Winterborne #24

Gale shifted his gaze between Edd and Benjen-- concern etched across his face as he inquired about Qhorin's condition. 

Benjen, with a solemn expression, leaned over the old ranger and checked for signs of breathing. "The journey has taken its toll on his body. He won't last long," Benjen explained, sighing and shaking his head.

Gale's frown deepened, and he turned to Leaf, his tone firm and unyielding. "Do something. Now," he demanded, leaving no room for argument.

Leaf, composed as ever, nodded. "Make way. I will do what I can," she said. Edd and Benjen promptly stepped back, allowing Leaf to work.

Leaf turned to the other Children of the Forest, speaking in a complex, ancient tongue that was beyond the understanding of Gale and the two rangers. The other Children of the Forest gathered around Qhorin, following Leaf's instructions. 

Leaf herself took a deep breath and sat beside Qhorin. She reached behind her back and retrieved a green sphere adorned with intricate carvings. Chanting in the ancient tongue of the Children of the Forest, she crushed the sphere and scattered its fine pieces across Qhorin's chest.

Leaf's incantations continued as she focused her healing energy on Qhorin's chest wound encased in ice. Along with those of the other Children of the Forest, her eyes began to emit a gentle green glow. 

The luminescence then transferred to Leaf's hand, suspended above the icy gash. Slowly but steadily, the ice began to melt, revealing the injury beneath. With each passing moment, the wound slowly closed, and the damaged tissue mended until nothing was left but a faint scar.

As the healing ritual concluded, the glow in the eyes of the Children of the Forest dimmed. Two of them collapsed from exhaustion, followed by Leaf herself. Gale wasted no time as he rushed to Qhorin's side, inspecting his breathing and heartbeat with urgency.

Benjen observed the entire process with wide-eyed astonishment. The sight of the miraculous healing and Gale's seemingly callous disregard for the fallen Children of the Forest left him perplexed without sparing any thought for the Children. 

Gale's actions contradicted his initial impression of the ranger. However, Benjen kept his thoughts to himself, prioritizing his concern for Qhorin over any other questions or concerns at that moment.

Gale's intense focus remained on Qhorin as he assessed the ranger's condition while Benjen anxiously waited for any sign of improvement. 

Gale answered Benjen's question, his voice tinged with concern. "His breathing is normal, and his heart rate seems steady from what I can gather," he reported. "By all indications, he should have woken up by now," Gale added, his eyes darting between Qhorin's face, his fingers, and the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

Frustration began to creep into Gale as more time elapsed without any response from the unconscious Qhorin. He cast a skeptical gaze toward the Children of the Forest, contemplating whether their magic had truly been effective. 

However, before he could voice his concerns, a calm voice emerged from behind him."They have done as you asked, at a considerable risk to their lives," it stated. "Your friend will live to see another day..." 

Gale turned around, eyeing the creeping, moving roots of the cave. Emerging from the network of weirwood roots was a thin, almost skeletal elder dressed in tattered black clothing entangled within the roots. 

His hair, long and white, reached down to the earthen floor. One of his eyes was missing, while the other glowed a deep red.

Gale recognized the figure and spoke his voice firmly. "You are the Three-Eyed Raven," he stated, his eyes drifting to the tattered black cloak on the man's back. "No, more of a crow," Gale added, his gaze narrowing as he examined the enigmatic man before him.

The skeletal man, formerly Brynden, now the Three-Eyed Raven, spoke with calm composure. "I was known by many names, though by birth, I was Brynden," he explained. "The name 'Three-Eyed Raven' simply appealed to the people more than any other."

Gale, however, offered only a blank look, displaying no particular interest in the Raven's history or titles. A flicker of amusement briefly crossed the Raven's face, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. He continued, "I've been waiting for you, Gale Winterborne..."

Gale's eyebrow rose in response. "Gale, what now?" he inquired with a hint of a chuckle. 

"It is a name the people will soon know. A most fitting one for a man borne of the winter chill..." the Raven cryptically remarked.

Gale sighed, shaking his head. "You know, telling me my old name would have impressed me more if that's what you were trying to do..." he commented.

The Raven's voice remained calm as he responded, "I can speak of two. Which one do you require?"

Gale's expression shifted, and he admitted, "Okay, color me impressed..."

By mentioning two names, Gale wasn't entirely certain if the Raven referred to the name from his previous life in the real world, or if his body's former owner lacked any names. Regardless, Gale had no particular interest in delving into it for obvious reasons. 

He cleared his throat and addressed the Raven with intent. "In any case," he began, "I came here for answers, and you're all-knowing, or so I'm told."

The Raven replied, "I see into the future, the present, and the past, but I am not all-knowing. I hold the answers you seek, though I fear you already know them..."

Gale looked at the Raven with a sense of bemusement. "Confirmation will have to do then," he said.

"Very well," the Raven conceded. "It all started when the First Men invaded Westeros... the continent was very different at the time. Children of the Forest, giants, greenseers, and all manner of wonders roamed the lands in great number," he began to explain. 

"The First Men waged war against all, slaughtering all in their path as they cut down the forests of the Children and slew the giants..." 

He continued, "Desperate for survival, the Children of the Forest performed an ominous rite, capturing one of the First Men and turning him into the Night King, the first White Walker." 

"They hoped he would turn the tides of the war, but he soon turned on them, and the Children were forced to ally with the First Men to fend off the undead threat. They were victorious. And so a peace was formed-- the Children took to the forests, and the First Men took the plains..."

As the Raven explained the history of the White Walkers, Benjen and Edd wore expressions of horror and disbelief, their eyes shifting between the Raven and the Children of the Forest, who met their gazes without flinching.

Gale, meanwhile, maintained a stoic demeanor, his tone and expression giving away little. "That wasn't the first attempt to create the first White Walker, though, was it?" he inquired.

The Raven acknowledged, "Alas, it was not. The Children of the Forest and the greenseers of the time attempted something similar once before..."

He paused and continued, "Though the rite was interrupted by the First Men, and the ritual was considered a failure."

Gale sighed, seemingly unburdened by the revelation. "In other words, I was an accident. I had no grand purpose, nor some flowery prophecy foretelling my arrival—a total freak accident," he remarked, the disinterest evident in his tone.

The Raven hesitated for a moment before speaking again, but Gale interrupted, raising a hand to halt the Raven's words. "Let me stop you right there. I really don't care," Gale said nonchalantly, his shoulders shrugging. "In fact, it's a weight off my shoulders, since it means I can do whatever the hell I want."

The Raven's face showed hints of amusement that lingered this time. "Yet you still intend to do your part in stopping the Night King...?" he posed, his question sounding more like a statement.

Gale nodded with a shrug. "Well, yeah. I doubt there would be a place for me in a world ruled by the undead. Even if there was, I doubt wights and White Walkers would make for good company..." He added, his gaze briefly turning to Benjen and Edd. 

"So long as I can do this on my own terms, in my own free will, then I don't mind doing my part in saving this shitty world," Gale concluded, shifting his attention back to the Three-Eyed Raven. 

Gale's words resonated in the dimly lit cave. The Three-Eyed Raven, his red eye still fixed on Gale, seemed to appreciate the resolve of this unusual young man. The faint, eerie glow of the weirwood roots bathed the scene in an otherworldly light.

"Very well," the Raven said with a knowing nod. "Your path is not preordained, and your choices are yours. Your future is a vast tapestry, and each thread may be woven or unraveled by no other will but your own."

With that, the Raven reached into Gale's mind, and a vision unraveled before the young man's eyes. He saw a land marred by winter, armies of the dead marching south, and the shadow of the Night King looming over Westeros.

"This is the path you've chosen. I can only show you how to move forward, as I am right now," the Raven said as the light began to dim. 

...

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