Chapter 41 - White Walkers?
Sowhere Further in the True North
POV of Doric Bolton
"Wild Walkers?"
"White Walkers." Mance Rayder corrected Raksa who was standing beside him while giddily looking at the giants who had just entered the camp along with their mammoths.
"White Walkers and their army of wight. A large army made up of dead people and animals. Just like in the legends." He told Raksa who was not even listening to him anymore.
"Okay, I understand the situation." Doric said.
"You believe ?" Mance Rayder asked suspiciously.
"Yes. You cannot lie to . If you do, then I'll know." Or he'd know as long as he used legilincy while talking. Which he was at the mont.
Mance looked slightly uncomfortable for a mont before he asked. "Is that why you're taking the giants South of the Wall?"
"No. I'm taking them to the South because I want to create a sanctuary for them where I'll be able to keep them safe. Or that's my plan at least." He said.
"We humans are afraid of anything that we don't know or don't understand. That is why we killed or chased away the Children of the Forest and Giants. I want to give them a sanctuary where they'll be able to repopulate once again without any danger because I owe it to them."
He did however leave out the part where he wanted the Children of the Forest to tell him the secrets of carving the faces and connecting the Weirwood trees to the magical ley lines in the world.
The truth was that he would have tried to save the Children of the Forest even if he didn't need them. Mainly because they were a magical species and being a Wizard himself, he felt the obligation to save any magical species in the world.
"But you know that the White Walkers are coming. So, will you help us?" Mance asked with no small amount of hope in his eyes. A hope that he unfortunately had to crush.
"No." He replied. "The fact that you are telling the truth just ans that you 'believe' that there were white walkers out there. Just because a desperate sailor sees land where there is none doesn't make his belief true. So, you won't get any help from . At least until I find out about these White Walkers myself."
"And if they are real?" Mance asked and he instantly went silent.
If the White Walkers are real, then he'd have to introduce gun power and cannons as well as firearms sooner to the world than he had initially thought.
"If they're real." He finally said. "Then I'll allow the wildlings, or free folk as you like to call them, in my lands. But only those who're willing to bend their knees and follow the rules dedicated to them."
Mance's face scrunched up and he already understood what Mance wanted to say with Legilincy before the words even left his mouth.
"We free folk don't kneel."
"Aye, you don't. But if you want
to allow you to co and live in my lands. Then that's what you'll do." He said, giving his ultimatum.
"So, you'll just leave these people here to die. To let won and children die at the hands of White Walkers because they don't bend their knees and kiss your feet. Just because you're too prideful to do what is right?" Mance asked loudly and every single one of his guards instantly took out their sword, ready to protect him with their lives before he raised his hand and signaled them to stop.
"Prideful. Too prideful, am I? Do you know how many people live in my land? Around 530,000. 530 thousand n, won, and children who rely on
to keep them safe. People who rely on
to keep them fed. People who rely on
as their lord to settle their disputes. People who rely on
to give them shelter and food when the winter cos. People who rely on
to keep them safe. So no, I won't let your people enter my lands as long as I'm sure that they will follow my rules and not cause any trouble in my lands. And if needed then I'll even send my n to defend the walls so that your n won't enter our lands and cause anarchy."
"So, you'd rather have us as your enemies than allies."
"Yes. Better to have untrustworthy people as your enemies than as allies. I would rather fight them head-on than risk the chance of having them stab
in the back."
"I see. So, I guess you won't change your mind?"
"No. But if you can change the minds of your people, then send them to Hardho by the end of the year. I'll send my ships to take them to my lands. But I'll only take those who will truly submit to my rules and not try to run wild in my lands. That is all I have to say in this matter."
"Very well then. I'll see how many people I can persuade to bend their knee." Mance said bitterly, as if not believing that he'd even be able to do it.
"And Mance you accused
of being prideful. But you and your people are the ones asking for help and refusing to bend. Aren't you and your people the truly proud ones? If free folk couldn't even learn to adapt to this dire situation, then they wouldn't have a future."
His ssage was clear; beggars can't be choosers. And Mance couldn't find anything to say for a while. He just nodded and turned to leave.
"One more thing." He said as Mance turned to leave.
"Yes?" Mance asked as turned to look at him.
"I'll accept the won and the children if they want to co to the South."
"Even if they're not willing to bend the knee?" Mance asked. "Yes. But as long as they don't hurt other people in my lands." He said.
"Why?" Mance asked and he shrugged back in reply.
"Because of their nature. A child's nature can be changed if he or she is raised in a new and different area. They adapt faster to changes than adults. As for won, their nature is that of a protector. As long as they have enough to feed their children, enough to survive, they'll not pose a problem." He said.
"n, on the other hand, are more ambitious. And an ambitious and foolish person can cause disastrous results."
"I... see. I'll talk about this to the others. To see what they think about your decision." Mance said and left the tent.
"Oh, and one more thing." He said as Mance ca back once again and looked at him with an annoyed expression.
"What is it now?" Mance asked.
"Your warg. Orell. Send the man in. I have a proposal for him."
"We need the warg." Mance said through gritted teeth.
"I'm sure you'll find soone else in this wilderness." He said with a negligent wave of his hand.
"Plus, it's not like I'm forcefully taking the man away from you. I'm just giving him a proposal. If he doesn't like it, then he can stay with you. He's a free man after all, isn't he?"
Mance grimaced at his words but then simply nodded his head in defeat "Aye. I'll send him in." He said before he left.
"That giant is so huuuge." Raksa said in wonder while looking at the giant in the distance as soon as Mance left and he let out a chuckle at her words.
"Never change Raksa." He chuckled to himself.
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