Chapter 1: Hugh Snow
The continent of Westeros has receives visitors that came and settle.
The first visitors were the First Men. Arriving around 12,000 years ago from another continent Essos, the First Men invades Westeros by crossing the Arm of Dorne, bearing weapons of bronze. Spreading from Dorne to the North, they establish small kingdoms and tribes and follow respectful ancient customs based upon the Old Tongue, Guest Rights, and faith of the Old Gods.
During their occupation of Westeros, the First Men made contact with the Children of the Forrest and war with them. For thousands of years the two races fought a desperate war for dominance until the two sides settle the differences in the Signing of the Pact.
The second visitors to come to Westeros were the Andals. Arriving in Westeros around 6,000 years ago, the Andals cross the narrow sea and make landfall on its eastern shore at the Fingers in the Vale. They come under the banner of the Faith of the Seven, with seven-pointed stars carved into their chests, wielding weapons of steel. They fight both the First Men and the children of the forest, sweeping the land much like the First Men did thousands of years before.
In order to consolidate their control, the Andal warlords and kings frequently married the wives and daughters of the defeated First Men kings and wiped out a majority of the Children of the Forrest. They even replace the ancient faith of the Old Gods with their own religion of the Seven. Only the North became the last haven to the faith of the Old Gods and final bastion against the Andal invaders.
The next visitors of Westeros were the Rhoynars. The Rhoynars were driven from their homeland in Essos by the Valyrians in brutal wars. Warrior Queen Nymeria lead a fleet of 10,000 ships to Dorne, where she united her people with the Dornishmen through marriage with Mors Martell, the head of House Martell.
It was sometimes later the Valyrian Freehold took possession of a small island at the mouth of Blackwater Bay, off the east coast of Westeros, calling it Dragonstone. The Targaryens, a Valyrian dragonlord family, later take control of Dragonstone, after Daenys Targaryen, known as Daenys the Dreamer, had a powerful prophetic dream, showing the total destruction of Valyria.
But none of them shows great unexpected forewarning to Westeros than the latest visitors…the Griffins. Mystical hybrid creatures, they were born with the forequarters of an eagle and the hindquarters of a lion. A perfect predator, these creatures inherited both potential of characteristics from lesser yet primary predators; the lion and the eagle.
The Griffins came to Westeros 20 years before Aegon's Conquest. Evidence concludes that the creatures originated from the Sunset Seas, numbering in over 100,000. No one knows where the Griffins really comes from and what motivated them to conduct to great exodus known as the "Great Griffin Migration". But upon arriving in Westeros, the magnificent yet fierce and formidable creatures begun to occupied their new home. Ravenous predators, Griffins soon became a plague to people of Westeros. Besides begin regarded as dangerous and wild animals, they are surprisingly intelligent, which they are capable of understanding their setting very well.
Lone Griffins that fly out for miles to hunt from their mountain lairs often attacked prey that is alone. Yet a pack of Griffins were enough to pose great threat to large towns and castles, including dragons. The cry of a Griffin is enough to be a warning for those to run for their lives. Griffin attacks were regarded fast, sudden, and vicious which there nothing much left of its victims. Survivors of Griffin attacks are known to often have nightmares of being hunted down and rent limb from limb for years afterward.
In retribution, Griffins were hunted without mercy. Westeros societies had begun practicing ways of hunting and killing Griffins, such as building artillery-like siege weapons like Scorpio. Aegon Targaryen and his sister-wives begin hunting Griffins that infested Dragonstone, using their dragons to either slaughter them or drive them out. Bounty Hunters and mercenaries from the known world would often comes to Westeros for the bounty of a dead Griffin that is worth 1,000 gold, while live one is worth 2,000 gold.
Then about ten years before Aegon begun his war of conquest, an unexpected thing has happened in the North. And it started with a Northman bastard, Hugh Snow, who was hunting in the North mountains...
-Maester Yandel
Even when he felt the icy needles of freezing winds flayed his skin raw, he narrow his eyes into the wind, pulling his bear hood closer. Violent gusts whipped his heavy winter clothing wrap. Yet he kept onward into the hunt.
Hugh knows winter was the most dangerous time for the people that live in the North. When the time of autumn begins, all Northmen would focus greatly in Harvest, to prepared and collect as much food as possible for the time of winter. Winter are known to lasts for years and the severely deadly cold will increased to the point where thousands of people would dies by either frostbite or starvation. Most people believed hunting during winter can be very dangerous. This was the North, where every moment can be your last if you made a mistake or not. Yet for Hugh Snow, hunting during the winter was excuse he needs to get some exercise.
He was 19 years old. He very tall, standing the height of six and a half feet. He was strong and powerful, and muscled "like a maiden's fantasy". Most people had mistaken him for a Stark due to possessing dark hair and rough-looking face. Yet what gave him away were his golden eyes, which was very rare amongst a crowd.
"Do you want to know what makes us different between us and those southern weaklings that lived below the Neck?" Hugh recalls his mother's words.
"It's because the blood the First Men is strong within us?" he remembers saying that to her. "And that we still worship the Old Gods?"
"Something like," his mother told him. "But the most important reason is the iron coldness in the air."
"Winter?"
"Yes Hugh," his mother says. "The coldness of this land taught us that we must be strong in both mind and soul. That we must put great effort to survived the worse of ahead. For example, do you know of the Stark's House words?"
"Winter is Coming?" he says.
"That's right Hugh…yet there is more than those words. Behind those words is the real truth…the White Walkers."
"The Demons of the Winter?"
"Yes Hugh," she says. "Remember this mine son. One day, even if won't happen next year or in hundred years or in a thousand years or ten thousand years…the White Walkers will return. And when they come, you must always be ready for them."
His mother was a Snow, a bastard like him. It begin with his grandmother, Amelia Umber, the eldest daughter of the Lord of Last Hearth, was kidnapped by Wildlings from North of the Wall. After five years of captivity, she manages to escape from them, although her House rejected her when she refused to give up the child that was the product of repeated rape… a child that was his mother, Leda Snow.
Since begin rejected by House Umber, Amelia moved to the North Mountains, living amongst a community that is part of Clan Wull. Having to learn much of from her captivity with Wildlings, Amelia schooled her daughter in the ways of the Old Tongue, the ancient lanuage of the First Men. She also schooled her in various survival skills and combat abilities of Spearwife. Thanks to her mother, Leda grew up into a fierce, wise, and strong woman, capable of holding her own after her mother died.
After her mother died Leda continue to live in Wull community. Yet in time she was forced to leave Clan Wull when she made a mistake of sleeping with a man who was already married…whose wife had a lot friends. As result, Leda relocated somewhere, like the Knott village, yet that was before discovering she was pregnant.
Hugh was everything his mother had made him and would be proud of. Since the day he was born, she had schooled him the ways Amelia Umber had schooled her following her capacity and escape from the Wildlings. It has helped him survived and progresses well in the cold lands of the North, especially during the time of Winter.
After his mother died, Hugh decided to leave the Northern Mountains to see servitude to Lord. His mother advices him to go Winterfell , the home to the Starks, the Kings In the North. Arriving in Winterfell, Hugh was able pass the trials and tests to earn a place amongst the House Stark guards. He was handpicked to served as sworn shield to Torrhen Stark, the heir to the Winterfell throne.
The wind grabbed his hood and threatened to make off with it. Hugh pulled it back on and tightened the cord, then stepped back from the edge and paused to look around. He had been hunting for hours and it looks almost get dark. He needs to get back to settlement before nightfall. However, he'd just been lucky. He found fresh tracks, despite the harshness of the weather. If he follows them, he might be able to catch up to his prey and bring its body back for dinner and warmth before dark.
It was a few minutes later, Hugh finally spots a herd of deer approached a small river. He saw the lead deer slow, and then sniff at the disturbance of mud and leaves on the path of the trap. An alert nervousness passed through the deer that even the he could sense. Hugh decided it was time to act. He took a deep breath and focuses his aim at the lead deer, releasing the arrow. The arrow struck home, piercing the deer in the neck. It fell into water, while the others scatter and flee. Smiling, Hugh approaches his prize, hum with pride and excitement of his kill.
But as he approaches his fallen prey, he suddenly heard piercing strong growl that cause him to stops. He quickly turns around...and out of nowhere, a griffin was already upon him. The creature's sudden attack knocks him off his feet. Through viciously knocked to the ground, Hugh quickly grabs his knife and sword. However, the creature continues to be persisted, begun slashing at him.
Despite the griffin begin vastly stronger, bigger, and faster than him, Hugh fought back. His golden eyes erupted in fire in a blaze of fire—which represents the sudden burst of blood fury within him. In a howl of rage, he charged forward and drives both his sword and knife into the creature's chest.
The griffin reacted violently for the wounds it receives and begin slashing back, causing Hugh to strike back. This carries on and on, until finally, the loser fell to the ground, defeated before the victor.
Hugh panted and shudders heavily, as he stares down on the creature. It was still alive, yet breathing barely. Raising his sword, he drives it down the griffin's skull, ending it quickly. He then drops his weapons and fell to the ground, exhausted.
Getting back on his feet, Hugh looks down on the dead Griffin. He heard of these creatures and they were regarded as and dangerous animals, more menacing then dire wolves, shadowcats, and bears as they often attacked their prey from the skies. Yet from the looks of it, this Griffin didn't attack him the sky. Due of Griffin attacks, Hugh always have a vigilante gazed to the skies as he didn't wanted to be caught off guard from Griffin attack. Instead, itattacked him while he was on grounds.
It was when Hugh heard a soft sound coming from somewhere. Turning around, he was surprise to see the source of sound.
It was a baby Griffin…a hatchling. It was smaller than average adult dog. Its wings look small and immature. And it looks very adorable. Yet Huge was aware once it full grown, it be more than just adorable.
He watches as the baby creature approaches its dead mother, tweeting and chirping, as if it's trying to wake its mother.
"Griffins are always lived high in the mountains?" Hugh wondered. "So what the mother and her hatchling doing down here in the lowlands?"
Hugh knew he might not have time to think about the subject. It was getting dark and he needs to get back to Winterfell before the coldness increases at night. However he needs
Hugh's first impression was to kill the hatchling. Without its mother, the Griffin won't survive long without nurture. Another impression is that he might make a lot of gold out of this. He was aware of the bounty that the killing of one Griffin is worth 1,000 gold pieces while lived one is worth 2,000 gold pieces. 3,000 gold pieces would be a great start for him.
However as he looked at the hatchling, Hugh recalls how his mother struggles to feed both of them, especially the time of winter. This was something common throughout the North, something Hugh holds of great value and respects. Looking back at the dead mother and her hatchling, he realizes that female Griffin's need to take care of its youngling was no better or worse than his mother did for him.
He stood there, thinking carefully for a moment. Finally he made a decision.
Picking up the hatchling, Hugh turns around and begin walked away. This was going to created a lot of fuss back in Winterfell.
Casting of Characters
Hugh Snow: Played By Alexander Dreymon