( Brynden Tully's perspective)
We set off as soon as we received the news from my brother, but I didn't know if we could reach Seagard in time. I told him we should camp near Seagard, but he wouldn't listen. Sometimes, I almost hated my mother because she gave birth to my beloved brother first.
But he wasn't entirely to blame for these wrong decisions. Before he fell ill, his brother was braver and more confident, but the disease robbed him of his strong body, and his courage vanished with it. All that remained was a frail old man with a full head of white hair, who knew nothing but pride.
I continued riding at full speed, with 1,000 cavalrymen close behind. One of the cavalrymen approached us from the other side of the mountain; he was one of our scouts.
"My lord, the battle was over when we arrived in the city. The Ironborn had burned the entire city, but the Citadel still stands. Lord Jason beheaded Rodrik Greyjoy and drove the Ironborn to the sea."
He accomplished all this with only 1,000 inexperienced soldiers; Jason was probably a more capable commander than I had imagined. When we arrived at Seagard, the town was almost burned down to the last house, but the Citadel looked unscathed. Jason Mallister was a talent; I wouldn't be surprised if he had two thousand men or a thousand veterans, but he repelled six thousand with only a thousand conscripts.
When we arrived at the Citadel, most of the soldiers were gathered around a group of people, listening to them talk. When I finished listening, I was completely confused. They were talking about a man who could turn into an eagle and shoot fire from his hands. Perhaps they were talking about an actor's performance.
Jason Mallister came out of the Citadel and greeted us at the Citadel gate.
"Ha ha ha, Sir Blackfish Brynden! Looks like you're late. We've already driven those wet rats back to where they came from."
"I've heard of your great achievements."
Jason Mallister shook his head in refusal.
"Unfortunately, I can't take all the credit. If it weren't for others, we might have lost so many men before even defeating the Ironborn. We fought bravely, but we were too few in number, and our men were too inexperienced. So, we couldn't hold all the Wall. We were on the verge of being breached when he arrived, calling himself Emre the Druid, a priest of the Old Gods."
Unbelievable. If it were anyone else but Jason, I would never believe it, but Jason Mallister is no ordinary person.
Where is this man named Emre?
"He healed our wounded and left. Blackfish, I know I wouldn't have believed it if someone else had told me, but it's all true. He dug up a 3-meter-high obelisk with some writing I couldn't understand. Then, he Sacrifice a sheep before it. The sheep's carcass turned to ashes, and for a moment, the obelisk emitted a blinding green light. Then we were all enveloped in a warm and safe feeling. A wolf made entirely of fire appeared on the obelisk. The miracle didn't end there. The wounds of the soldiers we brought around the obelisk began to heal slowly. If he hadn't healed them, we might have lost another 100 soldiers that day."
He took a deep breath for a moment and continued.
"I'm saying this now because I know you'll keep it a secret. After seeing all these things, I can only believe that the Old Gods are real. Most of those who witnessed it believe so. Don't get me wrong, I still believe in the light of the Seven, but I can no longer see the North as barbarians clinging to trees. What they believe is as real as the Seven."
" Jason, you must be joking."
"No, I'm serious. If you had witnessed his power firsthand, you would know that it's no less than that of a thousand-strong army."
In this battle, he successfully used his familiars to hold off at least 2,000 Ironborn and killed at least half of them. Although we held off the other half, we only killed a few hundred before they retreated.
Every word he said confused me more and more, and the story became increasingly unbelievable.
What do you mean by "familiar members"?
"He had three animals with him: two Crow, but they were larger than golden eagles, and an Icicle Snake, which was three meters long. They also possessed amazing abilities. One of the Crow could crush dozens of people with a single blow, while the other Crow unaffected by arrows. This snake was venomous, but that wasn't the most incredible thing. It could sneak into the Wall without leaving any openings, just like it could dive into water."
After my conversation with Lord Jason, I sent my men to every corner of the Citadel to verify what Lord Jason had told me, and they confirmed it. Either everyone in the Citadel is lying, or this person is real; I need to inform my brother.
(Male protagonist's perspective)
The sun began to set on the Sunset Sea, and the sky seemed ablaze. I paused for a moment, letting Sith immerse himself in the beauty. The sea was bathed in the colors of the sun, smooth as a sheet. It captivated people with its beauty and tranquility. There was no indication that just months earlier, thousands had died in these very waters, and that this calm sea had swallowed over a hundred ships.
This cliff is about 700 meters high. Its natural fortifications have been expanded with the Wall, gates, and watchtowers. Therefore, it is perfectly normal that even a dragon could not push the rock over. The main gate of the Citadel is called " Lion's Mouth ".
The main entrance is located on the south side of the rock, in a huge natural cave sixty meters high. To reach this entrance, one must climb stone steps large enough to accommodate 20 riders. At the bottom of the western side of the cliff, there is a natural cave large enough to dock 20 ships, the only vessels to survive the Ironborn raid.
As I approached " Lion's Mouth," I saw panicked shouts and the gate tightly shut. It seemed the Sith had successfully frightened the sentries again; they were in a panic.