Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Overture

"Since the wildling ① is dead," Gary could not help urging as the surrounding woods gradually dimmed, "let's turn back." "Do the dead frighten you?" Ser Waymar Royce asked with a small smile. Gary didn't fall for the aggressive general's plan. He is an old man who is over 50 years old. He has seen too many noble children come and go in his life. "To be dead is to be dead," he said, "and why should we seek the dead." "Are you sure they are really dead?" Royce asked softly, "Where is the evidence?" "Will saw it," Gary said, "I believe what he said."

Will had expected that sooner or later they would involve themselves in this argument, but not so soon. "My mother said that dead people have no drama to sing about." He interjected. "Will, my nanny said that too," Royce replied, "Don't believe what you hear in a woman's arms. Even death can teach us a lot." His The lingering sound echoed in the twilight forest, and it seemed a little noisy. "There's still a long way to go back," Gary pointed out. "We'll have to walk for eight or nine days, and the sky is getting dark." Ser Waymar Royce scanned the sky disinterestedly. "Isn't it like this every day? Gary, you're not afraid of the dark, are you?"

Will saw Gary's lips pressed together, and the pent-up anger under his heavy black cloak.Gary had been the Night's Watch for forty years, a seniority that was no joke.But Gary was not only angry, under his wounded self-esteem, Will vaguely noticed some kind of underlying anxiety, a nervousness that was close to fear. Will felt the same way.He had only guarded the Great Wall for four years, when he crossed the wall for the first time to the north, all the legends and stories suddenly came to his mind, his limbs became weak from fright, and he couldn't help smiling when he thought about it afterwards.Now he is a veteran with more than a hundred patrols, and he has no fear in front of this vast black wasteland that the southerners call the ghost forest.

However, tonight was an exception. It was very different from the past. There was an inexplicable horror in the dark curtain in all directions, which made his hairs stand on end.They lightly rode north out of the Great Wall, turned to the northwest on the way, and then headed north again. For nine days, they rushed day and night and kept advancing, biting the footprints of a group of bandits.The environment is deteriorating day by day, and it has fallen to the bottom today.The gloomy north wind blew the shadows of the trees like hideous creatures. Will felt that he was being watched by a cold and inexplicable thing that had no affection for him all day long, and Gary felt it too.At this moment, Will only wanted to turn his horse's head around and flee back to the Great Wall desperately.But this is a thought that must never be said in front of the chief.

Especially such an officer. Ser Waymar Royce was of a noble family, the youngest in a family full of children.He was a handsome young man of eighteen, gray-eyed, graceful, and knife-thin.On his stocky black charge-horse, he stood taller than Will and Gary on their diminutive plow horses.He was wearing black leather boots, black woolen trousers, black moleskin gloves, a black woolen sweater over a hard leather armor, and a gleaming black ringmail.Ser Waymar had not been sworn in as the Night's Watch for half a year, but he did not come empty-handed, at least he came with a good outfit. And the most dazzling outfit on his body is naturally the thick, yet surprisingly soft black mink cloak. "I bet he must have killed that pile of sables with his own hands," Gary said to his brothers while drinking in the barracks. It caused everyone to burst into laughter.

How can you respect your superior officer if he is the butt of ridicule in the drinking and merrymaking?Will sat on the horse and couldn't help thinking about it.Presumably Gary felt the same way. "Mormont told us to track down the wildlings, and we did," Gary said. "Now that they're dead, they won't bother us anymore. And there's still a long way to go. I really don't like that The weather, if it snows, it will take us two weeks to go back. Snow is nothing, my lord, have you ever seen the ice storm raging?" The young master didn't seem to have heard these words.He surveyed the fading twilight in his characteristically disinterested, absent-minded way.Will had followed him for some time and knew it was best not to interrupt him at such times. "Will, tell me again what you saw. Be careful not to miss any details."

Before becoming the Night's Watch, Will used to hunt for a living.To put it bluntly, they are actually poachers.He was poaching bucks in the Mallisters' forest, and was busy skinning the bucks, bloody on his hands, when he was caught by a freerider hired by the Mallisters.If he didn't choose to join the Blackshirt Army, he would have to be chopped off with one hand.Will's ability to sneak is first-class, and sneaking silently in the forest is hard to come by. The brothers in the black shirts really quickly discovered his strengths. "The camp is two miles away, over the ridge, next to a stream," Will answered. "I'm pretty close. There were eight people, both men and women, but no children in sight. They were leaning against each other. Big rocks, although the snow almost covered the entire camp, but I can still distinguish. There is no campfire, only the embers of the fire are more obvious. They are motionless. I watched carefully for a long time, and the living people would never lie down like this Quiet."

"Did you spot the blood?" "Well, no," Will admitted. "Did you see any weapons?" "Several swords, two or three bows, and one fellow had an axe. A double-edged iron ax, which seemed heavy, lay on the ground to his right." "Do you remember where they lay relative to each other?" Will shrugged. "Two or three were leaning against the stone, and most of them were lying on the ground, as if they had been beaten to death." "Maybe sleeping too." Royce objected. "It must have been beaten to death," Will insisted, "because there was a woman who climbed on the iron tree and hid in the branches. She should be a scout." He smiled lightly. "I was careful not to let her see it. But when I got closer, I found that she didn't move at all." He couldn't help trembling when he said this.

"Are you cold?" Royce asked. "A little bit," Will murmured, "My lord, it's because of the wind." The young knight turned to face the gray-haired veteran.Frosty leaves whispered in their ears, and Royce's steed squirmed. "Gary, who do you think killed these people?" Ser Waymar asked casually, straightening the folds of his ermine robe. "It's the damn weather," said Gary firmly. "I saw people freeze to death last winter, and I've seen it before, when I was a kid. Everyone says the snow was deep. Up to forty feet, the north wind is as cold as ice, but what really kills is the low temperature. It will catch you silently, quieter than Will, and at first you will be shivering, teeth chattering, legs stretching , dreaming of scalding wine, a warm campfire. It's hot, yes, nothing burns like cold. But it just takes a moment and it gets inside you, fills you up, and before long you Then there is no strength to resist, longing to sit down and rest or take a nap, and it is said that in the end there is no pain at all. You just feel weak and lethargic, and then it fades away, and finally, it is like drowning in hot milk, peaceful and peaceful .”

"I think you are quite poetic," Sir Waymar commented. "I didn't expect you to have such a talent." "My lord, I have experienced the power of severe cold firsthand," said Garry, pulling back his hood so that Ser Waymar could see the lumps of flesh left over from his frozen ears. "Two ears, three toes, and the little finger of my left hand. I was slightly injured. My elder brother froze to death when he was on guard. When we found him, he still had a smile on his face." Sir Waymar shrugged and said, "Gary, you should wear two more clothes."

Gary glared at his young officer, his ears flushed with rage.Maester Aemon cut off his necrotic ear, and there is still a scar next to the pierced ear. "When winter really comes, let's see how warm you can dress." He pulled up his hood, shrunk his body and rode on the horse, and said no more gloomily. "Since Gary said it's about the weather..." Will was about to speak. "Will, did you stand guard last week?" "Yes, my lord." What week did he get the lottery to stand guard, what exactly did this guy want to say? "How's the situation on the Great Wall?" "Ah 'cry'," Will said, frowning.Now he understood. "So they didn't freeze to death. If the city walls drip, it means the weather is not cold enough." Royce nodded. "Smart. There's been a bit of frost and occasional snow this past week, but it's definitely not cold enough to freeze eight people to death. Not to mention they're wearing warm furs to keep out the cold, the terrain is good enough to keep out the wind and snow, and there's plenty of Fire materials." The knight smiled confidently. "Will, lead the way, I want to see these dead people with my own eyes." At this point, they have no choice.Now that the order has been issued, there is only one thing to do. Will led the way, riding his shaggy horse, scouting the undergrowth cautiously.There was a light snowfall last night, and now there are many stones, roots and puddles under the bushes, and it is easy to fall if you are not careful.Ser Waymar Royce followed, his tall steed breathing impatiently.The patrol mission is the most unsuitable for riding a war horse, but how can noble children listen to it?Veteran Gary muttered to himself in a low voice all the way. As dusk deepened, the cloudless sky turned a deep, bruised purple before sinking into darkness.The stars are out, and the new moon is also rising.Will secretly thanked Xingyue for its brilliance. "We should be able to go faster," Royce said.At this time the moon has almost risen to the zenith. "Your horse can't do that," said Will, cursing with fear. "Master, you go ahead and try?" Ser Waymar Royce evidently disdained to answer. A wolf howl came from deep in the woods. Will stopped by an old gnarled iron tree and dismounted. "Why stop?" Ser Waymar asked. "My lord, it's better to walk on the back road, just cross that ridge." Royce also stopped and stared into the distance, with a thoughtful expression on his face.Gusts of cold wind rang through the forest, and his mink fur coat shook behind his back, as if it had life. "There's something wrong here," Gary murmured. The young knight smiled contemptuously at him. "yes?" "Don't you feel it?" Gary asked, "Listen carefully to the voice in the dark." Will felt it too.In all his four years of service with the Night's Watch, he had never been so frightened.What exactly is at work? "The sound of the wind, the rustling of leaves, and the howling of wolves. Gary, which one scares you out of your wits?" Seeing that Gary didn't answer, Royce turned gracefully off his horse.He tied his steed securely to a low-hanging branch, away from the other two, and drew his sword.It was a good sword made in the city, the hilt was inlaid with jewels, shining brightly, and the moonlight reflected bright light on the shining steel sword, no doubt it was newly forged.Will wondered if it had blood on it. "My lord, the trees grow very densely here," Will warned. "It may entangle your sword. Use the short knife." "I will naturally speak up when I need guidance." The young nobleman said, "Gary, stay here and watch the horses." Gary dismounted. "I'm going to light a fire." "Old man, there is a limit to stupidity. If there are enemies in this forest, shall we light a fire to lure them over?" "Some things are only afraid of fire," Gary said, "like bears, direwolves, and... there are many other things." Ser Waymar pressed his lips together. "I can't tell but I can't." Gary's cloak hid his face, but Will could still see the way he glared at the knight.He was once afraid that the old man would impulsively draw his sword and use violence.Although the old man's sword was short and ugly, the hilt was already stained with sweat, and the blade was full of gaps due to long-term use, but if Gary really drew the sword, Will knew that the nobleman would surely die. Finally Gary bowed his head. "let it go".He said sarcastically. Royce then compromised, "Lead the way."he said to Will. Will led him through the thickets and up the gentle slope toward the ridge where he had found shelter under a tree earlier.The thin snow bottom, the ground is wet and muddy, it is easy to slip, and stones and hidden roots can also trip people.Will made no sound as he climbed the slope, but behind him he could hear the metal clashing of ring mail, the friction of leaves, and the cursing sound of forked branches catching his long sword and hooking his beautiful ermine cloak. . Will knew that the big sentinel tree was at the top of the ridge, with its bottom branches barely a foot above the ground.So he climbed into the bushes, lay flat in the residual snow and mud, and looked down at the open plains below. His heart stopped beating, and he couldn't breathe for a while.The moonlight fell on the clearing, revealing the embers of the campfire, the snow-covered rocks, the half-frozen creek, all just as they had been seen hours before. The only difference is that all the people are gone. "Gods bless!" he heard a voice behind him.Ser Waymar Royce made his way to the top of the hill, chopping branches with his sword.He stood beside the sentinel tree, sword in hand, his cloak flapped, and his noble figure was clearly outlined by the bright starlight. "Get down!" Will whispered anxiously. "Something weird happened." Royce didn't move, he looked down at the empty flat land below and smiled: "Will, it seems that those dead people you mentioned have moved their positions." Will seemed suddenly unable to speak, and he tried to find the right words, but in vain.How could such a thing happen, his eyes scanned back and forth in the deserted camp, and finally stopped on the axe.Such a huge double-edged battle ax would stay in place without moving a muscle.According to such a valuable guy... "Will, get up." Sir Waymar ordered, "There's no one here, what a shame to be hiding!" Will reluctantly complied. Ser Waymar looked him up and down disapprovingly. "I don't want to fail my first patrol. We've got to find these guys." He looked around. "Climb up the tree and have a look. Be quick and watch out for any fires nearby." Will turned around wordlessly, knowing that it would be useless to argue.The wind became stronger, like a knife cutting.He walked to the tall and straight blue-gray sentinel tree and began to climb up.Soon he disappeared among the boundless pine needles, his hands covered in sap.Fear was like an indigestible meal in his belly. He could only pray silently to the unknown forest god, while drawing out the dagger, biting it with his teeth, and climbing with his hands free.The cold weapon in his mouth made him feel a little better. Suddenly, a young nobleman shouted from below. "Who's there?" Will heard the uneasiness in his threats, so he stopped crawling, listened intently, and observed carefully. The forest gave him the answer: the rustling of leaves, the murmur of the cold stream, and the cry of snow owls in the distance. The White Walkers appeared without a sound. Out of the corner of Will's eye, he caught sight of a white figure walking through the trees.He turned his head and saw a white shadow in the darkness, and then disappeared.The branches throbbed slightly in the wind, stretching out their wooden fingers to scratch each other.Will opened his mouth to speak a warning, but the words froze in his throat.Maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was just a bird, or the reflection on the snow, or maybe it was an illusion caused by the moonlight.What the hell did he see? "Will, where are you?" Ser Waymar called upwards. "What do you see?" He suddenly became alert, slowly circling the sword in his hand.He must have felt the same way Will did.However, there was no one around. "Answer me quickly! Why is it so cold here?" It's really, really cold here.Will clung to the trunk tremblingly, pressing his cheek against the bark of the sentinel tree.Thick and sweet sap trickled down his face. A shadow suddenly emerged from the darkness of the woods and stood in front of Royce.Its body is very tall, haggard and resolute like dry bones, and its complexion is as pale as milk.Its armor seemed to change color as it moved, from white as new snow to black as shadows, here and there flecked with the deep gray-green of the forest.Every step it takes, the patterns on it are constantly changing like the moonlight on the water. Will heard Ser Waymar Royce gasp. "Don't come over!" The noble young master warned the other party, but his voice was as small as a child's.He turned the long mink coat back to make room for movement, and held his sword in both hands.The wind has stopped, and it is cold to the bone. The White Walker slid forward silently, a longsword in his hand, a weapon like Will had never seen before.It was a translucent sword, its material was not the metal used by humans at all, it was more like a piece of extremely thin crystal shards, if it was laid flat on the blade, it would be almost impossible to find.It and the moonlight reflected each other, and there was a faint and strange blue light around the sword body.Somehow Will understood that this sword was sharper than any razor. Ser Waymar stepped forward bravely. "In that case, let's fight." He raised his sword above his head, speaking provocatively.Although his hands were trembling due to the weight or the extreme cold, Will felt that at that moment, he was no longer a weak and timid boy, but a real night watchman man. The White Walkers stopped in their tracks.Will saw its eyes, which were a bluer and deeper color than any human eyes, burning coldly like black ice.It kept its eyes on the trembling sword held high by the opponent, staring at the cold moonlight flowing on the edge of the metal sword.At that moment, Will felt that things had a turning point. Now they emerged silently from the shadows, exactly like the first White Walker, three... four... five... Ser Waymar might feel the chill that accompanied them, but He neither saw them nor heard them.Will should have warned him, that was his job after all.But once he speaks out, he will surely die.So he trembled and hugged the tree trunk tightly, not daring to make a sound. The pale long sword pierced through the air sharply. Ser Waymar raised his steel sword to meet the foe.When the two swords collided, what came out was not a metal collision, but a high and thin sound that was on the edge of the limit of human hearing, like the sound of an animal crying in pain.Royce parried a second blow, followed by a third, and took a step back.After another flash of swords and swords, he retreated again. To the right and left of him, and around him, the rest of the White Walkers stood patiently watching.They were silent and expressionless, and the ever-changing detailed patterns on their armor stood out against the trees.They have been slow to intervene. The two continued to fight until Will wanted to cover his ears, and could no longer bear the harsh and strange sound of weapons colliding.Ser Waymar's breath began to come short, and his breath steamed like smoke in the moonlight.His longsword was covered with hoarfrost, but the White Walker's sword still shone blue. At this time, Royce's block was a beat slower, and the pale white sword immediately bit through the ring armor under his armpit.The young nobleman cried out in pain, blood flowed between the iron rings, the hot blood steamed hazy in the cold air, dripping onto the pool of blood on the snow, it was as red as fire.Ser Waymar put his hand on the wound, the moleskin glove soaked bright red. The White Walker spoke a few words in a language Will couldn't understand, his voice cracking like a frozen lake, and his tone was full of mockery. Ser Waymar Royce had found his courage. "Long live King Robert!" he roared, gripping the frost-covered sword with both hands and swinging it wildly with all his strength.The White Walkers were unperturbed. The two swords collided, and the steel sword shattered. The screams echoed in the forest at night, and Royce's long sword shattered into thousands of pieces, scattered like a rain of needles.Royce screamed and knelt down, covering his eyes with his hands, blood gurgling from between his fingers. The other ghosts watching seemed to have received some signal, and rushed forward at this moment.In the dead silence, swords rained, this was a cruel massacre.The pale blade sliced ​​through the ringmail like silk.Will closed his eyes.He heard their chatter and laughter from far away on the ground, sharp as ice needles. After a long time, he finally mustered up the courage to open his eyes.The ridge under the trees was deserted. The moon slowly crawled across the pitch-black sky, but he still stayed on the tree, too frightened to breathe out.Finally, with cramping muscles and frozen fingers, he climbed back under the tree. Royce's body lay face down in the snow, one arm outstretched, his heavy ermine cape horribly chopped off.Seeing his death here, I realized how young he was, but he was just a big boy. He found the remains of a broken sword a few feet away, its body shattered like a lightning-struck treetop.Will bent down and looked around cautiously before picking up the sword.He'd take the broken sword as evidence, and Gary would know what to do.Even if he didn't know, Mormont the Old Bear or Maester Aemon must have a way.Is Gary still watching the horses waiting for him to go back?Better to pick up the pace. Will stood up.Ser Waymar Royce stood before him. His fine clothes were shattered, his appearance was completely destroyed, and the shards of the broken sword reflected the blankness of the pupil of his left eye. His right eye was open, with a blue fire burning in the pupil, looking at the living person. The broken sword fell from Will's powerless hands, and he closed his eyes and prayed silently.Elegant and slender hands brushed his cheeks and grabbed his throat.Although they were wrapped in the finest moleskin gloves and covered with sticky blood clots, they were extremely cold. ※※※※※※※ ①Savage: Refers to people who live north of the Great Wall and are not under the rule of the kingdom's law.Their leader is Mance Rayder, known as "King Beyond the Wall". ②Night Watchman: A troop stationed at the Great Wall in the northernmost part of the kingdom, named for its duty to deal with all kinds of threats outside the Great Wall because it is dressed in black. ③Free rider: A type of mercenary who owns horses but does not have the status of a knight. ④In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the duration of the four seasons is different from that on the earth. The four seasons can last for more than one year, or even several years.The number of winters and summers that a person can experience in a lifetime is quite small. ⑤Bachelor is a profession that combines scholars, doctors, teachers, and consultants.Sometimes it is also translated as "master", as a more colloquial and more intimate usage.A Grand Master who has a seat in the King's Council is also called a "National Teacher".