What Makes a Hero

Chapter 18 - Visions of the Raven's Call

Bran found himself in the woods again just outside of Winterfell, holding a bow. He searched for his target, when the sight of a large spider web glistening with dew and sunlight caught his eye. A black spider with a red hourglass symbol balanced itself perfectly in the center. He had never seen such a spider. The Three Eyed Raven crowed. He took his attention off the web to load his bow only to find a second bird dancing on the wind with it. The hawk soared and shrieked around it before disappearing into the trees. Bran lowered his bow, looking for it when he heard a voice from behind.

"Relax your bow arm. Don't think too much," it said, but it didn't come from Jon, or Robb, or the foreign men, but another stranger. He too had clothes similar to the other two men only he looked like he was wearing a tight uniform. His hair was short and a lighter shade of brown. A sophisticated bowman's glove and covering supported his left arm and two fingers. The archer came close to Bran, guiding his left arm with the bow and right with the arrow.

"Can you see?" he asked in a similar accent to the other foreigners. Bran looked up at him before relocating his target. He had bright blue eyes like the man who slept for seventy years. Where the spider and its web once stood, a woman with rich red hair and a tight black suit took its place. She turned around with a surprisingly warm and loving smile. She looked beautiful, and dangerous.

"Yeah," Bran responded reluctantly. The man smiled and snickered while correcting his stance with his own feet.

"You sure?" he asked with a playful smile. Bran hoped this man was not referring to this woman.

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature," she said confidently in a sultry voice. She too sounded like she hailed from the same place as the foreign men. With those words, she did in fact look over her shoulder and moved out of the way.

"And how about ... now? Can you see?" said the archer. Bran's original target had returned, the Three Eyed Raven.

"You can't kill it, you know," said the woman, arms crossed. Bran turned towards her.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because the Raven is you," said the archer. Bran returned his gaze to the man and gasped. His eyes glowed, but not a bright blue, they had changed to a bright golden yellow with dark pupils, a hawk's eyes.

---------------------------------------------

Bran woke up again in their camp gasping for air. Rickon Stark, his younger brother startled awake in a nearby cart by Bran's movements. Their dire wolves, Summer and Shaggydog stood near them.

"Hodor," said the gentle giant man, concerned for him.

"It's all right, Hodor," said Bran.

"Hodor," said Hodor reassured.

"Were you inside the wolf again, little lord?" said Osha

"No, it was the three-eyed raven," said Bran.

"He's back," she said uneasy while sharpening a new spear.

"I tried to kill it, but I couldn't. There was mysterious woman ... and a strange man," the little lord continued.

"I don't want to hear about it," Osha said harshly.

"But you asked." Bran said angrily.

"We've got plenty of worries. We don't need to pour black magic on top of them." Osha said irritated. Bran pushed himself up as far forward as he could with his crippled legs.

"I didn't ask for black magic dreams." he snapped.

"I know you didn't, little lord." she said more kindly. Some Birds screeched in the distance. Osha looked up, concerned at their disturbance.

"We need to move." she said more seriously. She stopped sharpening her spear with her knife and stood up.

"We don't know who might be after us. No one even knows we're alive." said Bran, remembering the two farm boys Theon Greyjoy killed in their place.

"And who told you that? The three eyed raven tell you?" she asked more harshly.

"No." said Bran.

"Some good he is, then." she snarked and began to pack up camp. "I don't know what other people know and what they don't. I only know the Wall is a long way off." she added.

It was the farthest North Bran and Rickon and ever been since Theon took over Winterfell. Bran grew up with him. He sadly wondered if he had hated them the entire time.