Chapter 36: To the True North
***Second Bonus Chapter of the Week***
Dreadfort Castle
POV of Domeric Bolton
"You've talked with the Umbers already I take it?" he asked as he climbed on the back of his faithful Direwolf. Even though it was only a magical construction, he had grown attached to it.
"Yes. Smalljon will meet you near their border and will lead you toward the Wall." She said as she looked at him with worried eyes "Do remember to stop at the Last Hearth and dine with Greatjon for a little while at least."
He gave a nod but the worried look on her face didn't go away. She was a bit of a worrywart, but he couldn't blame her.
If he had a son who wanted to go north of the Wall with 1,000 men in order to search for Children of the Forest and Giants as well as Direwolves and Wargs, then he would be worried too.
"Don't worry aunt. I'll be fine." He said and gently placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her when he heard loud footsteps coming from behind him.
"Dom… Domm… How do I look in my new dress? Domm…" he looked back and found Raksa the Giantess posing for him in the White woolen military dress that he had given to each and every one of his men to fight the cold in the north of the Wall.
"Yes Raksa. You look very pretty." He said with a smile, and she smiled back while showing all her crooked teeth and he let out a grimace at the sight.
Years of fighting the in Fighting Pit had cost her a fair bit of her teeth. A problem that he intended to deal with very soon. After all, she was his sworn shield as well as someone he cared about so he'll make sure that she at least looks presentable.
"I do, don't I?" She said and moved forward to hug him and missed as he ducked out and escaped at the last moment.
"Raksa. What did I tell you about hugging me?" He asked and she looked horrified for a moment before she pouted and her lips quivered slightly, showing that she was about to cry and his heart melted right then and there.
He had no idea how it happened but over the past few months, he had come to care for this giantess a good deal and almost saw her as a little sister even though there was nothing little about her.
"Now, now. It's alright." He said and went forward and hugged her in the waist "You can hug me. But only very lightly. Okay?"
She put her hands gently around him as if he was a piece of fragile glass and nodded her head "Okay."
Then she smiled once again.
"Let's go Dommy. I want to see the giants that you told me about." She said and started pulling him away and it took a while for him to calm her down.
She has been rather excited to meet the giants that live in the north of the Wall ever since he told her about them.
As he once again climbed on the back of Grim he looked back at his aunt who was looking skeptically at Raksa with a worried expression. Wondering if the giant woman was more likely to kill him rather than save him.
"Don't worry aunt. It'll be alright." He said and hoped that he looked more confident than he felt.
At that moment, Walton rode on his horse and stopped beside him "Are you sure you want to take that giant woman with you?" the man whispered in his ears, and he gave a nod.
"Very well then. All the men and supplies are ready. We're prepared to move. Just give the order."
He gave Walton a nod and looked back at the thousand men who had trained extensively for the past 6 months for this expedition.
All of them were wearing white fur and thick clothes in order to deal with the weather in the True North. Each of them also had a spear and a short sword with enough training to deal with any wildling in the hostile region they were going into.
Every five men in the group were given a Northern horse that they would use to carry around their food and supplies. He was doubtful that they would find food in the True North, so they had to go prepared. And if they ran out of food, then they'd just have to butcher the horses and eat them.
"Very well then. Send the scouts ahead of us. And then give them the order to start moving." He told Walton before he bid one last goodbye to his aunt and left the gates of Dreadfort with a thousand men marching behind him as Varko and Raksa moved beside him on their own horses as his sworn shields.
It took a fortnight for them to reach Last Hearth because of the slow marching speed of his man.
He stayed one night at the Last Hearth. When Lord Umber asked him the reason for the expedition north of Wall, he said that he wanted to find giants and Children of the Forest. Like he said everyone else.
After all, he couldn't tell them about magic, Heart Trees and him being a Wizard. So, he didn't care if they all laughed at him from his back. When the time comes, he will have the last laugh.
The next day he and his men began their march to the Wall again. And after another fortnight they finally arrived at the Wall.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.37: The Wall
Ch.38: Warg
To 3rd Bonus Chapter Of Week: 18/75 Power Stones – You folks can get, up to 7 bonus chapters every week by completing the quota. 1 B.Chapter = 75 Power Stone