Warning: I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire, nor this Story.
This story deserves to be available for readers to read. This Story was removed, it deserved to be available, Original Author is Blackwolf2019 as i don't own this story or its work.
Happy new year 2025 wishes everyone!
Comments and everything below is from the OA.
Chapter 21: Lost Secrets
Hope you all enjoyed it! Feel free tae comment as always! Dissertation is finished btw!
And on a Game of Thrones note, I'm feeling very justified in regards tae Daenerys.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Meera
Fear had overwhelmed Meera as she frantically pulled Bran's sledge through the cold snows beyond the wall, wights running behind them in force through the trees. Terror consumed her every time she had to slash at one of them with a lit torch. The prospect of dying by them was much more harrowing in Meera's eyes. The thought of dying after all the tragedies that had befallen them in the cave. Jojen, Summer and Hodor had died. Jojen, weak and broken, barely lucid. Summer, ripped apart by Wights. How he whined as he tore into a Wight with his last breaths. And Hodor she hadn't seen fall, only seeing his face clawed through the door he held valiantly. His screams echoing as she ran until there was nothing. Even the Children had died. Though she felt less pity for them, even if they had been deceived by Blood Raven. He'd deceived them all, letting them think he was the three eyed crow. How wrong they'd all been.
Blood Raven had betrayed the Three Eyed Crow when he first met his predecessor. After learning all there was to know of his green seeing abilities, he had abandoned The Three Eyed Crow's duties, using Valyrian Blood Magic to avoid the fate, having more eyes than he ever did as Hand of the King. That was what Bran had seen with his own Green Sight. The fate of the last Three Eyed Crow to Blood Raven, suffering a worse fate than any before him.What they planned on doing to Jojen.From that point it had led to chaos. Whatever was happening between Bran and Blood Raven in the Green Sight had led to the Others coming. And from that point on there was only death and blood. Meera had lost everyone in a single swoop.
And Bran most of all.
His body lived but Bran was gone. There was only the Three Eyed Crow now. That was the sacrifice that Blood Raven avoided, taking all of the knowledge that came from it but taking none of the burden and duty. Bran had done it though. He'd died a Stark, doing what was right for the North, even if it took him from her, and her from him. She just had to hope she would live to protect the Three Eyed Crow. No matter how tired she was.
I just have to keep running.Meera thought as she ran through the snow, legs becoming heavier at every step. Her flight ended once she realised that there were Wights in front of her, behind her and to her sides. Meera was surrounded.I will be brave, even when afraid.Meera thought to herself as she held her spear and sconce. Her Father had told her those words. Words he had told Ned Stark once.
Meera didn't give the Wights a chance as she rammed her spear into one of the Wights, lighting it aflame with the sconce before repeating with the next, jabbing at them both as much as possible until they stayed dead before trying with the other Wights as they began to storm her. She held her ground as much as possible, stabbing and burning them. Keeping them away from Bran. To her horror she heard thuds of hooves.Only the Others rode anything.Meera started to stab more violently, hoping to make a route of escape. But that was failing. There were too many and she could barely guard the Three Eyed Crow and herself. The hooves had got louder, two sets of them. One to her joy was an elk and the other a living horse. Cold Hands had come with an ally, both clad in back and wielding chains with flaming metal balls attached. The two figures clad in black stormed through the Wights. Fiery Iron slammed into the circling horde like a knife through butter, sending Wights into burning messes on the floor. Meera saw her opening and started to stab her way through, making a gap to push the sled through, bringing the Three Eyed Crow to safety whilst her allies continued burning the dead. It had taken time but the screams of the Wights had finally abated, leaving only the howling wind and the beats of hooves.
Cold Hands didn't give Meera any time to give thanks, simply grabbing her in one swoop, placing her on the Elk with him. The Other rider had done the same with Bran. The two then started a gallop as Meera held on. Tiredness bringing her to sleep.
Meera woke to the smell of fire and cooked rabbit. It was a nice smell in harshness that was winter beyond the wall. She stirred from the dry spot she had been placed in. Meera quickly looked for Bran.Three Eyed Crow.Meera reminded herself sadly. He was sat opposite her, eyes glazed over in his Green Sight. Either that or he had skin changed. She hoped it was the latter. That was something Bran enjoyed. Sitting around the fire was Cold Hands and another man. Only the man was eating, clearly hungry. Cold Hands looked to her in his masked face and nodded.
"You did well to survive as long as you did." He said simply.
Meera nodded mutely as she joined the two to eat something before speaking.
"Where were you when they came?" She asked.
Cold hands looked at her, pieces of his deadened face showing through the scarf. "Scouting the Others. They've been moving more now that Winter is here."
"Easier for them to move South now that it's colder." The other man said.
His accent's northern.Meera realised immediately.
"Did you know about Blood Raven?" Meera asked.
Cold Hands went to answer but The Three Eyed Crow answered, not even leaving his trance. "He didn't."
Meera felt tears drip at the lack of emotion in his voice. Bran was truly dead. The other man's shoulders slumped.
"I was as fooled as everyone else. He was clever at making his summons seem like the Crow's." Cold Hands said darkly.
"Maybe eating the last one allowed that." Meera muttered in the same dark tone.
There was a silence before the Northmen spoke. Looking closely, she could see grey eyes and a long, scarred face. His hair was dark in most places, but there were patches of white. His features screamed of a Stark like in Father's descriptions of Ned.He's too old to be Jon.
"Benjen Stark?" Meera asked quietly.
Benjen nodded. "Aye, that I am. You're the first human company I've had for a long time. Even if it means one of my nephews is lost to the Crow."
Meera could hear the pain there as he spoke. He wasn't happy either about Bran'sdeath.There was another silence before Cold Hands spoke again.
"I'll be taking you to the Wall and Benjen will take you through it. The magics of the wall will keep you protected. Here is no longer a home for the living."
"We'll ride soon and hopefully we'll be able to get help from my brother." Benjen said hopefully.
Meera's heart broke at the words.He doesn't know about him.
"Ned Stark is dead Benjen. It is Jon we will be speaking with. He needs to know everything." The Three Eyed Crow said with an empty voice.
A voice dulled by the knowledge of a thousand generations. Meera felt herself weep as Benjen Stark's face dropped.
Wylis Manderly
Wylis had never thought he would be on Skagos in his life. He'd never thought to ever be working with the Skagosi. The Blood of the First Men that had been called savages and cannibals by the First Men of the North. But times were changing. Winter was here, the dead were coming and the Skagosi had turned out to be loyal to House Stark. Protecting Rickon Stark and then storming the Dreadfort had shown they were Northmen. A harsh and blunt lot, much like him and his fellow mainlanders. Wylis was just thankful that they weren't Cannibals.
Father had tasked him with helping to retrieve the Dragon Glass, shipping it from Skagos to the mainland where it was to become weapons. He had loved the task from the start. It had given him the freedom to sail on ships and feel the air on him. Something he had truly missed as a hostage.Something Wendel will never feel again,Wylis thought sadly as he watched the crates go onto the Galley. This was all that was left that could be found on the island. Wylis had been told by the Crowl that there was more. Located in a cave within the Volcano. But he had been told not to go.Cannibal's Cave.
Thought of the name made him shudder. Wylis had been foolish enough in the beginning to have a look at the cave with a few men, to see whether a large force could wipe them out so they could get more. He had been more foolish when the cave didn't look like it had been entered in years. It had made him think that the Cannibals must have eaten each other by this point. Wylis had sent for a few more men and then they entered the cave. They had found more bones than Wylis had seen in his life. And burn marks on the wall. He had thought it was from cooking until he heard the almighty roar and the screams of three of his men. Wylis had barely seen them vanish into whatever it was. For a brief moment he saw bright yellow eyes. Wild eyes almost like the Stark wolves. Then he felt heat enter the cave and flames starting to hit one of the caverns. Him and his men ran a fast as they could before they could burn. All the way to the outside. Wylis had lost five men to Cannibal's cave and had more than earnt the scolding from the Crowl.
It had been enough to make him settle for the Dragon Glass they could find on the island. It would be more than enough.And I don't want to see those yellow eyes again.The eyes of something that might only be described as a monster.
Hope you all enjoyed!
More info on the others and three eyed raven will come. Same fir Benjen. In this him and cold hands are different people. Meera and Bran were a thing btw but Bran actually becomes the three eyed raven unlike blood raven who cheats it. You will learn what his agenda was too.
And Wylis has found Cannibal.
