Loki: Winds of Winter

Chapter 9 - Ragna's Proof

Rhaenar had a feeling if his parents ever found out he left his sister behind on the other side of the Wall, he would never hear the end of it/they would beat his ass. Rhaenar rolled his eyes and wondered how he would explain himself to Eddison Tollett when he returned without his sister. He was going to get so many questions. Rhaenar growled angrily as Imry landed in the courtyard of Castle Black. The men of the Night's Watch gasped and Eddison Tollett quickly ran up to Rhaenar. "What happened? Where's Princess Ragna? Why are you back so soon?" Tollett queried.

"We ran into a little trouble at Crastor's Keep. There's nobody there, that's why you haven't had any news from them," Rhaenar explained.

"Nobody living?" Eddison Tollett posed with a raised eyebrow.

"Nobody living or dead. The place is abandoned, but we found sounds of a struggle. Claw-marks, destroyed huts. Nobody was left and the place has clearly been that way for a long time. Ragna just wanted to... get some proof to bring back," Rhaenar responded as he slid off Imry's back.

"Proof? What proof?" Tollett snapped back. Rhaenar was just about to retort in kind when they heard the screech of a dragon, followed by the howl of a wolf. "Open the gate!" Eddison Tollett commanded and he ran towards the gate that led to the wrong side of the Wall.

"No need!" shouted a voice.

"What?" Eddison Tollett started to ask before they heard a scraping going all the way up the side of the Wall. "You've got to be shitting me," he said.

"Nope. When are we ever?" Rhaenar challenged as he looked up and saw Fenris drop from the heavens. He was carrying something in his mouth, but nobody could really see it. Fenris also seemed very protective of it, curling away from everyone, even Rhaenar. Rhaenar slowly approached his brother, palms up in a calming gesture. "It's alright, Fenris. Want to show me what you found? Come on, show me what you found," Rhaenar asked. Fenris did not open his jaws to reveal what he was carrying, but he stopped turning away. As Rhaenar reached out for his brother, Ragna landed on Erikar. She dismounted and walked up to Fenris.

"Be easy now, brother. Hold your cargo carefully." Ragna turned to Rhaenar and Eddison Tollett. "Tollett, send a raven back to Kings Landing. Inform them that we have made our first incursion into the far North and Fenris is returning with our initial findings. My brother and I will return to Kings Landing after we go further beyond the Wall," Ragna said. She gave Rhaenar a 'be quiet or else' look before lightly petting Fenris' snout. Ragna took out a parchment from an inside pocket and started scribbling something which she then tied together and handed to Tollett. Ragna then went back to Erikar and mounted up. "Fenris, take that back to Kings Landing. Once more beyond the Wall!" she commanded, taking to the skies.

"That woman is going to be the death of somebody!" Rhaenar cursed as he quickly climbed onto Imry's back and took off after her. Fenris jumped over the gates again and left everyone staring gob smacked.

"Why is it every time she comes here, she leaves chaos in her wake?" Eddison Tollet asked no one in particular. One of the men raised his hand, but Tollett interrupted him, "Don't answer that!"

The raven had to fly extra hard to try to beat Fenris to Kings Landing, but the wolf still made it ahead of the bird. The City Watch saw the Hell Hound returning from the North and blew a warning horn to announce his arrival, but they added a certain signal to alert the Red Keep that he was returning alone. Loki heard it in his chambers and he and Sansa exchanged a quick look. They made their way to the council chamber together, and were met by Dhaerin and Dagmar. Their two youngest flanked them and entered the small council chamber with them. Daenerys glanced up from the head of the table and Tyrion stood up. A figure moved out from behind the chair; a young man with pale blond hair and blue eyes. "Ah! Crown Prince Draegon! So glad you could make it," Loki said, greeting his nephew.

"I am thrilled to be here, uncle," the prince said in response, smiling at his aunt and cousins.

"Tyria couldn't join us?" Dagmar asked, speaking of her elder cousin.

"Tyria is actually taking a ship with Tommen Baratheon to visit Braavos. They're... expanding their horizons," Tyrion answered.

"By themselves? I'm surprised you allowed that, Daenerys," Sansa pointed out with a hint of a smile on her face. Daenerys gave her sister-in-law a fond look and shook her head.

"Not alone. I'm sending Daahrio Naharis with them," she responded. Sansa smiled before her gaze shifted to a shadowy figure standing just outside the room. Sandor Clegane was staring off into the middle distance again, as he was want to do these days. Sansa gave Loki a quick look and her husband knew why. He shook his head minutely before turning back to his sister.

"Apparently Fenris has returned on his own. I'm curious to see what he brought with him from beyond the Wall," Loki said as Oberyn, Varys, Theon, Jon, and Bran. Loki greeted everyone and hugged Jon and Bran. Sansa did as well, pressing a quick kiss to their cheeks.

"So, what did Fenris bring back and why is he alone?" Jon queried as he looked pointedly at Loki.

"We shall see. I figure Ragna sent him down because she and Rhaenar could not return," Loki answered. Jon was about to rejoin when Sandor stepped aside and let the wolf in question pass him. He was clearly carrying something in his mouth and he went right up to the table, opening his jaws and dropping it with a plunk.

"What the fu-!" Oberyn started to curse as a skeleton warrior sprang up, no longer being held by Fenris' teeth. Clegane swung his claymore instantly, cutting the thing in half before it could attack Daenerys. Dagmar reacted as well, conjuring up a whip out of water and lassoing the upper half, pinning it to the table. She held it down as Loki circled around it to study it. It snarled at him, lashing out with claw like hands.

"Fascinating," he said as he squatted down to look it in the face.

"Fascinating? There's a dead, living thing on the table and all you can saw is fascinating?! The hell is going on inside your head!" Tyrion practically screeched as he tried to simultaneously crawl away from the Wight and drag Daenerys with him. Loki looked to Dagmar and nodded his head. She froze the water surrounding the Wight and broke off the excess so she was free to move. Sansa pulled Dagmar into her arms and Dhaerin stood next to her as well, watching the thing try to thrash around.

"I'm thinking I've been right in suspecting there was more beyond that Wall than just ice and snow. This is probably the reason why Crastor went quiet," Loki said.

"And Uncle Benjen?" Sansa posed, making her husband glance back at her.

"Don't have any hopes. He might be a Stark, but even the Starks have their limits. There's no way he could be alive," Loki informed Sansa, Jon, and Bran. Bran bowed his head and Sansa hugged Dagmar even tighter. Jon just nodded and frowned deeply. Loki straightened up and waved his hand, causing the Wight to be completely encased in ice but still preserved in its current state. "We'll need this to show the other houses. I recommend, sister, that you send a raven. We have to have a council of war."