Several rangers in black cloaks lay on their horses and escaped from the ghost forest with scars all over their bodies, and came under the magnificent Great Wall of Impasse.
"Open the city gate!"
"Open the city gate!"
The night watch sentry on the Great Wall discovered them, and then spoke loudly, while the guards on duty in front of the gate below also pulled the rope.
Wow
The noose chain made a sound, and the heavy solid oak gate was pulled up, and then several rangers who had fled back in a hurry lay on their horses and entered the Great Wall of Despair.
"Hey bro, what's going on?"
Some of the night watchmen brothers in black stepped forward and took the rangers who had fled back in a hurry from their horses, and then they realized how seriously injured they were.
One of the rangers even had a big hole in his abdomen, as if a hand had pierced his abdomen and pulled out all his intestines.
This ranger had been dead for a long time, and even the body had lost its temperature and the joints were stiff. However, his legs were still tightly clamped on the horse's back, which prevented the body from being bumped off the horse's back. The war horse followed.
The rest of the rangers' horses fled back together.
Several night watchmen had to use all their strength to lift him off the horse. The body was placed on the ground with a layer of wooden boards, but he still maintained the riding posture.
All the night watchmen brothers who came after hearing the news fell silent when they saw this scene.
The rest of the rangers who escaped were also injured, and their faces were pale and dull. They didn't know what they had encountered, but they seemed to have been greatly stimulated.
Chief Ranger Benjen Stark was the best-performing among the rangers who escaped, but he also had a shocking scratch on his back, tearing his cloak and leaving long marks on his body.
"This kind of injury"
"Bunyan, what caught this?"
One of the night watchmen was surprised and then asked.
However, Bunyan lowered his head and remained silent for a moment.
"call…"
Then he let out a long breath of white mist, shook his head slightly, and remained silent.
And at this time.
It was heard that the rangers who had lost contact for several days finally returned. Jeor Mormont, the 997th Commander-in-Chief of the Night's Watch, wandered down the steps of the tall command tower and arrived at the scene.
The old commander's already bald head still had a few lonely white hairs fluttering in the wind, and his fluffy gray beard also swayed a few times. In his hand, he also held a half-hand sword with a bear's head carved on the hilt.
This is the Valyrian steel sword Longclaw, a heirloom of House Mormont.
"Commander-in-Chief."
"Lord Mormont."
Seeing the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief, the watching night watchmen got out of the way.
Jeor Mormont came to the scene and separated the crowd. Seeing the miserable state of the rangers sitting on the ground, he frowned slightly and raised his head to look at the chief ranger.
"Bunyan, what happened?"
Mormont knew that Benjen was a mature and experienced commander. He had never suffered such heavy losses when commanding the rangers in battle. Could it be that they were ambushed by wildlings?
When the chief ranger heard the commander-in-chief's words, his sharp cheeks were still a little pale. He took a deep breath, then took the hand handed over by Mormont, stood up from the ground, and exhaled the white mist.
"Commander-in-Chief, let's talk alone."
"Call Maester Aemon too."
"oh?"
When old Mormont heard Benyan's words, his old yellow eyes suddenly condensed slightly, and he looked at Benyan's eyes from close range.
After a long while, he nodded slightly and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"good."
"We'll talk about this after we get back home."
Then Mormont turned his head and spoke to Bowen Marsh, the chief steward beside him.
"Bowen, go and fetch Maester Aemon."
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief."
The Chief Steward, who was fat and red like a pomegranate, agreed, then glanced at Benjen Stark and nodded in greeting.
Then he walked towards the crow's nest. The bachelor's room was directly underneath the crow's nest.
"Um."
Benjen Stark also nodded slightly.
Then he turned his head and glanced at the other ranger brothers present. These people had been informed by Bunyan in advance and nodded to express that they would keep it strictly confidential.
Bunyan then followed the commander-in-chief and climbed the wooden steps of the command tower.
The old commander walked slowly in front, and the chief ranger followed behind him. Both of them were silent on the road. The steps made a creaking sound. When they got to the door, they took out the key and opened the door.
.
"come in."
Mormont raised his head and signaled, and Benyan followed him into the Commander-in-Chief's room and then closed the door.
There is also a birdcage hanging on the wall inside the house. In the birdcage, there is a raven tilting its head and looking at Benjen Stark.
"Tell me about it, Bunyan."
"What exactly happened to you?"
The Commander-in-Chief was already out of breath even after climbing the stairs. Then he sat on the chair next to the desk, picked up the water glass and took a sip of hot water.
He raised his head and asked.
The chief ranger, who was still in a state of embarrassment, stood in the middle of the room, lowered his head and organized his words a little, then raised his head again and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"We have encountered a White Walker, Commander-in-Chief."
After Benyan finished speaking, Mormont was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously shook his head decisively.
"impossible!"
He thought Bunyan would give some kind of reason, but he didn't expect it to be such a poor excuse.
"Bunyan..."
Mormont was even a little disappointed.
He believed that the rangers led by Bunyan were ambushed by wildlings, and then fled back in panic with heavy losses.
Because he was afraid of being punished, he agreed with all the escaped rangers before returning to Castle Black.
No one is immune to making mistakes. Old Mormont himself made many mistakes when he was young, but admitting mistakes promptly and changing them is the right path.
Therefore, he also gave the young man a face and went back to the house to talk alone.
But he didn't expect that what disappointed him was that Bunyan did not take the initiative to admit his mistake, and even found such a poor excuse.
"I did not lie, Lord Mormont."
Bunyan was stunned for a moment, not expecting that the Commander-in-Chief did not believe what he said, and then retorted.
And at this time.
A trembling figure appeared in front of the commander-in-chief's bedroom door. The old man held his hand on the threshold and spoke in a hoarse and trembling voice.
"The White Walkers have not appeared for thousands of years."
"Lord Stark."
"The Commander-in-Chief will definitely not believe it if you just say that."