165 CHAPTER 165
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CHAPTER 165
291 AC
POV THIRD PERSON
Lady Stark found herself in utter disbelief as she witnessed the spectacle unfolding before her eyes. The monstrous beast was toying with the soldiers, who numbered more than 80 strong. They were attacking from every conceivable angle, yet the creature tossed them about as if they were mere sacks of grain. She had heard rumors of the beast's strength, but she thought it was all exaggeration, and witnessing it firsthand defied all reason. Ned must be en route to this location, and if they didn't act swiftly, he would likely side with this low-born man.
As she observed the scene, nothing seemed to add up. Indeed, the creature was colossal, but it remained an animal. How could an animal possess hide that was impervious to weapons? Arrows, spears, and swords—all proved utterly ineffective against it.
On the other side, the relentless barrage of blunt force blows was beginning to wear Sith down. She grew progressively slower, and her entire body throbbed with pain. It was nothing serious, but it was still tiring to get hit. The audacity of these weaklings to attack a superior predator like her only fueled her anger. Each hit wounded her pride, but she knew better than to harm them beyond measure, as her Master would disapprove. Sensing Sith's suffering, Poe offered her counsel.
-Kill one of them in the most brutal manner possible, or they won't relent. As Father said, we should try not to harm humans because they will fear us since they never saw anything like us, but this is starting to get really annoying.-
Sith hesitated briefly before responding,
-Are you sure? I can still keep going.-
-Just tear one of them apart, but don't consume them,- Poe advised.
Sith scanned for her chosen target, and her fierce gaze locked onto Lady Stark. In that moment, Catelyn's legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground. She was overwhelmed with terror. As their eyes met, her only thought was that she was about to meet her end. Sith voiced her desire with a chilling roar.
-Can I kill this woman? She's really getting on my nerves.-
-No, not her. Choose one of the soldiers. She may be the instigator, but we can't harm her,- Poe instructed.
Sith unleashed a deafening roar in Catelyn's direction and declared,
-Next time, Bitch!-
Sith pounced upon one of the soldiers, mercilessly tearing him limb from limb. Initially, the man's screams filled the air, a chilling symphony of terror and agony. However, as both of his arms were ripped off, he lost consciousness. Yet, Sith showed no mercy and proceeded to rend his legs apart. Finally, she tossed the limbless torso in Lady Stark's direction. Though they couldn't comprehend Sith's words, her message was unmistakable: if they dared to attack, this gruesome fate awaited them.
The soldiers stood frozen, unable to move or respond. Even Catelyn found herself incapable of giving orders to attack. Their bodies refused to obey their minds. Sith let out a roaring bellow infused with her mana, causing everyone to remain rooted to their spots. With the resonance of that roar, they felt their bones quiver, and every hair on their bodies stood on end. It was a primal fear that emanated from their very core.
As the wave of mana hit Aermir, it caused a disturbance in his mana, and this caused him to use more mana to suppress the curse. Seeing this Poe berated Sith.
-You idiot, why did you exude mana? Didn't you feel we shouldn't disturb Father? He is fighting something, and now he is losing his mana faster.-
Sith came to a regretful realization about what had transpired, overwhelmed with sorrow for her actions. However, the damage was already done. Thankfully, she had directed her roar towards the other side, which meant that it didn't disrupt Aermir too severely. After a few minutes, Aermir managed to regain control of his mana.
This action made everyone realize what they were facing; they fully grasped the distinction between predator and prey. Sith's roar wouldn't have had such a profound effect without witnessing her savage display. They had watched her tear a man asunder, and some among them had even lost control of their bladders. Just then, the thundering sound of galloping horses reached their ears, and Lord Stark, Ser Rodrick, and additional knights emerged from a narrow path, riding in single file.
...
The path leading to the weirwood tree was narrow and perilous, making galloping a risky endeavor. Nevertheless, when Lord Stark learned of Catelyn's intentions, he was filled with dread. The situation was grave, and there was a graver possibility, such as Catelyn harming one of his familiars. What if Aermir kills her out of anger?
Lord Stark arrived at the weirwood tree, his heart pounding. His eyes first fell upon a mangled body, causing his heart to skip a beat. He feared he had arrived too late. However, when he spotted Catelyn, a wave of relief washed over him.
Surveying the scene, he saw the men attempting to muster the courage to charge once more, but it was evident that some were deeply shaken. Lord Stark swiftly ordered a retreat. Aermir was leaning against the weirwood tree; he looked unconscious, while Sith, with her menacing dagger-like fangs bared, remained on the defensive, growling in warning.
Catelyn was flustered and stammered, "Ned, this... this creature raided the barn and stole a sheep. Then... then it attacked Ser Drasil. We have to kill it before it causes more damage. It's clear that Ser Drasil lost control of the creature."
Ned's eyes burned with anger, and without warning, he slapped Catelyn. She stood there in shock, unable to comprehend why her usually gentle husband had struck her. She felt humiliated and bewildered, wondering what she had done to deserve such treatment.
In the midst of her confusion, Lord Stark turned to the knights who had accompanied him, numbering around 30 in total. His voice was filled with urgency as he addressed them, "Men, if we were all to attack simultaneously and Sith were to retaliate, how many of us do you believe would survive?"
Jory Cassel, one of the knights, spoke up,
"My lord, It pains me to admit, but none of us would leave here alive. We would need a force of at least two hundred, mayhaps three hundred knights armed to the teeth just to have a fighting chance."
Sith interjected with a disdainful remark,
-You wouldn't stand a chance then either. You stupid, arrogant prey. Hmph!-
Ned's anger flared, and he turned back to Catelyn.
"You nearly brought ruin upon our house, and you did it without even realizing it. The creature you seek to kill has slain at least a thousand men in this war. Yet, considering that all of you are still alive, save for the one she made an example of, it's glaringly obvious that she's trying to shield her Master from armed attackers. You're not this foolish, Cat; you did this knowingly."
Lord Stark took a deep breath and then turned his attention to Sith, his gaze steady. "May I come closer?"
Sith hesitated momentarily but then allowed Lord Stark to approach Aermir. He cautiously extended his fingers in front of Aermir's nose, checking for signs of breathing. Lord Stark knew that Aermir's life wasn't in immediate danger, as Sith wouldn't have permitted him to approach otherwise.
As they waited, the sound of approaching horse hooves reached their ears. Lord Stark had already sent word to Maester Luwin before arriving at the scene. In a hushed tone, he spoke words that only Sith could hear, "I understand you possess the intelligence of a human. I'm not sure what transpired or why you raided the barn. If it was your Master's command, raise your left paw twice."
In response, Sith raised her left paw twice. As they were talking, Aermir's head slumped down. Poe said in a worried tone,
-Father, Father!! Are you okay?-
She used the tether that bound them and reached out to Aermir. His soul had weakened, and he was unconscious, but she could sense it was over. If she could, Poe would release a big sigh right about now. This was a really tiring day; they were not this tired even when they were in the war. Lord Stark uneasily asked,
"Raise your left paw if he's okay, and your right paw if he's sick,"
Sith raised her left paw again, indicating that Aermir was okay. Lord Stark felt a wave of relief washes over him. While Aermir had previously explained that his familiars could sense when something was amiss with him, Lord Stark couldn't help but maintain a degree of skepticism toward the words of a creature, no matter how intelligent they might be.
"The maester is on his way. Please allow him to examine your Master," Lord Stark requested. Suddenly, the creature turned her gaze toward the weirwood tree as if engaged in a silent conversation. Lord Stark followed her gaze and was taken aback by what he saw. The branches of the surrounding trees were adorned with a multitude of ravens and crows, a sight that shocked him to the core. They perched upon the branches like eerie, motionless statues.
What made it even more unsettling was their complete silence, creating an ominous atmosphere. As he surveyed each tree, it became evident that the birds had encircled them. There were well over a hundred of them, casting a foreboding presence over the scene. Not even one of them was cawing. They were waiting in complete silence.
