Chapter 24 – The Liars.

Maester Aemon walked in the tunnels beneath The Wall wrapped himself in the thickest black cloaks that he could find. The ice cells were far too harsh on his old joints. But he had someone that he needed to see.

The Brother that had guided him to the cells looked at him wearily and asked, "are you sure that you would like to be alone? The Lord Commander told us to be weary before he left and you know what he did to our Brothers."

Maester Aemon nodded. "There are some things I must say to him myself."

The Brother nodded, "If you are sure Maester. I will be down the way, call me and I shall be down in an instant."

Maester Aemon waited a moment till he was sure that he and the person in the ice cell were alone.

"You are beginning to look more like your age." He murmured, gazing at the form of Bloodraven sitting in the middle of the cell. His body withered and bruised, but his eyes as sharp as they had always been."Though most are your age are but bones."

"Why are you here?" he asked simply.

"I wished to see how you were coping," the Maester responded, "for what little I can see these days. I find that my sight comes and goes frequently. I thought I would see you whilst I can."

"And what do you see?" came the spiteful reply, "Your brothers saw fit in beating me and when they were done with that the… gentle amongst them found joy in raping me." Aemon looked into Bloodraven's eyes and saw a deep and unyielding spite in them.

"You killed their brothers. The Watch has burnt down wildling villages for less." He explained.

"I am not a Wildling." Bloodraven seethed. "I am the Lord Commander of the Nights Watch. I am the shield that guarded the realm when Daemon came to seize it and I am the shield that helped turn the Watch into something more than a rotting carcass of rape and murder. Though it seems that standards have become lax after I left. They all owe me their worthless lives a hundred times over."

A moment passed in which the Maester remained silent. Staring at the prisoner with curious eyes.

"You killed their Brothers." The Maester said softly. "They believe that you wished to kill me and murder your way out of the Castle. I believe that they are not incorrect in their assumptions. What did you expect to happen to you?"

"Anything but this." Bloodraven replied. "To see you so old, the Watch with a new Lord Commander. Tell me, how many years have passed? Is anyone I know still alive?"

"No" Aemon replied, "And it is worse than you can imagine."

"How could it possibly be worse?"

"House Baratheon holds the Iron Throne"

Bloodraven fell silent for a moment before murmuring, "House Baratheon? Well I suppose that is a little worse. Though not much to worry about, I highly respect House Baratheon's ability to bring ruin unto itself. Are we the last dragons alive?"

"No," the Maester replied, "two have fled into Essos."

"Then how far into chaos has this Baratheon King dragged the realm?"

"The King is loved by his people, and the realm is experiencing the longest summer ever recorded. But that is not what I wished to discuss with you." Aemon explained.

"And what is it you wished to discuss?" Bloodraven asked curiously.

"Ice" he reached into his robes and threw a small orange object at the prisoner, "and fire."

"What is this?" Bloodraven asked picking up the object before realising what it was, "A dragon scale?"

"One I saw, two nights ago." the Maester said, "One I touched, two night ago."

A gleam entered Bloodraven's eyes, "Then that means that they are-"

"Alive." The Maester confirmed.

"What was it like?" He asked.

"Enough for me to understand why one would drink wildfire to bring them back to life."

"Oh?" Bloodraven raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were the level headed one."

"I was promised a dragon and I raged at the one who made the offer. All those I loved are dead, what is a dragon to me? But then I saw it. A Dragon, bright orange, like living flame. It was small enough to fit into my room and had an extra pair of arms but it was, certainly a Dragon. And when I saw it, it was as if I was young again back in the Red Keep in King's Landing. I remember when I touched it more clearly then I remember any other moment of my life. I remember feeling every scale, feeling the fire that lay beneath." He took a deep breath, "I remember weeping and knowing, in that moment that dragons are everything to me."

"And where is it now? By your tone you are not its rider, assuming that you are still fit enough to ride it?"

"No, it is gone." He replied. "It flew off to the North, though it was in the black of night and I did not see too clearly."

"As interesting as this all is," Bloodraven said cautiously, "why you are telling me?"

"Because a Targaryen a terrible thing, when we have a goal we wish to achieve. Because, uncle. I know that you shall escape. After all, you are the one that had originally ordered the rebuilding of these cells, the only place we could imprison you. All that I would ask of you is that when it happens, that you do not harm any of my brothers as you do so, regardless of your anger at them."

"Is that it?"

"No. Great and terrible things are a foot. So terrible that you have been left to rot and be forgotten as those in power prepare for them. Many of the rangers have left on rangings, whilst stewards and builders are readying this castle as well as beginning the repairs of others. Something that I am sure that you will use to your advantage when escaping. The nature of these events? I'm sure that you will find out these things in your own time." Maester Aemon took out a roll of bread from his robes and placed it near the bars of the cells and then began to walk away. "Until we meet again."

Bloodraven waited until the Maester had left before he crawled forward on his bruised limbs. He took the loaf of bread and then noticed something underneath it.

He picked it up and noticed the familiar silver colour of the dagger he had recently made great use of, though it seemed to have been reforged into a practical weapon by a blacksmith, most likely by the one at Castle Black.

He took piece of bread into his mouth. Aemon was not wrong in his assumptions. He knew the weak spots in the cells, ones he had made in the case of a mutiny during his term as Lord Commander. Cells that he had ordered because of the simplicity it took for the depleted numbers of the Watch in manning them.

But where to go from there? Aemon clearly had a goal of his own. The long wait till he had come to visit was a clear sign of him making a plan. He did the same when he was younger and it appeared as if some things did not change with age. But what was it that his nephew was planning? What did he have to gain?

This dragon he mentioned must have had something to do with it, but what? Would it be wiser to avoid the machinations of his nephew? Or would it be prudent to follow the smouldering fires in his veins. The ones that wanted to see this Dragon for himself. To ride through the sky as he was meant to.

In the silence of the ice cells Bloodraven planned his next step.

His thoughts filled with ice and fire.

He opened his eyes to see the cavern all around him. One that he had left very long ago. One that he only remembered in his dreams. Nothing much had changed about it, though some of the bones on the floor had been cleared, he had honestly expected them to neglect clearing even that.

"Root" He heard Nails say as she came over to him, a concerned look on her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty" he whispered, testing out his new mouth, and then his fingers. It felt good to have a body once more, even if it was a little stiff. He deeply regretted not shifting bodies sooner but two branches of his family tree had to be culled for showing negative physical and mental traits, forcing him to wait in his old body till the new crop had grown to maturity.

"Drink slowly," Nails said, pouring a cup of fresh water in his mouth. His mind idly noting the new taste buds of his body.

He went through the ingrained motions of using a new body. Toes, fingers, sight, breathing, smell. Inhale, exhale, let the heartbeat stabilise.

It was odd to see Nails so caring. Last he knew, she hated everything and everyone. Himself and the former inhabitant of his body especially.

He looked beyond Nails and saw a familiar face. Leaf, the bitch in green. She was looking at him with an odd look. Her hands grasping onto the Weirwood roots embedded into the walls of the cavern. He saw her expression turn into a frown and her eyes narrow.

"Step back Nails" She growled.

Shit.

He grabbed Nail's head in a burst of speed and slammed it against the roots. Blood poured out of the skull as he held her there and she quickly went limp.

"I take it there is no need to keep up the act?" he said with a hoarse whisper, unused to his new vocal chords.

"Abomination." Leaf hissed, "Leave the body and return it to it's rightful owner."

He grinned stiffly, "I am the rightful owner. The previous inhabitant of this vessel has departed for the afterlife. But such is often the result of being stabbed. I am merely here to inhabit this empty vessel, as opposed to letting it go to waste."

"Do you take me for a fool?" She hissed and he saw several Children of the Forest lining the walls, bows and arrows in hand.

"Yes. Yes I do. Or do you honestly wish to harm this body?"

"If the boy is lost to the roots as you have just said, then I see no reason not to just kill you now and stop your madness." She snapped.

"But I know that you would never believe a word I said Leaf. So, are you willing to take that risk?" He grinned.

"Yes." An arrow flew and struck him in the shoulder. The force threw him back and pinned him into the roots.

"I wonder Leaf, where was this fire? This rage? Where was it over the years when our people were dying their slow death?"

"Another" she commanded as a second arrow flew into his thigh.

"And how do you all feel about our slow death?" he asked the Children of the Forest filling the cavern. "Our end as a species? You saw my children as they passed by did you not? Young, curious, loving of life and numerous. Would you rather not be one of them?" He began to rub himself against the roots that encased him. "Or would you prefer to live your pitiful lives sheltered by this bitch?"

"Release your hold on the vessel. I give you this one chance to be with the Gods, abomination." Leaf commanded. "You will not have another."

"Abomination, abomination, abomination." He growled before roaring, "You call me the abomination! I am the one who saved our species! I raised and bred and guided them as you bought nothing but rot to your people. A slow death. A dark, silent death in the dirt." He looked at the Children of the Forest around him. Silent and stone faced. "Can any of you call yourselves content with this? Is this the fate that you want! For our once mighty species to pass into myth and silence? Can any of you say that my actions, no mater how horrifying, in the face of extinction were not justified?"

They were all silent. "Well! Do any of you speak?"

Leaf cut her hand with a silver dagger and touched the weirwood roots. "By Blood the way is now shut. Your final moment has ended. Even Godhood is now beyond you."

"No, no, no!" He screamed and then collapsed. Leaf felt confused and slowly approached the body.

As she neared the body she noticed that it was still breathing. Nothing really seemed to be wrong with it.

Her hand went to the dagger on her belt, ready to finish him off but found it missing. Someone screamed behind her. She looked down and saw the dagger piercing her chest. She turned around and saw Nails looking at her with unfamiliar eyes.

"The way is shut." The Elder in Nails's body grinned. "Godhood is now beyond you."

She felt blood dribble down her mouth and a wave of dizziness overtake her.

Root's and Willow's eyes opened simultaneously and they all spoke in unison, "As is the ability to protect your tribe from this."

The Children inside the cavern all began to scream as all their minds were simultaneously assaulted by a single, sharp, disorientating mental blast.

Leaf's vision turned to black, as all of her tribe collapsed around her.

It was nice to be home, in his own room once more. In the last few days Illaro had spent his time rushing across the city meeting with priests, wealthy merchants, noble families and important foreigners. Everything any anything he could do to ensure that when the dragon hatched, he would be able to smoothly rise to power and be accepted at the highest tables without the worry of assassination.

He heard a knocking on the door "Come in" Illaro said. Knowing full well who it was.

He glanced as her as she did. His daughter, her hands still shaking from the fits that she suffered at night. Her body wrapped up in cloth to keep her warm from the sensations of cold that she seemed to suffer every waking moment. The priests said that it was a result of her surviving an attack by the Great Other. An explanation he accepted, knowing that he was blessed by the Lord of Light with a warm dragon egg. The healers said that her mind had been crippled and that they had no idea if she would ever recover.

"F- f- father." she managed to stutter out. He grimaced. As much as he regretted not having sons, his daughters were always well mannered and capable of blending in well with the highborn. A result of their mother's teachings most likely. It was still odd to see the condition of his daughter. A price asked for by R'hllor in exchange for the egg? He wondered if any further tribute would be demanded? If he would be the next one to pay the price?

"How are you recovering?" He asked calmly.

"Slow." came the simple reply.

"I shall ensure that your mother will not attempt to smother you in your sleep again." he said calmly.

"Why?"

"Why would she not? You appear to have been crippled mentally if the words of the healers have any weight. You may recover but the blood of Old Valeria will not suffer to have a cripple as their child. The blood must always be pure. This is the reason given by mothers and grandparents who throw their newborns into the corpse pits, you merely had the misfortune of being older than most. Of course the reason she gave was that you were possessed. As if anyone would believe the excuses of her simple mind."

They stood silent for a moment.

"Do you know how demanding she was when we first married? I was lost in lust and gave into her demands for fine food and wine and silks. Her excessive tastes nearly drove me to slavery as a way of repaying her debts. Of course I put an end to all of that when I realised what her womanly mind was driving me towards. She may be of womanly mind but she is still your mother and has much to teach you of being a woman that you will not be able to learn from anyone else. I have also put it in stern terms that whilst she may discipline you she will not be permitted to kill you or I shall use my authority as a husband to punish her severely. So unless she attempts something drastic once more, you will listen to her."

"Why?" the young girl asked once more.

"Are you shocked?" he asked, "What do you expect from the Old Blood? Even one who has fallen as low as your mother? They are often brilliant or mad. Your mother seems to find solace in switching between the two at her whims. I can not decide if her actions were out of madness or reason."

"No" she replied, "Know reason. But not why."

"Oh? What do you think is the reason that she tried to kill you?"

She unravelled a portion of her robes and from inside of them popped out the head of a red baby dragon.

His mind froze. When had it hatched? He had been away for long stretches of time, building relationships with the institutions and powerful people of the city as well as maintaining his business… but how had he not heard of or been told of this. A dragon being born in his own house!

"She killed because this." She whispered. "But why?"

His mind froze.

If it was his daughter that had hatched the Dragon and bonded with it… if she was killed then his wife would have the dragon. If he was then killed then she would have a dragon and be unbound to any man.

Able to marry back into the noble blood and return to her life of extravagance.

That bitch.

"Thank you." he said to his daughter. "I will have a word with your mother." He looked to the dragon, "take care of it."

"Her" she whispered. He caught a small smile on her face, "Name... Charizard."

"So that's what happened." Leaf explained to Nails. The aftermath of the attack was chaos. Everyone was angry and confused. Leaf was on the razor edge of death and had to be helped if she was going to survive. But through it all, no one knew who's body was being worn by the abomination. However in time they were able to confirm one another's identities. Every Singer in the tribe was accounted for.

Though Leaf was left paralysed from the chest down.

Which begged the question of where the Elder had gone?

"But you had been attacked and directly warged, as had your brother. When we looked over both your bodies, we noticed something strange" Leaf began explaining to Nails.

"What?" Nails replied.

"Firstly you should know that the song of flesh is his speciality. It always has been. It is how he was able to knock you out so quickly, by touching vital points on your body and stopping the blood flow."

"Oh?"

"Yes, and… whilst the tribe had been knocked out from his mental strike, he..." Leaf grimaced. "Nails. You will have to leave here with your child as soon as possible. I will send an escort south with you. I do not know if your brother will recover or not but it is clear that you are a target and not safe here. If he recovers we shall find a way to let you know."

"What did he do?" Nails asked. "I've seen the worst of the bastard. For a moment I thought better of him but I will not let him take me again."

"He can do things with the body we can not imagine. What he did to your tribe and your bloodline in particular has not been heard of since the lost ages." Leaf took a deep breath "Nails...you are pregnant."

"No." she whispered.

"From the… mess we found. it seems as if your brother is the father."

"No, no, no." she wept.

"Twins."

Her son slept, unaware and uncaring of his mother's distress.