RM: Interlude: Fall of Craster's Keep

Skarl was a cousin of Craster's. He and his Brother Skurge had been traveling with a nomadic band when their Cousin had put out the call to family a few years back to come and join him at his newly enlarged settlement. Sure, Craster would be the Magnar of the Hold, but the settlement would effectively be one for the Clan. That had been Craster's pitch, mind you. The reality had turned out to be somewhat different. After all, it had been Craster's alliance with the Black Cloaks that had gotten him his fancy new hold to begin with.

At first, that hadn't been too bad. The crows only stopped by every now and again, a Ranger Patrol stopping in to rest for a bit before returning to their bloody great wall. Then had come Mance Rayder and his Horde, making war on the Black Cloaks. When that had happened, the Hold had filled up with Black Cloaks, to the point where there were more of them here than there were members of the Clan. It had caused some grumbling, especially once the siege had started and they'd had to fight other Free Folk and worse, open the Hold's Stores to the Black Cloaks.

Skarl and Skurge had been vocal about that last bit. Skarl had flat out told their Cousin that Magnar or no, the Clan wouldn't stand to be robbed blind like this. Craster had pointed out that they'd already fought against the Weeper and Rattleshirt and that neither man was renowned for mercy. Surely if they kicked the Black Cloaks out, then the Hold would be sacked by the Horde outside. Skarl and Skurge had grumbled, but they had no real answer to that and had to consider the matter settled.

That was until Craster had called them and a few of their other cousins into his Hall one evening after the Commander of the Black Cloaks had left for the night. He'd told them of the plan, then. It seemed that their cousin had been talking to Rattleshirt and the Weeper's People behind the Black Cloaks' backs. A deal had been struck, one that would see the Clan going over to the Horde in exchange for kicking the Black Cloaks out. All they had to do was open the Gates and silence the Black Cloak Sentries for the Horde's Attack Party.

The plan was simple. They would go in small groups in the dead of night, while the majority of the Black Cloaks were sleeping, kill the Crow Sentries, and open the Gates. Skarl and his Brother Skurge were sent to the Second Gate, along with their cousin Torm, and three lads of the Clan who had volunteered to fight, while others took the Third, First, and Final Gates. If all went according to plan, then they would be back in control of their own Hold by Morning. If they didn't, it was likely that the Black Cloaks would purge the Clan. Either way, the knucklebones had been thrown.

All that remained was to see how they landed. . .

XXXX

Pypar and Todder, better known as Pyp and Toad, were both fresh recruits. They'd only joined the Watch a year and a half or so ago. In that time, however, they'd gained skills they never could have imagined having back before they'd joined. Toad had been sent to the wall for stealing from a traveler who had been drunk in his father's winesink, while Pyp had been sent to the wall after his Mummer's Troupe had been accused of being rebels by Lord Mooton. Neither boy had much skill at arms before being sent to take the Black, though Pyp had some skill with Acrobatics and Stage Fighting thanks to his time in a Mummer's Troupe.

That skill had allowed Pyp to take to short blades more easily than others, and Ser Alliser had eventually given up on trying to get Pyp to learn heavier weapons. When their training had ended, Pyp had been sent to the Rangers along with Toad. They'd formed an unlikely pair, the croaking, annoying Toad and the Friendly Pyp, however, they'd come to trust each other all the same and had formed an effective duo. That might be why they found themselves taking assignments together most of the time, such as tonight, when they stood watch over the second gate of Craster's Keep, along with four other Brothers.

"I don't know why they only put six of us on the gate. It seems a bad plan with the siege." Croaked Toad.

"I heard Dolorous Edd Tollet mention he heard Craster talking with Lord Commander Mormont about it. Apparently, we're to be joined by six of his Clansmen." Offered Pyp.

"Oh? And what did the Old Groaner say was the reason for that?" Questioned Sal.

Salvatyr, or Sal, was one of the recruits who had come up with Lord Seawynd's Victory against the Pirates of the Stepstones. He was a Braavosi who had been outlawed by the Sealord a decade back and joined up with the Stepstones Pirates just in time for them to be defeated by Lord Seawynd. He favored a Braavosi Water Dancing Blade that he'd had specially ordered from Lord Seawynd's Arsenal using gambling winnings he'd won in Molestown.

"Apparently, Craster seems to think we'll be better allies if we're rested and is sending his Clansmen to share the load." Informed Pyp.

"He only has around two-dozen fighters in his Clan, aye? I wonder what he's rounded them out with?" Queried Mal.

Malyrio, or Mal for short, had also come up with Lord Seawynd's Pirate Captives. He was a Lyseni with Silver Hair that he kept tied back in a ponytail, and windblown, tan skin. He fought with a pair of daggers, similar to Pyp, and refused to talk about his time with the Stepstones Pirates, save to say that it wasn't something he was particularly proud of.

"No doubt he's rounded them out with a scratch force of militia." Scoffed X.

X was a Summer Islander who had been sent up to the Wall as a Captive from Lord Seawynd's campaign in the Summer Isles. His name wasn't one easily pronounceable by many in the Night's Watch, though, so they simply called him X, after the first letter in his name. He was a bald, black-skinned archer who constantly complained that the bows he had available to him as a Brother of the Watch were inferior to the Goldenheart Wood Bows of the Summer Isles.

"Can he do that? I mean, what good are half-trained hunters given whatever gear they can scrounge?" Asked Benn.

Benn, or Bolt Benn as he was sometimes known, was a surly Brother from the Crownlands, sent to the Wall by King Robert before his death. He'd been caught poaching in the Royal Hunting Grounds of the Kingswood with a Crossbow and sent to the Wall as punishment. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he used a crossbow with deadly accuracy and, along with X, formed the ranged contingent of their little group. Benn was a wiry man with a pox-scarred face and shaggy hair the color of mud.

"You know these Wildlings, all of them can fight if they need to." Pointed out Pyp.

"I suppose when you could be raided at any moment, that's a priority to learn." Allowed X.

"Aye. I learned that one the hard way." Agreed Sal.

"Hold on, I think that's them now." Intoned Toad, pointing.

Indeed, six of Craster's Men were approaching the gates now. Three of them were equipped in the old Night's Watch Ringmail that had been replaced by the Arsenal Steel sent to the Watch by Lord Seawynd, showing their status as members of Craster's Fighting Retinue. The others were garbed in the same leathers and fur that most of the Wildlings seemed to use as armor. The three in Ringmail had Hatchets and Daggers of Castle Forged Steel, given to them by the Watch, while the others had spears topped with Dragonglass, Bone, or Copper, stone daggers, and bows.

"Hail the gate!" Called out the Leader of the Wildling Group.

"Aye, it's about time you lot showed!" Jeered Toad.

Pyp frowned. He'd learned to be a good judge of character when traveling with his Mummers Troupe. You had to be to live a life on the road, after all. All the instincts he had learned growing up on the road like that were screaming at him that something was wrong. As Craster's Men climbed up to the gate to join them, that sense only got worse. The Wildlings were looking about too often, trying to hide their glances, and their hands were closer to their weapons than you would expect outside of a combat situation.

However, before Pyp could say anything, Craster's Men had finally gotten to the platform on the wall next to the gate where Pyp and his brothers were standing. Pyp frowned as the Leader and Toad made small talk, hands resting on his long dagger, just in case. It turned out to be a prudent decision. Toad looked away from the Leader of Craster's Men for one moment, and that proved to be fatal as the Leader of Craster's Men drew his dagger and plunged it into Toad's Throat.

"Toad!" Exclaimed Pyp, drawing steel.

And as he did so, all Seven Hells broke loose on the Second Gate. . .

XXXX

Jon Snow had been asleep in one of the former supply huts that Craster's Clansmen had given up to allow the Night's Watch to quarter in, moving the supplies in here to the Timber Keep. He, Dolorous Edd, and Grenn had been on shift at the Second Gate just a few short hours beforehand, being relieved by Pyp and Toad's Group to grab some food and sleep. The food had been nothing to boast about, of course, venison stew with venison and root vegetables from Craster's Stores. The sleep was much appreciated, though.

Jon was in the midst of a dream about one of the Maids he had known at Winterfell when he was rudely woken by someone jostling his shoulder. Bolting upright, he saw a Pyp that was covered in blood staring down at him. That immediately let him know that something wasn't right. Of course, the sound of battle echoing from outside was the second thing that let him know that.

"Pyp? What's going on?" He questioned.

"Wake Edd and Grenn, we've been betrayed!" Hissed Pyp.

That immediately purged all lingering thoughts of sleep from Jon's mind as he bolted upright, moving to wake Grenn and Edd up. Grenn was instantly ready to fight. Jon couldn't understand how the Big Man could so easily wake from sleep like that, but considered it a lucky thing. Edd wasn't as able, perhaps due to his age compared to Jon and Grenn, waking only after being shaken violently awake.

"Why have you woken us up?" Queried Dolorous Edd, surly.

"We've been betrayed. Craster's Thrown in with the Wildlings." Reiterated Pyp.

"Aye, I can hear the fighting outside." Grunted Grenn.

"Where's Toad and the Others?" Asked Jon.

"Dead. We got four of them, but they had surprise on their side. The Wildling Horde is already past the first and second gates. It won't take them long to get here as well. We need to hurry." Answered Pyp.

"Right. Better gear up, then." Nodded Grenn.

At that, the three men began to pull on Gambesons and Runic Arsenal Steel Mail, buckling on sword belts, and pulling on cloaks, gloves, and boots. As they geared themselves up for battle, they kept speaking amongst themselves, trying to form a plan.

"And just what do we do when we have?" Questioned Dolorous Edd.

"We head to the Timber Keep." Insisted Jon.

"Aye? And what do we do when we get there?" Asked Pyp.

"That's where Lord Commander Mormont is." Mused Grenn.

"It's also where Craster is." Reminded Dolorous Edd.

"Two birds, one stone." Nodded Jon.

"You're thinking of killing Craster?" Asked Grenn.

"Maybe. Really, I'm just thinking that if we can get to Lord Commander Mormont before Craster's Men do, then he can organize our Brothers." Responded Jon.

"It's as good a plan as any, I suppose." Affirmed Dolorous Edd.

"Whatever we do, we need to do it fast. The sound of fighting is getting closer." Intoned Pyp.

"Right, finish up here, then we move." Agreed Jon.

Once they had finished equipping themselves, the group of four Brothers of the Watch exited the hut and found the night lit up with the glow of flames and the sounds of battle. Rushing over to the rocky outcropping that looked down upon the first two levels of the Hillfort that the Watch had turned Craster's Keep into, Jon saw that the Wildling Horde had poured through the first and second gates, but were fighting a group of Brothers of the Watch organized by Ser Aliser Thorne that had stood between the Wildlings and the Open Third Gate where a quartet of Craster's Men were standing amongst the corpses of six Brothers of the Watch.

Down in the courtyard of the first tier of the Hillfort, several structures were aflame. Places where their Brothers had been quartered. The Weeper and Rattleshirt's Men had burned them alive in their sleep. It seemed that Ser Alliser's stand had largely avoided the same happening to their brothers in the second tier of the Hillfort, but there were still a pair of Longhouses and two smaller structures aflame. As he watched on in horror, Jon realized that this attack likely did more damage to the Watch in the First few moments than the entire last assault from the Horde.

"Come on!" Shouted Grenn, drawing Jon out of his thoughts.

Nodding, Jon steeled himself and led his group toward the Third Gate. Arrows rained down at them from the Quartet of Wildlings that stood amidst the carnage of their Brothers who had manned the gate, but the wild shots largely failed to hit them. One grazed the top of Jon's ear, copper broadhead drawing blood, but failing to do more than that. Another with a bone arrowhead shattered against Grenn's Arsenal Steel Mail. The rest went wide, with Pyp managing to dodge the only other arrow that was on target. Then they were through the Final Gate and up into the Topmost Level of Craster's Keep.

"Grenn! With me! We're dealing with those archers!" Commanded Jon.

"Right." Nodded Grenn.

"What do we do?" Questioned Dolorous Edd.

"Wake some of our brothers on this level and tell them to get the others in order!" Answered Jon.

"And then?" Queried Pyp.

"Meet us at the Timber Keep!" Insisted Jon.

Then he and Grenn were up the ramp to the Gate Platform for the final Gate, attacking the Wildlings there. Two of them, equipped in Hand-me-down Night's Watch Ringmail with Castle Forged Steel Blades, moved to intercept John and Grenn, while the other two in their Leathers and Furs fired off another pair of arrows at the retreating Edd and Pyp. There was a cry of pain as Edd took an arrow to the meat of his left arm below the mail sleeve, but he kept going and soon he and Pyp had disappeared into a Longhouse to rouse their brothers.

Jon and Grenn, meanwhile, struck out with their blades at the pair of Craster's Men who had been blocking them. Grenn's blade was met with a parry from his Opponent, but Jon's strike was too swift for the Clumsy Swordsman he was fighting to parry. His Runic Arsenal Steel Bastard Sword cleaved into the Clumsy Wildling's face, literally hacking him down. Instead of moving to help out Grenn, however, Jon moved to gut one of the Bowmen, who had been aiming at him with an arrow at point-blank range. Ducking as he came in, the Arrow sailed overhead as Jon came in with a thrust that punched through the weak armor of furs the Bowman had been wearing and impaled the Wildling.

As Jon removed his blade from the now-dead Bowman, he turned to parry a chop from a copper hatchet that the Second Bowman was wielding, even as Grenn took the head off his Opponent. The Second Bowman managed to hook Jon's blade with the head of his hatchet to try and disarm him, but he soon found Grenn's sword thrust through his side, sinking to the wooden Gate Platform, dead. Jon nodded at Grenn, but then saw the Gate Winch next to him. Frowning in thought.

On the one hand, if they closed the gates, any Wildling trying to get through to the Top Level of the Hillfort wouldn't be able to. On the other hand, that was also true for any of their Brothers who might be trying to regroup. In the end, Jon found he couldn't in good conscience shut the gate. Fortunately, it looked like he wouldn't have to, as the Brothers that Pyp and Edd had woken up were starting to exit their temporary quarters and rouse the rest of their Brothers. Shaking his head, Jon turned to Grenn.

"Come on, we need to head to the Keep." He intoned.

Grenn nodded at Jon, and they climbed down from the Gate Platform as brothers began to get themselves organized in the Courtyard, Qorin Halfhand organizing them to reinforce Ser Aliser's Group on the Second Level of the Hillfort. As Jon and Grenn met back up with Dolorous Edd and Pyp, it looked like they might just pull this off, even if Edd had to recover from a wounded arm. Then they entered the Timber Keep and found a scene of chaos.

Corpses of Brothers of the Watch lay strewn about the entry hall of the two-story, squat, square timber Keep. Wildlings lined the Gallery in fur and leather armor with Bows, spears, and axes, while Craster sat on his wooden throne at the end of the Hall, flanked by a pair of Wildlings in Hand-me-down Night's Watch Ringmail with Castle Forged Steel Blades. From the entryway, Jon could see that some of the Wildlings in the Gallery were trying to break down a wooden door with axes.

He let out a wordless battle cry as his group rushed for the stairs to the Gallery, dodging arrow fire where possible and taking it on the armor where dodging was available. One arrow with a bronze broadhead cut across the bridge of Jon's nose even as he turned his head to avoid it, leaving what would be a pair of scars in the aftermath of the battle. Likewise, an arrow with a flint head managed to cut across Grenn's cheek under his left eye as he tried something similar to dodge. It didn't stop them from mounting the stairs as Craster roared for someone to kill them from his throne.

Then they were in among the Wildlings of the Gallery. Jon managed to cleave the head off a spear with a dragonglass tip as the Wildling tried to impale him before his backstroke took the top of the Wildling's head off, leather skullcap and all. Beside him, Grenn parried an incoming axe strike before hauling the Unfortunate Wildling over the railing of the Gallery bodily to land on the floor of the keep below, breaking his neck with a snap. Pyp ducked a spear thrust from a Third Wildling, before lunging forth with his pair of long daggers to gut the Wildling. Dolorous Edd managed to parry a swing from a spiked bone club with his Arming Sword before kicking the Clubman in the Bollocks. The Wildling bent in half from the dirty strike, allowing Dolorous Edd to take his head off.

As they pressed closer through the ranks of Wildlings, however, Jon noticed that the door the Wildlings were trying to break through with axes was almost destroyed. Another chop of a bronze axe from a Wildling hacked a hole through the door, only for the telltale ripple of smoky metal that signified Valyrian Steel to be thrust through the hole, punching through the Axeman's throat. The Axeman fell back, dead, but his companion managed to finish his job for him, breaking through the door. As he did so, Renly came striding out to meet him, Lord Commander Mormont only a half-step behind as the pair struck out near simultaneously at the Second Wildling Axeman, both blades flashing out and claiming limbs. The Axeman toppled to the floor, and Renly and Lord Commander Mormont charged into the rear ranks of the Wildling Line that was holding Jon's Group at bay.

The fight didn't last much longer than that, as the Wildlings in the Gallery practically dissolved when hit from in front and behind. In the fighting, Pyp took a blow from a Wildling's Bone Club that knocked him for a loop, though he would be fine with some rest and medical attention. Renly himself took a cut to the cheek from a Dragonglass Knife that ruined his previously unmarred face. But now, the Night's Watch had their commander free to organize them and could begin to strike back.

They would do so with a vengeance. . .

XXXX

In the end, the Night's Watch would rally now that their Lord Commander was free to organize them, though Craster would escape while Jon and Company were fighting in the Gallery. Unfortunately, the Garrison of the Hillfort suffered massive casualties in the surprise attack, with just over two thousand dead or wounded. Wildling Casualties were higher, but couldn't be completely counted, as they retrieved their wounded before withdrawing to the forest. Their dead, however, practically carpeted the battlefield, and there were at least another six thousand dead.

Unfortunately, the flames that had been set during the sneak attack would spread during the battle, and despite the wounded, exhausted Night's Watch trying to fight them, they consumed large sections of the first and second tiers of the Hillfort and spread to damage the timber wall of the Third Tier. In the aftermath of the battle, there really was no choice, since the fortifications were so damaged. The Night's Watch would have to retreat back to the Wall. Fortunately, the Wildling Horde was just as mauled as the Watch was, if not more so, and in no position to follow.

The beleaguered Brothers of the Watch would meet up with Lord Stark's Army one day into the retreat, and together, both forces would withdraw back to the Wall to organize a defense of the Wall from the inevitable counterattack by the Wildling Horde. One week later, that counterattack would arrive, and another battle would ensue.

And this one would prove to be decisive. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we see the Fall of Craster's Keep and the Watch withdrawing back to the Wall, where they and the Starks prepare to defend against the Wildlings. The Night Attack was bad, with two-thousand-forty dead and wounded for a total of two-thousand-three-hundred-fifty casualties for the Night's Watch and Gift Militia in the fighting around Craster's Keep. The Wildling Horde got off way worse, but they can absorb the casualties, being a Horde. Fortunately, the Wall and the Army of the North are on the Watch's Side for this next battle, so it's likely to go a lot better for them.

At any rate, the next chapter will be a look at what is going on in Tolos as Dany attempts to assassinate Viserys. Then we'll be back with Ricasso's POV.

Stay tuned. . .