CHAPTER 20 | LONG MAY THEY SNEER

THROWING another piece of wood into the fireplace, Maia watched the flames crackle and spit out random sparks in her direction. She wasn't the best at creating a fire, and was currently struggling as Sam and Jon spoke in the chilly, stone room. Usually, they would've had their conversation in private, but both men knew that they trusted Maia enough now to be fine with her presence. Honestly, she was glad to finally feel welcome in any setting.

"He raised his hands ... and they stood up at once." Jon muttered, staring off into nowhere. "Tens of thousands of them. The biggest army in the world."

Maia looked up from the fire to meet his eyes. He was utterly terrified.

Sam glanced at his hands on the table. "What're you going to do?"

"I'm going to hope they don't learn to climb the Wall." Jon released a fake smile before taking a gulp of the drink in his cup.

"But ... the dragon glass?"

The Lord Commander shook his head. "No one's ever getting that back now. It wouldn't have matter anyway. There must have been a mountain of it."

Maia stood up, dusting off her hands as Sam muttered, "But you killed a White Walker."

"With Longclaw," Jon finished. "Some shattered steel and acted like they were glass, but Longclaw –"

"Isn't Longclaw Valyrian steel?" Maia questioned.

Both heads turned to her. "In fact, it is Valyrian steel. How did you come to find out?" Sam questioned.

"It gets very boring around here sometimes." She replied, taking a seat across from Jon. "I've found that reading all your books is fine entertainment. I think I've read up on Valyrian steel so much I could make my own sword."

He chuckled, looking at Jon. "How many Valyrian steel swords are left in the Seven Kingdoms?"

"Not enough."

Maia rested her hand on Jon's arm, even though Sam sat right beside them, watching it all. He didn't speak a word. Jon sighed, thanking her with only his eyes.

"The first Lord Commander in history to sacrifice the lives of sworn brothers to save the lives of Wildlings," he mumbled, and the two friends didn't know if they were meant to hear. "How does it feel to be friends with the most hated man in Castle Black?"

Maia smiled softly. "We're still here, aren't we?"

"You were friends with me when I first came here." Sam recounted. "And I wasn't winning any elections back then."

Jon raised his cup. "Here's to us then. Long may they sneer."

They both raised their glasses, clinking them together. Maia faked a glass around her hands, touching theirs with her own and causing them to crack a laugh. The Watch brothers took a large gulp.

Jon had noticed Sam taking a long pause, inciting him to ask, "What?"

Maia stood again when she noticed the fire dying out, and went over to sit down in front of it. The warmth was enticing and she moved around the wood to keep the flames ignited.

"I wanted to ask you something." Sam muttered, looking at his hands. "To ask something of you."

Jon urged his friend to continue.

Sam nodded as he grasped his cup for dear life. "Send me, Gilly, and the baby to Oldtown so I can become a maester." He couldn't help but recoil at his friend's shocked expression. "That's what I'm meant to be. Not this."

Maia's eyes went wide as she spun around to look at Sam.

"I need you here, Sam."

"I need you here too." The blonde agreed from her spot on the grungy floor. "What am I going to do without you or Gilly to talk to?"

The Lord Commander began to plead. "If you leave, who's left to give me advice I trust?"

"Well, there's Ed. And you have Maia here as well." Sam suggested with a shrug. "I'll be more use to you as a maester. More use to everyone now that Maester Aemon's gone. The Citadel has the world's greatest library. I'll learn about ... history, strategy, healing, and other things. Things that'll help when ... when they come."

Maia glanced back at the fire, relaxing her chin on her fist. "That sounds better than the books Castle Black has."

"Don't you think about leaving too," Jon seethed lowly, turning back to his friend.

Sam didn't know how else to word his begging. "If Gilly stays here then she'll die. And the baby she named after me will die. And I'll end up dying too, trying to protect them. Which means that the last thing I'll see in this world will be the look in her eyes when I failed them, and I'd rather see a thousand White Walkers then see that."

Maia knew Sam was right. With all the convicts in the Night's Watch, being a woman around Castle Black was enough of a threat. Having a baby there in the dead of winter was worse. She would miss her friend greatly, but the only way for her to be safe was to leave. Maia, for a split second, considered that option as well, but knew she couldn't leave Jon on his own.

Jon looked at his hands before releasing a long huff. He nodded slowly. Sam smiled at his friend's kindness, muttering, "Thank you."

The Lord Commander suppressed a grin. "You know that the Citadel will make you swear off women too."

"Oh, they'll bloody try."

Maia and Jon laughed. She noticed his hand inching lower to lie on his thigh under the table, and she reached her hand upward to cup his own.

Jon continued to stare at his friend with curious eyes. "Sam."

"What?" The larger man's expression screamed guiltiness.

"Sam." Jon clarified, watching Sam start to smirk. "You've just been beaten after death. How did you –?"

Sam chuckled. "Very carefully."

Maia patted Sam's spot. "Gilly had the same look. Don't worry."

The sworn brothers laughed together, and the blonde couldn't help but enjoy the sincere happiness on their faces. Jon took a sip of his drink. "I'm glad the end of the world is working out well for someone."

"I'll come back," Sam promised.

Jon nodded, raising his glass. "Till' you return."

"Until I return."

•••

Sam readied one of the horses Jon had so graciously given him to ride away, while the Lord Commander watched idly from his spot on the castle's deck. He didn't want the others to know that Sam's departure was physically tearing him up inside, and if he were to properly say goodbye, he didn't know what would happen.

Maia took a different approach. She hugged Gilly tightly as Sam held the baby in his hands. The blonde's squirmy arms forcefully wrapped themselves around Gilly, wishing she could never let go of one of the only people who first accepted her at Castle Black.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you." Maia muffled into the girl's matted hair. "Who am I going to talk to?"

Gilly shook her head. "You have Jon and ... and Ed. Hobb, also."

"The lack of females in that list is noted," Maia muttered, leaning away.

The Wildling took her child back and began cradling him in her arms. She lifted one hand, caressing her friend's cheek. "You have to tell him, Maia. Don't try to live out your days with him without discussing your true self."

Maia nodded as Sam guided Gilly over to their carriage, helping her onto it. The blonde found it hard to suck in her sniffles as snow glided on top of their heads. The gates opened and the pair slowly rode forward into the winter outside. Sam waved goodbye to Jon above.

Gilly took one last look at Maia. She raised her hand to wave, but Maia's vision of it was cut short as the gates closed.