This content chronicles the extraordinary and transformative life of Brynden Rivers, also known as Bloodraven, a figure who evolved from a bastard prince into a legendary, near-immortal guardian tasked with protecting Westeros from existential threats. His journey is one of immense sacrifice, where personal humanity was shed for eternal duty and foresight.
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Hey everyone. Tonight we begin with the
remarkable life of perhaps the most
mysterious and powerful figure in all of
Westeros. A man who was born a bastard
but became a king in all but name. Who
commanded ravens like other men command
armies and whose red eyes saw secrets
that would drive lesser minds to
madness. The legendary Brynden Rivers
known to history as Blood Raven and to
the children of the forest as the last
Grenere. This is the story of a man who
sacrificed everything for duty. Who
chose the burden of eternal sight over
the comfort of mortal blindness. From
the bloodied fields of the Blackfire
rebellions to the frozen caves beyond
the wall, his tale spans over a century
of Westeros history. So, before we delve
into this epic journey, take a moment to
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if you genuinely enjoy these deep dives
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Now, dim the lights, maybe turn on a fan
for that soft background hum. Get into
your blanket and let's ease into
tonight's journey together. In the
depths of a weirwood cave beyond the
wall, roots pierce through pale flesh,
binding a figure to an ancient throne of
living wood. His skin is white as bone,
his hair silver as moonlight, and where
his eyes should be, only dark hollows
remain. Yet somehow he sees everything.
Every whisper in King's Landing, every
prayer in the Godswood, every dream of
ice and fire that haunts the knights of
men. The ravens call him the threeeyed
crow. The misters wrote of him as the
blood raven. But long before he became
legend, he was simply Brynden Rivers,
bastard son of a king, born into a world
where dragons still cast shadows over
the realm. and the memory of conquest
lived in every stone of the Red Keep.
But how does a bastard become the most
feared spy master in the seven kingdoms?
How does a man transform from flesh and
blood into something between myth and
nightmare? And what terrible price did
he pay to guard secrets that could save
or damn the world? Tonight, we followed
the Red Raven from his first breath to
his final transformation. From the
moment he drew a bow that would fell
kings to the day he accepted a crown of
roots and darkness. This is a story of
choices that echo through generations of
love sacrificed for duty and of power
that comes at costs too terrible to
imagine. In the great game of thrones,
most players seek the iron seat. But
Brynden Rivers sought something far more
dangerous. He sought to see, and in the
end he would see too much. He would see
the long night returning, the dead
rising, and heroes yet unborn, who would
stand against the darkness. But first,
he had to lose everything human about
himself to gain the sight that would
guide them. The ravens are gathering
now, their black wings cutting across a
blood red sky. They whisper of wars yet
to come, of ice that will swallow
kingdoms, and of fire that will burn
away the old world. But they also
whisper of hope, of unlikely heroes, and
of sacrifices that will echo through
eternity. This is the story of the man
who became the memory of the world. The
bastard who chose to remember so that
others might forget their pain. The
archer whose final arrow pierced not
flesh but time itself, sending ripples
across the centuries that would
determine the fate of every living soul
in Westeros. So settle in as we unravel
the mystery of Blood Raven, the man who
gave up his humanity to save it. Our
tale begins in the year 175 after
Aegon's conquest in the sprawling
capital of King's Landing. The great
city sprawls along the shores of
Blackwater Bay like a festering wound
upon the land. Its narrow streets
winding between hvels and palaces in a
maze that mirrors the twisted politics
of the realm itself. High above the
stinking streets, the Red Keep looms
like a great red dragon of stone and
mortar, its towers clawing at the sky as
if to snatch dragons from the clouds.
Within those crimson walls ruled King
Aegon IVth, called the unworthy, though
none dared speak that name while he drew
breath. He was a king who loved excess
in all its forms. Food, wine, women, and
perhaps most dangerously, the making of
children with those women. The royal bed
chambers saw a parade of mistresses from
the highest noble houses to the lowest
serving wenches. And from these unions
came a crop of royal bastards that would
shake the very foundations of the seven
kingdoms. In this world of silk and
shadows, of whispered secrets and naked
ambition, was born Brynden Rivers. His
mother was Melissa Blackwood, a daughter
of the ancient and noble house Blackwood
of Raventry Hall. The Blackwoods were
among the last of the great houses to
keep the old gods worshiping the
nameless deities of the first men
beneath heart trees whose red leaves
whispered secrets older than the Andal
conquest. When Brynden drew his first
breath in the year 175, the misters
noted several peculiarities that would
mark him for life. His skin was pale as
winter snow, so white it seemed almost
translucent in candle light. His hair
grew silver white from birth, the color
of starlight on water. But most striking
of all were his eyes, red as garnets,
red as fresh blood, red as the heart
tree leaves that rustled in his mother's
homeland. Upon his left cheek, spreading
from ear to mouth like a crimson tide,
lay a birthark the shape and color of a
raven in flight. The small folk who
glimpsed the royal bastard would whisper
that the old gods themselves had marked
him, that the ravens of Ravenree Hall
had blessed him with their sign. Others,
less charitable, muttered that he bore
the mark of a kinslayer, that blood
would follow him all his days. As
Brynden grew from babe to boy to young
man, that birthmark would earn him a
name that would echo through the halls
of history. Blood Raven, they called
him. and the name fit like armor forged
specifically for his shoulders. But
Brynden was not alone among the royal
bastards. King Aegon's seed had fallen
upon fertile ground throughout the
realm, sprouting a garden of half-royal
children, who would come to be known as
the great bastards. Chief among these
was Damon Waters, later Damon Blackfire,
goldenhaired and charismatic with the
look of a true dragon king and the skill
with sword to match. He was everything a
king should be and perhaps that was the
problem. There was Aigor Rivers called
Bittersteel, born of a Bracken mother,
and thus a bitter enemy to Brynden from
the cradle. The ancient feud between
Blackwood and Bracken ran deeper than
memory, deeper than reason. A hatred
that had soaked the Riverlands in blood
for a thousand years. Aigor was as hard
as his name suggested, a warrior born
with iron in his bones and steel in his
soul. And then there was Shira Sea Star,
the most beautiful woman in the seven
kingdoms. Born of lysene nobility with
silver gold hair and mismatched eyes,
one green as summer grass, the other
blue as winter sky. She was learned in
the arts, both scholarly and mysterious,
and from their earliest years, she and
Brynden shared a connection that went
deeper than mere attraction. They
understood each other in ways that
others could not. Drawn together by
minds that worked in shadows and
secrets. The red keep of their youth was
a different place than it would later
become. Dragon skulls still adorned the
throne room, massive and terrible,
reminders of the power that had forged
the seven kingdoms into one. The iron
throne itself seemed to breathe with
malevolent life. Its thousand swords
melded by dragonfire into a seat that
cut and wounded those unworthy to rule.
In the training yards, young Brynden
showed an aptitude that surprised even
his tutors. While Damon excelled with
sword and shield, and Aeigor mastered
the arts of heavy cavalry. Brynden found
his calling with the bow, his red eyes
could pick out targets that others could
barely see, his arrows finding their
marks with supernatural precision. By
his 15th year, it was said that Blood
Raven never missed his target, and those
who knew him well began to wonder if
perhaps he never missed anything at all.
But archery was not his only gift.
Brynden possessed a mind like a spider's
web, intricate and patient, capable of
holding a thousand threads of
information without tangling them. He
learned to read the faces of men like
other boys learned to read books, to see
the lie behind the smile, the fear
behind the boast, the ambition behind
the bow. The ravens seemed drawn to him
as well, great black birds that would
perch upon the battlements when he
passed below, their dark eyes following
his movements with an intelligence that
made even hardened knights
uncomfortable. The maesters said it was
merely coincidence, but the older
servants whispered of witchcraft, of old
blood calling to old magic. As the
bastards grew to manhood, the question
of their futures loomed like storm
clouds on the horizon. King Aegan grew
ever more corpulent and dissolute. His
rain marked by excess and poor judgment.
The realm groaned under taxes meant to
fund his pleasures, and the great houses
grew restless with each passing year.
Whispers began to circulate, dangerous
whispers about which of his sons might
make a better king. For Brynden, caught
between his bastard birth and his royal
blood, between his loyalty to the crown
and his love for his siblings. These
were the formative years that would
shape the man he would become. He
learned that power was not taken but
earned, not seized but carefully
cultivated. He learned that knowledge
was the sharpest weapon and patience the
strongest shield. In the god's wood of
the red keep beneath the pale branches
of the heart tree. Young Brynden would
sometimes sit in silence for hours, his
red eyes closed, his breathing slow and
measured. The other bastards thought him
strange, but Shierra understood. She
would find him there in the twilight
hours, sitting so still that the ravens
would perch upon his shoulders without
fear. It was in those quiet moments,
surrounded by the whispers of ancient
leaves, that Brynden first heard the
voices, soft as size, old as the stones
of Winterfell. They called to him from
somewhere beyond the veil of ordinary
sight. They spoke of ice and fire, of
choices yet unmade, of a destiny that
stretched far beyond the petty squables
of kings and kingdoms. The boy who would
become Blood Raven was listening to
those voices even then, though he would
not understand their meaning for decades
yet to come. He was being prepared,
shaped like an arrow being fletched, for
a target he could not yet see. But
first, he would have to lose everything
he held dear. The year was 184 after
Aegon's conquest when King Aegon IVth
lay dying in his bed, his massive frame
finally succumbing to a lifetime of
excess. His body had grown so corpulent
that servants struggled to move him, and
the stench of his rotting flesh could be
smelled throughout the Maga's hold. Yet,
even as death's cold fingers reached for
him, the unworthy king had one final act
of spite to unleash upon the realm. On
his deathbed, with his last rattling
breath, Aegon IVth legitimized all of
his bastard children, every single one.
With a stroke of his dying hand, he
transformed outcasts into princes,
bastards into potential kings. It was an
act of breathtaking selfishness. One
final gesture of chaos from a king who
had spent his entire reign sewing
discord wherever his appetites led him.
The royal decree spread through the red
keep like wildfire through a granary.
Servants whispered in corridors. Lords
gathered in urgent conferences and in
the chambers of the newly legitimized
bastards. The very air seemed to crackle
with possibility and dread. Brynden
Rivers, now Prince Brynden of House
Targaryen, sat in his solar overlooking
the Blackwater, watching ships navigate
the harbor below while contemplating how
completely his world had changed. But
legitimization was only part of Aegon's
final gift to chaos. Before his death,
the king had presented his eldest
bastard, Damon, with Blackfire itself.
The Valyrian steel sword of Aegon the
Conqueror, the blade that had carved the
seven kingdoms from seven fractured
realms, now rested in the hands of a man
who was no longer a bastard, but a
prince with a claim to the throne. The
symbolism was impossible to ignore. For
300 years, Blackfire had been the sword
of kings passed from father to son in an
unbroken line. Now it belonged to a
legitimized bastard, while the crown
prince Darren possessed only his
birthright, and the support of those
lords who favored law over charisma. The
realm had been presented with two
dragons, one black and one red, and
history suggested that Westeros was not
large enough for both. Brynden
understood the implications better than
most. His mind, always quick to see
patterns and connections, traced the
likely outcomes like a maester plotting
the courses of stars. Civil war was not
just possible now. It was inevitable.
The only questions were when it would
begin and which side would prove
stronger when the dragons danced. In the
Sept of Remembrance, where Aegon's
bloated corpse lay in state, surrounded
by flickering candles and the nauseating
perfume meant to mask the smell of
decay. Brynden stood among his newly
legitimized siblings and contemplated
the weight of choice. Damon, golden and
magnificent, looked every inch at king
as he accepted the condolences of lords
who had already begun calculating which
way their loyalties should turn. Aigor
Rivers, now Aigor Blackfire, stood at
Damon's right hand like a steel shadow,
his dark eyes promising violence to any
who would oppose his half-brother's
claim. And there was Shira, beautiful
and terrible in her morning garb, her
mismatched eyes reflecting the candle
light like twin stars. She caught
Brynden's gaze across the sept, and he
saw in her face the same recognition he
felt in his bones. They were standing at
the crossroads of history, and the path
they chose would determine not just
their own fates, but the destiny of
millions. Prince Daron, now King Daron
II, was a good man. Brynden had known
him since childhood, had watched him
grow from a studious boy into a
thoughtful prince who understood that
ruling meant serving the realm rather
than simply commanding it. Darren had
brought Dorne into the kingdom through
marriage rather than conquest, healing
old wounds with wisdom instead of
ripping them open with steel. He was
everything a king should be, save for
one crucial failing. He lacked the
golden charisma that drew men to follow
without question. Damon possessed that
charisma in abundance. When he spoke,
men listened. When he smiled, women
swooned. When he drew Blackfire, the
ancient steel seemed to sing with the
voices of dragons. He was the sort of
man who could unite the fractious lords
of Westeros under a single banner. The
kind of leader who appeared perhaps once
in a generation, but charisma was not
the same as wisdom, and the ability to
inspire was not the same as the capacity
to rule justly. The choice before
Brynden was not simply between two
brothers, but between two visions of
what the realm could become. He could
support Damon and help place a glorious
warrior king upon the Iron Throne,
knowing that such a king might lead the
realm to new heights of conquest and
achievement. Or he could stand by Darron
and defend the principle that law and
legitimacy mattered more than personal
appeal, even if it meant the realm might
suffer under a less inspiring but more
dutiful ruler. In the godswood of the
Red Keep, beneath the bone pale branches
of the heart tree, Brynden sought the
council of older powers. The weirwood's
face was ancient and solemn, its red
eyes weeping sap like tears of blood. As
he knelt before the sacred tree,
pressing his pale hands against its
smooth bark, he felt something stirring
in the depths of his mind. Not quite
voices, not quite visions, but something
that whispered of futures yet unborn,
and choices that would echo through
generations. He saw flashes of images
that made no sense. Ice advancing from
the north like a living thing, consuming
everything in its path. Dragons dancing
in skies dark with smoke and ash. A boy
with three eyes watching from a cave of
roots and stone. Fire and ice clashing
in battles that would determine whether
the world lived or died. And through it
all, a sense that every choice made now
in this moment of crisis would ripple
outward through time like stones thrown
into still water. The visions faded,
leaving Brynden gasping and disoriented,
but with a strange certainty growing in
his heart. He understood now what the
ancient whispers had been trying to tell
him. This was not simply about
supporting one claimant over another.
This was about positioning himself to
serve a greater purpose, one that
stretched far beyond the immediate
crisis of succession. When he rose from
his knees, brushing dirt from his dark
clothing, Brynden Rivers had made his
choice. He would serve the principle of
legitimate rule, not because Darren was
the better man, but because the realm
needed the stability that came from
respecting law and custom. Chaos might
be exciting, but it was also
destructive. And something deep in his
bones told him that darker chaos was
coming. Chaos that would make the dance
of the dragons look like a children's
game. The realm would need to be strong
and united. When that darkness arrived,
it would need institutions that could
survive the loss of any individual
leader. It would need the kind of deep
roots that only came from generations of
careful cultivation. Damon might make a
glorious king, but his reign would be
built on the foundation of successful
rebellion. And if one legitimized
bastard could successfully claim the
throne, what was to stop others from
following his example? As he walked back
toward the red keep through the
gathering dusk. Ravens called from the
battlementss above. The great black
birds seemed to be watching him with
unusual interest, their dark eyes
reflecting the last light of the dying
day. One of them, larger than the rest,
spread its wings and glided down to
perch on a nearby Merlin, tilting its
head to study him with unmistakable
intelligence. For a moment, man and
raven regarded each other in perfect
silence. Then the bird opened its beak
and spoke a single word in a voice like
rusted iron. "Choose." Brynden smiled, a
cold expression that failed to reach his
red eyes. He had already chosen. Now
came the harder part. He would have to
convince his siblings to make the same
choice, knowing that some of them would
refuse. He would have to prepare for a
civil war that would tear the realm
apart. And he would have to do it all
while keeping his deeper purpose hidden,
even from those he loved most. The great
bastards had been legitimized. But
legitimacy was only the beginning of
their story. Now they would have to
decide what to do with the power that
had been thrust upon them. Some would
choose glory, others would choose love,
and still others would choose revenge.
Brynden Rivers chose duty, though he
suspected that in the end duty would
cost him everything else he had ever
valued. The raven called once and took
wing, disappearing into the darkening
sky. But Brindon knew it would be back.
They always came back to him, the
ravens, as if they recognized something
in him that even he did not yet fully
understand. King Darren II ascended to
the Iron Throne in a ceremony both
magnificent and tense. The great lords
of the realm watching carefully as the
crown of Aegon the Conqueror settled
upon his brow. The Sept of Balor had
never seen such a gathering of power and
suspicion with every major house
represented and every representative
calculating the odds of civil war.
Brynden stood among the legitimized
princes, now styling himself Prince
Brynden Rivers, and felt the weight of
history pressing down like the humid air
before a thunderstorm. The new king was
everything his father had not been.
Where Aegon IVth had been corpulent and
dissolute, Darren was lean and studious,
where the unworthy had ruled through
whim and appetite. His son approached
kingship with the methodical care of a
maester organizing a library. But
intelligence and good intentions were
not always enough to hold a throne,
especially when that throne's legitimacy
was being questioned by men with dragons
blood and Valyrian steel. In the months
following the coronation, the realm
began to fracture along predictable
lines. the great houses of the west and
parts of the reach rallied to Damon's
golden banner drawn by his charisma and
the ancient sword he carried. They spoke
of the rightful king, the warrior who
would lead Westeros to new glories, the
man who looked like Aegon the conqueror
reborn. Meanwhile, the loyal lords
gathered around Dron. Men who valued
stability over spectacle, law over
personality. Brynden found himself in an
impossible position. His choice to
support Darren's legitimacy had put him
at odds with many of his newly
legitimized siblings, particularly
Aigor, whose Bracken heritage made him a
natural enemy. Anyway, the ancient feud
between Blackwood and Bracken had found
new expression in the conflict between
the Black Dragon and the Red, and
Aigor's hatred for Brynden burned with
all the fury of a thousand years of
bloodshed between their mother's houses.
But it was Damon's reaction that cut
deepest. The Golden Prince, who had once
been Brynden's closest companion among
the bastards, now looked upon him with
the cold disappointment of betrayal.
They had shared the same uncertain
childhood, the same struggles with
bastard birth, the same dreams of
legitimacy and acceptance. For Damon to
see Brynden's loyalty to Don as a
personal rejection struck at bonds that
had been forged in the fires of shared
adversity. Shierra remained neutral, or
at least maintained the appearance of
neutrality. Her mismatched eyes gave
away nothing as she moved between court
functions, equally charming to all
factions, while committing herself to
none. But Brynden knew her well enough
to see the calculations behind her
beautiful smile. She was waiting,
watching, preparing to cast her lot with
whichever side proved stronger when the
inevitable conflict erupted into open
warfare. The Red Keep during those tense
months felt like a powder keg wrapped in
silk and courtesy. Lords who had been
friends for decades suddenly found
urgent business that prevented them from
sharing meals. Conversations stopped
when the wrong people entered rooms.
Even the servants seemed to move more
quietly, as if loud footsteps might
trigger the explosion everyone could
feel building. Brynden threw himself
into service to the new king with the
dedication of a man seeking redemption
through works. He studied the realm's
finances, learning how the crown's debts
had grown under his father's extravagant
reign. He mapped the loyalties of every
major house, tracking which lords could
be counted upon and which might waver
when pressure was applied. Most
importantly, he began to build something
that had been sorely lacking in Aegon's
government, a network of information.
Ravens flew constantly to and from the
Red Keep, carrying messages that seemed
routine, but contained coded
intelligence about troop movements,
grain stores, and the shifting moods of
castle lords across the seven kingdoms.
Brynden recruited a small army of
informants from stable boys in lordly
castles to serving wenches in roadside
ins. He understood that knowledge was
power and in the coming conflict the
side with better information would hold
a crucial advantage. The king
appreciated his efforts, though Darren
sometimes seemed uncomfortable with the
methods his bastard brother employed.
The second king was an honorable man who
preferred direct dealing to shadow
games. But he was also pragmatic enough
to recognize that honorable men did not
always win wars. When Brynden presented
him with detailed reports on which lords
were wavering in their loyalty, Darren
accepted the information gratefully
while making it clear that certain
methods of gathering intelligence were
not to be employed. This moral
constraint frustrated Brynden, who could
see opportunities slipping away because
the king was unwilling to use every
weapon at his disposal. But he also
respected Darren's principles,
recognizing that a king who compromised
his values to gain power might find that
power hollow when finally grasped. The
challenge was to serve a honorable
master while operating in a world where
honor was often a luxury that could cost
lives. The breaking point came in early
196 when reports reached King's Landing
that Damon had openly declared himself
the rightful king and was gathering
armies in the western reaches. The
Pretender had established court at
Harrenhal, that cursed castle where the
ghosts of ancient kings whispered in the
wind and lords from across the realm
were flocking to his banner. What had
been whispered rebellion became open
defiance and the time for careful
maneuvering had passed. Brynden stood in
the small council chamber as ravens
brought increasingly dire reports. Lord
Butterwell had declared for Damon. House
Peak had raised their banners for the
Black Dragon. Even some Targaryen
loyalists were beginning to waver as
they saw the momentum building behind
the pretender's cause. The numbers were
not encouraging for the red dragon of
legitimacy, but numbers were not
everything, and Brynden had spent months
preparing for this moment. His network
of spies and informants had identified
the key lords whose support could swing
entire regions. More importantly, he had
located stores of weapons and supplies
that could be denied to Damon's forces
through carefully placed agents. The
coming war would not be won solely by
brave men with sharp swords. It would be
determined by logistics, by information,
by the ability to strike at the right
place at the right time. King Daron
called his banners, and the realm began
its transformation from uneasy peace to
open warfare. Ancient castles that had
slumbered through decades of relative
quiet suddenly bustled with activity as
lords armed their sworn swords and
called up their levies. The great
highways of Westeros filled with
marching men, some heading west to join
Damon, others moving east to serve
Deron. The realm was tearing itself in
half, just as it had during the dance of
the dragons a century before. Brynden
felt the weight of inevitability
settling around him like a heavy cloak.
All the planning and preparation had led
to this moment when words would fail and
only steel could decide which dragon
would claim the throne. But he also felt
something else. Something that reminded
him of those strange visions in the gods
would. A sense that this conflict,
terrible as it would be, was only a
prelude to something much larger and
more dangerous. The ravens seemed to
sense it, too. They gathered in unusual
numbers on the towers of the Red Keep,
their black eyes reflecting a wisdom
older than human memory. Sometimes, when
the wind was right, their cries almost
sounded like words, like warnings, like
prophecies being whispered to those with
ears to hear. As the realm prepared for
civil war, Brynden Rivers prepared for
his own transformation. The bastard who
had sought acceptance through service to
the crown was about to become something
much more dangerous. He was about to
become Blood Raven, the king's weapon in
the darkness, the redeyed archer whose
bow would decide the fate of kingdoms.
The journey into legend had begun,
though none of them yet understood how
far that dark path would lead. In the
distance, barely visible through the
morning mist rising from Blackwater Bay,
the first smoke columns from burning
villages marked where advanced scouts
from both armies had already begun the
work of war. The dance of the dragons
had begun a new. And this time, Brynden
Rivers intended to make sure it ended
with the right dragon on the throne,
whatever the cost to himself or anyone
else who stood in the way of that goal.
The first Blackfire rebellion erupted
across Westeros like a fever in the
blood of the realm, transforming
peaceful kingdoms into battlegrounds
where brother fought brother and ancient
loyalties shattered like glass. From the
Reach to the Riverlands, from the
Westerlands to the Stormlands, the great
houses chose their sides and prepared to
water the earth with the blood of their
enemies. Brynden Rivers rode out from
King's Landing at the head of a column
of loyal men. His pale face set in grim
determination as he surveyed the
transformed landscape of his homeland.
The roads that had once carried
merchants and pilgrims now bore armies,
and the smoke rising from distant fires
marked not hearth and home, but the
systematic destruction that accompanied
civil war. This was his first true taste
of leadership in warfare, and he
approached it with the same methodical
intelligence he brought to everything
else. The conflict revealed truths about
the realm that had been hidden during
times of peace. Lords who had sworn
eternal loyalty to the Iron Throne
proved surprisingly willing to break
those oaths when a more charismatic
alternative appeared. Ancient grudges
between houses suppressed during Aegon's
reign by the threat of royal displeasure
now burst into open flame as neighbors
used the civil war as an excuse to
settle old scores. But the most
disturbing discovery was how many of the
great lords genuinely believed Damon's
cause was just. These were not
opportunists seeking advancement through
rebellion, but honorable men who had
concluded that the legitimized bastard
would make a better king than the
trueborn prince. They spoke of Damon's
noble bearing, his skill with sword and
lance, his ability to inspire men to
greatness. In their minds, blood and
birth mattered less than the qualities
that made a true king. Brynden found
himself questioning his own certainties
as he listened to captured knights
explain their reasons for following the
black dragon. These men were not fools
or traitors in the traditional sense.
They were making reasoned judgments
about which claimment would better serve
the realm, and their conclusions
challenged everything Brynden believed
about the importance of legitimate
succession. The war's first major
engagement came at a crossing of the
Mander, where forces loyal to Damon
attempted to prevent royal
reinforcements from reaching the
capital. Frendan commanded a significant
portion of the loyalist forces, his red
eyes scanning the battlefield with the
calculating gaze of a man who understood
that victory often went to whoever made
the fewest mistakes rather than whoever
showed the most courage. Here, for the
first time, the realm witnessed the
archery skills that would make Blood
Raven a legend. Positioning himself on a
low hill overlooking the ford, Brynden
began systematically eliminating key
targets among the rebel forces, his
arrows flew with supernatural accuracy.
Finding gaps in armor that seemed
impossibly small, striking down enemy
commanders and standardbearers with
shots that defied explanation. The
psychological effect was devastating.
Rebel soldiers began to whisper that
King Darren had allied himself with dark
powers, that the pale archer with the
birthark was something more than human.
Some claimed his arrows never missed
because they were guided by sorcery.
Others said he could see through the
eyes of ravens, watching the battlefield
from impossible angles. Brynden neither
confirmed nor denied these rumors. He
had learned that fear could be as
valuable as steel in warfare. And if his
enemies wanted to believe he possessed
supernatural abilities, he would not
waste energy correcting their
misconceptions. The truth was both
simpler and more complex than magic. His
skills came from natural talent honed by
relentless practice. But there was
something else as well, something he
could not quite name or understand.
During the heat of battle, time seemed
to slow for him. He could see the paths
arrows would take before he released
them, predict how enemy soldiers would
move, anticipate where the next threat
would emerge. It was as if some part of
his mind existed slightly ahead of the
present moment, giving him glimpses of
futures that had not quite arrived. The
victory at the Mandanda crossing
established Brynden's reputation as a
military commander, but it also revealed
the complex nature of the conflict he
was helping to wage. Among the captured
rebels were men he had known since
childhood, knights who had served
loyally at court, young lords whose only
crime was following their fathers into
rebellion. The civil war was not a clear
contest between good and evil, but a
tragedy in which decent people found
themselves on opposite sides of an
impossible choice. Letters intercepted
from Damon's camp revealed the depth of
planning that had gone into the
rebellion. This was not a spontaneous
uprising, but a carefully orchestrated
campaign that had been years in the
making. Secret meetings, hidden
alliances, stockpiled weapons and
supplies, all pointed to a conspiracy
that reached back to before Aegon's
death. Someone had been preparing for
this war long before anyone else
realized it was inevitable. The most
disturbing intelligence came from
captured ravens carrying coded messages.
The rebellion had its own network of
spies and informants rivaled to the one
Brynden was building for the crown.
Worse, some of the codes were familiar.
They used techniques and ciphers that
Brynden recognized, suggesting that
whoever was managing Damon's
intelligence operations had learned
their craft in the same places where
Brynden had developed his own skills.
Shira Sea Star's name appeared in
several of the intercepted
communications, though always in
contexts that were maddeningly
ambiguous. She was clearly in contact
with both sides, passing information
that helped each camp understand the
others movements and intentions. Whether
she was playing a deeper game or simply
trying to minimize the bloodshed by
preventing either side from gaining a
decisive advantage was impossible to
determine. The revelation of Shira's
involvement hit Brynden harder than any
physical wound. He had hoped that she
would eventually declare for Daron that
their shared understanding would lead
her to the same conclusions about duty
and legitimacy that had guided his own
choice. Instead, she seemed to be
treating the entire conflict as an
elaborate game, moving pieces on both
sides of the board for reasons known
only to herself. Winter was approaching,
and with it came the knowledge that the
war would have to be decided quickly.
Neither side could afford a prolonged
conflict that would drain the realm's
resources. While the cold months made
campaigning impossible, the great battle
that would determine the rebellion's
outcome was approaching, and everyone
involved understood that everything they
had fought for would be decided in a
single day of steel and blood. Reports
from the west indicated that Damon was
moving toward the Reach, possibly
planning to winter in the rich lands
around Oldtown, where his supporters
could supply his army through the cold
months. But Brynden's intelligence
network suggested a different
possibility. The Pretender was seeking a
decisive battle, confident that his
charisma and the ancient sword Blackfire
would inspire his followers to victory
against the odds. The stage was being
set for the confrontation that would
later be known as the Battle of the Red
Grass Field. Though none of the
participants yet knew that name or
understood how completely it would
change the trajectory of Westerosi
history. All they knew was that two
dragons were about to meet in combat and
only one would survive to claim the
throne. But even as the armies
maneuvered toward their fateful
encounter, Brynden was beginning to
understand that the rebellion itself
might be only part of a larger pattern.
The coded messages, the careful
planning, the way events seem to unfold
according to some grand design. All
suggested that forces beyond the
immediate participants were shaping the
conflict. In his tent at night, studying
maps by candle light, while ravens
roosted on the guy ropes outside,
Brynden Rivers began to suspect that he
was not just fighting a civil war. He
was participating in something much
larger and more dangerous, a game whose
rules he did not yet understand, and
whose ultimate stakes might be higher
than any throne. The morning mist clung
to the red grass field like the breath
of ghosts, swirling around the feet of
two armies as they faced each other
across a stretch of ground that would
soon be remembered as one of the
bloodiest battlefields in Westerosi
history. The year was 196 after
conquest, and the fate of the seven
kingdoms would be decided before the sun
reached its scenith. Brynden Rivers
positioned himself with a company of
archers on a slight rise that offered
clear sight lines across the field. His
pale hands checked his bowring for
perhaps the hundth time that morning,
fingers automatically counting the
arrows in his quiver, while his red eyes
surveyed the enemy formations. Somewhere
in that mass of steel and silk banners
was his half-brother, Damon, the golden
pretender who carried Blackfire and the
hopes of half the realm. The battle
began with the thunder of cavalry
charges, great destriers pounding across
the field while their riders couched
lances and roared battle cries that
echoed off the surrounding hills. Lord
Hayford led the loyalist heavy horse,
his banner streaming behind him as he
crashed into the rebel lines with
devastating effect. For a moment, it
seemed the day might be won quickly,
decisively in favor of King Darren. But
Damon Blackfire was everything his
supporters claimed him to be. Even from
a distance, Brynden could see his
half-brother's golden hair streaming
like a banner as he rallied his men and
led countercharges that shattered
loyalist formations. The ancient
Valyrian steel sword seemed to glow in
the morning light as it carved through
armor and flesh. And wherever Damon
rode, his followers fought with the
desperate courage of men defending their
chosen king. The battle swayed back and
forth across the field. Neither side
able to gain a decisive advantage.
Bodies began to pile in the muddy grass,
creating obstacles that horses stumbled
over and foot soldiers had to climb. The
neat formations that had begun the day
dissolved into a chaotic melee where
friend and foe were often impossible to
distinguish until steel met steel.
Rendan waited with the patience of a
hunter, his arrows claiming targets of
opportunity while he searched for the
shot that would end everything. Enemy
knights who ventured too close to his
position found themselves pierced by
shafts that seemed to appear from
nowhere. Standard bearers fell with
arrows through their throats. Commanders
shouting orders suddenly toppled from
their saddles as red-fledged arrows
found gaps in their armor. But it was
not until the afternoon that the
opportunity he sought finally presented
itself. Through the smoke and dust of
battle, Brynden saw a flash of gold and
black, the distinctive colors of House
Blackfire. Damon had separated from the
main press of combat, perhaps seeking to
rally a wavering flank or coordinate
with reserves moving up from the rear.
The shot was impossibly difficult.
Nearly 200 yd through swirling smoke
with friendly forces between archer and
target requiring perfect timing to avoid
hitting the wrong man. Any normal bowman
would have waited for a clearer
opportunity or chosen a different target
entirely. Brynden Rivers was not a
normal Bowman. The arrow flew straight
and true, arcing high over the
battlefield before descending like
divine judgment toward its target. Time
seemed frozen as the shaft cut through
smoke and screaming air, as if all the
chaos of battle had paused to witness
this singular moment of destiny. Damon
Blackfire, toppled from his saddle, the
ancient sword Blackfire, falling from
nerveless fingers to land in the bloody
grass. The pretender king, the golden
prince, who might have united the seven
kingdoms under his charismatic rule, lay
still on the field where so many of his
followers had already died. The effect
was immediate and devastating. Word of
Damon's death spread through the rebel
army like wildfire, carried by riders
who had witnessed the impossible shot.
Units that had been fighting with fierce
determination moments before began to
waver and break. The psychological
impact of losing their charismatic
leader proved more decisive than any
tactical maneuver. Yet, even as the
rebels began their retreat, something
felt wrong to Brynden. The victory
seemed too clean, too simple, a single
arrow deciding the fate of kingdoms. It
was the stuff of songs and stories, not
the messy reality of politics and
warfare that he had come to understand.
Ageda rivers called Bittersteel had
escaped the field with a significant
portion of the rebel cavalry, fighting a
skillful rear guard action that allowed
thousands of Damon supporters to flee
across the narrow sea. The Golden
Company was born in that retreat. A
brotherhood of exiles who would spend
generations plotting their return to
Westeros. The rebellion might be broken,
but the cause that drove it remained
very much alive. More troubling were the
questions that arose in the victo's
aftermath. How had the rebellion been so
well organized? Who had provided the
golden weapons that equipped Damon's
armies? Why had so many lords been
willing to risk everything for a cause
that viewed objectively had little
chance of ultimate success? The captured
documents from Damon's camp revealed
tantalizing hints of a larger
conspiracy, references to friends across
the water who had promised support,
mentions of ancient prophecies and
bloodline claims that stretched back to
old Valyria. Most disturbing of all,
evidence that the rebellion had been
planned not months but years in advance
with careful attention to timing and coordination.
coordination.
Brynden studied these papers by candle
light in his tent, his red eyes
searching for patterns that might
explain what he had witnessed. The
rebellion was over. Damon was dead, and
Dron sat securely on the Iron Throne. By
any reasonable measure, the loyalist
cause had achieved complete victory.
Yet, the document suggested something
else entirely. They hinted that the
first Blackfire Rebellion had been
intended not as an end in itself, but as
a beginning, a first move in a much
longer game whose ultimate objectives
remained hidden. The defeat at Red Grass
Field might have been anticipated, even
planned for, by whoever was
orchestrating events from the shadows.
Shier Sea Star appeared in several of
the captured correspondences. her name
encoded in ciphers that took Brynden
considerable effort to break. The
messages revealed that she had indeed
been playing both sides throughout the
conflict, but not for the reasons he had
assumed. Rather than trying to minimize
bloodshed or hedge her bets, she seemed
to have been gathering information for
some third party whose identity was
carefully concealed. The realization hit
Brynden like a physical blow. His
beloved halfsister, the woman whose
intelligence and beauty had captivated
him since childhood, had been working
against both the loyalist cause and
Damon's rebellion. She served neither
the Red Dragon nor the Black, but some
other master whose purposes remained
opaque. When confronted with this
evidence, Shierra offered only her
enigmatic smile and cryptic words about
the importance of taking a longer view
of history. She spoke of cycles and
patterns of forces that move beneath the
surface of obvious events, of the need
to prepare for threats that had not yet
revealed themselves. The victory
celebration in King's Landing felt
hollow to Brynden. Despite the genuine
relief of lords who had feared for their
lands and lives, Damon was dead, the
rebellion was crushed, and the realm was
at peace. The king rewarded his loyal
supporters with lands and titles, and
Brynden found himself elevated to
positions of trust and responsibility
that would have seemed impossible for a
bastard just months before. But the
questions remained. The documents from
Damon's camp spoke of contingencies and
backup plans of seeds planted for future
harvests. Bittersteel's escape with the
rebel survivors suggested that the story
was far from over. Most troubling of
all, the ease with which the rebellion
had been put down felt somehow
orchestrated, as if someone had wanted
it to fail at precisely this moment and
in precisely this way. Standing on the
walls of the Red Keep, watching ravens
wheel through the autumn sky above
King's Landing, Brynden Rivers
understood that he had won a battle, but
learned nothing about the war. The first
Blackfire Rebellion was over, but its
end had only raised more questions about
the nature of the conflict he found
himself fighting. The realm celebrated
peace, but Brynden knew better. The
piece was an illusion, a temporary pause
between movements in a symphony of
conflict whose full scope he was only
beginning to comprehend. Somewhere in
the shadows, puppet masters were already
pulling strings for the next act in
their grand performance, and he was
beginning to suspect that he might be
one of the puppets. In the years
following the Red Grass Field, Brynden
Rivers transformed from a bastard prince
who had proved his loyalty into
something far more dangerous and
essential to the realm. King Darren,
grateful for the arrow that had ended
the rebellion and secured his throne,
began to rely heavily on his
half-brother's unique talents for seeing
what others missed and knowing what
others tried to hide. The transition was
gradual but inexurable. First came small
requests for advice on matters of
security and intelligence. Then broader
consultations on the loyalty of various
lords and the stability of different
regions. Finally, formal appointment to
the small council as master of
whisperers, a position that had remained
vacant since the previous holder had
proven insufficiently thorough in
detecting the Blackfire conspiracy
before it erupted into open rebellion.
Brynden approached his new role with the
systematic thoroughess that
characterized everything he did. The
network of informants he had built
during the rebellion expanded
exponentially, reaching into every
castle, every port, every crossroads in
where travelers might share news or
gossip. Ravens flew constantly between
the Red Keep and distant locations
carrying coded messages that painted an
increasingly detailed picture of the
realm's hidden currents. But information
was only valuable if it could be acted
upon effectively. And Brynden quickly
learned that his new position required
skills beyond mere intelligence
gathering. He needed to understand not
just what people were doing, but why
they were doing it and how their actions
might be influenced or redirected toward
outcomes more favorable to the crown.
The art of manipulation proved to be
another area where his unusual mind
excelled. Just as he could see the path
an arrow would take before releasing it
from his bow, he could trace the likely
consequences of words whispered in the
right ears, of favors granted or
withheld, of information revealed or
concealed at precisely the right moment.
The realm became a vast game board, and
he was learning to move pieces with
increasingly sophisticated understanding
of how each move affected all the
others. Yet, the deeper he delved into
the shadows that surrounded power, the
more disturbing patterns began to
emerge. The Blackfire Rebellion had been
more thoroughly planned and extensively
supported than anyone had realized. Even
after Damon's death and the apparent
collapse of the pretender's cause, money
continued to flow to potential
troublemakers from sources that remained
mysteriously untraceable. Beyond the
immediate concerns of rebellion and
treason, Brynden began to detect hints
of older and stranger conspiracies.
Ancient texts in the Red Keep's library
spoke of cyclical threats that emerged
from the frozen lands beyond the wall.
Maester's letters from distant citadels
mentioned unusual weather patterns and
disturbing reports from ranging parties
of the nights watch. Most unsettling of
all, his own dreams had begun to take on
a prophetic quality that reminded him
uncomfortably of the visions he had
experienced in the godswood. The dreams
came most often in the hours before dawn
when sleep was deepest and the barriers
between conscious and unconscious mind
were thinnest. He saw vast armies of the
dead marching beneath banners of ice and
shadow. Dragons dancing in skies dark
with ash and smoke. A boy with three
eyes sitting on a throne of weirwood
roots while ancient voices whispered
secrets too terrible for mortal minds to
comprehend. Upon waking, the details
would fade like morning mist, leaving
behind only fragments and impressions
that made no logical sense. Yet the
emotional weight of these visions
remained, a growing certainty that the
realm faced threats far greater than any
rebellion or dynastic dispute. Something
was stirring in the deep places of the
world, something that regarded the
squables of human kings as barely worthy
of notice. Shierra Seaar had withdrawn
from court life following the rebellion,
claiming a desire for scholarly pursuits
that took her frequently to the Citadel
and other centers of learning. But
Brynden spies reported that her travels
followed patterns that suggested
purposes beyond mere academic interest.
She visited sites of ancient
significance, consulted texts that most
misters dismissed as folklore, and
maintained correspondence with
individuals whose identities remained
carefully concealed. Their relationship,
once marked by affection and mutual
understanding, had cooled to polite
distance. When they encountered each
other at court functions, she treated
him with the same courteous reserve she
showed to any other royal official. But
sometimes he caught her watching him
with an expression that suggested she
knew more about his dreams and growing
abilities than she had any logical way
of knowing. The ravens that gathered on
the towers of the red keep in unusual
numbers seemed drawn specifically to
him. Servants reported that the great
blackbirds would fall silent when he
passed beneath their perches, turning
their dark eyes to follow his movements
with unmistakable intelligence. Some of
the older birds had learned to mimic
human speech, and occasionally they
would call out words or phrases that
seemed to relate to matters occupying
his thoughts. King Daron, observant
despite his scholarly nature, began to
notice the changes in his half-brother.
Brendan's already pale complexion had
grown almost translucent, making the red
birthark on his cheeks stand out like a
wound. His red eyes seemed to see too
much, reflecting a knowledge that went
beyond what any normal intelligence
network could provide. Most unnervingly,
he sometimes answered questions before
they were fully asked, as if he could
see the words forming in the speaker's
mind. The king's concerns were not
entirely unfounded. Brynden was
changing, though he himself did not
fully understand the nature of that
transformation. The dreams were becoming
more frequent and more vivid, showing
him glimpses of possible futures that
were both terrifying and strangely
compelling. Sometimes he found himself
in the godswood without remembering the
decision to go there, standing before
the heart tree with his hands pressed
against its pale bark, while ancient
voices whispered guidance he could not
quite comprehend. The network of
informants he had built was revealing
information that seemed to flow through
channels deeper than mere human
communication. Spies in distant
locations would report events that had
not yet happened, but would prove
accurate when confirmation arrived. Days
later, ravens would arrive with messages
containing intelligence that no human
agent could have gathered. The line
between natural information gathering
and something approaching supernatural
insight was becoming increasingly
blurred. It was during this period that
Brynden first became aware of the true
scope of the threat gathering beyond the
wall. Reports from the Night's Watch
spoke of wildling tribes fleeing
southward from something they would not
name. Ranging parties discovered
abandoned settlements where the
inhabitants had simply vanished, leaving
behind only empty huts and cold fire
pits. Most disturbing of all, the Lord
Commander ravens brought word of strange
lights in the northern sky and
temperatures that defied the normal
patterns of seasonal change. The
maesters dismissed these reports as the
usual superstitions of the barbarous
lands beyond civilization. But Brynden
recognized patterns that connected to
his dreams and visions. The threat he
had been sensing in his prophetic sleep
was real and growing stronger. The realm
was focused on the immediate concerns of
governance and the lingering after
effects of rebellion. But something far
more dangerous was stirring. in the
ancient places where the first men had
once worshiped nameless gods beneath the
weirwoods. He began to study the oldest
texts in the Red Keep's library,
documents that predated the Targaryen
conquest, and even the coming of the
Andals. The books spoke of long winters
that lasted for years, of darkness that
swallowed the world, of heroes who stood
against the cold with weapons forged
from fire and steel. Most scholars
regarded these texts as mythology, but
Brynden was beginning to understand that
they might be historical records of
events that occurred in cycles too long
for human memory to preserve accurately.
The realization that he might be
witnessing the early stages of such a
cycle brought both terror and strange
peace. terror at the magnitude of the
threat that was slowly revealing itself,
but peace in the understanding that his
growing abilities and changing nature
might serve a purpose beyond the
immediate needs of dynastic politics. In
the quiet hours of the night, when the
Red Keep slept, and only the ravens
watched from their perches, Brynden
Rivers began to accept that he was
becoming something more than human. The
transformation was irreversible and
inevitable, driven by forces older than
the seven kingdoms and purposes that
transcended the concerns of any
individual king or kingdom. The bastard
prince who had sought acceptance through
service was disappearing, replaced by
something that would eventually be
remembered as the last Grian seer of the
Weirwood trees. But that transformation
was still years in the future. And for
now he had work to do in the world of
mortal men and their endless struggles for power and survival. When King Deron
for power and survival. When King Deron II breathed his last in 209
II breathed his last in 209 after conquest, the crown passed to his
after conquest, the crown passed to his son Aries, a man whose love of books and
son Aries, a man whose love of books and scholarly pursuits far exceeded his
scholarly pursuits far exceeded his appetite for the daily grind of ruling
appetite for the daily grind of ruling seven fractious kingdoms. The new king
seven fractious kingdoms. The new king understood his own limitations well
understood his own limitations well enough to recognize that effective
enough to recognize that effective governance required delegating real
governance required delegating real power to someone with both the
power to someone with both the competence and the will to wield it
competence and the will to wield it effectively. The choice of Brynden
effectively. The choice of Brynden Rivers as hand of the king sent tremors
Rivers as hand of the king sent tremors through the noble houses of Westeros
through the noble houses of Westeros that resonated far beyond the walls of
that resonated far beyond the walls of the Red Keep. Never before had a bastard
the Red Keep. Never before had a bastard legitimized or otherwise held the second
legitimized or otherwise held the second highest office in the realm. Lords who
highest office in the realm. Lords who had accepted his role as spy master with
had accepted his role as spy master with grudging respect now found themselves
grudging respect now found themselves forced to acknowledge him as their
forced to acknowledge him as their superior in the great hierarchy of
superior in the great hierarchy of feudal power. The appointment
feudal power. The appointment represented more than simple political
represented more than simple political elevation. It was recognition that the
elevation. It was recognition that the traditional aristocratic order was
traditional aristocratic order was changing that merit and effectiveness
changing that merit and effectiveness might matter more than ancient
might matter more than ancient bloodlines and inherited titles. Some
bloodlines and inherited titles. Some lords adapted to this new reality with
lords adapted to this new reality with pragmatic acceptance, understanding that
pragmatic acceptance, understanding that the realm required strong leadership
the realm required strong leadership regardless of its source. Others seethed
regardless of its source. Others seethed with resentment that would eventually
with resentment that would eventually coalesce into open opposition. From the
coalesce into open opposition. From the hands tower, Brynden commanded a view
hands tower, Brynden commanded a view that encompassed not just the sprawling
that encompassed not just the sprawling city below, but the entire complex web
city below, but the entire complex web of relationships that bound the seven
of relationships that bound the seven kingdoms together. Ravens came and went
kingdoms together. Ravens came and went at all hours, bearing intelligence that
at all hours, bearing intelligence that painted an increasingly detailed picture
painted an increasingly detailed picture of the realm's condition. What he saw
of the realm's condition. What he saw was both encouraging and deeply
was both encouraging and deeply troubling. The positive developments
troubling. The positive developments were substantial and undeniable. Trade
were substantial and undeniable. Trade was flourishing as new agreements with
was flourishing as new agreements with the free cities opened markets that had
the free cities opened markets that had been closed for decades. The crown's
been closed for decades. The crown's finances, carefully restructured through
finances, carefully restructured through a series of reforms that eliminated
a series of reforms that eliminated waste and corruption, were healthier
waste and corruption, were healthier than they had been since before the
than they had been since before the costly Blackfire Rebellion. Roads were
costly Blackfire Rebellion. Roads were being repaired, harbors dredged, and the
being repaired, harbors dredged, and the great works of infrastructure that bound
great works of infrastructure that bound the kingdom together were receiving the
the kingdom together were receiving the attention they had long needed. Yet
attention they had long needed. Yet beneath this surface prosperity, Brynden
beneath this surface prosperity, Brynden detected currents of unrest that
detected currents of unrest that suggested the realm's apparent stability
suggested the realm's apparent stability was more fragile than it appeared. The
was more fragile than it appeared. The noble houses were adapting to the new
noble houses were adapting to the new order with varying degrees of
order with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and some were clearly
enthusiasm, and some were clearly preparing for the possibility that the
preparing for the possibility that the bastard Hands unusual methods might
bastard Hands unusual methods might eventually overreach acceptable
eventually overreach acceptable boundaries. More concerning were the
boundaries. More concerning were the reports arriving from the furthest
reports arriving from the furthest reaches of the kingdom. The Night's
reaches of the kingdom. The Night's Watch spoke of unusual activity beyond
Watch spoke of unusual activity beyond the wall, strange lights in the northern
the wall, strange lights in the northern sky, and wildling tribes fleeing
sky, and wildling tribes fleeing southward from something they refused to
southward from something they refused to name. The misters dismissed these
name. The misters dismissed these accounts as the usual superstitions of
accounts as the usual superstitions of barbarous lands, but Brynden had learned
barbarous lands, but Brynden had learned to listen carefully to reports that
to listen carefully to reports that others ignored. His correspondence with
others ignored. His correspondence with various learned men throughout the realm
various learned men throughout the realm had evolved into an informal network of
had evolved into an informal network of scholars and researchers who shared his
scholars and researchers who shared his interest in ancient texts and forgotten
interest in ancient texts and forgotten law. Chief among these was Maester Aean
law. Chief among these was Maester Aean at the Citadel whose access to the great
at the Citadel whose access to the great library there complimented Brynden's own
library there complimented Brynden's own researchers in the Red Keep's archives.
researchers in the Red Keep's archives. Their letters, carefully coded to avoid
Their letters, carefully coded to avoid unwanted attention, discussed historical
unwanted attention, discussed historical patterns that seemed to be repeating
patterns that seemed to be repeating themselves. References to unusually long
themselves. References to unusually long winters in ancient chronicles, accounts
winters in ancient chronicles, accounts of heroes who had stood against darkness
of heroes who had stood against darkness with weapons forged from fire and steel,
with weapons forged from fire and steel, prophecies that spoke of cycles of
prophecies that spoke of cycles of conflict between ice and fire that
conflict between ice and fire that stretched back to the dawn of recorded
stretched back to the dawn of recorded history. The dreams that had begun
history. The dreams that had begun during his time as master of whisperers
during his time as master of whisperers were intensifying, becoming more vivid
were intensifying, becoming more vivid and more frequent. Sometimes he would
and more frequent. Sometimes he would find himself standing in landscapes he
find himself standing in landscapes he had never visited, witnessing events
had never visited, witnessing events that had not yet occurred, speaking with
that had not yet occurred, speaking with figures who existed only in visions that
figures who existed only in visions that felt more real than the waking world. In
felt more real than the waking world. In these dreams, he saw a boy with three
these dreams, he saw a boy with three eyes sitting on a throne of weirwood
eyes sitting on a throne of weirwood roots. ancient voices whispering secrets
roots. ancient voices whispering secrets in languages that predated human speech
in languages that predated human speech and vast armies of the dead marching
and vast armies of the dead marching beneath banners of ice and shadow. The
beneath banners of ice and shadow. The visions were fragmented and often
visions were fragmented and often incomprehensible, but they carried an
incomprehensible, but they carried an emotional weight that left him drained
emotional weight that left him drained and shaken upon waking. The physical
and shaken upon waking. The physical changes that accompanied these
changes that accompanied these supernatural experiences were becoming
supernatural experiences were becoming harder to conceal. His already pale skin
harder to conceal. His already pale skin had taken on an almost translucent
had taken on an almost translucent quality that made the red birthark on
quality that made the red birthark on his cheek stand out like a wound. His
his cheek stand out like a wound. His eyes reflected light differently now,
eyes reflected light differently now, showing depths that made even loyal
showing depths that made even loyal servants uncomfortable when they looked
servants uncomfortable when they looked directly at him. King Eris, despite his
directly at him. King Eris, despite his scholarly detachment from worldly
scholarly detachment from worldly affairs, began to notice his hands
affairs, began to notice his hands transformation. Their regular
transformation. Their regular conferences, once characterized by
conferences, once characterized by efficient discussion of administrative
efficient discussion of administrative matters, now included long pauses during
matters, now included long pauses during which the king would study Brynden's
which the king would study Brynden's face with an expression mixing gratitude
face with an expression mixing gratitude and growing unease. The political
and growing unease. The political implications of his changing nature,
implications of his changing nature, created a delicate balance that required
created a delicate balance that required constant attention. As long as his
constant attention. As long as his decisions proved correct, and the realm
decisions proved correct, and the realm prospered under his guidance, the
prospered under his guidance, the nobility would tolerate his
nobility would tolerate his eccentricities. But the same
eccentricities. But the same supernatural insights that made him an
supernatural insights that made him an effective ruler also marked him as
effective ruler also marked him as something outside the normal boundaries
something outside the normal boundaries of human experience. Shierra Sea Star's
of human experience. Shierra Sea Star's periodic visits to court during this
periodic visits to court during this period provided one of the few
period provided one of the few connections to his former life that
connections to his former life that remained unchanged. Her beauty was as
remained unchanged. Her beauty was as striking as ever, her intelligence as
striking as ever, her intelligence as sharp, but their interactions had
sharp, but their interactions had settled into a pattern of polite
settled into a pattern of polite distance that acknowledged their shared
distance that acknowledged their shared past while maintaining appropriate
past while maintaining appropriate reserve for their current positions. Yet
reserve for their current positions. Yet in unguarded moments, he sometimes
in unguarded moments, he sometimes caught her watching him with an
caught her watching him with an expression that suggested she understood
expression that suggested she understood the true nature of his transformation
the true nature of his transformation better than anyone else. There was pity
better than anyone else. There was pity in her mismatched eyes, but also a kind
in her mismatched eyes, but also a kind of resigned acceptance, as if she had
of resigned acceptance, as if she had always known that his path would lead
always known that his path would lead him away from ordinary human concerns.
him away from ordinary human concerns. The ravens that gathered in
The ravens that gathered in everinccreasing numbers around the Han's
everinccreasing numbers around the Han's tower seemed to respond to his presence
tower seemed to respond to his presence in ways that went beyond normal animal
in ways that went beyond normal animal behavior. They would fall silent when he
behavior. They would fall silent when he approached, turning their dark eyes to
approached, turning their dark eyes to follow his movements with unmistakable
follow his movements with unmistakable intelligence. Some had learned fragments
intelligence. Some had learned fragments of human speech, occasionally calling
of human speech, occasionally calling out words that seemed to relate to
out words that seemed to relate to matters occupying his thoughts. These
matters occupying his thoughts. These supernatural manifestations were noticed
supernatural manifestations were noticed by the court, though their significance
by the court, though their significance was interpreted differently by different
was interpreted differently by different observers. Some whispered of sorcery and
observers. Some whispered of sorcery and dark magic. Others spoke of divine favor
dark magic. Others spoke of divine favor or ancient bloodlines awakening to their
or ancient bloodlines awakening to their true nature. The diversity of
true nature. The diversity of explanations reflected the difficulty of
explanations reflected the difficulty of understanding phenomena that existed
understanding phenomena that existed outside normal human experience. The
outside normal human experience. The burden of ruling seven kingdoms while
burden of ruling seven kingdoms while managing his own transformation proved
managing his own transformation proved exhausting in ways that conventional
exhausting in ways that conventional political challenges never had. The
political challenges never had. The weight of supernatural knowledge
weight of supernatural knowledge combined with the mundane requirements
combined with the mundane requirements of effective governance created
of effective governance created pressures that would have broken lesser
pressures that would have broken lesser men entirely. But Brynden had learned to
men entirely. But Brynden had learned to compartmentalize different aspects of
compartmentalize different aspects of his existence, maintaining the focus
his existence, maintaining the focus required for immediate administrative
required for immediate administrative needs while allowing deeper parts of his
needs while allowing deeper parts of his consciousness to process the visions and
consciousness to process the visions and insights that arrived with increasing
insights that arrived with increasing frequency. The technique worked, but at
frequency. The technique worked, but at the cost of creating an ever widening
the cost of creating an ever widening gulf between himself and normal human
gulf between himself and normal human relationships. In the godswood of the
relationships. In the godswood of the Red Keep, beneath the ancient weirwood
Red Keep, beneath the ancient weirwood that had witnessed centuries of
that had witnessed centuries of Targaryen rule, Brynden would seek the
Targaryen rule, Brynden would seek the council of powers older than any human
council of powers older than any human dynasty. The trees red eyes seemed to
dynasty. The trees red eyes seemed to weep sap that matched his birthmark, and
weep sap that matched his birthmark, and in the rustling of its leaves, he
in the rustling of its leaves, he sometimes heard whispers that spoke of
sometimes heard whispers that spoke of destinies yet to be fulfilled, and
destinies yet to be fulfilled, and choices that would echo through
choices that would echo through generations yet unborn. The years of his
generations yet unborn. The years of his service's hand would be remembered as a
service's hand would be remembered as a golden age of prosperity and stability.
golden age of prosperity and stability. But Brynden understood that he was
But Brynden understood that he was merely preparing the realm for trials
merely preparing the realm for trials that would test every foundation he was
that would test every foundation he was working so carefully to strengthen. The
working so carefully to strengthen. The seven kingdoms slept peacefully under
seven kingdoms slept peacefully under his protection. But in the darkness
his protection. But in the darkness beyond the wall, forces were stirring
beyond the wall, forces were stirring that would eventually require sacrifices
that would eventually require sacrifices beyond anything the realm had ever
beyond anything the realm had ever imagined. The year 211 brought news that
imagined. The year 211 brought news that Brynden Rivers had been both expecting
Brynden Rivers had been both expecting and dreading. Across the Narrow Sea,
and dreading. Across the Narrow Sea, Bittersteel and the Golden Company had
Bittersteel and the Golden Company had finally gathered sufficient strength and
finally gathered sufficient strength and backing to launch another attempt at
backing to launch another attempt at placing a Blackfire pretender on the
placing a Blackfire pretender on the Iron Throne. This time their chosen
Iron Throne. This time their chosen claimment was Damon II Blackfire, son of
claimment was Damon II Blackfire, son of the golden prince, who had died at
the golden prince, who had died at Redgrass Field 15 years earlier. What
Redgrass Field 15 years earlier. What disturbed Brynden most was not the
disturbed Brynden most was not the rebellion itself, which his intelligence
rebellion itself, which his intelligence network had been tracking for months,
network had been tracking for months, but the sophisticated planning that lay
but the sophisticated planning that lay behind it. This was no desperate gamble
behind it. This was no desperate gamble by exiled lords seeking to reclaim lost
by exiled lords seeking to reclaim lost honors. The second Blackfire Rebellion
honors. The second Blackfire Rebellion showed signs of coordination and
showed signs of coordination and financing that suggested backing from
financing that suggested backing from sources far more powerful than displaced
sources far more powerful than displaced Westerosi nobility. The Pretender's
Westerosi nobility. The Pretender's forces landed at Massiey's Hook under
forces landed at Massiey's Hook under cover of darkness, supported by ships
cover of darkness, supported by ships flying the banners of various free
flying the banners of various free cities, but crewed by men whose origins
cities, but crewed by men whose origins were carefully obscured. The logistics
were carefully obscured. The logistics alone represented a massive undertaking
alone represented a massive undertaking that required resources well beyond what
that required resources well beyond what the Golden Company could have assembled
the Golden Company could have assembled independently. Someone with deep pockets
independently. Someone with deep pockets and deeper knowledge of Westerosi
and deeper knowledge of Westerosi politics was orchestrating events from
politics was orchestrating events from the shadows. King Aries, roused from his
the shadows. King Aries, roused from his scholarly pursuits by reports of armed
scholarly pursuits by reports of armed rebellion, looked to his hand with the
rebellion, looked to his hand with the expectant trust of a man who had grown
expectant trust of a man who had grown accustomed to having complex problems
accustomed to having complex problems solved without requiring his personal
solved without requiring his personal involvement. But Brynden found himself
involvement. But Brynden found himself facing challenges that went beyond
facing challenges that went beyond simple military planning or political
simple military planning or political maneuvering. His supernatural insights,
maneuvering. His supernatural insights, now grown strong enough to provide
now grown strong enough to provide detailed visions of distant events,
detailed visions of distant events, revealed disturbing information about
revealed disturbing information about the nature of this new threat. Damon II
the nature of this new threat. Damon II was more than just another ambitious
was more than just another ambitious pretender seeking to claim his father's
pretender seeking to claim his father's legacy. The young man had been shaped
legacy. The young man had been shaped and guided by advisers whose knowledge
and guided by advisers whose knowledge extended far beyond conventional warfare
extended far beyond conventional warfare or statecraft. In the flamelit chambers
or statecraft. In the flamelit chambers of Pentos and Tyro, in the shadow
of Pentos and Tyro, in the shadow haunted halls of ancient Volantis,
haunted halls of ancient Volantis, figures moved who spoke in whispers of
figures moved who spoke in whispers of bloodlines and prophecies, of dragon
bloodlines and prophecies, of dragon dreams and the return of fire to the
dreams and the return of fire to the world. They saw the Iron Throne not as a
world. They saw the Iron Throne not as a prize in itself, but as a stepping stone
prize in itself, but as a stepping stone toward goals that remained frustratingly
toward goals that remained frustratingly opaque, even to Brynden's expanded
opaque, even to Brynden's expanded perception. The military response to the
perception. The military response to the invasion required delicate coordination
invasion required delicate coordination between multiple great houses whose
between multiple great houses whose loyalty to the crown was complicated by
loyalty to the crown was complicated by their own regional concerns and ancient
their own regional concerns and ancient grudges. Lords who had supported Damon
grudges. Lords who had supported Damon Dub's rebellion might see this new
Dub's rebellion might see this new uprising as an opportunity to reclaim
uprising as an opportunity to reclaim lost honors. While others who had
lost honors. While others who had remained loyal might question whether
remained loyal might question whether their sacrifices had been adequately
their sacrifices had been adequately rewarded. Brynden dispatched ravens
rewarded. Brynden dispatched ravens carrying carefully crafted messages to
carrying carefully crafted messages to key lords throughout the realm. Each
key lords throughout the realm. Each letter tailored to address specific
letter tailored to address specific concerns and motivations to Lord Stark
concerns and motivations to Lord Stark in Winterfell. He wrote of duty and the
in Winterfell. He wrote of duty and the importance of maintaining oaths sworn to
importance of maintaining oaths sworn to the Iron Throne, to Lord Tyrell in High
the Iron Throne, to Lord Tyrell in High Garden. He emphasized the economic
Garden. He emphasized the economic benefits that continued stability would
benefits that continued stability would bring to trade and agriculture. But even
bring to trade and agriculture. But even as he managed the conventional aspects
as he managed the conventional aspects of suppressing rebellion, his attention
of suppressing rebellion, his attention was drawn to patterns that existed
was drawn to patterns that existed beneath the surface of obvious events.
beneath the surface of obvious events. The timing of the invasion coincided
The timing of the invasion coincided with unusual astronomical phenomena that
with unusual astronomical phenomena that ancient texts associated with the
ancient texts associated with the awakening of dormant magical forces. The
awakening of dormant magical forces. The landing sites chosen by the rebels
landing sites chosen by the rebels corresponded to locations mentioned in
corresponded to locations mentioned in prophecies that most maesters dismissed
prophecies that most maesters dismissed as folklore. Most troubling of all, his
as folklore. Most troubling of all, his dreams had begun to show him glimpses of
dreams had begun to show him glimpses of the pretender himself, and what he saw
the pretender himself, and what he saw challenged his understanding of what
challenged his understanding of what they were truly fighting. Damon II was
they were truly fighting. Damon II was not simply a young man seeking to
not simply a young man seeking to reclaim his father's throne. He had been
reclaim his father's throne. He had been marked by forces that operated according
marked by forces that operated according to rules older than the Targaryen
to rules older than the Targaryen dynasty, shaped by influences that cared
dynasty, shaped by influences that cared nothing for the immediate concerns of
nothing for the immediate concerns of dynastic politics. The battlefield
dynastic politics. The battlefield encounters that followed the initial
encounters that followed the initial landing revealed the true sophistication
landing revealed the true sophistication of the enemy they faced. The Golden
of the enemy they faced. The Golden Company fought with tactics and
Company fought with tactics and equipment that showed clear influence
equipment that showed clear influence from the military traditions of old
from the military traditions of old Valyria, employing strategies that had
Valyria, employing strategies that had not been seen in Westeros since the days
not been seen in Westeros since the days of the conquest. Their coordination and
of the conquest. Their coordination and discipline suggested training that went
discipline suggested training that went far beyond what mercenary companies
far beyond what mercenary companies typically provided. Brynden personally
typically provided. Brynden personally led a significant portion of the
led a significant portion of the loyalist forces, his red eyes scanning
loyalist forces, his red eyes scanning each engagement for signs of the deeper
each engagement for signs of the deeper patterns he knew were present. His
patterns he knew were present. His archery remained as supernaturally
archery remained as supernaturally accurate as ever. But now he found
accurate as ever. But now he found himself targeting not just enemy
himself targeting not just enemy commanders, but specific individuals
commanders, but specific individuals whose deaths would disrupt magical
whose deaths would disrupt magical workings being conducted behind the
workings being conducted behind the battle lines. The rebels had brought
battle lines. The rebels had brought with them artifacts and knowledge that
with them artifacts and knowledge that allowed them to influence events through
allowed them to influence events through means that conventional military
means that conventional military thinking did not account for. Weather
thinking did not account for. Weather patterns shifted in their favor at
patterns shifted in their favor at crucial moments. Ravens carrying
crucial moments. Ravens carrying loyalist messages would inexplicably
loyalist messages would inexplicably lose their way. Horses would shy and
lose their way. Horses would shy and bolt when approaching certain enemy
bolt when approaching certain enemy positions as if sensing the presence of
positions as if sensing the presence of something that violated natural order.
something that violated natural order. The revelation came during the siege of
The revelation came during the siege of White Walls when Brynden's forces
White Walls when Brynden's forces finally cornered a significant portion
finally cornered a significant portion of the rebel army. Among the captured
of the rebel army. Among the captured documents were letters written in High
documents were letters written in High Valyrian that revealed the true scope of
Valyrian that revealed the true scope of the conspiracy they had been fighting.
the conspiracy they had been fighting. The second Blackfire Rebellion was not
The second Blackfire Rebellion was not primarily about placing Deen II on the
primarily about placing Deen II on the Iron Throne, but about testing and
Iron Throne, but about testing and strengthening certain bloodlines in
strengthening certain bloodlines in preparation for challenges that had not
preparation for challenges that had not yet revealed themselves. The letter
yet revealed themselves. The letter spoke of dragon dreams shared across
spoke of dragon dreams shared across continents, of prophecies that required
continents, of prophecies that required specific individuals to survive specific
specific individuals to survive specific trials of a great purpose that
trials of a great purpose that transcended the petty squables of kings
transcended the petty squables of kings and kingdoms. Most disturbing of all,
and kingdoms. Most disturbing of all, they mentioned Brynden himself by name,
they mentioned Brynden himself by name, referring to him as a crucial piece in a
referring to him as a crucial piece in a game whose rules and objectives remained
game whose rules and objectives remained hidden even from most of the players.
hidden even from most of the players. Shier Seaar's name appeared throughout
Shier Seaar's name appeared throughout these documents, but not as a mere
these documents, but not as a mere informant or double agent as he had
informant or double agent as he had previously assumed. She was described as
previously assumed. She was described as a guardian of ancient knowledge, tasked
a guardian of ancient knowledge, tasked with ensuring that certain bloodlines
with ensuring that certain bloodlines and certain individuals survived to
and certain individuals survived to fulfill roles that had been foreseen
fulfill roles that had been foreseen centuries before their births. Her
centuries before their births. Her apparent betrayals and mysterious
apparent betrayals and mysterious loyalties were revealed to be part of a
loyalties were revealed to be part of a much larger pattern of manipulation and
much larger pattern of manipulation and guidance. The capture of demon the
guidance. The capture of demon the seekum himself provided the most
seekum himself provided the most unsettling revelations of all. Under
unsettling revelations of all. Under interrogation, the young pretender spoke
interrogation, the young pretender spoke not of personal ambition or family
not of personal ambition or family honor, but of dreams that had guided him
honor, but of dreams that had guided him since childhood. He described visions of
since childhood. He described visions of ice advancing from the north, of fire
ice advancing from the north, of fire rising in the east, of a darkness that
rising in the east, of a darkness that sought to swallow the world and the
sought to swallow the world and the heroes who would stand against it. His
heroes who would stand against it. His words carried the weight of genuine
words carried the weight of genuine prophecy, and Brynden recognized in them
prophecy, and Brynden recognized in them echoes of his own supernatural
echoes of his own supernatural experiences. Whatever forces had shaped
experiences. Whatever forces had shaped Damon II into a weapon against the
Damon II into a weapon against the current order had also been working to
current order had also been working to prepare others for challenges that
prepare others for challenges that existed beyond conventional human
existed beyond conventional human understanding. The rebellion was not
understanding. The rebellion was not really about succession at all, but
really about succession at all, but about ensuring that the right people
about ensuring that the right people were in the right positions when those
were in the right positions when those larger challenges finally revealed
larger challenges finally revealed themselves. The execution of Damon II,
themselves. The execution of Damon II, carried out despite Brynden's private
carried out despite Brynden's private reservations, brought the second
reservations, brought the second Blackfire Rebellion to its official
Blackfire Rebellion to its official conclusion. But the documents and
conclusion. But the documents and testimonies gathered during its
testimonies gathered during its suppression had opened windows into a
suppression had opened windows into a world of hidden purposes and ancient
world of hidden purposes and ancient manipulations that transformed his
manipulations that transformed his understanding of everything he had
understanding of everything he had previously believed about his own role
previously believed about his own role and destiny. In the quiet moments after
and destiny. In the quiet moments after victory, as ravens carried news of the
victory, as ravens carried news of the rebellion's end throughout the seven
rebellion's end throughout the seven kingdoms, Brynden found himself
kingdoms, Brynden found himself contemplating the true meaning of what
contemplating the true meaning of what they had just experienced. The Blackfire
they had just experienced. The Blackfire threat was ended for now, but the forces
threat was ended for now, but the forces that had created and directed it
that had created and directed it remained active and largely unknown. He
remained active and largely unknown. He was beginning to understand that his
was beginning to understand that his transformation from bastard prince to
transformation from bastard prince to supernatural guardian was not an
supernatural guardian was not an accident of birth or personal choice,
accident of birth or personal choice, but part of a design that stretched back
but part of a design that stretched back through centuries and forward into a
through centuries and forward into a future whose challenges would dwarf
future whose challenges would dwarf anything the realm had yet faced. The
anything the realm had yet faced. The game was larger than he had imagined,
game was larger than he had imagined, the stakes higher than any throne, and
the stakes higher than any throne, and the players included forces that existed
the players included forces that existed beyond the normal boundaries of human
beyond the normal boundaries of human comprehension. His role as hand of the
comprehension. His role as hand of the king was merely preparation for
king was merely preparation for responsibilities that would eventually
responsibilities that would eventually require him to transcend humanity
require him to transcend humanity entirely, becoming something that could
entirely, becoming something that could stand watch against threats that mortal
stand watch against threats that mortal men could neither perceive nor
men could neither perceive nor comprehend. 8 years passed before the
comprehend. 8 years passed before the next Blackfire uprising. And when it
next Blackfire uprising. And when it came in 219,
came in 219, Brynden Rivers had evolved into
Brynden Rivers had evolved into something that barely resembled the
something that barely resembled the bastard prince who had once sought
bastard prince who had once sought acceptance through service to the crown.
acceptance through service to the crown. His transformation was now visible to
His transformation was now visible to anyone with eyes to see. His pale skin
anyone with eyes to see. His pale skin almost translucent, his red eyes
almost translucent, his red eyes reflecting depths that seemed to hold
reflecting depths that seemed to hold centuries of accumulated knowledge. The
centuries of accumulated knowledge. The third Blackfire Rebellion arrived with a
third Blackfire Rebellion arrived with a sophistication that surpassed even its
sophistication that surpassed even its predecessor. Hygen Blackfire, yet
predecessor. Hygen Blackfire, yet another son of the original pretender,
another son of the original pretender, landed on the shores of the disputed
landed on the shores of the disputed lands with backing from a coalition of
lands with backing from a coalition of free cities that had never before acted
free cities that had never before acted in such obvious concert. The
in such obvious concert. The coordination required for such an
coordination required for such an alliance suggested manipulation by
alliance suggested manipulation by forces that operated above the level of
forces that operated above the level of normal diplomatic relationships. What
normal diplomatic relationships. What made this rebellion different was not
made this rebellion different was not just its scale, but the way it seemed to
just its scale, but the way it seemed to design to test and strengthen the very
design to test and strengthen the very institutions it ostensibly sought to
institutions it ostensibly sought to destroy. Each challenge forced the Iron
destroy. Each challenge forced the Iron Throne to adapt and evolve, creating
Throne to adapt and evolve, creating capabilities and alliances that would
capabilities and alliances that would prove essential for future trials. It
prove essential for future trials. It was as if someone was deliberately
was as if someone was deliberately forging the Seven Kingdoms into a weapon
forging the Seven Kingdoms into a weapon suitable for battles that had not yet
suitable for battles that had not yet been fought. Brynden's response to this
been fought. Brynden's response to this new threat revealed the full extent of
new threat revealed the full extent of his transformation. His intelligence
his transformation. His intelligence network now spanned continents carried
network now spanned continents carried not just by human agents, but by ravens
not just by human agents, but by ravens whose behavior had become increasingly
whose behavior had become increasingly difficult to distinguish from
difficult to distinguish from supernatural phenomena. Information
supernatural phenomena. Information flowed to him through channels that
flowed to him through channels that operated according to rules beyond
operated according to rules beyond normal human understanding. The military
normal human understanding. The military campaigns that followed were unlike
campaigns that followed were unlike anything previously seen in Westerosi
anything previously seen in Westerosi warfare. Battles were won and lost based
warfare. Battles were won and lost based on intelligence that arrived through
on intelligence that arrived through impossible means. Strategic decisions
impossible means. Strategic decisions were made that anticipated enemy
were made that anticipated enemy movements with supernatural accuracy.
movements with supernatural accuracy. And the psychological impact of fighting
And the psychological impact of fighting against an enemy who seemed to know
against an enemy who seemed to know their thoughts before they formed them
their thoughts before they formed them proved devastating to Rebel morale. But
proved devastating to Rebel morale. But it was the aftermath of the rebellion's
it was the aftermath of the rebellion's defeat that revealed the true scope of
defeat that revealed the true scope of the forces at work behind these
the forces at work behind these seemingly dynastic conflicts. Among
seemingly dynastic conflicts. Among Heon's papers were documents written in
Heon's papers were documents written in languages that predated human
languages that predated human civilization, prophecies encoded in
civilization, prophecies encoded in symbols that hurt the mind to
symbols that hurt the mind to contemplate directly and references to
contemplate directly and references to pacts made in the dawn times between
pacts made in the dawn times between powers that existed beyond the physical
powers that existed beyond the physical world. These ancient texts spoke of
world. These ancient texts spoke of cycles within cycles of patterns that
cycles within cycles of patterns that repeated across millennia with
repeated across millennia with variations that served purposes too vast
variations that served purposes too vast for mortal comprehension. The Blackfire
for mortal comprehension. The Blackfire Rebellions were revealed to be not
Rebellions were revealed to be not isolated political events, but part of a
isolated political events, but part of a sequence designed to prepare the realm
sequence designed to prepare the realm for challenges that would determine
for challenges that would determine whether human civilization survived the
whether human civilization survived the coming darkness. The most disturbing
coming darkness. The most disturbing discovery was a detailed genealogy that
discovery was a detailed genealogy that traced bloodlines back to the earliest
traced bloodlines back to the earliest days of Valyrian expansion, showing how
days of Valyrian expansion, showing how specific genetic combinations had been
specific genetic combinations had been preserved and guided through generations
preserved and guided through generations of carefully arranged marriages and
of carefully arranged marriages and strategic alliances. Brynden's own
strategic alliances. Brynden's own lineage was mapped with particular
lineage was mapped with particular precision, revealing that his
precision, revealing that his transformation was not a random
transformation was not a random mutation, but the culmination of
mutation, but the culmination of breeding programs that stretched back to
breeding programs that stretched back to before the doom of Valyria. Sher Seaar's
before the doom of Valyria. Sher Seaar's true role was finally revealed through
true role was finally revealed through these documents. She was not merely an
these documents. She was not merely an agent of mysterious masters, but one of
agent of mysterious masters, but one of a small group of individuals tasked with
a small group of individuals tasked with ensuring that certain bloodlines
ensuring that certain bloodlines produced the right combinations of
produced the right combinations of traits at precisely the right moments in
traits at precisely the right moments in history. Her apparent betrayals and
history. Her apparent betrayals and shifting loyalties were revealed to be
shifting loyalties were revealed to be careful manipulations designed to place
careful manipulations designed to place key individuals in situations that would
key individuals in situations that would trigger their supernatural potential.
trigger their supernatural potential. The realization that his entire life had
The realization that his entire life had been orchestrated by forces beyond his
been orchestrated by forces beyond his understanding struck Brynden with the
understanding struck Brynden with the impact of a physical blow. Every choice
impact of a physical blow. Every choice he thought he had made freely. Every
he thought he had made freely. Every path he had chosen based on principle or
path he had chosen based on principle or preference had actually been guided by
preference had actually been guided by influences that operated with patience
influences that operated with patience measured in centuries rather than years.
measured in centuries rather than years. Yet even as he grappled with this loss
Yet even as he grappled with this loss of agency, he began to understand the
of agency, he began to understand the necessity of what had been done to him.
necessity of what had been done to him. The visions that now came almost
The visions that now came almost constantly showed him glimpses of the
constantly showed him glimpses of the true enemy gathering strength beyond the
true enemy gathering strength beyond the wall. The others were stirring from
wall. The others were stirring from their long sleep. And when they finally
their long sleep. And when they finally moved south, they would bring with them
moved south, they would bring with them a winter that would last for generations
a winter that would last for generations if they were not stopped by heroes
if they were not stopped by heroes prepared specifically for that purpose.
prepared specifically for that purpose. The political consequences of the Third
The political consequences of the Third Blackfire Rebellion's defeat were swift
Blackfire Rebellion's defeat were swift and severe for Brynden personally. The
and severe for Brynden personally. The methods he had used to achieve victory,
methods he had used to achieve victory, while undeniably effective, had
while undeniably effective, had convinced many lords that he had moved
convinced many lords that he had moved too far beyond the boundaries of
too far beyond the boundaries of acceptable human behavior. Whispers of
acceptable human behavior. Whispers of sorcery and dark magic, long suppressed
sorcery and dark magic, long suppressed by his obvious competence and the
by his obvious competence and the realm's prosperity, now found eager
realm's prosperity, now found eager audiences among nobles who feared what
audiences among nobles who feared what he might become if left unchecked. King
he might become if left unchecked. King Aries, faced with growing pressure from
Aries, faced with growing pressure from his most powerful vassels and disturbed
his most powerful vassels and disturbed by reports of his hands increasingly
by reports of his hands increasingly supernatural abilities, found himself in
supernatural abilities, found himself in an impossible position. Removing Brynden
an impossible position. Removing Brynden risked losing the administrative genius
risked losing the administrative genius who had made his reign successful, but
who had made his reign successful, but keeping him risked alienating the very
keeping him risked alienating the very lords whose support made rule possible.
lords whose support made rule possible. The solution, when it came, satisfied no
The solution, when it came, satisfied no one but served purposes that extended
one but served purposes that extended far beyond the immediate political
far beyond the immediate political crisis. Brynden was offered a choice
crisis. Brynden was offered a choice between execution for practicing
between execution for practicing forbidden arts and taking the black to
forbidden arts and taking the black to serve on the wall as a brother of the
serve on the wall as a brother of the Night's Watch. For a man whose visions
Night's Watch. For a man whose visions increasingly showed him the true purpose
increasingly showed him the true purpose of that ancient institution, the
of that ancient institution, the decision was never really in doubt. The
decision was never really in doubt. The journey north to the wall provided time
journey north to the wall provided time for reflection on the path that had
for reflection on the path that had brought him from bastard prince to
brought him from bastard prince to exile. The transformation that had made
exile. The transformation that had made him the most effective spy master in
him the most effective spy master in Westerosi history had also made him
Westerosi history had also made him something that normal human society
something that normal human society could not tolerate. His supernatural
could not tolerate. His supernatural abilities, essential for the role he
abilities, essential for the role he would eventually be called to play,
would eventually be called to play, rendered him unsuitable for the world of
rendered him unsuitable for the world of conventional politics and feudal
conventional politics and feudal relationships. Yet, as his party
relationships. Yet, as his party traveled through the increasingly wild
traveled through the increasingly wild landscape north of Winterfell, Brynden
landscape north of Winterfell, Brynden felt a sense of coming home that he had
felt a sense of coming home that he had never experienced in all his years at
never experienced in all his years at court. The ancient forests whispered
court. The ancient forests whispered with voices that seemed familiar. The
with voices that seemed familiar. The weirwoods they passed bore faces that
weirwoods they passed bore faces that watched him with recognition rather than
watched him with recognition rather than fear. And the ravens that followed their
fear. And the ravens that followed their progress called to him in languages that
progress called to him in languages that predated human speech. Castle Black,
predated human speech. Castle Black, when it finally appeared through the
when it finally appeared through the morning mist, looked exactly as he had
morning mist, looked exactly as he had seen it in countless dreams. The great
seen it in countless dreams. The great wall of ice stretched east and west
wall of ice stretched east and west beyond sight. A barrier built by the
beyond sight. A barrier built by the first men to hold back horrors that most
first men to hold back horrors that most of the realm had forgotten. But Brendan
of the realm had forgotten. But Brendan knew that the wall was more than just
knew that the wall was more than just fortification. It was a focus for
fortification. It was a focus for magical forces that would prove
magical forces that would prove essential when the final battle between
essential when the final battle between ice and fire finally began. His
ice and fire finally began. His appointment as Lord Commander of the
appointment as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch was arranged through
Night's Watch was arranged through influences that operated outside normal
influences that operated outside normal human politics. The previous commander
human politics. The previous commander died of natural causes just days before
died of natural causes just days before Brynden's arrival, and the election that
Brynden's arrival, and the election that followed his funeral proceeded with
followed his funeral proceeded with suspicious smoothness toward the
suspicious smoothness toward the predetermined outcome. Even in exile,
predetermined outcome. Even in exile, the forces that had shaped his destiny
the forces that had shaped his destiny continued to guide events toward their
continued to guide events toward their desired conclusions. The brothers of the
desired conclusions. The brothers of the Night's Watch, who welcomed their new
Night's Watch, who welcomed their new commander, were a mixture of criminals,
commander, were a mixture of criminals, bastards, and younger sons whose
bastards, and younger sons whose presence on the wall served purposes
presence on the wall served purposes beyond their own understanding. Each had
beyond their own understanding. Each had been shaped by experiences that prepared
been shaped by experiences that prepared them for roles in the coming conflict,
them for roles in the coming conflict, though few recognized the true nature of
though few recognized the true nature of what they were being prepared for. But
what they were being prepared for. But it was the ancient passages beneath
it was the ancient passages beneath Castle Black that revealed the full
Castle Black that revealed the full scope of what Brynden was expected to
scope of what Brynden was expected to accomplish in his new position. Deep in
accomplish in his new position. Deep in the vaults that predated recorded
the vaults that predated recorded history, he found artifacts and texts
history, he found artifacts and texts that spoke of the Nights Watchers's
that spoke of the Nights Watchers's original purpose and the true nature of
original purpose and the true nature of the threats that had once required such
the threats that had once required such a massive undertaking to contain. The
a massive undertaking to contain. The wall was not just a barrier, but a seal
wall was not just a barrier, but a seal holding back forces that existed beyond
holding back forces that existed beyond the normal boundaries of life and death.
the normal boundaries of life and death. The brothers who served there were not
The brothers who served there were not just gods, but living components in a
just gods, but living components in a magical working that required their
magical working that required their presence and sacrifice to maintain its
presence and sacrifice to maintain its effectiveness. And the Lord Commander
effectiveness. And the Lord Commander was not simply an administrator, but a
was not simply an administrator, but a focus through which the accumulated will
focus through which the accumulated will of thousands of sworn brothers could be
of thousands of sworn brothers could be channeled against enemies that laughed
channeled against enemies that laughed at conventional weapons. In the depths
at conventional weapons. In the depths of those forgotten chambers, surrounded
of those forgotten chambers, surrounded by the whispers of ancient magic and the
by the whispers of ancient magic and the weight of responsibilities that
weight of responsibilities that stretched back to the dawn times,
stretched back to the dawn times, Brynden Rivers finally understood the
Brynden Rivers finally understood the true scope of what he had been prepared
true scope of what he had been prepared to become. The wall would be his final
to become. The wall would be his final transformation. The place where the last
transformation. The place where the last vestigages of his humanity would be
vestigages of his humanity would be burned away in service to purposes that
burned away in service to purposes that transcended any individual life or
transcended any individual life or death. The game he had thought he was
death. The game he had thought he was playing for thrones and kingdoms was
playing for thrones and kingdoms was revealed to be merely preparation for a
revealed to be merely preparation for a conflict that would determine whether
conflict that would determine whether the world itself survived the coming
the world itself survived the coming darkness. His exile was not punishment
darkness. His exile was not punishment but elevation. His loss of political
but elevation. His loss of political power. the first step toward gaining
power. the first step toward gaining abilities that would make his previous
abilities that would make his previous supernatural gifts seem like parlor
supernatural gifts seem like parlor tricks by comparison. 23 years passed
tricks by comparison. 23 years passed like whispers in the wind. And during
like whispers in the wind. And during that time, Brynden Rivers transformed
that time, Brynden Rivers transformed Castle Black from a crumbling fortress
Castle Black from a crumbling fortress into the nerve center of a surveillance
into the nerve center of a surveillance network that stretched across the known
network that stretched across the known world. The brothers of the Night's
world. The brothers of the Night's Watch, many of whom had arrived as
Watch, many of whom had arrived as broken men seeking refuge from justice
broken men seeking refuge from justice or failure, found themselves part of an
or failure, found themselves part of an organization whose true purpose extended
organization whose true purpose extended far beyond the traditional mandate of
far beyond the traditional mandate of guarding against wildling raids. The
guarding against wildling raids. The ravens that served the watch multiplied
ravens that served the watch multiplied under Brynden's influence until their
under Brynden's influence until their numbers seemed almost supernatural.
numbers seemed almost supernatural. Great black birds roosted in every tower
Great black birds roosted in every tower and along every wall, their dark eyes
and along every wall, their dark eyes reflecting an intelligence that made
reflecting an intelligence that made visitors uncomfortable. These creatures
visitors uncomfortable. These creatures carried messages across vast distances
carried messages across vast distances with speed and accuracy that defied
with speed and accuracy that defied natural explanation, creating a
natural explanation, creating a communication network that rivaled
communication network that rivaled anything the Citadel had ever achieved.
anything the Citadel had ever achieved. But it was beyond the wall itself that
But it was beyond the wall itself that the most significant developments
the most significant developments occurred. The ranging parties that rode
occurred. The ranging parties that rode out from Castle Black under Brynden's
out from Castle Black under Brynden's command ventured farther into the
command ventured farther into the haunted forest than any had dared in
haunted forest than any had dared in living memory, guided by dreams and
living memory, guided by dreams and visions that showed them paths through
visions that showed them paths through landscapes that seemed to shift and
landscapes that seemed to shift and change according to rules that existed
change according to rules that existed outside normal geography. In the depths
outside normal geography. In the depths of those ancient woods, they discovered
of those ancient woods, they discovered ruins that predated human civilization.
ruins that predated human civilization. standing stones carved with symbols that
standing stones carved with symbols that hurt the mind to contemplate directly
hurt the mind to contemplate directly and groves of weirwoods so old that
and groves of weirwoods so old that their faces seem to hold the memories of
their faces seem to hold the memories of the world itself. These discoveries were
the world itself. These discoveries were carefully cataloged and studied,
carefully cataloged and studied, revealing patterns that connected to
revealing patterns that connected to prophecies and legends that most
prophecies and legends that most scholars dismissed as folklore. The
scholars dismissed as folklore. The wildling tribes that inhabited the lands
wildling tribes that inhabited the lands beyond the wall proved to be
beyond the wall proved to be repositories of knowledge that the
repositories of knowledge that the civilized south had long forgotten.
civilized south had long forgotten. Their shamans and wise women spoke of
Their shamans and wise women spoke of the long night as if it were a recent
the long night as if it were a recent memory rather than ancient history,
memory rather than ancient history, preserving oral traditions that
preserving oral traditions that contained practical information about
contained practical information about surviving and fighting the darkness that
surviving and fighting the darkness that would return when the cycle completed
would return when the cycle completed itself once more. Brynden's interactions
itself once more. Brynden's interactions with these tribal leaders required
with these tribal leaders required diplomatic skills that went far beyond
diplomatic skills that went far beyond conventional negotiation. The Wildlings
conventional negotiation. The Wildlings recognized something in him that marked
recognized something in him that marked him as more than merely another crow
him as more than merely another crow from Castle Black, treating him with a
from Castle Black, treating him with a mixture of fear and reverence that
mixture of fear and reverence that suggested they understood his true
suggested they understood his true nature better than the lords of the
nature better than the lords of the seven kingdoms ever had. Through these
seven kingdoms ever had. Through these contacts, he began to learn about the
contacts, he began to learn about the children of the forest, the ancient
children of the forest, the ancient inhabitants of Westeros, who had
inhabitants of Westeros, who had supposedly vanished centuries ago, but
supposedly vanished centuries ago, but who, according to Wildling testimony,
who, according to Wildling testimony, still dwelt in hidden places where the
still dwelt in hidden places where the old magic remained strong. The prospect
old magic remained strong. The prospect of making contact with these legendary
of making contact with these legendary beings became an obsession that drove
beings became an obsession that drove him to undertake increasingly dangerous
him to undertake increasingly dangerous expeditions into the heart of the
expeditions into the heart of the haunted forest. The breakthrough came
haunted forest. The breakthrough came during a ranging beyond the fist of the
during a ranging beyond the fist of the first men when a party led by Brynden
first men when a party led by Brynden himself encountered creatures that
himself encountered creatures that seemed to step from legend into reality.
seemed to step from legend into reality. The children of the forest were
The children of the forest were everything the oldest stories claimed
everything the oldest stories claimed and more. Beings whose connection to the
and more. Beings whose connection to the natural world made even his own
natural world made even his own supernatural abilities seem crude and
supernatural abilities seem crude and limited by comparison. Their leader,
limited by comparison. Their leader, ancient beyond human comprehension, yet
ancient beyond human comprehension, yet possessing the appearance of a child,
possessing the appearance of a child, spoke to him in a voice that resonated
spoke to him in a voice that resonated with harmonics that seemed to emerge
with harmonics that seemed to emerge from the earth itself. She addressed him
from the earth itself. She addressed him not by his human names, but by titles in
not by his human names, but by titles in languages that predated human speech,
languages that predated human speech, recognizing him as the one they had been
recognizing him as the one they had been expecting for longer than the memory of
expecting for longer than the memory of men. The knowledge they shared
men. The knowledge they shared transformed his understanding of
transformed his understanding of everything he thought he knew about the
everything he thought he knew about the world and his place in it. The others
world and his place in it. The others were not merely legendary monsters, but
were not merely legendary monsters, but the remnant of a failed attempt to
the remnant of a failed attempt to preserve life against an even greater
preserve life against an even greater threat, a magical working that had gone
threat, a magical working that had gone wrong in ways that created enemies where
wrong in ways that created enemies where it had intended to create guardians. The
it had intended to create guardians. The War for the Dawn had not been a simple
War for the Dawn had not been a simple conflict between good and evil, but a
conflict between good and evil, but a complex tragedy involving multiple
complex tragedy involving multiple factions whose purposes had become
factions whose purposes had become corrupted over millennia. The children
corrupted over millennia. The children revealed that his transformation had
revealed that his transformation had been guided not just by human agents
been guided not just by human agents working across centuries, but by their
working across centuries, but by their own intervention in breeding programs
own intervention in breeding programs and bloodline preservation. His
and bloodline preservation. His abilities were not random mutations, but
abilities were not random mutations, but the result of careful genetic and
the result of careful genetic and magical engineering designed to produce
magical engineering designed to produce an individual capable of bridging the
an individual capable of bridging the gap between human understanding and the
gap between human understanding and the deeper powers that shaped reality. The
deeper powers that shaped reality. The training they provided went far beyond
training they provided went far beyond anything he had previously experienced.
anything he had previously experienced. Under their tutilage, his consciousness
Under their tutilage, his consciousness learned to expand beyond the confines of
learned to expand beyond the confines of his physical body to perceive events
his physical body to perceive events across vast distances to communicate
across vast distances to communicate through the network of weirwood trees
through the network of weirwood trees that connected sacred sites throughout
that connected sacred sites throughout the known world. The ravens that served
the known world. The ravens that served him were revealed to be more than simple
him were revealed to be more than simple messengers, but extensions of his own
messengers, but extensions of his own will, living links in a communication
will, living links in a communication network that operated according to
network that operated according to principles of sympathetic magic that the
principles of sympathetic magic that the maesters had never understood. But the
maesters had never understood. But the greatest revelation concerned his
greatest revelation concerned his ultimate destiny. The children showed
ultimate destiny. The children showed him visions of a cave deep in the
him visions of a cave deep in the haunted forest where the last green sea
haunted forest where the last green sea waited, ancient beyond measure,
waited, ancient beyond measure, sustained by roots that had grown
sustained by roots that had grown through his living body over centuries
through his living body over centuries of patient guardianship. This figure,
of patient guardianship. This figure, more myth than man, was nearing the end
more myth than man, was nearing the end of his vigil, and the responsibility for
of his vigil, and the responsibility for maintaining the watch against the
maintaining the watch against the darkness would soon pass to another. The
darkness would soon pass to another. The process of becoming a greasier required
process of becoming a greasier required sacrifices that went beyond anything
sacrifices that went beyond anything human culture had ever demanded. The
human culture had ever demanded. The candidate's body would be gradually
candidate's body would be gradually absorbed into the root system of an
absorbed into the root system of an ancient weirwood. His consciousness
ancient weirwood. His consciousness expanding until it encompassed the
expanding until it encompassed the entire network of heart trees while his
entire network of heart trees while his individual identity dissolved into
individual identity dissolved into something larger and more purposeful.
something larger and more purposeful. The transformation was irreversible and
The transformation was irreversible and would eventually result in the complete
would eventually result in the complete loss of human form and mortality. Yet
loss of human form and mortality. Yet the knowledge and abilities that came
the knowledge and abilities that came with such sacrifice were essential for
with such sacrifice were essential for the role that awaited him. The green
the role that awaited him. The green seers served as the memory of the world,
seers served as the memory of the world, preserving crucial information across
preserving crucial information across the cycles of destruction and renewal
the cycles of destruction and renewal that marked the passage of ages. They
that marked the passage of ages. They could perceive the patterns that
could perceive the patterns that connected seemingly random events, guide
connected seemingly random events, guide the development of heroes and champions
the development of heroes and champions through subtle influence, and most
through subtle influence, and most importantly, maintain the magical
importantly, maintain the magical defenses that held back forces too
defenses that held back forces too terrible for normal human comprehension.
terrible for normal human comprehension. The decision to accept this destiny was
The decision to accept this destiny was made gradually through a series of
made gradually through a series of smaller choices that led inexorably
smaller choices that led inexorably toward the final transformation. Each
toward the final transformation. Each expedition beyond the wall took him
expedition beyond the wall took him deeper into the haunted forest. Each
deeper into the haunted forest. Each encounter with the children taught him
encounter with the children taught him more about the nature of his true
more about the nature of his true purpose, and each vision of the future
purpose, and each vision of the future showed him more clearly why his
showed him more clearly why his sacrifice would be necessary. His final
sacrifice would be necessary. His final years as Lord Commander was spent in
years as Lord Commander was spent in preparation for the journey that would
preparation for the journey that would take him beyond the boundaries of human
take him beyond the boundaries of human existence entirely. The Night's Watch
existence entirely. The Night's Watch was left in capable hands, its mission
was left in capable hands, its mission redefined, and its purposes clarified
redefined, and its purposes clarified through careful instruction to selected
through careful instruction to selected brothers who would carry on the work of
brothers who would carry on the work of preparation without fully understanding
preparation without fully understanding what they were preparing for. The ravens
what they were preparing for. The ravens that had served him faithfully were
that had served him faithfully were given new instructions. Their
given new instructions. Their supernatural intelligence focused on
supernatural intelligence focused on gathering information about specific
gathering information about specific bloodlines and individuals whose actions
bloodlines and individuals whose actions would prove crucial in the trials to
would prove crucial in the trials to come. The network of communication and
come. The network of communication and surveillance that he had built would
surveillance that he had built would continue to operate even after his
continue to operate even after his transformation, guided by consciousness
transformation, guided by consciousness that existed outside normal human
that existed outside normal human limitations. Letters were sent to
limitations. Letters were sent to carefully selected maesters and lords
carefully selected maesters and lords throughout the seven kingdoms,
throughout the seven kingdoms, containing information that would prove
containing information that would prove vital when properly interpreted, but
vital when properly interpreted, but which could be dismissed as the ravings
which could be dismissed as the ravings of an aged commander by those not ready
of an aged commander by those not ready to accept their implications. The seeds
to accept their implications. The seeds of future alliances and preparations
of future alliances and preparations were planted through seemingly innocuous
were planted through seemingly innocuous correspondence that would bear fruit
correspondence that would bear fruit when the time was right. In the deepest
when the time was right. In the deepest vaults of Castle Black, artifacts and
vaults of Castle Black, artifacts and documents were cached that would guide
documents were cached that would guide future heroes in their struggles against
future heroes in their struggles against the darkness. These treasures were
the darkness. These treasures were protected by warding spells that would
protected by warding spells that would reveal them only to individuals with the
reveal them only to individuals with the proper bloodlines and the necessary
proper bloodlines and the necessary understanding, ensuring that crucial
understanding, ensuring that crucial knowledge would survive the trials ahead
knowledge would survive the trials ahead while remaining hidden from those who
while remaining hidden from those who might misuse it. The final journey
might misuse it. The final journey beyond the wall was undertaken in the
beyond the wall was undertaken in the company of ranging brothers who
company of ranging brothers who understood that they were escorting
understood that they were escorting their commander to his destiny, but who
their commander to his destiny, but who did not fully comprehend what that
did not fully comprehend what that destiny entailed. As they traveled
destiny entailed. As they traveled deeper into the haunted forest than any
deeper into the haunted forest than any human had ventured in a thousand years,
human had ventured in a thousand years, the landscape itself seemed to
the landscape itself seemed to acknowledge their passage with signs and
acknowledge their passage with signs and portants that spoke of endings and new
portants that spoke of endings and new beginnings. The cave that was to become
beginnings. The cave that was to become his final resting place and eternal
his final resting place and eternal watchpost appeared exactly as he had
watchpost appeared exactly as he had seen it in countless visions hidden in a
seen it in countless visions hidden in a hollow hill whose entrance was guarded
hollow hill whose entrance was guarded by ancient magic that recognized his
by ancient magic that recognized his approach and granted him passage. The
approach and granted him passage. The weirwood that grew within, massive
weirwood that grew within, massive beyond imagination and old beyond
beyond imagination and old beyond measure, waited with branches spread
measure, waited with branches spread like welcoming arms and roots that
like welcoming arms and roots that seemed to pulse with anticipation. And
seemed to pulse with anticipation. And there seated on a throne of living wood
there seated on a throne of living wood with roots growing through his body and
with roots growing through his body and branches framing his ancient face was
branches framing his ancient face was the figure who had been waiting for him
the figure who had been waiting for him across the centuries. The last grain
across the centuries. The last grain seer whose vigil was finally ending as a
seer whose vigil was finally ending as a new guardian prepared to take his place
new guardian prepared to take his place in the eternal watch against the
in the eternal watch against the darkness. The cave beneath the hollow
darkness. The cave beneath the hollow hill existed in a space that seemed to
hill existed in a space that seemed to exist partially outside the normal flow
exist partially outside the normal flow of time and geography, ancient beyond
of time and geography, ancient beyond human comprehension. Carved not by tools
human comprehension. Carved not by tools but by magic that had shaped the very
but by magic that had shaped the very stone to serve purposes that transcended
stone to serve purposes that transcended mortal understanding. It stretched
mortal understanding. It stretched deeper into the earth than any natural
deeper into the earth than any natural formation should have been able to
formation should have been able to extend. Brynden rivers descended through
extend. Brynden rivers descended through passages lit by phosphorescent fungi
passages lit by phosphorescent fungi that pulsed with rhythms that matched
that pulsed with rhythms that matched the beating of some vast heart buried in
the beating of some vast heart buried in the depths of the world. The walls were
the depths of the world. The walls were lined with carvings that depicted scenes
lined with carvings that depicted scenes from the dawn of history, showing the
from the dawn of history, showing the first men learning the secrets of the
first men learning the secrets of the old gods, the children of the forest
old gods, the children of the forest sharing their knowledge with humans, who
sharing their knowledge with humans, who proved worthy of such trust, and the
proved worthy of such trust, and the long war against the darkness that had
long war against the darkness that had raged before memory began. Each step
raged before memory began. Each step took him further from the world he had
took him further from the world he had known, and closer to a destiny that
known, and closer to a destiny that would transform him beyond all
would transform him beyond all recognition. The air grew thicker with
recognition. The air grew thicker with every breath, charged with energies that
every breath, charged with energies that made his skin tingle and his red eyes
made his skin tingle and his red eyes water. The birthark on his cheek began
water. The birthark on his cheek began to burn with a heat that seemed to come
to burn with a heat that seemed to come from within his very bones, responding
from within his very bones, responding to forces that recognized the ancient
to forces that recognized the ancient blood flowing through his veins. The
blood flowing through his veins. The ranging brothers who had escorted him
ranging brothers who had escorted him this far were unable to continue beyond
this far were unable to continue beyond a certain point. Turned back by magical
a certain point. Turned back by magical barriers that would allow only him to
barriers that would allow only him to pass, they waited at the threshold
pass, they waited at the threshold between the mundane world and the realm
between the mundane world and the realm of legend. Understanding that their
of legend. Understanding that their commander was crossing into territories
commander was crossing into territories where mortal men could not follow. As he
where mortal men could not follow. As he descended alone through the twisting
descended alone through the twisting passages, Brendan felt the weight of all
passages, Brendan felt the weight of all his choices pressing down upon him like
his choices pressing down upon him like the crushing depths of the ocean. Every
the crushing depths of the ocean. Every decision he had made, from his first
decision he had made, from his first choice to support Darren over Damron to
choice to support Darren over Damron to his acceptance of exile to the wall had
his acceptance of exile to the wall had led him inexurably toward this moment.
led him inexurably toward this moment. The bastard prince who had once dreamed
The bastard prince who had once dreamed of acceptance and belonging was about to
of acceptance and belonging was about to surrender even the memory of such human
surrender even the memory of such human desires. The chamber at the heart of the
desires. The chamber at the heart of the cave opened before him like a cathedral
cave opened before him like a cathedral dedicated to powers older than the
dedicated to powers older than the seven. The ceiling disappeared into
seven. The ceiling disappeared into darkness so complete that it seemed
darkness so complete that it seemed solid while the floor was carpeted with
solid while the floor was carpeted with roots that formed intricate patterns
roots that formed intricate patterns whose meaning whispered at the edges of
whose meaning whispered at the edges of understanding. And there growing from
understanding. And there growing from the living stone itself stood the great
the living stone itself stood the great weirwood that would become his throne
weirwood that would become his throne and his prison and his gateway to
and his prison and his gateway to transcendence. The tree was ancient when
transcendence. The tree was ancient when the first men had crossed the narrow
the first men had crossed the narrow sea. Its trunk so massive that a h 100
sea. Its trunk so massive that a h 100 people holding hands could not have
people holding hands could not have encircled it. Its bark was white as
encircled it. Its bark was white as bone, but marked with veins of red that
bone, but marked with veins of red that pulsed like arteries, and its face was
pulsed like arteries, and its face was carved with features that had watched
carved with features that had watched the rise and fall of civilizations
the rise and fall of civilizations without number. The roots that spread
without number. The roots that spread from its base had grown through
from its base had grown through centuries of accumulated earth and
centuries of accumulated earth and stone, creating the throne where the
stone, creating the throne where the last grain seer waited to pass his
last grain seer waited to pass his burden to another. That figure was
burden to another. That figure was barely recognizable as having once been
barely recognizable as having once been human. Roots had grown through his body
human. Roots had grown through his body over the course of centuries, emerging
over the course of centuries, emerging from his chest and limbs to weave
from his chest and limbs to weave themselves into the greater network that
themselves into the greater network that connected every heart tree in the known
connected every heart tree in the known world. His skin was white as parchment
world. His skin was white as parchment and thin as membrane, stretched over
and thin as membrane, stretched over bones that seemed too delicate to
bones that seemed too delicate to support even his diminished weight. Yet
support even his diminished weight. Yet his eyes still held the accumulated
his eyes still held the accumulated wisdom of ages, and when he spoke, his
wisdom of ages, and when he spoke, his voice carried harmonics that seemed to
voice carried harmonics that seemed to emerge from the earth itself. The
emerge from the earth itself. The greeting between the old green seer and
greeting between the old green seer and his successor was conducted without
his successor was conducted without words through a communion that operated
words through a communion that operated on levels deeper than speech. Brynden
on levels deeper than speech. Brynden felt the weight of knowledge flowing
felt the weight of knowledge flowing into his consciousness. Visions of
into his consciousness. Visions of events that had shaped the world across
events that had shaped the world across millennia of hidden history. He saw the
millennia of hidden history. He saw the true story of the war for the dawn, the
true story of the war for the dawn, the complex alliances and betrayals that had
complex alliances and betrayals that had determined its outcome, and the careful
determined its outcome, and the careful preparations that had been made for the
preparations that had been made for the darkness to return. The children of the
darkness to return. The children of the forest had not disappeared as the
forest had not disappeared as the histories claimed, but had withdrawn to
histories claimed, but had withdrawn to hidden places where they could continue
hidden places where they could continue their ancient work of preservation and
their ancient work of preservation and preparation. Through the network of
preparation. Through the network of weirwoods, they had maintained contact
weirwoods, they had maintained contact with the few humans who possessed the
with the few humans who possessed the bloodlines and abilities necessary to
bloodlines and abilities necessary to serve as bridges between the mortal
serve as bridges between the mortal world and the deeper powers that shaped
world and the deeper powers that shaped reality. The transformation that had
reality. The transformation that had been overtaking Brynden throughout his
been overtaking Brynden throughout his adult life was revealed to be only the
adult life was revealed to be only the preliminary stages of a process that
preliminary stages of a process that would ultimately consume his humanity
would ultimately consume his humanity entirely. To become the next green sear
entirely. To become the next green sear meant accepting the gradual absorption
meant accepting the gradual absorption of his physical form into the root
of his physical form into the root network of the ancient tree, trading
network of the ancient tree, trading individual existence for consciousness
individual existence for consciousness that could span continents and
that could span continents and centuries. Yet the knowledge that came
centuries. Yet the knowledge that came with such sacrifice was essential for
with such sacrifice was essential for the trials ahead. The others were
the trials ahead. The others were stirring beyond the lands of always
stirring beyond the lands of always winter, their long slumber ending as the
winter, their long slumber ending as the cycle that had contained them finally
cycle that had contained them finally reached its conclusion. When they moved
reached its conclusion. When they moved south with their army of the dead, they
south with their army of the dead, they would bring with them a winter that
would bring with them a winter that would last for generations if they were
would last for generations if they were not stopped by heroes prepared
not stopped by heroes prepared specifically for that purpose. The
specifically for that purpose. The Grenia's role was to watch and guide and
Grenia's role was to watch and guide and remember, preserving crucial information
remember, preserving crucial information across the cycles of destruction and
across the cycles of destruction and renewal that marked the passage of ages.
renewal that marked the passage of ages. Through the Weirwood network, he could
Through the Weirwood network, he could perceive events across vast distances,
perceive events across vast distances, communicate with those who possessed the
communicate with those who possessed the proper bloodlines and training, and most
proper bloodlines and training, and most importantly, recognize the patterns that
importantly, recognize the patterns that connected seemingly random events into
connected seemingly random events into the grand design that would determine
the grand design that would determine the world's fate. The children of the
the world's fate. The children of the forest had identified key individuals
forest had identified key individuals whose actions would prove crucial in the
whose actions would prove crucial in the coming conflict. Bloodlines whose unique
coming conflict. Bloodlines whose unique combinations of traits would produce
combinations of traits would produce heroes capable of standing against the
heroes capable of standing against the darkness. Some were already born, living
darkness. Some were already born, living their lives unaware of the destinies
their lives unaware of the destinies that awaited them. Others existed only
that awaited them. Others existed only as potential, dependent on the careful
as potential, dependent on the careful orchestration of events to ensure that
orchestration of events to ensure that the right people met and produced
the right people met and produced offspring with the necessary
offspring with the necessary capabilities.
capabilities. Brynden's consciousness began to expand
Brynden's consciousness began to expand even before the physical transformation
even before the physical transformation commenced. His awareness stretching
commenced. His awareness stretching through the root network to touch
through the root network to touch weirwoods scattered across the known
weirwoods scattered across the known world. He could see through their carved
world. He could see through their carved eyes, hear through the rustling of their
eyes, hear through the rustling of their leaves, and speak through ravens that
leaves, and speak through ravens that roosted in their branches. The
roosted in their branches. The surveillance network he had built as spy
surveillance network he had built as spy master and Lord Commander was revealed
master and Lord Commander was revealed to be merely preparation for
to be merely preparation for capabilities that operated according to
capabilities that operated according to entirely different principles. Through
entirely different principles. Through the heartry at Winterfell, he could
the heartry at Winterfell, he could observe the Stark family whose bloodline
observe the Stark family whose bloodline carried traces of the first men's
carried traces of the first men's compact with the children of the forest.
compact with the children of the forest. Through the gods wood of the Red Keep,
Through the gods wood of the Red Keep, he could monitor events in King's
he could monitor events in King's Landing, where the Game of Thrones
Landing, where the Game of Thrones continued to play out according to
continued to play out according to patterns he now understood served larger
patterns he now understood served larger purposes. Through groves scattered
purposes. Through groves scattered across the continent, he could watch the
across the continent, he could watch the slow movement of forces that would
slow movement of forces that would eventually converge in the final battle
eventually converge in the final battle between ice and fire. But with expanded
between ice and fire. But with expanded awareness came the crushing weight of
awareness came the crushing weight of knowledge that mortal minds were not
knowledge that mortal minds were not designed to bear. The responsibility for
designed to bear. The responsibility for guiding events across generations, for
guiding events across generations, for preserving crucial information through
preserving crucial information through cycles of destruction, for maintaining
cycles of destruction, for maintaining the magical defenses that held back
the magical defenses that held back forces too terrible for human
forces too terrible for human comprehension, required a consciousness
comprehension, required a consciousness that had moved beyond individual
that had moved beyond individual concerns and desires. The old green
concerns and desires. The old green seers instruction continued through
seers instruction continued through methods that bypassed normal learning
methods that bypassed normal learning entirely, downloading centuries of
entirely, downloading centuries of accumulated knowledge directly into
accumulated knowledge directly into Brynden's expanding consciousness. He
Brynden's expanding consciousness. He learned the true names of powers that
learned the true names of powers that existed beyond the physical world, the
existed beyond the physical world, the proper rituals for maintaining the
proper rituals for maintaining the magical barriers that protected the
magical barriers that protected the realm, and most importantly, how to
realm, and most importantly, how to recognize and nurture the heroes who
recognize and nurture the heroes who would stand against the darkness when
would stand against the darkness when the final confrontation arrived. As the
the final confrontation arrived. As the transformation progressed, his physical
transformation progressed, his physical form began to change in ways that
form began to change in ways that reflected his expanding role. Roots that
reflected his expanding role. Roots that had been growing beneath the cave floor
had been growing beneath the cave floor for centuries stirred to life, reaching
for centuries stirred to life, reaching toward him with deliberate purpose,
toward him with deliberate purpose, where they touched his skin. He felt not
where they touched his skin. He felt not pain but a strange sense of completion,
pain but a strange sense of completion, as if parts of himself that had been
as if parts of himself that had been scattered were finally coming together
scattered were finally coming together in their proper configuration. The last
in their proper configuration. The last vestigages of Brynden Rivers, the man
vestigages of Brynden Rivers, the man were disappearing, absorbed into
were disappearing, absorbed into something larger and more enduring than
something larger and more enduring than any individual existence. The memories
any individual existence. The memories of his human life became mere fragments
of his human life became mere fragments in a consciousness that now encompassed
in a consciousness that now encompassed the accumulated wisdom of ages. Yet
the accumulated wisdom of ages. Yet those fragments remained precious for
those fragments remained precious for the perspective they provided on the
the perspective they provided on the world that he was now sworn to protect.
world that he was now sworn to protect. The final acceptance of his destiny came
The final acceptance of his destiny came not as a dramatic moment of
not as a dramatic moment of transformation, but as a gradual
transformation, but as a gradual settling into understanding. The throne
settling into understanding. The throne of roots welcomed him as it had been
of roots welcomed him as it had been preparing to do for longer than human
preparing to do for longer than human memory could encompass and he took his
memory could encompass and he took his place as the guardian of knowledge that
place as the guardian of knowledge that would prove essential when the long
would prove essential when the long night returned to test whether the world
night returned to test whether the world deserved to see another dawn. The
deserved to see another dawn. The transformation from mortal man to
transformation from mortal man to immortal guardian unfolded over years
immortal guardian unfolded over years that blurred together in a haze of
that blurred together in a haze of expanding consciousness and dissolving
expanding consciousness and dissolving identity. Brynden Rivers felt his
identity. Brynden Rivers felt his individual self becoming dispersed
individual self becoming dispersed across the vast network of weirwoods
across the vast network of weirwoods that connected sacred sites throughout
that connected sacred sites throughout the known world. His awareness
the known world. His awareness stretching to encompass events and
stretching to encompass events and possibilities that mortal minds could
possibilities that mortal minds could never have grasped. The roots that grew
never have grasped. The roots that grew through his body carried more than mere
through his body carried more than mere physical sustenance. They were conduits
physical sustenance. They were conduits for knowledge that had been accumulating
for knowledge that had been accumulating for millennia. channels through which
for millennia. channels through which the collected wisdom of the children of
the collected wisdom of the children of the forest flowed into his expanding
the forest flowed into his expanding consciousness. Every secret they had
consciousness. Every secret they had preserved, every prophecy they had
preserved, every prophecy they had witnessed, every truth too dangerous for
witnessed, every truth too dangerous for mortal understanding became part of his
mortal understanding became part of his transformed existence. Through this
transformed existence. Through this process, the true scope of the
process, the true scope of the conspiracy that had shaped his life was
conspiracy that had shaped his life was finally revealed in its entirety. The
finally revealed in its entirety. The breeding programs that had produced his
breeding programs that had produced his unique bloodline stretched back not
unique bloodline stretched back not merely centuries but millennia,
merely centuries but millennia, carefully preserved through the rise and
carefully preserved through the rise and fall of civilizations that had been
fall of civilizations that had been forgotten by human memory. The
forgotten by human memory. The Targaryenss with their dragon dreams,
Targaryenss with their dragon dreams, the Starks with their connection to the
the Starks with their connection to the old gods, the Blackwoods with their
old gods, the Blackwoods with their raven symbolism, all had been guided by
raven symbolism, all had been guided by influences that operated with patience
influences that operated with patience measured in geological ages. His own
measured in geological ages. His own transformation into the figure known as
transformation into the figure known as Blood Raven had been merely the visible
Blood Raven had been merely the visible surface of manipulations that extended
surface of manipulations that extended far deeper than political intrigue or
far deeper than political intrigue or dynastic ambition. Every major event in
dynastic ambition. Every major event in Westerosi history had been subtly
Westerosi history had been subtly influenced to ensure that certain
influenced to ensure that certain bloodlines survived, that crucial
bloodlines survived, that crucial knowledge was preserved, and that the
knowledge was preserved, and that the necessary preparations were made for
necessary preparations were made for challenges that existed beyond ordinary
challenges that existed beyond ordinary human perception. The Blackfire
human perception. The Blackfire Rebellions were revealed in their true
Rebellions were revealed in their true light as elaborate tests designed to
light as elaborate tests designed to strengthen the realm's institutions and
strengthen the realm's institutions and identify individuals with the
identify individuals with the capabilities needed for future trials.
capabilities needed for future trials. The chaos and bloodshed that had seemed
The chaos and bloodshed that had seemed so destructive at the time had actually
so destructive at the time had actually served to forge alliances, develop
served to forge alliances, develop military capabilities, and eliminate
military capabilities, and eliminate those whose presence would have hindered
those whose presence would have hindered the greater work that lay ahead. Even
the greater work that lay ahead. Even his exile to the wall had been
his exile to the wall had been orchestrated by forces that understood
orchestrated by forces that understood his ultimate destiny better than he had
his ultimate destiny better than he had himself. The Night's Watch had been
himself. The Night's Watch had been established not merely to guard against
established not merely to guard against wildling raids, but to serve as a
wildling raids, but to serve as a repository for ancient knowledge and a
repository for ancient knowledge and a training ground for heroes who would
training ground for heroes who would stand against the darkness when the
stand against the darkness when the cycle completed itself once more.
cycle completed itself once more. Through his expanded awareness, Brynden
Through his expanded awareness, Brynden could now perceive the vast machinery of
could now perceive the vast machinery of fate that had been working to position
fate that had been working to position the right people in the right places at
the right people in the right places at precisely the right moments in history.
precisely the right moments in history. Kings and queens had risen and fallen
Kings and queens had risen and fallen according to patterns that served
according to patterns that served purposes they never understood. Their
purposes they never understood. Their choices guided by dreams and prophecies
choices guided by dreams and prophecies that seemed to emerge from their own
that seemed to emerge from their own minds, but actually originated from
minds, but actually originated from sources beyond the physical world. The
sources beyond the physical world. The revelation of his role as the three-eyed
revelation of his role as the three-eyed crow brought with it understanding of
crow brought with it understanding of how that identity had been prepared
how that identity had been prepared across generations of careful planning.
across generations of careful planning. The symbolism that had marked him from
The symbolism that had marked him from birth. The abilities that had manifested
birth. The abilities that had manifested during his service to various kings. The
during his service to various kings. The network of ravens that had served his
network of ravens that had served his intelligence operations. All were
intelligence operations. All were revealed to be aspects of a single
revealed to be aspects of a single coherent design intended to prepare him
coherent design intended to prepare him for this ultimate transformation. But
for this ultimate transformation. But the most profound revelation concerned
the most profound revelation concerned the true nature of the threat that all
the true nature of the threat that all these preparations were meant to
these preparations were meant to address. The others were not simply
address. The others were not simply legendary monsters or ancient enemies of
legendary monsters or ancient enemies of humanity, but the corrupted remnants of
humanity, but the corrupted remnants of a previous attempt to preserve life
a previous attempt to preserve life against an even greater danger. The war
against an even greater danger. The war for the dawn had not been a simple
for the dawn had not been a simple conflict between good and evil, but a
conflict between good and evil, but a complex tragedy involving multiple
complex tragedy involving multiple factions whose purposes had become
factions whose purposes had become twisted over the millennia. The original
twisted over the millennia. The original compact between the first men and the
compact between the first men and the children of the forest had been designed
children of the forest had been designed to create guardians who could stand
to create guardians who could stand against forces that existed beyond the
against forces that existed beyond the normal boundaries of life and death. The
normal boundaries of life and death. The others had once been champions of life,
others had once been champions of life, created through magical processes that
created through magical processes that were meant to give them the power needed
were meant to give them the power needed to preserve the world against threats
to preserve the world against threats that emerged from the deep void between
that emerged from the deep void between the stars. But power of that magnitude
the stars. But power of that magnitude could not be wielded without cost, and
could not be wielded without cost, and the transformation that made them
the transformation that made them effective guardians also made them
effective guardians also made them vulnerable to corruption by the very
vulnerable to corruption by the very forces they were meant to oppose. Over
forces they were meant to oppose. Over the centuries, they had become what they
the centuries, they had become what they had originally been created to fight
had originally been created to fight against. Turning from protectors into
against. Turning from protectors into destroyers who sought to impose their
destroyers who sought to impose their own vision of order upon a world that
own vision of order upon a world that valued the chaos of life over the
valued the chaos of life over the perfection of death. The long night that
perfection of death. The long night that was approaching would be different from
was approaching would be different from the one that had come before. Because
the one that had come before. Because the players had changed, and the stakes
the players had changed, and the stakes had grown higher. Dragons had returned
had grown higher. Dragons had returned to the world, bringing with them
to the world, bringing with them possibilities that had not existed
possibilities that had not existed during the previous cycle. Heroes with
during the previous cycle. Heroes with bloodlines that combined the magical
bloodlines that combined the magical heritage of multiple ancient peoples
heritage of multiple ancient peoples were being born or had already taken
were being born or had already taken their places on the great game board.
their places on the great game board. Most importantly, the knowledge
Most importantly, the knowledge preserved through the Green Sea network
preserved through the Green Sea network was now more complete than it had been
was now more complete than it had been during any previous iteration of the
during any previous iteration of the cycle. Bran Stark's arrival at the cave
cycle. Bran Stark's arrival at the cave came exactly as the visions had
came exactly as the visions had foretold. Though the boy who stumbled
foretold. Though the boy who stumbled through the magical barriers was barely
through the magical barriers was barely recognizable as the child who had been
recognizable as the child who had been pushed from a tower in Winterfell. His
pushed from a tower in Winterfell. His journey beyond the wall had transformed
journey beyond the wall had transformed him in ways that paralleled Brynden's
him in ways that paralleled Brynden's own evolution, awakening abilities that
own evolution, awakening abilities that had been dormant in his bloodline for
had been dormant in his bloodline for generations. The training that followed
generations. The training that followed was conducted through methods that
was conducted through methods that bypassed normal human learning,
bypassed normal human learning, downloading millennia of accumulated
downloading millennia of accumulated knowledge directly into the boy's
knowledge directly into the boy's expanding consciousness. Bran learned to
expanding consciousness. Bran learned to perceive events across vast distances to
perceive events across vast distances to communicate through the weirwood network
communicate through the weirwood network and most importantly to recognize the
and most importantly to recognize the patterns that connected seemingly random
patterns that connected seemingly random events into the grand design that would
events into the grand design that would determine the world's fate. that the
determine the world's fate. that the most crucial lesson involved
most crucial lesson involved understanding the true nature of time
understanding the true nature of time itself and how events in the past could
itself and how events in the past could be influenced by actions taken in what
be influenced by actions taken in what mortals perceived as the future. The
mortals perceived as the future. The network of weirwoods existed partially
network of weirwoods existed partially outside the normal flow of temporal
outside the normal flow of temporal causality, allowing those who had
causality, allowing those who had learned to use it properly to witness
learned to use it properly to witness and sometimes influence events that had
and sometimes influence events that had occurred centuries or millennia before
occurred centuries or millennia before their birth. This revelation brought
their birth. This revelation brought with it the terrible understanding that
with it the terrible understanding that some of the events that had shaped
some of the events that had shaped Westerosi history had been caused by
Westerosi history had been caused by future attempts to prevent even worse
future attempts to prevent even worse outcomes. The Mad King's paranoia, the
outcomes. The Mad King's paranoia, the circumstances that led to Robert's
circumstances that led to Robert's rebellion, even the fall of House
rebellion, even the fall of House Targaryen itself, all had been
Targaryen itself, all had been influenced by time travelers seeking to
influenced by time travelers seeking to prevent timelines where the forces of
prevent timelines where the forces of darkness achieved complete victory. The
darkness achieved complete victory. The paradoxes involved in such manipulations
paradoxes involved in such manipulations were staggering in their complexity,
were staggering in their complexity, requiring consciousness that existed
requiring consciousness that existed outside normal human limitations to
outside normal human limitations to navigate without becoming lost in
navigate without becoming lost in recursive loops of cause and effect. The
recursive loops of cause and effect. The greases who attempted such interventions
greases who attempted such interventions risked not merely their sanity but their
risked not merely their sanity but their very existence as failed attempts to
very existence as failed attempts to alter the past could result in complete
alter the past could result in complete erasia from the timeline. Brynden's role
erasia from the timeline. Brynden's role in these temporal manipulations was
in these temporal manipulations was revealed to be far more extensive than
revealed to be far more extensive than he had previously understood. His
he had previously understood. His influence on events throughout his
influence on events throughout his mortal life had been guided not just by
mortal life had been guided not just by his own supernatural abilities, but by
his own supernatural abilities, but by his future self communicating backwards
his future self communicating backwards through time to ensure that crucial
through time to ensure that crucial preparations were made and key
preparations were made and key individuals survived to fulfill their
individuals survived to fulfill their destinies. The ravens that had served
destinies. The ravens that had served him so faithfully were revealed to be
him so faithfully were revealed to be more than mere extensions of his will.
more than mere extensions of his will. They were living links in a
They were living links in a communication network that operated
communication network that operated across both space and time, carrying
across both space and time, carrying messages between different versions of
messages between different versions of himself, scattered across the centuries.
himself, scattered across the centuries. Through their dark eyes, he could
Through their dark eyes, he could observe events that had already occurred
observe events that had already occurred and influence outcomes that were still
and influence outcomes that were still unfolding. As Bran's training progressed
unfolding. As Bran's training progressed and his own powers developed, Rendan
and his own powers developed, Rendan began the process of transferring the
began the process of transferring the accumulated responsibilities of his
accumulated responsibilities of his position to the younger successor. The
position to the younger successor. The knowledge that had been preserved
knowledge that had been preserved through millennia of careful
through millennia of careful guardianship was downloaded into the
guardianship was downloaded into the boy's consciousness through rituals that
boy's consciousness through rituals that drew their power from the deepest
drew their power from the deepest sources of magic still accessible in the
sources of magic still accessible in the world. But the transfer was not simply a
world. But the transfer was not simply a matter of passing information from one
matter of passing information from one mind to another. It required Bran to
mind to another. It required Bran to undergo the same fundamental
undergo the same fundamental transformation that had changed Brandon
transformation that had changed Brandon from mortal man to immortal guardian,
from mortal man to immortal guardian, accepting the gradual dissolution of
accepting the gradual dissolution of individual identity in favor of
individual identity in favor of consciousness that could encompass the
consciousness that could encompass the needs of entire civilizations.
needs of entire civilizations. The process was irreversible and would
The process was irreversible and would ultimately result in the complete
ultimately result in the complete integration of Bran's consciousness with
integration of Bran's consciousness with the Weirwood network, just as it had for
the Weirwood network, just as it had for his predecessor. The boy who had dreamed
his predecessor. The boy who had dreamed of becoming a knight would become
of becoming a knight would become something far more important, though the
something far more important, though the cost of that transformation would be the
cost of that transformation would be the loss of everything that had once made
loss of everything that had once made him human. In the final moments before
him human. In the final moments before the transfer was completed, Brynden felt
the transfer was completed, Brynden felt a profound sense of peace settling over
a profound sense of peace settling over his transformed existence. The burden he
his transformed existence. The burden he had carried for so long was finally
had carried for so long was finally being passed to another, and the long
being passed to another, and the long watch that had consumed his humanity was
watch that had consumed his humanity was nearing its end. The realm would face
nearing its end. The realm would face its greatest trial with guardians who
its greatest trial with guardians who possessed the knowledge and abilities
possessed the knowledge and abilities necessary to guide heroes through the
necessary to guide heroes through the darkness that was coming. The three-eyed
darkness that was coming. The three-eyed crow was dead, but the three-eyed raven
crow was dead, but the three-eyed raven was ready to take his place in the
was ready to take his place in the eternal vigil that would determine
eternal vigil that would determine whether the world saw another dawn. The
whether the world saw another dawn. The passing of the mantle from one green
passing of the mantle from one green sear to another occurred not in a single
sear to another occurred not in a single moment of dramatic transfer, but through
moment of dramatic transfer, but through a gradual process that spanned seasons
a gradual process that spanned seasons as knowledge accumulated over millennia
as knowledge accumulated over millennia flowed from Brynden's dissolving
flowed from Brynden's dissolving consciousness into Bran's expanding
consciousness into Bran's expanding awareness. Each lesson shared brought
awareness. Each lesson shared brought the younger successor closer to full
the younger successor closer to full understanding of the vast
understanding of the vast responsibilities that came with the
responsibilities that came with the power to see across time and space.
power to see across time and space. Through Bran's fresh perspective,
Through Bran's fresh perspective, Brynden began to perceive the current
Brynden began to perceive the current state of the world with clarity that his
state of the world with clarity that his own ancient consciousness had gradually
own ancient consciousness had gradually lost through centuries of accumulated
lost through centuries of accumulated memory and expanding perception. The
memory and expanding perception. The game of thrones continued in King's
game of thrones continued in King's Landing, but the players had changed in
Landing, but the players had changed in ways that reflected the deeper currents
ways that reflected the deeper currents of destiny that had been flowing beneath
of destiny that had been flowing beneath the surface of political events.
the surface of political events. Daenerys Targaryen had emerged in Essos
Daenerys Targaryen had emerged in Essos with dragons that represented the return
with dragons that represented the return of fire to the world. Her bloodline
of fire to the world. Her bloodline awakening to powers that had been
awakening to powers that had been dormant since the doom of Valyria. Her
dormant since the doom of Valyria. Her journey from exiled princess to
journey from exiled princess to conquering queen was unfolding exactly
conquering queen was unfolding exactly as the ancient prophecies had foretold.
as the ancient prophecies had foretold. Each triumph and tragedy serving to
Each triumph and tragedy serving to forge her into the weapon that would be
forge her into the weapon that would be needed when ice and fire finally met in
needed when ice and fire finally met in ultimate confrontation.
ultimate confrontation. Jon Snow's true parentage was finally
Jon Snow's true parentage was finally revealed through the expanded sight that
revealed through the expanded sight that came with his transformation, showing
came with his transformation, showing how careful manipulation across
how careful manipulation across generations had produced an individual
generations had produced an individual who carried the bloodlines of both ice
who carried the bloodlines of both ice and fire in perfect balance. The bastard
and fire in perfect balance. The bastard of Winterfell was revealed to be the
of Winterfell was revealed to be the song that the prince who was promised
song that the prince who was promised was meant to sing. his existence
was meant to sing. his existence representing the culmination of breeding
representing the culmination of breeding programs that stretched back to the dawn
programs that stretched back to the dawn of recorded history. The long night was
of recorded history. The long night was approaching with signs that even those
approaching with signs that even those without supernatural sight could no
without supernatural sight could no longer ignore. The seasons were changing
longer ignore. The seasons were changing in ways that defied natural law.
in ways that defied natural law. Temperatures dropping far below what
Temperatures dropping far below what should have been possible for the time
should have been possible for the time of year. The wall itself had begun to
of year. The wall itself had begun to show signs of stress. ancient magics
show signs of stress. ancient magics that had held for thousands of years,
that had held for thousands of years, finally weakening under pressures that
finally weakening under pressures that had been building throughout the long
had been building throughout the long piece. But the realm was better prepared
piece. But the realm was better prepared for what was coming than it had been
for what was coming than it had been during any previous iteration of the
during any previous iteration of the cycle. The knowledge preserved through
cycle. The knowledge preserved through the Grecian network had been
the Grecian network had been successfully transmitted to those who
successfully transmitted to those who would need it most. Heroes had been
would need it most. Heroes had been identified and were being guided toward
identified and were being guided toward the roles they would need to play. Most
the roles they would need to play. Most importantly, the alliances necessary for
importantly, the alliances necessary for survival were forming, driven by events
survival were forming, driven by events that seemed random, but actually served
that seemed random, but actually served the grand design that had been millennia
the grand design that had been millennia in the making. The revelation of how
in the making. The revelation of how completely individual lives had been
completely individual lives had been shaped by larger forces might have been
shaped by larger forces might have been crushing to those who discovered it. But
crushing to those who discovered it. But Brynden found only peace in the
Brynden found only peace in the understanding. Every choice he had made,
understanding. Every choice he had made, every sacrifice he had endured, every
every sacrifice he had endured, every loss he had suffered, all had
loss he had suffered, all had contributed to positioning the world to
contributed to positioning the world to survive its greatest trial. The bastard
survive its greatest trial. The bastard prince who had sought acceptance through
prince who had sought acceptance through service had finally found the ultimate
service had finally found the ultimate expression of that desire. His
expression of that desire. His consciousness was no longer bounded by
consciousness was no longer bounded by the concerns and limitations that had
the concerns and limitations that had defined his mortal existence. The pain
defined his mortal existence. The pain of losing Shierra's love, the isolation
of losing Shierra's love, the isolation that had come with his supernatural
that had come with his supernatural transformation, the burden of making
transformation, the burden of making impossible choices in service to an
impossible choices in service to an ungrateful realm, all were revealed to
ungrateful realm, all were revealed to have been necessary stages in a journey
have been necessary stages in a journey towards something far greater than
towards something far greater than personal happiness or human recognition.
personal happiness or human recognition. The network of weirwoods that had become
The network of weirwoods that had become his body and his domain stretched across
his body and his domain stretched across continents, connecting sacred sites
continents, connecting sacred sites where the old magic remained strong
where the old magic remained strong enough to influence events in the mortal
enough to influence events in the mortal world. Through their carved eyes, he
world. Through their carved eyes, he could observe the slow movement of
could observe the slow movement of armies and the quick flicker of
armies and the quick flicker of individual choices, seeing how each
individual choices, seeing how each contributed to patterns too vast for
contributed to patterns too vast for mortal comprehension.
mortal comprehension. Dragons flew in skies that had not seen
Dragons flew in skies that had not seen their like for centuries. their shadows
their like for centuries. their shadows falling across landscapes where the game
falling across landscapes where the game of thrones continued to play out
of thrones continued to play out according to rules that the players
according to rules that the players themselves did not understand. Queens
themselves did not understand. Queens and kings rose and fell, but their
and kings rose and fell, but their actions served purposes that extended
actions served purposes that extended far beyond their immediate ambitions or
far beyond their immediate ambitions or the boundaries of the kingdoms they
the boundaries of the kingdoms they sought to rule. The others had indeed
sought to rule. The others had indeed awakened from their long slumber,
awakened from their long slumber, stirring in the lands of always winter,
stirring in the lands of always winter, where they had been gathering strength
where they had been gathering strength for the return of the long night. Their
for the return of the long night. Their army of the dead grew larger with each
army of the dead grew larger with each settlement they consumed. And the wall
settlement they consumed. And the wall that had had dled them back for
that had had dled them back for millennia was finally beginning to fail
millennia was finally beginning to fail under the assault of powers that had
under the assault of powers that had been denied expression for too long. But
been denied expression for too long. But the heroes who would stand against them
the heroes who would stand against them were also awakening to their destinies.
were also awakening to their destinies. The dragon queen was learning to control
The dragon queen was learning to control powers that could reshape the world. The
powers that could reshape the world. The bastard of Winterfell was discovering
bastard of Winterfell was discovering truths about his parentage that would
truths about his parentage that would give him the authority needed to unite
give him the authority needed to unite the living against the dead. Most
the living against the dead. Most importantly, the three-eyed raven was
importantly, the three-eyed raven was ready to provide the knowledge and
ready to provide the knowledge and guidance that would be essential for
guidance that would be essential for their success. The great wheel that had
their success. The great wheel that had been turning since the dawn of history
been turning since the dawn of history was finally approaching the moment when
was finally approaching the moment when it would either continue its eternal
it would either continue its eternal revolution or break apart entirely,
revolution or break apart entirely, taking with it all the accumulated
taking with it all the accumulated achievements of human civilization. The
achievements of human civilization. The outcome remained balanced on the edge of
outcome remained balanced on the edge of possibility, dependent on choices that
possibility, dependent on choices that had not yet been made by heroes who had
had not yet been made by heroes who had not yet fully accepted their roles.
not yet fully accepted their roles. Brynden's influence on those choices
Brynden's influence on those choices would be subtle but crucial, operating
would be subtle but crucial, operating through dreams and visions, through
through dreams and visions, through ravens carrying messages that seemed
ravens carrying messages that seemed random but contained essential
random but contained essential information through the whispered
information through the whispered council of weirwood faces that spoke
council of weirwood faces that spoke truths too dangerous to voice openly.
truths too dangerous to voice openly. The network he had spent his mortal life
The network he had spent his mortal life building was finally ready to serve its
building was finally ready to serve its ultimate purpose. The personal costs of
ultimate purpose. The personal costs of his transformation had been enormous,
his transformation had been enormous, requiring the surrender of everything
requiring the surrender of everything that had once defined him as an
that had once defined him as an individual. But those sacrifices had
individual. But those sacrifices had purchased something far more valuable
purchased something far more valuable than personal satisfaction or human
than personal satisfaction or human happiness. They had secured the survival
happiness. They had secured the survival of knowledge essential for the world's
of knowledge essential for the world's continued existence and positioned
continued existence and positioned guardians to watch over heroes who would
guardians to watch over heroes who would determine whether darkness or light
determine whether darkness or light prevailed in the final confrontation. As
prevailed in the final confrontation. As Bran's consciousness expanded to
Bran's consciousness expanded to encompass the full scope of his new
encompass the full scope of his new responsibilities, Brendan felt the last
responsibilities, Brendan felt the last vestigages of his individual identity,
vestigages of his individual identity, beginning to dissolve into the greater
beginning to dissolve into the greater whole that was the Gracine Seir network.
whole that was the Gracine Seir network. The process was not death in any
The process was not death in any conventional sense, but transformation
conventional sense, but transformation into something that transcended the
into something that transcended the limitations of mortal existence. His
limitations of mortal existence. His memories of human life would be
memories of human life would be preserved as fragments within the vast
preserved as fragments within the vast library of accumulated knowledge that
library of accumulated knowledge that was now brands to command, serving as
was now brands to command, serving as reminders of the world that they existed
reminders of the world that they existed to protect and the people whose survival
to protect and the people whose survival justified the sacrifices that had been
justified the sacrifices that had been required. The bastard prince's journey
required. The bastard prince's journey from shame to service to transcendence
from shame to service to transcendence would become part of the legend that
would become part of the legend that inspired future heroes to accept their
inspired future heroes to accept their own burdens. The ravens that had served
own burdens. The ravens that had served him so faithfully would continue their
him so faithfully would continue their missions under new guidance, carrying
missions under new guidance, carrying messages between the scattered forces
messages between the scattered forces that would soon unite in the final
that would soon unite in the final battle against the darkness. The
battle against the darkness. The Weirwood network would remain active,
Weirwood network would remain active, providing the communication and
providing the communication and surveillance capabilities that modern
surveillance capabilities that modern heroes would need to coordinate their
heroes would need to coordinate their efforts across vast distances. The great
efforts across vast distances. The great game that had consumed his mortal life
game that had consumed his mortal life was finally approaching its conclusion.
was finally approaching its conclusion. But the stakes had proved to be far
But the stakes had proved to be far higher than any throne or kingdom. The
higher than any throne or kingdom. The survival of life itself hung in the
survival of life itself hung in the balance, and the outcome would determine
balance, and the outcome would determine whether the cycle of seasons would
whether the cycle of seasons would continue, or whether eternal winter
continue, or whether eternal winter would finally claim dominion over a
would finally claim dominion over a world that had forgotten how to defend
world that had forgotten how to defend itself against the ultimate darkness. In
itself against the ultimate darkness. In his final moments as a distinct
his final moments as a distinct consciousness, Brynden Rivers felt
consciousness, Brynden Rivers felt profound satisfaction in the knowledge
profound satisfaction in the knowledge that his transformation had been
that his transformation had been completed just in time. The heroes were
completed just in time. The heroes were ready, the knowledge was preserved, and
ready, the knowledge was preserved, and the guardians were in place. The realm
the guardians were in place. The realm would face its greatest trial with every
would face its greatest trial with every advantage that centuries of preparation
advantage that centuries of preparation could provide. The three-eyed crow had
could provide. The three-eyed crow had fulfilled his purpose, and the
fulfilled his purpose, and the three-eyed raven was ready to guide the
three-eyed raven was ready to guide the final dance between ice and fire that
final dance between ice and fire that would determine the fate of all who drew
would determine the fate of all who drew breath in the world of the living. In
breath in the world of the living. In the deep silence that follows the
the deep silence that follows the completion of great works. When the last
completion of great works. When the last echoes of transformation have faded into
echoes of transformation have faded into the eternal stillness of the Weirwood
the eternal stillness of the Weirwood cave, a profound peace settles over the
cave, a profound peace settles over the hollow hill that has become the heart of
hollow hill that has become the heart of the world's memory. The roots that once
the world's memory. The roots that once carried the consciousness of Brynden
carried the consciousness of Brynden Rivers now pulse with gentler rhythms,
Rivers now pulse with gentler rhythms, their purpose fulfilled through
their purpose fulfilled through sacrifices that have transcended the
sacrifices that have transcended the boundaries of individual existence.
boundaries of individual existence. The network of heart trees that spans
The network of heart trees that spans the known world continues its ancient
the known world continues its ancient vigil. Their carved faces watching over
vigil. Their carved faces watching over forests that have grown and died through
forests that have grown and died through countless seasons. Over cities that have
countless seasons. Over cities that have risen from mud and returned to dust.
risen from mud and returned to dust. Over the endless cycle of birth and
Over the endless cycle of birth and death that marks the passage of mortal
death that marks the passage of mortal time. Each weirwood stands as a sentinel
time. Each weirwood stands as a sentinel in the growing darkness. their red eyes
in the growing darkness. their red eyes weeping sap like tears for all the
weeping sap like tears for all the beauty and sorrow they have witnessed
beauty and sorrow they have witnessed through these scattered guardians. The
through these scattered guardians. The essence of what Brynden Rivers had
essence of what Brynden Rivers had become continues to flow like
become continues to flow like underground rivers that connect distant
underground rivers that connect distant springs. His consciousness, no longer
springs. His consciousness, no longer bounded by the concerns that had defined
bounded by the concerns that had defined his human existence, drifts through the
his human existence, drifts through the memories of trees that were ancient when
memories of trees that were ancient when the first men crossed the narrow sea. In
the first men crossed the narrow sea. In their rings of growth, he reads the
their rings of growth, he reads the story of the world written in wood and
story of the world written in wood and time. The ravens that had served him
time. The ravens that had served him with such devotion continue their
with such devotion continue their flights across the vast landscape of
flights across the vast landscape of Westeros, carrying messages between the
Westeros, carrying messages between the scattered allies who will soon face
scattered allies who will soon face their greatest trial. Their dark wings
their greatest trial. Their dark wings cut through skies that grow ever more
cut through skies that grow ever more ominous as the long night approaches.
ominous as the long night approaches. But they fly without fear, sustained by
But they fly without fear, sustained by purposes that stretch far beyond their
purposes that stretch far beyond their individual lives. In their cing voices,
individual lives. In their cing voices, those who listen carefully might hear
those who listen carefully might hear echoes of an ancient promise that
echoes of an ancient promise that darkness will not have the final word.
darkness will not have the final word. The great wheel of history turns toward
The great wheel of history turns toward its moment of ultimate testing. But the
its moment of ultimate testing. But the preparations made through centuries of
preparations made through centuries of patient work have reached completion.
patient work have reached completion. Heroes stand ready in positions they
Heroes stand ready in positions they believe they chose freely, armed with
believe they chose freely, armed with knowledge they think they discovered
knowledge they think they discovered independently, supported by alliances
independently, supported by alliances they imagine they forged through their
they imagine they forged through their own diplomatic skill. The beauty of the
own diplomatic skill. The beauty of the design lies in how completely it has
design lies in how completely it has hidden itself, allowing each participant
hidden itself, allowing each participant to believe in their own agency while
to believe in their own agency while serving purposes that transcend their
serving purposes that transcend their understanding. In King's Landing, the
understanding. In King's Landing, the Game of Thrones continues its deadly
Game of Thrones continues its deadly dance, but the players move according to
dance, but the players move according to patterns that have been shaped by
patterns that have been shaped by influences they cannot perceive. Queens
influences they cannot perceive. Queens rise and fall. Kingdoms fracture and
rise and fall. Kingdoms fracture and reunite. Yet each apparent chaos, serves
reunite. Yet each apparent chaos, serves the greater order that has been
the greater order that has been millennia in the making. The iron throne
millennia in the making. The iron throne itself, forged from the swords of
itself, forged from the swords of conquered kings, sits waiting for the
conquered kings, sits waiting for the ruler who will need it most when the
ruler who will need it most when the final battle is joined. Beyond the wall,
final battle is joined. Beyond the wall, the ancient enemy stirs with renewed
the ancient enemy stirs with renewed purpose, gathering strength for the
purpose, gathering strength for the assault that will test every defense
assault that will test every defense that has been prepared against their
that has been prepared against their return. The others march with their army
return. The others march with their army of the dead, bringing with them a winter
of the dead, bringing with them a winter that seeks to be eternal. But they march
that seeks to be eternal. But they march toward a world that is no longer
toward a world that is no longer defenseless, no longer ignorant of their
defenseless, no longer ignorant of their true nature, no longer without champions
true nature, no longer without champions capable of standing against the darkness
capable of standing against the darkness they represent. The long night that is
they represent. The long night that is coming will indeed be terrible, filled
coming will indeed be terrible, filled with losses that will echo through
with losses that will echo through generations and sacrifices that will be
generations and sacrifices that will be remembered in songs sung around fires
remembered in songs sung around fires that burn in defiance of the cold. Yet,
that burn in defiance of the cold. Yet, it will also be the completion of a
it will also be the completion of a story that began in the dawn times when
story that began in the dawn times when the first compact was made between the
the first compact was made between the children of the forest and those who
children of the forest and those who would become the first men. Every thread
would become the first men. Every thread of that ancient tapestry is finally
of that ancient tapestry is finally being woven into its proper place.
being woven into its proper place. Dragons soar over landscapes that had
Dragons soar over landscapes that had forgotten the shadow of great wings.
forgotten the shadow of great wings. Their fire carrying the promise that not
Their fire carrying the promise that not all the old powers have abandoned the
all the old powers have abandoned the world. The blood of old Valyria flows in
world. The blood of old Valyria flows in veins that carry both the power to
veins that carry both the power to create and the wisdom to know when
create and the wisdom to know when creation requires destruction. The songs
creation requires destruction. The songs of ice and fire that have been building
of ice and fire that have been building for generations are finally approaching
for generations are finally approaching their crescendo. In the quiet moments
their crescendo. In the quiet moments between the great movements of armies
between the great movements of armies and the clash of supernatural forces,
and the clash of supernatural forces, there is time for reflection on the
there is time for reflection on the journey that brought the world to this
journey that brought the world to this crucial moment. The bastard prince who
crucial moment. The bastard prince who became the greatest spy master in the
became the greatest spy master in the history of the seven kingdoms, who
history of the seven kingdoms, who transformed from outcast to hand to
transformed from outcast to hand to exile to something beyond human
exile to something beyond human comprehension, has completed the longest
comprehension, has completed the longest and strangest path that any individual
and strangest path that any individual has ever walked. His story, like all the
has ever walked. His story, like all the greatest stories, reveals its true
greatest stories, reveals its true meaning only when viewed from the
meaning only when viewed from the perspective of its ending. What seemed
perspective of its ending. What seemed like political maneuvering was
like political maneuvering was preparation for cosmic conflict. What
preparation for cosmic conflict. What appeared to be personal tragedy was
appeared to be personal tragedy was necessary sacrifice for universal
necessary sacrifice for universal salvation. What looked like the
salvation. What looked like the dissolution of identity was actually the
dissolution of identity was actually the expansion of consciousness to encompass
expansion of consciousness to encompass responsibilities that no single human
responsibilities that no single human life could have contained. The weirwoods
life could have contained. The weirwoods whisper now in languages that predate
whisper now in languages that predate human speech. their voices carrying
human speech. their voices carrying across the growing darkness. Words of
across the growing darkness. Words of comfort for those who have ears to hear
comfort for those who have ears to hear them. They speak of cycles within
them. They speak of cycles within cycles, of endings that are always
cycles, of endings that are always beginnings, of the eternal dance between
beginnings, of the eternal dance between opposing forces that gives meaning to
opposing forces that gives meaning to existence itself. In their ancient
existence itself. In their ancient wisdom, there is no true death, only
wisdom, there is no true death, only transformation into new forms of
transformation into new forms of purpose. The children of the forest who
purpose. The children of the forest who guided this great work through millennia
guided this great work through millennia of patient cultivation prepare now for
of patient cultivation prepare now for their own final transformation as their
their own final transformation as their role in the world's story approaches
role in the world's story approaches completion. They who preserved the
completion. They who preserved the knowledge of the old magic through ages
knowledge of the old magic through ages when it was forgotten and scorned who
when it was forgotten and scorned who maintained the hidden connections that
maintained the hidden connections that allowed heroes to emerge when they were
allowed heroes to emerge when they were needed most can finally rest in the
needed most can finally rest in the knowledge that their stewardship has
knowledge that their stewardship has been successful. The cave beneath the
been successful. The cave beneath the hollow hill grows quiet as the last
hollow hill grows quiet as the last echoes of human ambition and desire fade
echoes of human ambition and desire fade into something larger and more enduring.
into something larger and more enduring. Where once stood Brynden Rivers, bastard
Where once stood Brynden Rivers, bastard of King Aegon IVth, archer whose arrows
of King Aegon IVth, archer whose arrows never missed their target, spy master
never missed their target, spy master whose network spanned continents, hand
whose network spanned continents, hand whose rule brought prosperity to seven
whose rule brought prosperity to seven kingdoms, Lord Commander whose vision
kingdoms, Lord Commander whose vision extended beyond the wall. There is now
extended beyond the wall. There is now only the gentle presence of a guardian
only the gentle presence of a guardian whose watch encompasses all the world.
whose watch encompasses all the world. The three-eyed raven settles into
The three-eyed raven settles into eternal vigil. His consciousness
eternal vigil. His consciousness distributed through root and branch and
distributed through root and branch and stone. His memory becoming the memory of
stone. His memory becoming the memory of the world itself. In the growing
the world itself. In the growing darkness of the long night that
darkness of the long night that approaches, he remains as a beacon of
approaches, he remains as a beacon of preserved knowledge, a repository of
preserved knowledge, a repository of accumulated wisdom, a source of guidance
accumulated wisdom, a source of guidance for heroes who will need every advantage
for heroes who will need every advantage that centuries of preparation can
that centuries of preparation can provide. The ravens call softly as they
provide. The ravens call softly as they settle into their roosts, their voices
settle into their roosts, their voices carrying no urgency now, but only the
carrying no urgency now, but only the peaceful satisfaction of duties well
peaceful satisfaction of duties well performed. The weirwoods sway in winds
performed. The weirwoods sway in winds that carry the scent of coming snow.
that carry the scent of coming snow. Their movements marking time according
Their movements marking time according to rhythms older than human
to rhythms older than human civilization. The great silence that
civilization. The great silence that follows the completion of necessary work
follows the completion of necessary work spreads across the network of heart
spreads across the network of heart trees. A silence that speaks of
trees. A silence that speaks of readiness and acceptance and the
readiness and acceptance and the profound peace that comes when all
profound peace that comes when all possible preparations have been made. In
possible preparations have been made. In this moment of perfect stillness before
this moment of perfect stillness before the final storm, there is time for
the final storm, there is time for gratitude. Gratitude for the sacrifices
gratitude. Gratitude for the sacrifices that made survival possible. Gratitude
that made survival possible. Gratitude for the heroes who will soon face their
for the heroes who will soon face their greatest trial. Gratitude for the
greatest trial. Gratitude for the ancient powers that preserved hope
ancient powers that preserved hope through the darkest times. And gratitude
through the darkest times. And gratitude for the journey itself, the long and
for the journey itself, the long and winding path that transformed a
winding path that transformed a bastard's shame into a guardian's
bastard's shame into a guardian's eternal service. The world sleeps now
eternal service. The world sleeps now under the protection of watchers who
under the protection of watchers who never close their eyes. Dreaming dreams
never close their eyes. Dreaming dreams of spring that will return when the
of spring that will return when the wheel of seasons turns once more. And in
wheel of seasons turns once more. And in those dreams, somewhere in the space
those dreams, somewhere in the space between memory and hope, the echo of
between memory and hope, the echo of Brynden Rivers finds perfect rest at
Brynden Rivers finds perfect rest at last. So ends the tale of Blood Raven,
last. So ends the tale of Blood Raven, the bastard who became legend, the man
the bastard who became legend, the man who chose duty over desire, the guardian
who chose duty over desire, the guardian who watches still from beyond the
who watches still from beyond the boundaries of mortal life. His story is
boundaries of mortal life. His story is complete, but his vigil continues,
complete, but his vigil continues, patient and eternal as the trees that
patient and eternal as the trees that mark his resting place. Sleep now, and
mark his resting place. Sleep now, and let the ravens carry your dreams to
let the ravens carry your dreams to distant shores where spring eternal
distant shores where spring eternal waits for winter's ending. The watch is
waits for winter's ending. The watch is set. The guardians are ready. And all
set. The guardians are ready. And all shall be well when the wheel turns round
shall be well when the wheel turns round again.
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