Chapter 15 - Val
As Manny put his hand on the face of the weirwood tree, he felt the cold bark tighten under his palm. A rush of images struck him all at once. They were not his memories. They were being pushed into his mind by the Three-Eyed Raven. First he saw the land he was standing in now—the camp, the fires, the scattered tents, the long stretch of snow. Then the vision pulled him far away, showing him a place that felt old and hidden. It was a cave covered by giant weirwood roots, protected by the Children of the Forest. The place was deep in the far North, even beyond the Frostfangs. Snowstorms moved like walls, and everything looked frozen and silent. Manny understood at once that this was the residence of the Three-Eyed Raven. The vision was clear in telling him one thing: he was being called there. It also pushed a sense of urgency into him, a warning that he should not delay.
The vision ended just as suddenly as it began. Manny pulled his hand back and opened his eyes. The air felt colder now, as if the world had changed while he was touching the tree. When he turned, he saw Val still standing there. She had not gone anywhere. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was a mix of amusement and curiosity.
She asked, "What are you doing here?"
Manny rubbed his fingers, trying to shake the cold from them. "It's nothing important," he said. "Just… something. Someone wanted to talk to me, so I had to fulfil the request."
Val raised her eyebrows. "Are you joking with me? How? You were silent the whole time. You only placed your hand on the tree. Who were you talking to?"
Manny pointed at the raven still perched above the carved face. "That one. Or rather, the person that raven belongs to."
Val looked at the raven, confused. "Are you talking about a skin-changer?"
"No," Manny said. "Never mind. It's hard to explain. But it seems like I have to go." He paused, thinking about the long journey ahead. "Is there anyone in your camp who can guide me through the deep North?"
Val frowned. "Where do you want to go?"
"Far North," Manny said. "To the lands of always winter."
She stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "Are you trying to die? That place is not just cold. It's dead. People walk again up there. Even the free folk do not go that far anymore."
"I know," Manny answered calmly. "But I still have to go. There is something important there. If you don't know someone, I'll have to ask your brother-in-law."
Val didn't reply. She only stared at Manny for a long moment. Her expression was unreadable. Manny ignored it and walked ahead, backtracking the same path toward the camp. His mind raced as he walked. He needed to speak to the Lord Commander and to Lord Benjen about sending the free folk south quickly. Then he would have to ask Mance Rayder for a guide, someone who knew the hidden paths, the frozen rivers, the dangers that lay in the deep North.
As he reached the edge of the trees, Val stepped up beside him. They walked side by side in silence for a few steps.
Then Val said quietly, "I will take you."
Manny stopped. "Now you were just saying, 'are you trying to die?' And now you want to join me to die as well? I don't want to put a lady in such danger. Mance wouldn't accept it either. We should find some other warrior."
Val's face changed at once. Manny realised too late what he had said.
It was an insult. A deep one.
Before he could correct himself, Val had already drawn her dagger. She moved like lightning. Manny didn't even see her hand. One moment she was empty-handed, the next the cold edge of her blade pressed against his neck. Manny froze. He had no chance to resist. He had no formal training in weapons or combat. He could swing a sword, yes, but he had no technique. Against someone like Val, he had no hope.
She pushed him backward, forcing him toward the ground. Manny hesitated for a heartbeat, and that made him lose balance. He fell, and Val stumbled with him. They ended up in a very awkward position. Manny laying almost flat on snow on his back and Val was laying over him, her hair falling loose, but her dagger still firm on his neck. Even in that position, her eyes did not lose focus.
She hissed, "Now tell me, crow. Do you think I'm some flower lady from the South? Like those soft southern women who hide behind their men? I have killed many. More than half the warriors in that camp. Don't insult me again. And I know how to survive winter better than most men alive."
Manny swallowed. "My apologies. I did not mean to insult you. I just thought.."
"You thought I was a girl who cannot fight," Val interjected sharply. "You thought I would slow you down. Listen, southerner. These are the lands of the free folk. Here women are more terrifying than men. Because if we want to live and survive with dignity, we must be terrifying. So don't bring your southern judgement here, where ladies fight and kill for themselves."
Manny was tongue-tied. She was right. He had carried his bias into the conversation. He felt embarrassed and guilty. "Again, my apologies. Truly. I didn't think before speaking."
Val narrowed her eyes, but she eased the pressure of the dagger a little.
Manny took a slow breath. "If you still agree, and if Mance is ok with it, I would be glad to have you as my guide."
Val snorted. "He has no control over me. Mance does not allow or deny me anything. I make my own decisions. I will tell him what I'm doing. That's all." Her voice was sharp, but steady. "I choose my own path."
"Alright," Manny said. "As you say."
He was still terrified. Her mood had shifted so quickly. And she was unbelievably fast. It was fast enough to overpower him without any effort. But even with that danger, she had a charm of her own. Her confidence, her strength, her eyes, it all made her a striking beauty.
"So," Manny said carefully, "can you please move the dagger away from my neck? I don't want another misunderstanding that gets me killed."
Val stared at him for another second, then pulled the dagger away. "You better not shoot your mouth off like that again," she warned. "Or next time, I'll drive this blade into your neck for real."
"Noted. Noted, my lady," Manny said quickly.
Val finally stood up. She brushed snow from her clothes, then looked down at him again. She seemed a little surprised. Manny did not look tall or broad by True North standards, but he was solidly built. She understood she had caught him only because he was surprised, not because he was weak. And there was something about the calmness in his eyes. It was steady, gentle, even when she held a knife to his throat, that moved her a bit. After all, the free folk women liked strong men, with gentle personalities as a bonus.
Unknowingly, Val found herself taking a small liking to him. Just a spark. Nothing spoken.
Manny, standing up slowly, thought Val was tough, daring, and beautiful in her own wild way. Over the past days he had been busy with survival, visions, and plans, but he had not forgotten his larger goals. Gaining strength and power. Ruling the world. And he needed to find women strong enough to stand beside him as his future was tied to them. He never thought about it much before because he had not met any woman who truly impressed him.
Val changed that.
Maybe, he thought, she could be his first mate. His first wife. The first one worthy of standing beside him.
These thoughts played quietly in both of their minds as they trudged back toward the camp together.
Soon the familiar glow of fires appeared ahead, and they walked side by side toward Mance Rayder.
End of Chapter 15 - Val