They camped as best they could with barely enough tents for half their men, but Arya was used to sleeping under the stars. It just felt odd to know she wouldn't wake with the sun as there would be no dawn to break the horizon and bathe the world in light. Instead it would go even darker as the moon fell, leaving only the stars to break the black void above until the dim sun rose like a candle left to replace a hearth.
She was settling into her spot near a tree noting that Jaime, Sandor and Jorah had taken up spots near her again, as they had every night since they started south. Even on their walk they kept around her, acting as her lieutenants as well as clearly intending to be her guards. Were she younger she might have felt insulted, but she understood now.
The men had started a fire and begun to cook the game they'd caught through the trek when one of the men patrolling the perimeter called out, "Who goes there?"
At once the men reached for their weapons and prepared to launch into a battle as Arya got to her feet along with her trio of guardians.
Suddenly one of the men from the Night's Watch with the patrol called out, "Edd?!"
"The Lord Commander," one of the men near the fire said rising to his feet, easing the tension of the others.
Arya saw a group of men in black enter the camp with one of their patrolmen, leading them to her. "Your grace," the man called, Arya biting back her annoyance.
As much as she'd loved having Jon back, she hated that she'd somehow become a princess because of it. It was the only thing that made her wish they recognized her as his cousin and not his sister. Maybe that would've been enough to stop it.
"Lady Arya Stark," the patrolman said presenting Arya to the man at the front of the group, "Eddison Tollett, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch."
They shook hands as Edd smirked. "Your brother talked about you. Makes sense you'd be out here with 'em."
Arya frowned. "He's not with us."
Edd blinked. "He's not?"
"He was, but…" Arya sighed, and went about telling him and the others what happened, watching their shock as they listened to what had caused their need to escape.
Their uncertainty of Jon's survival ended when they reached the kingsroad and riders from the south arrived saying they'd been sent by King Jon along with another group sent to the survivors from the Shadow Tower that joined them the next day. With more horses, tents, bedrolls and other supplies they rode south to meet Jon and his army.
The moment they saw Jon riding between Daenerys and Sansa at the head of the mass of soldiers Arya galloped toward them and guided her horse beside his. She nearly pulled them both from their horses leaning over to hug him.
By the time they reached The Last River on their way back north they stopped and set up camp while the moon rose. With scouts and patrols out Arya helped Gendry prepare his makeshift forge to repair armor and arms for those that had been at the Wall. Once he was prepared he ushered her away with a laugh.
"This will be boring," he assured, "go speak with your brother." She'd been ready to tell him off until he added, "Ask him about his new sword."
Arya slid into the space between him and Sansa a moment later, Daenerys tittering as Arya asked, "You have a new sword?"
Jon laughed, setting his bowl down between his feet as he drew Nightbane and handed it to her. "Sam gave up Heartsbane, the Tarly sword, and had Gendry reforge it into this one and another he called Bravemind."
Arya seemed doubtful of the name, tapping the black and red rippled blade. "And this?"
"Nightbane."
That she gave an approving nod, judging it better than the last. "New hilt," she noted.
"It's not Longclaw," Jon said somberly. "No point pretending it is. Besides, that was a hilt made for Jon Snow. This is one made for King Jon."
They'd started to turn in when riders came rushing into camp and found Jon on his way back to his tent. "King Jon," they called out, "Wights on the Kingsroad!"
"How many?" He asked as those who heard began spreading word and readying themselves.
"Not the full force," the scout said shaking his head, "but a battalion at least hundreds strong."
"He knows we're prepared. They could be scouts." Jon sighed, turning to Davos and Tyrion stood nearby, ready to act as his hands. "Prepare a thousand man battalion. We don't know if he'll know what they do the moment they see us. We'll ride out and destroy them before they reach the camp."
"Jon, you don't-" Daenerys began.
"Willam!" Jon called out, turning to his tent, "We ride!" The bastard squire dashed past Jon to find his armor in his tent.
"You need not join them," Tyrion offered while Davos sighed and turned to do as ordered.
"Better to test out Nightbane before I use it on the Night King," Jon said tapping the azure stone pommel before entering his tent.
Tyrion shot Daenerys and Sansa a pleading look they met with knowing nods before following him inside.
"Do you truly need to do this?" Daenerys asked as Jon removed his cloak, tossing it on the mattress.
Jon held up a hand to stop Willam and waved him outside. "Go get ready and prepare our horses. I'll handle myself."
Willam glance at the queens and realized he was being saved from witnessing a possible argument, so gave Jon a thankful nod as he rushed out of the tent to do as he was told.
Sansa sighed turning back to Jon once his squire left. "You can let them handle this."
"I need to do this," he said firmly.
"They can handle themselves," Daenerys said stepping toward him. "Trust in your men to handle themselves."
"I need to do this," Jon repeated, jaw set and eyes downcast. His harsh tone surprised them as much as the concern in his eyes when they rose to find theirs. "I need to make sure I can face him when the time comes."
The women exchange a glance before Sansa stepped forward. "Take Rhaegal at least."
Daenerys stepped forward shaking her head. "I'll ride Drogon and we'll all help."
Sansa turned to her. "You too?"
Daenerys gave her an apologetic smile with a light laugh. "I won't leave his back, I promise."
Jon's jaw shifted, clearly wanting to argue against it but knowing he shouldn't and couldn't. "If anything happens, leave."
"Only if you're on Rhaegal's back," Daenerys told him.
Jon turned to Sansa. "I'll leave Sandor here."
"I have my fireguard," she reminded. With a sigh she walked over to pick up one of Jon's gambesons and turned to him. "Come. I'll help with this at least."
Between forging the valyrian steel weapons for the lords they decided worthy, Gendry had also forged Jon new armor.
Over his black gambeson was a full sleeved gray mail haubrek beneath a black steel brigandine with near silver rivets. While most of the layered steel plates of the brigandine were left bare black a Stark direwolf and Targaryen dragon had been engraved on each of the larger plates covering his chest while his arms were protected by dark steel pauldrons and vambraces, leaving his hands gloved.
Over the plated jacket was a bevor which rose past his collar to cover his neck and chin. While the section on his collar was arched like dragon wings, the upper part over his jaw was angular and evoked a dragon's jaw. To counter that the sallet he pulled over his head had slight triangular protrusions and a visor meant to evoke a wolf's snout which just overlapped the dragon's jaw, leaving a slit for his eyes.
Jon secured his sword belt on his waist while the others finished their own preparations with Missandei's help. He exited the tent securing his cloak while making his way to his horse.
Behind him was Sansa in armor not unlike what she wore to the Battle of the Bastards, only her white jack of plate now had gray direwolves on it. Beside her Daenerys wore a similar set of armor with a decoratively scaled black steel gorget over a black jack of plates with red stitching and the Targaryen dragon, all atop a shirt of dark steel mail. Each woman wore belts with their valyrian steel swords on their waist.
When Daenerys moved to split away Jon grabbed her hand, finding his eyes through the slit of his sallet as he squeezed her fingers. Her gaze shifted when Sansa took her other hand. With a smile she gave each a nod and backed away, turning as Drogon roared, sensing her approach.
Turning to Sansa, Jon brushed a gloved finger across her cheek. "Stay safe," he told her, giving a nod to Ser Brienne and the fireguard that gathered behind her.
"Come back to me," Sansa told him as he backed away and turned, hurrying to mount his horse.
He wasn't surprised to find his makeshift kingsguard among those Davos gathered. Riding at to his right was Arya dressed with a dark jack of plates atop her usual outfit, sure she would be too quick to need much more armor. Opposite her in plated armor and mail with an antlered helmet and yellow tabard rode Gendry Baratheon with Hartstine in his right hand.
Around them rode Sander Clegane, Jorah Mormont, Jaime Lannister, Theon Greyjoy, Tormund Giantsbane, Eddison Tollett and Beric Dondarrian. Alongside them were Gray Worm and his Unsullied company, Dirgo and his khas of Dothraki, and Tom of Sevenstreams and Bronn of the Blackwater with the Lannister men.
Brynden and Edmure rode with a Tully company, Edmure wearing his valyrian steel sword Autumn Stream. Garlan Tyrell wore his Last Thorn while riding with forces from the Reach. Daemon Sand seemed to lead those from Dorne, having been given use of Desert Wind and Viper's Strike, the dornish saber and spear gifted to Arianne Martell.
It felt odd to have so many important figures riding to put down what was likely a scouting group, but he understood they all needed to see it. They needed to see the wights in force and know they could face it, much like Jon needed to know he could face the Night King when the time came.
As they rode they heard the roars and saw all three dragons overhead. Daenerys was keeping them with the group below rather than ride ahead, though from her perspective it wasn't long before she could see the shambling corpses on the horizon.
Once she felt they were close enough she pushed Drogon to go further and commanded, "Dracarys!"
All three dragons swept across the battalion of wights, unleashing a wall of flames that pushed through them, scorching the kingsroad. It wasn't until they were doing that first pass that she saw the battalion coming from the east, toward Last Hearth.
It was then she noticed a White Walker among the group dismount and pull a long ice spear from his saddle. Her eyes widened as she gripped the saddle Tyrion and Sansa designed and had strapped to each of the dragons, telling them all, "Sīmonagon!"
At once all three dragons rose as sharply as they could, their flames fading and turning away from the ice spear. It managed to graze Rhaegal's wing, making the dragon shift course as it let out a pained screech.
Spotting the streak of ice which injured Rhaegal, Jon pointed to the east. "Gray Worm! Dirgo! Tully! Tyrell!"
Jon drew Nightbane, which signaled the others to draw their own weapons before the Unsullied, Dothraki, Reach and Riverland companies broke off toward the east, leaving the others to head into the remaining forces along the kingsroad.
Above, Daenerys focused on having the dragons dodge spears from White Walkers until they seemed to notice the incoming riders and their attention shifted. She watched the living clash with the dead and commanded the dragons to make for the rear of the battalions, focusing their fire on the back of the undead while Jon and the others attacked from the front.
Jon felt an odd relief when he cut through a pair of wights he rode past before clashing with a mounted White Walker. The reverberation nearly numbed his hand, his left tugging the reins to turn his horse, mirroring the walker. Digging his heels, the horse broke into another charge, Jon lowering his arm for a rising slash. However once the walker moved his own arm down, intending to deflect it, Jon's hand turned and rose just enough to thrust Nightbane through the White Walker's chest, shattering him and causing his horse and a dozen other wights to crumble to the ground.
Daenerys watched from Drogon's back as Jon and the others tore through the wights and White Walkers. She saw Dirgo and Gray Worm cut through the ones that threw spears, clearly intending to free her movement again. Whichever wights were left standing after the White Walkers fell could be handled by her dragon's flames.
She was leading Drogon on another pass of on the wight battalion's rear when she noticed Viserion's head turn. Her confusion only grew when he roared and sped away from them. Even below Jon noticed his departure and was confused, looking from Daenerys to Viserion as his eyes widened, realizing the dragon was heading back toward the camp.
Through the clatter of steel, thump of hooves and screech of wights he heard distant yells and saw the distant flicker of flames through the trees. Jon cut through a wight and rode to Arya's horse, where she was deftly finding openings on the wights beneath her to end them with swift stabs while Gendry smashed through them with his war hammer.
Hearing Jon's approach she turned, surprised when he grabbed her shoulder and yelled, "Go back to camp!" Seeing her confusion he added, "Sansa's in trouble!"
Sucking in a breath, Arya tugged the reins of her horse to turn it. "Gendry, stay with Jon!"
Behind her Jon called out, "Sandor! Jaime! Go with Arya!"
Both men looked confused before they spotted her riding back to camp and seemed to put together something must have been wrong.
He wanted to return, but couldn't leave Daenerys out here, not with the White Walkers throwing spears at her whenever they could. Sansa had the bulk of their army with her as well as her fireguard. With Viserion apparently heading back toward her, he trusted she would endure whatever had caught the dragon's attention.