The drag marks on the snow were exceptionally clear.
It was as if someone had been forcibly dragged away from here, disappearing into the icy, snowy shadows of the forest.
"What happened?"
Toren dismounted, frowning as he examined the marks on the ground.
"Cleaning up the battlefield? It doesn't look like it."
"If wildlings did it, they wouldn't have left these warhorses."
"Horse meat is a good thing," another Guardsman analyzed.
"And they would have taken all the weapons and armor."
The swords and damaged chainmail on the ground indicated otherwise.
Lynn's gaze fell on the drag marks.
He recalled the plot from the original story.
A missing patrol, gone and never returned.
And the leader of that missing patrol was Ser Waymar Royce.
They had encountered Others.
Completely wiped out.
Could this battlefield in front of him be...
Lynn dared not think further.
"My Lord, what should we do? Should we pursue and investigate?" Toren asked.
"No need for that." Lynn shook his head.
"This matter is beyond our current scope."
"Now, return to Castle Black at full speed, immediately."
"Don't delay for a moment!"
Lynn's tone was unyielding.
Though Toren was puzzled, he immediately gave the order.
The group no longer lingered, galloping south towards the Wall at their fastest speed.
An invisible sense of oppression weighed on everyone's hearts.
Although they didn't know what had happened.
But they could feel the seriousness of the situation from Lynn's solemn expression...
When the familiar black outline of Castle Black reappeared on the horizon, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The feeling of coming home had never been so reassuring.
However, as they approached the castle, they found the atmosphere somewhat off.
A small group of people was gathered at the castle gates.
They weren't training or working as usual, but simply huddled together, pointing and discussing something.
Lynn reined in his horse.
He saw two objects, wrapped in black Night's Watch cloaks, laid on crude sleds in the center of the crowd.
Several Rangers, dusty and with expressions of lingering shock, were speaking to Lord Commander Mormont and Maester Aemon, who had arrived upon hearing the news.
Jon Snow and Arya were also in the crowd.
Jon's face was filled with shock and unease.
His Direwolf, Ghost, paced restlessly at his feet.
It let out low growls, baring its sharp fangs at the objects on the two sleds.
Arya's Direwolf, Nymeria, was doing the same.
It pressed tightly against Arya's leg, its fur bristling, its golden eyes filled with vigilance and hostility.
Those two bodies...
Lynn dismounted, pushed through the crowd, and walked over.
He recognized the two Rangers at a glance.
One was Othor.
The other was Jafer Flowers.
They were members of another patrol sent out by Benjen Stark before he departed.
Now, they had returned.
But in this manner.
"What happened?"
Lynn walked up to Lord Commander Mormont and asked in a low voice.
The Old Bear's face was terribly grim.
"They are dead."
"Our men found them."
"They were buried in the snow."
"Their bodies were frozen solid, but... there were no obvious wounds."
No wounds?
The Others usually kill without leaving wounds.
They would use their icy touch to drain all the heat, all the life, from your body.
"Their eyes..."
Mormont paused, seemingly searching for the right word.
"...were blue."
"Like sapphires."
Indeed.
Lynn pulled back the cloaks on the bodies.
"Lord Commander."
A Ranger spoke to Mormont.
"We searched the area thoroughly, but found no trace of Ser Waymar."
"No sign of him alive, no body if he's dead."
Lord Commander Mormont's face was clouded with gloom.
He looked at the two bodies, silent for a long time.
"Take them inside."
The Old Bear finally spoke, his voice tinged with an unshakeable weariness.
"Aemon, examine them."
"See if you can determine the cause of death."
Maester Aemon nodded.
Two Night's Watchmen stepped forward, preparing to drag the two sleds into the castle.
"Wait!"
A voice suddenly rang out.
It was Lynn.
Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.
Lord Commander Mormont turned his head, his sharp eyes looking at Lynn with a hint of bewilderment.
"Lynn? Is there a problem?"
Lynn met everyone's gaze and took a deep breath.
He knew that what he was about to say might be taken as madness.
But he had to speak.
"Lord Commander."
Lynn's voice was steady and strong.
"They cannot be brought inside."
"Why?" Mormont's brows furrowed.
"Burn them."
Lynn said, enunciating each word.
"Right here."
"Immediately!"
The entire courtyard instantly fell into a dead silence.
Everyone looked at Lynn as if he were a madman.
Burn the bodies of their own brothers?
In the traditions of the Night's Watch, this was the greatest desecration of the dead!
Only wildlings had such customs!
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