The Winter kingdom

Version 2.0

The night's moon hangs high in the star-studded sky, casting a silvery glow upon the grove. The group, wrapped in layers of warmth, huddled around a low crackling fire of the village house.

Brandon, Jon, Edric, Lyanna, and Jocelyn sat in a semi-circle, their eyes fixed on the grove and the heart tree as it gently swayed in the breeze without any care. The heart tree's face seemed to hold silent, its expression unchanging as a single tear fell its face.

The group waited as every snap of a twig or distant howl of the wild heightened their senses. The villagers had joined the group, fully committed to the words of strangers, waiting in the night like a mother waiting for her battle-bound son. Their Swords were sharpened, arrows fletch were bristled and window watchers pealed their eyes.

Time seemed to stretch, as they waited for the creatures that haunted their journey. The fire crackled, and owls hooted. Yet for the preparation, nothing seemed to happen in the grove, and the time seemed to pass just like the winds outside.

Edric's whisper cut through the stillness. "Think we could have been wrong, Brandon?"

Brandon rakes his eyes over the garden, "Could have been. I mean, we did take quite a chance that they would come here rather than anywhere else."

Lyanna rubs her eyes. "Leave it for tonight then?"

"You guys can sleep if you want; I can stay up," Brandon said.

Edric flashed a smile. "If you think it's today, then we will stay up."

Jocelyn sits up. "Jon, can you smell that?"

"What, the bromance between Edric and Bran? Yeah, I can, and it smells spicy."

"No, you idiot." She said smacking his arm. "I mean, can you smell onions? And don't say a fart joke."

Jon raised his hands in surrender, "No, I smell nothing." However, he does look out the window as the owls stop hooting.

Lyanna sits down. "How did you two get into fart jokes?"

Before an answer could emerge, the night shattered with the crack of ice breaking, echoing through the stillness. The abrupt noise jolted the inhabitants of the houses, stirring them from their slumber. The group, rushed out of the house followed quickly by the other inhabitants of the grove whilst window watches complain of not seeing a single thing.

As the group exited the house, the cold night air greeted them. The moon's light picked up as it revealed the entire grove in light.

Their eyes were quick to adjust to the light, which was quickly drawn toward the heart tree. Beside it stood a child of the forest. Clad in tattered and twisted remnants of plant materials, its cloths frayed and crusty. A chaotic ensemble of thorns and spikes adorned its body jutting out from gaps in cloths.

Its eyes, orbs of unnatural intelligence, gleamed with an eagerness. Long, gnarled hair parted to reveal its face, interwoven with thorny vines. A cloak of woven thistles and vines draped over its hunched shoulders. In its long, spindly fingers, the child of the forest cradled a wickedly sharp black dagger. The blade is adorned with eerie etchings and symbols.

As the moonlight played upon the creature's twisted form, casting eerie shadows across the grove, a large ice spider, its crystalline body reflecting the moonlight, clung to the tree, its spindly legs navigating the bark with an unsettling grace. The cold emanating from the creature sent shivers down the group's spines.

In the heart of the grove, two figures were bound to the ancient tree. Their eyes conveyed a complete fear as they gazed upon the intruders.

The child of the forest turned its gaze toward the approaching group, its eyes glinting with curiosity.

"Humans. And so many of them. How interesting," it says with precise articulation. "How can I help?"

"Stop your ritual? Nothing good can come from this." Brandon asks as he tilts his head.

"Plenty of good can come from many things, human. It is more a question of what good it can do for you. But how rude of me; I have not even introduced myself. I am Aloe, child of the deep southern forest and weaver of life. Now no need to be shy; tell me your name?" He asks, slithering around the open area.

"I'm Brandon. Now, I would ask that you stop this ritual, or I will force you to."

"Brandon, an interesting name for an interesting man, and for such an interesting man, I would but ask that he indulge me, the privilege of speaking, but for a while."

Brandon quickly looks around the ritual area and sees that the two humans have no marks or injuries on them and don't seem to be in any pain.

"Why are you doing this, Aloe? Why the ritual, what does it do? Are you also what is causing this never-ending winter?"

Aloe smiles before continuing to slip around the tree roots. "The ritual is to do good for humanity, to help them on their path. Much like you are Brandon, now though I would ask, why you are here, if that is alright."

"I'm here to stop these rituals. Now answer me, how can any ritual using humans ever do good?" He asks.

"The sacrifice of the few, to benefit the many, you know all about that, Brandon."

"What are you talking about?"

"I knew someone would come after me eventually; you don't start to help change the world and don't gain a bit of attention. You are very brave for coming all the way here, Brandon, just to stop me."

Jon moved closer to the tree. "I would say the same to you. You trapped yourself in this grove."

"Trapped? For me, not so much. For it was not convenience that I pick this heart tree; I chose this heart tree, and all you are doing here is helping me further."

"What are you on about?" Brandon said.

He continued to elegantly move around the tree. "This is not the first time that I have conducted this ritual, Brandon."

His words send a wave of goosebumps up everyone's back.

"You have been interesting to talk to, Brandon, but words must now be done away with, and instead, observations must be made. Apologies, Brandon, but you are too late to save them."

Suddenly, the sounds of ice being rapidly frozen sound out in the grove. Quickly before anyone can even move, the couple tied to the tree starts to freeze over.

"My good for humanity, Brandon. My White Walkers, and my creation for the Others, their minions to command. Enjoy, Brandon." He says quickly being scooped up by the Ice Spider in the tree that with incredible ability springs high into the sky, disappearing into the dark.