Sam is walking through the snow miserably, retreating from the Fist of the First Men. He wishes he had a horse, but there are few left and they are reserved for the wounded such as Black Bernarr, who stepped in a hole and broke his ankle three or four days ago. Lord Commander Mormont is leading the survivors from the Others attack back to the Wall. There were about fifty at the beginning, but some have succumbed to wounds, others have wandered off, and something has been picking off members of the rear guard from time to time. Sam wants to stop, but knows he will die if he does. He is also very cold. He volunteered to be a torchbearer, one of those forming a circle around the group for warmth, but Dolorous Edd pointed out that he had carried one earlier and lost it. He asks for mercy from any gods that will listen, prompting him to remember how Maslyn asked for mercy at the Fist right before he died. He finally trips over a root, cannot get back up, and decides to rest.

Sam thinks back to the attack. When he heard the horns, he woke to see Chett near him. He knew he had to get off birds saying they were attacked and asked Chett to help, but the steward ran off. He got a raven off to both Castle Black and the Shadow Tower as the men loosed a volley. He then drew his sword and went in search of others. Ser Mallador Locke passed at one point as well as some Shadow Tower men. He heard the commander of the Shadow Tower men, Blane, give the order to knock as a ranger exclaimed that hundreds of wights were approaching. The first volley had no effect, and the Lord Commander appeared to order them to use fire arrows. When he saw Sam, Mormont told him to return to the ravens in case he had more messages. As he waited, he wrote several messages based on what he heard. As the fire arrows were loosed, Dywen led a cheer, but they kept coming. At one point, he heard someone exclaim that one of the wights was a giant bear. He hears close quarters fighting as a Shadow Tower walks towards him and collapses in death.

Sam tries to stop thinking about what happened at the Fist, trying to think instead of his mother, or his sister Talla or Gilly from Craster's Keep. Grenn comes by and tries to get him up without success. He is joined by Small Paul, who says he will carry Sam. Sam does not want to move, and Grenn tells him to think of something else, like his ravens. This prompts Paul to ask if he can have one, but Sam says they are gone. He once again thinks back to the battle. The call went out to mount up, meaning the Fist was being abandoned. He opened the cages of the ravens, but they flew away without him attaching any of the messages he wrote. He then saw the wights coming, most of them wildlings, but a few wearing the blacks of the Night's Watch. He ran, coming upon some archers in another part of the camp. Ser Ottyn was there kneeling and staring, until a horse kicked him in the face. Sam found a horse and formed up next to Edd with most of the survivors. Thoren prepared to send out the reserves, but the Lord Commander ordered him to call them back and prepare to break out. They formed a wedge and prepared to charge when the wight bear appeared. Thoren charged and had his head lopped off, and then they charged and managed to win free. When they were clear, another member of the Watch leapt at him and took his horse, and he lay weeping until Edd found him. Sam remembers little from after that. Dywen managed to save five packhorses, of which three remain, and the Lord Commander organized the walkers and riders and set men with torches to guard the flanks and rear.

Grenn, Paul, and Sam begin to fall behind and are soon alone. An Other comes on an undead horse that had once belonged to a member of the Watch named Mawney. Paul attacks it, but the Other kills him. Sam clutches at his dagger in fear and then lunges blindly at the Other. He pulled his dragonglass dagger by mistake. It takes the Other in the throat and causes the entire creature to dissolve. The dagger is cold to the touch afterwards. Dawn breaks, and Grenn says if they follow quickly to the east they should be able to catch the Lord Commander and the others.