The horns sounded at dusk, low and mournful, echoing off the ice like the wail of dying n. From the shadowed treeline beyond the Wall, figures erged—Thenns, hard n of the frozen valleys, their faces scarred and tattooed, axes gleaming wicked in the dying light.
Ser Blackhand spat into the snow. "Magnars. Testing us. EVERYONE GET A GRIP"
Everyone gripped thier sword, eyes narrowed. The black brothers scrambled to the parapets, bows drawn taut, arrows whistling into the dusk. The first Thenns fell, pierced through throats and eyes, tumbling into crimson snowdrifts. But more ca—hundreds now, shields locked, howling their mountain war cries as they charged the gates.
"Fire the bolts and arrows" Jeor Mormont bellowed from the command platform.
Bolts and Arrows punched through shields and flesh, splintering bone and spraying gore across the white. A Thenn chieftain took one through the chest, his ribs exploding outward in a wet crunch, body flung back like rag.But they pressed on, relentless.Cregan watched, calculating. His n—hardened sellswords and northern steel—stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Watch, picking targets with cold precision. One of his archers loosed a shaft that caught a Thenn mid-leap, burying deep in his snarling mouth, teeth shattering as blood fountained black.
"They're breaking against us," Blackhand growled. "Let them bleed."
But Cregan saw the flaw—the Thenns faltered not from fear, but numbers. Their chief bellowed orders from the rear, a massive brute in bronze plates and furs, his axe dripping already. The assault slowed, beca ragged. It is winning for Thier side but Cregan wasn't satisfied enough
"Enough," Cregan snarled. He turned to Jeor. "Open the gate. I Like to go outside"
The Lord Commander's eyes widened. "My lord—thats crazy statent you say . Going outside in the snow, where they are strong and adapted to it more much better than us especially when we are winning. That's plain stupidity."
"Open it. Now. Sotis War needs crazy and stupidity to be great " Cregan said.
Jeor's jaw clenched, but black brothers hauled at the winches. Ice groaned. The massive gate swung wide—and Cregan Stark charged out, , a wedge of his n behind.The Thenns faltered, then roared, surging forward.Cregan t them like winter unleashed. His longsword sang, cleaving a Thenn's shield-arm at the shoulder in a spray of arterial blood. The man scread, stump pumping red as Cregan drove steel through his snarling teeth, spine arching in death.
Beside him, Blackhand hacked low, disemboweling another—coils of steaming gut spilling onto snow, the Thenn clawing futilely at the ruin of his belly before Blackhand's dagger found his throat.
Cregan's n carved through like a blade through fat. One Thenn swung a greataxe; Cregan parried, the clash ringing like a bell, then ramd his poml into the man's face—nose exploding in pulp and cartilage. A backhand slash opened the Thenn's belly from groin to ribs, hot innards slopping out in a steaming pile.
The chief bellowed, shoving his n aside. Tall as an oak, muscles corded like ropes under scarred bronze skin, his eyes burned with hate. "You are a Stark whelp! Aren't you Co to die in the snow? Does the south seriously send thier Stark princess to die."
Cregan spat blood-flecked saliva, sword leveled. "Your raid ends here, Thenn. Turn back, or join your dead.Final Warning as we pray to the sa Gods."
The chief laughed, a guttural bark. "Stark? Filthy kneelers hiding behind your ice wall! We will grind your skulls to al. Your won raped, your children eaten! You have beco soft. No n within you is born a true n only princess you are."
Rage ignited in Cregan's gut, cold and familiar as Northern wind. "Your tongue wags too freely. Put steel where your mouth is—or I will put my steel into your neck that is "
The chief grinned, yellow teeth filed to points. "No steel. Wrestling. Man to man. Crush your wolf bones with my hands. Do you dare Stark boy. I heard from my ancestors that your family and ancestors are quite a family of wrestling and played various matches."
Cregan thought quite a bit but eventually agreed after thinking a bit.
Cregan stripped his upper tunic, baring pale, scarred flesh to the biting cold. Winter welcod him ho, gooseflesh rising, breath steaming. The chief did the sa, bronze torso a map of old wounds.They circled in trampled snow, turned to bloody slush.
The chief lunged first, bull-like, massive arms wrapping Cregan's waist. He lifted, slamd Cregan down—ribs cracking audibly against frozen earth. Pain exploded white-hot, air driven from lungs.
Cregan gasped, rolled, drove a knee into the Thenn's groin. The chief grunted but held, fists raining hamr-blows on Cregan's ribs—bone splintering, skin splitting, blood welling hot.
Cregan twisted free, surged up, tackled the giant's legs. They crashed together, grappling in gore-slick snow. Fists flew—Thenn's knuckles pulped Cregan's cheekbone, splitting flesh to bone. Cregan answered with a headbutt, forehead shattering the chief's nose in a gush of blood and snot.
They rolled, snarling beasts. The Thenn pinned him, aty thumbs digging into Cregan's throat—windpipe compressing, vision blackening. Fingers clawed at eyes, raking bloody furrows across cheeks.
Rage fueled Cregan. He jamd thumbs into the chief's eyes—deep, relentless. The Thenn scread, orbs bursting under pressure like overripe fruit, jelly and blood squirting between fingers. The giant reared back, howling, hands scrabbling at ruined sockets.Cregan rose, bloodied but unbroken. He seized the blinded head, wrenched it back—SNAP. Vertebrae shattered like dry wood. The chief collapsed, twitching, throat gurgling crimson froth.Silence fell, broken only by wind and dying moans.Cregan stood, chest heaving, blood freezing on his skin.
The remaining Thenns broke, fleeing into the dark.
Jeor approached warily as the gate shut. "Madness, my lord. But... victory is ours. But was it really necessary"
Cregan wiped gore from his face, eyes hard. "Tell Mance Rayder his scouts failed. And his king will follow." Word would spread now—beyond the Wall, and within. The Wolf had co ho.
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