Beyond the Wall, on the rugged continent of Thenn, where the Free Folk had toiled to establish themselves, a group of warriors gathered around a flickering campfire. Among them was Magna Styr Thenn, a fierce and imposing leader renowned for his prowess in battle. Styr was tall and thin, earless. He was clean-shaven, bald, with grey eyes and a straight nose. He ruled his people with an iron fist. As the campfire flickered, his bronze scale armor gleamed as if on fire. Beside him lay his trusted wooden spear, its tip gleaming with ornate bronze.
On his other side sat his loyal four-skinned war god Hrothgar. In front of him sat Mance Rayder, and beside him was Tormund Giantsbane from the Ruddy Hall. Together they tried to persuade him.
" Styr, Magna of Thenn, now is the time for the Free Folk to unite. The Night's Watch threatens our way of life from the far the North, settlements and tribes falling into darkness one after another; I do not believe it is the work of other tribes, but most do. United, we can overcome these threats and forge our destiny south of the Wall."
Although Styr was known for his fortitude, he met Mance ' gaze with a thoughtful expression. "They say I am the King Beyond the Wall. Have you come to claim me as king? Don't try to force me to obey with those scary stories. I am not an old woman, nor a five-day-old baby."
He didn't believe the legends about the dead; occasionally someone would swear they'd seen them with their own eyes, but Styr had never seen any. He only believed what he could see, but he cared about the land south of the Wall.
Tormund laughed heartily and interjected, " Styr, my friend, Mance is visionary. What we've seen beyond the Wall will horrify you. The Old Gods guide us, and this man," he pointed to Mance, "Is the key to our salvation."
As the conversation unfolded, a celestial phenomenon began to appear in the night sky—a verdant pillar of light illuminated the night. Everyone gaped, their hearts filled with awe.
"What kind of witchcraft is this, wizard?" Magner asked, his eyes fixed on the ethereal display screen. Hrothgar responded with a low growl. "The ancient gods speak in strange ways, Magner. This light is a message."
Mance saw that the light was coming from the direction of the Wall and sensed that an opportunity had come, so he spoke.
" The Old Gods are awakening, summoning all the children of the First Men." Mance had had enough of his people dying of hunger, and he truly believed that in this endless icy sea lurked something far more terrifying than the southern Crow. He had to assemble a powerful army to defeat the weakened Night's Watch.
When he broke his oath and left his post, he felt no remorse, for he had joined the Night's Watch's Watch to scout and gather intelligence on the enemy. When he left, only two thousand men remained on the Wall, and if he could gain the support of the Thenns, he could draw most of the Free Folk into his cause.
Styr stared intently at the unusual sight. He didn't truly believe in the Old Gods, for he only believed what he saw with his own eyes. His relationship with Old Gods was more of a habit. He showed them respect because it was an innate habit, but all of that changed in that moment. Could it be? Could what they said be true? Was this a call from the Old Gods?
Jon and his party hurried through the snow-covered, frozen forest. The biting cold stung their faces as they struggled forward, the snow crunching beneath their boots.
Despite the cold, Jon felt a chill creep down his spine. His connection with Ghost amplified this feeling. Their silent communication hinted at unease, a feeling Jon couldn't shake: something was amiss in the vast, icy wasteland behind them.
The Direwolf's fur stood on end, and its eyes darted back repeatedly, alerting Jon to an unseen threat. Something was coming, which made Ghost anxious.
The relentless journey through the icy wilderness continued. For the past two days, Jon and his crew had been running, with barely any rest or sleep, but the sense of impending doom hadn't faded. On the contrary, it grew stronger each day. They still didn't know what was chasing them, but he decided to trust Ghost's intuition and the Druid ' warnings. But they were already at their wits' end, especially Sam, who was simply too exhausted to run any further.
"Please, for the sake of the Seven, let us rest for an hour. I can't walk another step."
He sat on a rock, breathing very hard. A snowy owl swooped down, attacking Sam and urging him to hurry. This owl was different from the others; this one was normal size, Jon couldn't make any contact with it. Everyone was exhausted, even Benjen chased the bird away, he said.
"Let's take a few minutes' break before continuing."
Just then, they saw a beam of light shoot straight into the sky, passing over Skirling Pass and Frostfangs. Due to the obstruction of the mountains, they could only see a corner of the beam of light, so they did not know where it came from, but it was still a terrifying and spectacular sight.
Aermir regained his composure after the tense ritual. This confrontation with the Night's King had been a blessing in disguise for him. The ritual and the pure magic used in it had elevated his magic to new heights. Now, he possessed 800 magic power. As Aermir circulated his magic within him, he sensed the immense anxiety emanating from Skadi.
"Master, Jon and his friends will be caught. We have to do something."
He didn't understand what was happening and shouted angrily.
"Didn't you say the Others would take three more days to arrive?"
"Master, it's not my fault. It's because of that fat human; they rested for too long. I tried to rouse them with the owl, but he wouldn't get up. Most importantly, it took you two days to complete this ritual."
Aermir thought he'd misheard, "What did you say? How long did it take?"
Bo interrupted him, "Father, it seems you don't realize how long you've been in that fire. The pillar of fire lasted two days. We've been threatening the Free Folk and the Night's Watch to keep their distance." To Aermir, it felt like only a few hours, but it had actually been two days. Aermir jumped onto the Sith: "Run! Run for your life!"