Jeor Mormont had departed.
Only Lynn remained, along with the wobbling, three-headed little monster at his feet.
Winter seemed endlessly curious about everything in this world.
The central head, with its amber eyes, sniffed cautiously at the cooled ash of the forge, then tentatively took a bite.
It immediately sneezed, choking on the dust.
The left head, with its deep blue eyes, scanned the surroundings vigilantly, occasionally letting out a low whimper from its throat.
The smallest head on the right, the one with blood-red eyes, was impatiently gnawing at Lynn's pant leg, seemingly urging him to do something.
It wasn't until Nymeria nudged the door open with her wolf's head that the little creature's attention was diverted. It scampered off to chase after Nymeria.
Life was comfortable for them now.
Lynn paid it no mind. The three brothers would never be lonely, especially now that they had Nymeria and Ghost to play with.
But in Lynn's mind, Maester Aemon's final words still echoed.
"Go... and end the Long Night..."
The phrase seared him like a branding iron, preventing him from finding peace.
Lynn held the heavy stack of books Aemon had left him tightly against his chest.
These were not just books.
They were keys, responsibilities, and the final legacy of a Targaryen.
"Torrhen. Jason."
Lynn's voice rang out in the empty smithy.
Two burly figures immediately entered from outside.
Shock still lingered on their faces.
"My Lord."
"I will soon head south, back to Winterfell, and then on to King's Landing."
"While I am gone, you two will act in my stead regarding all matters at Castle Black."
"You are also to obey Lord Commander Mormont's commands."
"If there is news, send a raven to me immediately."
Torrhen and Jason exchanged a glance, then knelt on one knee.
"As you command, my Lord!"
"First matter."
Lynn's gaze swept over them.
"Increase patrols beyond the Wall. Focus on known Wildling gathering spots and anywhere sightings of White Walkers or wights have occurred."
"Mobilize all Rangers, including the Northern guard I leave behind."
"I don't care how you do it. I want you to ceaselessly hunt down the dead."
"If you see wights, kill them. If you see a White Walker, run. If you can't run, use dragonglass."
"Remember that large cache of dragonglass we found?"
"Bring it back and forge weapons from it."
"With dragonglass, even you can stand against the White Walkers."
Jason seemed to realize something, a flash of understanding in his eyes.
This meant the White Walkers were not invincible.
Lynn continued.
"As for the Wildlings, if you encounter any who are foolish enough to cause trouble, kill them as well."
Although Lynn would be thousands of miles away, as long as his subordinates completed the kills, the System would feedback a portion of the experience points to him.
This was his true goal.
He intended to turn the entire Night's Watch into a perpetual experience-harvesting machine!
"Second matter."
Lynn went on.
"Continue searching for 'Blessed Items' on my behalf. Anything strange, anything that seems to contain special power."
"I only need one of each kind."
"The rest, be they weapons or anything else, belong to the finder."
This statement made Torrhen and Jason's breath hitch.
They had seen the miraculous power of those "Blessed Items" with their own eyes.
Lord Lynn's generosity would become the strongest motivation for every brother of the Watch!
"Understood, my Lord!"
"Go."
Lynn waved his hand.
"Tell the men to prepare. We move out tonight."
After the two left, Lynn returned to Maester Aemon's chambers, books in arm, with the little shadow trailing step-for-step behind him.
The three-eyed raven was still perched on the windowsill.
It hadn't left, nor did it make a sound.
It simply watched him quietly with those three mismatched eyes.
Like a silent jailer.
Lynn's eyelid twitched.
Forcing himself to ignore the sensation of being watched, he placed the books on the desk and sat on the edge of the bed.
Winter hopped nimbly onto the bed. Its three heads leaned in curiously, forked tongues flickering out to lick Lynn's cheek.
A warm, wet sensation washed over him.
Lynn's irritation faded slightly.
He reached out and stroked the smooth scales of the central head.
Just then.
Flap—
The three-eyed raven suddenly took flight, circled the room once, and landed precisely on Lynn's shoulder.
Lynn's body went rigid.
He could feel the claws gripping the fabric of his tunic tightly.
Before he could react...
The raven lowered its head and pecked his ear with its sharp beak—not hard enough to draw blood, but firm enough to be felt.
An alien will surged into Lynn's mind!
"We need to talk."
an ancient voice resonated directly within his consciousness.
Lynn's pupils contracted sharply.
He sprang to his feet, swiping the raven from his shoulder!
His hand was already on the hilt of Longclaw, every muscle in his body pulled taut.
The raven, brushed to the floor, remained unharmed.
It unhurriedly preened its feathers.
Then, it looked up again, fixing its blood-red eye on Lynn.
"I am your past, and your future."
The voice spoke again, laced with a strange mockery.
"I am the roots beneath the Wall. I am the eyes of the Weirwoods."
Lynn knew, of course.
"I know you are Brynden Rivers."
Upon hearing Lynn's words, the three-eyed raven seemed to stiffen for a fraction of a second.
It evidently hadn't expected Lynn to know its origins.
It was an ancient monster that had lived for over a century—a Targaryen bastard, a former Hand of the King, a Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and now the Last Greenseer.
It was always the one who knew everything about others. It hadn't anticipated that Lynn would know its true identity.
"What do you want?"
Lynn's voice turned icy.
He stared hard at the raven, trying to find even a single flaw in those three eyes.
"What I want is the same as what you want."
Bloodraven's voice was full of temptation.
"Power."
"And... a way to end this eternal night."
"I don't need your help," Lynn refused coldly.
He would never trust an ancient monster whose motives were unknown.
"Is that so?"
Bloodraven let out a strange chuckle.
"Then, the sword at your hip, the dragon egg you carried, and the way you suddenly seem like a different person... do you think those are enough?"
The Three-Eyed Raven was far eerier than he had imagined.
"What exactly do you want?" Lynn asked curiously.
He was wary, but not afraid.
Just a crippled old man stuck in a tree. He couldn't kill Lynn from thousands of miles away.
"I want you to go to a place."
Bloodraven finally revealed his purpose.
"The Fist of the First Men."
Lynn's brow furrowed deeper.
Of course he knew the place. It was an ancient ringfort beyond the Wall, a strong defensive position, and the site where the Night's Watch would suffer a disastrous defeat in the future.
"Why should I listen to you?"
"Because there is something there that I believe will interest you greatly."
Bloodraven's voice carried an undeniable certainty.
"A horn."
"A horn that can make giants kneel and the dead speak."
"A horn... that can wake the earth."
The Horn of Winter.
The Horn of Joramun.
The legendary artifact that, once blown, could bring down the Wall and end the world as they knew it!
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