Warg Maiden
Edited by xXFallenSakuraXx52
Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones
Chapter 3: Symbols
The Past
Imogen's POV
Language is the most common. Communication is indeed essential if you are going to survive in this world. There are seven languages in the lands beyond the Wall, in the True North. Common Tongue is mainly used, although many use the old language of the First Men. We Free Folk were born from the First Men and have more of their blood in our veins than those below the Wall who call themselves Northmen. Yes, men occasionally steal Southern women who live beneath when traveling through the Bay of Ice.
Anyway, we were taught the Common Tongue and the Old Language, yet we did not learn how to read.
Literacy, as the Crows call it, was never used. We cannot read the chicken scratch to them, Crow reads. The only form of words we have is written in the runes. However, as time passes, the runes become more of symbols and pictures than what they actually mean. The Elders try to keep the practice of reading runes, yet our survival is more important than the runes.
It would be a month when the Children of the Forest showed me how to read the runes. Parts of the cave were carved in runes and symbols. Leaf showed me their language. She knew Common Tongue, the Old Language, and her native tongue. After each lesson with the Three-Eyed Raven, Leaf would take me to a small chamber with the carvings and paintings and teach me. I was a curious child. I sat there with Skadi, listening carefully and observing each carving.
Leaf pointed at a spiral symbol, "These hold stories. Paintings that tell parts of history. This one, the dotted spiral, is about creating the White Walkers. The Beginning."
"How are the White Walkers real?" I asked.
Leaf held a guilty expression, "War between the Children and the First Men created them. The Three-Eyed Raven will show you when you are ready."
I pouted, but Leaf smiled and continued showing me more runes and symbols.
There was another tutor, one I found by mistake. As I fell asleep, exhausted from greensight, the Three-Eyed Raven allowed me to rest under the roots. Unaware as my hand made contact with Dark Sister. As I slept, I found myself in a dream of unknown lands. There was a view of the ocean, but it wasn't gray, but almost black. The air was warm and practically hot, nothing like I ever felt unless I was sick with a fever. There was the color as well; there was so much color.
"Where did you come from?" a male voice asked.
I turned around, seeing a man I'd never met before. He was tall, though not as tall as most Freemen. He had milk-white skin, long white hair, and red eyes. On the right side of his face, he had a red mark extending from his throat to his right cheek, almost resembling a bird. He wore strange clothing, suitable for the climate, with a strange creature on the tunic with wings.
"This is a strange dream," I replied. "Where am I? And who are you?"
The man opens his mouth to speak but stops, realizing what was happening.
"Has my body aged so much that he cannot suffice?" he asked to himself.
"What's a suffice?" I asked.
He paused, taking a better look at me in my leather and wool tunic. "You're a Wildling."
I scowled at him, "Don't call me that. I'm a Free Folk."
He scoffed, "Of course you are."
I glared at him, "Dreams are not meant to be mean."
"I'm afraid that this is not a dream, child." He countered.
"I am not a child, and I have a name," I snapped.
"And what is your name, my lady?" he sarcastically asked.
"I'm not a lady, and my name is Imogen, Daughter of Fenrir," I answered.
The man stopped upon hearing my name.
"What? Does my Papa scare you?" I challenged.
The man shook his head, snapping out of his daze. "No…"
"I gave you my name. What's yours?" I demanded.
The man chuckled as he knelt to my level, "Forgive me. I am Brynden Rivers."
"Son of who?" I asked.
Brynden held a sad face, "You won't know him."
"You're weird," I said, then noticed he had something in his hand. "What's that?"
Brynden lifted the item in his hand, "This is a book?"
"What's a book," I asked.
Brynden chuckled, "You got a lot to learn, little one."
That was my life. The Three-Eyed Raven, Leaf, and Brynden taught me. Usually, the Three-Eyed Raven took control of showing me the past; once he was done, I would be taught by Leaf. And when I go to sleep, it would be with Brynden or Bloodraven, as he allows me to call him. Although the dream realm lasted longer, at the same time as the Three-Eyed Raven. In reality, I was gone for five years, but mentally, in the dreams and the visions, it felt like ten years.
.o0o.
Present-day
Frigg flew overhead, seeing the image that was presented in the Fist of the First Men. It was a dotted spiral circle. However, this was not made out of stone. No, the White Walkers made this symbol out of horses. They had to chop them up into smaller pieces. I know what this symbol means. The White Walkers were reminding us of their existence. Upon returning to my body, I saw Mance, Tormund, Ygritte, Orell, Fenrir, and Jon come over. Mance knelt at the center of the spiral.
"Always the artists," Mance grumbled.
"It's only horses," Jon noted. "No men."
"You said there were dead crows," Ygritte told Orell.
Orell was confused, "There was."
The realization hit that the dead crows were now wights — the Night King's curse taking more men in his army.
"How many men were here?" Mance asked Jon.
"About three hundred," Jon answered.
"And you know what those men are now?" Mance asked.
Jon looked at Mance and nodded.
"We're all the same to them – - meat for their army," Mance declared.
"Do you think anyone got away?" Jon asked.
"How many did you see near the Haunted Forest?" Fenrir asked me.
"Thirty, maybe forty," I guessed. "Along with Mormont."
"You don't go far betting against Mormont," Mance said. "But dead or alive, he took a big gamble coming north. And he lost. His best fighting men are dead. And whether he's Lord Commander of the Night's Watch or a blue-eyed corpse, he's a long way from home. Tormund."
Tormund came over.
"Climb the Wall," Mance ordered. "Take Orell and twenty good men." He then pointed at Jon. "And take this one. He knows Castle Black's defenses better than any of us. And if he's useful, good. If not . . . Throw him off the Wall. See if crows can fly."
Jon's eyes widened.
Tormund smiled excitedly, "We're finally going to war, old friend?"
"Hide near Castle Black. When I give the signal, hit them in the night," Mance instructed. "They've got a big old wall to hide behind, but it only guards one side."
Tormund chuckled and hugged Mance, "We'll meet again."
"Aye," Mance promised. "If you do your job."
"Ah," Tormund scoffed, letting go.
"How will we see your signal?" Orell asked.
Mance started walking off, "Send your eagle above the Wall every night. When it's time, I'm going to light the biggest fire the North has ever seen."
Jon held a concerned expression. One Orell, Ygritte, and I noticed. There's still some Crow in him. The question is, is he concerned for his Crows or something else? For too long, we Free Folk have been fighting for our lives. It's time the southern lords shared the lands—the same lands our ancestors lived in during the Age of Heros.
I glanced at the symbol on the ground again and knew what it meant. I knew the story behind it. Eight thousand years ago, the Children of the Forest fought against the First Men who invaded Westeros. It was a never-ending battle between the originals, the Children and the Giants, against humanity. I remember walking through that memory with the Three-Eyed Raven.
The lands were warm, the grounds were green, and the sky was gray. In the center of a valley was a heart tree, a Weirwood tree surrounded by stones forming a spiral. A man was bound and gagged to the tree as the Children of the forest were huddled together discussing their plan. They were done with fighting; the giants could not save everyone. So, with their magic, they enchanted a piece of dragonglass. The one who made the decision was Leaf as she stood up and approached the human. He panicked, trying to plead for his life, yet Leaf and the Children had had enough of fighting and slowly stabbed the man in the chest where his heart would be with dragonglass. The man cried out in agony until the piece of glass was entirely inside him, and the magic took over. Transforming the human into the first White Walker, and thus the Night King was born as hazel eyes turned icy blue.
I asked Leaf why she did it? I was thirteen at the time and needed to understand what led to this and why they created a monster. Leaf, expressing her guilt, looked me in the eye and said:
"We were at war. We were being slaughtered. Our sacred trees were cut down. We needed to defend ourselves. From your ancestors. From men."
The Three-Eyed Raven could not approve or condemn their actions.
Now, the Children are near extinction.
As well as the Giants.
Desperation can change people to make rash decisions.
The White Walkers were meant to protect them. But something happened that the Night King turned his attention to killing all living things. He was going against his creators.
"Imogen," Tormund came over. "I could use the help."
"You already have a Warg," I reminded.
Not wanting to offend Orell. He was an excellent Warg.
"Aye, but the more, the merrier," Tormund murmured. "And I need good fighters and your direwolf, too."
"Direwolves can't climb," Ygritte sarcastically reminded.
"She's got a point," I said. "Skadi can't climb the Wall. Besides, she's almost the size of a horse."
Skadi tilted her head at me as if I'd insulted her.
Ygritte chuckled as she rubbed Skadi's neck, "We can't carry you up, pretty girl."
Skadi nudged her head into Ygritte.
Tormund laughed at the direwolf's response, "Maybe so, but she can help check the other side of the wall."
I sighed and looked at Fenrir. He thought about it since he was the chief of my tribe.
"Go, they can use the skills the Raven showed you," he said.
I sighed yet again but nodded. Ygritte couldn't help but smile. It has been a while since we had some adventures together. But it also allows me to keep an eye on Jon Snow. I don't trust him. He made a vow to be a Crow and is still a Crow. From what I remember from exploring the past with the Three-Eyed Raven and Mance's knowledge of the Starks, they are loyal once they make their vows. If only the Three-Eyed Raven allowed me to see the future. However, he only showed me the past and present. The amount of the future is the gathering of the Free Folk and the gathering of the Wight Walkers. Also, the possible future of Westeros in a land of eternal winter where all humanity is gone.
I know, it's a short chapter. I will make the next chapter longer.
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