Jon fights the wight

Jon Snow fights the wight of Othor, a ranger of the Night's Watch who had been found dead in the haunted forest days earlier, inside the Lord Commander's solar. The attack occurs late at night, after Jon has been confined to his cell for drawing a knife on Ser Alliser Thorne. The wight, animated by an icy blue radiance in its eyes, moves silently and feels no pain, even when Jon severs its arm and slashes its face. The severed hand continues to crawl and claw at Jon's leg independently. Ghost, Jon's direwolf, intervenes, grappling with the creature and buying Jon precious seconds. Jon ultimately defeats the wight by setting it ablaze with oil from a lamp, a tactic he improvises after the creature's dead flesh proves impervious to steel. The fire consumes the wight completely, leaving only charred bone and cooked meat. The fight reveals the true nature of the threat the Night's Watch faces: the dead do not stay dead, and conventional weapons are useless against them. Jon's quick thinking and bravery save Lord Commander Mormont's life, earning him the Old Bear's gratitude and the gift of the Valyrian steel sword Longclaw. The event also forces Jon to abandon his plan to desert the Night's Watch and join his brother Robb's war in the south, as he realizes his place is on the Wall, guarding the realms of men against the darkness beyond.