.

"They turn animals?" inquired Sansa in confusion.

"Of course…" confirmed Ygritte looking at Sansa confused herself. "Didn't you say the Night King raised a Dragon and White Walkers on horse back?"

"Yes…" confirmed Sansa "But a Dragon and horses are very different then some rabbits. I didn't think they would mess with rabbits?"

"As far as I know they don't. But they kill everything with warm blood in its veins, down to the birds in the trees, I don't think they raise them all" confirmed Ygritte "Tormund or Mance would know more, they have been to some villages after a walker attack but they don't raise everything they kill."

"But they do raise some things other than dragons and humans?" inquired Sansa

"Of course." confirmed Ygritte "I have seen a couple of bears, some elk and word among the giants is that the walkers have undead mammoths and we just saw them on top of giant ice spiders up at the Wall."

"Great…I hadn't considered that." admitted Sansa as she considered what undead mammoths would be like and if Ice spiders could climb like real spiders walls may be useless as well. She didn't like either of those ideas. "Seven save us all."

"I think the old gods have done more for us then your seven." countered Ygritte

"You may be right there as well." confirmed Sansa, she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Bran and the magic of the old gods. "Let's pray to the old gods, the new gods and any other gods we can think of that we can win the coming battle."

It was nearing midday and King Joffrey was stewing in anger as he looked at a second destroyed siege tower which was now only good for firewood. They had finally figured out what was happening, they were dropping things on them from Dragon back, the items would fall and destroy everything in it's way. Two sieges towers, eight wagons and one of the massive ballistas designed to bring down the dragons had been destroyed in only a half a day. Over a hundred men had been either killed or injured to the point that they were useless to him, and they hadn't even touched the dragons. Most of the men lost where common men at arm or present forced to join the fight with only a spear, but some knights one in full armor had been killed when a falling stone hit them.

"My King, maybe if we spread out the army." Advised his Hand and future father-in-law.

"If we do that, then a dragon could swoop down and destroy us with fire." Countered Ser Loras to his father "We don't have enough ballistas to cover the field, we need to keep them together to have any chance to bring down a dragon. If we spread out, they will destroy us one by one."

"But if we keep together, they have a better chance of hitting us from above by the rocks they drop on us." countered Lord Tyrell "We are bunched together making it easier for them to hit us. We need to spread out."

"And if we spread, they will swoop down and bath an area in fire." countered Sir Loras contracting his father publicly which was rare. "We will lose more men in dragon fire then we will loss from these pin pricks."

"These attacks are demoralizing the men. They don't know when a rock will fall on them out of nowhere killing them, it is causing undo stress and hopeless." Countered another knight "Men who go into combat without hope will certainly run when the time comes, and we need them strong to take Riverrun."

"Anyone who runs will be cut down." Snapped Joffrey as he turned to one of his King's guards. "Ser Trant."

"Yes, my King." Said Ser Meryn Trant, he had always been the cruelest of Joffrey's King's Guard and the one most willing to do almost anything his King commanded. His only failure of note was failing to capture Arya Stark when her father was arrested but that failure was made up for in many smaller ways.

"Organize a group of loyal knights and common men, give them whatever weapons they require." Stated Joffrey "once battle has begun, they will ride behind the lines and anyone who runs away who isn't wounded they are ordered to kill, in fact even if they are wounded cut them down anyway if they run."

"Your grace." Said Lord Tyrell shocked.

"Your grace, that isn't the way to get men to love you." advised Loras agreeing with the shock of his father.

"But is a way to get men to follow orders." said a new voice as a man in shining armor and a rather bald head walked in, behind him was a younger man about of age with Joffrey him. On top of the shining armor was a green covering with a red hunter bow drawn and ready to fire on it. "Your grace, sorry for my late arrival."

"Where have you been Lord Tarly?" inquired Joffrey with more than a threat in his voice.

"Your grace, we have been dealing with multiple enemies out riders and scouting paths for the army." Stated Lord Tarly, the old warrior steeled Joffrey with a glare which would send most men running and this boy king. "I left before dawn to get the men moving so that we could get a full day march…before this happened."

"Very well and who is that?" inquired Joffrey

"My Son and Heir, Dickon." Stated Lord Tarly as the young man stood slightly stiffer.

"And what do you recommend us do Lord Tarly." Inquired Joffrey, he could care less about Dickon.

"Push the men." Stated Tarly "Whoever came up with this clever idea is a brilliant bastard but the quicker we move the harder it will be for them to hit. Leave our supplies behind, every men take only what they can carry. Once at Riverrun set up a defensive position, let the men rest a day or so and then attack, the wagon train can catch up with us later."

"You recommend we cut away from our supplies?" inquired Tyrell to the man who was technically his lesser and owed him loyalty. In truth Tarly had way more skills when it came to warfare then his liege lord, it was he who crushed Robert Baratheon and almost ended the rebellion, even if all the credit went to Tyrell.

"Yes, the men can carry their own food for a couple of days and the quicker we move the faster we can move across country." stated Tarly "The wagon full of supplies are getting stuck and if we put more oxen and mules on the siege weapons they can come with us. Let the wagons come at a slower pace, they will still arrive before we run out of supplies."

"It is a huge risk, an army this size can't forage for food." admitted Sir Loras

"We don't have to." countered Dickon "They are dropping barrels on us, they are single shot weapons like a catapult but hitting a quickly moving target with a catapult requires lots of skill and even more luck. The men will be safer if we move quickly."

"Do it, order the men to carry as much food as they can and get as man animals on the siege engines and let's get moving." Ordered Joffrey, he didn't care about the men but arriving at Riverrun sooner sounded better to him.

Back at Riverrun, the dragons were having a quick rest and enjoying a meal.

"And this will work?" inquired Jon as he, Daenerys and a few others gathered under a small tent as Sam showed them a bag about large enough to hold a large serving of food.

"Yes, Gilly showed me this…watch." said Sam as he nodded to a man on horseback who took off at a gallop before hitting a release, the bag opened but in such a way that not all the small rocks in it dropped at once and instead they rolled out over a wider area. "We can fill them with small stones and drop them."

"But it will not hurt the siege machines." countered Lord Tully

"But from that high up all the small stones with spread out as they fall covering the area much more than a barrel will." countered Sam "We may not be able to damage the siege machines but right now it is a lucky hit if we hit anything, with this we have a great chance of hitting something."

"Alright do it." ordered Daenerys as they went to work.

"Good idea Sam." reassured Jon when everyone else went their separate ways leaving the two of them alone.

"I just hope it works." Said Sam still clearly not sure about his own idea.

"I know it will. Sam…there is something you need to know." stated Jon in a serious voice. "I was borrowed the mirrish eye from the Black Fish so I was able to see some the standards in Joffrey's army…I saw house Tarly. Which means likely your father or brother is in the army coming our way."

"Oh…" said Sam as he considered. "Well in our time, Dickon broke his leg when they stopped at Bitterbridge on the way to Joffrey's wedding while on a hunt, so he likely isn't there."

"We can't count on everything being the same." advised Jon "Joffrey didn't have to rush his army out because of the Red Wedding, so your brother may not have had time to go on a hunt and therefor…"

"Never broke his leg…he may be in the army coming toward us." Stated Sam as he looked at Daenerys who was tending to Drogon. "Forgive me Jon but I am still not over what she did to my brother after the battle of rose road. Killing my father, I can understand but my brother…"

"She did what she felt was right." stated Jon, but the words tasted wrong in his mouth. He loved Daenerys with all his heart but he disagreed with her choice on that field that day. She likely did as well, he hoped at least. "I disagree with it and I think now she wouldn't do it again. However, anything can happen in battle, he may get caught in a blast from dragon fire or…one of your rocks may fall on him."

Sam paused; he hadn't considered that his idea may end up taking his own brother's life. During that pause Jon placed his hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Odds are small that he will get it, but it is possible, you need to prepare yourself if that happens." Stated Jon as Sam nodded his head. "Look on the brighter side, maybe one of your rocks will land of Joffrey's head and end this war right here and now."

"Gods be good, please let that happen." Stated Sam as he looked toward the dragons in the back of his mind wondering how many men would end up in the ground because of his idea.

Across the narrow sea, much to her shame Melisandre had overslept and had missed the morning prayer and even the midday prayer. She looked down at her cup at tea in shame, she had never failed to honor the lord of light since the day she was first brought to this very temple as a slave priestess in training.

She sat in a small chamber within the temple looking down at her cup of tea when a knock at the door caused her to look up.

"Enter." ordered Melisandre as the doors opened and a women entered, her red silks matching her own however for one trained in the ranks of the faith one could tell this women was slightly higher in rank.

"Lady Kinvara." Stated Melisandre without rising, for most that was a punishable offensive but their ranks where close enough and this was her chambers, so she could get away with it. "Please have a seat if you wish, I have some tea on."

"No thank you, I have come to inform you that his holiness Benerro has summoned the heads of the temples to the lord of light from all of the free cities." announced Kinvara as Melisandre looked at her waiting. "I believe he is going to call for the faithful to take up arms and prepare for the long night, but he isn't ready to declare it alone. He needs the other temple leaders to agree."

"We may not have the time." countered Melisandre "Our enemy may be already on the march every moment we delay means they get ahead of us and we will not have a third chance to defeat the Night King and win the Long Night."

"I agree." confirmed Kinvara "However Benerro has brought up a good point. To call the faithful to battle would be basically a slave uprising, their masters wouldn't like the idea of the slaves they own who follow the faith leaving to fight for us. This would lead to war in every free city and beyond. He will not make that move without at least a majority of the other temple leaders agreeing with him."

"I see, when will they arrive?" inquired Melisandre.

For most cases, a message would have to go by hand. Essos didn't use ravens as commonly as Westeros did, the distances where just too vast for that. It would take at least weeks, if not months for letters to reach each of the free cities and even longer for the temple leaders to come together in Voltanis. There was however a special way, through magic known only to the temples they could summon the different temple leaders to Voltantis.

"Their fires are turning black as we speak." Answered Kinvara, meaning that a small fire located in each of the private study of each of the temple leaders had changed from its normal warm golden red light to a pitch-black light. The fires where all magically linked to a main fire which burned at the heart of this temple, a black fire was used to call the temple leaders together at once. Sadly, the fire couldn't tell the different leaders why they where needed but it would cut the time for them to gather in half since a letter wouldn't have to go to the actual temple.

Night was falling over King's Landing as the city began to head to sleep, but not everyone would be sleeping this night. The Gold Cloaks where out in force but most had their eyes trained on either the sky or any possible threat from outside. All the guard posts along the wall where maned and some scouts had been placed outside the city to give a warning is an army or dragons were stopped coming down on the city.

Aside from the guards, the docks where still strangely busy for this time at night as ships were loaded up with items as some merchants got product out of the city all the while multiple shipment of grain and other food items were being brought in. The harbor was full of warships belonging to house Redwyne but orders from the Iron Throne had limited the number of those crews which were allowed to come ashore at any one time.

The city whore houses where full of Stormlanders who had only a few months ago had been loyal to Stannis and had attempted to take this city. They were now loyal to Joffrey and their job was to defend this city incase of an attack. Most of the men had no love for Joffrey but they had been crushed by Tywin Lannister and a large force from the Reach and had bent the knee to him because of that. They were busy drinking and whoring and most knew that if it came down to it most of these men would likely turn their cloaks instead of fighting for Joffrey.

One man who knew that all too well was Lord Petre Balish as he sat in his hidden study in one of his many houses of pleasure he owned. He had slipped away from his new wife Lady Lysa Arryn and her son Lord Robbin Arryn to finally get some work done in his private office. If there was a heart of his spy network it was this room, from here all the multiple routes he had to gather information from across Westeros and beyond all came here. He hadn't been able to come here in days and all the while news had kept flowing in.

There where multiple reports out of Gulltown about the arrival of Queen Daenerys and her meeting with Princess Martell of Dorne. Reports about an undead creature shown in the square in the heart of the city and how that same Princess had headed off on Dragon back the following morning with Queen Daenerys. Reports of Stannis bending the knee to Lord Jon Stark who was standing for Queen Daenerys and the arrival of miners from the Vale on Dragonstone to mine out of all things Dragonglass.

Reports of new defenses going up in White Harbor and word from the Wall of massive amounts of Wildlings being let through the Wall. A report of more undead along with their masters the White Walkers riding giant spiders where also in the small mountain of letters.

Letters from his contacts in western lands told that the Ironborn was now attacking them and had seemed to giving up on attacking the North. That would be a massive problem in the future.

Word from the free cities told of large fleets on the move and the rebellion in Slaver's Bay seemed to be heading to become a major war.

Most of these would have been massive headaches on their own but then he reached the last message. The one that had just arrived today. His eyes widened as he read the message.

"Robb Stark and the Riverlords has bent the knee to Queen Daenerys, she has the loyalty of the Riverlands now." read Little Finger as he looked at the Map of Westeros on the Wall. He was no warrior, he had never seen battle but even he could see that Queen Daenerys was now in a powerful position. She had three of the Seven Kingdoms loyal to her in the North, Vale and Riverlands. Stannis had bent the knee as well meaning that the houses of the Narrow Sea was her's as well.

On paper, King Joffrey had the Westerlands, Reach, Crownlands, Stormlands and Dorne but in truth he only had the Westerlands and the Reach where loyal to Joffrey and even the Reach was questionable. The Stormlanders had no love for Joffrey and wouldn't fight and Dorne had yet to draw a blade in this war and was in talks with Queen Daenerys. Both those Kingdoms could turn with ease. That would leave Joffrey with only the Westerlands, Reach and Crownlands against all the other kingdoms. The Westerlands where under attack from the Greyjoys which where a wild card but judging by their abandonment of their attack on the North they would side with Daenerys for a price.

"We need to change something soon or we will lose." Said Baelish as he leaned back in his chair and considered how to play this and use this to his advantage. He had to share at least some of this information and he had to do it tonight.

He gathered a few things and prepared to head out, he would have to have the Queen awaken most likely and the small council meeting would likely go on most of the night. Preparing himself he headed out and headed toward the Red Keep.

Torchlight flickered off the stone walls as a cloaked figure moved down the darkened tunnel, behind him the sound of crashing water was fading into the distance as he moved from rough almost natural looking stone lined walls to clearly walls made by man. He moved as quickly but as quietly as possible, he had left chainmail and heavy armor behind traveling with only boiled leather and padded cloth to make him harder to hear. His sword belt hung heavy at his side along with three daggers as he reached a thick metal door. He stopped for a moment and pulled a small key from a pouch and placed it into the lock. With a quick turn the door unlocked and before him was a small room with a winding staircase which led up toward the castle above. On the ground standing out boldly in the torchlight was the three headed dragon of House Targaryen inlayed in colored titles. It was dusty but the colors so bold that even in the dust it stood out.

Bronn chuckled to himself, after over two decades without a Targaryen sitting on the Iron Throne when during that time almost every symbol of their power was destroyed by Robert Baratheon in his rage against the dragon deep down this castle was still belonged to the Dragon.

He put that to the aside and began to climb he had work to do this night and before him was great danger and greater reward.

I know it has been a while, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks and keep reading. Wilkins75.