|𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐒|

𝐗. |𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡|

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

|Word Count: 9,280|

    𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦. At times he'd glance up at the young man, seeing the way Jon looked between the door of the prison hold and the Witcher. Jeor had been quick to lock the two up as a precaution, thinking Geralt had to be just as skilled as one of his men. Geralt had been quick to explain the disappearance of Waymar's corpse and being attacked by it in his room. The Lord Commander was at best doubtful at the claim yet decided on a roll check with everyone at the castle while he had both Geralt and Jon isolated. Overall it was a logical move and gave Geralt time to think over what had happened.

At this point, Jon sighed as he'd stop before the Witcher, a serious look on his face. "Alright...tell me, what happened? I remember all your talk about how magic exists from where you come from yet I didn't think it was literal. Also, what was it that you just killed?!"

"Well, I can say it wasn't like anything I've seen back home. Nothing like a necrophage from back home." He muttered back.

"Necro-what?"

Sighing, Geralt continued to talk. "A type of monster, unnatural creatures that feed off the corpses and the living. Anyway, the only other explanation is a curse. Remember once finding this manor in the woods...strange place full of dried corpses that rose up to attack me. Not as tough as the thing I burned though or as mindless."

"Sounds like a crazy tale there." Jon muttered.

"Quite. Yet another story for another time. Point is, yes...I have magic. Back home it's very basic compared to others yet here I'd seem like a mage to you." He'd flex his left hand, quickly making the Igni sign as the nearby candle flames suddenly go out. Jon quickly glanced at them as Geralt made the Sign again, making them light back up once more. "Seems Signs work better while I'm close to the Wall. Sort of like I'm drawing from the magic it has."

"Is that why you've been holding your medallion so much? I can see it shaking now that I look at it."

Geralt nodded as he'd remove the wolf head piece, handing it to Jon. Grasping it, the young man was surprised feeling in vibrate, making him grip it tightly before handing it back. "Anyway...I do have an idea on what happened to Waymar. How much did you study up on the old tales of the First Men and Children?"

"Nothing more than bedtime stories. Remember all the stories of the war between them against the White Walkers when I was younger." Jon answered back.

"About right." Geralt muttered with a shrug. "Yet what do the tales say about the Walkers? The terrible magic and power they are said to have?"

Jon had that doubting look to Geralt, unsure what the Witcher was getting at. "Said they bring winter with them, the Long Night as it is called because of how the sun is blocked out. Just their presence has..." The young man paused, a hint of realization showing in his eyes. "...has the dead rise up serve them. You not saying a myth did this?"