He had a thousand eyes and one and had lived beyond his mortal span but Brynden Rivers knew the end drew near. The long night approached and time became precious. The boy, Bran Stark needed his teachings and the trees called to both of them now. Brynden could hear them calling, the need being more urgent than it had ever been before.
I just want to see her one last time.
He had counselled Bran not to seek ghosts. No good would come of it but now he weakened. Most of him had gone into the tree but he was still a man. He still suffered the weaknesses of man and love was one of those weaknesses, the bane of duty.
He found her with ease. Shiera sat with a younger version of him, her fingers tracing his birthmark and her head tilted slightly as she looked upon him with mismatched eyes. Her beauty surpassed what he remembered, her silver hair flowing loose. She was dressed in cloth of silver trimmed in lace, her signature sapphire and emerald necklace hanging heavy around her neck. She toyed with it as they spoke. Brynden mouthed the words of the conversation as he listened. It was committed to memory.
"You encourage him. He thinks he may possess you."
She laughed in response, her eyes sparkling. "Nobody may possess me."
His younger self frowned. "You should make it clear to him. I cannot abide the way he looks at you."
"He is our brother Brynden" she said playfully. "I cannot stop him looking at me."
"You do not even try."
Her fingers left the necklace and reached for his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "I am here with you Brynden. It is my choice."
Brynden tried to retain the connection to the scene but he was being pulled away. He clung to it for a moment, seeing Shiera kiss the younger him so tenderly and whispered to her from his broken body even though he knew she would not hear him.
"Goodbye Shiera."
The vision faded and Brynden was pulled back into the present by Bran Stark calling his name.
"Lord Brynden" the boy called hesitantly. "I saw something you should know about."
He took a shallow breath and tried to forget the ghosts which haunted him. He focused his attention on the boy.
"Tell me Bran."