Chapter 73: The Promise

As soon as Falcon opened his mouth, the wildlings started making a lot of noise, rattling and screaming, and asking for revenge.

Rhaegar asked Tormund in a quiet voice, "What happened to the three burned bodies?"

Of the dead, only one had been shot; the others had died in strange ways.

It was a detail too intriguing to escape Rhaegar's notice.

Tormund cast a fearful glance over his shoulder, his voice lowered to a tremble, "Those were the ones claimed by the Shadow Creature. Its presence still haunts our tribe."

Even as he spoke, his body trembled, his face growing even more pale.

Addressing the assembled clansmen, Falcon raised his hands high, his voice commanding, "Silence! The enemy is close.Get your weapons ready right away!"

The arrows killed the night's sentinels.

One of the tribe members had stumbled upon a body while answering nature's call in the dead of night. His screams rallied the tribe.

The other three were found by the tribe when they woke up, and their deaths made the Hawk tribe feel devastated.

Falcon led the able-bodied savages in arming themselves, lighting torches, and venturing into the valley in small groups to scout.

With the night sentinels down, it was clear that there was someone out there, waiting to strike at any moment.

Rhaegar frowned at the grim scene unfolding before him.

This tribe has become the target of an unknown threat, and now that other tribes were uncovering their route, launching an indiscriminate assault would only invite an ambush and annihilation under the cover of the night.

As Rhaegar moved to issue his warning, Skylar grabbed him by the collar and said, "Don't act rashly. You can't expect a bunch of impulsive savages to think things through."

"But it's dangerous!" Rhaegar kept pushing.

"I am aware of that, as is Uncle Falcon. But the survival of the wildlings depends on conquest and subjugation," Skylar replied.

Skylar, holding a bow, led Rhaegar and Tormund with a firm grip, suggesting, "Let's hide with the women and children. Tribes rarely harm them."

"..."

The able-bodied savages followed Falcon out of the valley, leaving Rhaegar among the weak and infirm.

Among them, besides the pregnant women, were the wild children who resembled untamed apes.

Rhaegar observed the surroundings and said, "Your tribe seems to be short on men and children."

"The conquered tribes see their men and elders killed, their women raped, and their children abandoned," Skylar explained. "Many of these children are orphans taken in by Uncle Falcon. He believes they will grow up to be fierce warriors."

"Falcon is a unique savage," Rhaegar said, shaking his head with a wry smile.

For a hunter-gatherer like Falcon, feeding a child seemed like an impossible task. To expect a young savage to grow into greatness seemed like a huge challenge.

...

The early morning air was filled with the sound of flames rising outside the valley, accompanied by screams and the wailing of another group.

Falcon stumbled back to the safety of the valley, covered in blood, followed by a few badly injured and angry figures.

The ominous howls followed them relentlessly as the glow of the fire spread across the open expanse.

"Run! The people of the Soldier Pine Tribe are coming, get out of here!" Falcon brandished his axe, deflecting bone arrows as he urged the tribesmen to flee.

"Quickly, move!"

Without hesitation, Rhaegar dashed toward the narrow exit on the opposite side of the valley.

Glancing back, he saw the others running ahead with even more urgency.

They fled in a frenzy of panicked screams.

Rhaegar was left behind, struggling to keep up with the adults.

He felt fear surge through him as he tried to reach out to Cannibal again, but received no response.

"Don't stand there, go!" Falcon's voice cut through the chaos as he quickly grabbed Rhaegar's clothes off and slung him over his shoulder before sprinting away with all his might.

Rhaegar took a moment to look back. He watched as the invading savages poured into the valley.

Half of them scavenged what remained of the Hawk tribe's belongings. The others kept up their relentless pursuit.

The small group Falcon had rallied proved no match for the invaders, some falling to their onslaught - some hacked to death, others pierced by bone arrows.

Falcon's figure blazed a trail ahead, his stride leaving the pursuing savages far behind.

The sight eased Rhaegar's fears; he had no desire to become entangled in the deadly conflict between the tribes and risk his own demise.

...

At dawn, the Hawk tribe was still on the run. They were heading west through the pine forest. They were broken up and scared.

In the chaos, men were killed by blades while women suffered unspeakable horrors on the forest floor.

Children, desperate to survive, scattered in all directions, some meeting their pursuers, others seeking refuge in the dense foliage.

Falcon, carrying Rhaegar on his shoulders, kept going, with a few loyal wildling guards following behind.

When they finally reached a lonely hill, Falcon dropped Rhaegar to the ground. He was out of breath.

"The tribe is lost," Falcon said, his voice heavy with grief.

Xander, a wildling, looked at him with sad eyes. "We can rebuild it as long as we live. The day will come when we can return."

Falcon tried to stay positive. "The tribe may be fading, but what about this child?"

A fellow wildling looked at the pale Rhaegar with suspicion. "What use is he to us?"

Rhaegar, battered and bruised, crouched behind Falcon, his gaze wary.

"He's got dragons and royal blood in his veins," Falcon said quietly, despite the noise around him. "He's worth more than gold. He's a beacon of hope for our tribe."

But some people were still not convinced.

"He's just making it up," said one. "If he really had dragons, we would have already died in the fire."

Another spat scornfully. "Perhaps the Soldier Pine tribe was drawn to him, he is the harbinger of our downfall, a curse upon us all."

But Falcon stood firm, a shield against the rising tide of hostility. "Noble or not, he is one of us. We cannot abandon him."

As the tension simmered, the savages cast cautious glances at Rhaegar, their weapons at the ready, uncertainty clouding their judgment.

Rhaegar's words rang out, his heart pounding with urgency. "My dragon is on its way back. I can use its power to avenge the Hawk tribe and bring you riches beyond your imagination."

But even as he spoke, Rhaegar doubted the trustworthiness of this newfound company. They hadn't even lasted a single night before they broke apart.

Falcon, who seemed to embody the steadfastness of a chieftain, took a deep breath and spoke with solemn authority. "If he claims to possess a dragon, let's wait until dawn. The truth will be revealed in time."

One wildling, Xander, dismissed the notion with a derisive snort and turned away, but the others, mindful of Falcon's stature, reluctantly acquiesced and sat on the ground.

As dawn approached, Falcon climbed to a vantage point on the hill with Rhaegar in tow, his eyes scanning the pine forest they had fled.

Rhaegar, still catching his breath, sought reassurance. "I have a dragon."

"I know," came Falcon's short reply.

"What will you do now that your tribe is scattered?" Rhaegar asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Falcon's answer was simple yet firm. "Wait."

"Wait for what?" Rhaegar pressed, confused.

Falcon fixed him with a steady gaze. "Wait for your dragon to find you and rain fire upon the tribe of Soldier Pine."

The unexpected vote of confidence left Rhaegar momentarily stunned. "Do you believe me?"

"I don't," Falcon admitted, his tone cool and detached.

"But my tribe is in trouble, our people have been hurt, and we don't know what's going to happen next. I need your dragon to help us get back what has been taken from us."

Rhaegar's resolve hardened. "Don't worry. Once my dragon finds me, I'll make sure your tribe gets what it deserves."

"Then remember our agreement," Falcon reminded him sternly.

Before their conversation could continue, a dark arrow pierced the air and found its mark in Falcon's eye socket, instantly silencing him.

Shocked, Rhaegar watched as the bone arrow emerged from the back of Falcon's skull.

(Word count: 1,391)