According to all that existed in his head then, the Huntsman should have been anything but distracted by the presence of the great beast at the young man's side. He should have been immune to an awe at the size of it, or at the very least not felt that nagging familiarity that had him looking again down at it before he nodded to Jon.

There was the sense somewhere in him that the sort of honor this young man wore across his shoulders as he did his cloak was rare among humans. That he had doubted its presence in all but the animals, although the Huntsman did not doubt its presence in him then.

"At my signal," he told him, pulling his bow from his shoulder as he made ready himself, an arrow extracted from its quiver. "We will unleash two volleys from the trees, then move in to finish our work with sword and steel." He waited only for the man's acknowledgement before he checked the others, then brought two fingers to his lips to whistle high and short.