Chapter 28: Tarly's Death
"I don't know what you're talking about," Saelen said flatly, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
What a joke. The system was his greatest reliance—and his deepest secret. There was no chance he would ever reveal it to anyone.
Hearing Saelen's blunt response, Leaf—the Child of the Forest—finally realized she had crossed a line. Probing into someone else's secrets so directly was, in fact, a highly provocative act. She immediately offered a sincere apology.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to pry into your secrets."
Seeing her genuine remorse, Saelen nodded and let the matter drop.
Leaf rubbed her forehead and sighed helplessly.
"Ah… I've lived too long. I've seen and experienced so many strange and extraordinary things that I started believing I understood everything—that nothing in this world could escape my eyes."
She looked a little troubled as she continued,
"And now, suddenly, I've encountered something I don't understand at all. Something beyond my knowledge. I couldn't help wanting to dig into it."
At that point, Saelen couldn't suppress his curiosity any longer.
"So… how long have you actually lived?" he asked. "I mean, if it's convenient—how old are you?"
Leaf tilted her head toward the sky, thinking.
"Let me see…"
Then she sighed again, even more helplessly.
"It's been too long. I've forgotten. I genuinely can't remember."
"You forgot?" Saelen clearly didn't believe her.
She spread her hands.
"Yes. Forgotten. We Children of the Forest never cared much about age to begin with."
Then her eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned back to Saelen with a mischievous look.
"Since you're so curious, how about this—why don't you tell me your secret? Maybe if I hear it, it'll spark some inspiration. Who knows? I might even remember how old I am."
Saelen: "..."
"I don't have any secrets," he said expressionlessly. "And I have no idea what you mean by 'breaking the limits of the human body.' As for this skinchanger ability—this is the first time I've even heard that it supposedly causes some kind of special energy fluctuation."
Benjen nodded to Leaf as well.
"Yes. After my brother Eddard took Saelen in as his adopted son, he soon displayed the talent of a skinchanger."
At that moment, Saelen stood up and yawned.
"If there's nothing important left, I'm going to rest. I'm tired."
With that, he turned and started to leave.
"You don't want to meet the Greenseer?" Leaf quickly called out, revealing her true purpose.
"The Greenseer?" Saelen stopped, surprised. He didn't understand why Leaf wanted him to meet the Greenseer. All he knew was that this person could observe events across time and space through the weirwood heart trees—almost as if gifted with a god's eye.
"The warnings you received in your dreams during those near-death moments," Leaf continued, "they all came from the Greenseer. He noticed you long ago."
After a brief pause, she added, "There are many veils surrounding you. He hopes to speak with you."
Saelen frowned slightly.
"Talk about what? If he wants to talk, why doesn't he come to me himself?"
"I've delivered the message," Leaf replied calmly. "Whether you go or not—that choice is yours."
With that, she turned and left, offering no further explanation.
Saelen remained standing where he was, his expression shifting back and forth. He truly was intrigued by the Greenseer's abilities. Anyone who possessed such power would, in effect, hold all of Westeros in the palm of their hand.
Still, hesitation lingered. He carried far too many secrets, and he had no idea how much the Greenseer already knew.
After some thought, Saelen returned to the temporary camp and lay down to rest, his expression calm once more. He had made his decision—he would go with Leaf and meet the Greenseer. Avoidance wouldn't solve anything. It was better to confront the unknown directly.
Once everyone had rested, the group continued northward under Leaf's guidance.
---
"Haah… haah…"
Tarly fled through the forest in utter disarray, terror filling every corner of his mind. Earlier, after separating from Saelen's group, he had led a dozen mounted men escorting the captured wights toward Castle Black. Pushing their horses relentlessly, they had hoped to reach the Wall before nightfall.
They never made it.
Halfway through the journey, they were ambushed by wights. The others fell quickly, swallowed by the undead horde. Tarly alone escaped by sheer luck.
Now, glimpsing the faint outline of the Wall through the trees, his tightly wound nerves finally loosened. Just a little farther—Castle Black was close.
"Who's there?" Tarly shouted, gripping his sword with both hands as a dark figure rushed toward him from the left.
"It's me, Captain Tarly—Kesso."
As the figure drew closer, Tarly finally recognized him.
"Kesso? You made it out too?"
"You saw—"
Before he could finish—
Shhk.
A longsword burst through Tarly's chest.
He grabbed the blade with both hands, mouth open, staring in disbelief at Kesso's terrified face. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.
Kesso watched in horror as a White Walker stepped forward, calmly withdrawing the sword from Tarly's heart. With its left hand, it seized Tarly by the hair; with its right, it raised the blade and severed his head in a single, brutal motion.
Its ice-blue eyes silently fixed on Kesso.
Kesso collapsed to the ground, paralyzed with fear. Warm liquid spilled between his legs, quickly freezing into crystalline frost.
The White Walker merely glanced at him, then turned away, carrying Tarly's severed head into the darkness.
---
"Woooooo—"
A long, mournful horn blast echoed from atop the Wall.
Kesso stumbled out of the Haunted Forest, eyes vacant, walking toward Castle Black. As he walked, he muttered over and over:
"Run… the White Walkers are coming…"
"Run… the White Walkers are coming…"
---
Lord Commander Mormont exited the Lord Commander's Tower and headed for the gate. There, he found Kesso standing motionless, the sharp stench of urine hanging in the air.
"Soldier," Mormont asked sternly, "what happened?"
"Run… the White Walkers are coming…"
"Where are Saelen and Robb? Where is the rest of the party?"
"Run… the White Walkers are coming…"
No matter how many questions Mormont asked, Kesso gave no response beyond that hollow refrain.
The gathered black brothers began murmuring among themselves.
"He's gone mad from fright," Ser Alliser Thorne sneered. "Are all of that bastard's men such cowards?"
"Given his condition, we won't get anything out of him," said Bowen Marsh. "We should have Maester Aemon examine him first."
Mormont nodded.
"Take him to Maester Aemon."
Then he added gravely,
"Tell the Maester to send a raven to Winterfell. Inform Lord Eddard of everything that's happened here."
"Something has gone terribly wrong beyond the Wall."
"Qhorin Halfhand's group must have run into serious trouble."
"Summon all black brothers to the hall," Mormont ordered. "We convene immediately."
His expression was heavier than ever.