Gone but close - Game of Thrones [Bran Stark fanfiction]

Chapter 36

It was the middle of the night, and it was cold. The ground was hard and the veins of the three where everywhere. Meera, Hodor, Summer and everybody else were deep asleep. But not him, he was wide awake deep in his thoughts. Thinking of Robb, Sansa, Rickon, Arya, his parents, the Darkerly's and the Night King. He wanted to see the time Howland Reed saved his father and his father went to his aunt. It would be allright if he just tried it himself.. right?

He turned around and grasped the vein of the three.

He didn't end up where he wanted to be. There was snow everywhere, it was freezing.

As Bran looked around he saw it. The army of the dead, they were all facing him which made him jump for a second. It was gross, how these people were dead, rotting already and still lived.. at least sort of lived with their scary, blue, glowing eyes.

As he walked past them he tried not to freak out and remain as calm as possible. He saw the Night King and the other White Walkers on their dead, rotting horses. But the Night King turned his head towards Bran, glinching his glowing blue eyes onto Brans dark brown eyes. Did he see him? No way.

He turned around to face the army of the dead, he should see their backs but they weren't looking at the direction Bran just came from. No, they were looking at Bran.

Starting to breath havier, he wanted to look at the Night King, who stood only several inches away from him. The King didn't say anything, Bran didn't even know if he could, he just grasped Brans arm. He screamed in fear as he got back to reality. Back in the cave.

'He touched you,' the raven said. Everyone was awake.

'No, it was close but..'

'He touched you, you are marked now,' the raven said, 'he's coming for you.'

'W-what?' He asked the raven confused. Why would the Night King come for Bran? He was just Bran, why would the Night King come especially for him?

'It is time you become me,' the raven said with a cold voice.

'B-but.. Am I ready?' He asked quite frightend.

'No,' the raven answered and from out of nowhere, Bran started seeing everything. Everything that ever happened, he remembered everything. His mind was filled with so much. And then he came to the memory of Hodor, as Wyllis.

He saw Bran.

'Bran, we need Hodor!' He heard Meera scream from a distance. She kept on repeating it.

And while being in the past, he warged into Hodor.

Because Bran did that, the past changed.

'Hold the door!' He heard Meera scream at Hodor.

Wyllis collapsed to the ground screaming in agony as nobody could recall what was happening and how to stop it. He just collapsed. Screaming 'hold the door' untill the words became smaller, smaller and smaller and formed one word, or at least one name. Hodor.

The faith Bran had just put Hodor on, cutted deeper in his soul than a knife. Memories came again, not his but from others and filled his mind like you fill a glass with wine. He saw every memory of his father, mother, of Robb, Sansa, Arya and Rickon, of Riler, Lurs, Toria and one of the triplets. Everyone's memory got filled inside his head. So much.

Meera shouted but he couldn't hear, he couldn't see, his mind was too busy with these memories to even put his focus on something else anymore.

'Bran.. you have to wake up,' Meera said fearing for their lives. That was when he returned.

'Meera,' he whispered, smiling slightly. They were away from the cave. He knew Hodor died, he knew Summer died, he knew the raven died and the children of the forest died. He knew everything now. She stroke her hands om his cheeks as the sounds of the dead came closer.

The fear in her eyes were unbearable. 'I'm sorry.. they found us.'

Even if Bran wasn't entirely Bran anymore, the face of a woman appeard in his mind. Not Meera's, Sansa's, Arya's or his mothers. Toria's face appeard. And it stung in his chest, not being able to see her anymore. The feelings Bran had for Toria were stronger than he imagined. As they thought they were both gone for years but because of their strong relationship they were somehow always close. Toria was Brans anchor, to stay Bran.

'Its allright,' he told Meera, as she cried.

Just as all hope was lost for Bran and Meera a cloaked men on a horse drove the dead away with a fire weapon. Meera and the figure dragged crippled Bran on the horse and Meera climbed on it as well. They drove away from the dead.

Who was this men? Bran questioned himself.

The road was long as after a long time the man stopped an build a fire.

'Who are you?' Meera asked before Bran could.

It remained quiet for some time, untill the men took of his mask and looked at Bran and Meera.

'Uncle Benjen,' he said rather surprised. He was always convinced he was dead. Benjen didn't look like he used to, his skin was cold and in a terrible state. But he was still uncle Benjen.

Benjen nodded as he gave Bran and Meera the blood of a rabbit so they could feed themselves.

'But how? What?' He didn't know what to ask his uncle, he was so confused.

'When I was a rangen,' he started to explain, 'I went beyond the Wall and git stabbed in my belly. That White Walked left me for dead. But the children of the forest helped me. The shoved Dragonglass in my belly and sort of cured me..'

Cured him?

'The three eyed raven asked me to help, so I did,' Benjen explained.

Bran nodded, trying to process the new information he just got.

~~

The next day Benjen escorted them close to the wall, dropping them off at a Weirwood.

'Can't you come with us?' He asked Benjen.

'No, I must stay,' Benjen explained, 'The Great war is coming, and I will remain fighting for the living as long as I can. Look after yourself, Bran.'

'You too,' Bran told his uncle. Benjen gave a slight nod as he rode off with his horse.

Bran dragged himself to the weirwood.

'Are you ready?' Meera asked him worried.

'I am the three eyed raven now,' he answered, laying his hand on the weirwood, going back to the vision of the day his father went to the tower of joy to save Lyanna.

Ever since Bran had called for his father, the vision was changed. Ned would look back when he walked onto the steps of the tower. Confused what called him.

In the tower was Lyanna, who was in a bad state. Blood was everywhere as her father grumbled down close to his sister.

She whispered into his ear as a baby was put into his hands. He couldn't hear what she whispered.

'Promise me, Ned,' she kept on begging her brother as he looked at the baby. Surprised.

That must be Jon. He thought.

~~

Bran and Meera traveled to the wall, he felt quilty. Meera was dragging him with all of her strength. He hated he wasn't able to do anything himself.

As they got to the wall the lord commander stood infront of them. Eddison Tollet.

'Who are you?' Eddison asked.

'Bran Stark and Meera Reed,' Meera answered. Eddison looked at them with a cold look.

'You are Eddison Tollet.. Called Edd. You know my brother Jon Snow,' Bran said calmly.

He saw Edd was convinced. Edd waved to let them go through the gates, taking Meera and Bran to castle Black.

Bran sighed. Finally, he could go home.