Kraven

She spun her spear around her body in hopes of startling and confusing the Man-Thing, allowing her to get in a strike against him. It was a trick she had seen her brother Doran learn in the training yard and that she knew, based on the reports she'd been able to gather, that her brother Oberyn had mastered. People thought it was something done out of arrogance or disrespect for one's foes, a wasteful use of energy, but in reality it was all about drawing the eye away from where the blow would come. It worked best with a spear because one could last out with either end: the biting head or the hard tail. It was why main spear styles were named after different types of scorpions. She spun the spear in her hands, over her neck, behind her back-

Kraven suddenly lashed out with the spear, driving it forward just as it was near the ground, spinning it up into a cutting arc before diving forward before pulling back and spinning it again. The Man-Thing stared at her during all of that but she kept going, spinning again, knowing that the next attack would be real.

But when she went in for the thrust the lumbering creature proved to be not lumbering at all. No, he deftly avoided the strike, nearly sending her into reach of him.

'Don't let him get his hands on you,' Kraven thought as she dropped down onto the wet ground, idly feeling the dampness soak into parts of her clothing. She'd have to be careful and warm up by the fire once she was done with this; one didn't stay damp North of the Wall, for if they did then they never returned. But in order for her to do that she would need to actually get out of the fight alive and that started with getting out of the creature's range. Rolling along the ground she sprung back to her feet, spear at the ready as the Man-Thing swiped at her, just missing the tip of her weapon. 'His touch can ignite people, reducing them to ashes.'

Too many people thought she was a dumb brute; Kraven knew that if she were a man they would think it even more so. Being that she was a woman they thought her merely naïve or a savage. They thought that she just went stumbling through the world, finding fights and when she couldn't find one she started one. Her attacks must be lazy and without any planning. What they didn't realize was that one didn't survive long, even if skilled, if they tried to live like that. A wise fighter learned all they could about their foe, so that they might have every chance possible to win. And when it came to wild beasts one had to learn all they could because to fight them one had to enter their world, unless it was like her fight with The Lizard, where the creature was dragged to a man made structure and forced to fight.

No… to fight a beast in their territory was to fight on their terms and only by learning all you could about them did you have any hope of being able to defeat them.

'Or survive,' Kraven thought as she pulled out a throwing knife and flung it at the Man-Thing's right leg. It sank in and the beast let out a rumbling cry at that… but there was no blood. No gush of fluid. And when it reached down and yanked the blade out Kraven saw the wound heal. 'Just as the reports said. There is nothing that could be considered 'animal' making this thing up. It is entirely a creature of plantlife.' She narrowed her eyes as the Man-Thing tossed the knife away from the two of them, making sure she couldn't snag it again. She had plenty of other throwing knives on her, so it wasn't a grand loss, and she didn't plan on wasting any of them now that she knew they would only distract the creature. But it was still annoying. 'I just need to tear it to shreds.'

Getting to her feet she reached to her side and pulled out her sword, switching it to her left hand while she kept her spear in her right. It was the classic Panther Hunt Strategy: Jab with the spear to keep your distance, force the beast to become enraged as you slowly killed them with a thousand cuts while keeping them from striking at you, and then use the sword when they made a sloppy dive at you. It was of course tricky, as one could easily become bored and try and press their advantage. The trick was to keep your patience, focus on every move your foe made, and not become impatient. Too many times one would grow tired of the dance and try and go on the offensive, falling into the very same trap they were trying to lure their foe into. It was all about-

The Man-Thing let out a bellow and Kraven found herself having to duck when one of the fucking trees suddenly reached down and took a swipe at her. It was a clumsy grasp, like an infant trying to stubbornly smack at an aunt who kept leering over them making annoying 'goo goo goo' noises, but it was still a danger to her. She looked about and her eyes widened when all the trees began to shift and move, at first as if they were caught in some storm… and then stretching like an old man preparing for a battle.

A battle.

Oh yes, that was what they were preparing for, no 'like' to it.

"Take off the branches!" she yelled at the Lannister, tossing him a small axe she had hanging off her side; at least the blond bastard was staying out of the way and not rushing in to fight. She had been mildly worried that he would feel, as the 'big strong man', that he needed to save her and thus would go plowing through, doing something so eternally dumb like leap at the creature or try and yank her behind him. Instead the man had proven to be oddly smart, staying back and letting her fight.

She frowned. Or maybe he was just a fucking coward.

'Doesn't matter, so long as he lets me fight nad stays out of my fucking way,' she thought as she began to attack the trees with her sword, hacking at branches even as she jabbed her spear at the Man-Thing, forcing it to remain well away from her. She caught out of the corner of her eye the Lannister attacking the trees with his own sword, cleaving off wood and needles. Kraven spun and hacked off one thick branch only to scowl when thick sap gushed onto her. She felt it cling to her clothing, making them stiff, and she snarled in frustration. 'Another limitation.' She wondered in the back of her mind if the creature had meant for that to happen. 'Considering he's making no move to attack me? It is possible that he can't attack when he calls upon the plants to attack me but I doubt that. I think he could attack me just fine. He just wants me to wear myself out and end up covered in sap.'

The Man-Thing was proving to not just be dangerous… but intelligent.

It could PLAN.

Only a few months earlier she would have been excited. The creature apparently could burn every living creature on the planet that felt fear, could survive any wound she might have laid into it, and was proving to be utterly cunning. Most important of all it wasn't harming the innocent… in fact it was aiding the innocent.

The perfect being to die to.

An honorable death.

Normally she would have never sought out such a beast. Even with all the darkness in her heart she had still kept a bit of her humanity and she refused to slaughter just for the sake of slaughter. She wasn't her goodfather, consumed by a giddy need to burn and pillage and destroy. No… she would have never gone after the Man-Thing before, even if it offered the best chance at her death. She wouldn't kill something that did not harm and sought only to protect. Many times she had refused to kill an innocent creature that was no threat to the people and merely wanted to exist.

'But now I must fight it… and I can't die,' she thought bitterly, gripping her sword tightly.

Ultron had been clear: the Wildlings had to be stopped at all costs. According to him they were a threat on two fronts. The first, and less likely according to the mad silver bastard (and Kraven wondered WHY her lot in life seemed to be tying herself to mad silver bastards… if she had a silver stag for every time that happened she'd have two stags, which wasn't a lot but it was weird it had happened TWICE), was that if the Starks ever got their heads out of their own asses they could rally them and turn them into a true force to aid them against Ultron. He didn't see that happening… even with the Night's Watch allowing them to pass through the Wall they were still so mistrusted by the Northerners that they would never embrace them with open arms. If Eddard Stark tried it he could very well end up dead. The rumors that the Lord Commander was allowing the Wildlings to pass through the gates of the Wall were nothing more than filthy lies.

But the second was because of their worth to Thanos.

Ultron had stated that he knew little of the mysterious 'Night's King' that was marshalling his forces North of the Wall. That he was creating an army out of the Wildlings. As such every dead wildling was one less one they needed to worry about… not that Ultron would ever 'worry' about some massive King Beyond the Wall claiming to be an Other. He had been rather clear on that point, glowering at them all for even suggesting that Thanos might be a problem. Still… he had been clear he wanted the Wildlings dead, so that the Starks nor the Night's King could use them against him.

Taking away their strange plant god and protector would be a good start.

'Though I would prefer to get back to my other work,' she thought to herself. 'The North is ripe for chaos and the Starks are so close to finding themselves falling from the lofty perch they have placed themselves upon.' The fact that they had taken royal titles annoyed Kraven to no end; despite all she had done to remove herself from her past life the fact remained that she still held some loyalty to the Martels and the idea that any but them would carry the title of 'Prince' was the gravest of insults. 'They have gained so much… but they didn't realize that when you have much that only means you have much to lose. It is far better to have nothing…'

The Man-Thing let out a bellow and suddenly was on her, swinging at her and forcing her to leap back.

'I need to focus,' she thought to herself. She put aside all thoughts of her revenge, a rarity for her, and focused instead on the fight. She had been pushed away from the campfire, driven into the woods, and she looked about as she realized that now it wasn't just the Man-Thing she needed to avoid but the trees themselves. They were a danger, any one of them ready to grab her and snatch her up, and she-

Kraven suddenly stopped.

The Man-Thing was gone.

Adjusting her grip on her spear even as she raised her uncle's white sword, Kraven calmed her breathing and focused on the darkness around her. Even something as swift as the Man-Thing would make some kind of noise… that was something she had learned chasing after the most dangerous creatures in all of Essos. A normally person might not hear them but she had spent over a decade learning how to stalk such things. One just had to listen for the sounds that didn't quite belong. The crack of twigs. Movement of a large body against a tree. The-

Something snapped to her right and she twisted… only to realize her mistake seconds later when the Man-Thing leap from the opposite direction. A distraction… probably caused by him getting a tree to act for him! Kraven cursed and brought up her sword but the Man-Thing grabbed her by the head and she braced herself.

Nothing happened.

Kraven shut her eyes and cursed. "Fuck… fuck fuck fuck!" she screamed, ignoring how the Man-Thing tilted its head in confusion at her angered response to his burning touch doing nothing. She snapped her eyes open and glared at him. "Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch. But when I have had everything taken from me, knowing that the cost of my going on was the lives of my children? That the men who killed them will never die by my hand, despite the nightmares I endured to become strong enough to slaughter them? That all I have done was for NOTHING?!" She threw back her head, a cruel bitter laugh filling the air. "What would I have to fear?!"

The Man-Thing considered her for a long moment.

"But I wonder… will you burn when you learn to fear me?"

She lashed out suddenly with her uncle's sword-

-and the Man-Thing easily caught her arm with his other hand, halting her strike before he slammed her hard against a tree. Her head ached terribly and for the first time since she had awoken up on the slab within the House of the Undying, the Warlocks of Qarth all murmuring in delight that they had been able to take her weak body and make it strong with their dark magics… Kraven felt a sliver of terror.

But more than that… she felt regret.

'I'm sorry, my children.'

And then she thought no more.

~MC~MC~MC~

Jaime

Once more he found himself sitting before a fire, watching as a deer he had caught cooked on the flames, with a stranger sitting across from him.

But where before it had been a massive warrior woman now…

'I think its about done,' Man-Thing, as Kraven had declared the creature to be, said in Jaime's head. 'Do you mind sharing?'

"You eat meat?" Jaime asked before frowning. 'And should I talk out loud or…'

'Oh, either will work,' his new companion stated pleasantly. He had an oddly soft 'voice'. 'I don't mind… perhaps speaking would be better for you… I know that others I have talked to find it a bit uncomfortable to communicate only in their head.'

"Summer said the same thing." Jaime huffed. "The direwolf. I'm talking about speaking with a direwolf in my head like its normal." He looked at Man-Thing. "I am talking to YOU like it's a normal thing!"

'It is a bit odd, isn't it? As for the meat?' Man-Thing gestured at the deer. 'I do eat it. There are many plants that consume meat. More than you'd think!'

"Well then, Man-Thing, of course," Jaime said, deciding that considering the giant plant being had managed to battle Kraven he wasn't in the mood to anger him.

'Please, call me Ted. Man-Thing sounds rather pompous but it is my title.'

"…seriously?" Jaime said before shaking his head. "Sorry, I shouldn't question. There are far worse names out there. I was requested by Lord Tarly to take his son Dickon on as a squire."

'That is… an unfortunate name.'

"More than 'Man-Thing'?" Jaime found himself asking, Hellfire looking up and giving him a look that screamed, "Did you just really say that?"

Ted though merely let out a rumbling laugh at that. 'I didn't choose my title. The Old Gods did… I believe that there is a small chance they simply don't understand what it sounds like." He paused. 'Its far more likely they do and are just giant dicks.'

Jaime swallowed at that. "Uh… you do realize-"

'Yes yes, you are their Spirit of Vengeance. And I'm their Spirit of Growth, Healing, and several other titles. They don't care if I mock them. They're gods. Why would they care if we mortals take the piss out of them?'

"…Tyrion would love you, I think," Jaime said, moving to get more deer off the spit, cutting off a hunk. Ted held out a fallen piece of tree bark and happily accepted the meat, which he began to lightly tear apart with his fingers. "You are another Spirit?"

'Of course,' Ted stated. 'For… far longer than you. There are quite a few of us running around in the world, though we aren't easy to find if we choose to hide. And harder still to be selected to serve, despite how many of attempted to appease the gods and earn a title. A person has to have the right temperament to serve the Old Gods. A touch of something. Insanity, some claim. Determination others. Destiny for the poets.'

"So you don't always look like that?"

'Look like what?' Ted asked, blinking his large eyes.

Jaime stared at him for several moments.

'Heh. You are too easy, Jaime Lannister.'

That made the greatest swordsman in Westeros roll his eyes and shake his head over the fact that he had been so easily tricked.

Jaime swallowed a piece of meat and looked to Hellfire; the saber cat growled happily and leapt at the deer carcass, yanking it away from the fire and happily attacking it, ripping out great chunks of flesh. 'She was annoyed she couldn't fight… but I couldn't risk Kraven realizing that I wasn't truly on her side. I could fake it but Hellfire… I doubt she would have been able to contain herself.'

Thoughts of the woman made Jaime glance at her limp form, which lay trussed up just at the edge of the camp. "Will she be okay?"

'She will,' Ted informed him. 'I will feed her some mushrooms that will speed up her healing. She will have a headache that will leave her rather annoyed with us but otherwise she will be fine.'

"Why did you attack her?" Jaime asked. "Didn't seem like a bad lass."

'While she may not have fear, Jaime, she still has great darkness in her heart. The things she has done in the name of her vengeance… they stain her.'

That made Jaime frown though. "I… know a few things about darkness. About doing things that leave stains." He didn't want to say the words but the old hurt remained and he found himself saying, "They call me the Kingslayer-"

'No,' Ted said, cutting him off even as he bent his head and began to gobble up the meat Jaime had given him. He couldn't see exactly WHAT he was doing thanks to the way his head was tilted and his long… nose?... blocking his view but Jaime had the sense that it wasn't pleasant. 'You are no longer the Kingslayer. The Old Gods were clear on that.'

"I still did the deed!" Jaime exclaimed. "I still killed Aerys! I broke my vows!"

'You vows were forced upon you, created by a vile man for vile reasons. When the wicked force the innocent to make a pledge the Gods give them no sway or hold.'

"…what?" Jaime whispered. "But-"

'No, Jaime Lannister,' Ted said firmly. 'I know of such things. You never broke your oath to Aerys because he broke his to you.'

That left Jaime utterly befuddled. "Oath? Aerys made no oath-"

'He might not have sworn the words but the oath was made the moment he accepted the crown: to be a noble and just king. When a ruler chooses to take on the mantle of King or Queen or Lord or any other position of power they make an oath to the gods to serve the people. Aerys broke his oath time and time again. When a ruler takes on a knight into their service they make an oath to be WORTHY of that service.'

Jaime though shook his head, unable to comprehend what Ted was suggesting. "No… I still swore to protect him-"

'In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the innocent. Are these not the first vows you swore when you became a knight?' Ted raised an… eyebrow?... at that. 'Why would you believe that such vows are tossed aside just because you swore to protect a king? One who is supposed to be brave… just… a defender of the innocent?'

Jaime swallowed at that, watching at the fire as it merrily crackled and popped, consuming the wood logs that were set in its heat.

'So many vows. They make you swear and swear... Defend the King, obey the King, obey your father, protect the innocent, defend the weak. But what if your father despises the King? What if the King massacres the innocent? What if the innocent war with each other and neither is wrong or wicked? It's too much. No matter what you do you're forsaking one vow or another.'

Jaime started at Ted's words, staring at the man (and yes, he had come to accept that while he looked different he was a man… more a man than those that looked human in many cases, wearing kind faces as they did monstrous things) and wondering how he knew them. For they were words he had whispered to himself many times in the dark of night, wondering how he had ended up where he was, having gained all he desired and hating it.

'Certain vows are more important than others… and a vow to humanity, to protect the weak and the innocent? That is greater than any other. You upheld that vow that day, Jaime Lannister.'

"But not after," he muttered bitterly, thinking of Bran.

'Which is why you are different from Kraven. You seek to change. To be better. There is no redemption in her. Perhaps in the future, there might be. But at this moment? All she cares for is revenge and she will make the world suffer to have it. And when she has had it she will die… and if she can not she will die. But you, Jaime? You will fight even if you know you can't win so long as it buys other a few seconds more.' Ted shook his head. 'I will not kill her for I believe that is a chance for her… but I will not make things easy for her. That is why you are being protected.'

Jaime managed a nod at that. 'All have looked at me and seen me as a tool to get what they want. The perfect golden heir to Casterly Rock. A source of pleasure. A shield to hide behind when our father was in a rage. A pawn to taunt Tywin Lannister, a hostage to stay his hand. A prize to mock since my sister and father had to be shown 'honor'.' He looked at Ted but also thought of Osha. Of Meera and Hodor. Of Summer and even Jojen. Bran. And now Ted.

They… they cared for him as a person. And in turn he cared for them. Missed them fiercely.

'And that… is why I helped you,' Ted informed him. 'Because you know you did wrong. And you want to make it right.'

'I just don't know if I can,' Jaime quietly thought, doing his best to try and make his thoughts not blare out for Ted to hear.

'Why did they send you this way, Jaime Lannister?' Ted asked him suddenly, breaking Jaime from his thoughts.

"They said there was an item of power near here that I needed to retrieve…" he trailed off and rolled his eyes. "And why do I get the sense you already know what it is?"

That made Ted chuckle before he reached within, well, himself, and pulled out a small box. 'They were right… and I do believe that this will aid you.' He passed the box over to Jaime who looked it over. It was made from weirwood, he could tell that at once; there was no other wood he'd ever seen that had such a white hue as weirwood. Embedded in it was red glass, carefully crafted to form curving lines so that it looked like the box was oozing sap just like a Heartstree. His fingers brushed against the surface of the box.

'If the box alone is so beautiful what might lie inside?' he thought, fingers slowly moving towards the lid.

' I would recommend not-'

Jaime though had already opened the box only to hiss, slamming it shut as quickly as he could. It felt like he had walked into a blacksmith's shop, the heat so suddenly striking his face that he forced his eyes shut and twisted his face away. "Fuck!" he cursed. "I'd forgotten how hot flames are!" He grimaced, feeling the burn still, and he began to twist his mouth and his cheeks, screwing up his eyes before opening his jaw wide, trying to figure out what was happening to him. Everything felt too tight, like his skin had been stretched too thin.

'Hmmm… flames… I suppose that would be the form of your torment, wouldn't it?' Ted gestured at his own face and Jaime frowned, reaching up only to start when he found that parts of his skin had melted away, allowing him to feel hot white bone. 'It is only temporary,' Ted assured him. Jaime drew his sword and stared at his reflection, horrified by what he saw. It was as if he were stuck in mid-transformation, only it was pockets of flesh rather than his entire face. And around the white bone he saw charred black flesh and further than that blood red skin that oozed with white puss. 'That is the power of the Bloodstone.'

"The Bloodstone?" Jaime muttered, stilling look at his face. He grabbed his chin with his free hand, pulling at his skin one way and then the other. "Where have I heard that?" It suddenly came to him and he reached down, picking up the box from where he had dropped it, though he was careful to keep it shut tight. "The Monster Slayer?"

That made Ted chuckle. 'So you have heard of him. Ulysses of House Reed… yes, not Stark as they like to claim. The Starks are good people but they have their vanities and have stolen from lesser families great deeds, just as all others have.' That made Jaime chuckle; he wondered how old Ned would react to THAT. 'A younger brother of the King of Marshes… he was walking one day when he saw a great red star crash into the sodden earth. He found there a dead man wearing ruined armor… and the Bloodstone.'

"The weapon that can defeat monsters…" Jaime whispered before his eyes snapped up to Ted's own gaze, growing horror filling him. 'A monster…' he thought, touching his face.

But before he could dwell on that Ted let out a laugh. Not in his head… out loud. 'No… not monsters. Those… touched by other worlds. The Bloodstone based itself and its powers upon the one who claimed it… him. Ulysses Reed. Because he was just a normal human…'

"It reacted to anyone NOT human," Jaime finished.

'Or rather no longer binded by humanity,' Ted argued softly. 'He took it and swore to hunt down the beasts and terrors that threatened his people. And he did… and then he died. As all do. The bloodstone passed to another, with each swearing to bring it back to this place, his Garden, where he died. But now… now no bearer will come. Not to this place. Not with Thanos and his White Council and his Court about. That is why you must take it, Jaime Lannister. You must bring it to its new holder.'

"Its new holder?"

'Have you not realized it? There is only one that can wield it. One you would trust.'

He did in an instant. 'Meera.'

Ted nodded before rising up. 'She will do well with it, I think. Do not open the box again… it is reacting violently and only the chosen bearer can force it to calm.' And with that Ted began to lumber over to Kraven. 'I would suggest you leave before she awakens, Jaime Lannister. I do not imagine that Kraven will be pleased. Flee quickly and do all to cover your tracks… should she choose to track you it would be unwise to lead her back to the great Heartstree.'

"Will… will I see you again?" Jaime asked, not wanting Ted to go. It had been… so nice… to talk to someone who understood him. Though they had met only briefly Jaime felt like he had found a true friend.

'…yes. I think you will. When the dawn does not shine… I will return.' Ted turned and glanced at him. 'And there is another… a tree spirit… much like your friend Hodor. I believe he would be one you would enjoy spending time with. He is far more intelligent than others believe. Seek him out. He can help you.'

Ted paused though, not moving for a long moment.

"Ted?"

'Jaime… Bloodraven must not be trusted. His plotting… it is far darker than you realize. His ego knows no bounds. The weirwoods scream in agony. You are right to fear him and what he means for not just the boy but all of Westeros. Look to the roots. Look… to the roots.'

And with that… he was gone.