The return journey was much smoother and slower. The Earth Singers rode their different animals or took a ride on mammoths with the Giants. This time we rode in a slow sedate pace. During all this time Sam rode with Leaf and one of his Lord whom he kept rotating every day. He spent the time asking questions from Leaf about anything and everything that struck his mind like.
"How can we plant and grow the wierwood trees faster. And do we need to do something to carve faces in them."
"The trees can grow from even a stem, but if you want it to grow fast than it will need sacrifice, either of a big enough animal or a sentient life. Do you know the ancient ways in which First Men used to pass the sentence on the criminals." Leaf asked.
"You mean chopping their heads, cutting their stomach and tying the intestines on the weirwood tree, and burying rest of the organ and the head near the roots." Sam replied.
"Yes, these sacrifices boosted the magic and weirwood needs magic to grow. Small sacrifices like squirrels and rats are not enough to help grow the weirwood trees fast enough and we can't start mindless killing of animals lest they go extinct." Leaf answered.
"We can do that. I will not sacrifice innocent for this, but we already deliver capital punisment to murderers and rapers, who cares how we do that. And I have been receiving reports of increased ironborn activity, we can use them for our purpose." Sam said
"Are these ironborn you say, those who worship the dark god of the sea." Leaf asked.
"I don't know which dark god you speak of, but they worship some Drowned God who seems to promote raping, looting, pillaging and slavery while calling them thralls." Sam answered.
"He sounds like the one I am talking about, if we can sacrifice his priest than we will receive greater outcome than sacrificing normal men." Leaf proposed.
Sam gave her a bloodthirsty smile. "I was already thinking of destroying their religion and you gave me the perfect motivation for it. But you didn't answer my second question."
"A Heart Tree is not just a weirwood with a face carved in it. It is the Old God's Eyes and ears on this land and so it needs special condition. It needs to be a thousand-year-old weirwood tree and it needs a large sacrifice ranging from hundred to thousand souls." Leaf answered.
"Then we will be using ironborn for Heart Trees and normal criminal of the North for weirwood." Sam answered in a normal voice like he wasn't affected in the least bit and truthfully, he wasn't. He used to kill for a living in his last life. He is okay till it isn't against any innocent.
"What can you tell me about Old Gods." Sam asked.
"Little more than what you already know. They like to test us and remaining nameless and interfering as little as possible, leaving us to our choices, at least without any sacrifice, is their test. If you want to know about them, you have to grow worthy of them. Like your ancestors, Bradon the Builder, Bloody Blade or the one from the south who went by Godsgrief and wanted the Goddess of Sea as his wife. In their war against the Others, they grew worthy and were able to even meet them and wed them. But you are well on your path and maybe one day I will tell you." Leaf replied.
"You mean Durran Godsgrief, founder of House Durrandon, present day House Baratheon." Sam asked, when he understood whom. Leaf gave a nod in response.
"Can you help increase the fertility of land." Sam asked
"Yes, we can. When your kind first arrived on these lands. They were not so aggressive than and we gave them a large piece of land and told them that it is their reach in these lands and prayed to Gods to make it fertile, but they betrayed us and started encroaching on our lands." Leaf told me. But Sam's attention was on one word that she said 'reach'.
"Are you talking about Garth Greenhand or Garth Gardener." Sam asked.
"Gardener, that was the name of the betrayer. If he had not betrayed us than the war would not have started, and we would not have made the Others and would not have been in this situation. Cursed be his line." Leaf said sadly.
"I don't if the Raven told you this, but his line has ended. He and all his sons died to dragonfire, the records are not clear about the daughters and wives, but the House has ended." Sam told her.
"Good riddance" Leaf muttered but Sam heard her.
Just as Sam was going to ask another question as they were crossing the middle of the Haunted Forest, the horses suddenly started neighing and getting restless, the men tried to get them under control when we started hearing loud howls of the wolves.
"Fuck, it's a pack of direwolves." One of the Rangers said.
As everyone started hurrying around, trying to get the horses in control and getting prepared to face them, Leaf came up to me on her elk and said, "Tell your men to keep their weapons sheathed, they do not mean us any harm." Sam looked at her but after thinking, decided to follow her instruction.
"Everyone, sheath your weapons. They will not harm us." Sam ordered in a loud but clear voice.
"But my lord..." One of the Rangers began.
"Do as I say" They reluctantly sheathed their swords but were still wary and kept a hand on the handle of their swords.
Slowly huge wolves started coming out of the forest one by one from all direction but stopped far away from us to signify they do not mean us any harm. They were Direwolves, wolves as big as horses and much more dangerous than any other wolf, the Alpha of alphas. The horses were getting difficult to control in presence of so many of them when two Direwolves came out. One male and one female. The male had scars all over its black fur and looked the most dangerous of them all. Just as Sam started doubting whether to trust Leaf's judgement or not, he saw what was coming behind the pair of wolves or rather who. Two pups, one black and one white both male, with heterochromatic eyes. And then Sam understood what was happening.
He got off his horse and approached the wolves slowly. Slowly he removed his glove from one of his hands and raised it.
"My Lord! Please stop. It is dangerous." The Lords said, warning me but Sam didn't pay them any attention.
"Quiet, he has to do this alone." Leaf said.
"Do what, die to the wolves' fangs." One of the lords, but Lord Umber and Karstark who seemed to have understood what was happening told him to stay silent.
Sam approached the wolves and let them smell my hand. They smelled it and started licking it like pet dogs. It tickled and Sam gave a small laugh, then the other wolf started licking his face and he started laughing. After some time, they backed away and called the pups forward, they pushed them toward Sam. Sam bent down and let them come and judge him, when they yipped happily, I started rubbing and scratching them.
"Are they..." Sam started to ask the wolves but stopped himself, lost for words, and they barked as if saying yes. "I will take good care of them, I promise." They gave a bark of approval and with a loud howl turned back and disappeared in the forest, all the other wolves following behind them, leaving behind the two pups entrusted in Sam's care and he intended to keep the promise he made to the two Direwolves.
Sam put the two pups in his saddle as they are not old enough to walk all the way to the Wall and the ride continued. The rest of the ride went smoothly without any other incident. During the journey Leaf asked him what names will he give to the two pups.
"Truthfully I always wanted Direeolvrs as companions since I heard stories of previous Starks having them. But now I have two for myself, I just can't think of any appropriate names for them." Sam said.
"If you want, I can suggest you some name for both of them." Leaf said. Sam motioned with his hand to carry on. "Skoll and Hati."
"Skoll and Hati." Sam tried the names, rolling them over his tongue. "What do you two think about Skoll and Hati for your names." He asked the two wolves walking beside him. They tipped happily in response. "So it's decided, the Black one will be Skoll and and white one will be Hati. Thank you Leaf, for suggesting such wonderful names."
And so the talks and discussion between them continued till the Wall. But when we reached the Wall things were not so smooth. At first, they almost attacked us thinking us Free Folk clan coming to attack the Wall with Giants but when they saw the Stark banners, they stopped but still did not open the door. Finally, Lord Commander Qorgyle with Jeor Mormont, Alliser Thorne and other higher officers of the Watch.
"When you said that you want to go on an excursion Beyond-the-Wall, I didn't think you will be coming back with beings straight out of the legends, Lord Stark. No one has seen Giants for more than a century and the Children of the Forest are considered either extinct or a myth." Lord Commander Qorgyle said.
"The Children prefer to be called Earth Singers. And should know by now Lord Commander, that when it comes to me, you should always expect the unexpected." Sam said. While he said this, he was completely alert and saw the way many of the men of the Watch that were escorting him were looking at the Earth Singers and Giant. "But these talks can be held in the warm halls of Castle Black if you want to talk about it. What I would like to know is why were the gates not opened when we announced our presence."
"You know very well my lord, that it is the Watch's duty to guard the realm of men from the dangers of Beyond-the-Wall. So, I can't break my vows by allowing the Giants and Earth Singers, was it, and their beasts to come south of the Wall." Lord Commander said.
"Yes, it is the duty of the Watch to guard the realm of men from the dangers of Beyond-the-Wall and it has been doing a splendid job till a few years back, has it not. But the Giants and Earth Singers were never included in those dangers, neither in you vows nor in many books explaining the duty of the Watch. And they have bent the knee to me and swear oaths of fealty and so have become my people, my subjects and so will be treated like any Northerner." Sam answered.
"What will you know about the duty of the Watch. You live in a cozy castle and spend the day giving out orders to your servants." One of the officers, that Sam could remember from the rebellion who were part of Targaryen Household spoke up.
"I know more than you, afterall it was my ancestor who built the Wall and the Order. Unlike your master who has been the reason for its downfall." Sam said
"Forgive me for my brother's attitude my lord but still I can't allow them to cross the Wall." Qorgyle said.
"And why is that." Sam asked.
"You know very well my lord that Watch is a neutral entity in any conflict and its focus is always to the north. So, we don't want the Southern Kingdoms to think that we are in any way, supportive or biased towards the North." Qorgyle said.
"Supportive or biased. Listen here Lord Commander, it is due to North's support that your order has survived till now and it is only due to Lord Stark that you can even repair your castles at all. The South doesn't care about you even a little bit." Lord Umber shouted at the commander. He would have said more but Sam told him to quiet down. Sam was going to try one last peaceful approach before turning to threats and violence but than an irritating voice came up.
"Why are you wasting time Lord Commander, let the wolf pup and his barbarians waste away in this frozen wasteland. When they will get lost here and will find how difficult the survival here is, they will grow some senses. When they will find how difficult it is to hunt here, they will themself kill these demons and their beasts for food and will come and beg us to let them come on the other side." Sam didn't need to look in the voice direction to know who this must be and with that all the niceties came to an end.
"Did you bring your pet dog as well, Qorgyle. Where is he, let us see him as well." Sam looked around exaggeratedly for a little after which his eyes landed on Thorne. "Oh, it is not your pet dog, but the dragons pet whore, who likes to go to its knees infront of the dragon so much. Silly me how can he be a dog afterall he betrayed the dragon, instead of following their other whores and master in the seven hells to suck his master's c*ck." Sam said and some of Watch men sniggered while those who were Targaryen loyalist almost went for their swords, but my men were faster.
"Now listen here and listen well Qorgyle because I am not going to repeat myself. You have two options, either you let us cross, and I may forget all this, and no one will be harmed. Second, you don't let us cross I will send a raven to my uncle Ned and Roderick." Sam gestured behind him to the men carrying the raven cage which was covered by a woolen cloth to protect the bird from the cold. "They will come here with an army at his back and then you will welcome us with a bloody smile on your neck. After that I will take over the Wall and turn it into what the South always feared. An elite army loyal to Starks. You have an hour to consider after which I will send the raven. Then I will not be responsible for what happens" Sam warned.
Some may say Sam didn't have to threaten him in this way. Maybe he wouldn't have if his eyes were not screaming the reason for his denial. He did not deny us to look neutral or something, no. He denied us because the fucking andal didn't want the world to know the walking proof of our religion to be shown throughout the seven kingdoms. It could all be seen in his eyes, with the way he looked at Giants and Earth Singer with disdain and fear. Sam could have easily used ships from Hardhome but he didn't want these scum to think that they can make him bow down to their whims anytime they want. Whenever North has participated in a war it has emerged victorious. The Northern infantry is the best in the Seven kingdom with the strong defence provided by Ironwood shields and sheer will to fight. So, threatening him with the worst fear of the South, an elite army of Northmen, set a good precedent.
"Please forgive me Lord Stark. You can surely cross the Wall. No one will stop you. It was my mistake that I didn't understand who the threat is and who is not." Qorgyle's attitude did a complete 180 degree turn at the threat. The Wall can never handle an attack from the south. It does not have a wall in that direction, on any direction other than north for that matter. They will be dead meat.
We crossed the Wall after that. It seems Brandon the Builder either anticipated Giants coming South, or when to help in moving when they built the Wall for the tunnel's mouths were big enough for Giants and their Mammoths to cross easily.
"Now I understand why the tunnels are so big." A Black Brother said.
"What do you mean" A second Black Brother asked.
"Have you ever thought the tunnels were two big for humans even astride a horse. Look there, the tunnel is just big enough for the Mammoths." The first Black Brother answered.
We didn't stay in the castle for long and went as soon as everyone crossed the Wall after giving Qorgyle a warning.
"A Black Brother only have religion for guidance and swearing oaths, learn to keep your religion separate from your duty or I will separate your head from your body." Sam warned and rode away.
The next day Sam asked in what kind of place they would like to build their settlement. Mag answered that a place where they can farm and have enough land for their Mammoths to graze is enough for them. Leaf said that a place with a Heart Tree and weirwood tree will be good enough. So, it was decided that the Giants will occupy the Gift, as the Umbers will be their neighbours, and they will have the least problem with them and could guard them from the Black Brothers and the people coming from the South. Earth Singers will live in Wolfswood near Tumbledown Tower and the Neck.
Sam ordered Lord Umber to show them their lands and help them settle down and to guard them from Watch and southerners who have settled in the Gift. Sam also told Mag that he will have to come to Winterfell to be formally introduced to all the Lords of the North and he will send the message with Lord Umber. With that Sam rode south. As they continued riding the Lords took their leave and went to their castles as well. In the end it was only Sam who was left to show the Earth Singers to Tumbledown Tower.
The tower has almost turned into a ruin with only the vault remaining, but it has a Heart Tree near it and have lots of weirwood in the surrounding forest. The Earth Singer says the place is almost as enriched in magic as the cave without absorbing of the many greenseers who used to be the Three Eyed Raven. Sam told them that Lord Reed will show them the neck in a few months when they are formally introduced to the Lords and Leaf will have to come to that introduction and that he will send one of the men that were with him all the way in this journey to inform them of the date.
Sam then sends one of his men to inform his mother and everyone at Winterfell that he will be coming to the Castle tomorrow from the Hunter's Gate and decided to stay the night in the forest with the Earth Singers. There he learned that around half of them will stay here and the other half after having a look at the Neck will decide where they will stay. They will use their magic to hollow out the upper portion of the trees and will live there and will use magic to connect them either underground or by making some sort of bridge.
'They are really just slightly shorter, forest elves." Sam thought.
Sam was sitting and discussing with some of the Earth Singers who spoke common, what will they do and what they will be needing, which was surprisingly little and what can they do to make money if they have to buy something. Then Leaf approached Sam, and all the Earth Singers stopped the discussion. Leaf asked to have a talk without prying eyes and ears. Understanding her meaning his men to move away so that they are out of hearing range and the dark will make it harder to see anything.
"On that day in the cave you said that we both have to earn each other's trust. And now you have upheld your end of the bargain by giving us a safe place to live, are going to strengthen magic and other things. You have earned my trust and as a token of our alliance and trust I am offering you this Symeon Stark." As she said this four Earth Singers brought a big and heavy chest.
As they put it down, Sam inspected it. It seems to be made of a single piece of wood without any of the carpentry tools as the surface is completely smooth which should not be possible, and he could not see any hinges in it, but it still opened normally. Sam chalked it up to their unique magic. He opened it and looked inside. There were eight stones of various shades of white, and blue wrapped among leaves.
His eyes landed on the stones, he could not see them properly in the dark, so he went to pick one up. But as soon as his hand touched it, he felt the scale pattern of the eggs, he lifted it up and brought it close to his eyes. Yes, it was what he thought it was. Dragon Eggs. And if the cold he was feeling, like he was holding ice in his hand, was anything to go by than not just any Dragon's egg but Ice Dragon's Egg.
"Are these Ice..." Sam started but Leaf interrupted him.
"Ice Dragon Eggs. Yes" Leaf said.
"How" Sam asked.
"Long ago, after the destruction of the city of Hardhome, one of the dragons of the shivering sea came there and went to slumber in the caves near the city. We learned of this and to stop the Night King from acquiring it in his army, we took a risk and went in its cave and weaved powerful magic that wouldn't let the Night King detect its presence or anyone's presence inside the cave. Its ice element helped as Night King comes after you through sensing the warmth of your blood and body. Then we made it that no human could find it or stay in the place for long without going mad. After that we never went back there. Till now that is."
"Before coming here, we remembered about it and decided to check upon it, we found that it have long died and now only its bones remain, but we found these eggs there. We don't know if they will ever hatch and even if they do, they will be completely useless against the Others as they also have ice element. But they are still powerful and can fight against fire dragons easily as they are bigger than them and stronger. If they hatch, please tell us, we will perform the same ritual again that we did with the Direwolves for Starks thousands of years ago, binding them to your house."
"Thank you for trusting me and the Starks with this, I can't talk about the future, but I promise I will try to never let you down." Sam said