Her Watch Has Ended

Chapter XXXII

Lady Melisandre entered Taliyas room and looked around. "Being the only woman here you'd think they would give you a little extra space."

"Sorry if I come off disrespectful but is there a reason for your visit Lady Melisandre?"

Lady Melisandre giggled quietly, "Waters. That's the bastard name for Kings Landing am I correct?" Taliya gave a slight nod.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious is all. Have you ever heard of a fire priestess?" Taliya shook her head. "We're the messengers into this world for the Lord of Light. He grants us sight through flame. Back home in Valyria there's hundreds of us that spread his word."

"You're from Essos?" Taliya asked. Taliya had on ever met one person from Essos. He was a nice Braavosi man who gave her gold once when he noticed her pickpocketing his comrades. "Why come here to Westeros if  the carriers of his word are there? Isn't it wrong to announce a God that isn't the Old or New?"

"I see you're full of wonder about him. Here light this candle and I'll show you what He can do." Taliya helped Melisandre light the small white candle by her bedside. "Now look into its flame. Tell me what you see."

She couldn't see anything. "There's nothing there." Melisandre urged her to keep looking into the flame. Suddenly she saw what looked to be an old Weirwood tree. It looked familiar like she had seen it before. She saw a baby with icy blue eyes and pale white skin. It was a walker baby. "It's a white walker child by a grand Weirwood. There's a woman? Is that what I think it is? The Children? She's carrying the baby into the Weirwood. What does this mean?"

"It means that you're going to fulfill your destiny here in this life. That was your mother, Leaf. She is quite beautiful isn't she?" The red woman spoke like she had seen the vision herself.

Taliya didn't want to believe that but she had seen it with her own eyes. It didn't explain anything though. "Why is she carrying a Walker baby? Is this some kind of sick magic you're using on my eyes? What destiny is here for me?" She thought back to her talk with Yoren. He had told her that her mother resided with the Children. He left out a huge part of her mother being one of them.

"Take a deep breath. This information does not come without a cost. You will hear this once from my lips and you will try to deny but I need you to continue your fight here." Taliya looked at her like she was crazy. She was supposed to be mourning the dead right now not listening to absolute nonsense from the mouth of a woman she had met only minutes prior to the conversation.

"Your mother was one of the first beings in this world. Thousands of years ago her and her people created the Weirwood tree and have protected it ever since. When man was born and put on this planet they traveled North. Five men stood at the Fists and claimed this their land. When they wandered upon the tree there was a battle between man and children. Leaf, your mother, gave them mercy and ended up falling in love with Michedroa, your father. As all love stories go she was betrayed and he led an attack against the Children yet did not prevail. Once he was caught your mother plunged a dragonstone dagger into his heart and created the Night King, the first white walker. Later she found out she was with child and had you. From there I know nothing further."

What the hell was going on? This couldn't be true. There was no way. "Do I look like a walker? Or the spawn of one of the children?" Taliya couldn't wrap her head around this nonsense. She grabbed her covers and headed for the door. "I need to see the Maester. He'll know." She walked out and left Melisandre behind.

She wasn't going to the Maesters she was going back beyond the wall. Screw Raydars execution she could care less now that she knew of her past. So many questions with far too little answers. She would truly find out but the only way to know the truth was to travel beyond the Mountains and find her mother.