Next, a smiling young man flashed before , strangely reminiscent of myself, Jai, Tyrion, and Tywin all at once. Sunlight glinted in his golden hair, and a sly smile seed never to leave his face. His green eyes were striking—sharp with intelligence and cunning.
"Hell of a lot of fun, isn't it?" he grinned, then vanished, erased by another burst of leaves.
A new vision followed—and a new man. Short, disproportionately broad-shouldered and broad-chested, stern of face, with a large head, a bulging forehead, and a nose bent to one side. He stood at the center of a star painted on a stone floor, glittering with cold light. Two tall candles burned beside him—one green, one black. Their edges were so sharp they looked capable of cutting flesh.
The man stares intently straight ahead. He saw , and yet he did not.
"Who are you?" The question ca in Valyrian. His hoarse voice carried both alarm and anticipation.
In the next instant, he dissolved into the greenery.
Two dragons clashed in the sky… Several young faces appeared, and I realized they were Starks, staring at with anger and reproach… The majestic Wall lood closer through a veil of frost… Margaery was nursing two adorable infants…
"I will find you!" soone shouted sharply in the night, and I caught the icy glint of blue eyes.
These and other, less distinct visions flashed before . And though they all ant sothing, I realize they are not the most important. What truly mattered lay hidden sowhere farther away, watching to see whether I would be able to reach it or not.
The green sea tossed from side to side, playing with like a toy. I was hurled up and down, left and right; one fleeting vision replaced another, and my consciousness warped strangely. I perceived other people's thoughts and emotions and forgot my own.
Of all that was there, I felt only one thing—in that place I did not move, yet sohow I knew I had to go forward. Just walk, straining every ounce of will. Just walk. Was that really so difficult?
Here, it was unbearably hard. The greenery toyed with , threw off stride, making forget who I was and why I was here. Why was I alive?
Just walk… One step, then another… and another… Walk… And then the greenery retreated. I found myself standing in a clearing. Before stood a weirwood and the Elder.
"You made it through," said an impassive voice.
Looking around, I realized we were alone. There were no green people, no Jai, no guards in the clearing.
The Elder approached and took my hand. When he stood fully upright, he was nearly a head taller than . And once more, I was drawn into the greenery.
A gap opened in one place. In the next instant, I stood at the edge of a forest. All around rose weirwoods, and near one of them, upon a stone altar, a tall, powerfully built man was bound hand and foot. He scread wildly, thrashing in a desperate attempt to break free.
A group of small figures nearby paid him no attention. The Children of the Forest. Behind them, forming a second ring, stood several green people—tall and majestic. They were chanting, their hands raised, a strange light shimring upon their palms.
"That is how it all began," a quiet voice said.
Only then did I realize that the Elder was standing half a step behind . Endless fatigue and disappointnt filled his eyes.
I couldn't help but chuckle. It seems that this was how the Three-Eyed Crow had shown Bran Stark his visions. Had I beco part of sothing similar?
The ritual continued. We watched in silence as the man on the altar stopped screaming, then—utterly spent—closed his eyes and fell still. The final words were spoken, and magic surged, shaking the entire clearing in a single violent wave. Then everything fell silent...
The air clearly reeked of dread.
A mont later, the man on the altar opened his eyes—cold, frozen, an astonishing shade of blue. And he began to laugh. Eerily. Anticipatingly…
The Children of the Forest ran around, beca agitated, and started shouting sothing in alarm.
"Then our ancestors managed to bind him for a ti," the Elder said quietly. "But in the end, he broke free."
"Why didn't he try to conquer Westeros earlier?"
"He did—many tis," ca the answer. "But the conditions were never right. And there were always those who prevented him from reaching his full strength."
"So what now?"
"Difficult tis are coming. The Night King may beco stronger than ever before. Strong enough to overco the Wall."
"So now it's my problem?"
"You are the king," he replied. "And if you wish to remain so, you must do sothing to protect your lands and your people."
"And what exactly am I supposed to do?"
"Now you will be able to see through the green. I know there is still a godwood in the Red Keep." He continued when he saw nod. "With the help of the weirwood, you will see everything you need to see and understand what is happening. And your heart will tell you what must be done."
I nodded once more, silently.
It seems soone is beginning to follow in the footsteps of Brandon Stark.
(End of Chapter)
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