After seven days of travel, with no other incidents save the rescue of Val, Thorfinn finally returned to his home. Seeing the familiar tents of his family from a distance, a warm feeling flooded his heart, and Thorfinn gradually quickened his pace.
Spotting the woman most familiar to him in this life, Thorfinn ran even faster. Darie stopped her work and rushed toward Thorfinn just as eagerly. They embraced fiercely, a reunion made precious in a world where travel is slow and messages often fail.
Val merely walked closer and stood quietly to the side, her restless eyes darting around, filled with the curiosity of exploring the unknown.
Tears of joy streamed down Darie's face. She held Thorfinn's head, examined him closely, and kissed his forehead. "It is good to have you home, my child! You cannot know how much I have missed you."
Thorfinn comforted her. "I am here now, Mother. Where are the others? I don't see them."
Darie wiped away her excited tears and smiled. "Reynar took them up into the hills. They are already fine hunters now. And do you know, Morla just became a skinchanger! Orrik is green with envy about it."
Thorfinn exclaimed, "Is that so? That is truly good news, something to raise a horn for."
It was then that Darie noticed the girl standing near Thorfinn. She asked, her eyes searching, "And who is this?"
Before Thorfinn could introduce her, Val spoke up. "Greetings, goodwoman. My name is Val. I met with trouble on the road, and Thorfinn saved me. You wouldn't believe it, but Thorfinn is fierce; he took down all five of those Thenns by himself."
Darie was filled with dread. Ignoring Val's praise, she quickly examined Thorfinn, only sighing in relief when she found he was unharmed.
After that, Darie looked at Thorfinn with a teasing glint in her eyes. "You rascal! Already learning to steal a maiden's heart! Well, it's not too soon. After all, you are thirteen winters old."
Thorfinn was speechless. "Mother, this was an accident. It doesn't count."
Darie glanced at Val a few times, then whispered into Thorfinn's ear: "I think this girl is quite lovely. You should seize the opportunity, my boy."
Thorfinn: "..."
Welcoming them into the tent, Thorfinn and Val felt a warmth they had long missed. After a spoonful of the stew that Darie always kept simmering, Thorfinn felt life rush back into him. It was the same familiar, comforting taste, the taste of home. Thorfinn couldn't help but chug a large bowl in one go.
Darie and Val were chattering happily about some topic, while Thorfinn found a few chunks of raw meat for Alpha and fed some strips of dried flesh to the Lady Owl.
It wasn't until dusk that Reynar, Orrik, and Merek and Morla returned. Seeing Thorfinn, they naturally had much to catch up on. Merek and Morla were much taller than he remembered, and Orrik was growing to be about the same height as him.
The tent was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Even White Snow and Sunny were nestled close to Alpha. A reunion of siblings is always a cause for cheer.
Thorfinn joked with Orrik, and Merek was delighted to interact with Thorfinn. He'd heard from their father that their brother was not just a fine hunter now, but a capable warrior. Thorfinn, hearing this, immediately gave Merek the longsword he had captured. This sparked a renewed round of complaints from Orrik, who was only satisfied when Thorfinn gave him the round shield.
Morla, however, was in a bit of a mood, naturally because Thorfinn had brought a girl home. What could that possibly mean? Morla was left to wonder. After Thorfinn patiently explained a few times, everyone understood, and their gaze upon Val lost its uncertain edge.
Dinner was a merry and relaxed time. Thorfinn recounted the events of the last two years, and the yearning they had all felt during his time learning with Boro quietly faded away. However, once everyone was full, Thorfinn decided to share the news he had received from Thenya.
"Everyone is finished eating, yes? Then I have one thing to speak of, a matter of grave importance."
Reynar knew his eldest son's character. If Thorfinn called something important, it was no small matter. So he spoke, "Thorfinn, speak your piece. Everyone listen closely."
Thorfinn swept his gaze around. Everyone's eyes were on him; even Val was listening carefully.
Thorfinn took a deep breath, his expression grim. "While I was with Boro, I studied magic under an old woods witch. That old woman died some time ago, but before she passed, she spent the last of her strength and spirit to receive a very dangerous prophecy..."
As he spoke, Thorfinn noticed the strange looks in their eyes—looks that suggested they thought he had lost his wits. Sigh. He would have to convince them that magic was real before he could continue the topic. What a pain.
With this thought, Thorfinn went on, "I know what you are thinking. But what I say is the truth. If you do not believe me, then watch this." With that, Thorfinn extended his right hand, and to everyone's amazement, a fist-sized orb of shimmering white light materialized.
"Gods be good!"
"By the Old Gods!"
"..."
All their reactions, without exception, were filled with utter astonishment. With this small ball of magical energy, Thorfinn had completely overturned their understanding of the world. The raw power of Thorfinn's magic shattered their ingrained beliefs. However, tall tales of ghosts and ghasts were common Beyond the Wall, so after the initial shock, they slowly began to calm down.
Orrik, highly excitable, shouted, "Thorfinn, how did you do that? That is the coolest thing I've ever seen!"
Thorfinn explained with some effort, "This is magic."
Val was even bold enough to poke it with her finger. The concentrated magic was tangible and felt soft. The others also came over to poke it curiously. Orrik was having so much fun he was laughing like a fool. Only then did Thorfinn draw it back, as manifesting such a substantial amount of magic all at once was not easy, and he felt somewhat drained.
At this point, everyone was in a state of bewildered excitement, unsure whether to be happy or fearful. Most people would scoff at a woods witch's prophecy; a few might even openly curse you. Magic might have once existed, but it was now widely believed to have vanished from the world. This was the common wisdom.
The prejudice in men's hearts is a mountain that is hard to move, no matter how hard you try. The scattered tales of woods witches, exaggerated and distorted by rumor, had given the name 'witch' a foul stench. Some even whispered that witches were servants of demons or lay with the foul things... such a rich imagination!
Thorfinn continued, "Whether you choose to believe it or not, magic is beginning to return to the world, and what I am about to tell you is connected to it."
Darie ushered Orrik to sit down quietly, and Reynar signaled the others to continue listening. They all settled again, but this time their expressions were solemn and tinged with worry.
Thorfinn continued, "The Others sleeping in the Land of Always Winter are about to wake. They will hunt the living and raise the dead to fight for them. There will be a war between men and the Others, and if this war is lost, the Long Night will come..."
Thenya's prophecy was not so detailed, of course, but Thorfinn knew he could use a great truth to wave his own banner. After all, what he spoke was the truth, and since it was for their salvation, the more detail he provided, the better.
However, the only response Thorfinn received was silence. Their eyes conveyed the most direct emotion of all: profound doubt.
Thorfinn pressed on, "Why is it that our hunting has become easier lately, here near the Milkwater by the Fist of the First Men? Why are the Thenns, who live closer to the Land of Always Winter, moving about in such great numbers? It all seems connected. Do not forget that animals have keen senses. Many creatures are beginning to migrate south. All these strange occurrences can be explained by this one answer."
After a strange silence, Reynar spoke. "I may not know magic, but I know the forest. There have been anomalies these past few years. There are clearly strange beasts moving about in the hills. Three years ago, the strange wounds on the shadowcats; one year ago, I even found tracks of an ice wolf nearby. Those great beasts usually only live on the ice plains. That is clearly not natural."
Darie sighed. "Perhaps the talk of the Others is true, then. If so, things Beyond the Wall will be anything but peaceful."
The atmosphere in the tent suddenly became heavy. As if to lighten the mood, Val spoke. "It might not be so dire. I hear someone has been traveling and persuading the various tribes to unite. If there are enough people, even the Others will be afraid."
Thorfinn countered, "A ragtag army assembled at the last minute, no matter how numerous, will be useless if their hearts are not one. How many men can truly face the dead climbing out of their graves without fear? Besides, the only things that can kill an Other are Dragonsteel and Dragonglass—that is, Valyrian steel and Obsidian. Trying to defeat them with numbers is meaningless; the dead will only replenish their ranks."
Orrik: "But where are we to find Dragonglass and Dragonsteel?"
Thorfinn threw up his hands in frustration. "That is the problem. We don't even have the weapons to fight them! How are we supposed to wage this war? Even if the Free Folk unite, we must also reach an understanding with the men on the other side of the Wall. Where do we get the arms? One or two pieces will do nothing."
Merek acutely spotted the issue. "Thorfinn, how do you know so much about these things? This is knowledge that should be kept secret!"
Thorfinn paused, then explained, "After learning of the prophecy, I focused on gathering information on this subject, reading it from an ancient book. With the help of my friend Lyra, I was able to learn these crucial details. This knowledge hasn't spread yet. I will have to find a way to pass it on in the future, as one day it might save lives."
Morla realized Thorfinn had mentioned another girl's name again, and her already sour mood grew worse.
The news weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, like a stone. They might not trust the word of a woods witch, but they would not doubt Thorfinn's word. Though his claims were unbelievable, his logic and observations were clear, and coupled with the recent strangeness, they were forced to believe him a little more.
If this was true, then things were truly grim.
That night, everyone went to sleep with heavy, uneasy hearts. Morla slept with Val, and Thorfinn had to squeeze in with Merek and Orrik. Though it was time for sleep, no one could truly rest. Save for the one who started it all, who slept soundly, everyone was terrified by Thorfinn's talk of the Others. They all thought: If magic is real, why shouldn't theOthersbe real? And if theOthersare real, then a great disaster is truly upon us! A powerful sense of looming crisis settled over them, making them increasingly restless.