"There, that looks right" Osha put her hand down on the picture on the right page.
Bran leaned over a little. The title for the section was 'Children of the Forest'. The picture was of several men and women dressed in leaves similar to the woman from his dream; they were all dancing around a weirwood.
"The book says that they died out after the Long Night" Bran said, running his finger down the lines. "People say that the forest people sacrificed themselves in order to save human villages."
"I heard stories like that" Osha sniffed. "Except my family told a different story. We called them Chosen of the Old, because they taught our fathers the names of the spirits".
"What was the story?" Bran asked.
"That the Walkers and the Chosen warred long before Man first came here. It's said they were two halves of a whole bent on destroying one another" Osha moved the book slightly to get a better look at the picture. "But when Man came, and the Chosen taught them the old ways, the Walkers went to great lengths to stop their alliance."
"What did they do?"
She shrugged. "There's a dozen answers to that. But most say the Chosen were sent to sleep in the earth, that the Walkers sapped their power with their cold touch. Others say a demon was let loose to force them underground. Either way the Chosen were gone."
Bran frowned. The woman in my dream…. Was she a Chosen? But then how did she return? He thought. He turned back to the book and saw that around the picture frame were words placed in the vine styled borders.
"Is there a way to bring them back?"
Osha's eyes flickered to the young boy's face before following his eyes to the picture. "Don't know. But after all…. It's just a story".
Bran turned to Osha. "They said that of the Walkers"
Osha clenched her fists around the bed sheets where she was sitting. It occurred to Bran that all Osha had said of her travel from the Wall was that she wanted to go as far south as possible.
"Did you see them?"
She reared back as if Bran was brandishing a weapon. She turned her back and sniffed again. "In the… in the distance. They were burning a fire round the base of mountain, not far from our camp. It was the eyes… the eyes in the dark… and…. And then…"
Bran gulped. "And then what?"
"Then they attacked in the night. They were so fast. Half of us were dead in minutes… but they didn't stay down" Osha wrapped her arms around her. "My… my brother was one of them."
"I… I'm sorr-"
"Don't bother apologizing" she stormed over to the bedroom door. "He taught me to survive; it didn't take two seconds to know what he would have wanted…. I didn't have a choice." And with that Osha left Bran stunned.
Bran looked back at the picture and was soon strongly reminded of his dream. The Walkers raised the dead…. If Jon died at their hands… could I do what needed to be done? He felt a lump in his throat, and a slow steel like determination rise inside. I won't let it happen. If I can stop it… I will. I'll find a way.
Riverlands. Lannister Northern Front.
Despite some of the lords' concerns, Robb insisted on being with at least one raiding party on the Lannister front. A man who orders a sentence, carries it out his father's voice rang in his mind. Robb dropped his head down as he and his men took cover behind a small rise between the trees. Ever since the first major conflict, when he had sent around 2000 men to distract Tywin's force, he felt he should be present with the men who were dying by his commands.
His direwolf, Grey Wind, crept up silently through the grass with its body close to the ground. The wolf had gotten even bigger in the last few months; it was coming up to the size of a pony now. It amazed Robb that a beast of that size could still be so silent.
Robb turned his head to the task at hand. The Lannisters had established several outposts along the line they carved through the Riverlands until they could effectively march against major enemy holds without losing ground. The outpost just ahead of them was a relay point for ravens and men.
The plan was simple. Kill who they could, steal what they can, burn the rest and run. This particular raid was a bit riskier considering it was a fortified point but Robb decided that when the attack on the supply hub happened he would need to strike fast on the northern front to keep the Lannisters disoriented. Which would be easier to do if their communications were disrupted, even if it was for a day.
There were a few men on watch, the others were most likely milling around nearer the center or taking care of weapons and so on. Robb slowly drew his sword. Then the call went out from the other side of the outpost of an attack.
Robb signaled the men around him, then they all charged. About two dozen or so men rand with him across the grassland towards the startle guardsmen. Robb raised his shield as arrows began to fly from behind the stakes. In turn his men answered with their own volley.
They reached the first men quickly. The guard on the right lunged at him with spear which Robb brushed aside with his sword, then drove his elbow into the man's face. A gurgled scream came from the left, Robb saw that Grey Wind had already brought down the second guard and was moving to the third running round the corner.
Robb could just about see the fighting on the other side as he urged his men forward. He could see the guardsmen had just about formed a defensive line against the first attack, but was sure they wouldn't be able to stem his assault without breaking off from the initial one.
"Push on!" Robb called as another arrow flew past his head.
He charged two men coming at him, then skidded on the ground catching them off guard and knocking them down. He brought his sword on the first one easily enough but the second sent him back with a glancing blow to the shoulder with a mace.
Robb stumbled back onto his feet as the man regained his footing and went to charge. Robb deflected another blow from the mace with his shield and made a stab at the man's side. The man dodged around him, bringing his left arm underneath Robb's outstretched shield arm, punching him directly in the chest.
Winded, Robb stumbled even further back. He raised his shield again just in time when the man made to crush his head. Then suddenly a large growl, Grey Wind launched from the side and forced the man to the ground through its sheer weight. It was over in a matter of seconds. Never had Robb been so grateful for the beast.
The battle waged on for the best part of an hour before the men started to scatter. Robb knew that reinforcements would be there soon, they couldn't catch all of them before they reached the main camp.
"Alright men, take what you can!" Robb ordered. There was a flurry of motions as chests, weapons and food was picked up and hauled off.
Robb brushed his face with his free hand. When he looked at he saw it was covered in blood. Not his own, but one of the men who had jumped on him. Robb stabbed the man in the throat. There was so much of it.
He wondered sometimes, about the men in the armies. Were they fighting because they believed in their lord's values? Or because it was a duty? Or did they have no choice? Robb knew it was not a good idea to dwell on such matters, but he could not help it. These men had families, there were someone's family. No matter how he rationalized or reasoned the situation Robb knew that each day he was taking away people's kin. Just as he had his taken from him.
It's killed or be killed. Is what he would tell himself. The Lannisters would see everyone bow to them, they would claim the throne and ruler-ship of all through lies and subterfuge. They would seem my family destroyed. I have no choice.
Another call went out from behind him. Robb turned in time to see an arrow fly right at him. He felt it glide through the gap in his arm and straight through his skin.
"Ugh!". He fell back. The arrow had lodged in the vulnerable spot in the chest armor, blood was seeping out.
"Form up! Protect Stark!" one of the men called out as several other arrows were shot out in the direction of the attacker.
"He's losing a lot of blood" another one said as Robb was picked up and dragged fast from the outpost wreckage.
Robb started to feel woozy as his men made the retreat back to camp. How did we miss one so close? He scolded himself.
"Why didn't the bleeding sod make a run for it with his mates? He was outnumbered and injured" a soldier said. "Instead he made a suicide attempt on Robb? Makes no sense!"
Robb coughed out "… he…. He didn't see another choice". And with that, Robb passed into darkness.