«Guardaoriente»

INT. DRAGONSTONE - CHAMBER OF THE PAINTED TABLE

The camera floats over the painted table showing detailed carvings of rivers, holdfasts, and cities. A fire burns in the hearth.

CUT TO: BEYOND THE WALL

A raiding party consisting of JON SNOW, TORMUND, GENDRY BRATHEON, JORAH MORMONT, SANDOR CLEGANE, BERIC DONDARRIAN, THOROS of MYR and several Wildlings are ranging beyond the wall of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. The men trek through a frozen valley filled with jagged rocks. The Wildlings are pulling a sled loaded with gear and provisions. The camera shifts and the men are climbing a steep mountain covered in snow.

JON(to Gendry): Are you all right?

GENDRY faces JON and grunts.

JON: Ever been north before?

GENDRY: Never seen snow before.

TORMUND: Beautiful, eh? I can breath again. Down south the air smells like pig shit.

JON: You've never been down south.

TORMUND: I've been to Winterfell.

JON: That's the north.

The group of men continue north. A Wildling scout is ahead of the group surveying the area.

GENDRY(to TORMUND): How do you live up here? How do you keep your balls from freezing off?

TORMUND: You have to keep moving. That's the secret. Walking is good, fighting is better, fucking is best.

JON: There's not another woman within 100 miles of here.

TORMUND turns to look at JON and GENDRY.

TORMUND: We have to make due with what we've got.

JON glances at GENDRY. GENDRY backs away from JON and TORMUND.

TORMUND: This one is maybe not so smart.

JON: Davos says he is a strong fighter.

TORMUND: Good. That's more important than being smart.

TORMUND looks at JON as they continue to walk.

TORMUND: Smart people don't come up here looking for the dead. So, you met this Dragon Queen, huh? And?

JON: She'll only fight beside us if I bend the knee.

TORMUND: You spent too much time with the free folk and now you don't like kneeling. Mance Rayder was a great man, a proud man. The king beyond the wall never bent the knee. How many of his people died for his pride?

The camera pans out to a frozen vista. The men are walking across broken slabs of ice and tundra. There are mountains and a lake of ice in the distance. The view shifts to GENDRY walking along with THOROS, BERIC and SANDOR. THOROS is carrying his wine flask.

THOROS: Are you still mad at us, boy?

GENDRY: You sold me to a witch.

THOROS: Priestess. I'll admit, it is a subtle distinction.

BERIC: We're fighting a great war. Wars cost money.

GENDRY: I wanted to be one of you. I wanted to join the Brotherhood but you sold me off like a slave. Do you know what she did to me? She strapped me down on a bed, she stripped me naked --

SANDOR: Sounds all right so far.

GENDRY: -- and put leeches on me.

SANDOR: Was she naked too?

THOROS: She needed your blood.

GENDRY: Yes. Thank you. I know that.

SANDOR steps in front of GENDRY to halt him.

SANDOR: It could have been worse.

GENDRY: She wanted to kill me. They would have killed me if it wasn't for Davos --

SANDOR: But they didn't, did they? So what you whinging about?

GENDRY: I'm not whinging.

SANDOR: Your lips are moving and you're complaining about something. That's whinging.

SANDOR motions to BERIC.

SANDOR: This one's been killed six times. You don't hear him bitching about it.

SANDOR walks away to join the group. BERIC and THOROS smile to each other. THOROS holds his wine flask out to GENDRY who takes a large gulp and hands it back to THOROS.

THOROS: Good lad.

The camera shifts to the head of the line. JON is walking with JORAH.

JON: The first time I went north of the wall was with your father.

JORAH: He was a good man. He deserved a better son. Were you with him at the end?

JON: I was a prisoner of the Wildlings. But we avenged him. I want you to know that every mutineer found justice.

JORAH: I can't think of a worse way for him to go. The Night's Watch was his life. He would have died to protect every one of those men, and they butchered him.

JON: I hate that he died that way. My father was the most honorable man I ever met. He was good all the way through. And he died on the executioner's block.

JORAH: Your father wanted to execute me.

JON: I heard.

JORAH: He was in the right of course. It didn't make me hate him any less.

JORAH and JON glance at each other.

JON: I'm glad he didn't capture you.

JORAH: Me too.

JON stops walking and loosens the belt holding his sword.

JON: Your father gave me this sword. He changed the pommel from a bear to a wolf, but it's still Long Claw.

JON hands the sword to JORAH. JORAH slowly takes the sword and looks it over in his hands.

JON: Lord Commander Mormont thought you'd never come back to Westeros.

JORAH stops examining the sword and looks up to JON.

JON: But you are back and it's been in your family for centuries. It's not right for me to have it.

JORAH pauses, then nods at JON.

JORAH: He gave it to you.

JON: I'm not his son.

JORAH pulls the sword halfway out of the sheath and inspects the blade, turning it in his hands.

JORAH: I brought shame to my house. I broke my father's heart.

JORAH resheaths the blade and hands it back to JON.

JORAH: I forfeited the right to claim this sword. It's yours. May it serve you well and your children after you.

CUT TO: WINTERFELL - COURTYARD

Snow is falling into the courtyard. The ground is covered with several inches of snow. Several braziers are burning and a servant carries a bucket of steaming water across the grounds. ARYA is standing on the upper level looking into the courtyard. SANSA approaches her from behind.

ARYA: Father used to watch us from up here. He wouldn't say much. You probably don't remember. You were inside knitting all the time.

SANSA: I remember.

ARYA: One time the boys were shooting arrows with Ser Rodrick. I came out here after and Bran had left his bow behind just lying on the ground. Ser Rodrick would have cuffed him if he saw. There was one arrow in the target. There was no one around, just like now. No one to stop me. So I started shooting. And every shot I had to go out there and get my one arrow and walk back and shoot it again. I wasn't very good. Finally I hit the bullseye. It could have been the 20th shot or the 50th. I don't remember. But I hit the bullseye and I heard this.

ARYA starts a slow clap.

ARYA: I looked up and he's standing right here smiling down at me. I knew what I was doing was against the rules. But he was smiling so I knew it wasn't wrong. The rules were wrong. I was doing what I was meant to be doing and he knew it. Now he's dead. Killed by the Lannisters with your help.

SANSA turns to look at ARYA.

SANSA: What?

ARYA retrieves a raven scroll from her pocket and unrolls it.

ARYA: That's your pretty handwriting. Septa Mordane used to crack my knuckles because I couldn't write as well as you. "Robb, I write to you today with heavy heart. Our good King Robert is dead. Killed from wounds he took in a boar hunt --

SANSA: You don't have to read it. I remember.

ARYA: "Father has been charged with treason. He conspired with Robert's brothers against my beloved Joffrey and tried to steal his throne. The Lannisters are treating me well and providing me with every comfort. I beg you, come to King's Landing, swear fealty to King Joffrey and prevent any strife between the great houses of Lannister and Stark. Your faithful sister, Sansa."

SANSA: They forced me to do it.

ARYA: Did they. With a knife at your throat? Did they put you on a rack and stretch you until your bones started to pop?

SANSA: You don't know what it was like. I was a child.

ARYA: So was I. I would have let them kill me before I betrayed my family.

SANSA: They told me it was the only way to save father.

ARYA: And you were stupid enough to believe them. I remember you standing on that platform with Joffrey and Cersei when they dragged father too the block. I remember the pretty dress you were wearing. I remember the fancy way you did your hair.

SANSA: You were there?

ARYA: I was there standing in the crowd near Baelor's statue.

SANSA: And what did you do? Did you come running to the rescue? Did you fight off the Lannisters and save father?

ARYA: I wanted to.

SANSA: But you didn't. Just like me.

ARYA: I didn't betray him. I didn't betray Robb. I didn't betray our entire family for my beloved Joffrey.

SANSA: You should be on your knees thanking me. We're standing in Winterfell again because of me. You didn't win it back. Jon didn't win it back. He lost the Battle of the Bastards. The Knight's of the Vale won the battle and they rode north for me while you were off where, traveling the world?

ARYA: I was training.

SANSA: Training. Well, while you were training I suffered things you can never imagine.

ARYA: Oh, I don't know about that. I can imagine quite a lot.

SANSA: You never would have survived what I survived.

ARYA: I guess we'll never know.

SANSA: What are you doing to do with that letter.

ARYA: I don't know yet.

SANSA: Who did you show it to? Where did you find it?

ARYA: You're scared, aren't you? What are you scared of? You didn't commit any crimes. No one's going to hang you.

SANSA: Arya --

ARYA: Are you scared I'll show it to Jon and he'll be angry? No. That's not Jon. He'll understand. You were just a scared little girl all alone with the wicked Lannisters.

SANSA: Do you know how happy Cersei would be if she saw us fighting? This is exactly what she wants. This is what she's always wanted, to tear us apart --

ARYA: The northern lords will read it. They wouldn't think much of Lady Sansa if they knew how she did Cersei's bidding. What would little Lyanna Mormont say? She's younger than you were when you wrote this. Are you going to say, "But I was just a child"?

SANSA: You're angry. Sometimes anger makes people do unfortunate things.

ARYA: Sometimes fear makes them do unfortunate things. I'll go with anger.

ARYA turns and walks away.

CUT TO: - BEYOND THE WALL

The raiding party are marching single file acorss the frozen tundra. SANDOR stops to tie a fur cover over his boot that came loose. TORMUND approaches him.

TORMUND: You're one big ugly dog.

SANDOR: Fuck off.

TORMUND: They told me you were mean. Were you born mean or you just hate Wildlings?

SANDOR: I don't give two shits about Wildlings.

SANDOR looks up at TORMUND.

SANDOR: Gingers I hate.

TORMUND: Gingers are beautiful. We are kissed by fire. Just like you.

TORMUND points and motions to SANDOR's burned face. SANDOR slaps his hand away.

SANDOR: Don't point your fucking finger at me.

SANDOR walks away to rejoin the group. TORMUND begins smiling and walks after him.

TORMUND: Did you trip into the fire when you were a baby?

SANDOR: I didn't trip. I was pushed.

TORMUND: Ever since you've been mean.

SANDOR: Will you fuck off?

TORMUND: I don't think you're truly mean. You have sad eyes.

SANDOR stops and turns to TORMUND.

SANDOR: Do you want to suck my dick? Is that it?

TORMUND: Dick?

SANDOR: Cock.

TORMUND: Ah. Dick. I like it.

SANDOR: I bet you do.

SANDOR turns and begins walking, TORMUND follows.

TORMUND: Nope. It's pussy for me. I have a beauty waiting for me back at Winterfell. If I ever get back there. Yellow hair. Blue eyes. Tallest woman you've ever seen. Almost as tall as you.

SANDOR stops and glances at TORMUND.

SANDOR: Brienne of Tarth.

TORMUND: You know her?

SANDOR: You're with Brienne of fucking Tarth?

TORMUND: Well, not with her yet, but I see the way she looks at me.

SANDOR: How does she look at you? Like she wants to carve you up and eat your liver?

TORMUND nods.

TORMUND: You do know her.

SANDOR: We've met.

SANDOR and TORMUND begin walking.

TORMUND: I want to make babies with her. Think of the great big monsters. They'd conquer the world.

SANDOR: How did a mad fucker like you live this long?

TORMUND: I'm good at killing people.

The camera shifts to the middle of the line. JON and BERIC are walking together.

BERIC: You don't much look like him.

JON: Who's that?

BERIC: Your father. I suppose you favor your mother.

JON: You knew him?

BERIC: Of course I did. When he was Hand he sent me off hunting for The Mountain. Your Wildling friend told me the red woman brought you back. Thoros has brought me back six times. We both serve the same lord.

JON: I serve the north.

BERIC: The north didn't raise you from the dead.

JON: The lord of light never spoke to me. I don't know anything about him. I don't know what he wants from me.

BERIC: He wants you alive.

JON: Why?

BERIC: I don't know.

JON: That's all anyone can tell me, I don't know. So what's the point in serving a god that none of us knows what he wants.

BERIC: I think about that all the time. I don't think it's our purpose to understand except one thing. We're soldiers. We have to know what we're fighting for. I'm not fighting so some man or woman I barely know can sit on a throne made of swords.

JON: So what are you fighting for?

BERIC: Life. Death is the enemy. The first enemy and the last.

JON: But we all die.

BERIC: The enemy always wins. And we still need to fight him. That's all I know. You and I wont find much joy while we're here. But we can keep others alive. We can defend those who can't defend themselves.

JON: "I am the shield that guards the realms of men."

BERIC: Maybe we don't need to understand any more than that. Maybe that's enough.

JON: Aye. Maybe that's enough.

SANDOR stops and looks into the distance. There is a steep mountain ascending into the clouds in the distance.

SANDOR: That's what I saw in the fire.

SANDOR points towards the mountain.

SANDOR: A mountain like an arrowhead.

THOROS: Are you sure?

SANDOR turns to THOROS and nods his head.

SANDOR: We're getting close.

The men start walking towards the base of the mountain.

CUT TO: DRAGONSTONE - CHAMBER OF THE PAINTED TABLE

TYRION is sitting in a chair staring into the fire. DAENERYS stands across the room next to the painted table.

DAENERYS: Do you know what I like about you?

TYRION turns to look at DAENERYS.

TYRION: I honestly don't.

DAENERYS: You're not a hero.

TYRION: Oh. I've been heroic on occasion.

DAENERYS walks over to the fire and sits in the chair opposite from TYRION.

TYRION: I once charged through the mud gate of King's Landing.

DAENERYS: I don't want you to be a hero. Heroes do stupid things and they die. Drogo, Jorah, Dario, even this Jon Snow, they all try to outdo each other of who can do the stupidist, bravest thing.

TYRION: It's interesting these heroes you name. Drogo, Jorah, Dario, even this Jon Snow, they all fell in love with you.

DAENERYS: Jon Snow's not in love with me.

TYRION: Oh, my mistake. I suppose he stares at you longingly because he's hopeful for a successful military alliance.