Jon, Ghost, and Tormund watch the giants ride by on their mammoths. Jon loses count at fifty, and figures there must be hundreds. Tormund hails one of the giants, an older, graying one. He is Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg, Mag the Mighty, their leader. As they ride back to Tormund's band, the talk turns to Ygritte. Tormund asks why he will not take the girl, since she obviously is interested. She and Longspear Ryk joined Tormund's band after Jon was assigned there by Mance, and she always beds down next to him. Jon says he will not father a bastard, and Tormund does not understand. Jon thinks how different the wildlings really are. He likes Tormund well enough, but many of the others frighten him. Rattleshirt and the Weeper would as soon slit your throat as look at you, Harma Dogshead hates dogs and kills one every fortnight to use its head on a pole for a banner, Styr is practically worshiped as a god by his people, Varamyr Sixskins is a warg that controls a snow bear, three wolves, and a shadowcat, and even more exotic peoples come from the far reaches of the north such as the men of the Frozen Shore who ride chariots of walrus bone, the ice-river clans of cannibals, the cave dwellers who dye their faces blue and green, and the Hornfoots, who walk on bare feet as hard as leather. Many of the latter have never seen the Wall and speak the Old Tongue rather than the Common Tongue, but Mance has forged them into a united people by winning each village and band over one at a time with words or songs or war. Ygritte rides to meet them as they return and asks Jon if he believes in giants now. She begins singing "The Last of the Giants." Tormund joins in, followed by Ryk, Tormund's sons Toregg and Dormund, and Tormund's daughter Munda. Soon, the whole band is singing. Suddenly, Orell, in eagle form, launches himself at Jon and tears at his face. He misses the eye, but Jon is badly hurt. Rattleshirt is there too, to bring Jon to Mance. Ygritte says she will go to.

Jon and Ygritte arrive at the Fist of the First Men, where Jon sees dead horses around the base. It is worse up top, where the snow is pink and dead horses are everywhere. Mance is there with Styr, Jarl, Harma, and Varamyr. Mance is furious at Jon for his lies and threatens to allow Styr to cut his eye out if he does not tell how many where there. Jon tells him. Next, Mance wants to know who was in command. Jon refuses to tell at first, and Mance threatens to turn him over to Rattleshirt if he does not start talking. He considers trying to kill Mance, but Mance realizes what he is thinking. Reluctantly, he tells Mance that Lord Commander Mormont was in charge. Mance says that he knows now why they had not been attacked yet and tells Varamyr to look for the wights and Rattleshirt to double the patrols and make sure every man has torch and flint. He tells Styr and Jarl to ride at first light. Rattleshirt wants to kill Jon now, but Ygritte speaks up and says they are sleeping together. Mance asks if this is true, and Jon says yes. Mance orders both of them to ride with Styr and Jarl on the morrow. He feels that if they can beat Lord Commander Mormont back to the Wall, they have won. Rattleshirt threatens Ygritte, and Jon moves to defend her. Rattleshirt is ready to fight until he notices that Ghost has returned and is watching them. On the way back to camp, Ygritte tells him they must now make good her statement that they are sleeping together.