Within the snow
Robb POV
I looked at the weird horn Grey Wind found with the dragonglass daggers. It was disturbing how little I knew of these lands and the Others. I was Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, yet there I am, with no knowledge about this mountain range. Why was there dragonglass here? The only conclusion I could come up with was that the dragonglass was brought there by the people who fought the Others in the legends.
What I found more interesting was the horn. What kind of horn was it? I didn't think it was a simple horn hidden with dragonglass daggers. I will have to bring it to Jon or Citadel for more information. Maybe the library in Winterfell has some books about it. I left Bran to organize the library so that when I returned, I could find something.
I could feel it was getting colder each minute, and I could hear the winds howling. A storm will hit us tonight, probably. I had everyone build the camp as fast as possible. With all our efforts, we made tents, built makeshift walls, and dug trenches. We were lucky to find enough wood for everything. Otherwise, we would freeze to death without the fires.
It would be too dangerous to send scouts now, so we must wait for the storm to pass and see what the scouts can find around this place. I did not expect to find the wildling army, but there were plenty of reports of the wildlings in these parts. Before we strike them, it would be best to find more information about them.
It was said there are a hundred thousand of them, but not everyone could be a fighter. Who knows how many children and old people there were in the army? And then there were rumors of giants among the army. It could be difficult, but we had horses and better equipment. We should manage ourselves if we could come at them while they are unprepared.
"Grrr," I heard Grey Wind growling suddenly.
"What is it, boy?" I stood up from my seat and walked up to the direwolf.
Grey Wind continued to growl at the outside of the tent. Seeing Grey Wind's seriousness, I took my sword and a torch before leaving the tent. Ser Wymar and Ser Jaime were outside chatting before seeing me. The Wind had picked up quite a lot as the night descended. I felt as if the snow started to fall. Grey Wind continued to growl in the distance as we left the tent.
"Is everything all right, my lord?" Wymar Royce asked.
"I don't know," I replied, turning to Grey Wind. The giant wolf led me to the camp walls and started barking at the darkness outside the Wall. "Ser Wymar, wake everyone up and tell them to arm themselves."
"Does your wolf sense something?" Wymar asked.
"I could be a bear," I answered.
"Or wildlings," Jaime Lannister added.
"Or something worse," Wymar said before turning to leave.
"Tell everyone to light their torches and prepare torch pikes," I added before Wymar could leave. "It is better to be safe."
"Aye, I will inform Lord Commander," Wymar left with a quick step.
I wasn't very comfortable with only the Kingslayer staying beside me, but it wasn't the time to think about it. Grey Wind didn't stop growling at the darkness as the snow fell harder and the wind howled stronger. I felt a chill run through my back as I looked in the distance. I drew Ice from my back and heard the Kingslayer drawing his sword too.
It didn't take much time for me to hear the camp rousing. Fires were lit, and more men came to the walls with bows, arrows, and torches. I hoped it was some starving beast looking for food, but I heard nothing from the darkness and through the howling winds. I couldn't see far either, as the falling snow obscured my vision.
"My lord," Lord Karstark approached me first with his sons. "Is something a miss?"
"Hopefully not, but Grey Wind is restless, and I would be a fool not to take it as a warning," I answered.
Lord Commander of the Night's Watch joined us too. He was silent, and Grey Wind's growling told him everything he needed to know. Grey Wind suddenly started to bark, and I heard the crows from within the camp cawing. Jeor Mormont held his sword hilt at the sounds, and so did Lord Karstark. It was impossible to hear or see anything outside the camp as the storm intensified.
"Lord Karstark, check on the horses," I said. "Something is coming. It would be bad if the horses were to panic and wreak havoc in the camp. And if we are attacked, I want you to prepare a cavalry for a counterattack. These walls won't hold for long."
"Aye," Lord Karstark nodded in agreement and left.
Jeor Mormont took out a horn from his belt and climbed the wall. Yet it was still impossible to see much from all the snow falling. Suddenly a gust of wind extinguished my torch, and I felt a cold sweat run down my back as the fires around me started to disappear. Then all of us heard footsteps on fresh snow coming from the darkness.
They weren't loud, but to be able to hear them meant there were a lot of them. Taking out my flint, I relighted my torch as the others followed my example. The animal fat on dry wood caught fire quickly, but it made me wonder how the fire was extinguished in the first place. Before I could think about it, Jeor Mormont blasted his horn—once, then another time before finishing with the third.
"May the gods be good," I heard men around me mutter before I looked over the low stone and wood wall.
"Draw!" Jeor Mormont yelled out to the archers. "Aim! Loose!"
The fire arrows flew into the darkness, where hundreds of shadows resided. But before the fire could hit anything, it was gone. Yet we still heard the arrows whistle in the air and hit something. As soon as men started to cheer, they grew silent as the shadows descended upon us. Grey Wind barked furiously, and the KIngslayer walked before me.
"Torch Pikes up front!" I yelled as men came in front with long Pikes with burning tips.
"My lord, please retreat. It is not safe," The Kingslayer said.
"I will see through it," I replied.
I had to be here and see it with my own eyes, no matter what. Jeor Mormont continued to yell orders to give them fire. Then suddenly, the fire hit, and we could see better. A part of me wished I hadn't seen what was before us. I stared at the darkness with my blue eyes, and colder-than-ice blue eyes stared back at me.
"Hold your ground!"
Jeor Mormont's shout wasn't even finished when the first black arms came upon the wall trying to climb over it. Torch Pikes pushed them back, setting them aflame. I was surprised at how fast they caught on fire. But it looked like they didn't care about it as they still moved, trying to pass the low wall. Kingslayer pushed me back.
"My lord, leave. It isn't safe here," The Kingslayer said.
I reluctantly nodded and left with Grey Wind. I had to take command of the camp and see the other walls. I saw men running around the camp, unaware of what was happening. I quickly instructed them to light up as many torches as possible and bring arrows to the walls. Then I went to another wall to see how they were holding out.
I came up to Lord Umber baking orders to hold their positions. The situation here was the same. We were being overrun by the dead. I saw as the black hands tried to reach out from beyond the walls, and some even started vaulting over the wall. The situation was getting worse, and it didn't seem to be an end to them.
I saw that men started to look for arrows as they fired them into the darkness. They were running low on arrows and fast. I realized at that moment that we weren't prepared for this. The wall was too low. And even the Torch Pikes were breaking upon the weight of the dead bodies. Arrows were running out fast as men shot them in panic.
"Lord Umber!" I had to make a decision. "Hold as long as you can, but retreat and round up everyone once they get over the wall. Burn the camp as you leave. Leave nothing behind you. I will cut down a path to escape. Instruct others of it too."
"Very well," Lord Umber nodded with a grim expression.
Not wasting time, I ran to the horses. The animals were restless, but Lord Karstark calmed them down. I came up just in time to see that most horses were saddled and prepared for a fight. Lord Karstark had a few hundred men with him. I told him of my plan and mounted one of the horses. Just before I could command us to leave, the Kingslayer approached me.
"My lord, Lord Commander, bid me to inform you that the walls will not hold them back for long," He told me.
"Get on a horse. We will clear a path for us to retreat," I ordered him.
Kingslayer nodded and mounted a horse before taking a torch with him. Karstarks sons and Dacey Mormont came up to me with their horses. Ignoring their pleading to ride behind them, I ordered them to move. There was no time to waste; we needed to get out of there before we were overrun. I could hear the men struggling to keep the dead outside our walls and retreating.
Lord Karstark took the lead, and I followed behind as we left the camp. We needed to break through the dead and make them follow us, giving enough time for the others to retreat. With Lord Karstark leading us, we moved fast and hard. With a tight wedge formation, we rode through the dead, knocking them back with our swords and spears while dropping torches on the dead.
I held my Ice so the tip would be pointing down and let the force of my riding cut down the dead. Ice cleaved through the dead bodies like they were made of paper. I barely felt any resistance. Every few moments, men from behind me would drop a torch to burn the bodies and light the way. There wasn't any time to think of anything else.
It looked like it took an eternity, but we finally managed to break through them. When I turned around, I found the camp ablaze, illuminating the darkness. But before we could relax, I heard more of the dead coming. With a yell, we rode toward them. There were more than expected as we crashed at them. Black hands took some men down.
Just as I saw the end of the dead, the horses suddenly stopped as they neighed and tried to turn. My horse wasn't any better as he lifted its front legs and threw me to the ground. I quickly got on my feet and saw a massive snow bear rushing at us. It came out of nowhere and took out at least three men before everyone could calm the horses down.
The snow bear wasn't the end, as behind the beast came shadows on horses. We looked in pure horror as five riders came upon us. They were taller than most men, yet still thin. Their flesh was pale as milk, and they wore armor made of ice. Seeing these figures, the horses tried to back off no matter what the riders wanted.
Someone not far from me took a torch and drew his sword before screaming and running at the pale figures. One of the pale riders unmounted his dead horse and met the man on the ground. The man swung the sword. The figure blocked it. The man stabbed his torch at the chest of the figure. The fire was extinguished. The figure beheaded the man.
All hell broke through as the snow bear still rampaged. Lord Karstark, who managed to handle his horse better than others, rode to meet the snow bear. Grey Wind joins Lord Karstark by jumping on the snow bear's back and biting down. I didn't have time to watch the fight as the pale figures approached.
There were only five of them and hundreds of us. With a shout, I ordered the men to dismount their horses if they couldn't control them and stand with me. There were no words as I raised Ice and pointed at the pale figures. Yet I still felt fear, like everyone else. I knew I had to be first to go if we wanted to face them. But before I could take the step, the Kingslayer ran passed me with his sword raised.
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