As Aedric's tone turned icy, his left hand slowly rested on the hilt of Longclaw, ready to draw at the slightest provocation.
"Wait! Wait! We mean no harm!"
Seeing how this blue-clad youth had casually tossed around a real giant earlier, Tormund — whose nickname "Giantsbane" suddenly felt very ironic — dared not risk a fight. He waved both hands frantically. "Our king only wishes to meet you! I swear, I'm just the messenger!"
Aedric's sharp gaze flicked between the nervous pair. After a few tense seconds, he slowly released his grip on the sword and said calmly, "Lead the way."
Under their anxious escort, Aedric and Bran were soon brought before the so-called King-Beyond-the-Wall — Mance Rayder.
Having already heard from his men about Aedric's impossible feat, Mance studied the slender young man with disbelief. "You mean to tell me you barely pushed, and the giant went flying?"
"Maybe he slipped," Aedric said with a shrug.
Mance chuckled, impressed by the lad's composure. "There are no kings here, boy — only ghosts struggling against the cold wind."
When Aedric's expression softened slightly, tinged with sympathy, Mance's interest deepened. "You're different from the rest. How about it — care to join us?"
"We're here to find the Three-Eyed Raven, my lord," Aedric said at once, steering the talk away.
Mance's smile faded. "Three-eyed crows… pale ghosts… you southerners and your fascination with monsters." His face darkened, as if recalling something unpleasant.
"Is that why you've gathered everyone, my lord?" Aedric asked, already knowing the answer from the show. "Because of the pale monsters?"
"What do you know of that!" Mance snapped, his eyes suddenly sharp enough to cut through steel.
"Two years ago, you captured a deserter from the Night's Watch," Aedric continued evenly, ignoring the king's glare. "Before he died, he said he'd seen pale ghosts."
"Pale ghosts — White Walkers!" Mance muttered, pacing the tent like a caged beast. "Gone for a thousand years, and now they return… Why?" He stopped abruptly, fixing his gaze on Aedric. "Can you help us, boy?"
"No," Aedric replied instantly.
"You—!"
Fury flared across Mance's face as he stepped forward, but Tormund and Ygritte rushed to restrain him. They'd seen Aedric's power with their own eyes. If he wanted to, he could slaughter everyone in this tent before anyone could blink.
"Don't look at me like that," Aedric said lightly. "I don't have the authority to let you cross the Wall. And even if the Seven Kingdoms saw the White Walkers themselves, they wouldn't believe it. The Night's Watch hates you too much to ever let you through."
He sighed softly. "Besides, the Wall has held for thousands of years. Isn't that enough?"
"So we're just supposed to die out here?" Mance roared, voice thick with rage and grief. "We're living beings too! We deserve to live!"
"Yes… you are," Aedric murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Keeping the wildlings here meant feeding the Night King's army later. After a moment of silence, he looked up. "If — and I mean if — I could somehow get you south of the Wall, would you take the Watch's place and defend it instead?"
Mance froze. "You… you can really do that?"
"Answer the question, King-Beyond-the-Wall!" Aedric said sternly. "If you enter the Wall, will you take the Watch's oath and guard it? No hesitation!"
"Yes! We will!" Mance, Tormund, and Ygritte all shouted at once. "If it means survival, we'll do anything!"
Aedric exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a few seconds before speaking. "I'll need time — at least three months. In the meantime, do whatever you need to do. But if you want my advice, don't attack Castle Black. Convincing them is hard enough already."
"Thank you! Thank you, boy!" Mance and the others nearly wept with relief, crowding around him with gratitude.
"No need to thank me," Aedric said flatly. "I'm being selfish too. The White Walkers can raise the dead. If I leave you all out here, you'll just become their soldiers. Better to move you south and use you as the first line of defense."
He smiled faintly. "In short, I'm using you as cannon fodder. No need to be grateful."
Mance threw back his head and laughed. "Ha! Honest to the bone! I like that! That's how I know you mean what you say — you really intend to help us!"
"Call it what you want," Aedric sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I came here to find the Three-Eyed Raven, and somehow I've ended up with another damned problem. My head's killing me."
"Headache, huh?" Ygritte purred, stepping close enough for her breath to tickle his ear. "I know a way to fix that. Want to try?"
Aedric gently pushed her away. "I'm looking for the Three-Eyed Raven. I need to find him fast. Do you actually have any clues, or are we just wasting time?"
"I don't," Mance said seriously. "But some… special beings might. About three days north of here, there's a massive weirwood tree. They say creatures called the Children of the Forest live nearby. They might know where the Raven is."
Finally.
Aedric's eyes lit up. He knew the Children were with the Three-Eyed Raven. "Then we leave at once," he said, nodding. "I hope we meet again."
"I'll go with you!" Ygritte said quickly, unwilling to part from him.
"You'll die if you do," Aedric replied bluntly, shaking his head. "This isn't your path. Stay here — and stay alive. After all, you can't cross the Wall if you're dead."
Without another glance at her wistful gaze, he nodded once to Mance Rayder, then turned and led Bran out into the snow.
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