Chapter 14: XIV.
Twenty eighth, fifth moon of 297AC. Beyond the Wall, North of Westeros.
"By nature, mistrustful, suspicious. The only gods he truly worshiped were honor and duty."
Melissandre about Jon Snow, ADwD, Melissandre I
They had finally left the snow and ice storm behind. Balerion seemed to have calmed down a bit and was gliding smoothly at about two thousand meters. Bran was dozing on his chest and shoulder, sitting for so long on Aegon's right leg, that he no longer felt the weight of his little brother.
Despite the heat that his dragon gave off, between the height the cold that the storm had left in his body and the impact of the spear of the Others, Aegon felt as if he were submerged in icy water. Aegon was unable to shake off the feeling of cold that invaded him. 'What I would give to be back on the beaches of Dragonstone, or Myr or Lys' thought the dragon reborn to himself, in the darkness of the night and the sky Beyond the Wall.
'You know something, Jon? After seeing the true threat, I am not so sure of our final success, as when I was in Winterfell without the dragons ...'
Letting out a snort, he tried to ignore the Conqueror, but the murmur in the back of his head seemed not to stop as well. For that, he entered in the game of his self from the past, or from the future, he did not quite understand it and the truth that at this point he did not care; he had a
mission before him and a duty to humanity, which he would fulfill or die trying.
'Let's see, enlighten me. Why now my vision, and I quote your words verbatim, "pessimistic" is more true now, despite the fact that we have the dragons again and a moderate support from the North? Didn't you have in mind something like this from the beginning?' Jon reproached to the Dragon.
The first days after returning to his body of five and ten days of his name were, at best, interesting for describing them in some way, and at the worst, overwhelmingly stressful.
Not only did Aegon find the mother all his life longed for, but also his father, for whom for now he hardly felt anything, neither for better nor for worse. If it was not enough with the ritual, assume his new identity and the return to life of his parents, Aegon also found himself with a conspiracy to overthrow house Targaryen since before his parents allowed themselves to be trapped by their hearts.
To that, had to be added the indecision of his father Rhaegar, the irrationality of his mother Lyanna and the naivety of his uncle Eddard. And face with that possibly the person who had been Aegon's arch nemesis all his life, his dear aunt Cuntlyn Tully, knew exactly who he was from the time Aegon appeared on the walls of Winterfell at his uncle's arms, the honorable Eddard Stark. That he was not at all the bastard of her husband.
And yet, Aegon could not exercise justice or revenge on anyone; first because he did not have the necessary resources and manpower; second, to not antagonize with his cousins, whom in some cases, he considered as brothers and sister; and finally, to not appear as a genocidal tyrant hell bent on revenge, at the eyes of Westeros.
To finish off the matter of his death and subsequent resurrection, Senya, Bloodraven and Shiera Seastar through, from the past he did not return alone, no. Aegon or rather, the other Aegon, The Conqueror, come with him. The Dragon was transported to his mind and soul in the 297 after their Conquest, as he himself was for two and twenty days of the name in him.
By irony of the gods or, according to some, fate, he was also called Aegon. In that fashion is how Aegon discovered, that everything he had believed to experience and feel through the Conqueror, including making decisions and the feeling of being him, the one who was acting and doing things, was because it was really HE who was doing those.
'Think the irony . The one that at that time believed himself to be a Bastard, conquered the Seven Kingdoms. When we tell Rhaenys about it, she will make the bards compose songs about this' replied the Dragon with an animated and excited tone to his question without really answering him.
Although he had to admit that the Dragon knew how to lift his spirits, managing to get a smile out of him, but he did not intend to leave the subject of the Others now. After all, the Conquest of Westeros and the cursed ritual of his sister wife were made in its name. 'Rhaenys is alive. In that regard, there is hope and joy... but going back to what I just asked you, you really thought that there would be no Others, no Army of Death, right?' silence fell in his head. Though deep down Aegon knew the answer, which infuriated him, the Conqueror refused to admit he was wrong.
The Dragon Reborn, snorted once more. His internal dispute seemed to have taken away a bit of the chill that had stuck to his bones, yet it had agitated him and had awakened his brother Bran, who seemed to wake up from his doze.
'Bran, the One-Eyed...And all because of me.' Aegon thought bitterly, who could not help but feel
guilty that it was he who led Bran to his destiny. No matter how sooner or later he had to face it, as Bran had told Aegon after he lived what the gods wanted him to have lived in that bloody cave, and after paid in blood to assume his destiny, as he had to do.
Aegon was more and more disgruntled and disgusted with the price that had to be paid with blood magic, and with the ease that it was used among the members of his house, house Targaryen.
Twenty-two years ago, the very idea of considering himself something other than a bastard, the walking taint of the honorable Eddard Stark, Aegon regarded as little less than a betrayal of what he believed to be his only family and home, the Starks of Winterfell.
Remembering the lie to which his uncle condemned him for life produced a range of mixed feelings, most of them quite dark and close to hatred. However, those twenty-two years, which were really only fifteen minutes for the rest of the world, served him to truly embrace who he was. They helped him to assume who he really was and what his role in the world was.
Fifteen days after the day of his name that he died and came back to life as a new person, Aegon knew, accepted and was totally proud of his identity and what was linked to it. As Aegon Targaryen, he was fully aware of the responsibilities, duties, difficulties and powers inherent to his position as the head of the last house in which the blood of the Forty of Old Valyria ran and as the Dragon Reborn; rightful king of the Andals, Rhoynar and First Men; King of Westeros, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Kingdom; Lord of the Freehold of Valyria; The Shield of Men...and especially after what he had seen that night, the title that made him cringe and the most difficult to accept, based on its relationship with blood magic and the rituals of Old Valyria; The Promised Prince.
Bran snapped him out of his abstraction in himself, yelling at him for his attention "Aegon!? ... AEGON !!!"
"Sorry Bran, I was too absorbed in my thoughts, were you saying something to me?" Aegon said in an exhonerative tone, lowering his head towards his cousin so that Bran could hear him better, giving a poor excuse for not paying attention to the person who had possibly saved his life a couple of hours before.
"I was telling you if you had seen the fires that are seen behind the forest. There, right to the southwest." said his cousin Bran, pointing with his right arm towards the diagonal with respect to them. As he followed his cousin's arm, he saw that in the direction Bran was pointing there were hundreds, maybe thousands of bonfires and campfires burn.
Aegon's surprise at what they were contemplating was evident in his voice "By seven hells, now what are we going to find? No one is supposed to be here, at least not in those numbers..."Aegon finished with a sigh and in a defeated voice, a little bitter that the trip beyond the wall was becoming a worse and worse idea as the days passed.
Actually, Aegon hardly knew more than he did before about the ritual, or if he did, he did not have clarity and the tools to decipher the information that had been put before him 'It's the bad thing about riddles and puzzles of prophecies and magic.' The Dragon Reborn lamented internally.
His cousin Bran, whom he considered his valonqar, had been made one-eyed and assumed the role of Bloodraven and Master of Whispers, behaving and expressing himself at times like a grown man who had seen too many winters, when he was only ten days of his name. And that's not to mention his new look, capable of retracting even the toughest of warriors, if the half-hand expression seeing Bran coming out of the cave was indicative of something. His little brother's left eye socket was wide open, with a frozen blood-red tear-shaped stain, below where the missing eyeball should have
been.
Until now, the trip Beyond the wall had served to confirm the threat and existence of the Others, possibly in exchange for uncle Benjen and a Watch Ranger giving their lives. Discovering in the process, that his mythical enemy had more than a hundred thousand soldiers and that the Others themselves, seemed immune to fire and had superhuman strength. Not to mention that whatever their weapons touched wasn't Valyrian steel, it seemed to immediately turn to ice, then fall apart melted.
Now, to complete the journey, they had about ten miles away, what appeared to be a gigantic settlement or camp, but from which Aegon had no idea who it might belong to.
"We should land and explore. Maybe we can win allies among the people beyond the wall. After all, the blood of the first men flows through their veins just like ours. According to my understanding and what I have seen, they are like us, but with the bad, or good luck, of having been born on the other side of the wall, where the justice of the king and the lords does not exist." His cousin Bran suggested in a persuasive voice, though certainly odd in a boy.
"And what do you suggest Bran? What do we descend on the fucking Black Dread on a settlement that we have no idea if it can be hostile or not, just the two of us? Do you understand that if we were attacked, Balerion would react in the same way he reacted against the Army of Death before? Rather than fear for our integrity, I don't want to stain my hands with the lives of innocents..." Aegon said with a tone that was certainly harsh and authoritative, but not without closeness and warmth.
To which his brother seemed to be totally immune, as he cut him off and In a cold voice that seemed to come from inside Bran himself and not from Bran's lips, he said something that Aegon would never have imagined his Valonqar would tell him.
"Well, if they didn't join you, they would join the Army of the Others...In that case, it would be better if you killed them, before they ended up being part of our final enemy..." the calm and seriousness with which Bran was speaking of eradicating hundreds, maybe thousands of people, made the hairs on Aegon's back stand on end.
'Luckily we can't see his expression.' the Conqueror whispered in his head with a certain uneasiness and apprehension, which reminded him a lot of his own when they were close to Visenya in the last years before the ritual.
"Bran, you cannot so easily speak of killing hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, just because they don't want to join our cause. If one day we have to set a precedent by being ruthless, it will not be now. And less after what happened tonight." He sentenced in his Kingly voice, to which his cousin nodded, but it seemed that Bran was not going to leave it there.
"Still Aegon...if you weigh the risk-reward balance...think about it. We could win over the wildlings and lead them to the wall, save them from the Others. They can be the foundations of your western army and the manpower that you need so much to undertake your projects here in the North...I leave it in your hands, I know that you will make the best decision..." said Aegon's Valonqar, letting the message sink in, that without a doubt Bran knew had fully hit on one of Aegon's greatest concerns; the lack of manpower in the North.
Not that he mistrusted uncle Eddard, nor his ability to undertake the improvement and reform projects of the North and the Neck that Aegon had commissioned him to do. No, that was not the problem. Nor did Aegon doubt about himself and his ability to get hold of the gold from the Iron Bank.
At the moment, his first and main problem in the Wall and the North was the small population and the dispersion of this through the northern kingdom. Which is the biggest of the Seven Kingdoms. Added to that, was the trouble the fickle Lords of the North would pose, especially when they learned they were working for the cause of a Targaryen and hand in hand with the wildlings of Beyond the Wall.
"I think they would complain about everything that involves working and not fulfilling their whims." said uncle Ned a little overwhelmed when Aegon asked if his uncle could deal with their complaints and possible internal discontent against house Stark pending how long his journey though Essos lasts 'That could well be between three and six years' did not hesitate in reminding him the Conqueror, as lately it seemed to be his mission to remind Aegon of all the things that could happen, to further increase the pressure he was under.
Seeing that there was no answer by Aegon's part, Bran continued his exposition "But consider this, Aegon. We descend far away from the camp with Balerion. We do a reconnaissance on foot and if there is a chance, we test the waters by negotiating with them. We lose absolutely nothing...And if things go ugly, you are the best living warrior that exists on this side of the Narrow Sea and we have the Black Dread. Nothing will happen to us, trust me brother." concluded with total security and tranquility, as if Bran had the certainty of everything he was saying.
Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of bonfires and lights were getting closer and closer, in what Aegon now saw, was undoubtedly looked like a makeshift settlement, from which sprout different tents and pavilions made of heavy leathers skins of animals.
Bran's security in the plan he had laid out, coupled with the number of widlings camped before them, certainly deserved the opportunity.
'Maybe the trip to the Beyond the wall is not as disastrous as it seemed' he commented internally to the Conqueror. 'Indeed, now you just have to convince and intimidate them in equal measure and take them to the Wall.' The answer from his other self, made Aegon totally convinced of what he had to do now, and so he communicated it to Balerion.
"[Descend quickly and stealthily in the forest near the camp. Let us not be detected. As in Harrenhal but without fire]" [1] Balerion immediately reacted to his command, initiating an almost vertical ascent.
Aegon knew what was going to happen next, but Bran did not, and so his little brother let him know, believing that he had discarded his advice "You are not right to despise my advice, but yourself Aegon." Bran said with a certain tone of annoyance and anger, but in his childish voice.
For a moment Aegon wondered whether to let Bran take the surprise of what was going to happen next, but realized that he needed to secure it tightly against him, so he proceeded to tell him what was going to happen.
"Bran, I am heeding your advice. But if we intend to go unnoticed, Balerion cannot flap his wings in the immediate vicinity. He is ascending because he is going to do the same thing we did on Harrenhal, but in the forest around the camp and without scorch everything." said with a proud tone and with some conceit, to the point that without realizing it Aegon was smiling like a fool.
Harrenhal had been a terrible experience at the end, but descending like a silent shadow in the middle of the night, being part of one whole with one of the most legendary creatures in existence, was something indescribable.
When they got to about four thousand meters high and about six, seven kilometers from the forest
adjacent to the camp, stretching the body to the maximum, The Black Dread folded its wings against its body as if it were the point of an arrow, and began the descent.
The chains that held Aegon to the saddle began to tighten, and soon instead of being horizontal, they were practically tilted almost 45 degrees relative to the ground. Aegon took a deep breath, knowing what was coming, as he grabbed Bran as if his life was in it, saying excitedly in his ear "Here we go...Bran, you're going to know the closest thing to what's to be a Dragonlord."
"By the old and new Gods, Aegon!!! This is what you mean by discreet descent! You have created a two hundred meter clearing in the middle of the forest!" shouted desperate Bran, not realizing that his cries would alert all the scouts the camp of wildlings had, if the stealthy landing of Balerion had not already done so.
"Shhh...Bran!" Aegon said, almost whispering, as raised the index finger of his left hand to his mouth and with his right proceeded to draw Blackfyre from his back. "If they have not found out us with the landing" Aegon lowered his head knowing in a way his guilty at the landing "They will have done it with your screams" he finished censuringly. Bran snorted in resignation and descended from Balerion.
Before he got off his dragon, he went on to admonish Balerion for the landing 'After all, the blame is shared' thought Aegon
"[Look around you ... Does this seem stealthy?]" said with a certain reproachful tone to Balerion, to which the enormous dragon responded with a snort and a puff of smoke, moving his back, as if seeking the immediate descent of Aegon of his back.
Aegon descended, but still admonished Balerion again, while standing on tiptoe stroking his muzzle. "[Next time I need to be stealthy, maybe I'll ask my father to use Vhagar...]"
The dragon replied with a low-pitched, but reverberating growl, pulling away from his hand. Then he curled up on himself and ignored everything, giving a last snort and emitting a small puff of smoke. 'Great, just great. Now to pray for all the Gods that we do not need his help.'
Although Balerion had unintentionally opened a clearing in the middle of the forest because was going too fast and needed more space to land, the darkness of a moonless night so far north, made that when he turned around, he could barely see where Bran was.
The forest seemed as dark as a wolf's mouth. Aegon began to carve a path through rocks, mud, and puddles of melting snow, past large oaks, gray-green sentinels, and black-bark Ironwoods, all pulled and deformed by the impact of Balerion's massive body. In some places, some trees were still stoically and incredibly, standing.
When he reached an uprooted chestnut tree covered in wild white roses, he heard something rustle in the undergrowth in front of him. "Bran! Unsheathe Dark Sister and get behind me. Now!" Aegon told his valonqar in a low and dry tone that did not admit arguments, while internally Aegon was grateful that from almost the moment they descended on Bloodraven's cave they were both wearing their full armor. He drew his sword in front of him and stepped into a defensive stance.
Surely before Bran finished realizing what was happening, the silhouette of three people began to be clearly seen in front of Aegon. 'Three against two and one of the two is a child.' However, that was not what worried him. He was beginning to worry what kind of people they were going to face, for he could hear at least one of them rattling as they moved; when he could intuit why, he was surprised. The wildling was armored in bones; cow bones, sheep bones, goat bones, aurochs
and elk, the great bones of hairy mammoths...and human bones too.
For a moment Aegon was unsure what to do. He was supposed to be there to negotiate and form some sort of an alliance. However, something in the back of his head, possibly the Conqueror, was compelling him to charge head-on and finish off the three approaching people before they could raise the alarm.
But he knew what he had to do, and if there were two, three, or twenty, he still had to do what he came to do. Bran touched his arm and pointed to the horn carried by the wildling bone-bearer. 'If the friendly approach fails, that is the first one I must eliminate' he reflected, took a deep breath and in a clear, harsh and deep voice began to speak.
"Humble people from beyond the wall, we come in peace to speak with your leaders. If you will take us to them, we will be grateful."
When Aegon finished, the reaction of the wildlings in front of him was to emit mocking sounds, at the same time he felt Bran tensing behind him, while he began to hear more noise of bushes and the laughter of people moving in that direction. They were completely surrounded.
'It is time to prove that contrary to what Rhaenys said, we are capable of being diplomats.' The Dragon encouraged him, despite the poor response he had received after his initial greeting.
Some of the wildlings behind him must have carried torches with them, as light began to shine in the recently created clearing in the forest, allowing him to recognize at least the three people in front of him.
In the center, in a straight line to him, was the man laden in armor-like bones with his helmet made from the broken skull of a giant, and his arms covered with bear claws that had been sewn into boiled leather. In his hands he carried a double-edged war ax, possibly taller than his own wielder
To his left, a man of Aegon's height, but with extremely wide chest, a huge belly and a very long white beard like snow. Was protected by a black coat of heavy mail, that at some point must have belonged to a ranger of the Night's Watch and was armed with two war hammers made of heavy stones.
To his right, a woman considerably shorter than his mother, of approximately twenty days of the name. She was covered in fur and had a round face, crooked teeth, and pretty blue eyes that were set wide in his opinion. The girl's tangled mop of red hair was the most distinctive mark, along with the taut bow pointing at them.
Seeing that the situation could escalate quickly and get out of hand, Aegon tried to appeal to cordiality once more.
"We have no intention of harming you. If you put down your weapons, the two of us will do the same and we can talk. There is no need for a bloodbath." Aegon said with a cordial voice and with a certain warmth, but without ignoring the veiled threat that was behind his words, since he was very aware that due to the attitudes of the wildlings these barely had noticed why suddenly there was a gigantic clearing in the middle of the forest. 'Our best asset has not been discovered, you can allow yourself to show yourself in the position of power. Although he is proud, you know that if there is real danger Balerion will come to our aid.' commented the Conqueror, reassuring him, since the laughter and teasing he began to hear, caused him some nervousness
"HA! THE PRETTY BOY THINKS THEY CAN HURT US HA! HA! HA!" the big man with the white beard began to mock frantically
"Crow, I don't care what you're here for. Before me I only see a very green boy who thinks he is in a position to threaten us and a little boy whom you have condemned to his death. We do not kneel before anyone. We don't talk to our enemies. We kill you and we live free. If you think that your flowery words are going to change who we are, you know nothin' boy." the red-haired woman told him with open hostility, disgust shedding each one of her words.
"Well, whatever you want is the same. We are going to finish you off and take out the precious clothes, armor and weapons that you carry." said the man protected by bones.
'Damn, the Others take them. The diplomatic approach has failed, but I cannot turn to Balerion. The moment I release it on the wildlings, there will be no turning back. I'm going to have to opt for the intermediate option.' after which, he looked at his back where Bran was and who seemed not even to be there.
Ten meters behind the two of them, fifteen or twenty more wildlings were approaching, all with their weapons drawn and ready to strike. 'Now or never' he thought.
"BRAN, ON THE GROUND, NOW!" he ordered his valonqar and started the movement he had thought of. He grasped the hilt of his sword with both hands and took a deep breath, immediately moving into motion..
'Balerion, I need you. I'm sorry I just scolded you. You know that I would never leave you for any other dragon. You and me, together until the end, like for the last twenty-two years. Please don't kill anyone, just intimidate as only you can do.' he went through his link with the Black Dread, whom returned his feeling of joy to know that he did not want any dragon apart from him. Aegon was still amazed at times, that a being as magnificent as Balerion, could become so insecure about the affection he had for him. For him Balerion was an extension of himself, like Ghost.
Then everything seemed to happen in an instant. For a moment Aegon could admire the courage of the wildling who reached first for his horn releasing his war ax.
The wilding raised it to his lips, but before it could sound, Aegon took three long strides in the direction of the wildling. With a wide twist, he swung Blackfyre with such force and speed, in an arc from over his right shoulder down and to the left, slicing the man from below his left armpit, to his right hip, essentially cutting the man in half. This one seemed not to have realized what had happened, until his legs collapsed underneath him and his body folded in on itself, dying instantly.
"ENOUGH! THROW YOUR WEAPONS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ALL DIE!" he practically roared to the wildlings, at the same time that Balerion had made a sudden appearance, appearing heavily behind him, for then emitting a practically deafening roar and blasting his dark fire into the night sky.
The wildlings were terrified and began to flee in all directions, except for the man with the gray beard and the woman with red hair, their weapons discarded, their eyes wide and their mouths open.
Bran seemed unfazed by the whole situation when he got back to his feet, but at least it seemed like he was there again. When the two of them looked at each other, his brother urged him with a nod of his head to try again to speak to the wildlings who had not fled, the thing that had initially put them in this situation.
"First of all tell you that at no time did i intend to end anyone's life. If so, withBalerion," Aegon pointed towards his dragon with his left hand, using a cold and hard voice, with a low and threatening tone "I could have finished with your entire settlement in less than fifteen minutes."
After those words, he fixed his eyes between the two wildlings, who were beginning to recover from their surprise, but were totally livid.
While the redhead seemed to be completely terrified of him more than from the dragon, the broad, gray-haired man wavered his gaze between him and Balerion with a mixture of reverence, awe and dread.
'I think that even for the wildings of Beyond the Wall, seeing how a man cuts another man in half as if it were not a big deal is something out of the ordinary...Add to that Balerion's introduction to the wildlings...If you wanted to make a statement and show of strength and power, I think you have certainly succeeded. Now we need to talk to their leader.' the Conqueror told him in his head, in a tone that could only be described as brimming with pride.
In view of the fact that none of the wildlings emitted any sound, nor did they intend to take any action against them, Aegon decided to shake the blood from his sword and then sheathe it on his back and continue exposing what he intended "Bran, sheath Dark Sister. These two good people are no longer a threat to us, right?" Aegon asked them in a cold and severe tone, with a certain threatening edge. His eyes fixed on the older man. This one could barely hold his gaze when answering him
"No. We are not a threat anymore lad...although that gaze you have and that way of wielding the sword...you are not any green lad I think." he said in a low voice, almost to himself and giving off a certain resignation.
"Well, I hope your friend thinks like you. I wouldn't want to kill anyone else today, but if I have to do it to protect my brother or myself, I won't hesitate. And I do not care if it is a woman, a child or an old man." he sentenced in a slightly veiled threat, while he fixed his eyes on the blue of the red- haired woman. When she felt his gaze, she immediately lowered her head and began to tremble.
"Since we have reached an understanding, allow me to introduce ourselves. This boy here," Aegon said, now in a more relaxed voice, but without losing a bit of his coldness and edge, as he took Bran by the back with his left arm to put him next to him "is Prince Brandon Stark, my squire, the last Greenseer and my Master of Whispers "
Then Aegon patted Bran on the back, who took two steps forward and bowed his head to the two wildlings who were undoubtedly puzzled. It was the girl who echoed her bewilderment.
"Stark, as in Benjen Stark or the Starks of Winterfell?" the voice was one of total disbelief in the woman, but with a bitter aftertaste and disgust.
"So is. Benjen Stark is our uncle and his father, my other uncle, is Eddard Stark, the Warden of the North." Aegon confirmed dryly.
The gray-haired wildling spat, regaining a certain defiance, which quickly faded again as Balerion reacted to the gesture, fixing his huge scarlet red eyes on the wildling. For her part, the woman still seemed confused and did not hesitate to make herself heard again
"If he is your uncle's son, how is he your brother and who are you?" the wildling woman inquired with a certain challenge in her voice .
"My name is Aegon Targaryen The Dragon Reborn, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and First Men; King of Westeros, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Kingdom; Lord of the Freehold of Valyria; The Shield of Men and The Promised Prince. My family relationship with my brother is not something that concerns you. Now take us before your leaders and I will be able to
show you the way in which we are going to defeat the Army of Death and the Others." Aegon declared with an authoritative voice that did not give rise to objections.
After that Balerion ran off where he was sulking before, shaking the forest clearing with his mighty hind legs as Aegon began to walk in the direction of the settlement, followed by Bran and, after a few moments of indecision, by the wildling man and the wildling woman.
Twenty ninth, fifth moon of 297AC. The Wall, North of Westeros.
"You see how I was right? This slight detour was worth it. If they comply with the agreement, in a year we will have a firm base on the Wall." Bran told him with a tone overflowing with pride and a bit presumptuous.
Although he never intended to acknowledge it, thanks to the advice of his Valonqar they had gathered the support of all the Free Folk and created in a single maneuver, the first province of his Freehold of Valyria.
"As it went well, it could have been a real disaster. Don't forget that I had to kill a ma..."but his valonqar Bran didn't let him finish, stopping him with a gesture of his right hand.
The Wall was getting bigger and bigger on the horizon and it seemed that Bran wanted to take advantage of these last moments on top of Balerion to talk about things that only the two of them could know, talking non-stop since the moment they take off from the Free Folk settlement.
"But it went well," Bran said in his natural voice, shrugging in front of him.
Bran turned his neck and head to be almost sitting on his side, resting both legs on the right side of the base of Balerion's neck. Fixing his crystal blue eye on Aegon's eyes and returning to use the magical voice that he now seemed to possess ever since he inherited the mantle of Lord Bloodraven, keep with his explanations "From what we have seen later, this Rattleshirt was not the most appreciated of the leaders of the Free Folk, and without knowing it at the time, you have earned the eternal loyalty of the Thenns, which I must reiterate, you must make your new nobility of the new province. I trust Mance and I trust Tormund or Varamyr as well, but if I trust someone we've met, it's Sigorn. He and not his father should be the one who holds the Thenn leadership and so you should make it clear to Rykker..."
As during the entire flight from the settlement of the Free Folk, to that moment, Bran kept thinking about the future plans when all Aegon really thought about was getting to fucking Castle Black and resting.
But Aegon knew, as well his valonqar had repeated it several times already, that as he arrived to the Wall, to his fortune, a part of his plans were going to be put into motion much earlier than Aegon had estimated.
The downside to this was that he would have to present his plan, and implement it, without the presence or support of his maternal uncles. Despite the parchment that had been signed by his uncle Benjen and Qhorin, after all, when he faced the hierarchy of the Watch it would be his word, his brother's, his father's, and possibly his uncle Aemon's, against the beliefs and all the established of a brotherhood that had thousands of years anchored in ancestral traditions and hatreds.
'If we had at least been able to bring back one of the Others puppets, we could have easily convinced them... But how the hell did we capture one of those spawn out of the hundreds of thousands there? Before we would have died or worse and you know it. Don't beat yourself up for
that.' the Conqueror reassured him in his mind.
'Thank you for not making firewood from the fallen tree.' he replied with a sympathy and warmth
that nowadays rarely used when facing the outside.
"Bran before we arrive I need to order you something and that you swear to me that you will fulfill it and then I'll ask you two things. So tell me which do you prefer first? The order of your King and Lord, or the questions of your brother."
Aegon tried to tell Bran without sounding too much like he was cutting off his valonqar's mental process of developing ideas for future plans, nor that he thought he was treating him as if he was a mere counselor, even though he had been somewhat authoritarian toward him during the stay at the Free Folk settlement. 'Maybe that way he will also stop thinking only about the plans of the Great War and go back to acting like a child.' Aegon thought with hope within himself.
"First and foremost, Your Grace orders." Bran replied in a voice devoid of all emotion.
'Fantastic. Uncle Eddard is going to kill me...and mother is possibly going to blunt me...What the hell has Bran become?' Trying not to show the shock that his new Valonqar caused him from time to time, Aegon clarified his voice, speaking in a warm way, showing him all the affection he had for him, looked at Bran tenderly and said;
"Since first and foremost you will follow my orders, I order you to stop being The Three-Eyed Raven, to be yourself. And to the best of your ability, avoid any mention of your knowledge of the past, or of what happens in the present and that if you do it, if is it outside our family, only after consultation or my order. When you share that information outside of the family once we have talked to them about certain things, try to present it in a way that makes it appear that the information has come to you through a secret network of informants."
Aegon finished with a smile and humming the old rhyme "Remember, who has a thousand eyes and one?"
Bran looked at him with his now unfathomable eye. The color of the Tully eye, but nothing like the kind of look his brother's mother had.
For a moment Aegon saw a kind of internal debate that was perfectly reflected in the intensity with which Bran's eye shone and his features tightened, then saw how his appearance relaxed slightly, making that eerie air that Bran now possessed disappear a bit.
Smiling, his valonqar answered with his childish voice. "All right Aegon. I swear. But I also remind you that if it goes against the interests of the common good or the Targaryen-Stark house, I will act upon it."
"Okay Bran, I know. Now the two questions. The first is if you are sure of everything you have told me before about Rhaenys, as well as about my grandmother, my uncle and my aunt. The second has to do with an idea that occurred to me while you were presenting the plan. Do you know, or may you know, if there are any wights of the Army of Death near Castle Black?"
Aegon asked his cousin. Although internally he would like to know more about his family on the other side of the Narrow Sea, and about what really had actually happened during the end of his mad grandfather's reign, Aegon preferred to make sure that what the little Bran had said about this was true and leave it for later.
The idea of capture a wight was a way, even at the last minute, to obtain evidence of the true threat
before arriving to the Wall. Thus increasing the credibility in his words which in turn will serve to underline that Aegon's plan was the only one possible salvation.
"Regarding the first, after seeing how my plan to visit the Free Folk has worked, to some extent it offends me that you still do not have full confidence in me. But I can understand it. I know that more than distrust towards me, it is towards magic. I've seen you murmur against it many, many times. Regarding the second, hold me and make sure I don't fall. I'll be back in a minute." After which, his little brother closed his eye and when opened it again it was totally white. Bran's body, limp and slack, totally resting between Aegon's chest and left arm.
"[Balerion, fly slowly and begin to glide towards the Wall of Magic]" he transmitted to his dragon, to facilitate himself the task of holding his Valonqar in the discomfort of the posture they had to adopt on the saddle-chains attached to the base of the neck of the Black Dread.
With the Wall getting closer and closer and Bran still in his trance, Aegon wasn't sure whether to try to bring his brother back to his senses or prolong the flight, until suddenly his brother took a deep breath and regained his senses. Stiffness and tension came back to Bran's body. His eye closed again an instant, to open again, showing its natural color.
"Near the Godswood to the Beyond the tunnel under the Wall in Castle Black are two of the brothers who were ranging in search of Lord Royce's son and the deserter my father executed when we found Winter. Now they are wights of the Others." Bran sentenced.
'Perfect' Aegon thought. 'In the end the journey to the Beyond the Wall will be very productive.' the Dragon murmured in his head.
Reaching less than a pair of kilometers from the Wall and Castle Black, they descended this time, stealthily and carefully through the trees that surrounded the Weirwood Tree of the Godswood.
Not knowing how, or from where, out of nowhere suddenly appeared to greet them Ghost and his brother's still unnamed Direwolf.
"Look Aegon, Ghost, and Summer feel us for our warg ability in our blood. They knew we were coming here since you decided it. Remember, just like you with Balerion, a part of you will always be connected to your Direwolf. Arya and Rickon can also do it to some extent. Robb only subconsciously and I think that Sansa does not have a much of magic in her blood, unfortunately for her."
Bran began to explain as they calmly descended from the Black Dread, which continued to observe the pups, which were getting more and more large. The dragon was watching them, curious as if they were part of his diet or part of his family.
'Since when is Bran's wolf is named and why that name? Well, I'll have time to ask him. At least it explains why I felt Ghost was an extension of me.' Aegon thought to himself, while speaking to Bran.
"Bran, watch out now. Even if they are dead, remember that we don't want to evaporate them from existence with Balerion, we want to capture them. Therefore, the fire that is something that we know works to eliminate them is discarded. Our two swords are made of Valyrian steel, and if Bloodraven was right, they are not useful for our purpose either."
Looking around in the dark of night, Aegon could barely see anything, but the Direwolfs seemed to smell something, as they shot into some bushes on the side of the forest. Bran touched his arm and said "It's that way. They are there"
Following the trail of both wolves, they came to what appeared to be two lifeless bodies, but they had not decomposed, nor smelled, nor did they have blood, although both had deep sword and ax cuts on their bodies.
"Be careful Aegon, they look like some more corpses, but less than five minutes ago they were moving with their eyes totally blue, like the ones we have seen." his little brother warned him, with a somewhat trembling voice devoid of the new mysticism that sometimes now distilled.
Although the last thing he wanted at that moment was to eliminate possible evidence of the arrival of a second Long Night, Aegon unsheathe Blackfyre from above his right shoulder and looked confidently to Bran, while nodding, "Calm now Bran. I prefer to argue for days with stubborn and obstinate men than something happens to us."
Abruptly, both Direwolfs began to growl frantically and to move around the two bodies, which for now seemed to remain motionless and unchanged. Still, the feeling in the environment had changed, to the point that Aegon could swear he felt the same cold again as when they were surrounded by the Army of Death.
Balerion, for his part, seemed to have also noticed the change in the air, because without being ordered or asked, began to move heavily towards where he and Bran were, along with the two Direwolfs and the two bodies of the dead black brothers.
The huge head of his dragon were at five meters high and seven meters away from where the bodies were, but the eyes of Balerion were absolutely glued to them. The two lava pits seemed to glow at the sight of the corpses, as if their presence alone enraged the dragon.
As he turned to comment to Bran, he saw that Bran was petrified and with a face of terror drawn on his face "Aegon, they are coming back!" his brother alarmed him.
When he rested his eyes on the corpses, he saw that they were getting up and that in their eyes, the blue that would haunt him until the day he ended the threat before him or it ended his person, shone.
Wanting to test the Bloodraven theory, he asked his little brother "Quick Bran, give me your dagger!" to which Bran responded by putting the right hand on his waist and without removing it from its sheath, throwing the dagger at Aegon's right hand.
As he received it, Aegon drew it, took two long strides until he was less than a meter from the first of the Others' wights, and with speed and precision he drove the dagger to the hilt where the heart should be.
Although it should have killed him, if he wasn't already dead, the ice slave didn't flinch. On the contrary, the wight reached with his hands to where the dagger was stuck and tried to pull it out. But Aegon had seen enough.
Without losing sight of the other body that was gradually getting up, he quickly decided that one of the two should be freed from his magical prison and the other should be captured. So he chose to repeat the maneuver he had performed on the petite brother and the dagger, but this time driving Blackfyre on the heart of the larger of the two reanimated corpses.
As the Valyrian steel penetrated the chain mail, the being ceased all movement, his eyes went dark, and collapsed in on himself.
'Fucking Lord Brynden was right. Well, at least he wasn't a liar.' Aegon reflected quickly, as he
thought about how to be able to capture the remaining puppet, which couldn't finish standing up due to the tight grip of the jaws of Ghost and Summer on his legs.
'Jon, I got it! Balerion! Tell him to crush it. With all the broken bones, no matter how much he does not die, he will be unable to stand up and therefore wouldn't pose a threat or really move too much ' Aegon internally cursed for not having that idea previously so he could have taken the two and make tests in one.
'Thank you.'Jon thanked himself heartily and proceeded to communicate with Balerion
"[Crush him]" after which the gigantic dragon let out a kind of murmur that could be understood as
happiness and began to advance heavy and rapidly towards the reanimated corpse.
When Aegon saw what his dragon was planning to do, he quickly grabbed Bran and ordered the wolves to leave the place.
Half a second later, a blow echoed across the north, shaking the very foundations of the Wall. To the point that Aegon lost his balance his valonqar was thrown very unworthily on his chest, while below, Aegon landed on the ground on his back.
When he got up, Aegon could see that the corpse reanimated by the Others was literally buried half a meter in the ground, under one of the gigantic hind legs.
"[Well done Balerion]" he said to his dragon, as he tenderly caressed the scales of the wing that had half curled around him. "[Now you can set it free.]"
When the Winged Shadow moved, Aegon was unable to understand how the being could still move on. The corpse was now a jumble of splintered bones protruding from between skin and muscle. One of his legs was at a completely unnatural right angle, with the femur protruding below the thigh, maintaining what would have been its original position.
The sight practically turned his stomach, while poor Bran was vomiting what little he had been able to eat thanks to Dalla, Mance Rayder's wife.
Despite the sorry state, the body was still crawling, trying to reach for him, causing Balerion to roar and blaze his flame skyward.
It is seemed that the black brother who was as sentry at the top of the Wall knew that they were waiting for them. Because after the light of the dark fire illuminated the Godswood and the surroundings, setting fire to some of the crowns of the ancient trees adjoining, the horn of the Night's Watch announcing the return of rangers, echoed in the night silence.
"Bran go with the wolves to the tunnel under the Wall and warn whoever is on duty now, to come with some ropes, chains or whatever to hold this thing down. I stay here waiting and watching." his little brother stared at him for a second, then looked at the Wall to see how far away they were, finally he nodded and spoke to him.
"Do I summon your father?" Bran asked, looking at him with some apprehension, hands clasping non-stop.
"No. Better to tell everything once." Aegon replied more coldly than he really felt or intended in relation to his father.
"Go, request that the Lord Commander and the rest of the Watch hierarchy be summoned to my solar in the Tower of the King, let our family know and that they also must be at the meeting.
Again, but most importantly, that a black brother come with the materials I have asked. If they don't listen to you, reiterate that it is my order. If they keep ignoring you, use the wolves or your imagination. In that case, I let you make whatever threat is necessary as long as you don't kill anyone, but hurry up. You have my full support on your actions."
Aegon told Bran with all the confidence in the world that would know how to carry out his task. After a smile and a nod, Bran started running towards the Wall, the two wolves racing on tow.
Aegon turned to see Balerion, who was keeping an eye on the shattered corpse, but still able to crawl very slowly through the ground and snow.
"[Balerion, you can go back to the skies now. Turn the Wall of Magic around and go back to where I am.]" after which he tip toed and lightly caressed the nose and snout of his dragon, which had come down to his level, closing his eyes as he caressed it.
They both knew that at least one day they would be without each other and it was their way of transmitting affection and the confidence he most needed.
After their interaction, Balerion took a powerful stride and propelled himself towards the heights, initiating an ascent parallel to the Wall, while a flock of crows flew around the Winged Shadow.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone