Chapter 25: You used to call us family
I turned around to see what I already expected it to be since the time of my dream.
"You're a child of the forest right?" I said while looking closely.
She or he looked like a human child a little shorter then me.
"The first that came called us like that... you used to call us family and me a sister..." Oh. Wait. What?
"I'm sorry, I think I heard you wrong, I thought you said we know each other from before." I said confused at what was going on.
Why are there even children of the forest on Bear Island? Shouldn't they be beyond the wall with Leaf?
She looked at me with her red, large eyes. Her skin green with a rough texture. She had woven branches as clothes and a cape made of leaves.
"You still didn't realize did you?" I looked at her and was wondering what she meant.
"We are speaking in true tongue now. You were the only one that could learn it. Bran, that was your name thousands of years ago." No fraking way! Brandon the Builder? Only he could understand their language!
"I'm sorry...?"
"Twig." She said just after.
"I'm sorry Twig, but I'm not the person you recognize, he was one of my ancestors, true and yes his blood flows through my veins but I'm not him." I said wishing I would. It would be nice to wield magic and bombard the White Walkers with it from the wall.
"You really think that we don't know that Brendan Dustin?" Now I was stupefied. "The Old Trees told us everything about you. You are our brother. You are family. Maybe not the same body and mind but you are still him." She came closer to me and touched my cheek.
For a moment I felt the same as in my dream, like I could communicate with the nature itself.
"But why not other Stark children?" I don't understand.
"It's simple my child... They are not you." She looked into my eyes.
"Twig you said we..." I said and she closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them again we were surrounded by children of the forest. Not the small group that was with Leaf but I could see about 20 maybe 30 of them.
Some armed with bows and obsidian arrows, some with animals close to them but only Twig with red eyes.
I really didn't know what to say about this. It was never in any ff or video that I watched before. Everything stated that there is a handful of them left.
"I thought that there was only Leaf and her companions left?" I said hesitating if I should tell her what I know.
"She was a friendly, but before long she betrayed us by creating the Night King against our clans council. Later the raven whispered lies to her ear and the child listened. Since old days this is our forest. Lords have changed, but we are still here and will be long after." She said as the others came closer to us. I could understand them speaking, but again I'm sure I didn't know the words before.
"What do you want to do now Twig?" I said sitting in front of her just after she did, the others surrounded us and talked with each other or looked at us.
"We don't fight human wars anymore, we just want to live in peace in our woods. Hunting and watching over like we did for the last thousands of years." Now that wasn't good as I hoped to get their help. Thinking about it there is still a chance.
I looked back at her and those around us while petting the sleeping cub.
"Twig, I always wanted to ask, can you plant weirwood trees and carve faces? What was the reason for that?" I was really curious. It always said that Heart tree was like an altar to them, that they always believed in the tree Gods.
"Yes we can. Our Clan is the last one left that can do it. There are some remnants of us in Essos but only we have old ones able to manifest the carvings. The heart three is a medium helping the nature achieve balance, building the optimal conditions for the plants and animals to grow faster and stronger. They are sacred for us."
This is even better than having children of the forest fight with us! Just imagining the possibilities made me smile.
"It's not like you think child, It will not make the land magically change to produce crops every moment." She laughed at my thoughts. "It just speeds up the growth but the biggest difference is that the plants can actually survive in the hard conditions of the North." She finished and looked around.
"But... but why didn't the Mormont's build farms here if they have you for help?"
"That's simple young Brendan, they don't know about us. No one accept you does." she looked back at me.
"So why did Lady Maege react when I spoke about the feeling of calling coming from the forest?" More and more secrets. I thought it was the same as with me.
She didn't answer but pointed at the black bear cub sleeping in my arms. "They have connection to the bear guardians since the first Mormont woman came inside this forest."
"I don't understand..." I said and wanted to know more about it.
"The generations of women from the Mormont family are the descendants of the bear skin changer that is living as the guardian of this Island." She said offhandedly. "They believe that only the strong can claim the real Mormont woman."
I thought about it but it still didn't make sense for me.
"But I know that there were marriages before and even now we will have one between houses." I informed Twig about our plan.
"Tell me young Brendan... how many black bear cubs did you meet in the forest?" She asked smiling.
I thought about it for a moment and answered.
"So you mean that only the chosen that hear the call will be abiding by this might is right rule?" I said still thinking about it.
"Yes child, and they can always choose to listen or not. They can do what they want but the call is always there. That's all I know, it can be right or it can be wrong but the black cub in you arms is the next guardian of House Mormont."
I looked at the goofy and clumsy bear sleeping disregarding everything that was happening around him.
"Twig if I would like to have weirwood and Heart threes on my land could you help me with this please?" I really hoped she would say yes not only to boost the production on my lands, but to increase the religious aspect of them as well.
Most of the lords in the North believed in Old Gods and the representation of this were weirwood trees.
Imagine the lands covered in them, it would be like a Mecca to small folk. Even other Northern lords wouldn't act against "blessed" land afraid of small folk rebellion in retaliation.
"We can ask some of our clan members to go with you like we did in the old days but you must know that to carve one face making the heart three we will need a human sacrifice. Old magic does not give for free... it exchanges. One hundred human lives for one heart three by the old laws." She looked to see if I showed even a small distaste on my face and I did not.
Good we just happen to have more than 300 prisoners that can finally be useful for something but...
My face grew solemn. "Twig how long would it take for a tree to grow for you to be able to carve the face? Do you maybe have the seedlings?" I was full of hope when I asked.
"With the sacrifice it takes a night. We do not... but we do have the seeds." She said and called a new name. "Lake, give him the seeds of weirwood trees." I still understood what they said.
"Hello Lake..." I said and smiled even if the whole situations was simply magical I couldn't reject what Twig said feeling the connections i had to them inside.
"Brother..." She had a bow on her back, I was almost sure she's one of the wood dancers. She took out a bag half filled with seeds
I opened it and saw thousands of really small seeds. This will be what I need for now, the rest can be taken when the threes grow.
"Thank you huntress." I said subconsciously and she smiled. She really just smiled at me!
"You should go back now child... The old ones will come to you when you're ready for the ritual. Just plant the seed and we will know. Come see us when you need our help in the future." They all stood up, some of them waived at me, some smiled, nodded and some just walked after looking for a bit.
"So now it's just us." I looked at the snoring cub in my arms and smiled.
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