Harry was still waiting in the same place, and a thick layer of snow had already accumulated on his shoulders.
Looking at Ater, he smiled before crouching down, making a snowball, and throwing it at him.
Ater snorted as he moved, trying to dodge it, before turning his back and pawing at the ground, sending piles of snow flying at Harry.
Harry burst into laughter as he covered his face with his forearm and ran away.
That was when he spotted several horses galloping toward him in the distance.
Stopping and counting them quickly, he saw twenty-two people. He doubted they had come to attack him. After the small demonstration he had given Val, she should know that wouldn't be enough to deal with him.
Ending the game, he walked over to Ater and climbed onto him before slowly riding toward the group.
To his surprise, the group stopped before Val and a middle-aged man slowly approached.
His eyes narrowed as a vague memory came to mind.
Mance saw Harry and was somewhat surprised by how much he had grown. The last time he had seen him, he had been a child. Now he looked like a young man.
His horse was enormous as well. Mance couldn't imagine how a horse could grow that large. The horse he was riding almost looked like a foal beside it.
"So you're the leader of these people. How curious, because I remember you. Mance Rayder is your name, if I'm not mistaken," Harry said, looking at the man with interest. Once, a group of Night's Watch brothers had come to Winterfell to ask his father to send more supplies.
And this man had been among them.
Mance froze for a few seconds before responding.
"Your memory is truly impressive," Mance said with an ironic smile.
"That's right, Young Lord. I was originally a brother of the Night's Watch," Mance said with a certain respect for Harry, unable to stop himself from addressing him that way.
"Let's get straight to the point. First, the Others. I'd like you to give me some proof that they've returned," Harry said seriously.
"If you're asking me to capture one of them, you're asking the impossible," Mance said, shaking his head.
They couldn't even kill one, much less capture it.
"But I can capture a wight. They're the creatures the Others can reanimate. Even so, I'm not sure when one might appear. We've been fleeing south to avoid them, but I'll order my men to capture one for you to see," Mance said, feeling somewhat excited. Harry was clearly willing to negotiate.
"Hm, that's problematic, but it isn't the most important thing right now."
"Val told me you were planning to attack the Wall," Harry said, watching Mance turn to look at Val speechlessly.
"I didn't. I only said maybe," Val said, avoiding Mance's gaze.
"That's right. With the Others behind us, we have no choice but to seek shelter behind the Wall," Mance said with an exasperated nod.
"And then what? Let's say you defeat the Watch and cross the Wall. What happens after that?" Harry asked, looking at him.
Mance couldn't help falling silent because he knew the answer. Just like Harry, he knew there would be a war.
Silence enveloped them as they seemed to test who had more patience.
"I'll give you one option."
"I can accept some of your people into my lands and give them land to settle. The North is sparsely populated and has more than enough land to settle your people," Harry said, greatly surprising Mance.
"But of course there are conditions. To begin with, I have no problem accepting you, but only those who are civilized. Stealing, murdering, and raping are absolutely forbidden in my lands and are punishable by death."
"And I have no doubt that people like that exist among those under your command," Harry said with a sharp look.
"When you're fleeing from the Others, it doesn't matter who someone is as long as they can carry a sword. Leaving them behind only strengthens the Others' army," Mance said with an anxious look, trying to make Harry understand.
"I don't care. I'd rather have a strong enemy than a companion who'll stab me in the back," Harry said firmly.
"I'll conduct a census, identify every person, and determine whether they're allowed to cross or not. Those who aren't suitable will stay outside."
"I can be completely impartial in that judgment," Harry said.
"If you expect them to obey you just because you're offering them land, then you're mistaken," Val said, shaking her head.
The Free Folk had always lived by taking what they needed for themselves. Being given something in exchange for obedience was another matter entirely.
"It's either that or war, and believe me, neither of us wants that," Harry said, looking at them calmly.
Val simply looked at Harry in silence. She knew that if there was a war, the Free Folk wouldn't live to see its end.
"It's not that simple," Mance said with a frown as the thought of trying to capture Harry and launching a quick assault on the Wall crossed his mind.
At the very least, it would buy them time. Once they crossed the Wall, they could negotiate for his release. He had no doubt Lord Stark would be willing to negotiate to free his son.
"The Free Folk can be very stubborn," Val said, looking at Harry anxiously.
"Then they can stay here and wait to die. I don't know what they're expecting. I'm offering them protection and land. Do they also want me to find them wives?" Harry said sarcastically, shaking his head.
"You can try to capture me. I promise it won't end well," Harry said, noticing the calculating look in Mance's eyes
"We can't defeat him," Val said, turning to look at Mance.
Mance looked at his reckless sister-in-law with some disbelief. When she fought, she was like a dog that wouldn't let go once it bit down unless someone killed her.
He wondered what Harry had done to leave such a deep impression on her.
Mance remained silent. Feeling the freezing wind against his face, he couldn't help but sigh.
"We can try to arrange it, but it won't be easy. It'll take time, and it will have to be done in absolute secrecy," Mance said, feeling genuinely irritated at being cornered like this.
"Let's start with your tribe. You can have them camp near the Wall. I'll have the Night's Watch suspend their rangings for a while so there won't be any conflicts. Then I'll come and bring them across," Harry said before turning his gaze toward Val.
"Oh, and I'll be taking Val with me. Consider her a hostage. If you attack the Wall, you can explain it to your wife," Harry said without changing his expression.
"Looks like we have a deal," Val said, the corners of her lips curling upward as she looked Harry in the eyes mischievously.
Harry had never actually answered the proposal she had made inside the tent.
Mance's expression darkened for a moment before he looked at Val. He really couldn't believe she had told Harry that she was his sister-in-law.
"Well... I didn't actually say that," Val said awkwardly as she noticed Mance's furious glare.
"You can take her," Mance said through gritted teeth. His wife really wasn't going to like this.
"Hey, you could at least try negotiating for some food or a few horses," Val said, looking at Mance speechlessly.
Mance, of course, ignored her comment as he looked at Harry, who in turn looked at Val with an amused expression.
He strongly suspected Harry wasn't taking her merely as a hostage. In any case, if a relationship developed between the two of them, it would only benefit them.
At the very least, if the agreement fell apart, his wife and his tribe might avoid war.
As for the rest of the camp, he could only do his best.
The problem was that he knew the Free Folk. It wouldn't be easy. The slightest rumor about his deal with Harry would be enough for them to tear him apart.
King-Beyond-the-Wall sounded impressive, but the reality was that most of them only followed him because they shared the same goal. If that goal changed, his authority could disappear overnight.
Bodies turned up outside the camp every day, and he could easily be one of them by the next morning.
"I truly hope everything can be resolved peacefully, but I want to make one thing clear once again. If your people live in my lands, they'll live under my authority. Do we have an agreement?" Harry said, extending his hand toward Mance.
Mance looked at Harry's hand. His mind still hesitated. Even if he couldn't capture Harry, he could march toward the Wall immediately.
But if Harry really could use magic and was that skilled in combat, perhaps he wouldn't even make it across the Wall alive.
In the end, negotiating still seemed like the best option. Casting aside his doubts, he looked Harry in the eyes.
"We have an agreement," Mance said, shaking his hand.
"I'll send an owl so we can stay in contact and begin preparing everything. Just give it the letter, and it'll bring it to me," Harry said, planning to send Hedwig.
"Alright," Mance said with a nod, without asking how.
"Would you like to take a look around the camp?" Mance asked. It was a good opportunity to get rid of any prejudices Harry might have.
To show him that not everyone beyond the Wall was a savage.
Harry thought for a moment before accepting. He was actually curious about the camp.
Even so, he didn't lower his guard. His mind remained alert to everything around him. The moment he saw any attempt to surround him, he would cast a couple of Bombardas and escape with Ater.
Completely unaware of what was going through Harry's mind, Mance and Val led him until they reached a hill overlooking the entire camp.
Harry's expression turned serious when he saw that there really were that many people. There might even have been more than a hundred thousand.
Harry observed the relatively orderly tents, the people walking around, talking, or preparing food.
Children playing with sticks or running through the snow.
Many people turned to look at them and greeted Mance quite casually. Their respect seemed practical rather than ceremonial, unlike the rigid formalities Harry had seen in the south.
In the end, there didn't seem to be much difference between these people and the people of the North.
Perhaps they were simply more stubborn, scarred by generations of hardship, unwilling to submit to another person.
Not that he could blame them. He had that same rebellious streak himself.
Once again, he reaffirmed his decision to accept them into his lands. Even if only fifty thousand were suitable, it would be enough to build a great city.
Harry toured the entire camp and even met Dalla, Val's sister, who looked at him angrily after learning that he was taking her sister away.
Of course, he paid her no mind. He could see that Val wasn't reluctant to go with him. Whether it was because she was curious about the lands beyond the Wall or personally interested in him, if she hadn't wanted to go, he wouldn't have taken her, and he still would have made the deal with Mance.
The greatest surprise of all came at the end.
A small tribe of giants. There were very few of them, only around thirty, and they even had a small herd of mammoths.
Through Mance, he learned that they weren't actually part of the camp. They were more like allies who were marching south together while fleeing from the Others.
Seeing the giants almost convinced Harry that something really was happening farther north.
Although he still hadn't seen these creatures called the Others, he believed they truly had returned.
After seeing the entire camp, Harry prepared to leave, not only to return to his own camp but also to head back to the Wall. Nearly five days had already passed, and he couldn't stay there much longer, or perhaps a letter would arrive at Winterfell saying that he had died.
He couldn't even imagine the chaos that would cause.
So, climbing onto his horse, Harry looked down at Val before extending his hand.
Her blue eyes met his before she reached out and took it.
With a small tug, she climbed onto Ater while smiling at her sister.
Dalla didn't know how to feel seeing her sister ready to leave. On the one hand, she was happy. Her sister had always been curious about the world. But she also knew her sister was a hostage—a very beautiful one.
Looking at Harry, she couldn't help clenching her fists in concern.
After one last look at the camp, Harry urged Ater forward.
The icy wind whipped against his face and chest as Ater ran at full speed.
Looking down, he saw Val's arms wrapped around his waist and felt her resting her head lazily against his back, probably to escape the cold wind.
"Tell me, why do you want to come with me?" Harry asked as they rode.
"That's not something you ask a hostage," Val said with a soft chuckle.
"What if I stop and let you go back?" Harry said as he felt the vibration of her laughter against his back.
Val looked at the landscape rushing past them for a moment.
"Because with you, I get to see a much bigger world. Besides, you seem rather taken with me, so I'll take advantage of you for a while," Val said with a playful smile as she rested her head casually against Harry's shoulder.
"You're truly one of a kind," Harry said, the corners of his lips curling upward.
"Besides... I'm not taken with you," Harry said, unable to help himself.
"If that helps you sleep at night," Val said with a small giggle.
Harry snorted in annoyance, feeling the urge to throw her off Ater.
"You're surprisingly shy for someone so important," Val said softly as she watched the landscape change rapidly.
....
A little over an hour later, Harry reached the camp. Nothing important seemed to have happened.
Everyone was gathered around the fire, trying to keep warm and talking among themselves. Upon hearing Ater's heavy steps, they immediately stood up cautiously, but when they recognized him, they sat back down.
He was immediately greeted by Theon's unintelligible complaints. His tongue was still stuck to the roof of his mouth.
So Harry simply rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, allowing him to speak again.
It was then that everyone's gaze fixed on the blonde head peeking out from behind Harry.
"Are you sure you went to return her to her camp?" Dacey said teasingly as she looked at Harry with amusement.
"It's a long story," Harry said, feeling a little embarrassed under Dacey's gaze. Although that wasn't the case, he felt as though he had been caught cheating on her.
"We have time," Domeric said, making room for him to sit.
Everyone chuckled as they waited for Harry's story.
"It turns out there's a new King-Beyond-the-Wall, and she happens to be his sister-in-law," Harry said before climbing down from Ater. He gently patted Ater's shoulder before sitting on one of the logs around the camp.
Val didn't seem uncomfortable being around the people she had fought earlier, sitting in an empty space and looking at everyone without fear.
"We must pass on the information," Smalljon said with a frown as he looked at Val with displeasure.
"We won't. I reached an agreement with him," Harry said, looking at Smalljon and noticing that he seemed more agitated than usual.
"An agreement? You don't make deals with wildlings. You kill them," Smalljon said, looking at Harry with a frown.
"Oh? And why is that?" Harry said, looking at him seriously.
"They've raided our lands, taken our women, and killed our men. How can you even think about making deals with them?" Smalljon said harshly.
"The Ironborn have done exactly the same thing, but you don't blame Theon for what other Ironborn have done," Harry said, looking at him with interest.
Theon choked on his drink as he looked at Harry in disbelief. He had nothing to do with the conversation.
Smalljon fell silent, clearly unwilling to share it.
"There's a threat out there that forced the tribes to unite. I went to their camp and even saw giants. This isn't the time to be narrow-minded," Harry said seriously.
"You really saw giants?" Jon asked in astonishment.
Everyone looked at Harry with the same amazement. Giants were little more than myth. Although they thought they might once have existed, that had been in the past.
"Hm, they even have a herd of mammoths with them," Harry said with a serious nod.
"And what exactly did you negotiate?" Domeric asked as a bad feeling formed inside him.
"We agreed on a plan to move a select group of Free Folk south of the Wall," Harry said, feeling that it had sounded better in his mind.
As expected, Smalljon immediately became agitated.
"What!? Do you think the Watch will accept that? Or the people of the North?" Smalljon said, standing up furiously.
"It's the best option the North has," Harry said calmly in the face of his outburst.
Smalljon looked into Harry's green eyes before looking away and walking out of the camp.
"I'll talk to him. It's just that the Umber lands are among those most frequently raided by wildlings," Daryn said to Harry before following him.
The whole group fell silent for a moment as they watched Smalljon and Daryn leave. It was the first time Harry had had a major disagreement with any of them.
"What threat justifies this?" Dacey asked with a frown. Harry was deeply loved in the North. This could damage his reputation.
"The Others," Harry said directly after a few seconds of silence. In any case, there was no harm in telling them. His only doubt was that he wasn't completely certain either.
"By the Others, do you mean those creatures from the myths that reanimate the dead to serve them?" Domeric asked with a frown.
"That's right, but I don't think they're myths. The old records say they existed, and the Wall is the clearest proof," Harry said with a nod.
"Their camp has more than a hundred thousand people."
"They're a considerable threat. It's better to resolve things peacefully. If what they want is the protection of the Wall and a place to live, I can give it to them, but they must obey me. It's simple," Harry said firmly.
Val looked at Harry and behaved quite well, remaining seated silently beside him.
Upon hearing that there were one hundred thousand wildlings, everyone's expression changed immediately.
A brief silence fell over the camp as everyone processed the information. An invasion of more than a hundred thousand people would be devastating for the North.
"Hm, it's the best move," Domeric said with a nod, followed by several others in the group.
The Watch couldn't withstand an attack of that magnitude. The North would probably have to send reinforcements.
Many would die, and if the Others were real, they would only be feeding the enemy.
"How do you plan to let them pass? The Night's Watch won't agree, and the people of the North won't be happy when they find out," Dacey said thoughtfully.
"The people of the North don't need to know, and the Night's Watch... has to obey those who feed them," Harry said with a smile.
Everyone smiled wryly. Once Harry made up his mind, he could be truly ruthless in achieving it.
"Alright, let's rest tonight and head back tomorrow. I don't want letters being sent saying that all the heirs of the North died beyond the Wall," Harry said with a chuckle.
"I'll go talk to Smalljon as well," Domeric said, nodding with a faint smile before walking out of the camp.
"Dacey, move your things into my tent and let Val use yours," Harry said, looking at Dacey, whose eyes immediately lit up as she looked at Val with a faint smile.
She had wanted to move into Harry's tent for a long time, but he had told her no.
Although everyone knew they slept together, out of respect for the fact that they were all companions, they wouldn't share a tent.
Val merely pursed her lips. Dacey's gaze almost seemed grateful, which irritated Val.
"You use a mace. Want to spar?" Val said, looking at the mace hanging from Dacey's belt and resting her chin on her hand.
Her calm smile reminded Dacey of the day a ten-year-old boy had challenged her years ago.
"Oh, that's exactly what I wanted too," Dacey said with a wide smile.
"I don't want any serious injuries," Harry said, looking at both of them sternly before leaving them.
Unlike Harry, Theon sat down with interest beside Jon, Cley, and Benfred, eager to watch the duel.
As Harry walked away, he could barely hear them whispering as they placed bets on the winner.
----
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