Aegon's POV
He had to admit that part of him had been worried that the whole thing might have not gone well. Briggle seemed adamant that it all would, and Aegon had to remind himself that the creature may look like a child, but it was certainly far older than him. Briggle never told Aegon its exact age but it always gave him the impression that it could be anywhere centuries to even thousands of years old. He remembered the stories and tales of ancient blood sacrifices to the Old Gods, but Briggle always spoke of them like it either witnessed them personally or perhaps made some of its own.
He remembered when he told Briggle the story about how Dany hatched her own dragons and Briggle had listened intently, although from time to time it would snicker at one point or another, although it never elaborated on what it found amusing. They had planned to hatch the dragon egg his father had gifted his mother from the beginning, before they ever left Winterfell. Hatching the egg and bringing the dragons back into the world was what he and Briggle decided must be the first goal to achieve. All the steps they had made up until this point were all apart of bringing that goal to fruition.
However, the deed wasn't done yet for there were still many tasks left to be accomplished to ensuring once the dragons were returned to the world that they never left again. But for the time being they had to concern themselves with the one currently cradled in his arms. Aegon understood it would be a process but with one would soon come others and then one day their numbers would be countless. His ancestors had made many mistakes with their own dragons in the past, and he was dedicated to reshaping the future in the hopes that those same mistakes wouldn't be repeated. However, one thing people often do is disappoint, so he had to be prepared for the possibility that if someone might repeat the mistakes of the past, he would hopefully be able to establish the necessary safeguards to keep the dragons from ever getting as close to extinction as they are now. But in the meantime, he just had to wait while the next phase of his plan began to unfold on its own.
They had still been camped near Castor's and the sun was starting to come up and he could feel what little warmth it offered as he sat out in a clearing among the snows and trees. His dragon was nuzzled in his arms and from what he could tell it was sleeping soundly. He had to admit that the little creature was truly a beautiful sight, more so in the light of day than it was to look at illuminated by the flames of the fire. He still couldn't explain the light he saw coming from the egg or why none of the others among his company could not see it themselves. It had been so bright it outshined all the flames burning throughout the keep. He was glad to be away from Crastor's daughters since they hadn't stopped staring at him and his dragon this whole time. Then he heard the ruffling in the bushes and watched another creature step into the light.
"Done, done the deed be done." Briggle stated joyously.
Then it hopped up to where Aegon sat and looked down at the little sleeping dragon. There were times when the creature had no sense of personal boundaries and now was one of those times. Briggle and Aegon were inches from each other while Briggle tilted its head observing the dragon snooze all the while smiling its own toothy smile. It looked so pleased, as if it had been the one to walked through fire.
"It actually worked, although I have to admit I had doubts, up until I felt . . .. whatever it was that drew me in." Aegon said.
"T'was she that you felt. So, thee came to her call as she sang her song." Briggle answered as it turned it's gaze on Aegon. But Aegon kept his focus on the dragon he held as he replied.
"She? I thought dragons were supposed to be neutral to genders. At least that's what some of the books said with them either having no set gender or being a combination of both." Aegon inquired as he turned to Briggle before continuing. "I always thought they were like your race in that way, since I have never been certain if you were male, female, or neither." Aegon finished explaining.
He was always curious to know more about the Children of the Forest but Briggle always avoided the subject by calling his questions a distraction from their objectives. So Aegon had come to learn they only way to get information out of Briggle about its own kind was if it had to do with their own mission or if he could somehow trick the creature to giving up bits here and there.
Briggle betrayed no emotion as it stared into Aegon's eyes. Then suddenly it raised its hands covering its mouth and closed its eyes. Briggle started giggling like a girl until finally it burst into full laughter while pointing its clawed finger right at Aegon's face.
"Silly, silly Dragon! Among the we, Briggle be a he, whilst little one in silly Dragon's arms be a she. See?" Briggle grinningly spoke to Aegon as if it was the most obvious thing. "And she be a pretty little one, that she be."
Aegon could not but agree but he had learned over the past few years that Briggle despite his kind looking like children were far older and wiser than any human. But that was a big help considering it was Briggle who helped him decipher how Dany hatched her own dragons. Briggle had seemed confident the whole time after Aegon had told him the story that they would be able to hatch the egg that Rhaegar gifted Lyanna.
Briggle quickly looked away to the woods and even his dragon perked her head up too which made him curious.
"What is it?" Aegon asked. Briggle turned back to him while raising his finger to his lips and whispered.
"Shhhh . . . one of the new flock coming now. Old flock comes soon." Briggle quickly moved away to hide himself among the trees.
"Don't go far. The time has come." Aegon stated. Briggle made his way up a tree but he looked annoyed by Aegon's words even though they had already spoken about what was coming next.
He didn't have to wait long before he heard the footsteps in the snow of the man approaching and he was pretty certain he knew who it was.
Alliser's POV
He saw his young king walk away while the rest of the lads had stayed back at the camp, they had set up near Craster's burning cinder of a keep. He knew the boy was strong for his age, but he wasn't willing to take chances on losing him after they had just found him. His grace had told them to set up a knew camp that was in a clearing where they could see anyone coming from any direction. Some of the others were nervous as to what we were all going to do next or how we were going to explain what happened. Some had already decided that they should just lay the blame on some wildings who raided Craster and killed Benjen along with the others.
Their concerns had been further increased since they had been followed by Craster's daughters, and one of them was close to birthing another inbred welp. The whole thing made him want to just send them on their way, but his grace had them make a place for them in the camp. He was thankful the men with him weren't the kind to take liberties with women but that still didn't mean they wouldn't be a problem. But right now, his main concern was protecting Aegon, so the damned wildlings and the Nights Watch could sort themselves out. He made his way to the king and he knew he would have his dragon with him since he hadn't let it out of his sight since it hatched.
He spotted Aegon sitting on a rock holding his dragon in the sun while he approached, but he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of anyone that might be nearby.
"Your Grace! You should not be out here on your own. There are a number of dangers in this forest." Alliser said loudly as he walked up next to Aegon.
I don't want to sound like I'm scolding him, since no matter the boy's age he is still a king. However, I can't have the king's safety left to chance.
Aegon didn't even glance his way, but just kept gently petting the dragon which seemed quite content, at least as long as no one came to close to the king. The dragon was like a cat, happily purring while Aegon held it, but as soon as anyone came anywhere near him the thing hissed with anger, baring its' fangs while its spines stuck straight up. Those eyes looked like a pair of shining stars when it gazed up at Aegon, but they blazed like flames made of pure silver at all others. The thing was clearly protective which Alliser was most glad for, but a new baby dragon was still not enough protection for his liking.
Aegon seem to ignore Alliser's last statement as he looked up at him to speak. "How is everyone faring back at camp Sir? Any problems?"
"No problems yet, but some of the lads are wondering why we haven't moved on yet considering the Watch will be sending someone soon to look for us. If they didn't see the fire, they will certainly have spotted the smoke by now." Alliser explained even though Aegon remained calm and unfazed.
"Good. We are going to need them for what comes next Sir. The Lord Commander and some more brothers will soon be here." Aegon simply stated.
He quickly turned away from their surroundings and gave his full attention to Aegon. "What makes you say that? Why would the Lord Commander be with them, and how could you know that Your Grace?" Alliser inquired nervously.
"Because before we left Benjen spoke with the Lord Commander about this ranging. The short version is that Commander Mormont promised my uncle that if he received word of anything out of the ordinary happening, then he would personally lead a support force." Aegon explained.
Alliser looked at Aegon with a confused expression so he continued on further.
"Benjen felt like something was off before we left, so Mormont got some reinforcements ready just in case he was right, and I had an ally sitting in on the meeting." Aegon finished.
Recognition dawned on him, at those words. "Maester Aemon helped arrange this?" Alliser stated more than asked. His grace just nodded in response.
"Yes, and my other ally who is out here with us just confirmed it. They should be here sometime today. By the way, how are Craster's daughters." Aegon asked.
He didn't even want to think about the bunch of wildling bitches, but he was concerned when his grace said he had another ally out here that Sir Alliser was unaware of.
"The lot of them keep pestering us for this or that, since one of them is about to give birth soon but otherwise they are making do by themselves. I think we should send them on their way as soon as possible Your Grace." Alliser advised, but since Aegon only grinned but didn't speak Alliser continued.
"When Commander Mormont and the others get here, it will be best if we have a set story about what happened at Craster's. The men have suggested a wildling attack and this ally you spoke of might need to be brought in before they arrive to be safe." Alliser finished speaking.
To Alliser, Aegon always remained so calm and collected without anything seeming to faze him. He had never seen such internal strength and resolve in some full-grown men, let alone in a young boy with the weight of being a king on the run from a usurper.
"You can come on out Briggle." Aegon spoke with a raised voice.
Alliser looked in the same direction as Aegon and was shocked to see, not a person but some kind of monster drop down from the trees. He immediately drew his sword as he jumped in front of his king, he was a breath away from cutting it in two when he was stopped.
"Don't bother Sir." Aegon stated. "Briggle is much faster than he looks and I'd rather neither of my allies kill each other since I will be needing you both for the foreseeable future."
It looked small like a kid, but it had skin that was hard and grey with hair that looked more like it was made of tree roots and moss. It had hands and feet that looked more like claws and it had the most eerie smile filled with sharp little teeth. At first glance he was certain this thing had to be some type of demon from one of the seven hells, so he kept his sword pointed straight at it to be sure it kept its distance.
"Among the new flock, this one be the most nervous in the lot." Briggle spoke as he calmly approached.
The fact that this thing could speak was a great shock to him since, he still had not come to terms with the fact that it was even standing in front of him. He felt frozen with his sword still raised, uncertain as to whether or not he should kill it where it stood, but he held his ground while keeping his vigilance.
"I know it may be difficult to accept but Briggle here is none other than one of the Children of the Forrest. I have known him for the past few years, and he has been a big help to getting me here." Aegon spoke getting Alliser's attention. "It was him who helped me hatch this dragon here and without him both me and her may die soon."
Alliser whipped his head in Aegon's direction with a concerned look covering his face.
"This dragon here is descended from the same dragons that hailed from Old Valyria. Amazing and strong beasts, but they are naturally accustomed to such environments like volcanic and warm lands. But the lands here in the North with its summer snows and especially the lands beyond the wall are not lands that any dragon would survive for any long periods, particularly a newborn." Aegon elaborated.
He lowered his sword as his concerns about the Child of the Forrest in front of him all but disappeared as they were now overshadowed that the living miracle that he had witnessed coming into the world might die.
"Dragons are fire made flesh, but they are not accustomed to the cold and so places like this where winter is at its strongest are a danger to them. A full-grown dragon would be strong enough to survive but they would still never be as strong here as they could be in lands that are more forgiving." Aegon said as he looked down to his dragon.
"Then we must leave the North immediately Your Grace. We could head straight to East Watch and use one of the ships to get us south. The last anyone heard of your remaining family was that they were in hiding somewhere in Essos." Alliser offered.
Then, the thing Aegon called 'Briggle' suddenly swung in front of his face somehow hanging upside down and looking right in his eyes.
"AAHHHHH!" Alliser shouted as he fell back landing on his ass in the cold snow.
Grinning and giggling the thing was hanging at the end of a branch by its feet. He didn't even notice when it moved out of the snow and up the tree, nor did he know how it was hanging there without the small branch snapping.
"HA! Very nervous crow, see?" Briggle said as it turned its head towards Aegon who only seemed amused by his antics.
It turned back to him and continued. "Pretty she's flames not enough. Briggle here to fix."
Briggle then lowered its hand down to Aegon and handed him something, although from Alliser's view he couldn't make out what it was. It then lowered down and patted the dragon on its head and much to his surprise, the dragon didn't so much as twitch at Briggle's touch. In that moment he was suddenly struck at the scene before him.
The only Targaryen born of house Stark's bloodline, with the first dragon seen in over a century in his arms, and a Child of the Forrest no less, which most didn't believe in anymore. All three were beings that most thought were dead or had never existed, and yet here they all were right in front of him. He wondered how this moment could be possible.
"Steady your nerves Sir. I am going to explain what we have to do to protect her." Aegon gestured to his dragon as he spoke. "Tonight, we are going to steal something very dangerous and very powerful. But once we have it, she will be able to survive here."
Jeor's POV
He had to admit he didn't want Benjen to have been right about his suspicions. Benjen had always been a dedicated brother and he was one of the few men he knew he could count on here on the Wall. He had a bad feeling ever since Benjen and the others had left. Sir Alliser had always been a real miserable bastard ever since he met him, but he could not doubt the man's skill which was in short supply within the Nights Watch. But Benjen said that he suspected the man was up to something even though he had no thoughts on what it could be, but Jeor knew he could trust Benjen's instincts.
Once word from on top the Wall came that they saw a fire and a big one too just north of the Wall, Jeor immediately went topside to check and his stomached turned once he realized it was in the same area where Craster's Keep was located. It wasn't just some campfire either and that was a problem, so he gave the word to get his brothers ready to move out at first light. He just hoped that whatever happened, they wouldn't be too late.
The march was relatively easy and there had been no signs of ambush or attacks anywhere they looked. The scouts he sent out finally caught sight of Crastor's Keep and to his dismay the place had been burnt to the ground, but they also spotted a camp with their fellow brothers nearby, so they made their way. He just hoped Benjen was well enough to give him some answers about what happened.
As they approached the camp, they noticed that the brothers there seemed more on edge as they got closer. He had expected them to be more relieved now that they had arrived, but their unease made him worried. He scanned the area of the camp, but he couldn't see Benjen anywhere and then he spotted Sir Alliser approaching him.
"Alliser! We came as soon as we could after we saw the smoke from Crastor's. What happened? Where is Benjen?" Jeor said, loudly for everyone to hear.
"Lord Commander. Stark is not here." Alliser said without any emotion on his face.
That was not welcome news. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.
"What happened Alliser?!" yelled Jeor.
Alliser didn't respond at all but just turned to look behind him. Out from the tent walked Benjen's bastard nephew along with two brothers on either side of him. The way they moved appeared like they were the boy's personal bodyguards which seemed confusing to him.
"My uncle is gone Lord Commander. You see, something came out of the woods and killed Craster. My uncle saw it, but he said he couldn't tell what it was. He and a few other brothers left to chase after it and he told us to stay here until they returned. He said they should all be back soon." The boy explained.
He was glad Benjen would be returning soon but he still didn't find the news about Craster welcoming. That old man had been the kind of man that gave bastards a bad name, yet he had been an asset to the rangers for some time.
He turned back to the brothers that had made the journey from Castle Black. "Well lads that's us here for the night. Fall out and set up camp and get me some scouts ready to walk a perimeter immediately." Jeor commanded.
"Where did the fire come from? Our watchers on top the Wall saw smoke coming from this area." Jeor asked as he turned his attention back to Sir Alliser.
"Craster's um . . . daughters chose to burn it with his body inside after they gathered their own belongings Lord Commander." Sir Alliser responded.
Jeor narrowed his eyes at Sir Alliser as he considered his words.
"They just burned down their own home? Then what? They just walked off into the forest?" Jeor questioned.
Alliser shook his head and sighed. "I wish Lord Commander, but they are over there." Alliser pointed over to a group of tents within the camp. "Apparently one of them is close to birthing so they won't be going anywhere until afterwards. We were commanded to allow them to stay here with us for the time being." Alliser elaborated.
Jeor nodded. "Very well then, they can stay if that's what Benjen said. We'll decide about them after Benjen, and the others return but I want you to personally make sure our brothers act appropriately with them around. Too many of the men here were former rapist and we don't need distraction and problems to arise, understand Sir." Jeor stated as Alliser only nodded in return.
He walked past Alliser and toward the bastard boy who he knew as Benjen's nephew.
"I am sorry we haven't had a chance to meet before now. Your Lord Stark's son. Its Jon Snow isn't it?" Jeor asked. He noticed that even though the boy didn't move or give away anything on his face other than a slight tense in the boy's jaw Jeor could since the boy probably had reserves about being a bastard which he could understand.
"You can call me that Lord Commander." The boy stated simply.
For some reason Jeor felt very unsettled in front of this boy although he couldn't tell why. He had heard about the boy's actions back at Winterfell and in truth he had been more shocked by Ned's actions than those of his nephew. House Mormont has always been proud to count itself among one of House Stark's most loyal bannermen. The fact that Ned could have done what this boy had accused him of, and in such a public manner, had been a big surprise to many.
Until now he didn't think the boy would cause any kind of problems since Benjen had given his personal assurances. But now he couldn't help shaking this feeling that this boy had something to do with what had happened. He burned down the sept at Winterfell then he goes on his first ranging from the Wall even though he hasn't sworn his vows and now Craster is dead, and his keep has been burned down.
Another thing that Jeor found discomforting was that he realized that while Jon Snow seemed as cool as the snow beneath their feet, the men who were standing around him all seemed unusually tense. He had even noticed Alliser was still standing right behind him and for some reason these men all had a hand resting over their weapons like they were expecting an attack.
"Was there something else Alliser?" Jeor asked as he looked over his shoulder.
"No Lord Commander. I . . . uh I'll go assist out brothers in settling in." Alliser almost stuttered in response. Jeor noticed the man seemed nervous about something.
He noticed how Alliser looked to Snow, and the boy nodded to which Sir Alliser then turned to leave. It almost looked like he was given permission to go.
What was that about?
Jeor then turned his full attention back to Snow.
"Well, did your uncle happen to mention anything of note before he left? Like when he might return for instance?" Jeor questioned.
Snow tilted his head as he responded. "We should see something of note tonight Lord Commander."
He nodded at the boy and turned to make sure they were prepared by sundown. As he walked away, he turned back to Snow who was entering his own tent but the two men who stood behind him open the flap for him and then both took up positions outside like a pair of sentries. He wondered why they would be guarding him like that but then he looked around and while the men he brought with him seemed normal as they began setting things up, the men who had already been here appeared different. He felt like they had all been observing him while he was talking with Snow, but they were clearly trying to hide it.
What had that boy done to garner such attentions? These men were all acting completely different from when they first left on this ranging. He silently hoped that Benjen could provide some insight once he returned.
Alliser's POV
For one of the few times since he took the black, he was actually feeling grateful for the cold. If he was wearing white in a warmer climate anyone would have seen him sweating through his clothes. He knew that his grace was safe with their men guarding him, but he couldn't help feeling uneasy about playing this game with the Lord Commander. Jeor never struck him as the smartest man but Alliser knew he wasn't a fool. It would be only a matter of time before he realized something was wrong, but his grace had said that they only needed to keep up this charade until morning.
His Grace hadn't said what was going to happen after night fall, but he did mention something about the wilding girl who was giving birth would be crucial, which struck him as odd. The boy seemed to know things that were simply beyond anyone to know. But then again, Aegon had somehow found and apparently befriended a Child of the Forrest, however the hell that happened. The boy had literally walked through fire and hatched a dragon egg, the first in over a century. So Alliser felt obliged to continue to give the boy his faith, and hope that perhaps he knew what he was doing.
Aegon looked nothing like a traditional Targaryen but the way the boy acted reminded him of the stories he read about King Daeron I, The Young Dragon. Daeron was the youngest king ever to take the thrown and he led the successful conquest of Dorne without the aid of dragons. The boy had been considered a prodigy and Alliser was beginning to think perhaps Aegon might be one too. He felt determined to make sure that Daeron's fate wouldn't be Aegon's. Besides unlike The Young Dragon, Aegon has a real dragon to aide his conquest of not just one kingdom, but all of them.
The night air filled his lungs as he made his way toward the tent which held the wildling women, they brought from Craster's, although in his opinion they should have just left the wildlings behind. He figured that Aegon had a soft spot for helping the poor women, but he was more worried about keeping their secret from the rest of the brothers of the Watch. He had been considering how they would keep the king safe once his dragon started to grow or once the others realized Benjen and the others weren't coming back.
Alliser understood that secrecy was paramount and so he had been considering on whether they should attempt a secret desertion from the Night's Watch. He and his men could get themselves to East watch by the Sea easily and he knew the perfect captain of one of the Watch's ships to get them out of the North. Once out of Westeros they would have to figure out where to go from there, but he felt confident they could protect the boy until he was old enough to make his bid for the throne. He suddenly stopped and felt a sharp and chilling wind break him from his thoughts.
He suddenly realized that the ideas of killing men he called brothers of the Watch and now the thoughts of becoming an oath breaker didn't seem to bother him as much as he thought they would. Before he always thought himself a true knight that would stick to his word. But in truth the appearance of the king showed him that he was still a true knight keeping his oaths and honor by doing anything to protect his king. He felt like a better man who would now have the chance to be apart of a more worthy cause and he felt indebted to Aegon for coming here when he could have gone anywhere else for aide.
He had to hand it to his king for his choice considering there were at least a couple hundred men who were sent to the watch after the fall of the Targaryens. He didn't know many of those men, but he did know that most if not all of them would give anything to take up the cause of the dragon banner again. The best part is they wouldn't have to feel less honorable for doing so considering like him, they had all taken oaths to house Targaryen long before being forced to swear themselves to the Wall. He suddenly felt the same chilling wind hit him again and this time it was even colder, so he pulled his cloak closer as he got to the women's tent guarded by a couple of men the Lord Commander had placed around them to keep any of the rapers among them from getting any ideas.
He could tell from the quiet, that the woman had finally finished giving birth and stopped making such a ruckus. He made his way in, but the women all had different expressions from scared to sad and a couple including the new mother among them had tears in their eyes. He thought perhaps the babe might have been lost in the birth until he heard it whimpering in the arms of its mother who was weeping as she held it. He didn't care much about any wildlings, but he had to admit the whole lot of them were being strange.
"I was sent to check on you lot." Alliser announced.
They all barely even acknowledged he was there. Then the girl holding the babe suddenly lifted her head looking at him. Her face was covered in tears and she looked at him in a way he didn't understand.
"Lord Crow? Please, can he really save him? The gods sent him, didn't they?" The girl was almost pleading at him.
He frowned as he looked at her in confusion since he had no idea what she was talking about. So, he decided to move on quickly.
"I don't know what you mean. I'm only here because the boy asked me to check in on you all and he wanted me to tell you all to stay inside this tent tonight, no matter what. Considering the things some of those men outside have done to women in the past, I'd listen to him." Alliser relayed his king's message, even though his concern wasn't for the women's safety but rather for his king if any of these women spoke about what happened at Craster's.
"But he promised that I would have a son. He said that you all would make sure I got to keep him. He said the gods sent him to save my boy. That we wouldn't have to lose any more of our boys. Its' true isn't it?" The woman spoke, to loudly for his comfort.
"Listen here girl, I don't know what you are on about. All I can promise you is that if any of you lot endanger that boy out there," He spoke quietly as he pointed back to Aegon's tent. "I will make sure you all will have wished we had left you to burn in the keep with your damned father. Understand?"
They all looked scared of him but none of them spoke, they all just nodded silently which was just fine by him. He turned to leave but as soon as he stepped outside the tent, he was struck again by the wind which only seemed to be getting colder and blowing stronger by the minute. Alliser wondered if a storm might be approaching as he walked over to Aegon's tent and one of their men approached him.
"Alliser, Lord Snow asked me to give this to you once you got back." The guard stated as he held out a note to him.
He wondered why Aegon was sending him a message when Alliser was standing right in front of Aegon's tent. He read the note and was immediately shocked.
No! He wouldn't be so foolish.
He rushed past the guard and inside the tent to find exactly what the note had said was true. The tent was empty and Aegon along with his dragon were both gone.
Dammit!
Aegon's POV
He was watching from his perch in a tree that overlooked their camp, and he was sure Alliser would be pissed after he read that note he left. He slipped away after he ordered Alliser to check on Craster's daughters. The men were already showing themselves to be overprotective of him, although considering that after finding out that he existed, they watched him literally walk-through fire might have been a factor. Still there were going to be many situations where he was going to be in danger and as much as he appreciated their loyalty he was not going to be coddled. They were going to have to learn to trust him to fight his own battles.
"Cold and quiet, they come." Briggle whispered from a branch near him.
He knew his men were confused about keeping the women with them since we knew Lord Commander Mormont and the others would show up. Especially since anyone of those women could out them for killing Benjen and hatching his dragon. He knew it was a big risk, but he was confident that they wouldn't since he spoke with them while they had waited for Mormont to arrive. He claimed to them that he had been sent by the gods to save their sister's soon to be born son and ensure that if the women had anymore sons in the future, they would not be sacrificed to the White Walkers.
The women seemed almost certain of his words after witnessing him burn their father and emerge from the flames with a newborn dragon. From the moment he and Briggle had arrived at the wall, Briggle went North several times to watch Craster and he informed him the moment one of the daughters was about to give birth to a son. He had no idea how Briggle could tell the girl was having a son, but he trusted the creature enough to take the chance. As much as he felt bad for doing it, the newborn babe was the perfect bait for his next target.
He watched Sir Alliser read his instructions and despite the look on his face the man followed them and threw his note into the nearest fire just as he had written. Watching as Alliser gathered up his loyal men and moved to surround the tent holding the women brought a smile to his face. Everything was going as he planned, and he closed his eyes to feel the freezing cold wind blowing through the trees. For the past few moments, it had been getting colder since the sun went down and the wind had been picking up from the direction of the North.
He could tell that his prey was close, even without Briggle's warnings. He waited patiently as he watched his men stand guard surrounding the women's tent and the rest of Commander Mormont's men on watch were trying to gather more wood to feed their fires while the ones not on post were concealing themselves in their own tents from the cold. He stood vigilant with his weapon at the ready waiting for what he knew was approaching, until finally there was a scream from the forest.
Aegon turned toward the sound of what he was sure had been one of the sentries posted nearby. Now that his prey was this close, he needed to get ready, so he gently took his dragon cradled in his arms and began to move her since he was going to need his hands free. She screeched at Briggle as he began to hand her over, but he made sure to sooth her enough to except being held by someone else without being too loud. He certainly felt worried about having her here but there was little else he could do.
Commander Mormont came running with others moving towards the sound of the scream. He could see him calling the men over to him to investigate. Aegon picked his weapon up and waited until the time would be right while he observed the scene below him. He glanced over to the tent where Craster's daughters were and he was glad to see all his men surrounded the tent, because as long as they stayed there, they would be safe. The wind was really blowing hard now, and he felt the cold biting at the exposed skin on his face.
Then he saw it approaching from the woods and he wasn't the only one. The brothers with Mormont were gathered near the perimeter of their camp and they were all staring at the same thing Aegon was.
"Who goes there?" Mormont shouted at the lone figure walking toward them.
The only sounds heard in return were the cold winds whistling through the trees as it continued to advance slowly.
"Men of the Watch, draw your weapons." Mormont firmly commanded as the figure walked close enough to be seen in the light of their fires.
It looked like a man, but its hair was bone white and its skin was as white as the snow around it with the coldest pale blue eyes that glowed brighter than the flames illuminating its form.
Finally. The White Walker has come, and the trap is set. Just a little closer and he's mine. Aegon thought as he watched the Walker continue towards them.
Mormont and the others were standing their ground with their swords drawn but he could see they were scared. If Mormont had Longclaw with him, he might have been worried, but Aegon had learned from Uncle Aemon how the man hadn't used it once since his son fled Westeros. Aemon said it brought up too many bad memories for Jeor which is probably why the man had been so willing to give it up in their past. But that mistake was going to work to Aegon's benefit now.
Mormont charged straight at the Walker as his men flanked him, raising his great sword high above his head and brought it down right on top of the Walker. But then the walker raised its pale hand catching the blade in its grip and despite how strong the old bear was Aegon knew that the Walkers were stronger than men. Within seconds the blade froze, cracked and shattered into a dozen pieces freezing everyone right in their tracks.
Then with one swing the walker hit Mormont with such force that he flew off his feet and was knocked away like he was nothing but a fly being swatted. Despite the initial shock the others sprang into action attacking the walker from all sides, the first man struck it from behind at it's lower back with his sword, but it did no good. Before his sword could shatter the walker spun backhanding the man across his face and Aegon watched some of the man's teeth and blood fly from his mouth as he hit the ground.
The two that followed weren't as lucky as they attempted to attack together but the walker just reached out and snatched both men by the neck lifting them off the ground. They both kept slashing and stabbing at it with their swords the whole time, but they might as well have been striking a giant iceberg. Their weapons were no use against that thing, and it knew it too, which is why it just kept walking slowly forward while still carrying the two men kicking and stabbing by their necks.
Finally, Aegon heard the unmistakable snap of both men's necks as the walker quickly tightened its fist crushing both men's throats along with the bones within. After it dropped the lifeless bodies, he saw their faces both partially frozen with white frost. Aegon guessed that the damned thing was probably done toying with them all after it grabbed one of its would-be attackers by his sword arm and then placed its other hand over the man's chest. Aegon heard the man gasp his last breath as the walker turned him into a solid frozen statue.
The walker swung the man frozen to death around like a whip and then threw him straight at the others. Unfortunately, they were to clumped together so when the frozen body hit them, they all toppled over as the frozen man's cloak along with one of his arms shattered from the impact. There were still a few other brothers close by but after what they had just seen they were keeping their distance, just to afraid to attack. Two of them at the back had already run off probably taking their chances to get back to the Wall, while the walker made its way toward its target. The only thing between it and its prize was Aegon's own men and a bunch of frightened women.
However, once the others stopped attacking, they gave Aegon the space he needed to make his move. The walker was now only about ten feet from his men who were still bravely holding their ground. He tightened his grip on his bow and lifted it up as he drew back the arrow he had locked. Aegon calmly took aim as he breathed in drawing the bowstring back. Then he slowly let out his breath a second before he let the arrow fly.
Alliser
Every time he thinks he's seen enough to know what world he's living in he gets a view of something else that makes him question everything. First his king came out of hiding to reveal himself to them, next that same boy walks through fire to hatch a newborn dragon, and if that wasn't enough in the span of one day, he had met a Child of the Forrest and was now looking at none other than a fuckin' White Walker.
If I manage to keep my sanity after today's events it will be a fucking miracle.
The thing walked slowly like a man, but he could tell the second he saw it that it wasn't human. Its white skin looked as if the thing was carved out of ice itself, like a piece of the wall itself just decided to go for a walk in the woods. Aegon said something was coming and if he told him Alliser wouldn't have believed him, and the boy was dead right about that. He still could barely believe it now and he was watching it walk right at them.
When Commander Mormont was knocked aside like he was nothing, Alliser knew if Aegon's plan didn't work they were all fucked. The closer to them it got the more brutal the fight became as each of the men who came to fight it were being thrown around like a bunch of cats pawing at a bear. Aegon's instructions had told them to gather around and guard the wilding women but make no moves to attack. He had to tell several of their little band to stay put while the other brothers who followed Mormont into the fray were either beaten down, frozen to death, or frozen by their own fear.
Given what he had witnessed he couldn't blame the men who fled or were currently hiding, especially considering he was a breath away from ordering his men to do the same. It was clear they could not hope to defeat this thing so a retreat would be the best option. His Grace had not elaborated on what his thing wanted from the wildlings but at this point Alliser was far from caring. The only reason he was still standing a dozen or so paces from this monster was the faith he had found in his new king.
He could tell the others around him were the same, since they met Aegon they had witnessed miracles only talked about in songs and stories. Alliser figured if the wonders from those stories were real then that meant the monsters had to be real as well since he was looking one right in its demonic blue eyes. The frozen face and cold eyes looked like death itself had decided to pay a visit and there was no escaping it. Alliser was gripping his sword tight and preparing to defend himself however he could with every step the monster made but he didn't know what chance they stood.
Suddenly Alliser saw something small fly right out of the darkness from behind the creature approaching them and it made contact right at the thing's left leg. Something thin and black somehow pierced right through its left knee and Alliser observed how not only did it stop right in it's tracks but for the first time since it walked out of the woods, he saw its face take on an actual expression of shock. It looked down at what Alliser could tell now was an arrow with an ordinary wooden shaft but what was odd was the arrowhead didn't look castle forged or even made of metal. The thing looked more like some kind of black stone carved into a point and unless his eyes were playing tricks on him the arrowhead also appeared to be slightly glowing.
Alliser covered his ears as the walker in front of them made the most horrifying scream he had ever heard. Its leg started to change almost like it was going from a thick ice to a thin glass which only seem to make the creature shriek in pain from what he could tell. Then Alliser witnessed a form in the darkness drop down from a tree behind the creature and started to approach them. He could tell immediately it was Aegon holding a bow in his hand and an arrow in the other which the boy quickly locked and drew back.
When Aegon loosed his second arrow it struck the Walker in its right shoulder piercing straight through to its chest. The area where the second arrow was now lodged began to change just the same as it's leg which was now completely glassed over. The Walker seemed now unable to move the parts of its body that were changing yet it's screams only worsened. But Alliser could tell they weren't just screams of pain anymore but of anger as it twisted its waste to look back at its attacker.
It appeared like it was more roaring at Aegon now rather than screaming from his arrows. Aegon held his hand up for them to remain where they were as he walked around and stood not two feet in front of the walker. The boy had no fear or hesitation while everyone else around him including himself was petrified.
"I don't have much time, so I'll keep this quick. I know you can see me through this creature of yours." Aegon spoke to the slowly changing monster in front of them as it's body now was not just changing but starting to crack like it was moments from falling apart.
"I know it has been a long time since you've looked at a face of the living and bothered to remember since it's usual your face, that is a herald of death for the living." Aegon continued to speak while the creature's screams went silent, and its eyes fixated on the boy in front of it.
"Now I want you to remember this face from the living" Aegon said pointing to himself. "For every time you see it, it will be a harbinger for your destruction."
The sudden silence was replaced with a final shriek as the thing tried to lunge its body forward at Aegon. That moment he and his men all charged forward it hopes to protect the king. But as soon as they had taken their first steps Aegon quickly drew back a third arrow and planted it right through the creature's mouth and out the back of its head. It then turned into a statue of ice for a moment and then shattered into nothing but a pile of snow covering three arrows.
Aegon kneeled down to quickly collect his arrows and returned them to the quiver beneath his cloak, while Alliser and the others stepped forward to check to see he was not harmed.
Damned boy is definitely mad, or fearless, or hells maybe he's both! Then again, at this point he should count himself as mad at this point.
"Snow!" Commander Mormont bellowed nearby. The man was using another man's sword to help himself stand while he just stared at Aegon.
Mormont limped closer to them, but he seemed unsure of what to say which Alliser could certainly understand.
"How?... How did you?" Mormont asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
Aegon looked at the Commander with such a confused expression on his face as if he didn't understand the question.
"How what Commander? I was just making use of my dragon glass Commander." Aegon stated.
Even Alliser was confused at this point. He didn't know what game the boy was playing.
"Dragon glass? Snow what are you…?" Mormont began to ask.
"Sir Alliser sent me to go take up a position to help guard the camp if anything should attack like a grumpkin, snark, or any White Walkers after I showed him my dragon glass weapons." Aegon said as he gave a pointed look to Alliser that made it clear, Aegon wanted him to play along.
"I honestly never dreamed I'd get to kill a White Walker myself on my first ranging. After all Sir Alliser said that the brothers of the watch usually don't get to kill such creatures until after at least three rangings." Aegon stopped and turned to him pulling something from his belt. "I forgot, you said you lost your own weapon Sir on the way here, so you can borrow mine."
Aegon spoke with such earnest on his young face like lies were second nature to him, but Alliser soon understood where this was going now, so he started playing his part. Aegon then handed him what he could see now was a dagger carved from what looked like a black stone with a dark mirror shine.
"Yes Snow, thankyou now you should go check on the women and tell them how you heroically saved them by slaying that monster." Alliser said.
He caught sight of Aegon smirking as he walked away towards the wildling girls' tent. When he turned back to the Lord Commander, he could tell why the boy had been grinning. The looks on all the other men's' faces were priceless.
"Alliser what in the hell was that about?" Mormont demanded.
"Lord Commander the boy has been going on about stories he was told back at Winterfell since we left the Wall, also how he hoped that he could slay the monsters that live North of the Wall like the rest of us men of the Nights Watch." Alliser began. "Apparently all the tales and songs they tell up here in the North for children, Snow actually believes they were true. So, me and a few of the lads here started to get a good laugh out of humoring him when he asked us about how to kill grumpkins and when snarks come out to eat."
The Lord Commander and all the others were looking at him with complete astonishment but since no one spoke he decided he needed to continue on until he was sure they believed the shit he was shoveling for them. But he was saved when one of his men spoke up.
"Lord Commander we were just having a go with the boy, when he showed us the weapons and acted like he was prepared to kill monsters, we used it to keep him busy and to have a good laugh at his expense. We never actually thought that any of those tales were true." The man stated.
"Are you all fuckin' having a go at me now?!" Jeor yelled at them, but they stayed silent. "So, you lot are telling me that the reason we are all still alive right now is because that boy believed all the stories his wet nurse told him growing up?"
They all just stood there in awkward silence for a few moments while Mormont looked around for someone to dispute him, but no one did.
Jeor sighed heavily shaking his head before he spoke. "You do know that if the boy does swear his vows to become a brother of the watch, he'll never let us forget this. He's going to be laughing at our expense for the rest of our lives either way now."
Alliser released a breath he had been holding and relaxed his shoulders. He had to admit he couldn't believe that actually worked.
"Well, I do believe I need to have a word with Snow about all of this. The rest of you see to the wounded as well as the dead and be prepared to move out at first light." Jeor exclaimed to everyone listening.
"I'll talk with Snow Commander. I do believe myself and the lads here owe the boy an apology as well." Alliser responded.
Jeor nodded as his words. "Very well. Find out all you can. I guess there will be time to talk with him myself after we get back to Castle Black."
With that the Commander turned to assist the others while he and his men went to speak with their king.
Aegon's POV
He returned to his tent after speaking with Craster's daughters about how they were safe, and he killed the walker that was coming for Craster's only living newborn son. Needless to say, the women were all tears of joy when he left them, and he was certain he wouldn't have to worry about any of them giving away any of his secrets anytime soon. The walk back to his own tent made him want to laugh at how all the brothers were looking at him as he walked with the most innocent smile on his face that he could muster.
Aegon had barely set his bow down before Alliser and the others of his men followed behind him and he just waited for them to begin. None of them were sure of what to say and they were all looking between himself and Alliser, which he took as a good sign that they were deferring to them.
"Your Grace", Alliser began in a low voice even though he knew from their number gathered inside two must be guarding outside as usual.
"I'm not sure where to even start." Alliser said but it was clear they were all a bit overwhelmed by the recent events.
"I just destroyed a White Walker. Perhaps we should begin there." Aegon stated.
"Yes, but how did you kill it? We all saw it ripped its way through the Lord Commander and the others like they were nothing." Alliser inquired while he noticed they others all listening intently.
"Hand me back the dagger I gave you." Aegon said, reaching out to Alliser.
Alliser handed the weapon to Aegon and he presented it to all the others to see clearly.
"This dagger as well as the arrows I used out there are made from Dragon glass which can be used to destroy Walkers like the one you just saw. Now I have an ally from beyond the wall that provided me with these weapons." Aegon elaborated.
"An ally Your Grace, among the wildlings you mean?" a man he remembered was named Dack asked.
"You could say that. Sir Alliser has met them and for the time being, he is the only one who will meet them. Though my reasons for secrecy were not because I do not trust any of you men here. They were kept because in order for our alliance to continue I must honor their trust in me which demands a since of anonymity." Aegon elaborated.
A couple of his men did show concern, but they were all nodding in understanding.
"It's true. I have met the one his grace speaks of and believe me when I say that part of me wishes his grace was still keeping me in the dark about them." Sir Alliser reassured them.
They looked confused by that statement, so he decided now was the time for them to know a bit more.
"The one I speak of helped me find my way here by revealing to me the truth of my past. They did so in order to strike a bargain with me, one where if they helped restore me to the Iron Throne that I would help protect their people from the threat you all just witnessed." Aegon explained.
"What kind of ally from north of the Wall could've possibly known about your identity Your Grace? They are all just savages out here." Another man stated.
"The kind that warned me about the walker that was coming and knew this would kill it." Aegon replied holding up the dragon glass dagger.
That made them all silent considering none of them could deny what they all just saw. Its hard to deny what your own eyes have seen, a fact he learned from trying to tell people the truth about the threat they all faced once before. These men and the ones outside needed to see the threat with their own eyes before they would even consider doing anything to face it.
"Your Grace, if this person, wildling or whoever they are knows how to destroy these things then why do they need your help?" Sir Alliser asked.
That got everyone's attention and he was so glad Alliser picked up on it.
"They do know how to destroy them, but they are outnumbered, heavily." Aegon answered. "You see Craster made a pact with those fuckers for his own protection, which involved him giving those things his sons in exchange for the walkers not bothering him or his daughters in his own little paradise out here. But the problem is that Craster isn't the only wildling who is involved in such a pact."
"Fucking savages! Only wildlings could do something so barbaric." One of them said. The others nodded in agreement.
Aegon could tell they weren't quite ready to hear of his plans for the Free Folk yet, but he had plenty of time to get to those. Right now, his priority wasn't the Free Folk, it was the Night's Watch.
"The wildlings are a concern for another day. Right now, our concern isn't that but using this threat to our own advantage." Aegon announced.
"You see my ally believes there may be many more creatures beyond the Wall, like the one we saw tonight. If we play our cards right, we could use that powerful truth to affect some crucial changes to Westeros. Changes that could be easily manipulated to weaken the Usurper in the South and even strengthen our own hand." Aegon explained further.
The men were intrigued now, and he could already see some on them smiling by that statement.
"What say you to that men?" Aegon asked.
They were all looking between each other silently wondering which would go first.
"If only one of those things tore through us like that, then if there were more of them, it would take an army to stop them." One of them said first. Then another spoke up.
"True, and if that army belonged to Robert Baratheon it would likely incur heavy losses."
"Not only that lads. But if Robert Baratheon came here to the Wall to lead the fight against these things, how much easier would it be for our king to eliminate him. Whether by those things out there or even us in here." Alliser stated with a grin on his face.
"Exactly Sir, we could build up our own forces while using those loyal to the Usurper to fight those things and weaken themselves in the process. Then once the time is right, we can strike and destroy both sides." Aegon finished.
All of them were nodding in agreement and approval now including Alliser.
After his discussion with his men, he asked for Alliser to accompany him to the woods quietly avoiding Mormont's men. Although since they were busy attending to the wounded and dead it wasn't difficult.
"I have to say I am very impressed Your Grace." Alliser said as they walked.
Aegon just glanced at him and smiled but said nothing in response.
"Even I was shaking to my bones after seeing that thing but now that I see how they may be of benefit to our cause I strangely feel somewhat relieved that all those ridiculous stories are actually true." Alliser continued.
"Stories only a child would believe eh, Sir?" Aegon teased.
"Yes yes, I will admit I felt like a right dumb shit after you put on your innocent child act. Honestly, I don't know how you do it. You're spinning more tales than a theatre troop." Alliser remarked.
Aegon stopped walking and handed his torch to Alliser.
"I wasn't just playing the innocent child but also the naïve one too. You see I know that I am more intelligent than an average child, but I still look like a child, so I should use that to my advantage."
Alliser nodded as he rested on a tree stump.
"Briggle and I intend to bring the truth of the Walkers to light, but on our terms where not only will people have to believe it, but so they won't look at our actions to closely." Aegon finished.
"That's why it had to be you who killed the thing." Alliser answered. "How else to better explain how you suddenly knew how to kill a thing that hasn't been seen in thousands of years than to make Mormont and the others think your just a naïve kid who believed all those monster stories grown men don't believe anymore."
"Yes, but I also wanted to keep you and our men safe which is why I had you all guard the women. I knew the Walker was coming for the child and that is why I asked for the women's tent placed right in front of a tree that gave me the best perch to shoot from." Aegon explained and Alliser's mouth opened in realization.
"It was all a planned trap just like with Benjen wasn't it?" Alliser asked but he was sure it was meant as a statement so Aegon just smiled in response.
"But what about the dragon Your Grace? And walking through those flames?" Alliser asked.
I knew that one was coming.
Aegon took a breath before explaining.
"Even I wasn't completely certain that part would go as planned until it did Sir." Aegon began "You see Briggle is the one who helped me figure out how to hatch the egg and while he was certain of the outcome, I wasn't at first."
"How could a Child of the Forrest know anything about dragons Your Grace?" Alliser asked curiously.
"He didn't know much more than us to be honest, but he knows much about old rituals, sacrifices, and curses than you and I could hope to Sir." Aegon answered.
"All the we know more than thee, you see." A voice suddenly called out from right next to where Alliser was sitting.
Aegon had sensed Briggle was nearby which is why he stopped walking but even he wasn't quite sure where until he popped out of the trees and without a sound landed right next to Alliser. His kind didn't just look like children. Briggle acted like a child too most of the time.
Once he heard Briggle speak Alliser fell back off the stump he was leaning on and half withdrew his sword from its sheath in the process.
"That thing has got to stop doing that!" Alliser spat angered.
Briggle closed his eyes giggling at Alliser but Aegon's focus was on his dragon held safely in Briggle's claws. He carefully handed over the little dragon to him and petted her head as she joyfully jumped into his arms and nuzzled against him.
"Tale of thee, illuminated by we, allowed the bringing of little she." Briggle said smiling and petting the little dragon's head.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Alliser asked while sheathing his blade but looking no less mad.
Aegon sighed be fore answering. "There once was a girl in Essos born of the dragon lords but sold by her brother to a warlord for a marriage to benefit him rather than his sister. Part of her wedding gifts were a collection of dragon eggs, but these eggs were only considered to be nothing more than beautiful stones than actual eggs, at least to everyone else other than the girl. She secretly wished to hatch one in hopes that she could use it to fly away from her fate."
Aegon looked up at Alliser before continuing. "She eventually got pregnant with her new husband's child and managed to win the love of both him and his people, much to her brother's dismay. In a foolish act the brother angered her husband so badly, he killed him in front of his sister who didn't shed a single tear for his death. But even though the girl found love from her husband and future child, she still had difficulties with his actions as a warlord.
The girl saved a few women from being raped by her husband's men. She unintentionally caused a dispute between him and his men which ended in a fight where her husband killed one of his men but only took a small cut. The girl asked one of the women she saved who claimed to be a healer to help her husband to which the woman agreed. But the wound festered, and the girl's husband took ill, to which the girl came to this woman again begging her for some way to save him. The woman claimed to know a spell that could save his life in exchange for another life.
They brought her husbands horse in and the woman slit its throat spattering blood all over them both. The woman did her spell, but the girl felt her unborn child beginning to come and fell unconscious during the birth. When she awoke, she found the result of her actions, her child had been born monstrously deformed and died soon after while her husband was alive, but he could not move, speak, or do anything. The husband was alive, and his wound had been healed, however it seemed his mind or perhaps his soul was gone from him."
Alliser was listening intently as Aegon paused to shift where he sat down before continuing.
"You see the woman was a witch who poisoned the warlord's wound in revenge for the destruction of her village and then followed to kill his unborn child as well so he wouldn't grow up to be like his father. The girl realizing her betrayal and crippled by her loss resolved to kill her husband by smothering him in his bed rather than leave him in his current state. She placed him on a pyre with her dragon eggs and tied the witch to the pyre as punishment.
After setting the pyre a light she walked into the flames and climbed on top the pyre to burn with her husband, her eggs, and the screaming witch who murdered him. That's what her followers thought anyway, until the morning revealed her sitting alive and unharmed where the fire had once burned with three new baby dragons in her arms." Aegon concluded his tale.
Alliser looked amazed and confused by the end of the tale.
"Some of that sounds quite familiar to what happened at Craster's. I have never heard of such a tale Your Grace. Was this during the time of Old Valyria?" Alliser asked.
"It was a tale from a lifetime ago Sir. But what do you think allowed me to hatch this dragon like the girl from my tale was able to hatch her own?" Aegon inquired.
Alliser sat in thought for a moment looking at the ground and then turned back to meet Aegon's gaze.
"Was it the witch, the way she was burned on the pyre with the eggs was just like how you had us burn Craster?" Alliser replied unsure.
Aegon thought it not a bad guess, considering when he and Briggle discussed this topic years ago that had been one of his own conclusions.
"No Sir it wasn't the witch's death that allowed her to walk through the flames or the dragons to hatch. It was the death of her husband." Aegon answered.
Alliser had the same look on his face when Aegon learned that knowledge.
"Was there something special about her husband Your Grace?" Alliser asked curious.
Aegon shook his head. "The sacrifice that turned the eggs from stone and allowed them to hatch was because the death of the husband was at the hands of his wife."
Alliser looked confused as expected so Aegon elaborated further.
"The girl killed the man she had come to love, then she burned the body of her love with the eggs. You see the reason no dragons have hatched since the Dance of Dragons is because they have all been cursed to stay as stone. But the girl had unwittingly broken a similar curse when she sacrificed her husband by killing him with her own hands." Aegon explained.
Alliser was still processing what he said but he could tell the man had questions.
"But she didn't mean to sacrifice him, she didn't know what she was doing would hatch the dragons. Also how do you know they were cursed?" Alliser asked.
"After I told this tale to Briggle we searched for how to hatch this one in my arms and it took us months before we discovered the curse as well as how the girl unknowingly broke it." Aegon answered.
"Curses fowl practices they be. Even when they be broken, loss be your token." Briggle said.
"In order for the curse to be broken on the dragon eggs, a price had to be paid and the price for breaking a curse is almost always the same. You have to sacrifice something you love. Which is why such spells and practices in magic are considered curses, because they leave losses whether they are being cast or broken. Either way damages are suffered." Aegon explained.
"Do you know how or why such a curse was cast? Or by whom? Also, that doesn't explain how you were able to walk through flames." Alliser asked concerned.
Aegon smiled at the remark. He lifted his torch from where he had stuck it in the snow after removing one of his gloves. While Alliser watched, Aegon placed his exposed hand on the torch, he could feel the warmth of the fire but that is all he felt. He felt not one ounce of pain and when he pulled it away from the flames, he didn't have a mark on him. Alliser sat up for a moment to stop him but steadied himself to watch silently.
"What makes curses so attractive for magic practitioners is that they do have great powers and benefits to be gained as long as one is willing to suffer the price that comes with them. This is the benefit I have gained from breaking the curse, but even Briggle and I are not sure if all dragon eggs can hatch on their own now or if I am needed to hatch them myself." Aegon answered.
Aegon thought how if only Dany had known what he knows now, she might have been able to hatch other dragon eggs if she had found any. Though part of him hoped perhaps that all the dragon eggs started hatching across the world free of this curse, he could only imagine how the Starks would have liked that.
"As for the ones who cast the curse. We managed to discover who they are since one of my ancestors helped them, and we will deal with them Sir, but one enemy at a time." Aegon stated to which Alliser nodded in response.
"I almost forgot, you mentioned that we were going to steal something to help your dragon?" Alliser asked to which Aegon grinned smugly.
"We already did Sir." Aegon stated as he reached for his arrows and withdrew one of them which he could clearly see a strange glow coming from within the black arrowhead.
"Yes yes, steal from walker we did then to now help little she we will. Nervous crow will see." Briggle stated smiling at Alliser.
"Well, I suppose we should be getting back Your Grace. Be sure to keep her covered when we return though." Alliser advised. They started to walk back to the camp while Briggle disappeared into the trees.
"What ever happen to the girl in the tale Your Grace." Alliser asked as they walked.
The question gave Aegon paused but after taking a few steps he answered.
"She was killed at the hand of one she loved most." Aegon replied still remembering that day in the throne room.
"Your Grace, are you alright?" Alliser asked, waking him from his thoughts.
Aegon was surprised by the question. "What do you mean Sir?" Aegon responded.
"Your, crying Your Grace." Alliser said pointing to his face.
Aegon reached up to his eyes just as the first tears rolled down his face. He hadn't even felt them forming in his eyes.
"It's a sad tale Sir, that is all, but thankfully that was only the start of the tale." Aegon responded trying to focus on anything else. He could tell Alliser didn't understand his remark, but the man knew when to stay silent.
It won't be much longer Dany.
The Messenger's POV
He knew that today was going to be an interesting day, but when one lives the kind of life that he has, one learns the only way to survive in this world is to adapt or die. He had been watching his target for a few days now so he could get a good sense of the occupants that live there, along with their routines. Just from a glance he had several ideas about how to approach them, but he knew that no matter how he did it there was no way they were going to believe his words alone, so he had to show them.
He found it eerie how his client had told him all these things before he even left, but then again after their first meeting he found everything about his client more unsettling than he'd ever admit to anyone. But this job could possibly be the kind that gets him everything he could ever want, at least that is what he hoped.
He walked up to the house when he was sure everyone inside would be around the main dining room having supper. He approached quietly in the dark so as to not be noticed and came to the tree next to the house. The tree offered him some cover as he began his climb into the window after lifting the latch with his knife and slipping inside. Before closing the window back up he reached into the branches and plucked a fresh lemon from among the branches.
After closing the window, he sat down on a chair in the corner of the room just next to the door that way if anyone came in, he'd be positioned to their backs. He bit into the lemon slowly sucking on the sour but sweet fruit as he waited. Before long he heard little footsteps down the hallway, and he leaned forward in his chair ready to move. Then the door flew open, and he gently caught it and carefully closed it right behind his target.
She walked in without even realizing he was behind her until the door came to be shut and he quickly rushed forward to grab her by the mouth and pulled her close before she could slip away. She started to try to scream into his gloved hand and she was trying to kick and punch at him, but he held her firm.
"Calm down now little lass. I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered into her ear to try to reassure her.
She settled down after that, whether from his words or because she realized she couldn't fight him.
"Now, I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth and let you go, okay. But you have to promise not to scream when I do. Okay?" He spoke quietly as he watched for her response.
He could tell she was scared, and she almost looked like she might cry. But she quickly nodded her head.
She probably thinks I'm here to kill her.
He slowly loosened his grip on her, and she immediately ran to her bed.
"Please don't hurt me. My brother and our knight are just downstairs, and they won't like it if you hurt me." She quickly said to him. She seemed so timid and scared.
"It's okay little lady. I'm here with good news. Now by chance do you know someone named Aegon?" He asked her while putting on the friendliest smile a cutthroat like him could muster.
She was fidgeting the whole time since he let her go.
Nothing but a pile of nerves, this one.
"The Conqueror?" she answered but didn't look him in the eye.
"Yea, I forgot there have been a few haven't there. Okay let me rephrase the question. Which one is your closest relation little lady?" he asked again.
"My brother said we had a nephew named Aegon." she answered, and at least this time she looked up at him.
"That's the one. He sent me to deliver this to you." He said as he pulled a few letters from his pocket. "You read Valyrian, yea?" he asked as he held the letter up for her to see, and she only nodded in response.
"Well good because I sure as fuck don't so you can be sure I didn't read these. Now this one is for you I believe." He explained as he took one of the letters with the name 'Dany' written on the front and handed it to her.
She slowly reached out to take it, but she didn't open it, she just stood there looking between him and the letter confused as to what she should do.
"Only my brother calls be Dany, and he said that our nephew died a long time ago." she stated with obvious confusion.
He smiled at that comment as he could hardly believe it himself when he got this job, and the thought still made him chuckle.
"Well like I said, I got good news for you." He leaned closer to her and lowered his voice to a whisper. "He's alive."
She still didn't look like she believed him, but he could hardly blame her for that.
"Now I best not doddle because I have to be going but here give this one to your brother and this one is for your knight, eh, Sir what's his name." He remarked as he handed her the other two letters.
He then made for the window to slip out the way he came before anyone else in the house noticed his presence. But as he was just about to jump out the window, he heard a small voice behind him.
"Ah, who? . . .Who are you Sir?" the girl asked looking at him while clutching the letters he'd given her to her chest.
"Oh, I am no Sir, that is for certain. I'm just a messenger, but you little lady can call be Bronn." He replied before slipping out. Then he grabbed a couple of lemons from the tree and tossed one to the little princess which finally made her smile for once. With that he slipped away into the shadows.
