Post by cardon131313 on Jun 9, 2014 16:51:01 GMT -5
(for Sasha)
Stephen Streindhall looked through his pack one last time. Supplies, bow, hunting knives, arrows, everything needed for the patrol. He neatly rolled it all back into the bags, and shouldered them over his black cloak and furs, and left his cell. A few brothers nodded to him as he crossed them in the darkness of the corridors, but those who were not asleep were mostly working outside. From one of the few windows, he saw the blizzard that was flinging snow against the walls in the dark of early morning.
-"Stephen." The captain of the shadow tower greeted him at the gate. "You are going alone again?"
-"As I allways have, sir."
-"We can't afford to loose good rangers, Stephen."
-"Then don't send anyone out except me. I will not walk with anyone else, sir. I have done so three times, and I have allways returned alone."
The captain considered for a moment, as he allways did. Men like Stephen were scarce in the Night's watch, awfully scarce. Yet it was true he had lost six men trying to proctect one who never seemed to run any risk out there.
-"Then be careful."
-"As allways, sir. My patrol will last five days, and I will return by the seventh day. If not, then do not expect me to return."
-"Good. Be wary, wildlings have been reported moving around in the woods."
-"Yes sir."
He got to the great gate at the foot of the wall, which opened before him. The guards nodded a greeting, muffled by their heavy coats and scarves. Stephen himself was barely reckognizable, protected as he was from the snow. He walked through the long tunnel beneath the wall, escorted by one of the guards with a torch. At the end of the corridor, two more guards, who pulled open the heavy door.
-"Be safe out there."
Stephen looked out into the dark storm before he spoke;
-"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch."
The three guards completed it with him. They were used to his antics by now. Often in the mess hall they would jest about it, but every time, contemplating this lonely ranger, faced with the harshest conditions known to man, reminding them of their solemn duty to protect the millions living in blissful ignorance. And in the cold of the night, with the very real, cold, dangerous north in front of them, they took it with the utmost solemnity.
-"for this night and all the nights to come."
And with that said, Stephen strode out into the dark. When the sun rose, and shone across the untouched snow, the sky clear once more, the wall was a distant memory, far out of sight. He was in the majestic valleys of the white-cloaked mountains, and he had packed his black cloaks in his bags, wearing only his white wolf furs.
Stephen Streindhall looked through his pack one last time. Supplies, bow, hunting knives, arrows, everything needed for the patrol. He neatly rolled it all back into the bags, and shouldered them over his black cloak and furs, and left his cell. A few brothers nodded to him as he crossed them in the darkness of the corridors, but those who were not asleep were mostly working outside. From one of the few windows, he saw the blizzard that was flinging snow against the walls in the dark of early morning.
-"Stephen." The captain of the shadow tower greeted him at the gate. "You are going alone again?"
-"As I allways have, sir."
-"We can't afford to loose good rangers, Stephen."
-"Then don't send anyone out except me. I will not walk with anyone else, sir. I have done so three times, and I have allways returned alone."
The captain considered for a moment, as he allways did. Men like Stephen were scarce in the Night's watch, awfully scarce. Yet it was true he had lost six men trying to proctect one who never seemed to run any risk out there.
-"Then be careful."
-"As allways, sir. My patrol will last five days, and I will return by the seventh day. If not, then do not expect me to return."
-"Good. Be wary, wildlings have been reported moving around in the woods."
-"Yes sir."
He got to the great gate at the foot of the wall, which opened before him. The guards nodded a greeting, muffled by their heavy coats and scarves. Stephen himself was barely reckognizable, protected as he was from the snow. He walked through the long tunnel beneath the wall, escorted by one of the guards with a torch. At the end of the corridor, two more guards, who pulled open the heavy door.
-"Be safe out there."
Stephen looked out into the dark storm before he spoke;
-"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch."
The three guards completed it with him. They were used to his antics by now. Often in the mess hall they would jest about it, but every time, contemplating this lonely ranger, faced with the harshest conditions known to man, reminding them of their solemn duty to protect the millions living in blissful ignorance. And in the cold of the night, with the very real, cold, dangerous north in front of them, they took it with the utmost solemnity.
-"for this night and all the nights to come."
And with that said, Stephen strode out into the dark. When the sun rose, and shone across the untouched snow, the sky clear once more, the wall was a distant memory, far out of sight. He was in the majestic valleys of the white-cloaked mountains, and he had packed his black cloaks in his bags, wearing only his white wolf furs.