The Watchers on the Wall

What was she like?

She...she had red hair.

Oh? How big were her feet?

Well what do you want me to say?

I want you to tell me what it was like to have someone. To be with someone. To love someone and have them love you back. We're all gonna die a lot sooner than I'd planned. You're the closest I'll ever get to know it.

So you and Gilly never-

No...she just had a baby! ...and she never offered.

But if she had, you would've? You'd have broken your vows?

The interesting thing is, our vows never specifically forbid intimate relations with women.

What?

"I shall take no wife" yes, that's in there, there's no denying that. "I shall father no children" it's very specific. But what our vows have to say about other...activities...is open to interpretation.

I don't think Ser Alliser cares much for interpretation.

Anyway, there's nothing for him to interpret. We didn't. So what's it like?

It's...there's this person, this whole other person. And you're wrapped up in them and they're wrapped up in you and...you...for a little...for a little while you're more than just you, you're...well I don't know, I'm not a bleedin' poet!

No, you're really not.

And what did I get for it? An arrow six inches from my heart.

There'll be arrows for all of us soon I imagine.

There will.

They've already done the worst thing to me they could ever do.

Go get some sleep, Sam. I'll take this watch.

Did I ever tell you about her? My Sheila?

Yes.

Oh that was a night to remember. Of course, I'd had a good bit to drink *laughs* the fangs were sharp, but she knew how to use them. And she was nice and soft down below. No, she was no ordinary beast. Many's the man who--

I know you never fucked a bear. You know you never fucked a bear. Right now I don't wanna think about the bear you never fucked. Right now all I want to think about is each one of these arrows finding its way into a Crow's heart.

We could be waiting here a while.

Good. The longer we wait, the more arrows I'll have. When they came up here, to our land, and put up a big wall and said it was their's. Then they started hunting us down. But this time, we're the one's doing the hunting.

You've got a lot to say about killing. Even more words than arrows.

Back in those villages I killed just as many of them as you did. More, I reckon.

Yes. But none of those were your Crow lover.

I probably killed him already.

So you've said.

And if not. The only thing left of him is gonna be his fun-bits hanging around me neck.

And more words. Know what I think you do when you see him? Serve him up a nice juicy slice of ginger minge.

What, you been thinkin' about that ginger minge? Wondering what it tastes like?

Maybe I have.

Jon Snow is mine. *shouting* Anyone else tries to kill him, I'll have an arrow for them. *to Styr* And not one of your bald friends is fast enough to stop me.

And what is it that couldn't wait until morning, Tarly?

Maester Aemon. How did you know-

That it was you? Who else but Samwell Tarly would be wasting candles to read in the middle of the night?

Let me help you.

Oh, no need. I know my way around this library better than any other place in Castle Black. Thousands of books and no eyes to read them. Old age is a wonderful source of ironies if nothing else. But you didn't answer my question, what are you reading?

Maester Faull

Ah, the Wildlings. I can assure you that the closest Maester Faull ever got to a Wildling was this very library.

But what he says about what they do...it's all true. It's exactly what the survivors of their raids report.

Yes. Imagine the stories Wildlings tell about us! Love is the death of duty. I told that to your friend Jon Snow once. He didn't listen and neither did you. That's why you abandoned your watch atop the wall to come here and read about the things that may have happened to the girl you love.

I don't love her.

Yes you do.

No.

Yes you do! I heard it in your voice when you first brought her to me. I remember how it sounds! I was in love once.

You were?

You can imagine all manner of horrors befalling that poor girl and her child, is it so difficult to imagine that an old person was once, more or less, like you?

I'm sorry Maester, I didn't mean it like that.

You know who I was before I came here? What I could've been if I'd only said the word? Of course you do. I met many girls when I was Aemon Targaryen. A future king always does. Some of them were quite forward in their attempts to win my affections. One of them succeeded. I was very young.

Who was she?

Ah ha. I could tell you everything about her. Who she was. How we met. The color of her eyes and the shape of her nose. I can see her right in front of me. She's more real than you are. We could spend all night trading tales of lost love. Nothing makes the past a sweeter place to visit than the prospect of imminent death. Go to bed Tarly.

I'm sorry, I can't open the gate for nobody. It's orders!

They killed everyone! Everyone but me and my baby. And they're out there. I saw them on the way here, they may have seen me, they may have followed me please!

I'm sorry, I can't.

If they find the boy, you don't know what they'll do.

Pyp! Open the gate.

I can't.

Sam, is that you?!

Yes!

Thorne gave me strict orders to not open the gate.

Oh, Pyp. Open the fucking gate!

I've never heard you curse before.

Yes, well, best get used to it.

Are you alright? Shh, you're alright. Yeah, of course you are my brave little fella.

It was horrible.

I'm so so sorry. I didn't know until I got back.

Don't let them send me away, Sam.

Never.

I know there's no women allowed.

Anyone who tries to throw you out will be having words with me. From now on, wherever you go, I go too.

Get ready!

It's time.

Pick up the pace!

There we go, boys. That's one. There's two. Come on, let's get the next lot. That's the last of the oil, Ser Alliser.

A hundred thousand you say?

Yes sir.

You can say it if you like. We should've sealed the tunnel while we had the chance like you suggested.

It was a difficult decision either way, Ser.

Do you know what leadership means, Lord Snow? It means that the person in charge gets second-guessed by every clever little twat with a mouth. But if he starts second-guessing himself, that's the end. For him. For the clever little twats. For everyone. This is not the end. Not for us. Not if you lot do your duty for however long it takes to beat them back. And then you get to go on hating me and I get to go on wishing your Wildling whore had finished the job.

You'll be safe down here. I'll check on you as soon as I can.

You're leaving me again?

I'm not leaving you!

You're going up there and we're staying down here. That's leaving. You said from now on we'd stay together.

I...I didn't mean in the same room.

What are you going to do out there?

Help my brothers.

How?! You going to fight the Free Folk when they come? They'll kill you. In Molestown they killed everyone.

I can't just hide here with you while they're fighting out there.

Why not? You won't matter up there, you will down here.

Look. I am a man of the Night's Watch, Gilly. I made a promise to defend The Wall and I have to keep it, because that's what men do.

Promise me you won't die.

I promise you I won't die.

There's a lot more Wildlings on the other side of the wall than this side. We've got us some weapons and things. This is the perfect place for us to be.

I've never thrown a spear before. I've never held a sword with a proper edge. There's no place for me to be. You're not afraid?

Of course I'm afraid, there's a band of Wildlings coming to kill us.

Well if you're afraid of a band of Wildlings, how in seven hells did you manage to kill a White Walker?

I didn't know I was going to kill it, but I had to do something I didn't have any choice, he was going to kill Gilly and take the baby. If someone had asked me my name right then, I wouldn't have known. I wasn't Samwell Tarly anymore. I wasn't a Steward in the Night's Watch or son of Randyll Tarly or any of that. I was nothing at all. And when you're nothing at all, there's no more reason to be afraid.

But you're afraid now?

Yes, well, I'm not nothing anymore.

Most of their men are up top. Didn't count more than twenty down there. Leftovers. They've got a little fat one and a little bony one manning the front.

How high are the walls?

Well, we'll be up and over before they know what's happened.

Let's kill some Crows!

*yells* Come on! *puts out the fire*

Archers knock, everyone else hold.

I said knock and hold you cunts! Does knock mean draw?!

No Ser!

Does fucking hold mean fucking drop?!

No Ser!

You all plan to die here tonight?

No Ser!

That's very good to hear. Draw!

Help, down below.

They're attacking the southern gates!

Now?

Now!

I'm going down then. Brother Slynt, you have The Wall.

What?!

What are you fucking waiting for, loose!

You heard the man. Loose!

You, over there.

Did you get one?

No. Ah shit, Pyp. Shit. Sam.

Yeah?

I think we're gonna die.

If you keep missing we will.

Brothers! A hundred generations have defended this castle. We've never fallen before. She will not fall tongiht. Those are Things at our walls. They eat the flesh of the men they kill. Do you want to fill the belly of a Thing tonight?

No!

Tonight we fight. And when the sun rises I promise you, Castle Black will stand.

The Night's Watch will stand.

With me now! Now, with me!

No discipline. No training. Gang of thieves, that's all this is. I commanded the city watch of King's Landing. Those men obeyed orders.

We can't just let them attack the gate!

The bars of those gates are four inches of cold, rolled steel.

Those are giants riding mammoths down there. Do you think your cold, rolled steel's gonna stop them?

No such thing as giants. They're stories for the children.

Brother Slynt! I've just got word that Ser Alliser needs you below. You're the most experienced man he's got, he said he needs ya.

Needed below? Yes. Yes.

Archers! Knock your arrows! Draw! Loose!

They won't summit before dawn.

How do you know that?

Because I've made that claim.

I think they're in a bigger hurry than you were.

Knock! Draw! Loose!

I got one. Right through the heart, he's dead.

Oh, is it over?

Huh?

Well then. *hands Pyp a loaded crossbow*

You're alright. You're alright. I'll get help. Shh, shh. Maester Aemon is coming, he's gonna make it alright.

Now!

Now!

*to Grenn* The outer gate won't hold. Take five men, hold the inner gate.

Alright.

*grabs Grenn's arm* Hold the gate. If they make it through...

They won't. Come on Hill! And you Cooper! You three, on me! Come on you lazy bastards!

Oil!

Oil on the ramp!

Protect the gate!

Hold the fucking gate! Hold it!

*to Grenn* We need more men down here.

We have to hold the gate.

But we need men here.

Tell Jon! He's in command. *to the men behind him* Let's go!

*to Olly* Get me to the top! You hear me?!

Your name's Olly, right? Listen to me Olly, get me to the top and when we give a signal, bring us back down. Do you hear me?

And find a weapon, Olly. Fight them!

What are you doing up here?

The Wildlings are over the walls. Ser Alliser has fallen. The castle walls can't stand much longer.

Ed. You have The Wall. If they try the mammoths again, drop fire on them. If the climbers get too high, drop the scythe on them.

Two brothers now fight with me.

Might as well enjoy our last night, right boys? Light the fuckers up. Knock! Draw! Loose!

How are we gonna stop that?

We shot twenty-eight arrows in him already.

You heard Jon, we hold the gate.

Jon Snow's not Lord Commander.

We hold the gate!

Mother save me. Father save me.

The gods aren't down here. It's the six of us, you hear me?

No, please.

Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns

And win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come!

*to Sam* I don't want you out there.

You can't protect me forever. There won't be anywhere to hide if the castle falls.

I need him more than I need you.

We need you boy.

Jon Snow.

No, shh, don't talk.

Do you remember that cave?

We should've stayed in that cave.

We'll go back there.

You know nothing, Jon Snow.

Drop the scythe, boys!

Hoister up!

They've had enough for one night.

Don't cheer too loud. They still outnumber us a thousand to one.

Tormund. It's over, let it end.

This is how a man ends.

Put him in chains. We'll question him later.

I should've thrown you from the top of your wall boy!

Aye, you should've.

Woah! It's me. It's me. I promised you, didn't I?

We held them off.

For one night.

This is a great victory.

Great victory? Mance was testing our defenses. He almost made it through. And he has more giants, he has more mammoths. He has a thousand times as many men. They'll hit us again tonight. Maybe we can hold them off for a day or two, but we can never beat them.

Where are you going?

I'm going to find Mance.

To...you can't do that. No one gave you any orders.

Who's left to give orders? The Wildling army is only an army because of Mance. He united a hundred warring tribes. Without Mance they lose their leader. They lose their purpose, they go back to fighting each other, scatter back to their home.

Without Mance? You're going to kill him?

I'm going to try.

They'll never let you within a hundred yards of him. And if you did, even if you managed to kill him.

He'll kill me. If I don't go he'll kill me anyway. They'll kill the rest of us too.

He won't just kill ya. They'll boil you. They'll filet you. They'll make it last days!

You're right. It's a bad plan. What's your plan?

They held the gate. Get some brothers down here to help you. You need to burn the bodies. Raise the outer gate, then lower it again as soon as I'm out.

What are you doing?

I promised Jeor I'd never lose it again. *he hands the sword to Sam* In case I don't come back.

Jon. Come back.