Jon sends Val off to treat with Tormund (leader of the remnants of Mance Rayder's army). He wants them to not attack the wall and instead unite against the greater foe. Seems like it will be worth a try although Stannis will be cross if she does not make it back.
Jon is keeping dead bodies in the ice cells in the hope that they will turn into wights and he can study them. Know you enemy! The men are not too keen on this new-fangled scientific method lark, though.
Rumours are that a lot of the wildlings have gone off to a place called Hardhome to get on ships to cross the sea and escape the cold and the wights. Makes sense, except apparently Hardhome is a place that had doom of Valyria type natural disaster at some point in the past and is now haunted and evil. Which sounds like a load of old rubbish except that in this world supernatural stuff happens all the time. In any case there are likely to be no ships and since there is little shelter, all the wildlings will die and thus expand the wight army. Not great. There are caves like the ones Melisandre saw in one of her visions. Jon is hoping this is one of those prophesied futures that can be avoided.
