DAGGERS TO THE HEART Part 1 - GAME OF THRONES

Sam II

Samwell Tarly felt a mixture of astonishment and gratitude when his newfound friend, Jon Snow, proposed that he lead the mission to return to the Wall and save Craster's wives. The weight of responsibility settled on Sam's shoulders, a testament to the trust Jon had in his abilities. Surprised yet honoured, Sam readily accepted the charge.

Jon, acknowledging Sam's intellect and resourcefulness, permitted him to take two Stark soldiers and venture back to Craster's Keep. Their mission: to rescue the women and bring them safely south of the Wall. However, it was Jon's additional instruction that gave Sam pause. The directive to use "whatever means necessary," even if it meant dealing decisively with Craster, revealed the gravity of the situation and the potential dangers that awaited them.

Sam, caught in the tension between duty and the moral intricacies of the mission, recognized the necessity of the task at hand. However, the prospect of taking Craster's life didn't sit well with him. While Sam had delegated the task to the Stark soldiers, he couldn't shake off the weight of responsibility that clung to him like a heavy cloak.

The moral burden of deciding another man's fate pressed upon Sam's conscience. He grappled with the idea that their mission, while crucial for the safety of Craster's wives, involved an act that went against his innate reluctance to resort to violence. Sam, inherently more inclined towards scholarly pursuits than the brutality of warfare, found himself thrust into a role where hard choices had to be made.

Two moons waxed and waned before Sam reached the foreboding confines of Craster's Keep. The relentless onslaught of winter weather had taken its toll, slowing their progress to a crawl. Large snowdrifts, seemingly insurmountable, occasionally forced them off course, transforming their journey into a relentless battle against the elements.

Recollections of the outward journey, where Sam had accompanied Jon, and Benjen Stark, haunted his thoughts. Craster, an ungracious host in the best of times, had extracted his own form of payment for aiding their quest. He had begrudgingly assisted them in locating Mance, providing shelter beneath his roof, but not without a cost — a price paid in wine and the keen edge of an axe.

Now, returning with a mission of rescue, Sam and his two companions found themselves devoid of offerings for the grizzled Craster. The old man, never one to tolerate perceived slights, left them with no choice but to rest outside the walls, sleeping under the watchful eyes of the dogs. The bitter reality of their predicament mirrored the frosty landscape, as Sam braced himself for the challenges that awaited them within Craster's abode.

Despite their lack of alcoholic offerings, Craster indulged in the wine gained from their earlier visit. Sam, assigned to watch duty, was supposed to wait for the moment the man succumbed to a drunken stupor. However, fate had different plans.

Amidst the quietude of Craster's Keep, the distressed wails of a woman pierced the cold night air. Sam, torn from his watchful duty, recognized the significance of the sound all too well — the unmistakable cries of a woman in labour. Distress and urgency propelled him to follow the haunting wails.

Guided by the anguished sounds, Sam peered into a small hut where three women were gathered. Two of them were unfamiliar faces, but one was immediately recognisable — Gilly. Sam and Gilly's paths had crossed on the outward journey, where she was already heavy with child. Despite Craster's warnings to stay away from his wives, Sam could not resist Gilly's presence. Drawn to her doe-eyed innocence. They had formed a bond, enough for Sam to promise to rescue her. He even gave her the thimble which belonged to his mother. A token gesture of his fondness for the girl he barely knew.

The wailing, he realised with a pang of distress, emanated from Gilly herself. In the small confines of the hut, the profound and visceral experience of childbirth unfolded.