Amid the snowy landscape.
The group of heirs looked at Harry in disbelief. His carefree smile did nothing to ease their astonishment.
They had all grown up hearing stories about the Long Night, skinchangers, and greenseers. Although those legends were part of their culture, none of them had truly believed they were real.
"If you don't leave your leg alone, believe me, that wound will open again," Harry said exasperatedly as he watched Daryn stretching his skin with his thumbs, searching for the wound.
Dacey couldn't help letting out a small laugh as she looked around with amusement.
Her face had probably looked just like that years ago when she saw Harry manipulate blood. Compared to that, healing a wound was less frightening.
Her laughter made everyone look at her and snap out of it. They all stood up, looking at Harry with different expressions.
"I knew it was strange that you were so good. Turns out you can use magic," Smalljon said with annoyance. Every time he challenged Harry, he lost like a child fighting an adult.
"Hey! When have you ever seen me use magic to beat you?" Harry shot back immediately.
"That's the whole point of magic. There's no way I could know," Smalljon said with a shrug.
Harry really couldn't argue with that.
"I see. A lot of things make sense now," Domeric said, nodding.
"No wonder you were so strange when we were kids," Jon murmured, making several of them chuckle.
"Yeah, you almost never liked to play," Benfred said with a nod, having visited Winterfell many times because of how close it was.
"I remember you always hiding in the godswood, sitting beneath the heart tree with your eyes closed," Cley said, recalling several scenes from his childhood during his father's visits to Winterfell.
"Sitting beneath a heart tree with your eyes closed... yes, that does sound like a sorcerer," Roger said with a nod. He couldn't help thinking that it explained why the horse his family had given Harry had turned into a monster.
"Give me back my gold dragons, you cheating bastard," Theon said indignantly, remembering the countless games they had bet on.
"No wonder you're so bold, both with the Lizard-Lion and bringing us here," Harrion said, frowning slightly.
"You should've told us sooner. You really gave us some scares," Domeric said with a sigh. More than once, he had thought he would end up dead on one of Harry's adventures.
"If you never felt danger, how would you become brave warriors?" Harry said, looking at him.
"You're biased. You obviously told Dacey," Domeric said, rolling his eyes. She was the only one who hadn't reacted so dramatically.
"Actually, he didn't tell me. He showed me," Dacey said, the corners of her lips curling upward.
"Yeah, sure. Magic must be good for winning women over," Domeric said mockingly.
"He has some interesting tricks," Dacey said with a soft laugh.
"Forget that, tell us what you can do. Can you move objects? Start fires? Destroy things?" Theon asked immediately, his eyes filled with intense curiosity.
"I can do those kinds of things," Harry said with a slight nod. His gaze swept across everyone, sensing that they all had things they wanted to say but didn't know how to.
He couldn't help falling silent for a moment before continuing.
"Besides... this doesn't change anything. I'm just a little different," Harry said, giving them a smile.
The last thing he wanted was for his friends to feel uncomfortable around him or even fear him.
Everyone visibly relaxed.
Looking at Harry's slightly playful smile, they couldn't help chuckling. He really didn't seem to have changed much.
"Alright, let's put that aside for now. Don't let your guard down, let the horses rest, and get ready to head back," Harry said, changing the subject.
Everyone immediately nodded. This really wasn't the time or the place for a serious conversation.
The group ate and rested before riding toward the Wall until they reached the first camp where they had rested.
"Should we start a fire?" Domeric asked as he got off his horse.
"Do it. I'll take care of the smoke," Harry said with a nod as he began setting up his tent.
Everyone worked together to set up the small camp and rest.
"It's cold. Are we finally heading back to the Wall?" Theon asked, looking at Harry.
"Hm, after I question the prisoner," Harry said with a nod.
"Want me to help?" Theon asked, looking at the prisoner.
"That's not necessary," Harry said, rolling his eyes as he finished chewing the dried meat before standing up.
Extending his arm, he grabbed the woman by her coat before walking toward his tent.
None of his companions paid much attention. They were all resting around the fire.
Harry first cast a spell to prevent anyone from hearing what happened inside before turning the woman over.
Extending his hand, he touched her forehead to wake her.
To his surprise, she practically jumped up, her clenched fist heading straight for his nose.
Leaning his head back, he barely managed to avoid it before grabbing her wrist.
He noticed the dazed look in her eyes quickly clear after waking, only for her to struggle even more desperately.
"Hey, calm down. I just want to talk," Harry said, holding both of her wrists and looking into her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes glared at him fiercely before she used his grip to propel herself forward and headbutt him.
He quickly avoided it, barely dodging the blow as he looked at her in astonishment.
What a wild woman.
"Enough," Harry said firmly as he looked at the woman with a frown, tightening his grip on her wrists.
Perhaps surprised by his voice or his grip, the woman finally became still. Her gaze quickly wandered around, noticing that they were inside a tent.
There was barely enough room for them to sit.
Noticing that she seemed to be calming down, Harry slowly released her wrists.
The blonde woman also lowered her hands and rubbed her wrists without taking her blue eyes off him, a shade of blue that reminded him of the Wall.
"You have a very strong grip for someone who doesn't look like a fighter," the woman said, looking at Harry. His clean-shaven face and lack of scars didn't give that impression either.
Her voice was cold, but it carried a clear tone that was pleasant to hear.
"Well, you speak the Common Tongue. That will make things easier," Harry said, looking at her with surprise and satisfaction, ignoring her words.
"Don't treat us like animals. Of course we can speak the Common Tongue," the woman said with a frown, looking at Harry coldly.
"I don't want to treat you like animals, but your behavior suggests otherwise. You constantly raid, rape, and kidnap people before returning beyond the Wall, not to mention some rather disturbing rumors," Harry said, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Not all of us are like that," the woman said with a frown, unable to argue with that point.
"Not all? Didn't you attack me when I raised my hands because I wanted to talk?" Harry said, looking at her.
The blonde let out a soft snort as she looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Despite her discourteous gesture, Harry couldn't help blinking in confusion. There was something about the way she carried herself that seemed so elegant despite all that fierceness and coldness.
"There's a merciless war against the people of the Wall. They kill our people without hesitation as well."
"What do you think happens if the guards find a woman looking for food? Or a group of men cutting down a tree?" the woman said, looking at him coldly.
"Touché," Harry said, unable to argue with that point.
"Touché?" the woman said, looking at Harry in confusion.
"Why did you capture me?" the woman asked, looking at Harry as she clenched her fists. Her eyes still looked ready to fight.
"I already told you, I just want to talk," Harry said, backing away a little to give her some space when he saw that she seemed agitated.
"That's what they all say. Just look where we are. Did I wake up just as you were about to start?" the woman said mockingly as she looked at him with disgust.
Harry could almost see her shudder in disgust. He didn't know what to say in his defense either, considering they were inside a tent.
"I didn't capture you to rape you," Harry said with an irritated grimace.
The woman simply remained silent as she looked at him. Noticing his expression, she couldn't help doubting him a little.
"I just wanted some information. I didn't even know you were a woman until I brought you back," Harry said, scratching his head in exasperation.
"What kind of information?" the woman asked cautiously. Her eyes scrutinized the man who had captured her so easily.
She found it difficult to tell whether the man before her was pretending. She wanted to believe that just as not all the Free Folk were good, not all the crows were bad either.
In any case, she didn't have many options.
The man before her was truly strong. She had never been overwhelmed so easily before.
"Hm, let's see. What are your people looking for if you're different from the raiders?" Harry said with a thoughtful expression.
"We just want to live," the woman said quietly.
"Hm, the weather here is really terrible," Harry said with a slight nod.
"The weather isn't the problem," the woman said, looking at Harry with disdain. Harry pursed his lips.
The woman remained silent for several seconds before continuing.
"The Others are the problem," the woman said softly.
"Excuse me?" Harry said, leaning forward in confusion, thinking he had misheard.
"The Others, White Walkers, call them whatever you want," the woman said a little louder.
"The Others?... You're joking, right? They're supposed to be extinct. They haven't been seen in thousands of years," Harry said almost instinctively before frowning.
Wait.
If he remembered the history correctly.
The Wall had been built after the Long Night. Why would they have put so much effort into building it if they weren't going to return? They had clearly done it because they expected them to come back.
But it was still too early to draw conclusions.
"They exist. They raise your people's corpses to fight against you. They're impossible to kill with steel blades, and their mere presence can freeze your lungs," the woman said seriously, genuine fear showing in her blue eyes.
"I see. That's not good," Harry said, frowning as he looked into her eyes. She truly wasn't lying, but that still didn't prove they existed.
Thinking about the Night's Watch's precarious state, Harry truly hoped she was lying.
Noticing his frown and his silence, a light appeared in the woman's eyes. Did this man actually believe her?
"There are people in these lands just as you described. They raid, murder, rape, and even eat their own kind, but some of us only want to get away from those creatures," the woman said. Her gaze softened as she spoke, as if trying to show her sincerity.
Harry couldn't help getting distracted as she spoke.
It was difficult to reconcile the image he had of wildlings with the woman sitting in front of him.
Her skin was almost as white as the snow, and her blonde hair was carefully braided.
And despite being a prisoner, she still sat with her back straight.
It was an elegance completely different from that of the ladies of the south.
Perhaps if she were placed in any city in Westeros, no one would believe she was a "wildling."
"There's that look again," the woman said, noticing Harry's absent gaze on her and immediately becoming guarded again.
Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he looked at her silently with a thoughtful expression.
The woman simply remained silent as she looked back at him. Her body tensed during the silence as she waited warily for the next move from the man in front of her.
But the words that came from Harry's lips were something she was not prepared for.
"My name is Harry Stark. I'm the heir to Winterfell, so I have some authority to make decisions. If your people are truly peaceful as you say, perhaps we can reach an agreement for them to cross the Wall," Harry said slowly, as if carefully choosing his words.
"Harry Stark," the woman said in surprise.
Harry remained silent as he looked at her, wondering if she knew who he was. He didn't think he was that famous.
"Harry Stark," the woman murmured, repeating his name with some confusion. She could have sworn she had heard that name somewhere before.
The woman looked at Harry. He seemed to be waiting for her answer.
She didn't know what to say.
All she could think was that what he was telling her was insane.
Even so, she lowered her guard a little. Maybe... just maybe, this could be an opportunity for her sister to cross the Wall safely.
It was just that everything had a price. Biting her lip, she lowered her gaze before making up her mind.
"If you allow my people to cross the Wall and give them a place to live, I'll fight for you and follow all your orders... even if you desire me," the woman said, looking at Harry seriously, though the slight reluctance in her eyes betrayed her.
"Why do you keep insisting that I want to sleep with you?" Harry said, looking at her speechlessly.
"Because it's the only thing you keep focusing on," the woman said, raising her eyebrows slightly. She truly meant the offer.
Feeling defeated, Harry fell silent.
She simply looked at Harry, waiting for his answer. She knew she had nothing to offer except her loyalty... and her own body.
Although she was very skilled in combat, she didn't believe she had any value against an army.
"How many people are in your camp?" Harry asked, thinking that secretly bringing a few hundred people across wouldn't be too much of a problem, as long as they were as civilized as the woman claimed.
At his question, he noticed the woman suddenly avoiding his gaze uncomfortably.
"Is something wrong?" Harry asked after several seconds of seeing that she wasn't saying anything.
"Well... there are about a hundred thousand people in the camp," the woman said with a hint of guilt.
Harry couldn't help choking on his own saliva, coughing a couple of times to recover.
"Do you know how many people a hundred thousand is?" Harry said, looking at her in disbelief.
"Of course I do," the woman said, sounding somewhat offended.
"When you told me they were your people, I thought you meant a few hundred," Harry said as he swallowed hard at the thought of a hundred thousand people attacking the Wall. Of course, that would be inflating the numbers. Maybe there were only forty thousand fighters, but that was still enough to wreak havoc across the North.
He could allow a few hundred people through without any problem, but tens of thousands was a bit beyond what he could handle.
"Well, it's complicated," the woman said, biting her lip. She knew she was revealing too much information, but at this point, there weren't many options left.
Harry rubbed his forehead, unsure whether the current Night's Watch could face a situation like this. As far as he knew, there were barely more than a thousand men spread across the entire Wall.
"I suppose you're planning to attack the Wall," Harry said slowly, his gaze sharpening.
"Maybe," the woman said, avoiding his eyes.
Harry remained silent for a moment before looking at her.
"An agreement can always be reached," Harry said, pursing his lips.
"I can take you to our leader," the blonde said, nodding quickly.
"But first, I need to warn you about something," Harry said before raising his hand, just as the confused woman looked at it.
A fireball the size of a human head appeared between them. The flames moved wildly, and she could clearly feel the heat on her face.
"There is no way I can allow a group of raiders, murderers, and rapists to devastate my lands. If necessary, I'll do whatever I have to," Harry said with a sharp look.
Watching the fireball reflected in the woman's astonished eyes, Harry thought the message was clear.
"I understand," the woman said. Her voice trembled more than she would have liked.
"Come on, I'll take you back to your camp," Harry said with a nod before leaving the tent first.
This made a few people look up, only to lower their heads again. That lasted until the woman stepped out. Her appearance stunned everyone before they suddenly reacted and looked at Harry suspiciously.
"I'm taking her back to her camp. Wait for me here," Harry said as he whistled for Ater.
"What happened? Is she so skilled that she convinced you to let her go?" Theon said with feigned astonishment.
Harry didn't bother thinking of a reply.
"Langlock," Harry said, pointing a finger at Theon for added dramatic effect.
Now that everyone knew about his magic, he didn't mind using it in front of them.
"Don't let your guard down," Dacey said, frowning slightly for a moment.
"It's really important that I go. Besides, it'll be much safer if I go alone. We'll talk about it when I get back," Harry said with a nod.
Everyone grew serious upon hearing Harry's words. His actions truly didn't seem like a whim.
Leaving his friends behind, Harry climbed onto Ater before extending his hand toward the woman.
She ignored it completely, looking at Ater in astonishment before climbing up on her own.
Not minding it, Harry looked at his friends one last time before galloping back.
With Ater's speed and endurance, the journey was much faster, reaching the place where they had fought in a little over half an hour.
The battlefield appeared to have been cleared, but he found no tracks leading toward the camp, which relieved him temporarily.
"Tell me which way to go," Harry said without looking back.
"Just keep going. I'll let you know," the woman said with a complicated expression as she looked at the now-cleared battlefield.
Harry said nothing and simply continued forward while remaining on guard, watching the surroundings.
The woman seemed to guide him through small detours, even making it seem at one point as though they were turning back, until they reached the foot of a great mountain range.
"Wait for me here. I'll try to convince our leader to come meet you," the woman said, looking at Harry.
"Alright, don't take too long. It's cold," Harry said with a nod. The woman then climbed down, looked at him one last time, and began walking away.
"By the way, what's your name?" Harry asked, looking at her and remembering that, distracted by her appearance and the information she had given him, he had forgotten to ask.
"I'm Val," she said, looking at Harry with a faint smile before leaving.
Harry simply chuckled before climbing down from Ater.
"Val, that's an interesting name," Harry murmured to himself.
The wind whistled as he watched her figure disappear into the snow.
"Are you cold?" Harry asked, looking at Ater as he patted his thick neck.
Ater snorted disdainfully, saying it was nothing.
"I hope she doesn't take too long," Harry murmured as a trail of condensation escaped his mouth.
Val walked toward her tribe, circling the mountain. She didn't forget to pick up two stones the size of a fist and tuck them into her clothing.
Without her sword, it wasn't really safe to walk around there. Concealing herself among the snowy mountains with her white coat, she managed to avoid the tribe's scouts and made her way into the enormous camp.
Mance had united dozens of clans, but that hadn't made friends of people who had spent generations killing each other. And a woman alone could attract the wrong kind of attention.
With so many people from different clans moving around the camp, her figure with her head lowered didn't attract much attention.
When she reached her sister's tent, she dropped the stones she hadn't needed to use and quietly stepped inside, only to find her sitting with her back turned, sobbing.
Curling her lips into a smile, she walked over and hugged her from behind.
Startled, the woman immediately struggled, fearing the worst. Her hands went to her waist, searching for her dagger, only to discover it wasn't there.
Just as she was about to scream, a very familiar voice spoke into her ear.
"It's me," Val said with an amused smile.
"Val!" the woman exclaimed in astonishment before turning around and hugging her anxiously.
"Are you hurt? What happened? They told me the people from the Wall had captured you," the woman said, quickly examining her sister's body for injuries, only to be surprised to find her completely unharmed.
"It's a long story, but Dalla, I don't have time right now. Go get Mance. I need to speak with him," Val said seriously.
Dalla hesitated for a moment, but seeing the unusually serious expression on Val's face, she agreed.
"I'll go get him, but we haven't finished our discussion. I don't understand why you had to join an attack. That's not your place," Dalla said, looking angrily at her sister, who had been mischievous since she was little.
"Don't talk like a kneeler," Val said, rolling her eyes.
"I'll be back," Dalla said with some exasperation.
Although she was curious about what had happened, she decided to call Mance first and question Val together with him.
After asking around several times, she finally found her husband. Although he was busy, when she told him she had something important to tell him, he postponed his affairs and came with her.
Mance looked at his wife with some concern, as he had learned about her sister's disappearance. He had sent men along a faster route to watch in case she had been taken to the Wall. He hoped they would be able to bring her back.
But to his surprise, when he entered the tent, he saw Val herself.
Before he could say anything, Val spoke first.
"Mance, do you know the name of the Stark heir?" Val asked, looking at him.
Mance remained silent for a moment before nodding and answering.
"Of course. His name is Harry. I've even met him in person," Mance said, recalling the time several years ago when he had accompanied the Lord Commander on a visit to Winterfell.
"Do you know what he looks like?" Val asked with a nod.
"The first thing anyone would tell you is that he has green eyes with a particularly intense color. Very intimidating eyes, if you ask me," Mance said with a slight frown, remembering how they had happened to make eye contact.
Those eyes seemed to give off a strange feeling. To be honest, it had made him feel uneasy.
"I met him. He was the one who captured me, actually. I told him a few things, and he wants to talk to you," Val said directly, now almost completely certain that he really was who he claimed to be.
"What is the Stark heir doing here?" Mance said in disbelief, not directing the question at anyone in particular.
His expression turned puzzled as he wondered what Harry wanted to discuss with him.
"How many men does he have?" Mance asked doubtfully. Part of him couldn't help wondering if it was a trap. Val might have been deceived.
"He's alone," Val said, pursing her lips in disdain as she saw Mance visibly relax.
"And what do you think?" Mance said, calming down as he looked at Val.
"He's a very skilled fighter, and he seems willing to negotiate, but that's not the most important thing," Val said, shaking her head with a sigh.
"He... can use magic," Val said, looking at Mance. Her eyes wavered briefly as she remembered the flames dancing above Harry's hand.
"Are you sure?" Mance asked as his expression turned grave.
"I saw it," Val said with a slight nod.
Mance remained silent for several seconds before seeming to clench his teeth.
"Alright, take me to him," Mance said, knowing it was dangerous, but also an opportunity.
"Shouldn't you take some men with you?" Dalla asked quickly, looking at both of them with concern.
"I didn't say you'd be going alone," Val said with a shrug after noticing his hesitation. In any case, from what she had learned about Harry, a few more people didn't seem like they would make any difference to him.
"Alright, then I'll gather twenty riders and go meet him," Mance said with a nod. One could never be too cautious.
Dalla watched the two of them leave the tent with a sigh. All she could do was pray for their safe return.
----
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