Fight at the Fist

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Battle of the Fist of the First Men
Zippo514 BattleoftheFistFirstMenII.jpg
The Battle of the Fist of the First Men - by zippo514 ©
Conflict Conflict Beyond the Wall
Date 299 AC
Place Fist of the First Men
Result Others victory
Combatants
Night's Watch Others
Commanders
Lord Commander Jeor Mormont unknown
Strength
300 men Hundreds ++
Casualties
significant
Thoren Smallwood+
Ottyn Wythers+
unknown

The Battle of the Fist of the First Men was a lopsided loss for the Night's Watch. Taking place on the Fist of the First Men beyond the the Wall, the Night's Watch was unable to defend against the wights that were sent against them.

Background

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont led three hundred men on an expedition beyond the wall, with two hundred men from Castle Black and the rest from the Shadow Tower in search of the wildlings and if possible, to discover the whereabouts of Benjen Stark. Finding neither, Lord Commander Mormont chose the Fist of the First Men, an ancient ringfort, as his base of operations while he sent out scouting parties in search of information.

From the Fist, Mormont hoped to stop any march on the Wall, and strengthened their defenses, with spikes and pits, caltrops scattered on the slopes, with a ring of watchers around the camp and along the river, to warn of any approach.

When the men arrive at the Fist of the First Men they make camp. That night Jon approaches some of his brothers having dinner after attending to the Lord Commander. A curious conversation between the men follows.

Dywen is holding forth, spoon in hand saying “I know this wood as well as any man alive, and I tell you, I wouldn’t care to ride through it alone tonight. Can’t you smell it?”

Grenn is staring at him with wide eyes, but Dolorous Edd says, “All I smell is the shit of two hundred horses. And this stew. Which has a similar aroma, now that I come to sniff it.”

Hake pats his dirk and says “I’ve got your similar aroma right here.” Grumbling, he fills Jon’s bowl from the kettle. Grenn asks Dywen, what is it that he smells?

The forester sucks on his spoon a moment. He has taken out his teeth. His face is leathery and wrinkled, his hands gnarled as old roots. He replies “Seems to me like it smells… well… cold.” Hake tells him “Your head’s as wooden as your teeth,” adding “There’s no smell to cold.”

But Jon thinks there is, remembering the night in the Lord Commander’s chambers. He thinks to himself, it smells like death.

Battle

While waiting for the last of the search parties to return to decide on a plan of action regarding the wildlings, the Watch were attacked by hundreds of wights. Their volleys of arrows had no effect against the undead attackers and Mormont ordered them to use fire arrows, slowing the wights but not stopping them. The Watch was quickly overrun, but Mormont was able to form up about fifty survivors to break out of the Fist. [1]

Aftermath

After a crushing defeat, the majority of the Night's Watch who fought on the Fist were slain by the insurmountable odds. Those who survived were lead by Mormont on a grim march back to Craster's Keep where the next disaster occurred. [2]

Quotes

Sam … would you wake me, please? I am having this terrible nightmare.

- Dolorous Edd, to Samwell Tarly, in the midst of the Battle of the Fist of the First Men.

References and Notes