A/N: Aye, this is short, and there's a reason for that.

Sorry for vanishing, but the show murdered me and my crew. Back in 2019 we tried writing this in the wake of the finale, but we couldn't.

It just hurt too much. Every. Single. Time.

I won't call it writer's block, but for awhile there, a long while, it truly felt like it. None of us could even bring ourselves to go near anything GOT related. For a grand show like that to simply end on such a rushed note when they easily could've had more all the world-building, characters, and everything to simply be thrown away in favor of shock value...

That last season...it just butchered everything.

Tonight the team and I sat down, talked things over, and put it to a vote. Some of us were in favor, some of us were against it. Mine was the deciding vote. Seems obvious what it was.

We worked long and hard through the night to bring this to you, and we've got more updates on the way. Obviously this tale isn't going to end in a rushed way like Season Eight. We'd sooner chop off our hands than let everyone down like that. Now, I could go on and leave a big honking author's note answering questions...or I can get us back to the story. Let's go with the latter then, shall we?

Yes, this is short, but its a way of getting the gears moving again.

Quote below is a modified version of, well...

...lets just say...events to come.

"And so he spoke...and so he spoke...

~?

Not a Soul to Hear (Interlude)

The killing of men is a thankless task, one none should celebrate.

Naruto took no pleasure in this violence. Not the blood on his blade, nor the cries of the injured and the dying. Not the bodies underfoot. Nor the wound in his back. Seven Hells the bloody thing itched when he swung his sword. A stray Frey archer had gotten lucky. Never again. He'd hacked the man's head off for his supposedly "lucky" shot. Someone had applied a hasty poultice to it and wrapped the wound in clean bandages before he'd gone back out. In the chaos, it was both best he could hope for and less than he needed. It would hold. It had to.

"Keep going, lad." Ulric clapped him on the back and the blond fought down a hiss as his wound howled in protest. "We're nearly there."

Well, at least he'd stopped calling him prince in this chaos.

They said a good leader should lead from the back, but he couldn't bear the thought of leaving his men in this chaos.

He tried to ignore the bodies underfoot as he cleared the last few steps into Walder Frey's keep. His men fought with him every step of the way, forming a protective phalanx around him as they cut a bloody red swathe through the chaos. None dared speak further for fear of angering him.

"Gods above!"

That is, until Drogon surged by, belching flame upon a group of Frey archers in the tower above. Rhaegal wasn't far behind, and with him came Viserion. Even from this distance, it was impossible to ignore their screams. Some of the men made a sign with their fingers. Naruto fought down a curse. Blast it all. In hindsight, he should've considered how he and his brothers might react to the bloodshed, but he simply hadn't considered it at the time. No. That wasn't it. He'd made assumptions; assumed that Daenerys would be able to keep her children under control. She hadn't -or rather, couldn't!- and everything had gone to pot because of it.

Naruto grit his teeth and advanced.

Every soul would say that the Freys had attacked first.

Of course they had; most of them were mad with a rage not of their own making. As far as poisons went, Basilisk Blood lived up to its name.

Two men broke through to rush him and he spun to meet them in a whirling dervish of steel. A clumsy swing was easily batted aside, then he yanked shunted the larger one's shield out of the way and carved a trench into his chest. He slumped with a bloody gurgle. His fellow stumbled back, alarmed by the sight, and Naruto showed no mercy. He cut through his face and bounded towards a third even now surging around the corner, no doubt responding to the noise. Dark eyes widened in shock and fear as the Frey fumbled with his sword too late.

"Wait, no! Stop! You can't-

Even as the poor sod babbled at him he surged forward and used his weight to slam the Frey against a wall. Grasping fingers flailed at his face, trying to gouge at him to no avail. In a single swift movement he plucked a dagger from his belt and rammed it through his victim's throat. The blade bit deep and those flailing hands flew away, vainly trying to staunch the bleeding.

Still, the Son of the Stag advanced as the man slid to the floor.

He knew on a fundamental level that it was wrong to kill your fellow man, especially with treachery so black as this. But in the same vein it was a necessary evil. Sometimes you had to commit vile acts in the name of good. Conversely, sometimes cruel men feigned at being good before they struck their foes down. Which was he, then? Good? Evil? Something in between?

The question plagued him as he waded through the madness.

These survivors -because they had to leave some- would sing songs about this, and not the sort he liked. They would call it the Red Wedding after this, or perhaps the Black Wedding, for this foulest of treachery. Could it be called such when old Walder planned to strike first?

Was he doing the right thing?

He had his answer when Daenerys of all people met him at the main doors, bright eyes sharp and shoulders stiff. She had her guards with her of course, yet her expression was anything but triumphant. Words sprang to his lips, but before he could voice them, the cloying scent of smoke and burned flesh reached his nose. Worse, they seemed to be guarding the doors themselves, preventing anyone from opening them. Naruto's stomach plummeted as he saw the ruined roof in the chamber above and once again, the ghastly stench of burnt flesh pervaded his nostrils.

No. No. No. He'd meant to take Walder prisoner and have him confess. Not...this...

No man could survive dragon fire. Certainly not a Frey. If the flames hadn't gotten him, the smoke would have.

"Open the doors." he forced the words out through gritted teeth. No one moved. "I said let me through, damnit! I need to see."

"You shouldn't." she laid a hand on his arm, stopping him cold. Her words held him. Riveted him. "He's dead, and his everyone in there with him. To a man."

A frustrated snarl built in the back of Naruto's throat and he he stubbornly choked it down. There would be no hope of occupying the Twins now; not after this disaster. What damage the dragons hadn't done might yet be repaired or even rebuilt, but no one would want to be anywhere near the crossing. Not after this disaster. Fear would accomplish what blade and fire could not. Half the realm would balk at this, the rest would be terrified by the madness this conveyed. Just the thought of it had him gritting his teeth. It didn't matter if they installed a puppet here, people would talk. Even in death, the enemy somehow managed to spite him.

And so passed the late Lord Walder Frey. With not a soul to hear.

A/N: No plan survives contact with the enemy.

Next chapter isn't quite so heavy as this one, but here we are.

Dragons are creatures not so easily controlled; it makes sense that they'd run amok during the killing and chaos. At their current size, they're large enough to do some damage; not the sort you'd expect in later seasons, but enough to be absolutely deadly. Of course that worked against Naruto. Time will tell if this comes back to bite the Baratheons.

My team and I will be doing our best to get back into the swing of things in the coming days, but remember, we all have jobs and families to care for.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

No preview this time...

...fine just two.

(Preview)

"And what of Roslin?"

She gave him an odd look. "Alive, for now. What do you plan to do with her?"

"We'll have to put her in charge of the Twins, she's the last living Frey...ghastly as it sounds.

"Bah, its too damn cold up here!"

Viserion swooped in and alighted on an broken outcropping behind him and nearly bowled him over with the downdraft from his wings.

"Hmm?" Naruto blinked his own dark thoughts away. "No, I'm fine." He muttered, palming his face. "Just thinking. And freezing my balls right off."

The dragon nudged him with his snout. Gods, he really was getting big. Already large enough to ride, he'd be an absolute monster at this rate...and that wasn't even taking his brothers into account.

R&R! =D