Varamyr had just lost all his animal companions save his shadowcats, and the shock left him reeling for a moment. It was only then he remembered his two wolves had also been drugged, showing symptoms of what seemed to be the same poison, yet he hadn't realized the arrows carried an identical toxin.
Varamyr did not show any fear. He remained composed. "Don't think this means you have me bested! I am Varamyr, the renowned skinchanger!"
Merek scoffed, "We certainly know who you are. But we never imagined…"
Varamyr demanded, "Never imagined what?"
Thorfinn continued, "We never imagined you'd let your guard down so completely. It's the height of arrogance. I suppose it makes sense—in your mind, you're already sitting on top of the world. What a surprise this must be, to be defeated by a few insignificant, green boys."
Thorfinn and Merek slowly climbed down from the height, feeling a bit safer once their feet were on the ground. They fearlessly assessed the snow bear near their feet. Now that was a huge beast! Looking at its massive paws, its sheer size spoke of terrifying strength. Avoiding a head-on clash was clearly the wisest choice.
Varamyr bristled, but still kept up a brave front. "As you said yourselves, my shadowcats aren't here, and yours aren't either. I'll still be the winner if I kill you." With that, he tightened his grip on his sword. Though his palm was sweaty, it wouldn't stop him from swinging.
Thorfinn, who was crouched down examining the snow bear, couldn't help but chuckle when he heard Varamyr's words. "How do you know my shadowcat isn't here? And… who said we only have one shadowcat?"
It was then Varamyr realized that, without him noticing, three shadowcats were standing right behind him. Alpha was at the head, flanked by Sunny and White Snow, all of them baring their teeth and looking ready to spring. It seemed they only needed a single command to tear out Varamyr's throat.
Thorfinn and Merek were already out of danger. As they had climbed down from the tree, they saw Orrik, Val, and Morla slowly circling in to surround the man. Varamyr was now a caged bird, with nowhere left to fly.
Whether from crushing despair or a blow to his ego, Varamyr suddenly felt dizzy. The world spun, his eyes lost focus, becoming vacant, and his head felt heavier and heavier.
Thorfinn looked at Varamyr with a smile. "The time is about right now—even if it was just a small wound."
Varamyr swayed. "A small wound?" As if realizing something, Varamyr gasped. "It was that arrow?"
Thorfinn merely smiled without answering. Just then, Varamyr finally lost the fight and collapsed to the ground. In that moment, he realized how many foolish blunders he had made. It seemed everything had gone wrong since the moment the arrow struck…
It was only now that Orrik and the others truly saw Varamyr's appearance: short, with an old, gray face, a smooth forehead, rounded shoulders—a small wildling skinchanger. Having finally seen Varamyr, Orrik was deeply disappointed. He couldn't understand how a man who looked so insignificant could force a dozen surrounding villages to pay him tribute.
Orrik asked, "That'sVaramyr? We made all these plans, did all this maneuvering, just to defeat that man?"
Morla shot a fierce look at Varamyr and stated, "That is him, Varamyr."
Val also seemed less than impressed. "He doesn't look as formidable as the stories claimed."
Orrik turned to Thorfinn. "Thorfinn, you didn't give him too much credit, did you? I feel like this man is completely undeserving of his reputation."
Thorfinn explained, "You think he's some simple adversary? He was just overconfident this time, complacent from a long habit of playing the predator in the chase through the woods. He wasn't familiar with the tricks of poison, that's all."
Merek agreed. "Thorfinn is right. Do you think Varamyr has never faced a challenge before? He's not a man to be trifled with. The potion on the first arrow Thorfinn shot rattled his mind, otherwise, we wouldn't have won so easily."
Orrik gave a sheepish smile, realizing how vital Thorfinn's draught had been to the success of the ambush.
At this point, the group gathered around Varamyr, debating what to do with the man.
Thorfinn looked at Morla and Merek. "What is your wish regarding Varamyr?"
Morla didn't speak. After a moment of silence, Merek answered, "Let's take him back to the Hall first. I still have some questions for him. After that… we'll kill him. If we let him live, I won't be able to sleep soundly again."
Thorfinn and Orrik exchanged glances but said nothing.
Val asked, "What about this bear and the other affected animals? It seems a shame to just release them, but it's cruel to kill them. That big brute took a long time to grow to this size… Can you try to tame them? If you succeed, all will be well."
Thorfinn thought for a moment and then said, "Kill the two living wolves. They've tasted human flesh, and if they return to their pack, they might lead the wolves to attack humans. As for the snow bear, after Varamyr is dead, you can certainly try to tame it…"
Orrik immediately grew excited. "I'll try! I've taken a liking to this big fellow. You can't deny a man his preference!"
Thorfinn laughed. "You've grown bigger yourself, you brute! You actually resemble this snow bear a bit. If you want to try, then go for it. Boro said that an animal companion that has been tamed once will easily form a new bond with another. It might resist Merek and me, but you might actually succeed."
Merek did not object. Though he was a little envious, he had shot the big creature several times just now. He figured if it resisted him, he might even be in danger.
Thorfinn noticed the longing in Merek's eyes and added, "Merek, perhaps you could try to tame Varamyr's shadowcat? You wanted one yourself, didn't you? This might be a good chance."
Merek's eyes lit up at Thorfinn's suggestion.
After receiving the antidote from Thorfinn, Morla and Merek took the tightly bound Varamyr and plunged back into the woods. Thorfinn did not know what they asked him, only that they were gone for a very long time.
Orrik had to drag the snow bear by one leg, using all his strength to haul it back to Varamyr's Hall. This place now belonged to Thorfinn and his company, won by their own strength. For the Free Folk, the justification for possessing property is as simple as that: take what you can seize, and hold what you can defend.
The Hall had a stone wall on one side and was surrounded by woods on the other three. The dense, thick trees formed a natural barrier, leaving only one passage for entry and exit. The Hall was on high ground and was absolutely secure. The only minor drawback was that the interior of the Hall was a bit messy, but that was understandable for a man living alone. It wouldn't take much to clean it up.
Varamyr had inherited the Hall that had belonged to Hagen. Though built of wood, it was surprisingly sturdy and had endured many years. Inside, aside from the tribute Varamyr had collected from nearby villages, there was moss, dirt, and timber everywhere. It could certainly be modified.
The tribute paid by the villages was mostly useless currency, copper stars, or silver stags, and some iron. There were also plenty of gathered foodstuffs. Some Free Folk still farmed, mostly low-yield winter wheat. All in all, Varamyr's small storehouse was piled high with provisions.
Orrik even discovered a few barrels of brewed ale, clearly the work of Varamyr.
Thorfinn and Orrik prepared food, and Val also busied himself. Working together, it wasn't long before the table was set with plenty of food—some bread, the captured ale, smoked meat… an assortment of dishes that was quite a feast in the material-poor lands Beyond the Wall. They only waited for the siblings to return before they would start the meal.
It wasn't until dusk, as the sky grew dark, that Merek returned, carrying Varamyr's head. He tossed Varamyr's head onto the ground and sat down at the table without a word.
Merek had been silent since he returned, and even Morla's eyes held a hint of confusion. Although the atmosphere was a little tense, the group began to eat and drink. It was understandable that the two siblings would have some emotional turmoil after finally getting their revenge.
Just after the siblings returned, the three women, led by the shadowcats, also arrived at the Hall, though they were immediately startled when they saw Varamyr's head.
The exhausted shadowcat, having completed its task, was tired and hungry. Its weakened state gave it little desire to fight, and its long time spent around people had made it more tame. Realizing Thorfinn and the others meant it no harm, the shadowcat chose to join its companions Alpha, White Snow, and Sunny in sharing the meal.
Thorfinn was helpless in the face of this sight. No wonder Boro often marveled at Thorfinn's good fortune in raising a shadowcat. It wasn't until he saw Varamyr's shadowcat that Thorfinn understood why Boro called shadowcats cruel, arrogant beasts that were hard to control and could only be forced.
Such loyalty would surely chill Varamyr to the bone, even if he came back to life.
Looking at the three women, who were flustered and unsure what was happening, Thorfinn spoke. "As you can see, Varamyr is dead. This place belongs to us now. You no longer need to pay tribute. We also have no need for women. You can stay here for one night, and then you must leave tomorrow."
The two younger girls looked at Varamyr's head on the ground, their expressions timid and afraid to speak. Only the more mature woman found the courage to ask, "My lords, skinchangers, could you spare us some food? We've been walking a long time and haven't eaten in ages."
Thorfinn gave a light slap to his forehead, having forgotten about that. "The table is big enough. Come and sit down to eat."
Thorfinn's answer seemed to surprise the woman. She looked nervous. "There is truly no need, this is too much…"
Before she could finish, Val interrupted her. "It's fine. Come join us. There's plenty of food here, enough for the three of you and more."
Since they had all insisted, the three women timidly sat down, eating slowly and daintily. It was only when they realized Thorfinn's group wouldn't punish them that they began to relax. They clearly hadn't been living well recently, as they all began to devour the food ravenously, obviously starving.