The gate beneath the Wall groaned as it slowly rose.
A blast of icy wind swept through the tunnel, carrying with it the scent of snow, pine, and the endless wilderness beyond. Four black-cloaked rangers waited atop their horses as the opening widened enough for them to pass.
Marq adjusted the spear resting against his shoulder and glanced toward the frozen tunnel ahead. "Every time I go beyond the Wall, I start wonderin' why I volunteered fer this. We're in the middle o' summer, and it's still cold as ice itself, fer Sevens sake."
"Ye should've run the moment ye sobered up and realized ye'd accidentally volunteered while drunk. Or pleaded yer case t' the wanderin' crow years ago," Pate replied from beside him.
He still remembered how little choice he had been given in his own fate. He had been taken from a cell in King's Landing after being caught stealing a single loaf of bread when he had no other choice. Compared to Marq, who had at least been offered a chance to choose, Pate's circumstances had been decided entirely against his will.
Marq reflexively patted the wineskin hanging beside him, containing all his ale rations for this ranging and replied, "What d' ye know? Lookin' back, it wasn't really a bad decision when I joined the wanderin' crow. I simply had nowhere else t' go. At least here I've got all o' ye. It's just the weather that isn't t' my likin'."
One-Eye Tom chuckled behind them and spat into the snow. "Still the stupidest thing I've ever heard. If I were given the chance, I'd be livin' in some village right now with a wife, a few children, and a patch o' land t' farm until I died."
Marq glanced back and scowled at One-Eye Tom, who merely grinned in return. He couldn't be bothered arguing with a full-fledged criminal.
Garth, who had been riding ahead of them the entire time while considering the route they would take for this ranging, finally spoke after seeing the gate fully open before them. "Enough chatter. Let's move."
The three wisely kept their mouths shut. Garth was the undisputed leader of this ranging. Even if the Lord Commander had not appointed him, he would have naturally become their leader anyway. His sheer size was enough to command respect. The man towered over all of them, and the massive warhammer hanging at his side only added to his intimidating presence. If any of them spotted Garth in the training yard, their first instinct was usually to turn around and head the other way.
The four rangers rode into the darkness beneath the Wall in complete silence. For several moments, the only sounds were the clatter of hooves and the distant dripping of meltwater echoing through the frozen tunnel. Then, before long, a pale light appeared ahead, growing steadily larger until they finally emerged on the northern side.
A vast expanse of snow greeted them. Beyond it, about a league from the Wall, stood the Haunted Forest. Towering pines stretched across the landscape, their branches heavy with snow. The forest looked eerily quiet, but they were long accustomed to that sight by now.
Marq pulled his cloak tighter around himself before unfastening his wineskin and taking a quick sip of ale. "Ah, Seven hells, it's cold."
Garth glanced at him briefly before addressing the group. "Our mission remains the same. We're searchin' fer our brothers who vanished moons ago. This time, we'll ride straight north, beyond the Antler River. At the same time, we'll gather whatever news we can about the two men who style themselves kings beyond the Wall."
He paused, and seeing that the others were listening attentively, nodded in approval. "Check yer rations one last time, then we'll move."
After finishing his instructions, Garth checked his own supplies and gear. Finding everything in order, he waited while the others did the same. Once they had finished, he barked a single command. "Let's go."
With that, he snapped his reins and urged his horse forward into a gallop.
The others quickly followed behind him.
They crossed the open ground between the Wall and the Haunted Forest in no time. By the time they reached the dense trees of the forest, they slowed their pace. The last thing they wanted was for their horses to stumble over hidden roots and throw them from their saddles.
The four of them continued deeper into the forest at a steady pace, weaving around roots, bushes, and low-hanging branches. They had not been riding for more than thirty minutes or close to an hour when Garth suddenly sensed that something was wrong ahead. He immediately slowed his horse.
The others noticed and followed suit.
Moments later, Garth brought his mount to a complete stop.
Ahead of them, a massive cluster of pine trees lay across the path, completely blocking their way forward.
Garth narrowed his eyes. At first glance, it might have appeared to be the result of a blizzard or simple age. But the more he looked, the more certain he became that the trees had not fallen naturally. Someone had cut them down.
"Spread out," he called to the others while he unsheathed his warhammer from his saddle.
His companions had already come to the same conclusion. The trees blocking their path had not fallen naturally. Someone had cut them down and deliberately placed them there. Immediately, they obeyed Garth's order, spreading out while drawing their own swords. Each man carefully scanned the surrounding forest, their eyes moving from tree to tree as they searched for any sign of danger hidden among the densely packed trees.
"Should we head back and call fer reinforcements?" One-Eye Tom asked from the rear of their formation while looking ahead of them nervously. He had deliberately positioned himself at the back, ready to retreat if the worst came to pass.
"Seems t' me yer craven instincts are flarin' up again, eh, One-Eye Tom?" Marq spat back, though he never took his eyes off the trees ahead.
Pate ignored the exchange entirely. The hairs on the back of his neck had begun to stand on end, and he did not like it one bit.
"How about we slowly move back?" he suggested to Garth. "I don't like this. We don't know how many enemies there are, or if we're already surrounded."
One-Eye Tom immediately nodded. "I second that."
Garth did not answer right away. Instead, he continued studying the fallen trees blocking their path while searching for any other abnormalities in the forest ahead. At the same time, he weighed his options.
It seemed the wildlings had grown bold enough to set traps this close to the Wall. The thought made him frown. He wondered which of the two self-proclaimed kings beyond the Wall was responsible for this. After a while, and with no one revealing themselves and no suspicious sounds reaching his ears, he finally made his decision. "Tom."
One-Eye Tom immediately straightened and looked at Garth.
"Ye turn around and ride back t' Castle Black. Report this t' the Lord Commander."
Tom nodded. "Aye."
"The rest o' ye stay with me," Garth continued. "We'll slowly fall back while Tom retreats at full speed. If there's someone really watchin' us and preparin' an ambush, I want t' see how they react when they see Tom retreat. There's somethin' unusual about this. They should've attacked us by now if...…"
He cut himself off abruptly.
A red-haired wildling had stepped out from among the trees ahead of them. Six more wildlings emerged behind him shortly afterward with their bows in hand.
Garth wasted no time.
"Tom!" he barked. "Now! Go!"
Yet instead of hearing the thunder of hooves retreating toward the Wall, he heard nothing. His frown deepened.
Slowly backing away, he turned his head and looked over his shoulder. What he saw made his eyes narrow.
Tom was visibly shaking atop his horse, while the animal itself seemed restless and agitated.
"What are ye doin'?" Garth shouted.
Tom swallowed as he struggled to control his mount. "Um..."
His voice shook almost as much as the rest of him. "There're two shadowcats in front o' me, and my horse refuses t' move forward."
Hearing that, Marq and Pate also glanced over their shoulders. What they saw made their eyes widen.
Two shadowcats, as big as ordinary wolves stood among the trees behind them, silently blocking the path back to the Wall. Their yellow eyes stared unblinkingly at the rangers, and neither beast showed the slightest intention of moving aside.
Pate immediately turned back toward Garth.
"What do we do?" he asked.
Seeing the gravity of their situation, Garth quickly glanced east and west. From what he could see, there were no wildlings blocking either direction. He made his decision immediately.
"Marq! Move east! Pate! Ye move west!" he barked. "Make a run fer the Wall! Fast!"
He did not know whether it was the right decision or if there truly were no wildlings waiting in those directions. But he had to gamble.
Marq and Pate reacted instantly. Both men dug their heels into their horses and broke away from the group. Yet neither horse managed more than a few paces. The shadowcats moved.
One sprang directly into Marq's path, forcing his horse to rear back violently. Marq barely managed to keep hold of his reins.
The other cut across Pate's route. His horse came to such an abrupt halt that Pate was thrown from the saddle and landed hard on the snowy ground.
"Ow!"
Meanwhile, One-Eye Tom suddenly found his own path clear. Seeing his chance, he immediately urged his horse forward. For a brief moment, it seemed he might actually escape. Then both shadowcats lunged after him. The beasts did not attack. Instead, they ran alongside his horse, hissing and snarling.
Tom's mount immediately became restless and agitated once more. The terrified animal slowed almost at once, refusing to continue.
Seeing everything unfold before him, Garth turned his attention back to the wildlings ahead. His suspicion was now all but confirmed. There had to be a warg among them. No ordinary beasts would act with such coordination.
For a brief moment, Garth lamented the situation they had found themselves in. Even so, he refused to surrender. He was about to order everyone to dismount, as the horses had become more of a liability than an advantage, and then lead a charge against the wildlings ahead when the red-haired wildling suddenly stepped forward and raised a white flag.
Garth paused. He did not know whether the red-haired brat was offering a truce, seeking to negotiate, or simply trying to lull them into lowering their guard. Regardless, his grip tightened around the haft of his warhammer. He forgot his earlier decision to unhorse, as he prepared to spur his horse forward and turn the red-haired brat into a red smear across the snow.
But then the red-haired brat spoke. "We came in peace." As he said it, he raised his free hand away from the sword hanging at his side.
Garth nearly snorted. Wildlings did not come this close to the Wall for peace. With that thought in mind, he was about to order his horse forward when another wildling stepped out from the trees, accompanied by a man dressed entirely in black.
Garth narrowed his eyes as the man looked familiar.
"It's Edric!" Marq suddenly exclaimed, a hint of shock in his voice. He had not seen his fellow black brother since Edric got lost beyond the walls together with the other rangers.
Hearing that, Pate, who had managed to pick himself up after his fall, looked more closely at the man standing beside the wildling and immediately recognized him as well. "It's really him!"
Then he looked toward Garth. "We should save him."
Garth ignored the comment. The appearance of Edric had complicated everything. His mind raced as he searched for a solution, but every path he considered seemed to lead back to the same answer, charge forward and fight.
Yet he hesitated. The warg. He had nearly forgotten about it in the heat of the moment and had almost ordered his horse forward. The realization made him curse himself inwardly. Charging blindly while the enemy controlled beasts capable of making their horses stop would have been foolish.
After another moment of thought and still finding no better solution, Garth swung himself down from his horse.
"Off yer horses," he ordered.
One-Eye Tom immediately obeyed. Marq followed a moment later, while Pate had already been forced to dismount after his earlier fall. Only then did Garth turn his full attention back to the red-haired brat and fix him with a hard stare. "Easy fer ye to say ye came in peace when yer the one who blocked our path and took one of our brothers hostage."
To Garth's annoyance, the brat actually shrugged. His white flag remained raised in one hand while the other stayed plainly visible.
"We didn't have much choice," he replied. "Couldn't think of another way t' talk with yer people without someone shootin' first, so we resorted t' this."
He paused before adding, "Besides, haven't ye noticed that we never attacked ye? We only kept the four o' ye in one place. I think that should be enough t' show we came here t' talk, not t' fight."
Garth frowned even more. This was the first time he had ever found himself in a situation quite like this. After a moment, he swept his gaze across the surrounding forest one more time before reluctantly deciding to give the brat the benefit of the doubt. "What do ye want?"
The red-haired youth smiled. "Nothin' much. We found this crow wanderin' somewhere farther north and decided t' help him reach the Wall fer somethin' in exchange."
His smile widened slightly before adding. "D' ye think this crow's life is worth somethin'? If not, then we'll accept our own foolishness and leave this place at once. Of course, we'll make the crow pay with his life first before vanishing and never to be seen again."
Hearing that, Garth first looked over his gear and supplies before turning back to the red-haired brat. "What do ye want in exchange fer him? We don't have much, but we could give ye everything we have on us, excluding our weapons and horses, of course."
The red-haired brat shook his head.
"No, no, no. This man here, " he gestured toward the crow they were holding. "already told us ye wouldn't trade weapons fer him. But he also said ye might trade somethin' else instead. Hens, goats, or even aurochs. We don't need yer perishable rations. We need livin' animals."
"What d' ye need those animals fer?" Garth asked after a moment of thought.
The red-haired brat blinked. "What kind o' question is that? Fer food, o' course. We want livin' animals fer the comin' winter."
Garth clicked his tongue. Of course it was for food. Still, it never hurt to ask. He turned toward his companions. "What d' ye lot think?"
"Seems like a fair trade to me," Marq replied after some thought. "We get Edric back fer a few animals from Castle Black, and we'd complete our first mission of findin' our lost brothers. At least one of them."
Truthfully, Marq had little desire to fight if it could be avoided. Even with their armor, there was no guarantee they would survive a charge through the trees. A lucky arrow could still find a gap in their protection. Not to mention the shadowcats lurking nearby.
Pate nodded. "Marq's right. It's a good exchange."
One-Eye Tom merely nodded in agreement.
Garth glanced toward where the shadowcats were silently looking at them before turning back to the red-haired brat. "How d' ye suggest we do the exchange?"
"We'll let all four o' ye return t' the Wall t' show our sincerity," the red-haired brat replied. "But if we see more men return than I can count on me fingers, we'll vanish. And the only thing ye'll find afterward is this crow's head."
He gestured toward Edric, who immediately looked at Garth with an expression that bordered on pleading.
Garth remained silent for a long moment as he considered his options. Part of him still wanted to attack. Yet looking at his companions, he could see that none of them were eager for a fight they could clearly avoid. Eventually, he let out a long sigh. "Ye really mean to let all four of us go back to the Wall?"
"Aye," the red-haired brat replied with a nod. "All four o' ye can leave."
He pointed toward Edric. "Except fer him."
"Is he the only one?" Garth asked. "What happened to the rest of our brothers?"
"He's the only one we found," the red-haired brat replied. "Ye can ask him the rest o' th' information after the exchange."
After a brief pause, he added, "So... what d' ye think?"
Garth looked toward Edric, silently asking whether the wildling was telling the truth. The crow nodded.
After seeing that, Garth turned back to the red-haired brat. "Very well. Let us leave and ask the Lord Commander about yer offer."
The red-haired brat's smile widened. "Don't forget. If we see more men than I can count on me fingers comin' back from the Wall, we'll disappear."
He then wave the white flag he had been holding. "Ye all can go now."
Garth carefully swept his gaze across the surrounding forest. His companions did the same.
When he looked back toward where the shadowcats had been moments earlier, he found nothing. He silently sighed in relief before turning back toward the red-haired brat one final time.
"We'll make the exchange in the open ground between the Wall and the Haunted Forest. That's non-negotiable."
With that said, he climbed back into his saddle.
His companions quickly followed suit.
"No problem," the red-haired brat replied. "But we won't come close t' the Wall. Ye'll have t' meet us near the edge o' the Haunted Forest. Otherwise, we won't show ourselves, and we'll disappear."
Garth did not reply. Instead, he slowly guided his horse backward. Once he was certain they had moved beyond the range of their arrows, he signaled for the others to turn around and pick up speed. Before doing so himself, he cast one last look toward the wildlings. Then he turned away and kicked his horse into a gallop, following his companions behind them.
—--------
Harron Dustin sighed as he rubbed his forehead after reading yet another report from one of the castles guarding the Wall. The situation remained manageable for now, but he knew that would not last forever. A few years or even moons from now, once the two self-proclaimed kings beyond the Wall finished fighting each other, the victor would inevitably turn his attention south.
He had already done everything within his power to man as many castles as possible in preparation for that day, yet he knew it was not enough. The Wall was simply too vast to be properly defended by only a few thousand men of the Night's Watch. He lamented their dwindling numbers but could do little about it. Eventually, he reached for the mug of ale sitting on his table and was about to take a long drink when someone suddenly knocked on his door.
"Lord Commander! Something happened!"
Harron frowned.
His first thought was that one of the castles had come under attack.
Immediately, he set the ale aside, rose from his chair, and strode toward the door. Pulling it open, he found his steward waiting outside.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Garth and his companions have returned," the steward replied hurriedly. "They said they encountered wildlings not far from the Wall and need to report something to you immediately."
Without another word, Harron brushed past the steward and headed downstairs.
He found Garth and the others in the courtyard, already dismounted and waiting. The moment he was close enough, he went straight to Garth.
"How many wildlings are out there?" he asked. "Tell me everything that happened."
Garth immediately began recounting the encounter.
Marq, One-Eye Tom, and Pate occasionally interrupted to add details or clarify parts of the story from their own perspectives.
When they finally finished recounting everything, Harron let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. For a moment, he had feared that the two kings beyond the Wall had somehow formed an alliance and launched an attack on the Night's Watch without his knowledge. Hearing that it was only a small group of wildlings and that they were proposing a trade instead, he felt a measure of relief.
Still, the situation required attention, especially since they were holding one of his men.
After a moment of thought, he asked, "Ye said they'd disappear if they saw more than a handful of men approach them?"
"Aye," Garth replied with a nod.
Harron considered it for another moment before making his decision. "Then bring me to them. I want to negotiate with them personally and see Edric with my own eyes."
The moment those words left his mouth, his steward, who had followed him into the courtyard, reacted immediately.
"Ye can't do that, Lord Commander!" he protested. "Let someone else handle it. It's dangerous! And according to their report, they have a warg with them that controls two shadowcats."
Garth and the others looked as though they were about to object as well, but Harron waved a dismissive hand. "I've already decided. That's final."
Seeing that none of them looked convinced, he continued. "Don't worry. If they didn't attack Garth and the others when they had every opportunity, they're unlikely to attack the man who'll decide whether they go home with a reward in hand."
He paused before patting Garth on the shoulder before issuing an order on the rest of his men in the courtyard. "Besides, if they attack me during negotiation. You have my permission to attack and hunt them down."
A grim expression crossed Garth's and the steward's face at that.
One of the brothers standing nearby spoke up. "Couldn't we just ride them down and save Edric in the process? Surely they couldn't escape and react on time while they're on foot and we're ahorse."
Harron shook his head and looked at the man. "Nay. I need to talk to them first before deciding anything and I don't want to risk Edric's life. I need to know what happened to their party."
He folded his arms across his chest while wearing a heavy frown across his face before continuing. "Additionaly, we lost our wildling informants moons ago. We're practically blind beyond the Wall if our ranging parties can't bring back any useful information. We need new informants if we want firsthand knowledge of what's happening out there."
The brother fell silent after hearing that.
Without another word, Harron turned and headed back toward his quarters to prepare for the journey.
Left behind in the courtyard, Garth, Marq, Pate, and One-Eye Tom exchanged glances.
Since the Lord Commander had made his decision. All they could do now was climb back onto their horses and wait for him.
—--------
Ivar glanced back at the Wall's distant silhouette on the horizon.
After all the planning he had put into exchanging the crow for something tangible, he had to admit that the outcome was more than satisfactory. His gaze shifted to the six goats, a couple of grain sacks and the scores of hens they had received in exchange for Edric. A feeling of satisfaction settled over him.
He could finally eat chicken eggs again instead of relying on the occasional bird's nest they happened to find while hunting.
"Mehh."
"Tok-tok-tok..."
The goats bleated while the hens clucked noisily as they were herded along the trail.
Ivar's smile twitched.
The only problem now was that their journey had become considerably louder.
The animals seemed determined to announce their presence to every living creature in the Haunted Forest.
He sighed and glanced around the surrounding trees. They would have to be extra careful on the journey home. The last thing he wanted was to attract unwanted attention from hunters, wandering strugglers, or worse, one of the larger bands roaming beyond the Wall.
As he resumed walking, Hilde moved up beside him and asked, "What did ye talk about with the Commander crow, Ivar?"
Ivar glanced at her before returning his attention to the path ahead. The ground was uneven and rocky on this path, and with goats and hens slowing their pace, he had to watch his footing carefully.
After the negotiations had concluded, the Lord Commander had requested a private conversation with him. To Ivar's surprise, the man had asked for information about the Magnars and the other powers beyond the Wall in exchange for additional livestock.
Naturally, Ivar had bitten on the opportunity when it was given to him.
He had not held back in the slightest. He had immediately told the Lord Commander everything he knew, mixed with a few carefully placed lies regarding where he suspected the various camps were located. Not that he knew much to begin with. Most of what he had provided were guesses and rumors he had heard over the years.
Whether the Lord Commander had believed him or not, Ivar could not say. Nor had he truly provided anything valuable.
Yet the information had apparently satisfied the Lord Commander enough for the man to express interest in future reports regarding events beyond the Wall.
Ivar, however, had made no promises. He had simply told the man that he could only try as his settlement was a bit far on the wall.
Even so, the conversation had not been a complete waste. At the very least, the Lord Commander had explained the proper way to approach Castle Black in the future without getting shot full of arrows by the black brothers on the Wall.
That alone was useful. More importantly, it suggested that the Lord Commander already possessed informants among the free folk.
"Not much," Ivar finally replied. "He just asked about how we found Edric in the first place."
He could not talk about the rest of their conversation yet. There were still some people among their group whom he did not fully trust.
Hilde blinked. "That's it?"
"Aye."
She stared at him suspiciously and pressed further. "Then why did ye show them yer shadowcats when there was no need? Ye even demonstrated that they follow yer orders."
Ivar sighed. Since he had no intention of letting the Night's Watch think he was a warg or anything similar, he had given them a simple explanation. He told them that he had raised the shadowcats since they were cubs and trained them personally. According to his story, the beasts obeyed him because they had grown accustomed to his commands over the years.
To make the lie more believable, he had demonstrated a few commands and the shadowcats had obeyed without hesitation.
The display had visibly impressed the Lord Commander and the rangers accompanying him.
"I was just showin' off how great I am. That's all." Ivar flashed Hilde a grin before quickening his pace and moving ahead of the group.
There was little else he could safely say, so scouting ahead provided a convenient excuse to end the conversation.
Behind him, Hilde watched him go. Seeing that Ivar had resumed scouting, she could only pout before falling back in line with the rest of their companions.
--------
A/N: Please don't forget to rate and review the story after reading. And if you want to read ahead. You know where to look.