4th Month of 300 A.C. Castle Black
Lord Robb Stark
The screams of the dying haunted his vision, they haunted his waking hours and the hours where he slept at night. There were times when he was convinced that the dead were following them, and after what he had seen at the Fist he would not be surprised if that was the case. Things were growing more and more complicated as the days turned into weeks. Robb and his men alongside the Brothers of the Night's Watch had managed to make it back to Castle Black, but they had suffered a lot of losses. The image of seeing Harrion Karstark fall and rise as a Wight was one that was etched into his memory, and it was one that would likely not leave him anytime soon. Mance Rayder had died, killing the White Walker who had been leading the Wights, seemingly bringing an end to the wights themselves, something that had allowed Robb and the rest of them to flee, to retreat like there was a wolf on their tail. They had arrived back at Castle Black, broken and beaten, but not defeated, not yet anyway. How long that lasted, Robb was not sure.
It was at his insistence that the meeting that was taking place now was happening. Robb looks around the room, seeing the broken and battered faces of the men gathered here. Ser Alliser Thorne looks tired, Bowen Marsh looks haggard, the northern lords all look tired and angry and broken. Broken, that is the emotion that could best describe how they are all feeling right now, but they need to move past that. They have to move past that if they are to succeed. He clears his throat and speaks. "We suffered many losses at the fist, but we have survived, and now we must discuss what we learned." A pause as he considers how best to proceed, eventually, he finds the course he wants to go with and speaks once more. "The wights we know can be defeated by fire, something that we knew when we left, but the sheer number of them is worrying. Does anyone have any thoughts as to how they are able to rise so quickly?" Silence follows his question, as it seems that everyone is looking between themselves searching for the answer, though none seem ready to give it.
It is Maester Aemon, the blind maester of Castle Black who breaks the silence. "Through the power of magic I would suppose. From what you have all described, it seems as though the White Walkers can control the dead, and make them rise and do their bidding as they please."
"It certainly seemed so when that bastard kept moving his fingers and more dead things kept appearing." Robb agrees.
"How though?" Ser Alliser asks his voice brisk. "How do they manage to do it? What are they? Where are those dead things coming from?"
It takes Robb a moment to realise that Thorne is not speaking about the Wights that were raised during their battle, but rather the army that came with that White Walker. He shudders silently and then replies. "Well, it would seem that they are the dead that were killed long ago. Mance Rayder spoke of this, and we saw evidence of it as we rode toward the Fist. Whatever and however the White Walkers raise the dead, it is happening and has been happening for some time."
That causes a lot of muttering amongst some of the men gathered before him, eventually the Greatjon speaks. "How is it that there was no warning of this before we came here? How is that this has gone unchecked for so long?"
It is a very pressing concern, especially after what they have all just witnessed, the fact that none of them can think of a reasonable answer is worrying. "Perhaps, it is because the White Walkers have been working in the shadows." Maester Aemon suggests.
"What do you mean?" Robb asks curious.
The maester takes a moment before replying, eventually saying. "From what you have all described, it seems as though the White Walkers know how humans operate, how they think and how they operate in battle. The Wights were numerous, and were used as food packers I think, they were meant to consume your energy, had Mance Rayder not done what he did, it is likely that eventually the White Walker that was there would have moved himself into position and killed you all."
"One thing cannot kill thousands." Bowen Marsh points out.
"Indeed not. But one thing with the ability to raise the dead, most definitely can." Maester Aemon answers. "I think that you got extremely lucky that Rayder had a dragonglass dagger, otherwise things could have gone a lot worse."
The image of the White Walker, pale and beautiful in the faded light, with the wights streaming into assist is a terrifying image, the thought of what could have happened, had Mance Rayder not done as he had done, is something Robb does not want to think about. Instead he turns his attention back to matters here at the castle and the wall at large. "How have things been holding up here? What word is there from the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch?"
At this the Lord Commander speaks. "Shadow Tower reports that the wildlings are constantly attacking, trying to breach through and make a way for them to get in. The Shadow Tower is constantly undermanned, as more and more of the men die fighting battles."
"Perhaps the time has come to let the wildlings in?" Robb asks tentatively.
He expects protests, but is surprised when Thorne answers. "Perhaps you are right, we cannot afford more bloodshed between our people now."
"I will send the order out to Mallister." The Lord Commander states. "As for Eastwatch, I believe Cotter Pyke is struggling with holding the fort down, and he has reported sightings of the Wights, they are marching ever slowly toward the castle."
"Has there been a sighting of White Walkers with them?" Robb asks alarmed.
"No, not that Pyke can tell, though the man is a fool." The Lord Commander replies.
This is a cause for great concern, and as such Robb says. "Perhaps it would be best to send reinforcements to Eastwatch, to ensure that there is not more damage?"
"And give the White Walkers more fodder for their army? We are stretched as it is." Thorne points out.
Robb looks at the man and says. "I was not referring to men of the Watch; I was referring to men of the north. Winter is coming, or rather will be here soon enough, but I can send word to Winterfell and ask for more men to come here."
Lord Mormont speaks then. "That would be a smart move my lord, the quality of weapon would be higher, though the problem is how to deal with the White Walkers. We do not know how many of them there are."
"Furthermore, we do not know where there are more stores of Dragonglass. Rayder's dagger broke after it was done killing that White Walker. Where else are we to get such things?" Marsh asks.
A heavy silence falls then as they consider the implications of that, Robb finds himself feeling incredibly weary, unsure of whether or not he can continue fighting, but knowing that he has to. Eventually, Maester Aemon is the one to provide a solution. "My helpers and I have found that in various workings on the Long Night, it has been mentioned that dragon steel can kill White Walkers."
"Dragonsteel?" Robb asks. "What do you mean by that?"
"I believe it means Valyrian Steel my lord." The old maester replies.
Robb feels something like relief filter in for a brief moment. "Like Ice," he looks at Beron. "Like Longclaw."
"Exactly my lord. I think that Valyrian steel has some of the qualities needed to destroy the White Walkers." Maester Aemon replies.
"So we have two Valyrian steel swords, that means we would be overly reliant on two men. That is not good enough, we need to know where to find more dragonglass." Thorne interjects.
"I think I might have a solution to that as well." The maester responds, his voice cheerful. "I remember from my youth that there were vast deposits of dragonglass on Dragonstone, from the volcano there. Furthermore, I believe there is a place somewhere north of the wall with something similar."
"I can write to the King." Robb says at once. "And get him to come with the dragonglass. Do you know where this other place is maester?"
He feels his stomach drop when the maester shakes his head. "I do not. None of the records I have looked through give the place a name, only that it is north of the wall."
"Well that's just unfortunate." The Lord Commander says in that sarcastic manner of his. "There is a place beyond the wall that has dragonglass but there is no name for it, nor any direction as to how to get there. How the hell are we supposed to find it then?"
Before anyone can give a response, the door to the solar opens, and one of the men, someone named Grenn, Robb thinks bursts in. "Sorry Lord Commander, but there is something you need to come and see."
Curious as to what this could be, they all stand and follow the boy, he leads them out of the Lord Commander's quarters and takes them to the gate, where a horse rests, and on it a hand. "The horse just came through."
"Isn't that Othell's horse?" Ser Alliser asks.
"Yes Ser, it is." The boy replies.
"Who is Othell?" Robb asks, the name seems familiar, but for some reason he cannot place where he has heard it before.
"Othell was one of the rangers that was sent out before your arrival my lord." The Lord Commander responds. "He had gone out to see what the wildlings were doing, and we had thought he'd been captured, evidently, he had been."
"That does not look like something that a wildling would do." Bowen Marsh says.
"No, it looks more savage, but cleaner as well." Thorne says.
"You don't think this was done by the White Walkers do you?" Robb exclaims.
Just as it seems Thorne is about to respond, he hears Greywind growl, and then the hand begins twitching, moving, shaking. Robb and the rest of the crowd gathered about the horse watch in horror as the hand begins moving up and down the horse, causing the beast to neigh in panic. "Someone do something!" Robb hears someone cry, before he knows it, he has the horn-which he keeps on his person at all times now- out and pressed to his lips, the sound of which manages to soothe the horse, and turn the hand into dust.
He moves the horn away from his mouth and says. "That was very, very fortunate."
"Indeed it was." The maester replies. "Per chance what happened to the horn that Mance Rayder had?"
Robb sighs, remembering the final moments of the battle that happened at the Fist, the sight of Rayder wandering around blindly, as if he was not there, before he emerged from his stupor to fight the White Walker, the horn disappearing with him as he fell. "I think it might well have gone with the Wights, or it might still be there on the Fist."
At that, Ser Alliser speaks. "We need to get the horn back."
"And risk another encounter with the White Walkers? I think not." Bowen Marsh replies.
Thorne wheels around to look at Marsh. "You have seen what the horn can do, do you really want it in the hands of the enemy?"
Before Marsh can respond, Robb hears the Lord Commander speak. "Thorne is right; we shall need to send a party out to look for the horn. If there is even a slither of a chance that we can get it, we need to take it."