Apologies for the delay on this piece; been busy transitioning between jobs. Also I've been busy with my own writing. (I know, I know, with Lord of Winterfell I'm as slow as GRRM). Thanks to everyone who has supported this work thus far!

DONAL

Stannis glanced at the note when Donal entered.

"Your Grace," Donal nodded. "What is that?"

"A message from Bear Island, arrived an hour ago, about Jon."

"About Jon?" Donal frowned. "What do they have to say about Jon? And is it coming from the Mormonts?" Stannis sighed, and handed him the message. Donal scanned it, and glanced at Stannis. "Are you going to tell Jon?"

"I have to," said Stannis. "He needs to know, and with this he will have no choice but to accept my offer as Lord of Winterfell, where he can do more good."

"But we need him at the Wall," Donal frowned. With the heavy losses at the Fist and the Bridge of Skulls, the Night's Watch was crucially low on men, and more importantly lacking in leadership. Jon was only seventeen, but he showed promise. The smith slowly rose. "I should be with the my brothers."

"This farce has gone on too long," Stannis glowered. "I doubt will end today." Abruptly, Devan, Stannis's squire, burst into the room. "Ser. Your Grace. The Night's Watch has chosen a new Lord Commander."

"Good," Stannis declared. "Who was it? Mallister, Pyke?" Devan was silent. "Not Slynt?" Better not be him.

"No, Your Grace," said Devan. "Jon Snow."

"Snow?" Stannis glowered. "Summon him immediately." Devan rushed out of the room. Stannis turned to Donal. "What do you think?"

"Jon Snow?" Donal shrugged. "A good man. But he is young." Jon Snow, Lord Commander. He was a third Donal's age, and that would certainly rankle the upper ranks of the Watch. Not to mention Janos Slynt. Like it or not, the former commander of the Gold Cloaks had wormed his way into the higher ranks all too well, though the common men hated him.

"Jon has other uses," Stannis waved the parchment.

"If he wants it, he can have it," said Donal. "But he'd be of more use here."

"He'd be of more use defending the North than stuck here at the Wall."

"At least give him a choice," said Donal. The door swung open, and Jon Snow strode into the room.

"Your Grace," Jon Snow bowed. "Donal-"

"There was a raven from Bear Island," Stannis handed Jon the message. "From Lady Maege."

"Your Grace," said Jon. "I was just elected Lord Commander-"

"That is irrelevant!" Stannis glowered. "Your brother named you his heir shortly before he was murdered."

Jon stood back, stunned. "Your Grace?"

"Read it," Stannis ordered. Jon looked it over, then glanced back at Stannis, stunned.

"Robb Stark sent Lady Maege and Lord Glover to rally loyal men in the North to drive out the ironborn; with them was a decree naming you heir should he fall," Donal explained. "He made a good choice."

Stannis nodded. "Well, the Young Wolf is dead, so now there is no reason you shouldn't take your father's seat at Winterfell."

Jon hesitated, shock on his face. "Your Grace, I was just elected Lord Commander-"

"You're more use to the North in Winterfell than you are cooped up at Castle Black!" Stannis declared.

"As Lord Commander-"

"Your rule would not be as absolute as it would as Lord of Winterfell. You would have more men, and not be dealing only with criminals and second sons."

Such an appeal to power would have worked on most men, but not Jon. "What about the Watch?"

Stannis scowled. "They can bloody well choose another commander."

"Your Grace, they were on the verge of choosing Janos Slynt before my name was put forth."

Stannis sat back down forcibly. Jon would have made a good commander and could work well with Stannis. Mallister and Pyke would also have been good fits, albeit very different men. Janos Slynt, on the other hand...If it weren't for Stannis, that fool could have cost us Castle Black.

"If Jon resigns, they'll have another vote," warned Donal.

"Can't he give command to Mallister or Pyke?"

Jon hesitated. "I don't know if I can do that, Your Grace, or if there is precedent. What I do know is that those who have attempted to pass down command to their sons-"

"I'm not asking you to give it to any bastard you might have fathered with the wildling," Stannis declared, blunt as ever. "Just make sure the Night's Watch does not fall into Slynt's hands. Do you think the man who murdered your father would allow the wildlings to pass through the Wall? We both know what will happen when the dead arrive." Stannis shook his head. "Janos's black cloak is long overdue." Jon's brow furrowed. "What about that wildling, the red-haired one?" Stannis prodded. "What do you think will happen to her?"

Jon frowned. "Ygritte?"

"You want to keep her safe, don't you?" Stannis asked. "Have you accepted the title of Lord Commander yet?"

"No, Your Grace."

"If you decline my offer, perhaps I'll find some southern lord who would make a better Lord of Winterfell..."

Jon stiffened. "No, Your Grace. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. But I don't know if that Stark is me." His own brother gives him his father's seat, and he won't take it? "Besides, I can't abandon my brothers." Donal thought back to the young boy who was disappointed the Wall was not like the stories, and looked down on his less-fortunate companions. The boy who hoped he would win glory in the Night's Watch as a ranger. He's matured greatly. And he would make a better Lord of Winterfell because of his experiences on the Wall.

Stannis, however, wasn't impressed. "If you didn't want it, I would appreciate you telling it to my face rather than going behind my back to nominate yourself as Lord Commander-"

"Your Grace, one of my brothers nominated me without my knowledge."

"Without your knowledge?" Stannis scowled, sitting back. "Well, maybe you wouldn't make as good a Lord Commander after all. Maybe you wouldn't make a good Lord of Winterfell either. What I do know is that your brother wanted you to have your father's seat, and there are no true born Starks left."

Jon hesitated. "There is Sansa..."

"Sansa Lannister. A legitimized male bastard's claim is stronger than a woman's. Do you really want those who destroyed your family claiming Winterfell?"

Jon sighed. "No, Your Grace."

"So, what will it be, Winterfell or the Wall? The North, or the Night's Watch?"

"If I left, who would take over the Night's Watch?"

A rare smile appeared on Stannis's face, and he turned to Donal. "I know just the man."

"Who, me?" Donal looked Stannis over, shocked. He had instructed the boys a couple times on maintaining weapons and armor, and had taken over the defense of Castle Black. Though only a blacksmith, Donal knew he was still respected by the senior leadership. But Donal never saw himself as Lord Commander. As a former knight, he had commanded a small number of peasants, but no thousand-man order. Or rather, less than a thousand. "If, if I'm Lord Commander, who will run the smithy?"

"You have apprentices, don't you?" said Stannis. "Once Bolton is defeated, I will send some of his smiths to the Wall to replace you. I doubt they'd command the respect, or have the ability, that you do." Donal hesitated; a couple of the boys from Molestown had shown some skill at the forge, but it would be years before they were ready to take over from him. Then again, it's not like I'll be tending to the needs of Stannis's host much longer. "So it is settled. You will renounce your claim, and I will appoint Donal the new Lord Commander-"

"They wouldn't respond well to a king's command," said Jon. "Let me convince them instead."

"Jon is right," said Donal. "If I'm elected, they'll accept me the way they accepted Lord Mormont. If I'm merely appointed, they may not see me as their lord commander, merely some man Stannis installed to oversee the Watch." And I'd lose much of the respect I've accrued over the years.

Stannis was unconvinced. "And if Janos Slynt wins this vote, what then?"

"He won't," said Jon. "I know my brothers."

Stannis grated his teeth. "He was about to win it when you were submitted."

"I would trust Jon on this," said Donal. Most of those who voted for Jon would surely vote for him if Jon endorsed him.

"Alright, then, get on it with it," Stannis frowned. Jon nodded, and rose.

Donal followed him, and waited until they had left the King's Tower before speaking. "Jon, do you honestly think this will work?"

"They know you," said Jon. "Longer than they've known me. And my name carries weight." When they entered the hall, everyone went silent.

"Brothers!" Jon declared. "I am sorry, but I cannot accept this honor." There were groans and shouts of dismay. "I have only been on the Wall a couple years. I am not past twenty." The brothers glanced at each other, muttering. "I am not ungrateful, but I cannot accept this." In the corner, Thorne sneered.

"You see?" Janos grinned as he rose. "By his own admission, the boy is not cut out for command. But I am older, wiser-"

"There is one man here who would be more suited than I, but it is not you, Janos," Jon interrupted. "The one who should lead is one that made me the brother that I was, one who helped turn me from a boy into a man. One who has been here since Robert was king. One who reminded me not to view those of different backgrounds as lesser, for we are all Brothers. One who rallied Castle Black's defenses when there were so few to defend it. One who held this place first against the Thenns, and then again against Mance's host. One who faced down a Giant in the tunnels below the Wall, and survived." All eyes turned to Donal, who took a deep breath.

"What?" said Ser Alliser. "That blacksmith-"

"He's not just a blacksmith," said Sam. "He's one of the most respected men in the Watch-"

"Sam the Slayer's got a point," added Cotter Pyke; Denys Mallister nodded in approval. "Donal's not just another high-born with a sword up his arse; he actually works for the Watch."

"Come now, Cotter," said Denys. "No need for such vulgarities."

Cotter turned to Denys, and was about to speak when Janos interrupted them. "Ha! You think a blacksmith would be a better lord commander than me? I commanded the City Watch of King's Landing for Robert! I thwarted the traitor Ned Stark, and King Joffrey named me Lord of Harrenhal-"

"Joffrey's a king of worms now!" Someone snapped.

"Why aren't you back at Harrenhal?" Grenn added.

Janos turned red. "SHUT UP! You all don't know how to treat your betters, no wonder you all ended up at the Wall!" There were angry shouts back at Janos. The brothers glanced around at each other. Many didn't know Donal as well as Stannis did, but now he looked better than Slynt.

"Donal and Jon both repelled Mance!" Sam shouted over the din. "Janos only showed up when the battle was already won-"

"You weren't there, Slayer!" Ser Alliser spat.

"Neither were you!" Pyp called, much to the amusement of the brothers.

"But you won't be Lord Commander at all?" Grenn asked.

"I accept the title of Lord Commander only to do one thing; allow the wildlings to pass through the Wall," said Jon. There were murmurs of concern. "The wildlings may seem a bit rougher, but they are still living men like us. Those of you who were at the Fist know who are real enemy is, and that he doesn't care about thrones or riches, or what your family name is."

There was muttering amongst the brothers, but then Janos barked mocking laughter. "The bastard just wants some more wildlings to fuck. Is that your best excuse, Lord Snow? That we should let these savages warm your bed because the Others are coming to kill us? Seven hells!" He looked around, and noticed no one else was laughing, or even smiling.

"How will we feed them?" Bowen asked.

"We'll put them to work in the fields," said Jon. "Harvesting what they can for as long as they can. And they'll be forced to give up their treasures. We'll use that to buy food from Braavos."

"And their arms," suggested Bowen.

"Aye," said Jon. "We'll train them to our standards, and only if we can trust them, we'll rearm them with our own weapons."

Donal nodded. "There's plenty of good steel lying around collecting rust. Of course, if I'm the new Lord Commander, I'm going to need help at the smithy-"

"We're not seriously talking about letting savages through the Wall?!" Janos demanded. "And arming them?"

Bowen Marsh sighed. "Janos has a point. There are less than six hundred brothers left in the entire Watch, and Stannis took thousands of wildlings captive. What's to say we'll be able to handle a thousand or more armed wildlings in our rear?"

"Six hundred brothers will not be enough to hold off another assault on the Wall either," said Sam. "Whether they be wights or wildlings."

Bowen shook his head. "But you expect the wildlings to fight their own brethren?" Donal thought back to what Jon had told him. It depends on who's leading them against us.

"The wildlings aren't a cohesive hole, just hundreds of various tribes," said Jon. "The only thing that held them together was Mance, and the threat of the white walkers."

"And their hatred of 'crows,'" Bowen added.

"They fear the Others more than they fear us. Ultimately, though, it won't be my decision, because I won't be Lord Commander for long. I'm just saying what I would do as Lord Commander." Just then, Clydas marched into the room.

"What are you doing?" said Clydas. "I thought we picked a Lord Commander."

"We did," said Sam. "Only he, he declined. What are you doing here?"

"A raven just arrived," Clydas announced. "From King's Landing. Lord Tywin is dead." A muttering washed over the hall. A few brothers grinned, others seemed dismayed. Janos slumped down on his chair, the color draining from his face. Thorne scowled.

"I know some of you were planning on voting on Slynt to please Lord Tywin," said Othell. "But Lord Tywin is dead. I don't know Slynt that well, but I've known Donal for twenty years. Jon is right, he would make an excellent Lord Commander. And I also know that voting for Slynt will displease Stannis, which won't do us any good."

"Is that all you care about, pleasing Stannis?" Janos snapped.

"He's right here at the Wall," said Othell. "He's got nearly three times the men that we do. And he saved us from the wildings when no other king would."

"But you would let these same wildings through the Wall!"

"There is another option," said Jon. "A Lord of Winterfell could take them further south, where they wouldn't bother the Night's Watch."

Pyp rose. "So, are you leaving us, Jon?" An uneasy silence fell over the room.

"Aye," said Jon. "But when Stannis has reclaimed Winterfell, I promise you the North will finally start sending aid to the Wall."

"How much?" asked Janos. "A few beardless boys and graybeards? If Stannis reclaims Winterfell?"

Bowen, however, shrugged. "So long as we don't have to deal with the wildlings anymore, Jon would make a good enough Lord of Winterfell. And if they die fighting Jon's battles, everyone will be happier. Just get them away from the Wall."

"Uh, none of this really matters is we don't have a vote and don't choose a Lord Commander," said Sam.

Janos Slynt slumped back, defeated. He starred blankly as the votes were again counted, and again the arrowheads outnumbered the copper pennies. He will not go away quietly. Donal frowned. Janos would remain a constant thorn in his side, but hopefully he could mollify him with a command of one of the other castles. He turned to Jon, who smiled back.

The Wall was his. Donal Noye, the blacksmith of Storm's End, had thought that Castle Black would be a simpler life then in the Stormlands. But the Watch needs me for this.