Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont of the Night's Watch led his army to reclaim most of the lost lands in the North, but before he could reclaim his homeland, the army arrived at the Wall from Bear Island in Ice Bay.

This is the homeland of all the soldiers of the Night's Watch. Ever since Jeor Mormont swore an oath before the weirwood, he was no longer the Earl of Bear Isle, but the Commander-in-Chief of the Night's Watch. For him, responsibility outweighed personal feelings.

The Wall still stands majestically on the earth. It is about three hundred miles long and seven hundred feet high, stretching endlessly and blocking out half of the sky.

The knight in black stood on the hillside, facing the wind and snow overhead, gazing at the Great Wall in the distance.

The towering Great Wall was awe-inspiring, and the Night's Watch recruits couldn't help but whisper among themselves, feeling a deep sense of awe rising from the bottom of their hearts.

However, the section that collapsed when the Wildlings sounded the Horn of Winter was so conspicuous, like a breach in a magnificent dam. No matter how strong the defense was, it was useless. The Wildlings and White Walkers crawled in through this breach, wreaking havoc throughout the land of Westeros.

"If I see it again now, I'll want to kill that savage again!"

"Stannis acted too soon. The wildling king should repent for his terrible crimes before being executed."

Eddard Stark stood on his horse atop a high hill, the biting wind whipping his wolfskin cloak over his shoulders. Gazing at the distant, partially collapsed Wall, he couldn't help but speak in a hoarse voice.

Mance Rayder, the king of the Free Peoples, blew the Horn of Winter, which caused the Wall to collapse. However, his actions directly enabled the White Walkers to cross the Wall and invade the lands of the Seven Kingdoms beyond it.

The Great Escape to the North saw countless people flee their homes, and many more perish on the journey away from their homes.

Their wives, husbands, children, parents, and even those who froze or starved to death, people dared not bury their bodies, wanting to leave a lasting memory. Instead, they would burn all the bodies together to prevent them from becoming new enemies after the cold winds had blown through.

Meanwhile, Benjen, who was riding beside his brother, turned his head to look at Ed upon hearing this, then silently shook his head without saying a word.

He wanted to say that these wildlings were also trying to survive, and that if Mance Rayder didn't sound the Horn of Winter and the Wall wouldn't be opened for them, then his people would all die at the hands of the White Walkers.

Ultimately, this was Robert's fault. Robert insisted that they kneel and submit before they could pass through the Wall, but the Free Men refused to kneel, after all, they possessed the artifact that could breach the Wall.

However, if that's the case, once the savages entered the Wall of Despair, they would not engage in production, would not know how to farm or herd livestock, and would only rely on plunder to survive, which would inevitably bring disaster to the people of the Seven Kingdoms.

Robert, as the king of the Seven Kingdoms, protecting his people and refusing to accept the wildlings seems perfectly justifiable now.

But it's all pointless to talk about it now. It's all in the past, and Robert is gone. The grass on Robert's grave is already several feet tall. I wonder if anyone but Ed is weeding it for him. There's no need to argue with his brother over such a small matter.

Although Bunyan hated the savages because they had killed many of his brothers, he also knew best that the savages were also human beings. It just so happened that before the Wall was built, their ancestors chose to live in another region and were thus isolated.

But how could the noble and honorable Eddard Stark understand how wildlings lived?

"Once I reach Black Castle, I'll head there."

"Find Lyanna."

Banyan didn't respond to his brother's words. He held the reins with one hand, then turned around and spoke in a relaxed tone.

However, Benjen's words made Ed's heart sink slightly. He looked at his younger brother with his gray eyes, and his neatly trimmed beard was also slightly gray.

"Banyan".

Since the last time in the crypts of Winterfell, when Eddard told Benjen that once they reached the Wall, he wanted to ask Lord Commander Mormont for permission to go north of the Wall alone, on horseback, with only a sword, to track down the White Walkers and find his sister.

However, Ed's decision was met with strong opposition from Bunyan.

Ed could never be more familiar with or more experienced with life in the frontier than himself.

Moreover, although Eddard is now dressed in black, he is still the former Duke of Winterfell. He has his sister-in-law, Robb, Sansa, Jon, Arya, and Bran, while he is all alone, unrestrained, and without any ties.

He's more suited to adventure than Ed.

Therefore, Bunyan strongly opposed Ed going into danger alone, and he was willing to go north to the frontier in place of his brother.

After all, he also had a responsibility to find Lyanna, who was his sister.

Ultimately, the brothers' argument resulted in Ed losing to Benjen.

Perhaps he hasn't completely let go of his wife and children, and can't truly live for himself.

Both Stark brothers inherited the straightforward nature of the North and were not hypocritical. Benjen willingly took the risk in place of his brother, and Eddard did not do so for show.

“I owe you a life, Benjen.”

Then the middle-aged man with dark brown hair spoke seriously, which even made Banyan's smile slowly fade away.

He looked intently at Ed and then solemnly promised.

"I will come back alive, brother."

"We'll also bring Lyanna back."

The Night's Watch soldiers, stretching as far as the eye could see, entered Castle Black, which had been in ruins for several years. The main task awaiting the Legion now was to repair the Wall.

Although mythology records that spells and magic were woven inside the Wall to reinforce it and prevent mysterious creatures, such as the White Walkers, from crossing over.

However, from a military perspective, we still cannot allow such a large gap in the Great Wall to remain exposed; we should do everything in our power to repair it.

The Stark brothers followed the group and arrived at the collapsed Castle Black.

Bunyan rested in the city for a night and made ample preparations. With the permission of Commander-in-Chief Mormont, he left without saying goodbye to anyone the next morning, nor did he tell his brother in advance what time he would leave that day.

Alone, with only a horse and a sword, his long silhouette was swallowed by the wind and snow as he rode off towards the endless north.

Chapter 659 The Death of Bunyan

The climate beyond the Great Wall is even harsher than south of it, with white snow falling continuously and the biting wind seeming to penetrate one's clothes.

The North has been largely recaptured thanks to the Night's Watch's advance, and as human soldiers move forward, the cold that has enveloped the entire northern land seems to be slowly receding.

This is the only lucky thing out of ten thousand unfortunate things.

Among the human soldiers, some sang praises of the Old Gods' achievements, some believed that the Seven Gods had defeated the Others, and a small number of soldiers who converted to the Red God believed that light had triumphed over darkness. They were warriors of the Lord of Light, and the Others of the North were terrified by their iron will.

However, a small minority of people believe that humans can overcome nature, so where did the gods come from? Humanity defeated the White Walkers by the sacrifice of countless soldiers, and only when the whole nation was united and all of humanity worked together could the White Walkers be defeated in the end.

Everyone has their own opinion, but it is an undeniable fact that the North is getting warmer and warmer. In fact, some people in the North who miss their homeland have begun to embark on their journey home.

However, all of this had nothing to do with the biting cold winds north of the Great Wall.

This place is perpetually cold, regardless of winter or summer. The Great Wall blocks the cold winds from moving south, but it also forever leaves winter here.

Having left the Great Wall and ventured alone into the borderlands, Banyan rode a lean, black-yellow warhorse, draped in a black cloak, with a long sword at his waist. He was now struggling forward against the white snowstorm.

He plans to rest at Castells Castle today and then set off for the Volunteer Boxer Regiment and other places tomorrow.

Caster was a wildling who had a tacit cooperation with the Night's Watch. He was responsible for hosting the Night's Watch and in return, the Night's Watch allowed him to live in Ghostwood without being eliminated.

Unfortunately, the snowstorm in the border region was too severe today. Even the warhorses were struggling to move forward, and several times they even slipped and nearly threw Banyan off his horse.

Damn it!

Left with no other choice, Banyan was forced to change his plans and headed towards White Tree Village, which was the closest village to him.

This is the closest free people village to the Wall. Like Caster, they are wildlings who have not openly opposed the Night's Watch, and are therefore allowed to live in Ghostwood.

Benjen, braving the wind and snow, rode his lean, yellow-black warhorse and disappeared into the snowstorm.

Unbeknownst to him, a swaying shadow had spotted him behind him and silently followed him toward the northeast.

Baishu Village is the closest village to the north of the Great Wall of Despair. Although the wind and snow were quite heavy, Banyan still managed to get there after half a day.

The snowstorm is too heavy now, and he must find a suitable place to stay to escape this blizzard, otherwise he will freeze to death in the wilderness before he can find Lyanna's trail.

Although Bunyan was an experienced night watchman with extensive experience living beyond the Wall, it was precisely because of this that he knew very well that without a place to stand, such a blizzard would surely mean certain death.

White Tree Village was once a village of free people, but now its inhabitants have all disappeared.

Benjen vaguely remembered that when King Robert visited the Wall, he went out and slaughtered several villages of free people, and even killed the first White Walker, but he forgot whether the villagers of Whitetree died at the hands of the Allied soldiers, wildlings from other tribes, or White Walkers.

However, one outcome was certain: they were all dead, regardless of who killed them, and they shared a common destiny: to become those 'blue-eyed enemies'.

Baishu Village is small, consisting of four single-family houses surrounding a sheepfold and a well. The houses are made of stone so they won't be blown down by the wind, and the windows are covered with animal fur for some insulation.

However, the windows in Baishu Village are now broken, and one house has even collapsed, covered with a thick layer of snow.

In the middle of the village stands a giant weir tree with pale branches and all its leaves gone. On the trunk is a horrifying face, the mouth alone of which could swallow a whole sheep.

"This weirwood tree is dead."

Banyan rode his lean warhorse to White Tree Village, where he sat on the horse and looked up at the giant weirwood tree in front of him.

He could tell at a glance that the weirwood tree had lost all its vitality, and for some reason, an ominous premonition rose in his heart, because weirwood trees were found throughout the northern border and beyond, and were considered one of the plants most capable of withstanding the severe cold.

"Did it freeze to death?"

"Or is there another reason?"

Benjen's head was covered in snow, and the gloom that had been building up inside him grew deeper and deeper, but he had no time to think about it at the moment and was just about to dismount.

However, at that moment, the attack by the ghouls came very suddenly.

"Ho-"

A blue-eyed, tattered zombie appeared out of nowhere, letting out a terrifying roar before bursting out from behind a nearby tree and lunging directly at Banyan.

The snowstorm covered his footprints, and the cold weather masked the stench on his body.

However, given the sudden attack, the Night's Watch's chief ranger reacted swiftly.

click -

Benjen fell from his horse, and with a backhand slash, severed the arm of the ghoul that was reaching for him.

But at this moment, the quiet White Tree Village seemed to suddenly come alive, and the commotion of the battle abruptly attracted even more ghouls.

They let out a shrill howl as if they had gone mad, and then pounced on Banyan.

The chief ranger's face was tense as he wielded his longsword, relentlessly slashing at the surrounding ghouls.

puff--

Unfortunately, he was outnumbered. He managed to cut down several ghouls, but a female ghoul jumped up from behind him and pounced on his back.

The ghoul clamped its legs around Benjen's body, opened its gaping maw with half of its face rotting and revealing black teeth, and began to frantically tear at his neck.

Benjen let out a desperate growl in pain, then flung the ghoul off his back, chopped off her head with his sword, and let it roll far away.

However, her head was still emitting eerie roars, and her body, which had fallen to the ground, was still moving around, seemingly searching for Benjen's whereabouts.

The Night's Watch's chief ranger held his sword in one hand and clutched the wound on his neck with the other, from which blood continued to gush out.

"I...I'm going to die."

Banyan seemed to have a premonition of his future. He staggered forward a few steps, but eventually the world spun around him, and everything went black before he collapsed in front of the giant, dead weirwood tree.

Chapter 660 The Earl of Harrenhal