The Raven
He watched his family die, one by one, but it did nothing to him. He'd seen it untold times before and would again in every moment of time, along with everything else that had ever happened. He watched this battle take place before and before that. He watched as early heroes and villains lived and died, loved and hated in the endless stream of time. It happened all at once, instantly, and yet taking eternity for him to understand. Somewhere along the line, he'd learned that learning was the journey – and understanding was never the destination.
"Are you sure?" the woman asked, panicked. Blythe, he thought. That's her name.
"Most certainly," he answered with neither confidence nor fear. It was simply a matter of fact. Emotions had no role in his existence anymore – save for a few moments here and there. He continued leading the small group through the narrow passage beneath the castle. The echoes of gunfire, screams and unholy rasping echoed around them, unnerving even the two rangers, who flinched at nearly every new sound.
"This passage – it's been untouched for far longer than anywhere else in this castle," Ebrose noted. He wants to distract himself.
"Please maintain your focus, Maester Ebrose," he instructed. They reached a wooden door, reinforced with ancient iron bars. Half of the wood had rotted away, giving them a view of the small, underground body of water and the dark passage beyond it. He reached out his host's tanned hand and motioned to the door. "A good kick should suffice." Ranger Beck wasted no time.
The door exploded in a pool of splinters and chunks. The iron made an awful clanging sound as it bounced off of the stone floors, echoing back through the tunnel and towards the ongoing battle. Beck went through first, rifle at the ready. Lance followed before they gave the all-clear. Ebrose moved in behind the Raven. Blythe brought up the rear. Once they were through, the Raven stopped and pointed to her.
"Your radio," he pointed out. "You would do well to inform your surviving soldiers of this exit." Now Blythe wasted no time. Within a second, her hand grasped the radio and clicked it on.
"All units, this is Blythe. If you're holding the main hall, fall back to the kitchens and make your way into the old cellars," she explained. "There is an underground exit in the cellars. Repeat, all units – make your way to the cellars and get the hell out of there!"
"Major Blythe," the voice of General Poole came. His family used to serve Bran. "Get a signal to the Iron Islands," he instructed. "They're not beached – we can use them as a lifeboat! I'll command the evacuation!"
"Sir!" she answered. Beck clicked the light on his rifle and moved forward on the rocky ledge overlooking the natural pool. The dark tunnel continued. Lance took a flare from a pouch on his pants and ignited it, leaving it in the doorway.
"Good thinking," Blythe observed. The Raven kept moving.
"I can't stay much longer," he noted as they entered the dark tunnel behind the flashlight.
"What? Why?!" Blythe shouted angrily. The Raven turned to her.
"I am attempting to help multiple individuals," he explained. "You have your mission, Knight-Major. Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, then onward to Castle Black."
"Point Farrow," Lance corrected, to no one in particular. "Castle Black is still Castle Black, but... yeah, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea is Point Farrow." Blythe gave him a look as if she couldn't believe he was speaking. It quieted him quickly.
Are you finished? Turk's voice echoed in his head.
Yes, my old friend. Please, be safe on your journey. It will be quite cold when you exit this tunnel – and it will only become colder, he answered.