It was a brutal battle, but the Nights Watch managed to hold Castle Black. The fighters on the ground killed almost all the invaders from the south, and the men atop the Wall were able to keep the wildlings from scaling too far up the monstrosity through various methods, one of which included dropping a huge section of the ice and launching a giant scythe at the climbers. Definitely not a pleasant way to die. Tormund is still putting up a fight, but Jon further injures him with a crossbow and orders him locked up. It certainly looks like a great victory for the Nights Watch...except that it isnt. Remember, Mance Rayder has an army of 100,000 troops. He was simply testing their defences on this night, and he still outnumbers them 1,000 to 1. The next day, as they assess their losses, Jon points out that they may be able to hold Castle Black for a day or two, but theyll never win. Knowing that, Jon has only one option left: find Mance and kill him. Mance was responsible for uniting all the tribes together, and if he assassinates their leader, the army will dissolve. Sam, ever the voice of reason, points out that even if hes able to get close to Mance, hell be tortured and killed. Jon knows this, but theyll die either way if he doesnt do anything. Jon and Sam walk through the tunnel, they take a moment to look at the bodies of Grenn, the giant and the other slain brothers. Jon orders that their bodies be burned, and then he asks Sam to open the gate and immediately close it once hes through. Before leaving, he hands Longclaw over to Sam, saying he promised Mormont that hed never lose it again. The two smile unreassuringly at each other before Sam watches Jon walk into the white wilderness. Its obvious that Jons plan is tantamount to suicide. Like he said, their forces wont hold for more than a couple of days. Theyll eventually be slaughtered, but if Mance is killed, that gigantic army of his may disperse. Jons always been one of the more intelligent of the Nights Watch men, and if this is the last idea he can come up with, then hes truly out of options. This is Game of Thrones, so dont be surprised if things change in an instant. This is a show that takes pleasure in continuously shifting the status quo. At this point, however, Jon is facing certain death.
Adam Holmes is a writer who loves a good story whether it's fact or fiction. When he's not day-dreaming about time travel, he's usually immersing himself in all things film, television and comic books. He hopes to one day break into the entertainment journalism industry. Yes, he is aware of his resemblance to Clark Kent and McLovin. Keep up on the latest geek news by following his articles at Unleash The Fanboy: http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/author/adam-holmes
