BRAVENESS [GAME OF THRONES]

|CHAPTER 4|

The cold air hit him like a ton of bricks as small snowflakes float down the sky. Instead of bright blue clear sky, it's white, snowy and fluffy with clouds. It amazes him how the color of sky is different from the color he has been seeing from all his life. The wind is as loud as a Lion's roar, blowing his golden shoulder length hair away along with the untied end of the cloak, chilling his bones.

"Beyond the Wall the haunted forest stands as it stood in the Dawn Age, long before the Andals brought the Seven across the narrow sea. If you want to see the godswood, you will find a grove of weirwoods there, half a league from this spot." Benjen Stark said when he set out after lot of convincing, promises of not wandering beyond the mentioned place and returning soon before he set out people for a search. If he didn't have some work with Lord Mormont, he would have really accompanied him seeing how he was listing orders after orders.

'It seems someone has started caring for a Lannister which is unlike Stark's traits.' Christopher thought feeling amused.

Once he entered the haunted forest, he felt like he was in different world. He had visited many forests, woods and they are more or less same but this forest was out of his imagination. Here, every shadow seemed darker, every sound more ominous. The trees pressed close and shut out the light of the setting sun. A thin crust of snow cracked beneath the hooves of Storm, which sounded more like breaking bones. The rustling of leaves looks like it's moving on its own, sending chills down his spine. The Wall was at his backs, and only the gods knew what lay ahead.

The sun was sinking below the trees when he reached a small clearing in the deep of the wood where nine trees, whose wide smooth trunks were bone pale, leaves were blood red with nine faces drawn on it, making it stares inward since it grew in a rough circle. Weirwoods

He was shocked seeing this scene and he is sure anybody, who has general idea regarding godswood, would be. As far as he knows, nine weirwoods growing together is unheard of. Usually there's two or three growing together.

The forest floor was carpeted with fallen leaves, bloodred on top, black rot beneath. The dried sap that crusted in the eyes was red and hard as ruby, like it's crying blood. And it blood red leaves make it look like blood rain is happening here.

He got down from the Storm and patted his neck, "You stay here, Storm. I will be back soon. Okay?" he finished receiving an accepting snort in return.

He went towards the grove, looking at each face in turn. No two were quite alike. It looks more like they are watching him. He started tracing each face's curve. After he finished tracing all the nine trees, he heard a little noise, like a crunch of snow when someone walks on it. Turning around he saw a cub, a cub of lion stalking softly between two weirwoods. The cub trotted to him with ANOTHER one following behind.

'TWO CUBS' He mentally yelled at himself, not believing at the ridiculous situation in front of him, 'Is it some sort of mental attack by these trees for coming uninvited?'

Looking down, he notices the two cubs are now biting his riding pants and shoes and almost tore it. 'How dangerously their parents will tear my skin?'

Benjen alerted him all about wildings while leaving. But maybe he forgot to mention about cubs of LIONS'. He can sense his ultimate doom if their parents found them with him.

Squatting down, he gave them a light pat. Maybe sensing the warmness of human skin, they leaned forward. After sometime he found them cuddling in his arms. They do look beautiful with their black and brown spots on their forehead as well as stripes on their leg and tail and not to forget, their eyes have very light, clear irises and appear to be golden or amber.