"The Wolf, the Stag and the Snake" book 1

Chapter 25

CASSANDRA

"Are we sure they were Benjen's men?" Wylliana asked as a party of five Keeper of the Light walked in the snow. Cassie, Wylly, Rose, Derya and Luna had been out there for good four hours, waiting for the party of Night Watchmen with dogs before starting to explore far more deeper those abandoned lands.

"Othor and Jafer Flowers" Cassandra answered kneeling down to look for traces.

"Probably wildlings attacked them" Derya said as the wind moved her blond hair, but Rose shook her head.

"It cannot be" she said "Wildlings had never done such thing to bodies."

"And they never got that close" Luna muttered looking back at the Wall, still visible from where they were.

"What are your thoughts, princess?" Derya said "On this matter."

Cassandra never took away her gaze from the ground, irritated that she was not able to spot any sign, any movement. Any track. She was better than that, she knew.

"I just want to find Benjen." she said before letting out a growl "I cannot see anything!"

"The party shouldn't be that far away from here" Rose said walking closer "We are going to find them."

It's how they would have found them that got Cassandra worried. She was supposed to be with Ben, that was how she had always thought it would have been. She was not afraid of death, but loosing Ben, not even knowing where he was, it was not how she had pictured it. They had always gone together beyond the Wall; since after her first mission. Ben was the person she trusted the most, the person that had always took care of her. If he had died, she should have had died with him.

Suddenly a noice made them all turn with their weapons in hand, only to see Ghost coming out of the woods. The red eyes of the direwolf fixed on her before he trotted towards Cassie and nuzzle his snout against her leg giving her some kind of comforting feeling, before the party appeared in front of them. Silently the five Keepers nodded at the Lord Commander and the Matriarch, before following Ghost into the woods, until he led them in a clear, where unnatural black bodies where resting on the ground.

"Such a good boy" Cassie caressed Ghost's head that looked up at her with proud eyes "Able too lead us where the hounds couldn't." then the direwolf moved his tail happily as Jon approached to stop next to Cassie.

"Only Ghost was able to find them." Cassie said to him.

"That worries you?" Jon asked making the girl looking up towards him. They were trained since young age to be able to find anyone. There was something strange, the Wildlings weren't that neat with their traces.

"I cannot look" Sam's voice got their attention. He was so pale that he seemed made of snow.

"You have to look" Jon said trying to not get the attention of someone else "You are here as Maester Aemon's eyes? What good are them, if they are shut?"

Sam didn't seem to gain any courage "I'm such a coward Jon..."

"You're a man of the Watch, Sam" Cassie said looking at the bodies not far away from her "They are the first, but they won't be the last bodies that you will see." she could promise that to him.

"Besides there are a dozen of Rangers and Keepers, Ghost and the hounds" Jon said trying to give his friends more courage "You'll be safe, I promise."

As Jon pushed Sam a little, observing his friend so that he was sure he would not run away, he spoke.

"They are my uncle's men" he muttered, before shooking his head "Not so long ago, I follishly thought I was ready to go with him. To follow him through the North, but I know I would have probably be one of them by now."