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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 14, 2015 18:47:19 GMT -5
The ships crowd as the battle begins, the line of people struggling to get on any available space. Fire arrows lance out again and again, and the dead horde breaks twice as Benjen and the refugees disembark. He hears any man who can chanting the oath over and over as they die and rise to attack their brothers, and it isn't until his ship, last in line, rounds the harbor exit a mile away that he sees the coastal castle and the grounds around it ignite, a trail of the oil leading all the way up the Wall and igniting the traitor brothers who had attacked from that direction.
As Julia cries over the edge, Gerald looks grimly. A couple snowflakes, first even this far north, begin to fall as the fires burn.
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Post by Amelia Royce on Aug 14, 2015 18:49:36 GMT -5
Benjen watched the scene with a dark expression, thoughts upon thoughts going through his head. He placed an arm around Julia as she began to cry, turning to look at Gerald. "We will make them pay. The Lord Commander, the traitor brothers, all of them." He caught a snowflake with a gloved hand and frowned at it. As he had said, north of the Wall - winter had come.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 14, 2015 18:51:40 GMT -5
Gerald nodded. "This won't be as easy as Draven," he said. "Or...even fucking Bryce." They hear the lone giant rustling about, their ship the only one large enough to fit it and not capsize. "Where should we head to? White Harbor? The Dreadfort? Winterfell must be alerted."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Aug 14, 2015 18:57:47 GMT -5
"White Harbour is our best option, though I want someone to get out at Karhold and inform the maester," Benjen stated. "Send a raven to every damn castle in Westeros." He looked up at the sky and breathed deeply. "I don't know if we can do this, but we will do our best. I should have killed that fucking sorcerer when I had the chance."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 14, 2015 19:00:59 GMT -5
"Fortunately these fuckers keep giving us second chances," Gerald said. "I'll get off at Karhold and take the land route to my cousin's castle, if it's all the same to you. Even with the fleet out, those two and the Umbers can mass a few thousand men without issue."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Aug 14, 2015 19:04:04 GMT -5
"Good idea," Benjen said with a firm nod. "I will try to gather as many men as I can - with Kal away it will be more difficult to rally the North, though when he hears of this he will likely come running back."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 14, 2015 19:06:19 GMT -5
"I doubt he'll have a choice," Gerald said. "Even if he wanted to hunt Dayne down like the dog he is, he'd still have his lords who need to see to their people. Be good to have him here. That fucking sword is just the cure for that dead Greyjoy."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Aug 14, 2015 19:10:48 GMT -5
"Any Valyrian Steel will help us," Benjen replied, wondering where Nick would be when he got to Eddard's Rest. "We had best get some rest - it's going to be a long until we can all rest peacefully again."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 14, 2015 19:57:35 GMT -5
"Says you," he said. "After this week, Oriax himself couldn't stop me from my ten hours sleep. Have fun," he said with a chuckle utterly without mirth as he headed down to the giant bunkroom.
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Post by Amelia Royce on Aug 14, 2015 20:01:47 GMT -5
Benjen stayed for a moment, looking at Julia. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 14, 2015 20:15:36 GMT -5
"I'm better off then they are," she said. "I'll recover. But nowhere will be far enough to outrun them now."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Aug 14, 2015 20:19:06 GMT -5
"No running," Benjen agreed with a shake of his head. "We fight or we die. It is a matter of pure survival now." He sighed. "I wish we'd have more time... the war against Bryce Dayne was not so long ago and rallying Westeros will take a long time, if it is even possible. By then the North might be overrun."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 14, 2015 20:21:53 GMT -5
"He isn't moving south, not until he can send his generals," she says, sounding sure. "Even past the wall he can only control them from so far away." She shivered. "Maybe he can't break the Wall and he's stuck raiding the top of your kingdom forever."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Aug 14, 2015 20:33:33 GMT -5
"Better than his entire armies ravaging all of Westeros and the rest of the world," Benjen said, before yawning. "I think I'm going to find something to drink and then sleep - no doubt I'll dream of the dead chasing me."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Aug 14, 2015 20:42:54 GMT -5
She nods and looks back out to the coast, then a little boy comes up to her. She sighs and hugs him and leads him somewhere...safe. For now.
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