At these words, not only Dolorous Edd and the other men of the Night's Watch, but even Maester Aemon showed a trace of astonishment.
After recovering from his shock, Maester Aemon frowned. "Forgive my presumption, but I find it hard to imagine that there could be any place farther away than the other side of the Shivering Sea..."
"It doesn't matter. That is not important."
Li Shimin smiled faintly. "What matters is my purpose in coming north."
Maester Aemon said softly, "That is what confuses me most."
Li Shimin glanced at him. "Have you seen any dead men that could move during this time?"
Dolorous Edd and the others immediately grew solemn, their expressions turning grave.
Maester Aemon fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Moving dead men did indeed appear at Black Castle. They once attacked Lord Commander Mormont. Jon cut off one of their arms, yet even after being severed from its body, that hand still writhed and jumped about—"
"To be honest, I have seen countless things in my life, but nothing has ever frightened me as much as that pale arm..."
Li Shimin said evenly, "Magic is returning, but magic is not the only thing returning."
Maester Aemon's body trembled. He could not help asking, "What did you say? The magic that vanished is returning?"
Li Shimin did not answer. He merely said calmly, "I can sense that something dark is gestating Beyond the Wall..."
Dolorous Edd's heart stirred. His face filled with disbelief as he blurted out:
"You're going Beyond the Wall?"
"Alone?"
Li Shimin glanced at him, then clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the window. Looking out at Black Castle, long buried beneath ice and snow, he spoke in a distant tone:
"To be honest, this journey to Westeros