King and King 5

The war horn before them was enormous, as long as a full-grown man was tall. Its flared mouth was wide enough to swallow a person's arm up to the elbow.

Lord Eddard thought that if this horn had come from a bison, it must have belonged to the largest beast in history.

It was inlaid with gold and carved with ancient runes.

Old Bear's voice could not conceal his amazement. "It's truly huge. Who could possibly blow it?"

The King-Beyond-the-Wall wore a strange smile. "To the giants Beyond the Wall, the Horn of Winter is nothing more than a cute little toy."

[Humanoid beings now living only north of the Wall in Westeros, generally standing between ten and twelve feet tall (3 to 3.7 meters)]

As soon as the words fell, Lord Eddard and Old Bear frowned almost at the same time. According to the intelligence gathered by the Rangers, the leader of the giants—Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg—had already allied himself with the Wildlings led by Mance Rayder.

After a pause, Lord Eddard spoke for the first time since entering the tent. "Mance Rayder, if you already possess it, why go to the trouble of building siege engines and scattering your soldiers beneath the castles along the Wall?"

"Eddard Stark, are you accusing me of lying?"

Mance ran a hand along the horn's curve. "The Free Folk remember what you kneelers have forgotten. Sometimes, the shortcut is not the safe road. The Horned King once said—sorcery is a sword without a hilt. It cannot be grasped."

Meeting Lord Eddard's sharp gaze, the King-Beyond-the-Wall continued, "You have too few men, while I have too many. We can use feigned attacks to throw your defenses into confusion, then strike your weakest fortress for real. At the same time, I can send