Runestone

[Outside of Runestone, A Few Weeks Later]

(Aerion's POV)

"Have you told anyone the truth?" Willam asked as we sat atop our horses, on a cliff overlooking the small campfire where Jace and Luke sat while talking and laughing, "What happened back then?" 

"Not exactly...." I said 

It was a few weeks after Aegon's birth, as planned, we had gone to the Capital for a few days; Viserys saw Aegon and was overjoyed as usual. Apparently, Helaena was also pregnant, which was quite a surprise. I saw Aegon The Older, who was a bit embarrassed about the whole thing and tried to squirm away from meeting his nephew. 

I didn't see Aemond, which was expected and Daeron was back in Oldtown. I wonder if I'll ever reconcile with Aemond, he has been purposely avoiding me and ignoring any letters I've written to him. 

Now, we had arrived at Runestone, where Genna and Andrea had awaited our arrival, they had cleaned and organized the entire castle as they prepared some makeshift corrals for livestock as feed for the three dragons; Vermithor, Vermax, and Arrax. Rhaenyra was escorted by The Sea Snake who rode to the Eeyrie, to speak business with Lady Arryn. I was also expected to visit Lady Jeyne with my newborn son, so she would be acquainted.

I was going to do that later, after my hunt. It's been too long since I've done something like this. I remember being taken almost every day with Ser Gerold at one point in my childhood, learning how to track a deer for hours. 

Now, I was looking at the two boys that were learning the ways. It was odd, I felt responsible for those two fools, so full of reckless adventure, they were like me in that sense. Jace and Luke were growing rapidly as was I. I was closer to their age than they are to their Mother and that makes it quite odd for a Family dynamic, but to me, they were my responsibility. I waned to get them ready for whatever's to come. 

"We have to do something." Willam said

I nodded, "I have been." I said, "Doing something, that is." 

"I heard." He said, "Sending supplies to Castle Black and contributing a bit to their funding to man defenses and repair abandoned castles. But I mean more than that." 

"What do you suggest then?" I asked

He reached down to his sack, "I have been using your name, to keep anyone from reading letters that I exchange with Lord Stark." He said pulling out a couple of old pages that look like they were ripped off a book, "Here." 

He handed them to me, "What's this?" I asked

"There's gotta be more to be done." He told me, "Something to.....kill them..." 

I looked at the pages, they look really old. The lettering was nearly worn out but I saw a faint drawing of what looked like one of those Walkers that we saw back there. There was a certain note underneath the drawing. 

The contents read: 

"White-Walkers, they raise the Dead and control the cold. They've been around for 1,000 years. Little to nothing can kill them. Somehow, they were pushed back and defeated when the Wall was built. Not much else is known."

"Who wrote this?" I asked as I looked at the other pages

It was just more information on the Wall, explaining the properties of the ice; it was enchanted by magic. 

"Some Lord-Commander of the Night's Watch." He said, "Way back in the day. This threat....it's the reason the Wall was erected, Aerion. That's why the Night's Watch exists...." 

"Has there been any talk at the Wall?" I asked

"It's been very quiet." He said, "Lord Starks tells me that they were some expeditions near the Frostfangs where were at. They tried looking for the same cave we were at, they couldn't find it, no matter how long they took. The Lord-Commander called it off after several brothers were killed by Giants." 

"Hm." I said, "That's not good news." 

"So far, it's been quiet." He said, "But what about when it's not? We have to do something...." 

"What can we do, Willam?" I asked as I looked at him, "What can we do? I.....we can't just go back there, leave our Families behind.....My son was just born. Do you want me to do the same thing with the Cannibal? Nearly die when my Daughter was born? It's.....I'm a father now, Willam. I understand that Duty and Honor are pivotal to us Knights....but.....to throw away Family.....for That? Something that is unexplainable without concrete proof? It's....I don't know, Willam....How do you expect our Families to understand that we embarked to that place to meet Death in that manner?" 

He looked down and sighed, "I...yea, you're right..." He said

"It's quiet for now." I said, "We are keeping in touch with the Starks, that's good. In the meantime, we gather our bearings and think of something, if there is something to think of...That is not something that can be fought with a divided Realm, all these foolish Lords down here, scheming and plotting for their political gain....at the end of the day, we're all human that need to live." 

"So what's the plan?" He asked

"I don't know." I said as I sighed and looked down, "I never wanted any of this.....I never thought I would have this, Willam....this position...this power.....I....I just wanted this." 

I gestured to the Vale, the cliffs and hills, the mountains that were around us. 

"Home." He said with a smile

"Yes. Home." I said, "And Family." 

"Yea." He said, "I understand, My Lord." 

"Yea...." I said with a slight smile

"You have a son." he said with a chuckle, "Never thought the day would come." 

"I have a son, Willam." I said

"Rhea would've loved him." He told me

I nodded slowly, "She would have, wouldn't she?" I said as I looked off into the horizon, "I...I miss her.....with everything I have." 

"So do we, Aerion." He said, "She was the best of us. Didn't hate you for what Daemon did to her....." 

I clenched my fists on the reigns, "I should've cut him....." I growled

Anger filled my stomach, my blood began to boil as I scowled. 

"Rhea adored you, Aerion. She really did." He said, "She would coddle you more than how Genna and Andrea are coddling Visenya and Aegon. To her, you were everything. She was so worried about you catching a cold when it rained, shutting any window in any room you were in. She wanted you to master High Valyrian and was even asking the Late Lord Yorbert if it was okay to build a Dragonpit for your Dragon. You were one, can you believe that?" 

I looked down, "Hm." I said with a slight chuckle

The mere mention of my mother immediately quelled the anger that I felt when hearing my Father's name. 

"Oh, Rhea would've been so proud of the Man you've become.....Gerold as well....." He said, "Don't ever change, Aerion. This man that I serve, Lord Aerion Targaryen, he's the greatest man I've ever known. I know one thing, Aerion, you will not turn out like your father, I Just know it. You're so afraid of that, but I am more than confident that you won't. I just....I just want you to stay true to yourself. That thing we saw....It can change someone.....it gives me nightmares....." 

I was going to say something when Jace called for us. 

"Hey, Guys!" He said, "There's movement to the west!!" 

I looked at him, "Huh?" 

"He's right." Willam said as he cleared his throat, "Doesn't look like deer." 

I looked towards the west and saw some figures move about through the hills and behind the rocks. 

"Shit." I said as I steered the horse to the right, "Tribesmen, Willam." 

"Jace, Luke! Get to cover, Now!!!"