[a/n: I know this arc may be considered too fast-paced, but for the 72th chapter, which is technically the 70th, due to the two author's note, I want to do a special and pivotal moment for both stories. Just a little thing I want you to be excited for.]
[Skirling Pass, Beyond The Wall]
(Aerion's POV)
It was cold. Very cold.
This was unlike any feeling I have ever felt. Everything around us was white, snow covered everything; rocks, trees, bushes, everything. The plane of white stretched out as far as the eye can see; only slight glimpses of the tree's colors can be seen. My bones were shivering, my entire blood was quivering as the freezing temperature of this entire place made me wish for death by Dragonfire.
Every step I took behind Jorah was incredibly difficult. No matter how many layers I had covering my body, I could still feel the cold. Willam was next to me, he was also quivering in his boots. We've gotten cold temperatures in the Vale so we thought we'd be used to it. We were wrong. This is nothing like the coldest night in the Vale, this was a hundred times worse than what we've experienced. It got colder than what it was over at Winterfell. Seven Hells, south of the wall felt a bit warmer than whatever this was.
My respect for the Northernmen was shot up through the roof. No, my respect to those in the Night's Watch, that is. They have to deal with this daily, they sleep next to a massive structure made out of pure ice which I'm sure radiates freezing temperatures. A Dragon should not be out here. Maybe it was the Cold that kept Vermithor away....or maybe it was something else. But right now, it's the cold that makes me want to turn back and go back home.
What was I doing here? My wife was pregnant, I should be in Dragonstone rather than out here, worrying her to death. My poor Rhaenyra, always dealing with my impulses.
Ah yes, my Duty. That's what drove me here. I had to find out what had truly happened. Why did Waymar chase criminals all the way up here? Who were these people he chased? Those questions had left my mind in the few hours I was in this wretched place with nothing but white all around. It's a shame I could not bring Vermithor over the Wall, I doubt he would've relented if I tried. His flames would've been nice to have, start a nice bonfire that keeps us warm.
"My Lord." I heard Jorah say as he was crouched down several meters ahead of Willam and I, "Here."
I frowned as I walked over to him, "Yea?"
He had his hand on a rock, there was what looked like dried blood on it.
"Blood." He said, "We're on their trail."
Jorah claims that the territory the criminals passed through was quite safe, with little to no danger, so any blood must've been from them.
We were accompanied with three other members of the Night's Watch, all of them shifting uneasy as they looked around. Seems to me that they have to be alert at almost all times. This was uncharted territory to them; Wildlings and other dangers are the norm. I can understand that, other men, I can understand why they worry for them. But for Giants and undead? I have to see it to believe it. Although, Giants are more believable than the latter.
Why am I trailing along in thought? It's fucking cold out here....
"How far do you think they're ahead?" Willam asked, "It's been hours and we've done nothing but walk."
"Welcome to Beyond the Wall, Ser Willam." Jorah chuckled as he straightened up, "I've done this route hundreds of times. There's a few abandoned structures a few miles ahead. Old outposts that stand between the Pass and the Frostfangs."
"Fuck the Frostfangs..." I heard one of the others say
"Yea." Jorah said as he rubbed his hands, "Let's hope that they're in the outposts. If they for some reason went to the Frostfangs, we might as well turn back and call them dead men."
"What's in the Frostfangs?" I asked him
"Nothing good." Jorah said, "Let's keep moving."
I nodded, "Lead the way." I said
As we continued walking, I heard loud howling in the distance.
"Shit." One of the other night watch's members said, "Direwolves."
I frowned and placed my hand on the handle of Lamentation, "That sounds close." I said
"Sounds like one." Jorah said, "Could be calling the pack. If it's been trailing us, then we should keep moving, try to get ahead into a good spot to fend them off."
"Direwolves...." Willam said, "They could be worse than Shadowcats if the full pack is attacking us."
I nodded, "We keep moving then." I said,
"Come on."
****************************************************
"Have you guys forgotten the flint and stone?" Jorah asked us
"No." I said, "I got mine."
He nodded, "Good." He said, "I am getting a bad feeling."
We were approaching the run-down wooden buildings of the outpost he was talking about. We've been walking for another hour or two, hearing the Direwolf howling once or twice. If anything the pack is right on our asses, but we're in a shelter at least.
"Man..." Willam said, "My entire body is frozen....a bit of fighting should warm it up...."
"If the pack reaches us, you could get that fight, Ser." Jorah said
I walked in front of Jorah as I looked up at the sky, from the looks of it, it could beginning to get dark soon. The sun was hard to track through the thick snowy clouds.
I caught a whiff of something, it was a weird odor, but faint.
"Smell that?" I said as I looked around, "Jorah?"
Jorah took a step forward, "Huh...." He said as he sniffed, "Smells like....rotten eggs?"
"Rotten eggs?" Willam said, "What could that mean?"
I looked down and noticed faint tracks on the ground, men's footprints, nearly covered by the falling snow.
"Look." I said crouching down, "Tracks..."
I followed the tracks, noticing dried drops of blood on several of them, they led through a tall wooden fence with a huge broken hole in the middle of it.
"Let us start a torch." Jorah said, "It could get dark soon and we need fire if we're to camp."
Willam walked up to me as I straightened up, "You think it's them?" He asked me
I shrugged, "I don't know...." I said, "I don't know what to expect here....."
"What in the hells are we doing, Aerion...." He muttered
"I don't know either, Willam....." I said softly, "Getting closure, I guess...."
"I guess..." He agreed
I heard as Jorah was successful in lighting a torch. I turned to see him raise it as the flames flickered, a welcomed warmth.
One of the other members walked away, "I'll go see if there's proper firewood." He said as he was followed by the others
Jorah nodded, "Okay, let's check those tracks out." He said as he walked past us and followed the prints towards the fence
Willam and I followed it, the faint odor of rotten eggs getting stronger and stronger with each step we took.
"My instincts are telling me something is wrong." Willam muttered
"Mine as well..." I said as I watched Jorah step through the fence
"Out here, that's what you want them to tell you." Jorah said, "But you know-Oh by the gods....."
I frowned, "What is it?" I said as we stepped through the fence, "What-"
I stopped and widened my eyes, completely shocked at the sight before us.
The fence had bordered what looked like a courtyard outside one of the buildings and all around, on what looked like wooden stakes, several mutilated bodies were hung upside down, dried blood covering the bodies and the stakes, the snow below them completely stained dark red.
"W-What...." Willam said, "What in the seven hells...."
Jorah looked around, "This..." He said, "This does not seem like anything any Wildling activity I've seen.....what sort of thing would do this???"
I was going to say something when I heard several wolves howling.
I looked up, "Shit....." I said as I placed my hand on the handle of my sword,
"The pack is here...."