The Talltalker

Freya had kept silent for most of the conversation with Mance Rayder, as she observed him from the side. He had requested to bring the undead creature with them to Ruddy Hall. She had obliged his request.

As they started trekking through the dark and misty forest, he started to relay some more information about the sort of world they were now in, and the more she listened, the more she realized that the world they were now in was a lot like the one they had just left.

The man didn't know that he was talking to Gods, mistaking them for a giant and a witch, with a talking head of course. They did not make any indications to rectify that assumption, while they had no need to hide their status of godhood, they would not bring attention to it willingly if it could be helped.

Being a God is a curse. One that has untold consequences.

Consequences that she has had to deal with firsthand. The effects of which she was still running away from.

"So, in essence, the Wall is manned by the criminals of all the seven kingdoms, the thieves, murderers, rapists, the worst sort of scum, in perpetuity," Mimir said sarcastically, as the man told them about his former comrades.

Mance sighed, and Freya got the feeling that he did not mean to say that in those words.

"Well, when you put it like that. Yes. But there are those of honor and virtue who willingly choose to take the black, and serve. Some, like myself, are raised there and know nothing else." He replied.

"I see. The way I see it, you have a self-governed prison for the seven kingdoms, one that was not intended to be so, but has been reduced down to it." Mimir commented.

"I suppose." Mance sighed again, as he led them into a clearing again, "Ruddy Hall is a just little ways away. I have told you all I know about the seven kingdoms, and the little I know about the lands to the east."

He hesitated a little, as he first looked at her, then at Kratos who had been silently listening to his tale, deer still on his shoulder, and asked "Are you still planning to visit the lands of always winter?"

Her friend grunted and replied, "It is where the White Walkers come from. I would like to know more about them. It is the source of their origin, so we will go there when we are able."

Mance had been trying to dissuade him from going throughout the trip, and Freya understood his point of view. He thought that both Kratos and her were mortals. Which was far from the truth.

According to him, most mortal weaponry shattered upon impact with the crystal swords of the white walkers. And the wights did not feel the effects of the wounds inflicted on them with any weapon except fire. He had been intent on finding out the material used to forge Thrungva, and the Draupnir spear, mistaking her to be the person who forged them.

And while she had dissuaded him of the notion very quickly, she knew very little of the intricacies of forging weaponry, but she was certain that both her Mardöll and Thrungva were sharpened by the souls of the foes they damned. The effects of Folkvangr used in its metal inlay.

If she could, she would guide him to Sindri, but he was in Midgard. Even if they had a way back to the land, the poor dwarf would not take kindly to strangers sent by either her or Kratos.

They would need to find a different weapon that the mortals could use to fight their undead foes. The divine weaponry would not work for them.

It did not take much longer for them to arrive at the edge of the forest, which was aptly named the Haunted Forest. It did have an eerie mystifying feeling to it, and the icy mist did nothing to dissuade it. They had left the banks of the Antler River long behind them, traveling south to a wide opening.

There were camps strewn about, at the edge of another much wider river. The water had large chunks of flowing ice.

The camps were all of animal skin and fur, she was certain they did little to provide warmth to the people. The men and women of the camp were armed. Weapons made of sharpened stone and wood. There was no true steel blade that was visible in the camp. Some roughly 200 people were camped there. Freya could not help the comparison she made yet again with the people from Midgard.

Reavers lived just like these men and women.

Their arrival had not gone unnoticed, as a few children pointed at them and raised a cry. Some had elected to run to their tents, only to be followed back by more people.

'They are tense.' She noticed, 'Ready to fight. It is only the sight of the undead behind us or Kratos, that's keeping them away.'

She could see a lot of them were watching Kratos and the wight intently. Some had the handles of their weapons gripped tightly. And she looked at Mance, who had stopped a distance away from the crowd that had slowly started gathering.

She could see Kratos analyze the people around him, and it was evident he was displeased with what he was seeing. These people would never survive the onslaught of the white walkers or the undead.

No one spoke for quite some time, everyone was content to quietly stare as time trickled by. The tense silence was only broken when the armed crowd suddenly parted giving way to a large red-headed man, axe in hand as he glared at them, lingering slightly on Kratos, then at the wight.

After a few more seconds of silence, he said looking disdainfully at Mance "What is a crow doing here? What magic have you brought here to us?"

"I am a former crow. I deserted the watch three years ago." Mance replied "My village was targeted by the others. I do not know why. They came in the night when I lay with my woman and killed all of my people. They took our children, killed my men and women, and turned them into the monsters you see in bindings behind us. I will not lie and say that I fought them away. No, I ran with my tail between my legs when my sword shattered against theirs. I got chased like a damn pig."

"What couldn't beat off a few ice fuckers then?" The redhead tried to joke.

"No, I couldn't. But I am sure, I can beat you." Mance stated as if he was stating a fact.

"You want to test that crow. I can give you a fight if you'd like. You and the pale bald fucker." Tormund said seriously.

"I will take that fight. I may even win, but you fighting him. You'd lose. He and the witch saved me." Mance replied, and Tormund eyed Kratos more intently.

"Aye, he looks like one of us at least. But he is no giant. I have fought and killed giants." Tormund boasted, "Killed my first one when I was twelve. Climbed into bed with the fucker's wife, and suckled on her teat for three months."

"This is not the time for boasts tall talker," Mance replied, but Freya got the feeling that Tormund had done that just to reduce the tension around the camp. He was avoiding a fight breaking out.

"What do you expect me to do when you show up at my camp with a fucking wight, and a man with a dead head dangling off his ass." Tormund suddenly shouted, "What is he anyway? Are you one of the Thenn? Far away from home, aren't you?"

"What I am is none of your concern," Kratos growled.

"And I am very much alive, thank you. Just missing a large part of my body." Mimir added as the crowd gasped in shock.

Tormund got over his own shock rather quickly and started laughing "I like this group. Torwynd!" He called, and a short, young boy, slim and short, hobbled out of the crowd and stood beside him.

"Yes, father." He questioned, looking curiously at the wight, shaking slightly due to his fear of the creature.

"Bring bread and salt. We will break guest rights, like the old ways. For everyone. Even the head." He said, and the boy nodded quickly hesitating a little.

"E-even the uhmmm, the" the boy stammered, staring at the tied up and rotting figure of the undead behind the group.

Tormund closed his eyes, sighing patiently, and replied "No. Not the wight, Torwynd."

The boy nodded quickly and scampered off through the crowd again. Freya could see that the man loved the boy, and was trying to be very patient with him. She pitied the boy. Like Atreus, he would have to work very hard to earn his father's approval.

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A/N.: I apologize for the previous chapter paragraphs' spacing. It wasn't like that in the word file I'd written the chapter in. And I am new to Fanfiction.net, I don't know how to edit the chapter without deleting and reuploading the chapter entirely.

The pace of the story should pick up significantly after a few chapters. And for those of you worried that I will nerf Freya and Kratos in this story, don't be. I have no plans on doing that.