[Castle Black — Locations]
Mance orders Tormund to take a force of twenty men to scale the Wall to attack Castle Black from its exposed rear. Mance's plan is for Tormund's small band to distract Castle Black by attacking their exposed southern side, at which point Mance's main army will assault it from the north. Tormund will know that Mance is in position when his army makes a massive signal fire. Mance orders Tormund to take Jon with him, as Jon knows the layout of Castle Black, and it will prove a key test of his loyalty: if it turns out that he won't really betray the Night's Watch, Tormund can easily throw him off the Wall to his death.
Jon finds this very unpleasant, but reluctantly says that only three are currently manned. Apart from Castle Black, there is also Eastwatch-by-the-Sea at the extreme eastern end, and the Shadow Tower at the western end. Jon is then asked how many men currently garrison Castle Black. Jon is very reluctant to answer, but after being threatened by Orell, he gives an exaggerated number, saying there are one thousand men (this is a lie, as Castle Black only had six hundred men before the great ranging, and the garrison now is closer to three hundred). Tormund tells Jon that he likes him, but if he is lying to them, he will rip his guts out through his throat. Despite this, Jon remains steadfast to the lie.
The orphan Olly then arrives at Castle Black, telling them how the wildling raiding parties south of the Wall killed his entire village. Thorne asks for Jon's opinion on protecting the smallfolk living in the Gift, thinking Jon will disagree with his decision not to send help. Instead, Jon regretfully says that he knows from his time with the wildlings that this exactly what they want - to lure as many of them out of Castle Black as possible to weaken its defenses for the massive attack about to come from the north side of the Wall, which would allow them to move over a thousand miles southward before they reached an army that could stop them.
Therefore, Jon agrees with Thorne that they should do nothing, and concentrate every available man in Castle Black itself to brace for the assault. They are interrupted by a single horn blast, revealed to be Grenn and Edd, who have escaped the mutineers at Craster's Keep. Jon is relieved to see them alive, but his relief turns to concern when they reveal that the mutineers remain entrenched at the keep. Jon understands that if the mutineers are captured by Mance Rayder, then the wildlings will know how vulnerable Castle Black really is. Jon tries to convince Thorne that eliminating the mutineers should be their top priority.
News of the wildling attack on Mole's Town , the largest village in the Gift, reaches Castle Black. Jon, Pypar, and Eddison Tollett try to comfort a distraught Sam, who believes that Gilly and her baby are dead. Grenn is furious that the wildlings slaughtered the inhabitants of Mole's Town , which included brothers of the Night's Watch. Jon concludes that if Mole's Town has been attacked, then Mance Rayder's assault on Castle Black is imminent.
Later that night, Jon hears the horn blowing and looks north, witnessing a tremendous conflagration north of the Wall, just as Mance had promised him. Jon approaches Thorne, who finally relents and admits that they should have heeded his advice and sealed the tunnel, but grimly muses that leadership means not second-guessing oneself because of "clever little twats" like him. While they start to prepare for the massive wildling army that is emerging from the woods, another horn blows from down below at Castle Black, signaling the unanticipated appearance of Tormund's band of wildlings at Castle Black.
Sam tries to stop him, but to no avail. As Jon prepares to leave via Castle Black's tunnel, they discover the bodies of the black brothers who held the inner gate against the giant. Grenn is amongst the casualties, and Jon tells Sam that all bodies must be burned. Before Jon leaves, he remembers the promise he made to Jeor Mormont and decides to leave Longclaw with Sam. Sam tells Jon to come back, and Jon looks and Sam and gives him an unsure smile before stepping out into the wilderness on the other side of the gate. Jon finds Mance in a wildling camp north of the Wall, and claims he wants to negotiate with him.
Jon later prepares to leave Castle Black with Tormund and a group of black brothers including Edd. He entrusts the care of the Night's Watch to Thorne, who criticizes his mission, and says his farewells to Sam, who gives him a bag of dragonglass daggers in case he should run into White Walkers on the way. He hugs Sam for what might be the last time and leaves Castle Black on his mission.
Jon and the others make it back to the north side of Castle Black on foot, and he makes himself seen by Thorne so that they will be let inside. Thorne hesitates but ultimately relents and orders the gates to be opened. As the wildlings are let through Castle Black into the Seven Kingdoms, Jon laments not being able to save the rest, while Sam comforts him, reminding him that he at least saved a few, who would have died too if he did nothing. Thorne, however, warns Jon, telling him that his kind heart will get him killed. Indeed, as Jon looks around, he sees almost all of his brothers looking at him scornfully, among them Olly, Othell Yarwyck , and Bowen Marsh .
Davos returns to Castle Black to beg Jon for soldiers - though this was really just a ruse to get Davos out of Stannis's camp, because he had become so desperate that he gave in to Melisandre's request to burn Shireen as a sacrifice.
While discussing strategy with Davos, Melisandre, Sansa, Brienne, Edd, and Tormund, Jon bitterly notes that they simply don't have the numbers to challenge the Boltons at present. Even though the three most powerful houses are already backing the Boltons, Jon suggests rallying the weaker houses, as their combined strength would give them a numerical advantage when combined with his current forces. When Sansa mentions Brynden Tully 's recapture of Riverrun and the virtual guarantee of support from the Tullys, Jon is surprised that Sansa has such valuable information. Thereafter, Jon, Sansa, Tormund and Brienne leave Castle Black.
While being taken into exile by two wandering crows , Jon bids farewell to Bran, Sansa, and Arya at the docks. Jon congratulates Sansa on gaining independence for the North and assures her she will be a good leader when she laments they lost their king before they hug. Jon then tells Arya that she could to visit him at Castle Black, but Arya states that she isn't going back North and plans to explore the uncharted seas to the west of Westeros before the two tearfully hug. Finally, Jon kneels before the new king Bran and apologizes for not being there when he needed him, but Bran states he was "exactly where he was supposed to be."
Some time later, Jon arrives at Castle Black and reunites with Tormund and the wildlings. Later, he dons the black cloak of a sworn brother of the Night's Watch and reunites with Ghost. He then leaves with Ghost and the wildlings for lands north of the Wall, watching forlornly as the gate to Castle Black closes behind him, and then rides into the Haunted Forest alongside them.
While his interactions with Catelyn remained awkward or nonexistent, he was close with his half-siblings, particularly Robb and Arya. Robb was of the same age as Jon so they became playmates and comrades in training, while due to her tomboyish personality Arya was also something of a social misfit like Jon, which they bonded over. His closeness with Brandon and Rickon was proved when the latter had to leave Winterfell and Master Luwin advised them to go, Castle Black, where the old man was sure that their half-brother would keep them safe. With Sansa on the other hand, according to the talk they had when they reunited at Castle Black, the friendship has never been deep as those between Jon and the other siblings. Since then, however, Sansa proves to have great faith in her half-brother by standing up for him when he is King in the North and, when she discovers his true parentage, by seeing him as the best candidate to become King of the Seven Kingdoms. Also, when Jon is forced to join again the Night's Watch, Sansa shows great sorrow and thinks that sending Jon away is both a great unfairness and a great loss for the North.
Jon is an excellent swordsman and a fierce fighter. He was capable of quickly slaying numerous men in battle, and taking on highly-skilled warriors much bigger than himself such as Styr . His skills initially made him somewhat arrogant when he was a new recruit at Castle Black until Tyrion pointed out that the other recruits were all far less fortunate than he was, with some of them having never trained with a sword in their lives. This humbles Jon, and he changes his behavior to be the champion of the other downtrodden recruits and helps train them by walking them through the swordplay techniques he knows.
In the books, after Jon is elected the new Lord Commander, he knows he must deal with Slynt and Thorne, who did their best to get him killed and will probably undermine him. Jon wouldn't abuse his authority in order to settle the score with them (especially with Slynt, who took part in Ned's downfall and subsequent death, which Jon is aware of); he firmly reminds himself that once someone joins the Watch - his past deeds are erased clean. He wisely decides to separate them by sending Slynt away and keeping Thorne - whom he considers the more dangerous - close to him. Jon orders Slynt to take command of Greyguard and restore it, but Slynt refuses three times, in an extremely obnoxious and disrespectful manner. Jon executes Janos Slynt for that insubordination, and is somewhat disappointed that Thorne did not attempt to defend him. Later, Jon sends Thorne and eight other rangers to scout beyond the Wall. Throne obeys, but does not leave quietly: he makes it clear he believes Jon is deliberately sending him on a suicide mission, and ominously warns Jon that he will return to Castle Black, one way or another . Thorne has not returned yet and his fate is unknown, therefore he is not among those who attack Jon later.
Stannis often consults with Jon, who serves as his unofficial advisor, about his next moves. Jon is aware that by advising Stannis, he is walking on very thin ice: the Watch must not get involved in the political conflicts south of the Wall; on the other hand, the Watch owes Stannis a great debt: without him, the wildlings would have eventually overcome the defenders of Castle Black, and he considers Stannis a lesser evil than the Boltons and ironborn currently terrorizing the north. Jon dissuades Stannis from taking potentially disastrous actions like granting northern castles to southron lords and the plan to attack the Dreadfort (an idea brought up by the treacherous Arnolf Karstark, who secretly collaborates with the Boltons); instead, he advises Stannis to gain the support of the Northern mountain clans and to liberate Deepwood Motte from the ironborn . Stannis accepts both advice, and as a result, his position greatly improves: he gains the support of many northern houses, and his army grows more than three times.
After escaping from Winterfell, Sansa and Theon flee into the Wolfswood , with the Bolton forces in hot pursuit. They cross a stream and briefly take shelter under an uprooted tree, where Theon hugs Sansa to keep her warm. Shortly after, however, they are found by the Bolton men and hounds. Theon urges Sansa to flee to the safety of her half-brother Jon at Castle Black . but Sansa refuses to leave Theon behind to the Boltons. Brienne and Podrick appear just in time and fight off the soldiers, killing them all. Brienne once again offers her service to Sansa, who this time readily accepts, reciting her vows.
At a war meeting at Castle Black, Sansa and Jon discuss which of the Northern houses they can rely on to support them. As the Karstarks and Umbers have already sided with House Bolton, Ser Davos suggests asking House Manderly . When Jon decides to rally the two dozen houses still loyal to the Starks, Sansa informs him they can add House Tully to the list, but lies about how she acquired the information. After the meeting, Sansa plans to send Brienne to Riverrun, as the Boltons could intercept any raven sent there. Brienne is worried about leaving her and while Brienne feels Jon is trustworthy, she is dubious about the other men. Sansa assures Brienne that Jon will keep her safe, he is her brother and she trusts him. Brienne counters by asking Sansa why she lied to Jon about meeting with Baelish. Before riding south, Sansa gives Jon a new cloak she had made for him styled after their father 's.
Robb's last spoken words are later echoed by his "bastard half-brother" Jon's last words while being stabbed in the Mutiny at Castle Black (which happened at the end of Season 5 in the TV series). Jon's last utterance as he fades out of consciousness at the end of the fifth novel is actually " Ghost " - both brothers called to their direwolves as they were dying. The TV series simply omitted this. There is a fan speculation that Robb and Jon, in their last breath, managed to warg into their respective direwolves. It did not do any good for Robb, since Grey Wind was killed shortly after him; it is not the case with Jon, whose direwolf was not around when he was stabbed - he might have survived.
They remain in hiding as Winterfell is besieged by an army of Northmen. The Ironborn flee and the Starks emerge from the crypts to find that their home has been sacked and abandoned. They find Luwin dying in the Godswood and he urges them to go north to find their half-brother Jon at Castle Black who will protect them. Bran makes a tearful farewell to his mentor and they follow his last piece of counsel.
Bran is the very first POV character in the novels. His chapter in A Game of Thrones , "Bran I", initially led many fans to assume that Bran was the main protagonist of the novel, and George R.R. Martin has since stated that Bran's fall from the tower was the series' first shocking moment which captivated fans, before other plot twists such as Ned's execution, the Red Wedding and the Mutiny at Castle Black.
The hand leads them to the bodies of two rangers . They bring the corpses back to Castle Black and Sam notes that there is no smell of rotten flesh on them. The Lord Commander orders the bodies examined, and tells Sam that he may be a coward, but certainly not stupid.
Sam and Gilly stop to camp during their journey to the Wall, after having fled Craster's Keep. Sam shows Gilly the Dragonglass dagger he found at the Fist of the First Men and tells her about Castle Black. Gilly wonders if Sam can sing, the he tells her that he can't sing well. However, he knew one song and starts to sing it for Gilly and her baby.
On their way to Castle Black, they take refuge in a destroyed cabin next to a heart tree. Before they enter, two crows land on a branch on the heart tree, and begin to squawk loudly. Later that night, Sam tries to light a fire. When he is unable to, Gilly does it instead. Meanwhile, Sam suggests that Gilly name her son, but she does not know any boy names, Sam gives her some examples, and also explains the difference between first and last names.
After traveling for some distance, Samwell and Gilly finally arrived at Castle Black . There, they met with Maester Aemon , who is displeased at the prospect that Sam had violated his vows. Sam defended himself by reciting the Night's Watch oath to protect the realms of men whatever side of the Wall they are on and repeating Jeor Mormont 's assertion that a wall of ice 500 leagues long and 700 feet high was not built to keep out barbarians. Aemon's demeanor softened upon learning that Gilly was one of the late Craster's wives, and acknowledged that she is now a refugee and should be sheltered since the North is no longer safe for humans. Aemon then ordered Sam to begin writing letters immediately and to make sure that all forty-four of Castle Black's ravens are well-fed, as every one of them is to fly that night: the White Walkers have returned, and Westeros must be warned. Having reached safety, an injured Jon is brought inside the castle by the guards, where he encounters Sam and Pyp, who are overjoyed to see him and insist that his injuries be taken care of.
Sam is present in Castle Black in the weeks following Jon's return. Sam tells Jon that Alliser Thorne and Maester Aemon are ready to judge Jon for his actions. Sam tries to cheer Jon up and tells him he hasn't done anything wrong. Jon counters that he's "done plenty wrong".
People mockingly call him "Slayer" after he claimed to kill a White Walker. Sam visits Gilly to ask how she is doing at Castle Black. He complains to her that nobody believes he killed the White Walker. Then, he admits to being paranoid about what his fellow brothers are thinking about her. Sam tells Gilly that he thinks that she would be safer at Mole's Town . He assures that he is only doing this to protect her. They arrive at Mole's Town and Sam tells the manager that she can cook and clean. He also refuses to let Gilly do " other jobs ." Gilly thinks that Sam is doing it for himself and not thinking of her, which upsets Sam. Sam and Jon are talking in the library and Sam is worried about Gilly now that he realizes the wildlings are attacking villages. Jon tries to assure him she's safer there. They then discuss Bran going beyond the Wall, which Sam told Jon. They try to work out where he is before they are interrupted by Locke .
The news of the wildling attack on Mole's Town reaches Castle Black. Sam is horrified by the news, believing he sent Gilly and her baby to their deaths. Eddison Tollett argues that Gilly managed to survive Craster, the long march back to the Wall, and even a White Walker. This gives Sam hope that Gilly may have survived.
After being dismissed by Aemon, Sam leaves the maester's chambers only to hear Gilly at the gate begging to be allowed inside, revealing her survival of the Mole's Town massacre and her identity as the cloaked figure approaching Castle Black. Pypar attempts to deny her passage into the castle, saying he is not allowed to open the gate at any circumstances. However, Sam roars at Pyp to allow her in, causing Pyp to relent and let her in. Sam promises Gilly wherever she goes next he will go too, but their reunion is cut short by two blows from the horn, indicating that Mance's wildling army has finally begun their assault on Castle Black. Sam rushes to get Gilly safely inside the castle while other brothers of the Night's Watch prepares for the imminent attack by the wildlings.
The band of wildlings manage to reach Castle Black's walls and begin scaling them using grappling hooks and ropes, forcing Sam and Pyp to retreat. Later, Pyp is fatally shot by Ygritte and Sam comforts him as he dies. Sam is forced to leave Pyp's body and as he heads to Castle Black's lift system, but he is spotted by the Thenn warg .
The following morning, Jon discusses with Sam that he has a suicidal solution to end the wildling threat; he plans to assassinate Mance Rayder, noting that he is the only thing binding the disparate wildling clans that make up the army, and his death will rob them of that purpose and leadership. Sam tries to talk sense into Jon, but to no avail. As Jon prepares to leave via Castle Black's tunnel, they discover the bodies of the black brothers who held the inner gate against the giant. Grenn is amongst the casualties and Jon tells Sam that all bodies must be burned. Before Jon leaves, he remembers the promise he made to Jeor Mormont and decides to leave Longclaw with Sam. Sam tells Jon to come back, and Jon looks and Sam and smiles unreassuringly before stepping out into the wilderness on the other side of the gate.
Unlike in the TV show, Sam is not among the defenders of Castle Black during the battle , since he and Gilly arrive after the battle is over. They do not pass through Mole's Town . They are lucky to get lost while on their way from Craster's Keep , otherwise they would have found themselves caught in the battle or at the wildlings ' camp. Jon, Grenn, and Pyp are overjoyed that Sam survived against all odds, and welcome him heartily.
In the Citadel, Sam is approached by a novice who introduces himself as Alleras. Sam tells him about Maester Aemon and why he thought that Daenerys was "the prince that was promised", then everything that happened since the ranging force left Castle Black. Alleras listens intently, then takes Sam to see Archmaester Marwyn. Marwyn listens to Sam's story and then declares that he is off to meet Daenerys. He orders Sam to keep quiet about Daenerys and the dragons, finish his studies as quickly as he can, and then return to the Wall.
Ramsay brings Reek before Ramsay's father, Roose Bolton . Roose is angered that Ramsay has damaged a valuable hostage, whom he intended to trade for the Ironborn-occupied Moat Cailin . To demonstrate their captive's submissiveness, Ramsay orders Reek to shave him. Reek reveals to Roose that he did not murder Bran and Rickon Stark , and that they may be with their half-brother Jon Snow at Castle Black . Ramsay then reveals to Reek that Robb Stark is dead, and was stabbed through the heart by Roose. Reek holds the razor at Ramsay's neck briefly but continues shaving. When Roose orders Locke to find and kill the Stark boys, the latter asks Ramsay if his "pet rat" has any thoughts on where they went. Without saying a word, Ramsay orders Reek to answer Locke's question by simply giving him a look. Reek sadly tells him that they may be with Jon Snow at Castle Black .
However, despite his previous actions, Reek appears to have retained a strong love and loyalty to the remaining Starks, demonstrated on several occasions: he is visibly shocked when Ramsay gloats about Robb's death, briefly holding a razor to Ramsay's neck and appearing on the verge of slitting his throat (though he doesn't, because Roose and Locke are present); he appears hesitant about telling them that Bran and Rickon may be sheltering at Castle Black with Jon Snow, knowing that it may lead to their deaths, but does so anyway to avoid angering Ramsay; he silently cries and briefly looks angry when Ramsay rapes Sansa, and does his best (or what he thinks is the best) to keep Sansa from angering Ramsay and suffering more at his hands, and even goes as far as to confess to Sansa that he deserved what he suffered under Ramsay and that he deserved to be Reek for what he did to the Stark family. However, when pushed too far, Theon ultimately abandons his Reek persona and chooses his loyalty to the Starks over Ramsay, by killing Myranda and helping Sansa escape from Winterfell, though still believing himself unworthy of anyone's forgiveness for betraying the Starks, who were the only ones who ever treated him like family.
In a sample chapter from The Winds of Winter , Theon is put in chains by Stannis, who questions him about the Boltons' strength and numbers. Theon provides as much information as he can, and warns Stannis not to underestimate Ramsay; Stannis dismisses the warning, citing the victories he won at Storm's End , Fair Isle and Castle Black despite being at a tactical disadvantage, and derides both Ramsay and the other commanders Roose will likely send to battle him as either incompetent or having no battlefield experience whatsoever. Stannis plans to execute Theon eventually, in order to secure the loyalty of the remaining Northern lords, who are furious at Theon for apparently murdering Bran and Rickon. Theon reacts indifferently, not even trying to tell Stannis the truth that he actually didn't kill Bran and Rickon, actually hoping that Stannis will kill him and end his suffering, and partially out of guilt for betraying Robb (to the point that in A Dance with Dragons , Theon's inner thoughts reveal that he believes he should have been at the Red Wedding , where he would have died valiantly at Robb's side and not ended up living as Ramsay's broken slave). Asha tries pleading with Stannis to spare her brother's life. When Stannis refuses, citing that the northerners in his army would abandon him for showing Theon any mercy, Asha petitions Stannis to spare Theon an agonizing death through fire (as the faithful of Rh'llor in his ranks have been urging) by beheading him instead, insisting that is what Ned Stark would have done.
However, the weather turns for the worse and a snowstorm delays his army. Davos reports to him that forty horses have died and the Stormcrows , a sellsword company of five hundred men, have abandoned them. Disgruntled by this news, Stannis picks up the piece off the war map, asserting that sellswords are loyal to nothing but gold, before tossing the piece away. They are also running out of food, as they cannot open the supply lines until the snow clears. Stannis remains stubborn and refuses Davos's suggestion to return to Castle Black and wait out the winter there, on the basis that the winter may last several years and the Boltons will have strengthened their forces (especially since he was previously forced to flee from the Battle of the Blackwater).
Despite his death, however, Stannis manages to obtain a small victory over the Boltons by buying Sansa enough time to escape from Winterfell with Theon , severely weakening Roose Bolton's hold on the North. Melisandre eventually reaches Castle Black, where Jon immediately asks her where Stannis is, and her bleak expression is all Jon and Davos need to know Stannis is dead.
After Brienne and Sansa reach Castle Black, Brienne later confronts Davos and Melisandre. She tells them how she witnessed Stannis's defeat at Winterfell. Brienne then tells them that she was the one who killed Stannis after his confession about Renly's death, leaving the two of Stannis's former allies stunned.
In the books, Stannis does not travel to Braavos to get a loan from the Iron Bank before the battle for the Wall. Rather, long after the battle, while Stannis marches to Winterfell , Tycho Nestoris arrives at Castle Black to see Stannis; it happens at a much later point than in the show, and only after the Lannisters keep refusing to pay the Crown's debt to the Bank.
In A Dance with Dragons , Stannis consults with Jon about his next steps. Jon knows that by serving as Stannis's (unofficial) advisor, he is walking on very thin ice, since the Watch is supposed to be neutral; yet he feels obligated to assist Stannis, for saving the defenders of Castle Black. Jon dissuades Stannis from ill-advised ideas that would have cost him dearly, among them granting the abandoned castles of the Watch to his knights and lords, and attacking the Dreadfort. Stannis does not like what Jon tells him, but follows his advice.
Baelish returns to Runestone and greets Robin Arryn and Yohn Royce. Yohn quickly voices his suspicion of Baelish's involvement in Sansa's marriage to Ramsay Bolton since Baelish had told Yohn that Sansa was going to the Fingers with him. With the intention of manipulating Robin, Baelish responds by falsely claiming the Boltons ambushed Sansa and Baelish on the way to the Fingers and insinuates that Yohn leaked the information to the Boltons. Robin suggests having Yohn thrown through the Moon Door for this false treason but asks for Baelish's advice on what to do with Yohn. Baelish responds that if Yohn can ensure his loyalty to Robin Arryn, which Yohn quickly gives, that Yohn should be given a final chance. Baelish then immediately follows-up and tells Robin that he has learned that Sansa has fled Winterfell and will likely head to her half-brother Lord Commander Jon Snow at Castle Black for protection, though the Boltons will pursue her. Robin responds that since Sansa is his cousin, he should help her. Baelish takes his cue and orders Yohn to gather the knights of the Vale to rescue Sansa from the Boltons. This brings an end to the neutrality of House Arryn, which until then had steered clear of the War of the Five Kings .
Later, Baelish sends a letter to Sansa at Castle Black asking to meet in Mole's Town . Sansa travels to Mole's Town with Brienne and confronts Baelish about her marriage to Ramsay, coldly asking if he knew the truth about Ramsay's sadistic side all along or if he was unaware and therefore, just stupid. Baelish responds that he made a mistake "trusting a stranger " and apologizes profusely, horrified at what Ramsay did, but has rallied the knights of the Vale to her cause and that the army is encamped at Moat Cailin . Sansa refuses his offer, saying that Baelish cannot help her - that he cannot even help himself if she orders Brienne to strike him down. She tells him that she already has her brother Jon's help and they will rally other Northern houses to their cause. She finishes by warning him never to speak to her again. Baelish, as he prepares to leave, tells Sansa of her great-uncle Brynden Tully 's success in recapturing Riverrun and suggests reaching out to him for support. Before he leaves, he reminds Sansa of Jon's bastardy .
Melisandre departs Castle Black along with the rest of Stannis's army, riding next to him. During the march, the weather turns for the worse and a snow storm delays his army. The Stormcrows have also fled in the night. Davos thinks that they should go back to Castle Black and wait out the weather since they do not have enough food, but Stannis stubbornly tells him that they will not retreat to Castle Black because he will not risk being known as "the King who Ran." As winter will soon arrive, they also run the risk of being stuck at Castle Black for years, during which the Boltons will regain their strength.
After Melisandre arrives at Castle Black , she oddly continues to wear lightweight clothing not well suited to the sub-arctic cold at the Wall - her magical powers apparently give her all the heat she needs. Her powers also allow her to only sleep for one hour a night: she dislikes sleeping more than the bare minimum she has to, because she has nightmares about her time as a slave. She takes an interest in Jon Snow , and whenever she looks into the flames for visions of Azor Ahai , who she believes to be Stannis , all she sees are visions of Jon.
Melisandre does not travel with Stannis's host to Winterfell but stays in Castle Black, as Jon had previously warned her and Stannis the northern clans Stannis needed to rally against Roose Bolton would take offence at her disparaging the old gods . She repeatedly warns Jon of " daggers in the dark ", but he refuses to listen, especially after she tells him of a vision she has had of Arya fleeing through the North and finding Jon at the Wall; the girl turns out to be Alys Karstark .
Catelyn tends to Bran after he falls from a tower, and prays for his recovery. Cersei visits Catelyn, sitting by her son's side, and tells her that her first child, a beautiful, black-haired boy , was stillborn. She and Robert were grief-stricken and her prayers and tears were for naught. She offers to pray for Bran's survival, hoping that this time the gods will listen. Catelyn is angry when Jon Snow comes to say his goodbyes to Bran as he leaves for Castle Black with their uncle Benjen and wishes for Bran to recover from his coma. Catelyn orders Jon to leave. When Eddard also comes to says his goodbyes to both Bran and Catelyn, Catelyn is angered at his departure while their son remains comatose.
Ygritte and the wildling band attack a village and kill almost all of its inhabitants. She kills a villager named Guymon . Styr orders Guymon's son Olly , vengeful on killing Ygritte, to run to Castle Black to warn the Night's Watch about the impending attack, in the hopes that the brothers would leave Castle Black to protect nearby villages, leaving them vulnerable to the southern attack.
Just outside Castle Black, Ygritte gets into a heated argument with Styr over her feelings for Jon, motivating her to resolve to kill him herself and reestablish her tarnished reputation among her own people. The wildlings then see Mance Rayder's bonfire signal to attack Castle Black. Ygritte scouts Castle Black's defenses and reports back that most of the men are on the Wall and few remain in the Castle. The group prepares to attack, while Ygritte seems to have second thoughts. During the battle, she kills numerous brothers of the Night's Watch, including Pypar .
While on the road, Podrick proves to be more a hindrance than a help to Brienne. He has problems with his horse and accidentally sets fire to a rabbit they were cooking. Brienne tries to get rid of Podrick by releasing him from the vow he swore as her squire, but to no avail. They are bound for Castle Black , where Brienne believes Sansa may have taken refuge with her half-brother, Jon Snow . Brienne questions Podrick about his duties as squire to Tyrion. He tells her his job was mostly pouring wine, alongside other menial tasks. Brienne then asks if Podrick did anything related to combat. Podrick reveals how he killed Ser Mandon Moore of the Kingsguard by shoving a spear through his head when he tried to kill Tyrion. Brienne then allows Podrick to help her remove her armor.
Later, while making camp, Brienne informs Sansa that Arya (who she comments on looking far less ladylike than Sansa) is alive, though she was unable to find her after defeating the Hound. After resting, Brienne and Podrick accompany Sansa to meet Jon at Castle Black. However, Theon decides not to travel with them and instead to return to his family in the Iron Islands , the group allowing him to take a horse for travel.
At a war council, Brienne listens to Jon, Davos, and Sansa's strategies for their upcoming war with Ramsay, and is visibly concerned when Sansa claims she learned of Brynden's victory via one of Ramsay's messages. Sansa tasks Brienne with locating Brynden and recruiting him to their cause, though Brienne expresses concern at leaving Sansa, trusting Jon to protect her but remaining wary of Davos and Melisandre, who helped Stannis kill Renly, and Tormund, whose admiration of her has left her uneasy. When Brienne asks Sansa why she did not trust Jon with Baelish's information, Sansa does not answer. Brienne later leaves Castle Black with the others, starting her journey to the Riverlands with Podrick.
Castle Black was, initially, one of only three manned castles left on the Wall along with Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and the Shadow Tower . There are nineteen castles along the Wall, but as their numbers fell over the centuries, the Night's Watch abandoned sixteen of them. Castle Black is located between the unmanned castles of Queensgate and Oakenshield.
Alliser Thorne temporarily succeeds Mormont as acting Commander. Their strength now reduced to about 100 men at Castle Black, the remainder of the Watch manage to fend off a wildling attack on Castle Black. Stannis then unexpectedly arrives to relieve them, and defeats the wildling army.