DARRETH STAEDMON II
Am I dead? Am I gone? Is this—Hell? No. No, I'm not dead. I'm not dead. It's just darkness, that's all I can see. I opened my mouth, trying to shout the word "Elrie" – my sister's name – but nothing came out. No words. "Blackwood!" The same happened. "Tyde!" Again. It was as though where I was—Wherever that may be, I was on mute. I had a curse given to me from the Gods. Was it something that I had done? Well, obviously, otherwise I would not have been sent to The Wall in the first place. What—How could I be so stupid? How could I have fled from the Night's Watch? What if I was dead? What if I fled back to Depwood Motte, back where I should be with my Uncle? But I wasn't dead. I wasn't dead, I wouldn't have gone against my oath, the words which I swore to stand by at The Night's Watch in Castle Black, I'm honourable. I'm an honourable man, or so I thought.
My eyes finally opened, only everything was blurry. All I could see was white. Crystal white. The same crystal white which Elrie's eyes were before she got dragged down into the ground beneath her. I could just slightly move my head, but not much. My view did not change at all, no matter which direction I looked, or tried to look. Nothing changed.
"I saved you." A voice said, footsteps approached me. The person was Elrie, she looked paler than before; her eyes more crystal white than before, so much that they LOOKED crystal. They were crystal.
"Elrie, what—What's happened to you?"
"I'm not Elrie. Not anymore. I'm a Wight, and soon—You will be aswell."
Footsteps approached where I was laid, only these footsteps were much louder than Elrie's footsteps. Elrie looked up at the figure which had just approached us. Her tongue changed, she spoke a language which I'd never heard of before. In fact, words did not come out of her mouth; only what seemed to be mumbling sounds.
Elrie's hand was in front of my face, in which I immediately grabbed hold of it tightly; pushing myself up to my feet, hugging her tight and close to me. I let out a cry, bursting into tears.
"I'm sorry, Elrie. I'm so sorry I let them take you!" I cried. "I'm so sorry."
"I told you before—I'm not Elrie."
I stopped hugging her, shaking my head at her. I looked behind me, seeing one of The Others stood behind me, a White Walker. I looked around the area, seeing nothing but crystal. There was no ceiling, just—Whiteness. Crystal white again. It was the same around us, miles and miles. Just—Crystal white. I looked at Elrie again, putting my hands on her face. "Listen to me, yeah? You ARE Elrie. You are my sister."
Elrie shook her head, in which I responded into slapping her; she did not respond to the slap. I slapped her again, hoping that she would respond to it. The White Walker grabbed hold of me, throwing me across the Crystal White surroundings. I laid on the floor motionless, as though I'd have given up. The White Walker approached me, looking down at me. I closed my eyes, seeing nothing but darkness once again.
"Darreth?"
I felt my body being shook. "DARRETH?!"
I opened my eyes, seeing Elrie kneeled over me in a Forest. I pulled myself up, sitting up. I was relieved to see Elrie back to her normal self,
wrapping my arms around her. "What are you doing?" She asked and I quickly pulled myself off from her. I looked at her, noticing that her eyes were no longer crystal-white.
"You—You were with them; The Others." I told her.
"No, I wasn't, Darreth." Elrie replied, raising her eyebrow at me.
"What are you doing out here, Elrie; out at The Wall?" I asked her as I rose to my feet, looking down at her.
"I wanted to see you." She explained, "Uncle Jorrel has changed, Darreth; he's turned—More aggressive recently, more violent."
I stared at her with a puzzled look on my face. I turned, looking around for the blood-puddle in the spot where Tyde and Blackwood were killed. Somehow I remembered the spot. The blood was no longer there, just footprints in the snow.
"Were two men here with me, Elrie? Their names, they were 'Tyde' and 'Blackwood'." I asked her, she stood still. No response. "ELRIE, WERE THEY HERE OR WEREN'T THEY?!"
"ENOUGH, BOY!" A voice yelled from behind me.
I found myself in a cottage of some sort, Elrie still standing in front of me; her face going as pale as snow as I saw my Uncle Jorrel walk through the door. He stormed over to me, grabbing hold of my arm.
"What are you doing to your sister, Darreth?" He asked me.
"I'm asking her why she's here; at The Wall!" I explained.
Something was not right. Something was—Different. I noticed that I was wearing my leather jacket, the one from Deepwood Motte. I was no longer wearing my cloak, the one I wore for The Night's Watch, defending The Wall and Castle Black with my fellow 'brothers'.
"What in the Seven Hells in wrong with your head, boy?" He stared at me, scoffing, "Have you drank too much rum, boy?"
I remained silent. Not because I did not know what my reply was, but because I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of my Uncle Jorrel. He grabbed hold of Elrie's hand, leading her over to the door as he swung it open.
"I'll have the Grand Maester come and check you out, Darreth." He told me before he led Elrie out of the door, Elrie glaring at me over her shoulder. I blinked my eyes.
I found myself in the middle of a snow-land, looking around; I could just see The Wall in the distance. I was wearing my cloak again from Castle Black and I heard footsteps approach me from behind.
"Darreth." The voice said, it was Elrie's voice. I turned to Elrie, who was stood in front of me, she was wearing a white dress which was made out of crystal it seemed. "Are you ready for training?" She asked me.
I found that I was holding a crystal-sword, and that I was wearing crystal-white armour, something which man would have never seen before. I looked up at Elrie again.
"Training?" I asked her, feeling tears emerge in my eyes, "Training for WHAT?!"
I blinked again.
"What do you mean 'Training for what', boy?" A deep voice said in front of me, "Training for CASTLE BLACK!"
I opened my eyes, finding myself back in Castle Black, I saw a fellow crow – Styve Grell – stood in front of me, wielding a sword in his hand. I looked amongst the crowd of men watching the scene, I was wearing my black cloak once again. As I looked amongst the crowd, analysing the faces; I noticed that Tyde and Blackwood were stood amongst them, sniggering just like the rest of them.
"Why?" Grell began, "What did you think you were training for?!"
The men laughed as Grell bellowed loudly, his laughter echoing through the whole of Westeros. I clenched the sword in my hand, looking at Grell, opening my mouth as I told,
"The Others."
