The cold wind howled along the Great Wall, whipping up thick swirls of snow that clung stubbornly to the black stone. Eddard Karstark pulled his black wool cloak tighter around his armor, feeling the bone-deep chill seep into his skin and settle in his very bones. He swayed slightly on the icy parapet, gripping the railing as his eyes tracked the King's Tower, now dwindling in the distance, swallowed gradually by shadows, leaving only a few flickering lights dancing like dying stars.Could Mance Rayder really have lost control?The thought struck Eddard with a chill almost as sharp as the wind. Logically, it made no sense. Mance was clever and cunning; he had commanded the Free Folk for years and kept them in check. Even if some tribes disagreed with the terms laid before them, their solution should have been simple—withdraw and stay north. There should be no large-scale infighting, no chaos.Could this, then, be a trap? A ruse to seize the Wall? Perhaps the internal strife was a lure—an invitation for the defenders to lower their guard, opening the gates to a surprise assault with giants, mammoths, and superior numbers. Mance Rayder was cunning enough; it was not impossible.But then the flames came into view.They rose from the Free Folk camp a mile away, blazing high and bright, painting the snow and sky with firelight. Smoke coiled thickly, dense as the autumn mists, and the scattered Free Folk, like panicked ants, scurried in confusion. Chaos reigned.Eddard raised his telescope.What he saw made his lips tighten. Male warriors armed with bone-tipped spears and crude longswords were chasing unarmed women and children, hunting those not belonging to their tribe. Other women wielding long spears intercepted them, sparking a sudden and brutal skirmish. Blood soaked the snow, which immediately froze in the icy wind.A leader clad in bronze scale armor tried to rally his men to save their stores from the blaze, but a ghostly shadow cat leaped from the darkness and shredded his throat in a single instant. A bronze spear whistled through the air, pinning the creature to the ground. Amidst the screams, a brawny man, his head glinting in firelight, lifted a golden-hilted great axe and charged a massive snow bear, its white fur catching the infernal glow.Some Free Folk panicked and fled into the forest, only to be felled by arrows from hidden marksmen. Their bodies were dragged away and buried beneath the snow by other hidden warriors. Faces, painted blue, green, and purple, grinned maniacally at the carnage. War chariots made of walrus bone and pulled by massive dogs roared across the snow. Cavalry armed with long spears cut down any who dared approach. Mammoths, driven mad by the fire, charged blindly, trampling everything—humans, horses, hounds, and trees alike—leaving destruction in their wake.Eddard's eyes caught a flash of gold. Tormund, furious, stood beside the strong Marga, barking orders. Free Folk leaders in armor and iron weapons galloped into the crowd, attempting to stabilize the situation. Some succeeded, but many were thrown from their mounts, pierced by spears, or crushed in the confusion. All around, the snow was littered with bodies, chaos reigning unchecked.Eddard lowered the telescope and turned to Kalas. His voice was cold, precise. "Notify the soldiers to assemble. Have the cavalry put on heavy armor, prepare two horses per man. Get ready for battle. Now.""Yes, my Lord," Kalas replied and vanished into the dark passageways, leading his men to ready the fortress. The iron cage used for transporting supplies had just returned, creaking ominously in the shadows.Jon Snow looked over at Eddard, surprise in his eyes. "You intend to fight them? All of them?"Eddard's gaze remained fixed on the flickering chaos beyond the Wall. "This isn't about bloodlust, Jon. It's about order. If we do nothing, the chaos will scatter the Free Folk we've spent so long gathering. They'll flee, only to be hunted down by the Others, turning into wights that will plague the North. This cannot be allowed to continue."Jon hesitated. "But some of them are unarmed. Slaughtering them will breed hatred. Why not wait, let them tire themselves out, and then clean up the mess?"Eddard's voice cut through the wind like steel. "You still cling to naive ideas. You've spent time among them, Jon; you know their ways. The Free Folk survive by strength and cunning. Waiting is a gamble we cannot afford. The one who once united them, Mance Rayder, has failed tonight. It falls to us to seize this moment—to assert control."He stepped toward the iron cage, which groaned under the winch's strain. "Now is our turn. Gather the Night's Watch rangers. Prepare yourselves to lead them. Tonight, we show the Free Folk who commands the North."Jon understood immediately and moved to follow. Eddard climbed into the swaying iron cage, the wind lashing at him, a spark of resolve in his eyes. Torches lit the Black Castle, reflecting off the polished armor of seven hundred cavalrymen and hundreds more infantry. Soldiers shouted and formed neat lines, awaiting orders."Lando," Eddard called, turning to the officer whose arm had healed."My Lord," Lando Merrick replied promptly."Lead the infantry and archers to guard the passage gate. Allow no Free Folk through. Kill any who try, without mercy. Even the eagles must fall if they threaten the line.""Yes, my Lord," Lando replied, eyes flashing determination. Ryan Hill of the Hill Family, standing nearby, blinked in surprise. He had been summoned to assist, and the opportunity to earn merit was clear.Eddard's gaze swept over the assembled commanders. "Cavalry, form units of one hundred. Advance steadily toward the battlefield. Lay down weapons, or be crushed. If a large battle breaks out, blow the horn of Twin River City for reinforcements. Our goal is simple: the obedient survive; the disobedient die. Do you understand?""Yes, my Lord!" The resounding chorus of voices echoed through the night.Eddard mounted his horse, taking the lead. Jon Snow, flanked by hundreds of black-robed rangers, joined him. Carter Pyke muttered complaints about sparing unarmed wildlings, but Eddard's expression was firm. "Slaughter is not the goal. Control is. Chaos must end tonight."The night air bit at them, torches flickered against the snow, and the cavalry formed a torrent of steel and fire, advancing with disciplined precision. Behind them, infantry followed, dense and ready.The Great Wall loomed above, a silent sentinel to the storm descending upon the Free Folk. And at the head of this force rode Eddard Karstark, eyes cold, heart steeled, leading men to impose order upon a chaotic world.The battle to gather the wildlings had begun.---
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