Fandom A Song of Rivers and Frost

[St. Boethius]

Minerva’s proposal gave Graxag even more of a raise. The walker was practically doubled over from his own laughter. Graxag waved his hand dismissively and his wights scattered back into the woods making a perimeter before slumping back down.
Once Graxag recovered from his laughter he looked at Minerva and then the translator woman with a smile on his face.
“You’re plan is to help me destroy your own people. Scatter thier houses to the wind and install yourself as the king on the iron throne? And what would would be my reward for helping you hm? What sort of a pact will you sign?”
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Minerva smiles at that. “The houses are a detriment to the kingdom functioning. Better to be rid of their squabbling. Besides, I feel the northlands would be a good environment for you. What would it take for you to aid me? I am still learning what it is you require.” The translator shudders, recognizing where this is probably going, but continues to do what she was brought here for.

 

[St. Boethius]

The North.... that will do nicely. As for what I require it is simple. I will require the flesh of human once every decade, and children. I will require from those who stay in the North to provide me with an infant once every 10 years at the same time as the tribute. I mean to bring the Walkers back from extinction, but I will do so with the help and cooperation of humanity. Can you agree to this pact from here unto eternity as the ruler of humans?”
Graxag held out his hand and offered it to Minerva to shake and seal the pact.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Minerva considers that. She does not owe those people any ill will, but it’s one child every decade. Probably only two per generation. They will not suffer too badly, considering the usual infant mortality rate in the north.

She nods, and reaches out, taking his hand, which immediately causes her whole body to shiver. He’s so cold.

 

[St. Boethius]

“The Pact is made. Your family will be responsible for upholding the pact through the years. In exchange I and the walkers I sire will defend your family until the pact is broken. “
Graxag explains as he releases her hand. Though she is most likely unaware he had just marked her and all of her descendants so that he and other walkers will know on sight who they are.
“ Back to business then. I will help you, but as to how to wage a war I will leave to you and your kind for now. I’m not well versed in the art of war.”
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Minerva smiles, sitting back down. “House Lannister should be simple. They rely on their trade network to get their resources, and hire mercenaries. Block off their trade routes, and they will lose much of their power.” She says simply, idly noting that she needs to have children, as dangerous as that could be. At least she has enough trained people to make her dying in childbirth less likely.

 

[St. Boethius]

Graxag nods, it sounded as if it made sense. The art of war for humans is vastly different than Walker strategy. No need for supplies if your soliders don’t eat, and if you get hungry then just eat a solider. Humans require much more maintenance. Graxag was beginning to understand how it was they lost to humanity.
“ So then where are these supply lines and what do you need of me?”
Killing any human he passed on the line would be a very simply order he could just send wights to handle. He would need to make a trip to raise any who died daily, but it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

She smiles, going to get a map, and setting it on the table. It has her own major trade routes marked on it, mainly by use of rivers. But she points to the Lannister territory, pointing out s couple rivers, and some roads. “So, these are the major ones. Most of the supplies should get brought along this river. Even just freezing it in a few key places could mess that up, make them travel on foot. At that point, they’re vulnerable, and the supplies can be taken for our own use.”

The translator is working to make sure everything is understood, just glad that Minerva promised to protect what’s left of her family from the carnage that will come from this.

 

[St. Boethius]

Graxag nodded, “ Then I will take my wights and lock these routes down. Anyone who isn’t bearing your sigil will be killed and added to my army. “
Graxag got up from his seat and looked at the map once more.
“ I’ll need a steed, and a day or two to get set up. After that send a raven when you’re prepared for an attack.”
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

She nods, dipping her head. “Of course.” She says, getting up. “I will have a horse prepared for you when you are ready to set out, and please ask if you require anything.” She seems very excited about this. She’s been looked down on by others for a long time for taking in dangerous or unwanted people. Good to have it pay off. Her house of bastards and outcasts is about to become a great one.

 

[St. Boethius]

Graxag nods and heads out of the room. As he prepares to leave he gives a friendly wave to his new friends within the hold before turning and then mounting his new horse. This way he didn’t have to worry about the mount’s health or stamina. As Graxag road off his wights shambled after him.
Once he did finally make it to the trade routes he got to work with his magic and unseasonal winter soon gripped the trade routes. The rivers froze and the roads covered in snow.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Minerva smiles, and continues training her own men, making sure they will be ready. Her house grows stronger every day. She has taken up trying to learn the walker language from her translator, who is happy to teach her. She has also been training with her soldiers, learning some of the basics of unarmed combat. She wants to make sure she can protect her family when she has one.

 

[St. Boethius]

Once Graxag was set up and his magic had a tight hold on the region all that was left was to stop the trade caravans coming through. Considering Graxag was using the policy that everyone dies it was a simple matter for Graxag to overwhelm the caravan with numbers alone as his few hundred wights swelled to nearly a thousand. Each time a shipment was stopped the wights would guard it and a raven was sent to Minerva for a pick up. This would continue for about a month without any word of an attack from Minerva.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Once that month has passed, Minerva decides that it’s time, and prepares her own force for travel, sending a raven to Graxag. They attack in two days. She is eager to see this, knowing that her forces will outnumber those at their target fort. And those killed will make them that much stronger. She is ambitious, and this sudden feeling of strength has amplified it to a hunger for conquest.

 

[St. Boethius]

With the call to attack given Graxag began to march his wights to the target fort. His presence being preceded by a winter front ensuring that decomposition was slow and that his soliders wouldn’t see the sun. Graxag got there in a day and plunged the area into winter. Cutting the fort off from any sort of emergency supplies. Graxag was careful and kept himself and his wights out of arrow range as they waited for Minerva.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Minerva and her men arrive shortly, all dressed for the weather, which she knows their target probably won’t be. It’s part of why she waited so long. “We brought some additional armor and shields, if you have need of them.” Minerva says, knowing some of the wights were just merchants, and won’t have good gear.

 

[St. Boethius]

Graxag nods and makes a gesture over to the equipment. Wights that didn’t have equipment would shamble over and equip the swords and shields. “ Let me send my wights in first. They don’t operate with tactics like humans do.”
Graxag holds up a spear made of ice and lets out an unearthly scream and his wights sprints towards the fort keep. They had no plan, no strategy and simply threw thier bodies at the gate. Very quickly the bodies began climbing over one another, building a tower of bodies that soon would flow into the keep itself.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Minerva nods, pleased that she understands most of that before the translator has to say anything. She watches the wights, fascinated by the sheer power and dedication to their goal that they have. It’s always interesting to watch them. “My men have eyes on all exits. There will be no escapees.” She says, smirking slightly. Who knows? They might get most of the family in one strike.

 

[St. Boethius]

As the wights got onto the ramparts they began to storm the fort killing Lannister soliders as more of thier number crawled up from the tower of bodies. Graxag approached on horseback an with his direction the tower when from a frantic mass of bodies into an efficient ladder. The wights would be relentless in thier assault stopping only they they were killing someone or there struck down themselves. As the fighting continued Graxag lifted his arms and the dead Lannister’s rose to fight as well. Once all of his wights were in the fort Graxag used the blade his crafted and easily began cutting the iron gate down.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Anyone that attempts to escape is taken down by the Calistrian forces, though they make an effort to take prisoners, rather than kill. But a woman runs out with a child in her arms, and Minerva sighs softly, directing her men to take her, but leave the baby unharmed. She doesn’t regret her decision, but this will still go against her natural instinct.

 

[St. Boethius]

To the wights and to Graxag it didn’t matter what gender the humans were or how old. As Graxag walked deeper into the fortress with his wights they killed any human who stood before them. Any who were cowering in corners or not attacking weren’t pursued. The wights were simply reacting to movement and noise, and Graxag simply didn’t care. After a few moments all that was left was a locked room. The wights couldn’t get in no matter how hard they tried. A reinforced door, metal. Graxag pulled them back and began beating down the door with his fists.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Minerva can’t tell what’s happening inside, but she goes to the terrified woman, trying to calm her, before closing her eyes, and stabbing her in the chest. Minerva already has the infant in her arms, and holds it close, trying to calm it. The mother lies dead, but the child stills, and stops crying, not recognizing the danger. Minerva is sad, but she will keep her part of the deal.

 

[St. Boethius]

With one final punch the door caved in and fell to the ground the wights stormed in. Several being taken down by dragon glass or fire arrows but soon enough the occupants a man with one hand and a very small man were torn apart by the wights and added to the army. With the fort cleared Graxag had the wights clear out and regroup outside. When Graxag returned and found Minerva with a child he raised the mother and it joined the others.
“ The first to be turned. The first of the new generation.”
Graxag said gently taking the child from Minerva. His touch turned the child’seyes The same as his and his skin blue. It would take ten years to mature and by then he would make another.
Eliasdagood

 

[Eliasdagood]

Minerva watches silently. Considering that he was willing to attack her, she obviously doesn’t know much about Graxag, but the child seems to be in gentle hands. For her own sanity, she will have to keep telling herself that. She turns to her general. “Go in, take whatever valuable things you can find. Take whatever prisoners you think will be useful to us.” The man nods, and continues the order to her soldiers, who head into the defeated fort.

 

[St. Boethius]

Graxag called the now turned mother and the new walker babe to its former mother. The newborn would need to be kept at the most frigid temperatures Graxag could manage during its development. Other than that it was a waiting game on maturity and keeping it fed. Graxag turned to Minerva.
“ A pleasure to see you again, and to see you keep your word. What now?”
Eliasdagood