Chapter 137 – Flayed Man in Peril

[301 AC - Winterfell]

Bran watched the discussion in the great hall with great focus, shock and fearful anticipation in his heart as he listened to the member of the Night's Watch talk about the dead rising from their graves.

When the bearded priest stated that the Crow had spoken the truth and that the terrors lurking beyond the Wall were indeed many besides just the wildlings, and that these 'wights' were raised and controlled by the Others, the crippled youth felt his heart skip a beat.

For the last few years, ever since his fall from the broken tower, strange dreams and nightmares had often accompanied him in his sleep.

The fact that most of these dreams didn't just vanish from his mind the next morning but were burned in his memory with clarity, just made it all the harder to ignore the similarities between these nightmares and the things the Red Priest told them about.

Still, Bran held back and stayed quiet, knowing that others might question his sanity if he revealed that he had dreamt about the White Walkers and the things that were happening in the North.

He was however determined to have a talk with the Red Priest, as he seemed the most likely to know what his dreams signified, being a sorcerer himself.

"If the Others, the White Walkers, cannot be slain by fire and steel, can they even be defeated?", Robb suddenly questioned solemnly, while looking at the High Priest, who had risen from his seat to answer the young King's previous question.

…

"If the Others, the White Walkers, cannot be slain by fire and steel, can they even be defeated?"

Listening to the Young Wolf's words, Thoros gave a glance around as he answered meaningfully: "They can, but this isn't information that can be spread willfully."

Rising from his seat, Robb gestured to the Night's Watch member, as he voiced out, "Find a seat Ser Jarman and have something to eat and rest. A member of the Night's Watch is always welcome at Winterfell."

"Thank you, Your Grace.", the man bowed in respect and gratitude, knowing that hundreds and thousands of his brothers had been fed in these halls by the Starks since age-old.

Turning towards Thoros, the young King continued: "Let's talk in my solar, High Priest."

Before the bearded priest could respond though, another voice sounded out with a heavy undertone, causing the atmosphere to turn somewhat tense.

"I don't think that that's the right way to go about this, Your Grace.", Roose Bolton stated, "If what the priest said is true, shouldn't we all have the right to hear about how to defeat the White Walkers in battle, considering that it will be on us to man the Wall and face them in battle?"

The Lord of Dreadfort knew that his words may offend the priest and his King, but he had also realized that, ever since that dragonrider had first appeared and met with Robb, the Young Wolf had subtly pushed him out of his inner circle, making him somewhat anxious and suspicious about what else that Targaryen bastard had told his King.

The Lord of House Bolton already suspected that the King knew about his planned betrayal, which was why he had come to Winterfell with more men than usual and also spoke up just now.

He didn't have thoughts of overthrowing or plotting against Robb Stark, as that would most likely see his House completely annihilated by the Red Temple, but he did contact the Karstarks and several other Houses that held resentment towards their new King in order to form an alliance to resist a possible retaliation of House Stark.

The reason he spoke up just now was likewise to garner the support of the Lords, heirs, and representatives present, as well as to force the priest to reveal what he knew to all of them.

Roose was well aware that this information was absolutely crucial in the upcoming battle, because the young King could very well use it to force those opposing his rule to submit, as none of them could just run from this battle.

As devious as Roose was, he knew that the Wall could not be allowed to fall in any case, as that would mean disaster for all of the North. Not to mention that he had no doubt that should he refuse to march his men towards the Wall in order to defend it, he was undoubtedly going to be branded a traitor to the throne.

Having seen the unbelievably massive white-golden dragon, Roose did not plan to make himself a possible target for the dragonrider, who would most likely come for him at Robb Stark's request, considering that they treated each other as brothers and were in fact related by blood.

Grumbles and murmurs arose in response to his words from the crowd, as most of the men present bought into his words and thought that it was only right for them to know what the priest had to say about the White Walkers.

"Right to know?", Thoros spoke with a strange calm, his eyes gaining a darker tone as a slightly oppressive aura erupted from him and utter silence quickly spread in the great hall.

"It is out of kindness that the Lord has decided to not turn the North and the Riverlands into a burnt wasteland and even agreed to an alliance. It is kindness that had him send us here to warn you about the threats from beyond the Wall."

"And it is his kindness that had the Red Temple's forces exterminate the Greyjoys raiding and pillaging your lands and castles, raping your women and killing your children."

Many of the men present lowered their heads at these words, knowing them to be true, as the Greyjoys had wreaked havoc on their lands and taken several castles and strongholds, while they were preoccupied with the war in the South against the Lannister forces.

Without the temple's intervention, after the war was over the ironborn would have undoubtedly destroyed the towns and villages that they could not hold and killed everyone but their wives and daughters, which they would have taken away, before either returning to the Iron Islands or holing themselves up in the strongholds that were easily defendable.

Instead, it had been the temple's forces that had purged the land of the ironborn, hunting down even the last of the raiders with brutal efficiency, before turning their focus on the Iron Islands and eradicating almost every noble House on them.

This was a debt that they owed the temple without any means to repay them and having it laid out like that, had many of them look down in shame.

"It is also out of kindness that my Lord hasn't sent me to hunt down every member of your family for attempting to murder a priestess of the temple, Lord Bolton.", Thoros voiced out sharply, staring down the Lord of House Bolton, "You have no rights in the temple's eyes, traitor."

Gritting his teeth, Roose Bolton forced himself to reply and put up a strong front, despite the fear gripping his heart, knowing that he was left with no other choice than to do so, considering the incredibly dangerous turn the whole situation just took.

"If you want my head priest, just say it, but don't try and taint the name of my House! Baseless accusations are only going to dishonor you and the Red Temple.", he countered fiercely, though his eyes spoke of the terror in his heart.

"What would you know about honor?", the Undying Priest questioned darkly, flames igniting around his hands and in his eyes, "And haven't I told you before? Nothing can be hidden from the Lord's gaze, not even the secret messages you exchanged with the Lannisters and Freys."

Pulling out a small pouch, Thoros opened it for all to see, before turning his hand and letting dozens of small paper rolls fall out of it, the kind that were used to send messages via a raven.

"If you thought that it would be hard to find evidence of your ploy to kill the King of the North, his wife, and their unborn child, along with the many loyal men at his side during Edmure Tully's wedding at the Twins, then you severely underestimated the Red Temple, Lord Bolton.", Thoros stated with calm disdain, as he slowly approached the man.

Flames dancing around his form threateningly as an aura of bloodlust and savagery exploded from him, his Fiery Hand warriors following behind with their Valyrian steel shortswords drawn and ready.

The atmosphere was near suffocatingly tense, as nobody dared to stand in the High Priest's way, as everybody watched the massacre that was about to commence in bated breath, when suddenly a change occurred.