His Lightning War

Author's Note: This is an exploration to another style of writing and will only be a side project for now. Let me know what you think.

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Foreword

To whomever deigns to read this book…

When people think back to the early years of the 4th Century, few knew the truth of everything that happened that would forever shape the fate of Westeros.

Fewer still lived to tell their tales.

This book however is the result of this humble author’s efforts to preserve the knowledge and record the events of that time.

Alas, the task was harder than anticipated.

Tales, as oft they do, become exaggerated, distorted, or even become outright mythological due to the numerous perspectives that have mixed together.

Still, this author has sifted through the misinformation and managed to give the readers of this book the most comprehensive and truthful chronicles of the grand events that happened.

At the time of this writing, the author has had to parse through numerous military reports, personal journals, and eyewitness accounts of the events that unfolded.

While this book is the author’s attempt to make sense and order of the chaos of multiple perspectives, all of them point towards one commonality

Jon Snow.

All knew that Aegon the Conqueror, with the help of his sister-wives and their dragons, took two years to conquer most of the Seven Kingdoms.

Jon Snow however took all of it in six months.

It is said that when he came down from the North, he came with the fury of an avenger.

And who would deny them?

His war upon the South was so quick and surprising that it gained a name of its own. 

The Lightning War.

—--

PROLOGUE

As strong as thunder and as fast as lightning.

Those were the words Jon Snow’s forces embodied as they waged war in the South.

Yet despite the vengeance, the glory, and accolades Jon Snow managed to cover himself in, one must know that he did not do it for any of that.

He did it because of a lesson.

A lesson he learned dearly in Castle Black.

—---

Jon Snow

Traitor

I knew what it meant the moment I read the word carved on the signboard.

Knives behind my back.

Surprise, shock, and betrayal flowed through my heart before anger ran through my veins.

Thu-thump

In a heartbeat, I found myself leaping forward and grabbing the signboard to rip it off its nails.

“Night’s Watch to me!” I shouted but I already knew then that the chance of someone coming to help me on time was low.

“It doesn’t have to be this way, Jon!” Thorne yelled towards me as he unsheathed a dagger. “You can make this easy for all of us!”

I snarled as I counted nearly a dozen men, including Olly who brandished his own dagger unsurely at me.

These ungrateful traitors. How can they not see that all I did, I did for the good of the realms of men?

Armed with only a wooden board, there was no room for hesitation as Jon Snow leapt into the fray.

“For the Watch!” I screamed and fury lit itself inside my heart as they screamed the same words back towards him.

At that moment I vowed to myself that if I ever lived through this, I was never going to let another knife be aimed at my back ever again.

—---------

Jon Snow fought. 

Jon Snow died.

And Jon Snow did rise again.

While initial reactions to his death and following resurrection were understandably disbelief and skepticism, it has now been widely accepted as fact by the time of this book’s writing. 

Regardless, it is widely believed that it was at that time that the beginnings of his force started to form.

—-----

Eddison Tollet

It was still dark but even then I knew something was wrong.

I knew it because I woke up to Ghost’s howling.

Never in all the time that direwolf was here did it ever make a sound.

To hear it howl now? It was fucking bone-chilling.

I immediately got out of my cot and grabbed my sword.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck! Wake up! The Lord Commander needs us!” I called out, shoving the brothers beside me awake before running out.

I saw him then.

Jon Snow, lying on the snow with blood pooling beneath him.

The first to get to him however was an old man. Davos, Stannis’ right-hand man, came out of the tower they used for guests.

I wasn’t far behind however.

“Jon!” I shouted as I slid beside him and Davos. “No, no, no. Come on, Jon!” 

It ain’t in me to cry but I will admit seeing his dead body forced tears from my eyes back then.

“Who did this?” Davos said shakily beside me, just as affected as I was.

I already knew the moment I saw the broken board near Jon’s body. Blood caked it but he could still read the letters.

Traitor, it said when you put them back together.

“Thorne.” I hissed as more of my brothers in black reached us.

“Gods above, he’s dead.”

“The Lord Commander is dead.”

“He died fighting.”

Aye, he did. Every single one of them could see there was too much blood around them for it to only be Jon’s.

Whatever happened, it was clear to me that Jon bloodied his attackers. No dead bodies other than Jon though and that grated.

“Aye. Thorne killed him. Thorne killed Jon.” I gritted my teeth in anger, ready to leap up and avenge my friend.

Davos stopped me back then however.

“Come on, help me get him inside. Let’s get him back to his office.”

I don’t remember much back then but I remember seeing Longclaw inside his office.

The fool. He left his fucking sword before going out. 

I wanted to curse him out but then again he was already dead. Then again…..that didn’t stop me before so it didn’t stop me then.

“Fuck, Jon. You damn idiot. Why did you get yourself killed? You just had to die to fucking Thorne and leave us-”

I remember being full of grief, anger, and hate back then but Davos slapped it out of me. 

No, he literally slapped it out of me.

Slap!

“What the fuck?!”

For an old bugger, he slapped real good. I was still rubbing my cheek when he grabbed my shoulders.

“You said Thorne killed him. He’s one of your brothers.”

“Not anymore.” I growled at him but Davos only continued.

“How many brothers do you think you could trust?” 

I couldn’t answer him. For all I knew Thorne already had everyone else on his side so I said the only thing I could.

“The men in this room.”

Five of us, including the old man in the room, looked around at each other. It was a grim fucking sight.

“Does the wolf know you? We’ll need all the help we can get.” Davos asked and I rubbed my face in frustration.

Aye, Ghost knew me but we needed more than a wolf, even if it was a direwolf.

It was at that time that someone knocked. Swords left scabbards and every single one of us faced the door.

“Ser Davos, it’s me.”

“Melisandre.” Davos frowned but stepped forward and opened the door 

It was Stannis’ fire witch.

She walked slowly towards Jon but I didn’t stay to see whatever the fuck she did.

I ran out.

Davos was right, we needed all the help we could get. And I knew just the place to get it.

The Wildling’s Camp.

—------

In the grand scheme of things, Eddison Tollet’s actions on that day might have been small but it planted the seed that would one day grow into Jon Snow’s invasion force.

For the news he brought the Free Folk would make them realize what they would have lost if Jon Snow stayed dead.

They would have lost their savior.

—-----

Tormund Giantsbane

The news the crow brought chilled me to my bones more than any of the Others ever did.

Jon Snow, dead.

I didn’t talk much back then but it was easy to call the free folk to battle when they heard that. 

It was especially easy because WunWun was the first to stand after Val told him what happened.

“SNOWWWW!” WunWun bellowed and the next thing I knew we were all shouting with him.

We ran through the snow with the sun just starting to rise in the distance.

None of us really knew what we were going to do other than killing the bastards who killed Jon but we ran regardless.

WunWun, being the giant he was, just slammed their gates open as we arrived just on time.

Blood was spilled as Thorne, the man who killed Jon, was leading others to break down a door.

Red filled my eyes and I didn’t think much of the men who stood against me. I cut them down and was just about to cut through more when WunWun roared again.

“SNOWWWWW!”

Us Free Folk knew what giants sounded like when they were angry and believe me, WunWun was angry.

For one single moment, WunWun looked disappointed as everyone stopped fighting.

That was until one stupid fucker shot him on the shoulder with one of their fancy crossbows.

I smirked as WunWun grabbed the man by his feet and slammed him on the ground.

Blood splattered everywhere as the man died.

It was enough for the rest of the fuckers to start dropping their swords.

“Fight, you cowards!” Alliser Thorne marched forward, but none followed his command until he grew desperate. “Fight! For thousands of years the Night’s Watch has stood against the wildlings!”

I stepped forward, staring him down and baring my teeth. “Until you.”

I saw something in his eyes break before someone shouted from behind him.

“Uraahhhh!”

It was a boy.

“Olly, no!” Thorne shouted but it was easy for me to backhand him away and trip the boy into Val’s arms.

“Peace, boy, and you might survive this.” She whispered harshly as Eddison Tollet stepped beside her.

“Hand him here, my lady.” Eddison said as he grabbed the boy by the neck.

“Not a lady.” Val replied before nodding at the rest of the crows. “What do we do with them?”

“Throw them in the cells where they belong.” Eddison ordered but I stepped forward.

“We kill them.” I growled and joy filled me as I see the fuckers flinch way.

Fucking weaklings.

I was just about to raise my axe when someone shouted from above.

“He’s awake! Jon is awake!”

My eyes widened as I beheld the person who shouted. By the gods, it was a naked lady kissed by fire.

—-------

“He’s awake! Jon is awake!”

Jon Snow awoke at the coming of the dawn.

Yet as he battled with dizziness and confusion, he was unaware of what was transpiring outside his office.

Deep in the hearts of every Free Folk there, they resolved to do one thing.

They will never leave Jon Snow unprotected ever again and thus, the first of his forces have committed themselves to him.

Not that he knew it at the time or any time sooner but that day, the Free Folk almost lost their savior. They would do their best to never lose him again.