Arrival
Something was melting on his face. Harry started to feel his arms and legs again and opened his eyes. He looked up at a canopy of trees. Trees laden with snow. Which made him realize that he himself was lying on his back in a big pile of wet snow.
He wiped a small pile off his face before he groaned and sat up. He was in a thick forest and there was snow everywhere. As far and wide as he could see there were only big trees and bushes around. He recognized a few of the trees like oak. But there were others with green needles that didn't look like anything he knew.
And it was cold. ice cold. Luckily Death had left him his clothes. Harry cast a short warming charm and checked that the marbles and his ring-suitcase were still in place. Deaths sword Bane was lying next to him on the ground.
Harry could feel the wildlife around him when he extended his magical sense. The forest was teeming with animals. A boar family hid a few meters behind him in their small cave. Larger predators were wandering the edge of his magical sense. He did not bother too much about them. If anything dangerous approached him, he would be able to defend himself easily.
Since he had no idea where to go, and he was not sure that he could trust a conjured compass here, he grabbed his sword, strapped it on his waist and made his way into the direction of which his sense told him was south.
After a few hours of hiking through the snow, Harry felt someone in front of him.
The last 200 hundred years had given him enough time to fully develop his magical sense, as he called it. He first learned it with the Guinean Tribe. When he concentrated he could feel the ambient magic around him. Every living being was radiating a certain amount of ambient magic. With many hours of training, Harry was now capable of bending and using the magic around him.
One of the benefits was knowing when someone was near you.
Harry wandless cast a quick Silencio on him and let himself become invisible under the cloak, another useful skill he had mastered in his old life. With a concealing charm, he hid his footprints. He walked carefully through the forest in the direction of the presence he felt.
After climbing over a few big roots Harry came upon a clearing in the woods. The glade before him was wide enough to house a massive white tree at the center. The ground was covered with short grass and a few white flowers that were blooming. He saw many different birds sitting in the white tree.
On the edge of the clearing, Harry could see two big amber eyes staring at him from the darkness of the surrounding forest. It was a jet black wolf. The Beast was massive. At least the size of a horse it would surely reach to Harry's shoulders. Harry went into a defensive stance but did not draw his wand or cast any spell. With both hands held nonthreatening in the air Harry walked onto the clearing.
"I will not harm you." Harry doubted that the wolf could understand him. But nothing else came to his mind.
The black wolf warily walked a few steps into the clearing and lay down with his right paw extended, all the while staring at Harry with his amber eyes.
Harry was not sure what the animal wanted from him. He extended his magical sense to try and feel its emotions. Upon mentally touching it Harry felt a magical tingling in the back of his head and fell to his knees. The sensation was something completely new. He could truly feel the mind of the animal. As if an old friend had returned home at last. And it was clearly magical in nature.
The wolf, no that felt wrong. The direwolf knocked his head to one side and let his tongue fall out. If Harry had to guess the animal was just as surprised as he was.
Harry could feel a sting in the Wolfs paw.
"You are hurt. Let me help you. I won't harm you."
The wolf stopped to hatchel and stared at him intently. Harry felt disapprove through this newly formed bond as if the wolf would be offended that Harry thought he could hurt him.
"OK don't look at me like that. I'm gonna help you."
Harry walked closer to the giant wolf and started inspecting the paw still a little wary. There was a big piece of bronze logged between the claws. It looked like a piece from a sword or dagger that broke off.
"OK, this may hurt a little. Please don't eat me." Harry drily said.
He pulled the shard out as fast as possible and cast a quick "episkey" healing charm. He was not very good at healing spells. This was pretty much the only one he knew. And it was only helpful for smaller injuries.
Still, the wound closed and the skin knitted together. It looked still raw and red but it would heal nicely.
The Black Wolf stood an all his four legs and gave off a loud howl, pushing his heads under Harry's hands. Harry was right with his first guess. The wolf was as high as his shoulders standing on all fours.
"Looks like we'll stick together for now. But you will need a name" Harry said and scratched his chin in thought. "Artos. I will call you Artos. It's a strong name. Do you like it?" Harry asked the beast.
The Wolf tilted his head and let his tongue fall out again.
"Well looks like you like your new name. Okay, now I have no idea where we are nor where we should go. You don't, perchance have an idea where to go, do you? I need a nice and safe place to settle down my friends" Harry asked the wolf half seriously.
During his interaction with the wolf, he had completely forgotten the reason for coming on the clearing.
"The Wolf will not answer. But mayhaps I can."
Harry was so surprised that he spun around on his heels and summoned the elder wand to his hands.
The words had been spoken by a small creature that looked a little like a goblin. But somehow much more filigree. He had never encountered such a being. Was this the natives of this land? Or even the world. Maybe there were not even any humans here. He hoped there were. He liked good feasting.
"I have never encountered one of your species before. I am Harry Peverell. Would you tell me your name?" Harry politely asked the small being while banishing his wand back to the holster. He could easily enough defend himself without it. But old habits were hard to shake off.
"My name is Twigs. I am one of the last of the children of the forest. I have had a vision of your coming. Please follow me inside so I may enlighten you." the small green child-like creature said mysteriously.
Harry was not sure what to do and after an inner debate simply nodded and followed small leaf covered being turned around and walked up to the massive white tree in the middle. Harry turned around and addressed his new companion " Artos stay here and make sure no one is coming okay boy?"
The Big wolf gave a yapping yawn and lay down in front of the tree.
Twigs waved his hands and opened a hidden entrance between the roots. Similar to the whooping willow. They entered into a comely cave with two chairs, a small table and a bed made of leaves. There was a small cooking corner and a few utensils were laying in a cupboard.
Harry took place on one of the small chairs, which he unsuspiciously charmed with a strengthening charm.
Twigs set up a small pot of tea over the little fire burning in the corner. There must be some sort of chimney Harry thought idly.
When the tea was ready Twigs prepared two steaming wooden cups and set one down in front of Harry.
Harry took his warm tea and started speaking before Twigs had the chance to say something.
"Would you first be so kind and explain to me where exactly I am, what people live here, and is it everywhere so freezing cold?" he added the last part as an afterthought. Although a serious one.
Twigs was clearly suppressing a smirk. For the next half hour, he explained to Harry all the geographical details of Westeros. They were about 50 miles north of a grand structure called "The Wall". He explained to him that there was one kingdom south of the wall that was vast, but mostly barren, for only a few people managed to settle there.
Further south there were many petty kingdoms and a few bigger ones worth mentioning. The Reach was apparently the biggest and most fertile of the southern Kingdoms, then there were the Stormlands and the Westerlands, The Kingdom of the Vale in the East. And many sand tribes and clans in the desert in the south.
Twigs took a sip of his tea before saying. "Since we are now finished with the history lesson I will continue with my vision." Harry nodded not bothered that much.
"As I said I had a vision of your coming. I saw a young wizard with an ancient soul fall from the sky. There was a rift in the Ocean to the west and a new island has come up from the bottom of the sea. It is completely surrounded in thick fog on the height of the stony shore. The little man that look like children of the forest working hard in a big forge. Smithing weapons of war. And I have seen your eyes. The depth of the abyss, and the unlimited width of the sky twinkling with stars."
Twigs took another sip of tea before he said.
"To find the sanctuary you are looking for you will have to go South beyond the Wall. And from the West out to the sea. Where you will find your Island. I know not what powers brought you here. But they must powerful indeed judging from their gifts. I will have to go tend the Weirwood trees in the area now. I hope you are successful in your trip and that we will see us again, one day."
Harry was a little surprised at the sudden dismissal but did not let it show. He drank the rest of his tea and stood up. "I thank you for your hospitality and wish you good fortune for the future."
He bowed and made his way out to the clearing. Artos lifted his head from his front paws when he saw Harry exciting the tree.
"Looks like we are going further south boy. I know de way." Harry had remembered an old mundane meme and had to muffle his laughter. The Wolf would not understand. He had thought about apparating south of the wall, and shrink Artos somehow. But Twigs had told him that almost all of the magic north of the wall was not working correctly. To confirm if he had tried a short apparation. Besides a small pull in his stomach, nothing had happened.
He hoped it would work south of this wall. He patted Artos and together they made their way further south. At night Harry set up a few temporary wards and charms that would wake and alert him when something dangerous approached them. Artos curled himself up on one side of Harry sharing his body warmth.
After 3 days of trudging through the snow, Harry heard a scream coming from his right. It seemed pretty far away but it was unmistakably a woman screaming for mercy. Artos was out hunting. Harry started running through the thick trees without a moment of hesitation, enhancing the strength of his leg muscles with his magic. He practically flew over the ground and roots that lay in his way.
Shortly before he came to a small river he felt the anguished energy that belonged to the screaming women being extinguished. He was too late.
Harry burst out of the woods in breakneck speed and skidded to a halt. In front of him lay the ravaged rest of a small village. About 10 huts were standing around a small hardened dirt place. Most of them were burning now. There were bodies lying around, having been brutally slaughtered. Harry just caught sight of the ragtag group that stood in the middle of the small plaza. The apparent leader threw the young body of a lifeless girl to the side and laughed raucously.
There were about twenty of the Warriors. They wore thick fur and a few parts of bronze armor. Most of them had crude weapons like maces and wooden clubs. But the leader and three of his men had bronze swords and shields.
Harry could smell their stink from fifty meters away and saw red.
While he normally still tried to be a reasonable person the past fighting had hardened him. There were lines that could not be crossed by anyone. And some people did not deserve any mercy whatsoever. Harry had fought hundreds of muggles at once after the war. This group would not stand a chance.
He let out a battle cry and charged in the direction of the group. On the run, he summoned the Elder Wand in his left hand and pulled Bane from his scabbard with the right hand. Even while using the elder wand Harry did not utter a word when casting his first spell. His magic simply followed as Manifestation oh his will and a red bolt shot from his wand right into the group.
When the warriors stopped laughing and started turning to the new threat Harry had already overcome half the distance and jumped seven foot high in the air. The thick red spell slammed into the ground between the men and exploded with a big blast and a massive shock wave. The leader and most of his men were thrown violently around. A few landed in burning tents and three were killed instantly by the blast, but the rest was overcoming the shock and attacked Harry.
Harry landed in front of the first wildling that was taking a swing at him with his stone axe. Faster than the wildling could see Harry cleaved his right arm holding the axe clean off. With the following thrust, he sunk his blade in the brutes head. Harry attacked so fast that the Wildings stood no chance whatsoever. He parried and blocked every slash and thrust aimed at him and killed one after another of the savages. Already 10 men lay dead, either through the first spell or felled by Bane.
Harry was in his element. He had sheathed his wand already and relinquished the feeling of a real fight. Bane sang when it cut through the leather flesh and bone. Harry parried the Mace of an especially brutish looking fellow that spit in his face. Harry smashed Banes pommel so hard in his mouth that teeth flew. With the other hand, he grabbed the man's mace and use it to bash in his head. He banished the mace wandless at the next opponent and knocked him out cold.
Suddenly there was no one standing around him anymore. eighteen of the Wildlings lay dead around him. It was a gruesome sight. Harry sheathed Bane and looked down on himself. He was soaked in Blood from head to toe.
He cast a scourgify to clean himself of all the blood and studied Bane for a moment. It was an extraordinary sword. The blood pooled on the silver ripples and gave the blade an ominous look. Despite it being a masterly crafted weapon Harry had not felt anything special of magical nature besides a comfortable feeling and something he could only describe as contentment coming from the blade
The movement to his right broke his train of thought. The former leader of the group was bolting for the forest, after hiding behind a burning tent.
Just when Harry wanted to cast a spell Artos came running at full speed out of the woods and jumped the fleeing wilding. Artos broke the man's neck with one strong bite.
The massive black direwolf wandered over to Harry completely disregarding all the bodies lying around.
"Good job boy." Harry patted Artos head and stroked his fur. He eyed the ravaged village and decided to bury the dead. He separated the villagers from the attackers and buried them with magic in a big grave. The attacker's bodies he simply burned.
He did not want to camp here so they made their way further downstream and slept there for the night.
A few days later they came upon the wall. The Structure truly was impressive. He could not remember seeing something like this back on good old earth. At 700 Feet High, it loomed over him wherever he looked. He knew from Twigs that there should be one of the Gates somewhere here.
He followed the Wall in one direction for a few hours, before he came upon a big Westwood Gate at the Base of the Wall. Artos in tow he made his way over to the Gate. He had checked the top of the wall with magically enhanced eyesight but did not see anyone patrolling. Only a few lit lanterns swaying in the wind.
"Well boy, I hope my cover story is good enough." Harry had thought about a story to present about how he came to be this far north. He hoped it would hold. The Giant Wolf did not really help him there.
"You know, you are not making the story more believable." Harry Knocked heavily on the wooden Gate and waited