If you want to help me financially, you can do it on https://www.patreon.com/NeverluckySMILE
Shifting his feet forward, Garlan carefully and slowly approached the creature of legend with his sword held in a mid-guard while Oberyn did the same. The creature didn't move, didn't raise its weapon into a guard. It just stood there, watching the two of them approach with those unnerving blue eyes as if they were not even worth its time to consider. The instant Garlan was close enough he lunged, his thrust aimed directly at the base of the creature's throat at the top of its chest. The creature didn't dodge. It didn't block. Garlan's aim struck true as the tip of his sword found its mark…and did absolutely nothing besides vibrate in Garlan's hand so violently that he could've sworn he'd struck a hunk of stone rather than a man. The creature just stood there, Garlan's sword pressed firmly against his throat like it was nothing. Then it smirked. A sickly, twisted sight that sent a new wave of fear through Garlan.
What happened next passed in a blur. The creature moved its arm, a flash of blue-ice and his sword was knocked away with such force that it was all Garlan could do to even hold onto the hilt! Then pain blossomed in his chest as he suddenly found himself feeling weightless, like he was swimming in the ocean. The sensation ended as his back impacted the ground and he found himself rolling through the snow. Managing to stop himself, Garlan looked up, his chest aching like a blacksmith had just taken his heaviest hammer to his chest. 'What the–?! How far did it–?! Oh shit!'
In the time it'd taken him to right himself, the creature had crossed the distance between them, its sword raised above its head ready to end him. Bringing his sword up, Garlan caught the blade made of ice against his own, the shock of the impact making his arms shake. 'This is impossible!' Garlan wanted to scream as he strained against the ice-blade. 'The creature's only using one hand!'
The creature's smirk ended as it again defied all laws of sense as it moved like water, dodging the spear thrust that should've taken it in the back of the head. Thankful for the reprieve, Garlan clutched at his aching chest with his left hand as he watched Oberyn dance around the snow, his spear moving like a blur. But despite the speed and skill of the Red Viper of Dorne, the creature was just simply faster as it dodged or swatted away every attack Oberyn sent its way. 'I need to help him!' Garlan groaned, fighting against the pain as he forced himself to his feet. Looking down at his sword, he frowned as he noticed what looked like…ice on his blade. Bringing his gloved hand towards the ice, he touched the surface of his blade and frowned. 'It's cold. How…How could the steel be so cold? I – No! Stop thinking about it! Oberyn needs my help!'
Forcing himself to move, Garlan sprinted across the clearing while the creature's back was turned towards him. Normally his honor as a knight would be disgusted at the thought of attacking anyone while their back was turned. But this was not a normal situation. Not by a long shot. A fact which was proven as the creature daftly knocked Oberyn aside and turned just as Garlan's blade was about to kiss its flesh. Quicker than his eye could follow, the creature lashed out with his hand and – and caught his sword with its bare hand. He tried to pull on it, but the creature was impossibly strong as it just stood there, holding his sword in its hand, and not moving. Then, to Garlan's horror, the cold returned. And starting at where the creature had a hold of his sword, the blade started turning ice white. Within two blinks of an eye, the entirety of his sword blade was white, like it'd been frozen. There was a swoosh of air as the creature brought its ice-sword up…and shattered Garlan's sword with a single stroke.
The sudden breaking of his blade threw Garlan even further off than he already was. It was only because of sheer luck that he was able to duck away from the creature's follow up strike that nearly took his head. 'It…It froze and broke my sword…how? This is the best steel coin can by! Forged by Tohbo Mot himself! How! How can this be happening!'
Now without a blade, it was all Garlan could do to avoid the seemingly endless onslaught of slashes the creature was sending his way. He was so focused on his opponent that he began neglecting his surroundings, and that proved to be his downfall as his heel caught on a root and tripped him. Now on the ground and without a weapon, Garlan was helpless to do anything but watch as the creature, its smirk still in place, brought its blade up to run him through. 'Seven…Is this…Is this where it ends? Grandmother…brothers…sister…Karsi…I–'
A flash in the moonlight brought his salvation as Oberyn suddenly appeared, his spear lashing out like a snake and catching the creature across the face. The creature screamed, an unholy sound of pure agony as it retreated away from Garlan and Oberyn, the latter of whom had placed himself in the path of the creature with his spear at the ready. "You still alive, Garlan?"
"Seven only know how," Garlan muttered, his heart hammering in his chest as he got to his feet. Frowning, he stared down at the useless hilt in his hands before looking at Oberyn's spear, which appeared none the worse for wear despite having impacted both the creature and its sword far more frequently than his sword had. As he took the brief respite to think about it with the creature still thrashing about in pain while it clutched at its face, the creature hadn't bothered to dodge Garlan at all, but had been doing everything it could to avoid Oberyn's spear. And even now, he could see those unnatural blue eyes glaring hatefully at the spear. "What's with your spear?"
"Valyrian steel," Oberyn answered out of the corner of his mouth. "Makes sense…I guess. Valyrians were masters of fire magic…and this creature seems to be one with the cold. Either way, you're out of the fight Garlan. Stay back and—"
The creature threw its head back and let out an ungodly scream. A scream so foul that Garlan instinctively fell to his knees and brought his hands to his ears to protect them. Pain and fear raced through him as he tried to fight against the noise ringing through his head. But fighting against the fear and pain was like trying to swim against the current of the Trident while wearing full plate armor. Beside him, Oberyn had also fallen to his knees, his hands pressed against his ears and clearly in the same type of pain as he.
But then, without warning, the pain and fear stopped. The scream was still ongoing and ungodly but the pain and fear it brought was…simply gone without a trace. The creature seemed to realize that whatever it'd been doing was no longer working as it ceased its scream and suddenly turned its back on the two of them. Looking past the creature, Garlan let out a sigh of relief and a quick prayer of thanks to the Seven. Standing just before the tree line of the clearing, his black cloak billowing behind him and blood-red blade drawn was the sorcerer himself.
"A neat trick…white walker, using a Force Scream to instill fear and pain. But it was sloppy, untrained, and weak," the sorcerer stated, walking out into the clearing, cloth covered face focused on the creature. "Oberyn, Garlan. You two alright?"
"A few cracked bones," Oberyn answered loudly. His spear lowered as he stepped back so that he was standing alongside Garlan. "And I don't think either of us will be hearing well for a few days. But was it really necessary for you to just sit back and watch this thing kick our asses and nearly kill us before you stepped in?"
Blinking, Garlan rubbed at his ears. He…He couldn't have heard that right. The sorcerer was just…sitting back and watching them fight against this creature? And–And doing nothing?!
"Neither of you were ever in mortal danger," Nox replied dismissively as the creature snarled at him. "Besides, now I have a gauge of this creature's capabilities. And you two now have a better understanding of just what we are facing."
"Oh…fuck you Nox," Oberyn scoffed. "I understand why…but still…fuck you!"
Even from across the small clearing, he could see the sorcerer chuckle. How in the Seven hells could the man laugh in this situation? "I think you'd enjoy that far too much, Oberyn. Now then…time for your little secret to be out in the open, white walker."
The creature snarled and screamed, the same type of scream that'd let loose before that sent Garlan and Oberyn to their knees. But unlike before, there was no pain. No fear. It was just…noise. Then, the sorcerer moved. There was no logical explanation behind his movement. One moment, he was standing a dozen paces away from the creature. The next, he was past it with the creature hollering in agony and clutching at its arm. Or at least the stump where its arm had once been attached. Nox then turned and swiped low, removing both creature's legs, felling it as easily as if he were felling a tree. 'By the gods,' Garlan marveled as he watched just how effortlessly Nox had taken down a creature that had been so easily handling both himself and Oberyn. 'I knew that Nox was powerful…and skilled with a blade. I mean I'd heard the tales…but still…by the gods.'
Standing above the creature, Nox leveled his glowing red sword at the creature's face. "Here I was thinking that I was going to have to trudge across the entirety of the land north of the Wall in order to find one of you in order to prove your existence to the people south of the Wall. But it appears that the Force has favored me today by delivering one of you right into my lap."
Holding onto his chest and fighting against the pain that raced through him with each step he took, Garlan made his way up beside Nox with Oberyn. The unnatural blue eyes of the creature glared hatefully at all three of them. A low sound came from within its throat, and Garlan flinched, preparing for another scream. Except it wasn't a scream. It was something that was arguably more terrifying. The creature was…was laughing at them. Glancing towards the other two men, he could see that Oberyn was unnerved by the sound. And Nox, even though it was hard to tell what he was thinking with that cloth covering most of his face, seemed put off as well.
"And what is so amusing, walker?" the sorcerer asked.
Garlan had no idea what happened next. One moment the creature was laying legless and without an arm on the ground, and the next some sort of blue glowing symbol appeared on its chest. And the next moment the creature froze like a block of ice before shattering into thousands of pieces, leaving the three of them staring dumbly at the spot where it once was.
"Well… That was…unexpected," Oberyn said, catching Garlan's eye before motioning him to take a step back.
Garlan made to move back, but before he could he was hit with another wave of cold. And fear. It was…similar to what he felt when facing against that creature. But this time it was…different. The cold and fear were accompanied by a–a darkness. That was the only word he could use to describe it. A darkness so thick and deep that it felt like no light, not even the light of the Seven, could pierce through its depths.
"AAAAHHHHH! FUCK!"
Garlan couldn't help but jump clear off the ground as he heard the sorcerer's anger fueled scream. The sorcerer threw his arms out as if he were swinging at some invisible object around him, and in response five trees nearby were reduced to splinters as they shattered. Not snapped or toppled. Shattered in a flurry of splinters. 'By the gods!' Garlan thought, his heart thundering in his chest as the fear and darkness pressed down on him while he watched the sorcerer reduce trees wider than men to splinters with mere waves of his hand.
Then, as quick as the fear and darkness came, so too did they disappear. And with their disappearance, so too did Nox's raging. "Oberyn," Nox called out, his voice surprisingly calm considering the rage he'd just displayed.
"Nox?" While he looked calm on the outside, Garlan could hear the nervousness in the voice of the Prince of Dorne, even with just a single word.
"Our absence did not go unnoticed. Stark and the others will be here soon." Nox stated, turning on his heel and facing west. "Wait here for them with the child and explain what happened."
"And where will you be going?" Oberyn asked. His voice sounding slightly surer of itself as Nox began making his way west.
"To get answers," Nox answered simply before disappearing into the trees.
As soon as he was gone from his sight, Garlan felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. "Gods," he muttered, turning around, and limping towards where they had left the child on the stump. "Have you ever seen the sorcerer so…?"
"Angry? No." Oberyn replied, shaking his head as they reached the stump and spotted the child, still wrapped in furs and mercifully asleep. "I don't even know if I could consider that anger. More like…frustration. And if that's the case, I can only imagine what he was like after the attempted assassination of his wife and the Starks at his wedding feast."
The thought made Garlan shutter. If that, that feeling was only the sorcerer being frustrated… Then he never wanted to be around the man when he was angry. Picking up the child, he grinned slightly as a slight bit of joy went through him as he watched the child shift and get comfortable. "Where do you think he's going?" he asked, turning around and sitting down on the stump.
"Where do you think?" Oberyn asked, using his spear as a crutch to help lower himself so he too could sit down next to Garlan. "There's only one other settlement out here. From the stories we've heard of the man, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that he was the one who left the child out here for those…things. While I'd love to see Nox's brand of justice…I doubt either of us are in any condition to keep up with him. And besides…it looks like our presence was noted far sooner than we thought."
True to his word, Garlan began seeing torches dancing between the darkened trees of the forest. "Lord Garlan! Prince Oberyn! Nox!"
"Over here, Lord Stark!" Garlan yelled back, an act he instantly regretted as his ribs gave him a painful reminder that they were still broken.
The first face he could make out was Lord Stark, the older man running at a pace that almost seemed to defy his age. Behind him, almost right on his heels were his two sons, along with Val and, to his dismay, Karsi. It wasn't that he was upset to see her, far from it. But from the look on her face, he knew that he was not going to be having an easy time with her. His brother was only half a pace behind the others, his face set with worry.
"What happened here?" Lord Stark demanded, his gaze passing over the path of destruction the sorcerer had left in his wake.
"That happened," Garlan replied, pointing towards the frozen pile of bones and flesh on the ground.
Cautiously, Val approached the pile, using the tip of her spear to shift through the frozen remains. "What–? By the gods…Was this…?"
"It was, indeed, my fine lady," Oberyn answered, rising to his feet with only a slight groan. "One of your 'white walkers'."
Val immediately jumped back, her legs bent and spear at the ready as if she were afraid the shattered ice would reform itself and attack her. And she wasn't the only one. Karsi, and the other few Free Folk that'd followed Stark out from the camp, reacted similarly while those from south of the Wall just stared in shock.
"A white walker?" Lord Umber muttered, walking up to where the pile of ice was and staring down at it. "Are…? This… Fuck."
Garlan hadn't known the boisterous Lord Umber for long, but his reputation proceeded him. And the fact that he was now struck speechless spoke on the seriousness of the situation. "It–It was a white walker," Garlan nodded, words which he never, not even in his wildest of dreams, thought he would be uttering. Getting to his feet, he hefted the small child in his arms, making the child cry slightly at being disturbed. "It came for this one. Oberyn and I fought against it but…fuck. If it wasn't for the sorcerer, we would both be dead. It shattered my sword like it was nothing."
"A child?" Lord Stark questioned, stepping close and peering down at the quickly calming child. "Where did it come from?"
"Where do you think, Stark?" Oberyn asked with a raised brow. "Outside of our Free Folk friends here, there is only one other settlement that is known to be in the area. A settlement that is very well known by both the Night's Watch and the Free Folk."
Stark quickly put it together as recognition dawned in his eyes. "Where is Nox?"
"Getting answers. And knowing our friend, delivering his own brand of justice," Oberyn answered.
Garlan shivered as he felt…cold. The same type of cold that he felt around Nox and the white walker, only this time it was…weaker. Not as heavy and dark, but certainly present. "Are you two capable of following us to Craster's Keep?" Lord Stark asked, the cold and darkness not receding in the least.
"To see what Nox is going to do to that fool…? Right now, I'd be willing to run from the Wall to Dorne to see it," Oberyn nodded. Garlan didn't answer with words, he merely nodded, his own desire to seeing justice done rushing through him.
"Then let's move," Lord Stark commanded. "To Craster's Keep!"
The pace Stark set wasn't a run, but it certainly wasn't a leisurely stroll either. The man's long legs made it easy for him to traverse the ankle, and sometimes knee deep, snow as if he were just walking through a field of wheat. He also, somehow, seemed to know exactly where he was going, as once he set them on a path, he did not veer from it at all as they made their way through the woods. He knew that they were close to the keep when he heard a scream of agony pierce through the still night. Moving faster, they quickly came upon an earthen dike that'd been raised with a single gate that look as if it'd been torn to shreds by a pack of wild animals. The actual 'keep' itself was just a single building sitting atop a hill, but that was not what immediately drew Garlan's attention as soon as they passed the gates. No, his attention was immediately drawn to the dozen or so women and girls that were holding onto one another outside the building, and an old man that was screaming and crawling through the mud and snow. Standing above the man looking like the Stranger himself was Nox, lightning dancing across his fingers as he stalked after the crawling man.
Turning over, the old man held up his hands in a pleading manner as Nox descended upon him. "I – I swear I don – ahh!" Lightning arched off of Nox's hand, cutting through the air like a sword and striking the old man. Garlan didn't even know it was possible for a man to make such a noise as the old man screamed in agony as his back arched off the ground.
"Nox!" Stark's voice boomed across the keep, bringing an immediate end to the torrent of lightning that was flying from Nox's fingertips.
"Stark," Nox responded, his voice completely flat. "You're just in time. This pathetic piece of shit here was just about to tell me why he has been leaving his male children out in the middle of the forest for the white walkers to claim as their own."
"My son!"
Garlan blinked as one of the girls from the huddle of women broke free from the others and rushed towards him. She was…young. Impossibly young. Perhaps barely a year or so older than his own sister! Yet this girl…this child…was claiming the child in his arms as her own? The girl rushed past Nox and the whimpering Craster before coming to a stop before him, her eyes fixated only on the small bundle in his arms.
"Please," the girl pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Please…I–I tried to hide him, but–but me father…My son's father…He found him. I tried to stay awake and keep him away – but–but he took him from me and–and please…please…give him back."
The girl had tears running down her face freely by the time she finished. Part of Garlan didn't want to give the child back. But he couldn't deny the girl her child. So, albeit with great reluctance, he handed the small newborn boy back over to his mother. The girl instantly started crying more, thanking him again and again as she cooed at the small child in her arms while rocking him back and forth.
"What's your name, girl?" he asked, as he watched the girl cuddle her child.
The young girl flinched and kept her eyes downcast. "Gilly, mi'lord."
Nodding, he tried keeping his voice as warm as possible. "He may be a babe, but he's a strong lad. He'll be a force to be reckoned with when he comes of age. I'm sure of it."
Turning his attention away from the girl, he focused back in on Craster, who was now staring up fearfully at both Nox and Lord Stark, who were both looming over him. The dark cold was back, stronger than ever. Even the wolves of the Starks were snarling and snapping at the old man as if they wanted to tear him limb from limb. "Craster," Ned's voice was pure iron and ice…and it was a tone that Garlan never wanted directed towards him. "You have one chance before I leave you at the mercy of Lord Nox. What connection do you have with the white walkers? And why have you been sacrificing your children to them?"
Garlan, along with everyone else, stared silently at the whimpering man on the ground as they waited for his answer. But as time dragged on, the only thing that left his mouth was whimpering. Whimpering that began to pick up pace and soon turned into laughter. "You–You think you stand a chance against them?!" Craster yelled, his maniacal laughter filling the air. "I know! I know the truth! They are the old gods of the north! The gods of the First Men! I have not sacrificed my sons to them! I have given them my sons so that they too may become gods! And when my time comes! I shall stand at the right hand of the gods as they bring winter to all the land!"
"…You honestly believe that," was Lord Stark's response to the outburst before he turned his back on the man and began to walk away. "Nox. He is yours to deal with as you wish. Make sure he understands the full gravity of his delusions."
Garlan wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what Lord Stark meant by that, but he was sure that he was about to find out as the sorcerer stood over Craster, his hand outstretched and lightning dancing between his fingers. Craster tried to put on a brave front, but everyone could see the old man was shaking in fear. And by the smell… Well, it wasn't just his shaking that gave away his fear. "The gods – and my sons! Will avenge me!" Craster yelled out. "They will drag you to the hells and ensure your suffering is a thing of legend! And I will not betray them! So, you might as well end me now, sorcerer! And maybe they will take mercy on you when they come!"
"The gods? Your sons?" Nox shook his head as he squatted down next to the man. "They are mere worms masquerading as dragons. The one sent to collect the child died with hardly any effort on my part. And as for killing you…no. That would be far too quick. You and I are going to be spending some quality time together before I let you die. And I can guarantee you, within minutes you will be telling me everything you know about the white walkers and their ilk. So…shall we begin? You all may want to take the younger ones somewhere sheltered. What I'm about to do to this sack of shit is not something that should be witnessed by children."
Craster's shaking, which had increased with each word Nox spoke, reached a feverous pitch as Nox held his hand above the man. But before Nox could even start, Craster let out another blood curdling scream of agony. It was brief, and if he hadn't been so focused on the man he would've missed it, but Garlan could've sworn he saw something on the man's chest glow blue under his shirt. And then – and then it was just like with the white walker in the forest. His entire body froze solid in an instant before fracturing and breaking into dozens of pieces.
The entirety of the keep went silent as everyone stared at what used to be Craster. A low rumbling started coming from Nox's chest, and Garlan began bracing himself for the inevitable destruction that he was sure was about to come. Only…it didn't. Instead of lashing out in anger as he expected, Nox threw his head back and laughed. In a way, the man's laughter was far more frightening than his anger.
"Something…amusing about this, Nox?" Lord Stark asked.
"In a twisted sort of way, yes." Nox replied, his laughter dying down as he purposefully turned his back on the pile of flesh and ice. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave the rest of this to you. This night has given me much to think on…and I'd rather get started immediately."
No one made to get in the sorcerer's way as he swept out from the keep, his overcoat billowing behind him in the wind as he left them all to deal with the women still alive in the keep. Lord Stark did not necessarily look pleased, but he turned towards the women that were still huddled together, the only one not with the others was the young girl that'd come and grabbed her baby from Garlan. "Who speaks for you?"
An old woman, as old as Craster, shakily rose to her feet. "I – I do…mi'lord. I be Ferny."
Stark walked up to the woman, and Garlan found himself grateful that he was not on the receiving end of the look from the Warden of the North. Garlan, having been born and raised in a noble family, knew well the importance of one's presence. His father, while he loved him dearly, could command a room just by entering, but he was not the best at it. That honor, at least in the Reach, belonged to Lord Tarly. But Lord Stark… Just being in his mere presence at this moment unnerved him in a manner he had never experienced before. It was almost like…he wanted to tell Lord Stark whatever the man wanted to know. And he wasn't even the object of his attention!
"I will give you one chance, woman," Lord Stark said flatly, his voice once again pure ice and iron. "Did you—Did any of you—know what Craster was up to with the children?"
The woman hesitated and began shaking as she met Lord Stark's eyes. "No…Not–Not entirely, mi'lord," the woman stuttered, unable to keep eye contact with Lord Stark. "Craster, he…if we give birth to a girl, he keeps em. A boy he – he would bring them out to da woods an–and we wouldn't see em again. We–We never thought he was–was given 'em to…to them."
Lord Stark's gaze hardened even further. "Regardless of whether you knew what he was doing to the boys, the fact remains, by your own admission, that you at least suspected that he was killing any boy that was born. Yet you did nothing."
"And what could we do, mi'lord?!" the woman shouted, or at least tried to as her voice cracked, and she was unable to stand up to Lord Stark for long before cowering in on herself. "Craster, he–he was–"
"One man," Lord Stark countered. "One man. And I count nineteen of you. Granted, some of you are mere girls, but them aside, there were still more than enough of you to stop this from happening. Yet you did not."
"Ye would 'ave us be kinslayer, kneeler?" another of the elder women shouted.
"No," Stark replied. "But there are options beyond kinslaying that you could've resorted too. Yet you chose not to. Because of your inactions, your daughters here were forced to endure that man. You had to watch as he would take your sons away as offerings to the white walkers. Their fates are as much on your hands as they are on Craster's."
The women were struck silent as the weight of Lord Stark's words settled on their shoulders. "Wha–What happens to us now…Lord Stark?" the eldest woman asked tentatively, clearly afraid of the answer.
"Now?" Lord Stark responded. "Now you live your lives as you deem fit. Live with the fact that your inactions are what led to the deaths of your sons and the sufferings of your daughters."
"Wait!" the old woman near shouted as Lord Stark began turning his back on her. "The girls…The young ones. They–They are innocent in this. They tried to protest but we…we couldn't. Please…We've heard you are taking Free Folk south of the Wall. Please…Take them with you." Lord Stark turned back towards the old woman, fixing her with a hard look before he shifted to look at the young women and girls huddled behind her.
"The Free Folk are not coming south of the Wall on a whim," Robb Stark spoke up, stepping up beside his father. "They are swearing oaths to the North and House Stark in return for sanctuary. Should you—any of you—wish to do the same, then you may travel with us. And I will personally ensure that those who do find a place in Winter Town to start a new life…free from the sins of your father."
Lord Stark turned towards his son with a blank look. "My son speaks true," he said, glancing back to the women. "The younger ones, those who are willing to swear oaths to the North and kneel. They are welcome to join us under my son's protection. But you must decide now. For we will not linger in this place."
A few of the young girls jumped at the chance to get away, including the young girl Gilly and her baby they rescued. While the other few young ones had to be convinced to leave by the elders. In the end, seven of Craster's daughter-wives left with them, leaving behind their sister's and mothers to find a new life south of the Wall. 'Gods…Just when I think man cannot get any more depraved, I'm proven wrong,' Garlan thought, giving one last passing glance at the shattered remains of Craster. 'The sooner we leave this wretched place, the better. I'm in desperate need of rest and warmth…Hopefully, Karsi isn't too upset that I left her behind. I need her warmth more than ever right now.'