CHAPTER 21
The next morning Jorah and Lyra had everything broken down and packed up quickly. They said goodbye to the wildlings and went towards the river. When they got to the river, Lyra made another ice bridge and it vanished when they were on the other side. They went to the right and up a slope into a line of pine trees laden with snow. Lyra noticed it was the spot and view she had in the vision. Lyra wished for three arrows and two daggers of obsidian glass. She said, "Watch from here Jorah. I must get in position." Lyra made a sign for Crystal to stay with Jorah.
After a little while, Lyra saw Craster approach from out of his keep. He walked with a bundle of a baby crying into the forest and put down the bundle eventually on a small berm of pine boughs. As soon as he had left to go back into the keep, a White Walker entered the area to pick up the bundle. She shot an arrow and the White Walker shattered into a million shards of ice before getting to the bundle. Lyra went to the bundle and scooped it up putting it inside her coat and went to where Jorah was standing.
Jorah asked anxiously, looking scared, "What was that thing? Was that a real White Walker?"
Lyra said, "Yes, Jorah. You now believe with your own eyes, don't you?" He was shaken to the core.
He said distantly, "Lyra, that's terrifying. My father will have to deal with those things when the time comes."
Lyra said softly to him, "That won't be all. The Army of the Dead is even worse. Rotting bodies and skeletons that are murderous from out of a nightmare." The baby cooed in her warm coat. She smiled at the little one as Crystal came up to her and roweled at her coat. Lyra made a sign meaning baby. She leaned down and showed the baby to Crystal who sniffed it.
Jorah asked her, "What happens next?"
Lyra said matter of factly, "We go ask guests right for you and our baby then I kill him. I will then set the women free to get the hell out of there with all of his supplies to go to other settlements or they would be raped by the Night Watch men eventually if the White Walkers don't get them first."
Jorah said, "Let's go get it over with." Lyra mounted up as did Jorah and they rode towards Craster's Keep. She wrapped the baby in furs and wished for a bottle of human breast milk that would never run out and spoil with a baby bottle.
When they approached the keep the women scattered frightened and some ran inside. Craster came out and said angrily, "Who are you and what do you want?"
Jorah who sat on the horse said, "Guest rights."
He said nastily, "Why should I?"
Jorah put down his fur hood and said, "Because I am asking for me, my woman and my child." Lyra put down her hood and Craster leered at her. He thought maybe if he killed the man he could keep the beautiful woman. Then he saw the lion dressed in clothing and it shocked him.
Craster asked, "What is that animal?"
Lyra said, "My lioness she will harm nobody unless I say so."
Craster asked Jorah, "You let your woman keep a wild animal?"
Jorah replied, "The lion is a good hunter and never leaves her side." The baby cried from inside Lyra's coat.
Craster said, "You can come in for only the night as long as you keep the lion under control and away from my women." Lyra nodded. They rode to the stables and got the horses comfortable. They both carried inside all their gear putting it in a room with a bed. They went out to the Hall and sat at a table with Craster. He ordered the women to get food. Lyra held the baby in the fur and nursed him with the bottle. Craster leered at her.
He asked Jorah, "Where are you from?"
Lyra said, shrugging, "We're from everywhere." Craster thought it odd that the woman would talk first when he was addressing Jorah.
Jorah said, "She's right. We are from everywhere." The women brought stew in bowls with bread and salt.
Craster asked, dipping his bread in his bowl, "What are your names?"
Jorah said looking around, "I'm Jorah, this is Lyra." Jorah tasted the stew. It was edible and definitely not as good as Lyra's cooking.
Craster spat, "Those are names from south of the Wall."
Lyra said after burping the baby and laying him down next to her, "Yes, they are."
Craster asked, "Why are you up here?"
Jorah said casually, "Just traveling through." Lyra was smiling inside at the evasive things Jorah was answering, leaving it to her to tell Craster more or not.
Lyra stood up and moved the baby away from her into a chair. She hand signaled Crystal to guard the baby. The lioness stood next to the chair. Lyra went back to the table and said, "I saw you in the woods earlier. What were you doing?"
He said matter of factly, "Leaving tribute to my gods."
She swallowed, took a sip of wine and said inquiring, "So you worship the White Others?" Lyra started eating the stew.
He said wondering why she was so interested, "I suppose I do."
She asked seriously, "So you do not fear death?"
He said getting upset at all the questions, "No, because I am protected from them. We made a deal? The rest is none of your business."
She asked, looking him in the eyes, "Are these women your wives?"
Craster told her snapping, "They are my wives and daughter-wives. Why would you care about it anyway? The both of you should get your child and go. I grow weary of your questions."
She smiled at him benignly, shrugging and said, "I am only curious. I find you very different from most Freefolk. You have made a deal with the White Walkers to leave you alone as you help the Night King increase his numbers that cause death on all other Freefolk above the Wall. You have incestuous sex with the female children you create to mature into another vessel of procreation. While discarding the male children. It is a fascinating cycle of death and life."
She stood up and stepped behind him and with a flicker of light she slit his throat with her valyrian dagger. Craster was shocked and grabbed his neck looking up at her. Lyra said, wiping her blade on his shoulder, "They cannot protect you from me though. The cycle stops now, foolish man." The woman in the room gasped as Craster was bleeding out.
Lyra said out loud to the women, "I want all of you to hear what I have to say… The time has come for this to end. You must leave this cursed place. Take all of the supplies divided among you and find other settlements because you cannot stay in this cursed place. If you stay, you will either be raped by the Night Watch crows or the White Walker Others will come for you. Do you understand me?"
One woman asked condescendingly, "How do you know?"
Lyra snapped at her, "With no male children to give the Others you will be killed now. The longer you stay here the Night Watch will notice there is no male in charge and start taking advantage of you."
The woman spat, "Thanks to you."
Lyra said, "Fine stay and die and anyone else who stays too. I have warned you." Lyra sat down, turned away from Craster and ate the rest of her food. Jorah was amazed at Lyra's behavior. He never saw her so assertive, killing Craster and snapping back at the woman. She didn't even let her food waste in front of the dead body. When she was done eating, she took the baby and they all went to the room with a bed and settled in as she fed Crystal. Lyra wished for a dozen diapers, four diaper pins, a knit hat, a leather bag to carry it all in and warm clothing for the little boy baby.
Jorah asked curiously, "What are you going to do with the baby, Lyra?"
Lyra said distractedly while cleaning the baby, "I am going to keep him and raise him. The boy will know when his brothers are around us." Jorah was surprised at her answer.
He asked curiously, "You mean he will warn us of their presence?"
She said stoically, "He will see through their eyes and yes, help us as his parents and family."
Jorah asked again, "Lyra, have you seen this?"
Lyra looked at him and said, "Yes, Jorah, last night. I was trying to think it through to know what I saw and what it means to us. I'm naming him, Jassin. He will have a little brother soon to grow up with." Jorah stopped what he was doing and froze. He wasn't sure what he heard. Jorah walked up to her, leaned down and cupped her face.
He asked softly, "My baby and it's a boy?"
She looked up at him and smiled, "Yes, Jorah, my love. I am pregnant with your child and yes it will be a boy." Lyra had Jassin cozy and clean in his bundle of furs. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Jorah.
Jorah said looking at her adoringly, "You never stop amazing and giving me such wonderful things. By the gods, I love you so, woman. You are the most generous person I have ever known and you make me so happy." He kissed her passionately. That night Lyra secured their bedroom from intrusion with a wish. Jorah curled up with Lyra and the baby in his arms with Crystal across the foot of the bed covered up. He placed his hand on Lyra's stomach thanking the gods for his gift of a son and this most extraordinary woman.
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During the night, there was a great ruckus going on outside. Lyra woke up, clamoring out of bed and throwing on her clothes. Jorah did the same. Lyra wrapped the baby in the furs and hand signaled Crystal to protect the baby. The lion moved up next to the baby on the bed. Lyra grabbed her bow.
There was screaming. Lyra and Jorah opened the door a crack to see a White Walker tearing up the place searching and killing the women. Lyra stepped out of the room, took aim with an obsidian arrow and it shattered into ice shards on impact. The women were crying and screaming.
Lyra shouted, "Shut up!" The room got silent. She said with authority, "Now do you understand and believe me?! You must pack up and leave this place!"
The eldest woman said, "I will prepare them and have them burn the dead." Lyra nodded. About four women were dead.
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In the morning, Lyra and Jorah packed up everything and had the horses ready. Lyra had made a sling out of a large piece of cloth. She had the baby in a hammock, of sorts inside her coat that she opened at the neck a couple hooks to make sure the air circulated for the baby to breathe.
They rode on to the river and followed it south. They made camp on the treeline by the river. Lyra caught six good size river trout. They cleaned, gutted and fileted the three trout. She fed Crystal the other three fish. She cooked the fish in a skillet with garlic oil and seasonings. The pot was full of potatoes, carrots, dried spinach, dried kale and dried red peppers. The smell was tasty. Lyra had a pot of tea by the fire too. She and Jorah enjoyed their meal. As she was down by the river cleaning pans and getting a vision flashing in her mind. She heard Jorah shout her name at the same time Crystal started growling.
Lyra looked down the bank at a party of wildlings that truly were wild looking, running towards her yelling and whooping. Lyra hurried and went back to camp, wishing the perimeter secure from weapons and people. The Thenns charged up to the campsite and were repelled from entering the perimeter being thrown backwards into the snow. Lyra knew they were Thenns from the scarification on their heads. They tried everything, even weapons but couldn't get at Jorah, Crystal or Lyra. Lyra ignored them and started doing what she would normally do, breaking the branches up they piled inside of the campsite for the fire. Crystal kept growling at them standing by her mother.
The Thenns were standing around watching them. The leader said, "Are you witches?"
Jorah looked at Lyra and she replied, "No."
The leader asked , "Then what kind of magic is this you have around you?"
Lyra said stoically, "Magic is just magic. I guess you could call me a white maegi and seer." The Thenns were mumbling to one another.
The Thenns leader asked, "Why do you have that large beast with you?" The baby started to cry and Lyra made him a bottle of milk that she kept near the fire to stay slightly warm. She held and nursed the baby.
Jorah said, answering him, "For added protection. My woman has trained the white lion from its birth to be a warrior and hunting companion."
The Thenns leader said smirking and mocking, "I wondered if you had a voice. Do you always let your woman talk for you? No women in our clan speak unless spoken to."
Jorah snapped back, "My woman is beautiful, smart and powerful. She is strong and has earned her place at my side as an equal." The Thenns laughed.
The Thenns leader said, "No woman is that strong. You are a fool to bend to your woman. They need a hard hand to know who leds them." Lyra whispered a wish to give the Thenns all stomach cramps by saying the word Alakazam.
Lyra said, "Perhaps, your women are weak enough to let you treat them like that. I am different and would break you in half with one word." The men all laughed.
The Thenns leader said chuckling, "Stupid woman." They all started laughing again.
Lyra stood up and walked up to them and extended out her arm and waved her hand shouting, "Alakazam!" The men all doubled over in pain and fell to their knees groaning. Lyra walked away and sat back down as they wallowed in pain.
The leader begged, "Stop hurting us!" Lyra whispered a wish to make it stop by saying Abracadabra. She burped the baby and cleaned him up.
Lyra walked over and said, "Are you still calling me a stupid woman?" They all said no, shaking their heads in agony.
Lyra waved her hand and said, "Abracadabra!" The pain stopped. The men looked up at her holding her baby with a fierce look in her eyes.
As they all stood up, the leader said, "Let's go." They all walked off looking back at her from time to time in fear.