Chapter 29 – The Greenseer
Bang! Bang!
In the council chamber of Castle Black, hundreds of brothers of the Night's Watch were gathered in heated debate. Faces were flushed, voices hoarse; the more hot-tempered among them slammed their fists against the tables.
"Because of the words of a single coward—some idiot—we're supposed to send this many men beyond the Wall?" Ser Alliser Thorne shouted angrily.
"All three hundred rangers are to be dispatched? What about the Wall itself? Who's going to defend it? Who's going to patrol it?"
"White Walkers?" Thorne sneered. "Gods, that's nothing but an old wet nurse's bedtime tale! I say that wretch—born a coward and a craven—made the whole thing up to avoid punishment. Now he's pretending to be mad!"
His voice rose with certainty.
"I say we treat him as a deserter—drag him out and cut off his head!"
Bang! Bang!
He smashed his fists against the table.
Much of the hall erupted in agreement. Brothers of the Watch pounded the tables in unison, shouting,
"Execute him!"
"Cut him down!"
Bowen Marsh spoke up sharply, cutting through the noise.
"Then what about Qhorin Halfhand?" he demanded. "He led more than a dozen of our finest rangers out there with those southerners. They are brothers of the Night's Watch. Are we simply going to abandon them?"
Before Thorne could reply, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont spoke, his voice firm and cold.
"Ser Alliser," Mormont said, fixing him with a hard stare,
"I must remind you that the man you wish to execute is a knight in the service of Ser Saelen—not a sworn brother of the Night's Watch."
"We have no authority to pass judgment on him."
The hall fell briefly silent.
At that moment, Maester Aemon spoke as well, his calm voice carrying surprising weight.
"Whether Qhorin Halfhand and the others encountered wildlings or White Walkers, we must still send men beyond the Wall to search for them," Aemon said gently.
"If my memory serves me correctly, among that party are Robb Stark, heir to Winterfell, and Benjen Stark as well. That means two members of House Stark have gone missing beyond the Wall."
"If we fail to give the North a clear explanation—if we offend the entire North and lose their support—then the future of the Night's Watch will only grow more precarious."
After a brief pause, Aemon continued,
"However, Ser Thorne is not entirely wrong. We cannot send out all of our rangers. If we do, the Wall itself will be left defenseless."
"Therefore, I suggest dispatching only a small search party. As for whether they succeed… that will be left to the will of the gods."
Most of the brothers present nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Lord Commander Mormont could only sigh inwardly and abandon his original intention of leading a large-scale ranging beyond the Wall. He accepted Maester Aemon's proposal.
---
Saelen's group followed Leaf in winding paths for what felt like an eternity. Towering trees surrounded them on all sides, and at some point Saelen completely lost his sense of direction.
During a brief rest, Saelen opened his system interface.
Name: Saelen Stark
(Note: This surname is forcibly bound by the system and cannot be changed)
Strength: 5.62 + 0.02 (Trainable)
Agility: 3.36 + 0.02 (Trainable)
Endurance: 4.56 + 0.02 (Trainable)
Spirit: 50
(Max level reached. Complete construction tasks to unlock further upgrades. Can be increased by killing Magical creatures. Host may control up to 50 animals simultaneously.)
Status: Normal
Mana: 50
(Wights +0.1, White Walkers +10, Night King +100)
Swordsmanship: MAX
Archery: MAX
Spear Technique: MAX
Horsemanship: MAX
Construction:
Porcelain Factory - Complete
Glass Factory - Complete
Weapons & Armor Workshop - Complete
Paper Workshop - Incomplete
[Frost God Mark detected in host's body. Spend 10 Mana to remove?]
▶ [Remove]
None of his attributes had changed much. His Spirit remained capped at fifty.
Saelen decided to spend ten points of Mana to remove the Frost God Mark within his body. He focused and selected [Remove].
A bone-chilling cold surged from the scar on his abdomen, then slowly dissipated into the air.
Closing the interface, Saelen stood and stretched. He felt no discomfort at all.
If not for the system's warning, he thought, I wouldn't have noticed that mark at all.
He suspected the mark had entered his body through his abdominal wound—and that it likely carried a tracking effect. Removing it now was the safest choice.
---
"That's it?" Saelen asked, staring at the massive weirwood tree before him.
Its roots cradled a clear pool of water, and it stood surrounded by sentry trees.
"You're sure the greenseer is here?"
Leaf nodded. "Everyone else waits here. Saelen, you come with me."
She led him closer to the weirwood. Only now, standing so near, did Saelen sense how extraordinary it truly was.
"It's simple," Leaf said.
"Place your hand on the roots. Close your eyes. Don't think."
Saelen did as instructed.
Darkness washed over his vision.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself inside a vast hollow within the tree. Weirwood roots twisted and coiled everywhere, and at the center sat an elderly man dressed in black, seated upon a throne woven from roots.
His body itself was fused with the weirwood.
"Young man," the old figure said with a faint smile,
"we finally meet."
"You're the greenseer?" Saelen asked, disappointed.
He just looks like an old man, he thought. Nothing like the all-seeing being I imagined.
"You may call me the Three-Eyed Raven," the old man replied calmly,
"or my true name—Brynden Rivers. Though it has been a very long time since anyone used that name."
His tone carried quiet melancholy.
"May I ask you a question?"
"You may," Saelen said cautiously,
"but I don't promise an answer."
The Three-Eyed Raven's cloudy eyes locked onto him.
"Who are you?"
"All of Westeros lies within my sight—past, present, and future. Yet you are the only exception."
"I cannot see your past. I cannot see your present. I cannot see your future."
"Everything about you is shrouded in mist."
Saelen shrugged.
"If even you don't know," he replied lightly,
"how could I?"
Outwardly calm, inwardly he was certain—the system was interfering, blocking the greenseer's sight. And that very anomaly had drawn this being's attention.
"Very well," the Three-Eyed Raven said at last.
"If you are unwilling to reveal the truth, I will not press you further."
Then his expression shifted—eager, almost hopeful.
"Would you accept the inheritance of the Greenseer?"
"If you are willing, I can teach you how to wield that power."
---