Aermir left the Night's Watch's Watch outpost and ventured into the wilderness to visit two Free Folk settlements: the Towering Pine Tribe and the Glacier Clan. More precisely, he was heading to their hidden basin where they had gathered their forces.
While the leaders discussed their plans, the shamans and healers gathered around them. Among them, the eldest shaman, Eric, stepped forward; his face was weathered, and his hair was gray. He was a third-level sorcerer.
"Chiefs," he began, his voice deep but commanding, "The gods have spoken. They urge us to be cautious and patient as we approach the Fist of the First Men. The Night's Watch may be weakened, but they remain a threat. We must be prepared for any challenges to come." They scouted the Night's Watch's position with birds. He continued, "But we cannot surrender the Holy Land to Crow."
Chief Ragnar of the Gnarled Pine Tribe nodded thoughtfully, his brow furrowed as he fell into deep thought. "The spirits are right," he admitted. "We cannot underestimate our enemy. We may outnumber them, but their weapons are superior. We must utilize every advantage we can to achieve victory."
Chief Sigrid of the Frozen River Tribe was a tall woman with jet-black hair. She was taller than most men. Sigrid agreed. "Yes, but we must also remember the power of our own magic," she interjected. "Our wizards possess powerful abilities that, if used properly, can turn the tide of battle and benefit us. We must use a feigned retreat to lure them into a battlefield we can control and create weaknesses in their defenses. Using our chariots, we can see their weaknesses from the air."
The elder shaman nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "Indeed," Eric replied, "In any case, we must bring those holy sites under our control."
Aermir landed in the center of the basin and transformed into a human. All the Free Folk around him began to shout and run around like headless flies. He cast all his spells on himself, and as he did so, a rain of arrows began to fall upon him, but none of them hit him. Not a single arrow struck him, and arrows were everywhere around him. The ground looked like a hedgehog.
Ragnar and Sigrid led their warriors and wizards out of the tent. Some charged at Aermir. Aermir, not wanting to kill them, transformed into an eagle and flew to a rocky highland in the basin, visible to all. He infused his voice with magic and let out a thunderous roar.
"I come here as a Druid of the Old Gods, to offer you guidance and protection in these turbulent times."
Sigrid asked, "Where do you come from? Are you human?" Aermir raised his bark-covered arm, demonstrating. "Of course I am human. Before the Old Gods blessed me, I was merely a Hydra dwarf, but I am much more than that." He raised his arm higher. "This is the armor the Old Gods bestowed upon me."
Eric was astonished by Aermir's words. He realized the person or thing wasn't a mummy. He had transformed into two eagles, and not a single arrow could get close. He shouted, "It's obvious you have magic, but how do we know your magic comes from the Old Gods? Prove to us that you are Hydra!"
Eric remained in awe of what he had seen and heard. He was filled with envy for the man their scouts had seen within the pillar of light. Whoever he was, he must have been favored by the Old Gods. Eric thought to himself, perhaps he could gain even more power.
If he could receive the blessing of the weirwood tree, perhaps he could become a powerful and famous Warg like Varamyr Sixskins, or even surpass him.
Aermir knew he had to prove his strength so as not to be offended by their actions. "I can't summon all my familiars, because some of them have important tasks to complete."
Branno Daywalker is a sorcerer of the Frozen River Tribe. He is not a strong sorcerer; he only has two hides. Branor is always jealous of those stronger than him, so he wants to put Aermir in a difficult position, saying he believes in their numbers. "I haven't seen a single beast with you. Do you only use birds as your familiars?"
Aermir's wooden mask transformed into a smile, then he shook his head. "Only three are birds." He waved his arm, and summoning portals appeared around him. From the dark mass of people emerged two Crow larger than eagles. Then, a white snake, over five meters long, began to coil around him.
"I have many more, but I can't summon them now."
More terrified screams can be heard as Aermir summons his behemoths. When Aermir says "summon," they think he is about to summon his beasts, but they appear out of thin air. You can see the envy in Brano's eyes and Eric's greed for power.
Sigrid was a cautious woman, but she hadn't gotten to where she was by bowing to men. She needed more evidence than magic and animals to convince her. "Whether you're Warg or Druid, we don't know you, and we don't bow to Stranger. We don't even know your name. If you want to sit down with us and be our friend, then be our friend; but if you come to submit, you'll only find spears."
Aermir crossed his arms and gave a half-bow, saying, "I apologize for my rudeness. You may call me Emre the Druid. I am not here to obey you, but I cannot allow you to attack the Night's Watch either. We have far more formidable enemies, and we cannot waste time fighting other humans."
Upon hearing Aermir's words, Ragnar's face turned grim. He shook his head. "I don't recall ever asking for your permission. You told us you weren't here to obey, but you still told us what to do."
Aermir shook his head and said, "I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just warning you. If you fight against other humans, I will stop you. I've already told you everything about how the Old Gods sent me. My mission is far more noble than you can imagine. When the Old Gods bestowed this responsibility upon me, you all witnessed the appearance of the pillar of light."
With a wave of his hand, he summoned various elements, commanding the earth to rise, and flames danced intricate patterns in his palm. The Free Folk watched the display of elements before them in awe, their doubts slowly giving way to deeper amazement.
Aermir released the elements in his hands, which transformed into medium-sized earth and fire elementals. Terrified, they raised their weapons as they saw the rock and fire take human form. Aermir proclaimed, "Behold, this is the power of the Old Gods!"
His voice was majestic. "I am their chosen messenger, burdened with the responsibility of protecting this land and all its inhabitants. As long as you do not obstruct the will of the Old Gods, there is nothing to fear."
Eric stepped forward. "It's not that we don't believe in your power, but as an apostle of the Old Gods, you want us to hand over these holy sites to the Crow." Many Free Folk began to murmur, expressing their agreement with the sorcerer's viewpoint.
Aermir shook his head again. "What does it matter if the Crow are Free Folk as long as they're under the control of the Old Gods' followers? The Old Gods don't distinguish between Free Folk and the North. You are all children of the Old Gods. Most of the Night's Watch are followers of the Old Gods, and they suffer more when their followers fight among themselves instead of fighting our true enemies."
Just as Eric was about to say something, Sigrid interrupted the God of War: "What do you mean by 'real enemy'?"
" The Long Night is coming, and the others are on the move." Aermir then explained that the Night's King was real, and the others, the cold-blooded ones, were attacking the living. Of course, lacking concrete evidence, they didn't immediately believe him, but Sigrid, not wanting to antagonize such a powerful spellcaster, decided to retreat to the village.
When the Towering Pine " tribe was reduced to their last remaining members, they had no choice but to retreat. But Eric hadn't given up; he still dreamed of possessing the same power as Aermir.
"Your story is too unbelievable; we can't believe it. We know you're powerful, but it feels like you're trying to keep us away from where the Old Gods display their power. Do you want to monopolize this power?"