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When he had first seen the Wall, Jon Stark had thought that it had been a sight of wonder. One, if not the greatest construct ever built by the hands of man. He been struck by awe at the sight. But that was when he was seeing the Wall from the south. Now that he was seeing it from the north, even though it was the same construct, it was just…different. It wasn't a barrier of protection anymore. It was a monstrosity designed to keep all invaders at bay. The sheer scope of the Wall instilled fear, not comfort of its protection. It was…quite the oddity that the same structure could invoke two completely different feelings pending on which side of it you were on.
"Broodin again, Jon Stark? If ye keep broodin like that, yer face will get stuck. And you have far too pretty a face for it to be stuck like that for the rest of yer life."
Resisting the urge to grind his teeth and doing all he could to keep the quickening of his heart under control, Jon turned his head to look at Ygritte. The Free Folk woman was, to use his master's words, tenacious. She never left him alone! He went to sleep alone and woke up with her next to him. He went out hunting and she showed up stealing his kill and mocking him for not being quicker. She was infuriating! And…intoxicating. For every fault he could find with her, he could find two perfections. He hated that she snuck into his furs every night, even going so far as to bribe Ghost with smoked meat to let her by. Yet at the same time, he now yearned to wake up every morning with the smell of the forest that was on her. She joked and prodded him for being too 'southern' or too 'slow', yet at the same time those same prodding's urged him to be better than he was. She'd worked her way into his mind and heart in much the same way as Arianne had. And for that, he felt lower than horse shit.
He cared greatly for Arianne and could see a future with her, a future that he yearned for with all his heart. Yet now, now Ygritte had rushed headlonged into his life and wouldn't leave. And worse yet, he didn't have the strength, nor want, to make her leave. He tried comparing her to Arianne to push her aside, but that was a total failure. They were both pushy, straightforward, and not afraid to speak their mind about their wants or desires. And they both pushed him to try and be far better than he was. When comparing who they were failed to separate the two, he tried comparing their looks. Where Arianne had hair as dark and beautiful as the night sky, Ygritte had a mane of fire that smelled of the forest. Where Arianne was buxom and full figured and sophisticated, Ygritte was a lithe warrior woman. Where Arianne had skin kissed by the sun, Ygritte was pale like freshly fallen snow. The two couldn't be any more different from one another in terms of looks. Yet, both were beyond beautiful to him. It was like trying to compare a sunrise in the north compared to a sunrise in the south.
In the end, he tried one last desperate attempt to push Ygritte away by telling her of Arianne. About how his heart was with her and that he wanted to make a future with his Dornish Princess. Ygritte had been struck silent for a moment, but then she just shrugged it off. She asked him if Arianne was beautiful and strong. Which of course he answered with a 'yes', and she responded with 'I can work with that'. She then went on and told him of the little-known aspect of the Free Folk culture regarding the stealing of spouses. The Free Folk would not steal one who was already stolen, but it also wasn't unheard of for a man and woman to steal another if they both agreed to it and if they were strong enough to have more than one man or woman. She then launched into a tale, in far too much detail in his opinion, of a Free Folk chieftain woman who was apparently strong enough to steal three husband's and made frequent use of all three of them in the furs. The story rocked Jon so hard that his mind went blank and the only thing he could think to ask was how such a thing was possible. To which Ygritte just smiled and told him, 'three cocks for three holes'. Just the mere thought of which made him want to jump into the nearest icy stream just so he could reset himself and think straight once more.
"If my brooding bothers you so much, Ygritte, maybe you should find a man who doesn't do so as much."
Ygritte merely smiled at him and shook her head. "Ye won't be rid of me so easily, Jon Stark. Not when you went and stole me like ye did. But I do have ta wonder if yer truly up for what ye got ahead of ya. Ya stole me. Ya wanna steal this Arianne. And just last night ye kept mumbling 'Dany'. How many women ya planning on stealin, Jon Stark? And do ya really think you can keep up with three women and keep us all satisfied? Other chieftains have tried in the past ya know. But none have managed to satisfy more than two women at a time."
Jon nearly tripped. Last night was the first night he'd managed to reconnect with Daenerys through their bond since they'd discussed, or rather argued, over the events of the Rebellion and what caused it. To his surprise though, she'd not only been the one to apologize, but she had also admitted that he was right. About everything. And then she begged him, literally begged him on her knees, to teach her what he could of the Force and to help her become powerful. When he pressed her on why she wanted the power, she answered that she wanted to forge her own path. A new path forward for House Targaryen. So, he began teaching her what he could. Which now was little more than an introduction on meditation and speaking of the Sith and Jedi codes to her. But it was a start. And for reasons that escaped him, he'd felt a tremendous weight leave him as soon as they made their connection once more.
"Dany is," he started, unsure of just how to put into words his relationship with Dany was. And come to think of it, he honestly didn't know the answer to that either. "She, well…I – let's just say that…oh hells. The chances of either of us ever being in the same place again is…highly unlikely."
Ygritte gave him a look of disbelief before shrugging. "Well…if she's strong enough to be in your dreams…then mayhap you'll be a greater collector of stolen women than any other chieftain. But don ye think I'm just gonna let ya start stealin any woman that passes yer fancy, Jon Stark. They gotta prove themselves to ya and me before I even think of letting ya steal em. And if ye don't…I'll be takin your balls, Jon Stark." The grin the wilding woman shot him before quickening her pace to rejoin some of the other Free Folk told him that it was no idle threat either. She really would take his balls if he stepped out of line. Despite himself, he couldn't stop when his eyes wandered down her back to rest on her shapely bac – 'Gods damnit Jon! Control yourself!'
Peering behind him, Jon took a moment to gaze out over the five thousand Free Folk that would soon be swearing themselves to House Stark and thereby being allowed passage through the Wall. It was honestly strange to think that he'd spent his entire life mostly being told stories about the 'evil' and 'terror' of the wildlings. About how they were just shy of being demons inhabiting human bodies and how they would snatch you in your sleep and kill you or eat you or worse. But when he looked over the line of people behind him, he didn't see demons or evil people. He just saw people. Families who wanted to live. And if he were being entirely truthful outside of the skirmish against the cannibals, who were despised even by a good majority of the Free Folk, he had seen and heard of more evil acts being committed by the so-called 'civilized' people who lived south of the Wall. 'Of course, not all of them are exactly…well…human.' He thought, turning his eyes to one side of the column where their newest additions were walking.
The morning after the incident at Craster's Keep they'd been approached by an…unexpected visitor. The giants, led by Mag the Mighty and numbering sixty in total with just as many mammoth mounts had approached their camp while they were still breaking it down. The Free Folk amongst hadn't necessarily been alarmed at their sudden presence, surprised yes, but not alarmed. The same however could not be said of those from south of the Wall. Which was completely understandable in Jon's opinion. After all, it wasn't every day that you would wake up and find a horde of giants standing just outside your camp. Thankfully, before things could escalate to violence, Jon's father stepped forth and approached the giants. What happened next was sure to go down as one of the strangest exchanges in the history of the North, perhaps even all of Westeros. Mag grunted out a few words to his father which sounded suspiciously like 'Stark' and 'Kings of Winter'. The leader of the giants then turned and waved south before growling out something along the lines of the blood of winter still running strong even in the warmth. He then, to the surprise of everyone present, went to a knee before Lord Stark and placed a hand over his chest before bellowing, "Stark. King of Winter. We, follow. Only strong. Follow. Wolves to warmth." It was about as strong as an oath as one could expect from the giants, who primarily spoke the Old Tongue and only a few words of the common and, according to Val, it was an oath that not even Mance Rayder or the Thenns had ever managed to get from the giants.
And with that swearing, their group grew not necessarily in numbers, but certainly in size as the giants and their mammoth mounts joined in the procession heading towards the Wall under the banner of House Stark.
Forcing himself on the path ahead, Jon nearly ran head long into his brother Robb, who'd come to a stop in the middle of the path. Jon was about to ask his brother why he'd stopped, but then he noticed their father had his fist held up, signaling a stop to the column. Moving around his brother, Jon immediately saw why his father had called for a halt. Just ahead of them, near a line of trees were a dozen men on horses wearing all black. Rangers from the Night's Watch. None of whom seemed pleased at all to see them. Save for the lone black brother that was just ahead of the others. 'Uncle Benjen,' Jon thought with a smile as he watched his uncle urge his horse forward while their father began walking to meet him. Behind them, Jon could hear more than a few disgruntled mutterings coming from the Free Folk about the sudden presence of the Night's Watch, or the Crows as they like to call them.
"Benjen," their father called out as their uncle dismounted his horse.
"Ned," Uncle Benjen returned before looking past their father at the assembled mass of people behind them. "Even knowing what you planned on doing north of the Wall, Ned…I honestly didn't believe that you would get them to agree…let alone so many of them at once."
"Fighting a battle together has a way of forging bonds fast," their father said, drawing a quick questioning look from Benjen that urged their father to continue. "There were a number of chieftains that did not agree with Mance Rayder's decision to treat with us. And they tried to launch an attack on Hardhome while we were there. Their plan might've worked had the gods not favored us. But in the end, the dissenters are either dead, or have been brought back into the fold under different chieftains."
Benjen's eyes went wide as he immediately examined their father, Robb and Jon with a quick critical eye, no doubt looking for any injuries. "Who were the dissenters?"
"Crowkiller, Weeper, Herma and Lord of Bones. All are dead." Lady Val said, drawing their uncle's attention as she stepped up alongside their father.
Benjen's brow furrowed before recognition dawned in his eyes. "You must be Val, good-sister to Mance Rayder are you not?"
"Aye, I am." Val nodded.
"Soon to be Lady Val of the North, once she chooses a House name for herself and her people." Their father added before nodding towards the black brothers who were still on their horses a distance behind Benjen. "Are we going to have any problems?"
Looking behind him, Jon noticed the slight look of worry that passed quickly over their uncle's face. "You know your decision was not well received amongst the Night's Watch. These ones with me are not…pleased with the decision. But so long as they swear to the North, we have no right to stop them from crossing. Nor will anyone try and stop them. You have my word on that."
"I guess we'll see just how good the word of a crow is," Val said, glaring at the black brothers still astride their horses behind Benjen.
Uncle Benjen took her scorn in stride, apparently used to the reputation of the Night's Watch amongst the Free Folk. "So, we shall my lady. I take it that you're bringing them to the weirwood groove to swear their oaths then brother? I'll lead you to them."
Jon's father nodded and made to follow their uncle as Benjen, and the other brothers of the Night's Watch, all turned their mounts around and started heading towards the Wall. Behind them, the line of Free Folk began moving once more, but Jon could sense a large amount of…apprehension coming from behind him. 'It's easy enough to say you'll do something,' Jon thought, remembering back to the many lessons he, Robb and Theon had endured under bother their father and Master Nox. 'But actually, following through on your words is far more difficult. All these people said they would swear to the North and House Stark in return for safety and a chance at a new life…I guess we'll soon see just how many of them actually meant it, and how many were just saying the words.'
As they continued south, Jon noticed that Robb was staring at the Wall. Or at least he seemed like he was. It was more like his brother was…mesmerized by the Wall. "Robb," he said lowly, giving his brother a nudge to get his attention. "Are you alright?"
"Aye," Robb said, still not taking his eyes off the Wall as they walked. "I…I just got this…feeling like I need to be somewhere…now. Not here. Well, I still need to be here but…I don't know."
"Just say what you mean, Robb," Theon joked, striding up alongside them. "You just want to get south of the Wall again and back to Winterfell so you can get back in the arms of that woman of yours."
That got Robb to look away from the Wall. "That's not it… Well, it is, but – Oh shut it, you two! It's not like you two are any better! Jon wants to get back to his princess…and I'm sure you're missing the warmth of a woman as well, Theon."
Theon didn't bother denying it, though Jon kept his mouth shut. "You're right on that one, Robb… I've been missing the company of a good woman. Maybe I should see what this Mole's Town has to offer south of the Wall. Maybe they got some gems hidden beneath the shadow of the Wall. And what about you, Jon? I would ask if you're missing your princess…but considering the company you've been keeping lately in your furs –"
"Nothing has been happening between Ygritte and I!" Jon hissed, glancing around to make sure his words didn't carry too far, or that Ygritte wasn't nearby to hear.
Theon's grin turned lecherous. "Oh? And why not, Jon? She's more than willing. Perhaps you just don't know where to put it? Or perhaps what to do with a fine woman like that? If so, I'll be more than willing to please her in any manner you find yourself lacking in."
Jon glared back at Theon and Robb as his brother started chuckling. "I know where to 'put it', Theon! It's just…I don't – well, I do want to, but… Gods…I – My heart is with Princess Arianne." Though that last part was true, it wasn't the whole truth. His heart did belong to the Princess of Dorne, but lately she'd had to start sharing the space with Ygritte.
"What does the heart have to do with a good fucking, Jon?" Theon asked, clearly not understanding the connection. "She wants it. You want it. Go for it. And what your princess doesn't know won't hurt her. Though…she is Dornish. Hells, she might just jump in the bed with the both of you… Lucky fucking bastard."
Before he could stop himself, the image of the three of them; Arianne, Ygritte and himself formed in his mind. He'd be lying if he said this was the first time that he'd had such a thought. But just as he did each other time it came up, he immediately banished it. He would not let himself fantasize about such a thing. Most people were lucky to be even able to find one to spend their life with, without having to pay a lot of coin. So, he would not allow himself the fantasy of thinking he had a true chance to have two beautiful and powerful women to himself.
Hearing the murmurings increase behind him, as well as the feeling of apprehension, Jon looked around and noticed that Uncle Benjen had led them into a grove within the Haunted Forest that contained not one or two…but nine weirwood trees arranged in an almost circular formation. 'By the gods,' Jon breathed as he stepped within the circle. He always felt something whenever he was before the weirwood in Winterfell, be it the Force or the old gods he didn't know. But standing amid these weirwoods…that same feeling returned. Only amplified several times over.
Staying near the outer ring of the weirwoods, Jon watched with Robb and Theon as their father walked to the center of the grove with Winter trotting alongside him. Stopping, Lord Stark turned and faced the Free Folk that were still following them, his gaze falling on Val in particular.
"And now we come to it," Lord Stark said, his voice loud and clear as it carried easily through the grove.
Jon noticed Val's hand shaking slightly as she stepped out of the line of weirwoods and approached Lord Stark and the now sitting Winter in the center of the weirwoods. "Salvation through death." Her voice was so low and soft that Jon almost didn't catch her words before she visibly took hold of herself and slowly, almost excruciatingly slowly, went down to a single knee before his father. When she spoke again, her voice was of steel. "I, Val of the Free Folk…do hereby swear my life, spear and shield to Lord Eddard Stark. His values are my values. His laws are my laws. Before the gods of the North and the First Men…I make my oath."
It wasn't necessarily a traditional oath of fealty, but it was close enough to work. "I, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, Warden of the North, do hereby accept your oath, Val of the Free Folk. And I vow that you shall always have a place at my hearth, and meat and mead at my table. Your worries are my worries. Your people are my people. And I shall ask of you and yours no service of which I am unwilling to do myself. Before the gods of the North and the First Men, I do hereby make this oath. Rise now, Lady Val of the North."
Lady Val lifted her head and rose to her feet before turning and standing side by side next to Jon's father. Jon had to admit that the two of them with Winter standing side by side in the midst of a weirwood grove… It made for quite a sight.
"I know many of you are having second thoughts, or perhaps third and fourths," Lady Val said, her voice carrying easily across the grove. "But as hard as this is…and trust me it was not easy. We must move forward if we are to survive the winter that is coming for us all. If any of you do not wish for this, leave now, and you will not be thought ill of. But for those of you who are ready to move our people forward under the banner of House Stark, then step forward and I will hear your oaths beside the lord of the wolves."
The Free Folk closest to the ring of the weirwoods all started looking back and forth at one another, waiting to see who would be the first one to take the plunge. "Oh…fuck it," Ygritte grumbled, marching forward, but not before shooting a look towards Jon that promised him bodily harm. "This is all yer fault, Jon Stark…So ya better be takin responsibility."
Caught off guard, Jon couldn't say anything back to her as Ygritte made her way to the center of the grove. Without hesitation, she dropped to one knee before Val and his father and spoke the same oath as Val. After receiving the response back from the two leaders, Ygritte quickly shot to her feet and turned heel, her eyes glaring daggers at Jon as she marched over to him. "This was yer fault." Ygritte muttered as she stood beside him, while a group of ten or so Free Folk made their way forward.
"What did I do?" he asked, glancing at the fierce woman beside him.
The grin she shot him was feral and unbelievably attractive… How the hells could she make a look seem so attractive and dangerous at the same time?! "Ye still know nothin, Jon Stark."
'Gods help me…I'm never going to figure her out…or Arianne for that matter.' He sighed as he watched the group of Free Folk go down to a knee and swear their oaths. 'But now I really have to figure out what I'm going to do. Ygritte deciding not to come south was my last easy way out of this…whatever this is between us. I can't just ask her to go somewhere else once we're south of the Wall…and I doubt she would even go in the first place. Hells, she'd probably do the exact opposite of what I asked of her just to mess with me.'
By the time the sun had come close to setting perhaps only a third of those who'd followed them south had approached to swear their oaths. The time had obviously started to take its toll on all of them. Robb was constantly looking towards the Wall. Theon had left to relieve himself more times than Jon could count. And if Ygritte sighed one more time or took out her arrows to check their heads or fletching…he didn't know what he'd do. Even Val was starting to look more than a little…well…bored with the whole procession. Only their father and Lord Nox were keeping their calm, at least on the outside. But Jon knew his father's tells enough to know that even his father was getting tired of all of this. And honestly…Lord Nox could probably be sleeping seeing as how he was leaning up against a tree and hadn't even twitched in some time.
"Boys, Nox," his father called out suddenly after the latest batch of Free Folk got up from their knees.
"Yes father," Robb responded, jerking in place at being called out so suddenly.
Their father waited for the three of them and Nox to get close before saying why he called them over. "This is going to take some time still. Take Benjen with you and bring this first group through the tunnels and south of the Wall. Take them past Castle Black and have them settle near Moles Town."
"Aye father," Robb and Jon both said, while Lord Nox and Theon merely nodded.
It didn't take too terribly long to gather all of those who had sworn their oaths, and by the time the sun was starting to reach the mountains in the west, Jon and Robb were leading the first thousand or so former Free Folk through the tunnel that led under the Wall and out into Castle Black with their Uncle Benjen leading the procession. A fact that Jon was most grateful for as they came out of the tunnel in the courtyard of Castle Black and found themselves all but surrounded by seemingly every black brother in the keep. And leading the black brothers, standing in the middle of the yard with his hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword, was perhaps the dourest faced man Jon had ever seen in his life.
"Ser Thorne," Benjen said, stepping forward and putting himself between the dour faced man and the rest of them. "Do we have a problem here?"
Thorne sneered as he stared first at Uncle Benjen and the rest of them. "Betraying the vows of the Night's Watch by letting these wildlings through the Wall, First Ranger. I would say that we have a problem with that. Always figured you wolves were wildling fuckers…Now we know for sure. You're no better than them."
Reaching out, Jon caught Ygritte's hand as she reached for either her dagger or her bow. Now was not the time to get into a fight. Squaring his shoulders, Robb stepped forward past their uncle and right up in front of Ser Thorne. Jon could feel the cold calm washing off his brother. It was an aura their father always projected whenever he was dealing with an unruly individual. "Those standing with us now, Ser Thorne, are those who are sworn to the North and House Stark. They are no longer what you consider a 'wildling'. Or a member of the Free Folk. They are of the North. And as such, any action taken against them while under the protection of House Stark will be considered an act against House Stark itself. A fact which is well known by the Lord Commander Mormont, who I see is conveniently absent. Which means that this little, whatever this is, is occurring without his knowledge, is it not? I wonder what the Lord Commander would think, knowing that the brothers of the Night's Watch have fallen to the point of assaulting men and women sworn to the North."
He could feel the Force weaving into his brother's voice as the words flowed through his mouth. And the effect was almost immediate as most of the black brothers who'd assembled begun either slumping their shoulders in defeat, or outright trying to sneak away in the dying light. Only Ser Thorne appeared unaffected as the dour faced man held his ground, his sneer set firmly in place as he fought a battle of wills against the heir of Winterfell and future Warden of the North.
"Mark my words Stark," Thorne growled lowly. "This will doom us all. Beasts like these cannot be house broken."
This time Jon almost had to physically take Ygritte in his arms to hold her back. And he was sure that if the other former Free Folk had been close enough to hear, she wouldn't have been the only one. "That is not your decision to make, Ser Thorne," Robb continued, his aura and voice never once faltering. "Now, stand aside and return to your duties. And we will forgo mentioning this little display to the Lord Commander."
Thorne looked like he wanted to press the issue further, but the man showed some amount of reason as he turned tail and marched quickly out of the yard, leaving a few hurrying to catch up with him. "Well done, Robb," Lord Nox said, stepping forward and patting Robb on the shoulder. "You used the Force to accent your presence and your words. Very well done indeed."
"Thank you, Lord Nox," Robb nodded, though Jon could detect something in his brother that was…off. Despite what'd just occurred, his eyes kept flickering towards the west. As if something was drawing, or rather demanding his attention. "Keep the people moving!" Robb called out, regaining himself. "We need to get them all through the Wall and south of Castle Black as quickly as possible. Uncle Benjen… You know these lands better than any here. I would appreciate if you would lead the Free Folk to an area where they can set camp."
"Aye, I can do that," their uncle nodded before motioning behind them for the former Free Folk to follow him.
Standing aside, Jon motioned for Ygritte to go with her people as he went towards his brother, who was still staring off towards the west. "Robb," he said, coming close to his brother. "What's going on?"
Biting his lip, Robb shook his head. "I – I don't know Jon. I just…I just have this urge. It keeps telling me that I should…no. That I need to go somewhere. When we were north of the Wall it was muddied and unclear. But now that we're south of the Wall. I can almost feel something physically pulling me in that direction."
"It's your Trial, Robb Stark."
Turning, Robb and Jon found Lord Nox walking up to the two of them, his sightless face staring off in the direction Robb had indicated. "My – My trial?" Robb asked.
"Yes," Lord Nox repeated flatly. "Sometimes a Master decides when a trial is to be had, as I did with Jon. Other times though, the Force intervenes and decides that it is time for an acolyte or apprentice to undergo their trials. This pull you feel, Robb, is the Force telling you that it is time for you to face your trials to become a full-fledged apprentice."
Jon felt both excitement and fear rush through him. Excitement because his brother was advancing. And fear…because Jon remembered well what he faced during his trial in Valyria. His fight against the firewyrm and shadow might've been an illusion…but he still remembered the pain and the fear of the moment. And that wasn't even considering he had to traverse the ruins of Valyria alone. "You've got this, Robb," Jon said, knuckling his brother lightly on the shoulder. "Hells, I could do it. This should be a walk through the godswood for you."
Jon could sense Robb's uncertainty, but his brother kept his face calm as he turned to Lord Nox. "What will I face?"
"I don't know," Lord Nox answered honestly. "It differs for each individual based on what the Force feels you need. You will face dangers. But most of all, you will face yourself. Be strong. You have been well trained, by both your father and I. You are ready for this, so do not allow yourself room for doubt. Go. And return to us no longer an acolyte, but a full-fledged Apprentice."
Despite the encouragement, Robb still hesitated. "Wh–What should I bring? And what about father? He's still north of the Wall and-"
"I will deal with your father, Robb," Lord Nox pressed, his voice slightly more insistent. "And you will bring only yourself and Grey Wind, as the wolf is as much a part of you as your own arms and legs. You can take a horse to aid in your travels. But beyond that, you must face whatever is waiting for you alone."
Biting his lip, Robb turned and faced off towards the west once more. His anxiety and fear were still present. But they were being suppressed by the resolve surging through him. "Alright…time to face my fears."
Walking through the darkened tunnel leading beneath the Wall, Ned Stark was feeling every one of his advanced years weighing down on him with each step he took. It'd been a long, long time since he'd performed such a march on foot, let alone through a terrain like the one that was north of the Wall. And while this day had not necessarily included much walking, it was still draining. Many might think that it was not difficult to sit there and receive the oaths of loyalty, but they were fools. It was a taxing experience to do it even with those who you knew were already loyal to you. Doing it for the Free Folk, let alone five thousand of the Free Folks…well…Ned was very much looking forward to resting in an actual bed tonight. 'Though I fear it will not be for long,' he thought sourly. Despite their best efforts, he and Val had only managed to receive oaths from perhaps half of the Free Folk that'd followed them south before the sun had set and wariness had made continuing on next to impossible. After Robb and Jon had led the first batch through the Wall, Ned had been sending groups periodically throughout the day with the Tyrells, Martells, and Lannisters so that they would not be harassed during the crossing. And now with the sun firmly set below the horizon he'd called for an end to the day, taking Val with him across the Wall while the rest of the Free Folk made camp just north of it, waiting for them both to return the following day to receive the rest of their oaths.
'At least the giants were easy to deal with,' he thought as he began to see the end of the tunnel ahead. While a giant could make it through the tunnel, they would pretty much be doing so on their hands and knees. And there was next to no chance of the mammoths making it through the tunnel. So, Ned had come up with a compromise with Mag the Mighty. Mag and the giants would follow Maege Mormont west along the northern side of the Wall until they reached the gorge so that they could pass over the Bridge of Skulls. It wasn't ideal, but it was the only way Ned could think to get the giants across the Wall with their mammoths. After they crossed, Maege stated that she intended to continue onwards to her home, which then left Ned with his next problem with the giants, which was how to guide them south to Winterfell, and after to the Barrow lands where he intended on allowing the giants to roam. But mercifully, Mag the Mighty had waved off his concerns. Apparently, despite not being able to read or understand maps, the giants were experts at finding their way. And Mag had assured Ned that they would find the center of the North and reach Winterfell. And Ned highly doubted anyone would try and impede their path. Only a fool without a brain in his head would even think about attacking a caravan with over sixty giants and their mounts.
Coming out into the open of Castle Black, Ned took a moment to turn his head skywards and stare at the full moon hanging in the night sky. 'And to think…out there amongst the stars there are those that freely travel between their own world and their moon or other planets. And here we are…stuck on the surface of our world for who knows how many generations still.' "Are you wolves always so…contemplative?"
Beside him, Val was going back and forth between looking at him and at the moon hanging over their heads. "What do you mean?"
"You and your sons," Val responded. "You three all get this same look in yer eye and stare off into the distance as if yer trying to solve some great riddle. But ye don't even know what the riddle is yer trying to solve."
"They are my sons," Ned answered simply. "And there is much that is on our minds…as you will soon learn once you have your own people, and the people of your soon-to-be-home to manage."
Val frowned at the thought. "And why can't you kneelers just think for yourselves?"
"We can and we do," Ned answered as he started looking around Castle Black, looking for his sons but not finding them. 'They must be with the camp south of Castle Black.' "The duty of a Lord or Lady is to oversee your people, to keep the peace. To ensure they are not overusing the land or over hunting to the point where they drive all game off your lands. And unlike north of the Wall, where your answer would be to simply move to a new location, that option will no longer be available for you and your people."
Turning away from the pensive Val, Ned nearly ran headfirst into Nox, who had managed to place himself almost directly in his path without Ned even realizing. "Nox," he said, greeting the sorcerer and doing everything he could not to show his surprise at the man's sudden appearance, which was a step up from Val who started and started drawing her spear before realizing who he was.
"Ned, Val," Nox greeted them both, "I wanted to let you know before you started losing your mind. Robb has departed for his Trial and won't be back for some time."
Ned's brain took a moment to catch up with what Nox was saying, and when it did all he could focus on was 'Robb' and 'departed'. "What the hell do you mean?" Ned asked, stepping forward until there was but a hands width separating the two. "What do you mean that Robb has departed!? Where has he gone? Where have you sent him?!"
Ned felt a gentle yet invisible force wrap around him like a blanket, preventing him from moving. The sensation was brief, yet unmistakable. A gentle reminder of just who he was dealing with. "The Force has decided that it was past time for Robb to face his Trials, just as Jon did in Valyria." That did not make Ned feel any better. He remembered well the story of Jon's 'Trial' in Valyria…and it was not something that, while he understood was necessary, he was eager to put any of his children through.
Taking a hold of himself, Ned resisted the urge to begin pacing like a caged animal. "Where did he go?"
"The Force was drawing him towards the west. Where to exactly I do not know, though I have an idea."
Turning, Ned started off in the direction of the stables, but was stopped as Nox placed himself in his path. "Out of my way, Nox," Ned growled. "You are my friend, and the good you have done for the North and House Stark goes without saying…but that is my son you sent out on his own."
Nox didn't move. He just stood there like the Wall itself, barring his path forward. "Do you trust in the training that you've given your son over the years, Ned?"
Taken aback, Ned narrowed his eyes at Nox. "Of course."
"Do you doubt my ability to train him?"
"No, of course I—"
"Do you trust in your son?"
"Yes. But –"
"Then trust your son," Nox said with a note of finality. "As much as you may not wish it to be so, one day Robb, Jon, and all your children will have to stand on their own. And while neither you nor I can teach them everything, there comes a point where one must place your trust in the fact that you have prepared them as much as you possibly could for the challenges ahead of them. This is something that Robb must face alone. Your presence with him would be only a hindrance at best. And while this is Robb's trial…it is also a trial for you and I. A trial to see if we truly trust in the capabilities of the ones we've trained."
Stepping up beside him, Nox laid a hand on his shoulder. "Trust in your son, Ned. He will make it through this. And he will be a better and stronger man because of it."
He hated it. Gods help him, he hated it. But Nox was right. As was unfortunately a normal situation. "I may not know much about this strange magic you wolves and the sorcerer wield," Val said, adding her voice to the conversation. "But I have seen your pup with a blade in his hand. And he has survived in the untamed lands of my people. He's strong. Whatever he has gone to face, he will certainly succeed."
Sighing in defeat, Ned turned his head slightly towards Nox. "Does it ever get any easier?"
Nox's face remained completely devoid of emotion. "I'll let you know if I ever get an answer to that, my friend."