I am so sorry for not updating until now. Writer's block has been an absolute nightmare. I will try to churn out more chapters as soon as I can. Also, I changed my story to that Elia, Aegon, and Rhaenys still die. Sorry littleNK. Finally, I lengthened the Knight, the Bull, and the Lord chapter. Read, review, and enjoy!
A day after he had returned to Castle Black, Alderin, the young cleric, was lucid and fully awake. Upon hearing this news, Addolgar gathered Walker, Maester Aemon and Balasar, and proceede to ask the young cleric ranger what had happened.
They had been following the trail of the wildling camp for over two days, Alderin, Wil Cotter, Goren Halfeye, Agnmar Beerbarrel, and Tyrhelm the Knight.
They had followed this particular clan for many miles. The rangers had eaten little, slept little, and spoke no words. Later, they were perched upon the top of a cliff, looking down into a valley where they saw their quarry enter. It was then they saw something that made their breaths catch in their throats.
Miles upon miles of tents and campfires, going on for countless miles, with every bit of the ground teeming with countless figures. They could faintly hear shouts, growls, and curses as the wildlings milled about their encampment. The five rangers quickly made haste back down the cliff to their horses, and started the long journey back to the Wall.
After a moment, as they were passing through a large grove of trees, nervous Wil Cotter broke the silence. "Fuck! That was more than a single clan!"
Goren Halfeye rolled his single eye. "No shit, skitterbones. This is more than bad. Should a force that size attack the Wall…." The burly half-orc trailed off, letting the unwanted implication hang in the air.
Angmar grunted round his smoking pipe. "Aye lads, which gives us all the more reason to make haste back to Castle Black. The Commander needs to be warned! Hells, the Realm needs to be warned!" The dwarf exclaimed.
Suddenly, Goren halted his horse and raised his hand, causing everyone else to stop as well?
"What is it?" Tyrhelm asked.
"I smell…..blood." Goren replied. Dismounting, the party followed the half-orc as he let his nose guide him. After several moments, the scent turned into a stench that only grew stronger. They then reached a clearing, where the stench became nauseating. What they saw made their already frozen blood go colder.
Alderin and Wil Cotter wretched their previous meals onto the ground. Goren, Angmar, and Tyrhelm simply grimaced. The grove was littered with the torn and cut up remains of what could have only once been wildlings. Remnants of furs and weapons, viscerea, bones, and blood covered almost every inch of the once white ground with dark red blood and black blood.
"By the gods. What could have perpetuated this slaughter?" Tyrhelm gasped.
Alderin began to pray as the group slowly edged closer to the site. "Merciful Kelemvor. Take the souls of these, guide them to a just reward, and let it be that they may find true peace in kind death…"
"Save your prayers," Goren snapped, as he inspected what seemed to be a severed arm. "Wildlings never did anything to deserve them." He grunted, rubbing at his eyepatch
"Did some… beast do this? Or was it also wildlings?" Wil asked. He stood over what appeared to heartbreakingly be the corpse of a small child.
"Nay, laddie," Angmar replied. "Even beasts aren't this cruel. And Wildlings would have looted anything of value."
Suddenly, a loud screech pierced the air. It seemed to penetrate the very core of their beings. Then,, Wil screamed in pain. The child corpse he had been studying had somehow come to life and stabbed him with a sharp dagger. The corpse's head was later severed by a swing of one of Goren's swords.
"He's dead! Come on, we need to leave, now!" The half-orc yelled. They began to run, and then more corpses started rise, each with eyes of icy blue. The four remaining rangers began to fight for their lives as the many dead began to swarm them.
Alderin held up his holy symbol as he plied his mace to the skulls of the walking corpses. It seemed to somewhat repel the creatures. The swords of Goren and Tyrhelm were flashing blurs, and Angmar's axe severed heads, limbs, and bodies with devastating effect. For a moment, hope seemed to appear.
Then, Angmar fell first, for a corpse without legs had crawled over to him and stabbed him in his leg. As he fell, many of the things fell upon the dwarf. His screams were chilling to hear.
Next was Tyrhelm, for through his back was thrust a spear. He fell to the ground without a sound. Soon, only Goren and Alderin were left.
"Run, cleric." Alderin heard the half-orc grunt. "Run as fast as you can!"
"But Goren..." Alderin's words died in his throat as suddenly the creatures parted, and something else stepped through. It seemed to be a fusion of the blackest shadow and the whitest ice, with solid blue eyes. It was garbed in strange, pale armor, almost mirror-like in appearance. Its sword seemed made of translucent ice.
"I SAID RUN, YOU LITTLE FUCK! TELL ANYONE YOU FIND WHAT YOU SAW HERE! NOW RUN! RUN 'TILL YOU COLLAPSE" Goren shouted.
Alderin turned and ran as fast as he could. As he did, he heard Goren state to the creature, "Shall we dance then?" Than all he heard were the sounds of swords clashing, of Goren swearing, of steel shattering, and, as he ran and ran, he heard two final things. He heard Goren's death cry, and what seemed to be a discordant shrieking of ice.
He still ran. He remembered at some point carving something into his arm over and over again with a dagger. He still ran. His terror gave him strength to keep on running. He never stopped, even as he befouled himself in piss and shit. He did not eat, and any water was from ice on the ground. Than, at wits end, he somehow returned to Castle Black.
As Alderin finished his tale, Addolgar, Aemon, Walker, and Balasar all sat in shocked silence.
"What I have just told you is all true, Commander." Alderin said in a weak voice. "I have spoken no falsehoods. I so swear."
Addolgar stroked his beard in thought. He then turned to Walker. "Call the captains. We have much discuss."
Walker nodded grimly.