Northwestern Area of the True North
POV of Domeric Bolton
The first three days of the expedition that Domeric started were quiet. During these three days, Domeric and his team were moving towards a location where the White Walker was most likely to be found, based on the map and information Bloodraven had given Domeric.
Unfortunately, the Four-Point Spell and other detection spells had failed to locate the White Walkers. So Domeric had to find them the old-fashioned way, without using magic.
The fact that the detection spells didn't work when it came to the White Walkers increased the ominous feeling Domeric had felt before. The White Walkers somehow caused the magic Domeric was using to break down and become dysfunctional, and he didn't like that at all.
The best he had previously been able to come up with was a magical corruption due to the nature of Necromancy magic. Still, the fact that the detection spells didn't work on the Others, even remotely, meant that it wasn't that simple.
The worst part was that he now had no idea what had caused this potent suppression and degradation of his magic, and this state of uncertainty was one of the worst situations for him.
After all, if he knew the source of the problem, he could try something or take measures to overcome it. But since he did not know the source of the problem, he could not take any steps to overcome it.
It seems that he would have to "talk" to the White Walkers himself to find out more about it.
Of course, he doubted that the White Walkers would talk to him in a civilized way and explain all their weaknesses to him, but Domeric had no intention of talking to them in a civilized way anyway.
Although he didn't know much about Necromancy, he knew it was better for beings created with Necromancy to return to the realms of the dead than to exist.
So, he planned to get the answers he was looking for from them, even if he had to use force and other uncivilized ways. Contrary to what he had told many people, he had come on this expedition not only to capture a Wight or White Walker and prove their existence to the Lords of the North and South.
Domeric also wanted to get a few test subjects to find the weaknesses of the army that would come knocking on his door in the future.
On the third night of their journey through the frozen lands of the True North, when they were resting in their camp, suddenly they found themselves surrounded by a whole flock of ravens cawing at them from the frozen trees.
In the silent forest, the cacophony of noise had an eerie edge to it that made his men jittery and him uncomfortable.
Ygritte took out her bow and was about to shoot at the ravens before Domeric stopped her and told her to lower the bow.
She reluctantly obeyed, and he gazed back at the ravens in the trees and let out a sigh.
"Enough with the dramatics, " he said, using a wandless Sonorous Charm to make his voice heard among the crowing of so many ravens. "I did not ask for your help so that you could send your birds and disturb my sleep. Either keep them silent, or I'll find the White Walker on my own."
After that, the ravens stopped crowing at once, and the forest became silent as a grave once again.
"Good, " he said, and then most of the ravens got up and flew away in the distance, leaving only a dozen or so in the trees that continued to gaze at him.
To any man, such a sight would still be uncomfortable, but he had spent enough time with wargs, so being stared at by dozens of birds did not disturb him anymore.
"Get back to your tents, " he told the men. "We'll continue our journey the next morning."
The men grumbled and returned to their tents even as two remained on watch.
Ygritte approached him after all of them had left and asked, "Who was that?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Varamyr is the best warg you have. And he can only control a hundred sparrows at his best. And only when they're near him." She then looked at the ravens who were still staring at them. "Those were easily more than 200 ravens. And the warg is nowhere in sight. Who is the person controlling those ravens, Domeric?" she asked.
"An old friend." He replied, not wanting to reveal the presence of Bloodraven when the old guy wanted to remain in the shadows.
Hiding things from his people made him feel like Dumbledore, but this secret was not his secret, and it wasn't Domeric's place to tell anyone else without the original owner's permission.
"This old friend has a name?" Ygritte asked.
"He did. Once." He replied in a tone that signified the end of this conversation.
Ygritte frowned but nodded and left.
He let out a sigh and looked at the ravens once again. It was going to be a long night.
For the next week, he and his group followed the ravens away from the Thenn Territory and deeper into the unknown and unnamed forest.
When he first started this expedition, he did not expect that it would take him so long to find the White Walker.
Bloodraven had informed him that he had lost his connection with his ravens whenever they were near a White Walker, so he himself did not know their exact location. Plus, the White Walkers were always moving quickly from one place to another, and the only way that even Bloodraven was able to keep up with them was thanks to the footprints left behind by the Wights.
Footprints that were lost to him whenever it snowed. And it snowed pretty often in the True North.
He was just thankful that he had brought enough food with him to last them half a year and had left Aunt Barbrey in charge.
Only a few hours later, when the sun was about to set in the distance, the ravens leading them suddenly dispersed and flew away, and the feeling of magic around him started to distort. That was when he realized that they had finally found their White Walker.
And then they were ambushed.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.142: Wights
Ch.143: White Walker