Game of Thrones Iron Stark

Game of Thrones: The Dragon Who Remembers

Game of Thrones: What Must Be Done

Pat*eon : CaveLeather

"Any progress, Coben?" Tony asked suddenly.

Coben jumped so hard he nearly dropped his scalpel. Good thing the man didn't have a weak heart or he'd be dead on the floor.

Coben turned, annoyed. "No. Still nothing. But I'm telling you, this arm isn't anything a living human should have."

"I don't know much about magic or sorcery," Tony said. "Maybe bring in a few real sorcerers to help?"

The lab was a disaster zone, but Coben could find every tool blindfolded.

"Maybe you just need more samples," Tony said, dropping into a chair. "We can't exactly go harvesting wight bodies right now. Got anything at all?"

Coben sat across from him. "I've got a theory. One that might cut down the number of wights we have to fight."

"I'm listening."

"After someone dies, cut the body into pieces. Head, arms, legs — the works. Even the Night King can't stitch a corpse back together if it's in six or seven chunks, right?"

Tony thought about it. "From everything the Watch has sent, wights are always whole bodies or skeletons. No headless ones walking around. Missing an arm doesn't stop them, but a missing head or legs might."

He'd read every raven that reached the Hand's desk. The brothers at Castle Black were sending updates almost daily.

"Still… chopping up the dead feels wrong," Tony said. "We're cremating now. But if we can't burn them fast enough, maybe taking the head or legs is worth trying. Hard to ask men to do that, though. These are people they knew."

"When you hesitate, you lose," Coben said coldly. "The Others are counting on exactly that kind of sentiment. That's how they grow their army."

Tony looked at his old friend. Pure scientist. No sentiment. Maybe that was why the Citadel had kicked him out.

---

In Winterfell, Robb called Theon into the solar and told him he was sending him home to the Iron Islands.

"Back to the Iron Islands?" Theon didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Was he a kraken or a wolf? He'd lived ten years in both places.

On the Iron Islands only one sister remained. Here in Winterfell he had brothers — in name, anyway. Of Eddard's children, he was closest to Tony and Robb. Worst with Jon.

Though to be fair, he'd never gotten along with his real brothers either. They used to beat on him for sport.

Robb cleared his throat. "Theon. King Robert ordered every kingdom to send a thousand men north. Maybe you can ride with the Ironborn or the northern troops and come back covered in glory."

"Glory?" Theon touched the kraken stamped on his leather armor, thoughtful.

"I'll go," he said at last. "Maybe when I come back you'll have to call me Ser Theon." He laughed. Robb laughed with him.

The next morning Theon rode out. Robb walked him to the gates himself.

Theon sat tall in fine furs and a bright cap, alone except for a few chests of clothes and coin. He looked every inch the prince returning home.

"Maybe this is a mistake, Robb," Ser Rodrik said quietly. The old knight had only just climbed out of bed after nearly dying chasing that Faceless Man.

"Ser, maybe you don't know the bond between Theon and me," Robb answered.

Rodrik gave a short laugh. "Maybe you don't know what kind of man Balon Greyjoy really is. Robert's worn the crown for ten years and Balon still rebels? Idiot or madman — doesn't matter. Theon might not come back."

"I believe in him," Robb said. For a moment he sounded exactly like his father.

---

In King's Landing, four thousand soldiers from Dorne, the Reach, the Stormlands, and the Crownlands stood ready. The western, eastern, and riverlands forces would meet them at Riverrun before they all marched north together.

King Robert held a farewell ceremony on the morning they left.

"Soldiers! Today it doesn't matter where you were born. You're all warriors of the realm now!"

"The Kingsroad is long and hard. Ride hard, meet the other armies, and get to the Wall in one piece!"

"The Wall? That's the edge of the world. I hope you southern boys learn something up there. Don't let the northerners think you're soft!"

"Every sword in your hands is sharp, right? Hah!"

"Alright, enough from me. Let's hear from the Hand about fighting in the North…"

Eddard stepped forward as Robert stepped back.

"Soldiers! The North has three hundred and sixty days of wind like knives and frost like swords. Keep your fires burning. Let them go out and you won't wake up the next morning — you'll be frozen solid."

That got a few laughs.

Then Eddard gave them the usual speech about honor, duty, and what waited at the Wall.

---

In another corner of the city, Arya had slipped into the crowd at the Great Sept square and was watching her father speak from a distance.

Hearing Eddard talk about her and Sansa when they were little made her want to laugh.

A hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Come with me. You're in danger."

Arya nearly jumped out of her skin. She hadn't felt anyone get that close. But she recognized the voice.

"Syrio? Is that you?"

Syrio had pulled a hood low over his face. He dragged her into a narrow alley without another word.

"Arya, listen carefully. You've been chosen. The Many-Faced God has marked you. His followers are already in the city looking for you. Never trust anyone from Braavos. Don't go near anyone who speaks certain names — man, woman, child, even people you know."

Syrio kept scanning the alley like death itself might step out of the shadows. It had taken him everything to shake Jaqen's tail long enough to reach her.

"The Faceless Men are that scary? You're the First Sword of Braavos. You're afraid of them?"

"You don't understand," Syrio said, voice low and tight. "Even when Valyria was at its height, they dared to rebel — and they won. They started as slaves in the mines and became the deadliest killers the world has ever seen. Their target now is you, Arya Stark."

Arya stared at him. She hadn't gone looking for them. Why the hell were they coming for her?

"Why me?"

Syrio met her eyes.

"Maybe it's fate. The Many-Faced God has chosen you. But this isn't good news, little wolf. Not good at all."