Attack on Castle Black
Jon POV
I looked at the six scarecrows made of straw sharing the roof of King's Tower with Satin and me. As the men of Night's Watch stood on rooftops of black castle buildings, so were scarecrows dressed in black tunics over the straws that made their insides and armed with bows, crossbows, and spears. It was maester Aemon's idea. We could only hope that if the wildlings saw them, they might think Castle Black was too well-defended to attack.
But they could hold it off for only so long. They will realize they were only scarecrows once they get a better look at them. At least the scarecrows weren't as restless as everyone else. I could barely recognize most of them in the dark, but I saw some pissing off the roof and others cleaning their crossbows repeatedly.
We had enough men to protect the castle. I tried to convince myself of that. But half of us could barely fight while our opponents were well-experienced and robust Thenns. Still, we had no choice but to win. Surrendering or losing wasn't an option. Looking at the looming darkness outside of Castle Black, I flexed my arms and legs. They still hurt, but I could move them well enough.
Satin, a boy from Oldtown, fussed over the scarecrows. He made sure to make them look proper, maybe thinking they would come alive and join the fight if they were appropriately dressed. The boy claimed to be eighteen, older than me. But a green boy nonetheless. Noye said he was passable with a crossbow. Whether he dared to face what was coming was to be seen.
Castle Black had a wall of sorts, a crescent-shaped barricade ten feet high made of stores, casks of nails and barrels of salt mutton, crates, bales of black broadcloth, stacked logs, sawn timbers, fire-hardened stakes, and sacks and sacks of grain, of everything we could find. The crude rampart enclosed the two things most worth defending. Worst comes to worst. We would have to flee on top of the Wall and make our last stand there.
"It's cold," Satin said, putting his hand into his armpits.
"Frostfags are cold. This is a brisk autumn night," I replied.
"I hope I never see the Frostfangs then. I knew a girl in Oldtown who liked to ice her wine. That's the best place for ice, I think. In wine," Satin glanced south and frowned. "You think the scarecrow sentinels scared them off, my lord?"
"We can hope," I answered, not believing it even for a moment.
Perhaps it did, or they waited until the clouds covered the moon. Or maybe they will strike in the morning after we tire ourselves waiting for the attack. No, they will come at night like thieves and plunderers. They will not wait for the morning. Two blasts of the horn confirmed my thoughts. But it didn't matter anymore.
"I am scared," Satin said, standing still as a stick.
"We all are," I said. "And so are they. Please do not be ashamed of your fear. We have an ample supply of arrows and bolts up here, but ample doesn't mean inexhaustible, so count your shots. And don't hide behind scarecrows when you reload your crossbow. They are made of straw, and an arrow will go through them."
I pretended not to notice that Satin had pissed himself. I didn't want him to feel ashamed of it. Instead, I notched an arrow from the quiver on by my waist. I still remember the long hours I spent in Winterfell courtyard trying to best Theon. I never did, but I don't think many would. I wasn't even half as good as Theon, but I knew my way around a longbow.
Shadows ran to Castle Black too far to see them. Then I heard the pounding of something heavy at the makeshift gates. I heard them break and listened as iron buckets fell to the ground. Instead of letting my arrow loose, I turned to a torch nearby and lit the tip of the arrow. Then there was a scream. I saw the shadows kneeling on the ground and let my arrow fly.
The wind was on our side as the fire-arrow had no trouble hitting the ground between the shadows. Fire erupted from the animal oil. Ten, maybe more men were caught on fire and burned alive. The fire soon spread to the clumsy walls we managed to make. And soon, the fire illuminated the wildlings trying to sneak into Castle Black.
Tens of arrows flew almost at once at them. Satin shot his crossbow, hitting someone before kneeling and hiding behind a cover to reload, not even looking if he hit someone or not. I didn't stop notching and letting loose of my arrows, not even for a moment, even when I felt my shoulder going stiff from pain. The Wildlings fell, hopefully dead, one after another, to the ground.
"I think I got one!" Satin said.
"Then go get another," I replied.
There was no need to search for targets, only choose them. Dozens upon dozens of Thenns rushed through the buildings. They were looking for men of Night's Watch to kill. They found our arrows first. Soon I discovered that I had no arrows left in my quiver. I quickly went to take another, grey goose feathered like the last one.
For every bolt Satin shot, I fired four arrows. I have killed at least a dozen Thenns, not counting those who have burned in the pits with spikes and animal oil. But it wasn't enough. For every man I managed to hit, another three will go past him. It didn't take long before I heard screams from rooftops near us.
"They are getting up!" Satin shouted, terrified of the heavy footsteps climbing toward us.
"Help me with the kettles," I said, taking a thick cloth and throwing another to Satin as we took a massive kettle filled with hot oil.
As we heard them climbing on the roof, we tilted the kettle and poured the oil on three men who were almost on us. They fell screaming as their faces melted from the hot oil. We threw the iron kettle on top of them too. I watched as the kettle crushed one of the Thenn's heads. Satin sagged in relief, but I quickly got him up and started discharging arrows at the many Thenns still left.
Looking down from the rooftop, I saw Yoren fight on the ground with a few other men of Night's Watch. Yoren was fast and precise with his sword, cutting one after another. I noticed the bull helmet of Gendry's as he swung his hammer, crushing someone's arm under a shield. Yet It wasn't enough. They would be overwhelmed soon.
Donal Noye's voice boomed over all the chaos as he ordered everyone left to go into the fray. Noye's courageous and commanding voice encouraged villagers from Mole's Town to move forward, block Theens, and keep the wildlings from advancing further. I was about to go back into letting loose of my arrows at them when I saw an arrow pierce Noye's chest. Then another arrow pierced his head.
As Noye fell to the ground before my eyes, so did the will of the spearsmen fall. Thenns quickly took control of the battle and slashed at the villagers. With no command, they would soon be slaughtered. But nobody could take the command. Yoren and others were in the heat of the battle. They have no room to give orders to the villagers.
"I am going down," I said to Satin.
"Are you mad?" Satin snapped at me. "With your injuries, you won't be able even to swing your sword."
"My father once said that on the battlefield, the most important thing isn't your sword but your command," I replied. "There is no other choice; I must take the command. If you fear for my life, then cover me."
I didn't wait for Satin to respond as I climbed off the rooftop and descended King's Tower. I hissed in pain with every step I took. I was already exhausted before I burst out of the tower. Drawing my sword and using it as a crutch, I moved toward the villagers, overwhelmed by the attackers. I tried to avoid the fighting as I neared them, yet someone took notice of me and rushed toward me with his axe lifted and ready to kill me.
A bolt pierced my attacker's neck, and he fell to the ground. Dismissing him, I moved again. I knew the closer I got to the villagers, the more they would notice me. It didn't take long before another man rushed at me. I had to stop by the wall of the building and lean on it while I used Longclaw to block the axe.
With one lousy shoulder, I couldn't find the strength to push my attacker away. But I struggled until a bolt pierced his chest, and he fell to the ground dead. Taking a deep breath, I continue to move. Yet before I took a few steps, another man came upon me. I knew Satin hadn't finished reloading his crossbow, and I was alone.
Instead of blocking the spear coming toward my chest, I turned myself and let it pass. It still managed to cut my chest, but it wasn't that deep to worry about now. Not giving my foe another chance, I lifted Longclaw from the ground and cut off the spear-wielding arm before finishing him with a stab to the chest. I didn't have time to be relieved as another man jumped on me.
I had to fall to the ground to dodge the attack. I knew then that I would die as the man lifted his weapon and went to finish me. But a white blur came to my rescue. I heard the man's throat tearing under the sharp teeth of a white direwolf. Ghost looked at me with his blood-red eyes and bloody muzzle. I didn't have time to be happy as I forced myself on my feet.
With Satin and Ghost protecting me, I quickly walked to the villagers. By the time I got to them, half were gone. The other half pushed back and lost the will to fight. Thenns and the Free Folk didn't care about their will. They wouldn't stop until every last of us was dead on the ground. Taking a deep breath, I gathered all my strength and shouted.
"Brave warriors of the North! Raise your weapons and stand with me! With me!"
After they saw Ghost and me standing tall in the middle of the battlefield, the villagers quickly rushed to us. Soon all the scattered villagers and a few men of the Night's Watch come together, making a tight formation. Our backs were on each other, and with me, everyone raised their weapons. We blocked the attackers and held them in place as arrows and bolts rained on them.
I don't know how long it took, but the battle turned in our favor. With Ghost tearing and scaring Thenns away, we found room to breathe. I saw the rest of the men of the Night's Watch fighting on the ground join us, too, making one body. With renewed courage and will to fight, we started to push the attackers back. I looked as they began to retreat and get shot by our arrows. Seeing an opportunity, I yelled.
"Free Folk! Surrender, and we shall spare your lives! Drop your weapons, or you shall die!"
I hoped they would listen. Enough blood was spilled already; if we continued fighting, the Wall would lose too many men. Maybe seeing no hope or their comrades being shot by arrows, stabbed by spears, or torn by Ghost, they started dropping their weapons. The Wall would stand another day, as about a score of Thenns and Free Folk that were left alive surrendered.
It was over. Yoren knowing that fighting any further would only make us lose more men, stopped the men of the Nighs Watch from killing the surrendered attackers. As we finished tying them, I saw everyone sag on the ground, exhausted and relieved. I joined them, too. As I felt my leg giving up, Ghost came to lick the wound on my chest.