24. Doom

Robb and Jon reached their 15th birthday. They were now great swordsmen, but there was still room for improvement. I didn't stand still either, and trained together, but 10x more intensely than them.

It served as an inspiration and also to teach that, you never got too far, and you can always improve. Her classes with Ned and Rodrick were going well too.

We were now mounted on our horses, fully armored, hurrying down the kingsroad. Bandits had attacked a convoy with some supplies that were bound for Winterfell.

There were only the three of us on the road, heading towards where the attack had taken place. Robb showed that all his training was working perfectly, mainly because of Arya.

She was driving Winterfell crazy with her quest. It was pretty simple, she just had to scratch the ass of whoever she managed to sneak up on. But she had to cross out and leave, without the person noticing her.

Of course I also taught her how to fight. Or at least dodge punches and swords, and aim your kicks at unprotected spots, like balls and cheese. She was one of my best apprentices.

Sansa, she still had that noble air, all delicate, but she was a rock if anyone tried anything. She wore many long-sleeved dresses, where one of her daggers was kept, and two other daggers were on her thighs and calves.

Making the knife holster was pretty easy, and she even made it in a way that was comfortable and secure.

Bran and Rickon had only one thing in mind, training their bodies. It was normal to see the two boys running almost all day from one side to the other, sometimes carrying something in their hands, sometimes on their backs.

Of course, I didn't put on too much weight, so as not to hinder the boys' growth.

We arrived a short time later at the site of the attack. You could see the carriages overturned, bodies strewn across the ground, some missing large chunks. It was a bizarre scene.

Jon and Robb were holding on well, avoiding throwing up when they saw the scene.

We got off the horses, and I handed mine to Jon, who followed without a peep, his eyes sweeping around. Robb was doing the same, but looking a little further away and lower, looking for clues.

Then I began to follow a faint trail. It led to the right of the road, through the forest. Jon tethered the horses to a tree, and we started to head into the forest. The woods were too dense to travel with a horse.

This made us deduce that those bandits were not far away, and they were on foot.

We walked a little further and found a brief camp. Unfortunately, they had dogs, so sneaking was out of the options.

"Robb, Jon, I'm going to go straight ahead and put the men out, you're going to kill the dogs when I'm done, is that understood?" I look at the two boys, who nod in agreement.

I untie my scabbard and use the leather to secure the sword inside the scabbard so it won't slip out. Then, with insane speed, I begin my attack. Even with the dogs, who started to bark, I still saw surprise in those men.

They were unarmed, unprotected and taken by surprise, a fatal combination if I was there to kill. But unfortunately, not everything goes as planned.

The nearest bandit, on instinct, tried to dodge my sword, but his movement was erratic, which caused the blade, even covered by the scabbard, to hit his throat, making him lose his breath.

His Snitch sank into his throat, closing off his respiratory vein. But I didn't have time to care, heading straight for the other two. They even recovered quickly, but not enough.

I closed the distance and quickly landed my blows, hitting legs, stomach, back and head, erasing them. Jon and Robb quickly took over their duties and killed the dogs, who were still trapped in a cage.

"That was amazing Professor." Jon says excitedly.

"No, I failed to capture the 3 alive, so that was good at best. But it's good for now. Let's move fast, by the number of things and the lack of stolen objects, most likely this group is bigger than we saw.

Let's get these two to Winterfell and get some information, get our men ready and start our hunt soon after." I throw the boys some rope the bandits had.

The boys tied up the unconscious pair. I just checked that they were well tied, and then we dragged the pair to the horses. From there we left for Winterfell.

My desire to go back wasn't because of the danger, but because, when the bandit died, I felt my mind break free somehow, and my telepathic power brush the minds of the 4 still alive.

Quickly, I controlled my power, knowing it could very well cause the boys a desperate situation. Having your mind searched wasn't something callous as they say.

It's like someone is picking at a wound, you know they're doing it. And the mind, even those without power, still has some degree of protection, which makes life painful for those who have been invaded.

In this case, it's like treating an open wound without using anesthesia.

Shortly after arriving at Winterfell, an idea struck me. I implanted a very basic story in the two men still out, as if they knew me or knew who I was.

I let the name Doom be the name created by my enemies, and a massacre as a backstory. It would give me a little trouble, yes, but nothing that couldn't be resolved calmly.

As soon as the duo woke up and saw Eddard Stark, Robb Stark, Jon Snow and Rodrick Cassel, they only noticed that they had been caught and now, prison was the least of their problems, but when their eyes turned to me, their expressions of fear and dread they were so accentuated, they made the group look at me curiously.

"Doom. It can't be, they said you were dead. Impossible." one of the trapped men screams, as if this will somehow save him.

"Victor, what's this Doom thing?" Eddard asks, the curiosity almost palpable not only in him but in the others as well.