Battle Plans, Diplomatic Aims, and Magical Might

King Jon was heading to the House of Black and White with most of the group that he broke his fast with, the salty breeze of the sea hitting his nostrils as he stared ahead atop the boat. Along the way, Tycho Nestoris had separated from them to coordinate with the port authorities and the City Watch so that they could ensure that merchant and local ships would be momentarily diverted to other waterways within Braavos. That way, as the secret god had explained to him, it would minimize the risk that one of the ships he would magically transport to the area within and around the Isle of the Gods would end up crashing with the vessels of the people of Braavos.

And so, by the time they arrived at the island where the House of Black and White was located, the King of the North and the Trident could begin to see ships heading outside the Canal of Heroes, the Long Channel, and the Green Canal; being prompted by the outline of men of the City Watch from the shores of the canals.

"They will still take some minutes to clear the canals," Laro Etalas told him when he spotted him examining the orderly exit of ships. "But not too long. We Braavosi pride ourselves on our efficiency," The Spymaster added.

"That's certainly something to be proud of," The King replied with a nod.

Their conversation was interrupted when his Ice Dragon, who had been following them slowly from above, landed on the island close by, its large, sky-blue head looking around with narrowed eyes. Jon smiled at the mighty she-dragon as she examined their surroundings, happy that she was still looking out for him.

"So," Bellegere interjected after that, her tone of voice a bit hesitant, "Are you really going to use magic to transport an entire fleet of ships thousands of miles away to Braavos in the blink of an eye?"

Jon paused for a moment, before turning back to look at his little sister's first lover. Then he shrugged. "Technically, it is a bit more complicated than that," He lied, keeping his tone of voice even. "As I said back then, I need to be physically touching Weirwood tree wood to begin the process and the person I am aiming to transport along with everyone in their vicinity must also be near a bit of Weirwood themselves. Thankfully, my sister Sansa gave Theon Greyjoy a small figurine of a wolf's head made of that kind of wood as thanks for saving her from the sadistic usurper that still holds Winterfell," The secret god added, while omitting the fact that Sansa had suggested him to just use his powers to add such a carved piece to Theon's pocket while implanting a memory that made him think she actually gifted him that before they parted; insisting that not only would that help reinforce his cover story but that the memory would make Theon both happy and grateful, after he hesitated when she told him that idea.

"And then you will be able to bring forth all those ships? Just like that?" Asked the Spymaster, clearly hungry for details.

"Well, I will have to project my powers outward from Theon's position to, well, catch the entire fleet on my net, so to speak and that will make me a bit more tired than the last time I used this ability," The King explained. "But I can handle it, so, yes. Just like that."

"You certainly don't lack for confidence, your Grace," The high-ranking member of the Council of Secret Investments. "And if you can accomplish this, I could definitely understand why."

At that moment, Arya's former mentor scratched his chin. "Weirwood wood has always been associated with magical potential, if one knows how to harness it," Jaqen said. "In fact, one of the current Faceless Men has used those properties to great effect on occasion. I have never heard of anyone using them to do something like that, however."

Jon's first instinct was to placate the assassin's doubts with something because he suspected the man was particularly good at sniffing out lies and he was not interested in letting them know the origins of his real source of power anytime soon but his last comment gave him pause. He frowned, wondering why that sounded familiar.

Then it hit him.

"Wait," The King of the North and the Trident said with his eyes widened, "the Faceless man that sacrificed some of his blood in a clearly magical ritual to use his arrow to move it like it had a will of its own in all directions until it had wrapped those steel chains around my Ice Dragon...he was using Weirwood arrows, aside from that already rare dragonbone bow?"

Jaqen was silent for a moment, before nodding. "Your perception serves you well, Prophecied One."

"Thank you," Jon responded slowly, as thought back to the stories he had heard about Lord Bloodraven using magic to move his Weirwood arrows in ways that ensured he would always hit his mark during the First Blackfyre Rebellion.

"And now that I know he ended up becoming Bran's Greenseer predecessor at that cave, I suppose there was more to those rumors than I thought," He thought.

Nodding almost imperceptively as he got an answer to that mysterious use of arrows that had been bothering him, he almost didn't notice Arya's hand on his. Then he turned to the side and saw her urgent expression.

"Jon, can I please talk to you in private before you begin?" She asked him.

He glanced at the others in their group for a moment, before returning his gaze to his little sister's. "Of course," He responded. "Please excuse me for a moment."

After their respectful nods, they moved about 30 steps away from the group and that was when Arya took a deep breath.

"Brother," The youngest Stark girl began, "I can imagine that now that you have become a king, not to mention a god, some of your priorities must have changed. You have our people to look after, and from what you said, a huge army wearing a different face of **** that you must defeat for all our sakes. But, need I remind you that Theon betrayed us?" She asked in an angry tone. "He broke Robb's trust, robbed him of Winterfell at a critical time in his war against the Lannisters, and, worst of all, killed Bran and Rickon. I learned most of this after it happened, true, but still, are you really going to make a deal with him and his sister just to buy some time before you have to handle this Dragon Queen somehow?"

Now it was the secret god's turn to take a deep breath as he thought long and hard on how to respond to her. In the end, he placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression full of empathy.

"I understand how you feel," He said tactfully. "Robb was my brother too, after all. But first of all, know that Theon didn't actually kill Bran and Rickon. He couldn't find them and that's why the bodies he showed off were burned beyond recognition."

Arya's eyes widened in surprise and she started smiling excitedly. "They are still alive?!"

"Yes," Jon confirmed. "We still have to rescue Rickon from the Bolton army but you let me worry about that. As for Bran, he should be arriving at Castle Black soon so don't you worry, we will reunite with him as well in due time."

Then he sighed. "As for why am I willing to consider making a deal with Theon after everything else he did do...well, that has a lot to do with the fact that I used my new powers, at Sansa's prompting, to witness all the **** that he suffered at the hands of Ramsay Bolton."

She tilted her head at that, clearly not expecting that answer but still curious. "And?"

"And I have to admit that, short of execution, I am of the opinion that Theon has already paid for his betrayal very dearly," Jon confessed. "Ramsay is the most brutal monster that walks in the skin of a man I have ever seen, Arya, and I can't rid the world of him soon enough. All the ****, castration, and sick games with his mind left him repeatedly begging for ****, and then Ramsay denied him."

"Then I suppose that...he hasn't just walked away from his crimes," Arya conceded in a begrudging tone.

"On that, I agree," The King said with a nod. "And that is why I am willing to make him and his sister an offer of alliance instead of just taking his head. Well, that and the fact he also found the strength inside after being broken by Ramsay to outrun his fears and rescue Sansa from Winterfell."

"Besides," He continued, "you know how the Ironborn are like. We do need to deal with Euron after his failed **** attempt because that cannot go unanswered, not to mention the fact that as long as he is king, the western borders of the North and the Riverlands are exposed to constant raiding or worse, invasion. But it will be much easier to secure a lasting peace and to gain access to some of their resources and ships if I can make an alliance with Yara and make sure she is the Ironborn leader I have to negotiate with. And with Theon at her side advising her, things may go more smoothly, especially if I officially pardon him. Sansa assured me that he has been haunted with guilt over what he has done to our House so, in this case, I think reconciliation is a smarter move for the benefit of the new domains I was entrusted through Robb's will."

Arya was silent for a long moment as she considered his words but then she locked her gaze with him, probably so that she could look him in the eyes directly. After a few seconds, she sighed. "Very well, I trust you. And I have to say, that does make sense. But, maybe make him sweat a little before you reveal your intentions to grant him a pardon? For me?"

Jon chuckled. "Don't worry, I have a feeling that watching me, of all people, riding my dragon while staring at him will do more than that to him."

His little sister actually laughed at that, which made him smile, realizing he hadn't heard that sound of amused enjoyment from her in years.

At that moment, however, they were interrupted by the approaching steps of Tycho Nestoris. "Your Grace," he said with a nod of respect. "The canals are empty now, and we have started rallying the City Watch, our archers, and our navy around them in case the Ironborn start attacking in their panic, so I believe you can begin."

"Good," He responded. "In that case, I am ready."

The banker smirked. "I am looking forward to seeing this display of magic. I am sure it shall be...spectacular."

"I hope it lives up to your expectation," The secret god replied before turning around to the steps of the House of Black and White.

Before long, he had made his way to the top and started staring at the blackened side of the door that was made of Weirwood.

He paused for a moment and made the show of slowly placing his hand on the dark door.

"I wish that, in a few seconds, the entire fleet directly under the command of Yara and Theon Greyjoy is transported to the inner canals of the Free City of Braavos, with Yara's flagship appearing in the waters closer to my current position, without those ships colliding with one another, while the magical abilities that my sister Sansa now has grown a little stronger at the same time," Jon said, thinking of some of the wishes he had made for her in that regard so that he could activate the other section of the wishes he had worded; such as her ability to understand any language in the known world, and more.

With that, Jon turned around and raised an eyebrow, noticing that the wind had suddenly gotten much stronger and it had moved more than a bit of fog into the canal area.

"That's...strange," He muttered. "I didn't include that effect of the wish. Could it be just a coincidence or something in Braavos reacting to my powers?"

Before he could contemplate that possibility further, he heard countless splashes of water all along the canals, which made his mind return to the situation at hand. The fog dissipated as quickly as it had arrived when the winds strengthen and to Jon's widening smirk, he saw many, many ships as far as his eye could see.

And directly at the deck of the ship he had willed to appeared on the island, was a familiar face that gave him mixed feelings.

The secret god took a deep breath and climbed down the stairs as fast as he could.

Sansa entered the Great Hall of Ironrath during the morning and stared for a brief moment. Even after all this time, Magash Char's height and intimidating armor still impressed her. Then she tilted her head, wondering when was the last time a Northern Lord had welcomed a giant within his great hall and offered her food to invoke the guest rights.

Shaking her head, she advanced as she looked around. All the living Forresters by blood or marriage were there, including the bastards, Josera and Elsara Snow, standing firmly beside their siblings as looked down on a map. Even Gwyn Whitehill was there, holding hands with her bethroded, Asher, which Sansa took as a good sign. Val was also around, the castle forged sword she had told her about sheathed around her hips. Near the giantess among them was Tormund, who was probably there not just to hear what was going to be said during the War Council but to translate to become Magash's interpreter in the Old Tongue. And of course, Lyanna Mormont was examining the map as well, the ruler of Bear Island keeping a calculating expression on her face.

"Hmm, I was expecting Lord Glenmore, Rodrick's father-in-law, to be here," She murmured under her breath, which the guardian beside her seemed to pick up.

"I saw him leading some soldiers through the gates of Ironrath about an hour ago," Brianne of Tarth whispered. "He must be busy with something important."

Sansa nodded to herself and approached the table, her protector close behind. Before long, she looked down at the map and noticed the additions that represented their forces and their estimates for their enemies' numbers, and pieces representing lines around the keep, starting at the top of nearby mountains.

Rodrick turned up to look at her. "Lady Stark," He greeted. "Thank you for joining us. I just wanted to discuss some of the battle plans with you so that we are all on the same page and perhaps make some modifications if anyone has any input to add."

Sansa nodded back, pleased at being included in the discussion. "Sounds good. Well, you know this region better than us, Lord Forrester. What do you suggest?"

"We don't have enough space within the walls of Ironrath to both bring the larger army you brought with you and our reinforcements from House Glenmore and House Tully, while also keeping our remaining stores of supplies for long," He declared flatly. "In fact, I estimate that we wouldn't last a week-long siege this time around. Regardless, it is a moot point, because we simply wouldn't all fit inside. Our walled town and keep is simply not as large as Winterfell and its own town I am afraid."

"So," Asher went on, "we are going to have to pick our battlefield outside the walls. Preferably somewhere where we can see the enemy approaching and that would make it hard for their cavalry to flank us but also close enough to the gates of Ironrath in case we need to make a tactical retreat."

With that, he pointed at the x they marked in the map and the blue-colored pieces that made up a line around the keep.

"After much thinking," Rodrick went on, "I believe it would be best to pick that spot for the coming battle. It's close enough to Ironrath if we need to turn back, and, while this winter has begun harshly, it has brought with it one benefit: the refilling of those two rivers that used to flow from those nearby mountains until it dried out a few years into the previous summer. They are not that wide, but they would still slow down any approaching cavalry charge considerably, which will allow us to react accordingly. To make sure we don't take chances, however, Lord Glenmore recently took plenty of men to start digging trenches beside the rivers themselves to make their approach even harder. Between all of this, our scouts, and the tall height of the giants, I believe we will be able to see any potential ambush coming before it can begin properly."

There was a long moment of silence as the others contemplated the plan, broken only by Tormund translating what was said to the giant chieftess, who was nodding slowly and constantly. Sansa shrugged almost imperceptively at that. Technically, she could understand the Old Tongue now due to the wording from some of Jon's wishes but, unlike her resurrected brother, she had no good way to explain how that didn't involve revealing her betrothed's godly secret so she just kept quiet about that. Eventually, Val nodded as well.

"Seems like a good plan," The Princess of the Free Folk said. "I especially like the measures taken to deal with his more numerous horses. I have been trying hard to increase the training of my people ever since I returned and King Jon equipped them with steel weapons but we all remembered how devastating the cavalry of King Stannis was when he moved against us."

Then she turned to Sansa. "We will gladly spill the blood of those Bolton scum that wants us all dead but the reality is that my forces will be much better positioned if we move against their infantry, mainly."

Suddenly, the sound of Magash Char hitting her furred cover chest resounded over the Great Hall.

"Giants...fight...horses," She declared with a thick accent; her vocabulary limited but clearly understanding enough to make that offer.

Val exchanged glances with Sansa and Rodrick before nodding vigorously. "That would be ideal. The giants would certainly be better able to handle a cavalry charge than we could and, unlike with the Free Folk, there is a considerable chance that some of their horses will panic at their sight and break formation."

Rodrick and Asher looked at each other after that suggestion before nodding and moving a tall wooden piece to the board in front of a figurine of a horse.

"Then the giants will counter their cavalry from the direction they come. We may have to adapt some of our formations depending on the exact direction they arrive but, thankfully, their tall legs allow them to move as fast as horses for a time so they should be able to adjust formations as needed. And thanks to our skilled blacksmiths and carpenters working day and night, most if not all of them will be equipped with simple but sturdy vizored helmets and ironwood shields. Between that and their long war hammers, they could probably smash through a cavalry, assuming they don't get outflanked from most directions.

Lady Lyanna nodded in agreement. "What about our bannermen? How should they be deployed?"

Asher looked at his older brother at that and he motioned for him to go on.

"Our respective infantries from Houses Forrester, Glenmore, Mormont, and Tully will be placed at the vanguard standing side by side with the rest of the Free Folk army," The most renowned warrior of Ironrath explained. "The archers will be placed directly behind them and someone will be coordinating with them when we want to let loose entire volleys of arrows at the same time. As for our own cavalry, thanks to the horses King Jon bought from Lord Harlaw and some of the ones he...transported from Riverrun, we now have nearly 400 riders-at-arms among our combined forces. We expect the Boltons to have much more, however, so, unless the Knights of the Vale and/or the reinforcements from White Harbor arrive before the battle begins, which seems unlikely given that our scouts report that the Boltons are less than a day away from Ironrath, I believe it will be best to keep them in reserve for the first few minutes of the battle, before moving them where they are most needed as the situation progresses."

The others mulled that over before nodding slowly at the sound logic. But then, Rodrick turned to look at Sansa straight in the eyes.

"In that case, all that is left to discuss is one very important detail," He stated. "When do you think King Jon will arrive astride his Ice Dragon, Lady Stark?"

The Lady of Winterfell in exile took a deep breath at that, having previously wondered when would they bring that up. "I imagine that my brother had to stay the night on Braavos after finding our missing sibling in order for his dragon to rest its wings," She said, unable to tell them details about his important negotiations with the Iron Bank delaying him because she had no way of explaining how it was that she knew that. However, assuming they can head back before noon today, I believe he will be able to reach White Harbor around dusk. There he might need to eat something while allowing his dragon to rest a bit but, after that, I believe he will be able to arrive at Ironrath at midnight at the latest, possibly sooner."

Rodrick scratched his chin at that, his expression thoughtful. "In that case, if Ramsay forces our hand into battle early once he arrives tonight, we will need to hold the line for a couple of hours until he arrives."

Then his expression hardened. "Which we can most definitely do. Now, brothers and friends all, let's go make the final preparations for the ****. At this time tomorrow, the North will be rid of House Bolton for good."

Sansa smirked at the shared sentiment and it grew when she saw it was echoed in the expressions of everyone present. And with that, the War Council was over and they started going their separate ways. However, before she could turn around, she noticed that Lady Mormont approached the warg among them, Josera Snow, yet again, presumably to talk with him about something once more. And yet he held a hand as he looked at her with an apologetic expression.

"I am sorry if this sounds dismissive, my Lady, but could you please wait a moment to continue with that discussion? I have need of speaking with Lady Stark."

Sansa blinked at that, while the young ruler of Bear Island shrugged. "Very well. I will wait for you outside."

And with that, she walked past her through the doors of the Great Hall, leaving the common area empty aside from themselves and Brianne of Tarth.

Josera turned back to her, offering a light smile.

"You have been spending some time with Lady Lyanna lately," Sansa noted. "Anything I should know?"

He shrugged. "Mostly, I have been answering her questions about warging and making sure my bear familiar understands that she is not to be harmed, since she has been quite fascinated with him."

"I bet," Sansa said with a chuckle. "I certainly know the feeling of interaction with the animal of your House sigil when it happens to be a majestic beast."

Josera nodded at that. "Still, sometimes I get the feeling that there is something else she wishes to ask me but has held herself back from that until now. Oh, well, I suppose she will tell me when it's important."

Sansa raised an eyebrow at that, wondering what could the blunt Lady of Bear Island have to say would make her pause. But she was snapped out of her thoughts by Josera's deep, calculating stare. Before long, he nodded with confidence in his gaze.

"I knew it," He said with a smile. "You have the spark too. I guess it makes sense, given your ancestry, and who your brother Bran became."

Suddenly, Sansa felt a chill down her spine, remembering the dream she had the night before...when she saw her reflection on a river and all she noticed was her wolf's face.

He must have seen the look of surprised realization on her face because he nodded. "I began sensing it a couple of days ago but I wasn't until today that I truly feel that the spark is strong within you."

Then he stretched his hand. "We are far from equals in society," He acknowledged. "So, I hope I am not overstepping my bounds. But still, allow me to welcome you into the magical world of warging, Sansa Stark. I suggest I help you train a bit in the art before the coming battle."

Aboard the deck of the flagship known as Black Wind, Theon Greyjoy felt his stomach lurch when he fell down after a sudden movement shook the vessel. Groaning, he stood up and heard countless shouts all around him before blinking rapidly.

"When the hell did we entered a channel?" He asked as he helped Yara rise to her feet. "We were less than 12 leagues from Meeren, in the open sea!"

"I...have no idea," His sister said in a disoriented tone, looking around frantically.

Then she tensed. "Wait...I know this channel."

Slowly, almost as if afraid to do so, she turned around and Theon actually saw his sister gasp in shock. Alarmed, he followed her gaze and his jaw joined hers on the floor.

"The Titan of Braavos?!" He asked, stunned. "But...what...how?" He babbled, unable to comprehend how they had gotten there.

Suddenly, Theon heard the loud flapping of wings. Too loud to compare it to any bird he had ever seen. But before he could turn around to look for the sound, he heard a voice he would have recognized anywhere.

"I am sure you have many questions," The familiar voice said. "I will be happy to answer them."

The former ward of Ned Stark swallowed as he turned around and the sight before him took his breath away.

Jon Snow was in front of him...while riding a huge, blue dragon!

The man's expression turned neutral. "Hello, Theon. It has been a while."