(???, ???)
The wounds on his body were already healing. Left by those damned creatures of fire, who had taken advantage of their speed and flight to harass him and his subordinates.
Concentrating slightly, frost escaped his body and spread towards the injured Walkers under his command.
At least those lucky enough to survive their latest attack.
It healed whatever injuries they had, though it could not bring back those who had already fallen. Raising servants took time and needed living, breathing mortals.
Two things he surely lacked at the moment.
At the back of his mind, his madder half was snarling in rage, demanding that he respond with several times the pain this southern coward had dealt them.
Still, he kept his hand.
He was by no means foolish. The adolescent deity was undoubtedly trying to force a confrontation between them. Such arrogance on one so young made him want to roll his frozen eyes. Did the boy think he could take him on with these paltry attempts? How Ridiculous.
A faint swoosh was heard as the two creatures returned once more, much to his annoyance.
Originally, they were quite clumsy and inept, owing to the natural restraint his powers had on them, but their ability to restore their bodies made it so that unless he completely erased the flames that they were made up of, they would continue to return.
It left him and his followers passively responding to their sporadic attack as they learned from their first encounters and adapted.
As a consolation prize, their attacks could only do superficial damage to him, his superiority showing its worth in front of these desperate, cheap tricks. The same could not be said about his servants.
Unfortunately, in the long run, the numbers that took him millennia to raise were being consumed at an alarming rate.
Much to his annoyance, a familiar rumbling noise filled the air, starting as a low hum before increasing in magnitude, with the ground shaking violently and throwing many off their feet.
Simultaneously, an extremely bright light encompassed the area they were in. High up in the sky were none other than the two menaces. To his surprise, this time, the two dragons' claws grabbed at each other instead of striking towards his party.
Were they attacking each other?
Momentarily stunned by the change in behavior, he had no time to react as a rapid discharge of lightning struck at him. One of his Walkers didn't hesitate to throw himself in front of the befuddled Night King, swiftly turning into crystals as the thunder destroyed it. Sacrificing itself as was its duty.
Fury welled in his veins as he realized the intent of that adolescent god. The loss didn't matter, no, it was the humiliation he felt at being caught unaware.
Those avatars cared not for his plight as their bodies began to visibly merge.
Discovering their intentions, he felt concern welling up deep in his bones. Whatever they intended could not be allowed to be completed, for it only meant trouble for him.
Hovering mid-air, the two avatars tried to accumulate their power into one singular form, sending small bursts of fire all around them, randomly falling upon his Walkers, observing the phenomenon, instantly melting whatever they fell on. Some were unlucky enough to be hit on the head, rendering them dead upon contact.
His mood could no longer be described as anything but aggrieved.
The Night King, for the first time in millennia, felt suffocated by an existence that should not be. This could not go on; their numbers were dwindling far faster than he could raise. Something had to be done before it reached an irreversible point.
He needed something that would snuff out the fires that blazed bright. Reaching inwardly, he sought aid in bringing these accursed creatures down.
As always, his patron answered his call with disdain.
Whilst seeking answers, he felt the ancient being's contempt for his failure. Yet again, despite his contempt, the Cold One answered, for he had no one else who would willingly worship his accursed existence.
Staring at the two avatars attempting to merge right above him. He sneered as immense power was released from within him.
Disrupting whatever they sought.
Unable to maintain their connection, the two avatars instinctively reacted by sending vast swathes of fire towards him. Resisting the pressure coming from within him. Yet they were unworthy, unable to withstand the divine energy of his patron.
Their fires begin to dim as something beyond their comprehension makes its presence known.
The Night King nearly laughed as the situation changed once more. Now they were on the back foot, and it was only a matter of time before their existences were snuffed out.
Although they tried to resist, Winter was beyond their mere abilities.
How can the power of a barely ascendant god match that of a true lord of the world? Their flames slowly eroded, as blue frost surrounded their bodies, coupled with the heavy oppression that came from primal winter itself.
Letting out simultaneous cries of pain, the two avatars fell to the ground beneath them. To his waiting arms, as he prepared to finish the job then and there.
In his eyes, this was just the stubborn struggles of a weak, fledgling god. Who undoubtedly had spent much of his power to create these two nuisances.
Thump!
The two soul beasts fell to the ground, melting the snow beneath them due to the scorching heat they emitted and creating a large crater.
Walking towards them victoriously. He was ready to end this farce when both avatars raised their heads towards him.
Click!
That was the only sound he got as a warning, as a bright inferno of fire engulfed him.
The two heads led out simultaneous roars of defiance as they violently exploded, sending him crashing to the ground as he felt immense pain throughout his body. If that wasn't humiliating enough, a significant portion of his servants were unable to survive the explosion. Losing their lives in the process and further reducing their numbers.
For the first time in centuries, the exiled Stark agreed with the mad half that holed itself up at the back of his mind. This. This CANNOT STAND!
"YOU WISH FOR A BATTLE! YOU SHALL HAVE IT, GODLING!"
…
(Erlend Mudd)
The roar of impotent fury could be heard even as far up as he was. Oh. The Night King was angry, alright, very angry in fact.
All the Better for him, an emotional enemy was unable to react appropriately. Let his popsicle's anger consume him, blinding him to the true danger that awaited him.
Erlend would further nurture it till it reached a point at which it would only hamper the popsicle.
Interestingly enough, the Night King had sought aid from his patron.
It seemed that the two avatars had put up a much better fight than Erlend had initially intended for them. Did he overestimate his opponent's capabilities? That shouldn't be the case, since everything else had been buffed beyond their normal capabilities. So the Night King should be no different.
The more likely answer was that he underestimated his creations. Enough that they might prove useful in the final fight. How would the popsicle react to their reappearance?
Just for the heck of it, Erlend sent several more lightning strikes towards the location of the enraged roar and the otherworldly energy it emitted.
He had to keep his enemy on his toes after all.
…
Taking a look at his Uncle, Erlend could confidently say that the man was a beast in battle.
Ashara had nothing on him when it came to pure numbers. The man had killed far more Walkers than any other human, excluding Erlend.
The grizzled Mudd had shown his prowess in battle by making light work of the Walkers. His men were little more than auxiliary support, providing cover fire while he curled down the Walkers.
It made for a remarkable sight as his Uncle proved his mettle against their foes.
He could see Yohn on the side, directing the archers and creating what was essentially a path for Lorimas to take, moving from one Walker to another.
The two partners worked in cohesion unseen in the other battlefields.
In a sense, when fighting these versions of undead armies, the best tactic was to try and kill the Walker in charge, as that was the best way to finish off the enemy as soon as possible, with as few casualties as possible.
The main issue with this method was that it required a core powerful warrior to take charge, one who was either enhanced to be on par with Walkers or at least have equipment that put them at that level, to do the dirty work. Something that was far more difficult to achieve, as the lines stretched for leagues on end.
There just weren't enough special warriors to go around.
Erlend couldn't mass-produce the equipment needed to boost his men to a level that made them capable of such feats. The materials needed were simply too scarce and difficult to get hold of.
Yi Ti had some of it, and so did the free cities under his control, but they were scarce, and most were going into the creation of his divine gears.
So he went with the next best option. Blessing experienced warriors such as Raymond and Arthur, and equipping them with Valyrian steel so that they could slay the Walkers. This was enough to keep the lines stable.
Points that lacked such warriors were ordered to remain on the defensive, with support being provided as soon as possible if things got way out of hand. This was where his Dragons shone, being capable of moving from one end of the Wall to the other at ease and providing timely aid at the drop of a hat.
Tactics aside, everything had become much calmer since his avatars had made their moves.
The undead, while still a nuisance on occasion, had mainly to recuperate from their losses and regroup. The Night King was frustrated with the lack of results and likely intended to change that by going on a more coordinated offensive.
Erlend was prepared for anything his foe might throw at him. Though his core worry at the moment was the potential for Ice Dragons to be brought into the fold.
This wasn't something he could take lightly.
As far as he was aware, this special breed of dragons could supposedly be found in the White Waste, Shivering Sea, and Cannibal Bay. All locations from which the influence of the Great Other was particularly strong.
There was some inconsistency in this information, as Erlend was aware that if Ice Dragons truly remained as alive as rumored, then why had magic declined? They were still dragons at their core after all.
Neither did the Night King ever use such a beast in his battle with Jon and Dany, preferring to take control over Dany's dead child. Suggesting that if they were still alive somewhere, the Night King had failed to bring them under his service.
That left him doubting their potential entry into the Winter War.
What was not doubtful was the giant ice spider constructs that were running around, causing havoc at the moment.
Like the predators they were inspired by, they were far more picky about who they attacked and when they attacked. Choosing only to make their presence known once a Walker raid failed, and the men were too tired to react properly.
This had led to a decline in the morale of those most affected. Giving Erlend another growing headache as did his best to smite every single fucking arachnid of the face of the planet. Thankfully, they weren't as difficult to kill as their riders, with many capable bannermen slaying them, provided they were prepared.
It was the surprise attacks that caused the most issues. Even when knowing that they existed and were ready to pounce, there was some difficulty in repelling them.
For the most part, despite the occasional setbacks. Erlend had achieved many of his goals.
What remained was to deal with the Night King, considering his reaction to the avatars, it was only a matter of time before their final battle occurred.
It must be noted that Erlend didn't expect to deal with the Night King alone. Rather, he figured that there was a possibility the Great Other would show up, or at least take control over the Night King.
This was mainly because Erlend was a god, and while the Night King might not take him seriously due to his young age and innate pride, an experienced god like the Great Other would not make that assumption.
He did, after all, already have a record of taking on the Horse God and R'hllor, and coming out of it victorious, even if the other gods weren't aware of how Erlend had done so.
Therefore, Erlend prepared for the worst-case scenario as much as possible. Mainly by avoiding the use of his trump cards.
Otherwise, the risk of the Great Other fleeing and going into hiding was too big. Making him a constant thorn in whatever future stability he wanted to achieve.
A repeat of the drowned god's situation.
Come to think of it. Erlend should have hunted down that bastard when he still had the chance. Unfortunately, the Cthulhu wannabe was far too well hidden for Erlend to get to him any time soon.
It was something he'd have to deal with once Westeros was sorted and Edmund was ready to take the reins of rulership.
A god with a vendetta against him and his family wasn't something anyone wanted out there.
…
(Raymond Feld)
One could argue that his King did not need guards.
Raymond could honestly say that he agreed with that statement. It always felt like it was the King protecting them, rather than the other way around.
Despite that, it did not affect his dedication to House Mudd, just as his forefathers had, he swore to protect them with all his might. The Felds had been nothing before the Mudds and would continue to be nothing if the Mudds had not taken them in.
It was only fair that they repay trust with loyalty.
"Sir, there's been suspicious activity to the east, permission to investigate?" One of his subordinates requested.
"Take a team with you. It might be just another of those blasted spiders trying to reel you in."
"Yes, Sir!" Giving him a salute, the guardsmen quickly moved to gather a team.
Raymond kept a close eye on the surroundings, waiting for the shoe to drop. The King had confirmed that the enemy would make a full push any day now. It was only a matter of time.
Frankly, he'd rather be by his King's side at these troubling hours, but through his peculiar magics the King was out there seven knows where, doing what he could to prepare for the coming struggle.
The Royal Guard who'd arrived north just recently was instructed to provide support wherever they could. Filling gaps in the lines and making sure their side remained firm.
Unable to continue with their normal duties, they could only do as ordered. As too many were already lost.
Raymond could not help but feel dread pool within his gut. He knew something was going to happen today, just not when.
…
He sensed it immediately.
The change in the surroundings was readily apparent to all who were stationed here. Signals were instantly passed on, allowing the men to get into defensive positions, unsure of whether this was a normal raid or something else.
To avoid any surprises, one of the guards immediately broke off as previously instructed and swiftly retreated to the Wall, carrying news of whatever this was.
That should give them enough warning in case things go wrong. With his hands firmly on the grip of his blade. Raymond readied himself.
The sight that they were met with was infuriating, to say the least.
The head of the man that had been sent to investigate earlier was proudly presented to the Royal Guards, held high up by a White Walker, riding high and mighty atop his arachnid mount.
His subordinates team was no better, their corposes tied to the bodies of several of those damned giant spiders, with some even occasionaly taking a bite out of them. It was nothing more than an open taunt against them.
They could have risen as wights just as every poor corpse beyond the wall had been, but the enemy wanted to unsettle them.
At first glance, there was no other Walker in sight, but that didn't mean much, as they could be hiding somewhere, ready to strike at any given opportunity.
A deliberate insult that they felt Raymond would not be able to stand. His brothers in arms deserved better than this, which he understood. Yet, he kept a steady head. They wanted them to give chase, something Raymond was unwilling to do when faced with so many hidden dangers.
When the enemy sought something, any person with a remote sliver of intelligence knew better than to follow with it.
Staring right back at the taunting eyes of his enemy. "Stay your ground. No one is to give chase regardless of what they do." He gritted out to his fellow troops.
They must remain rational now more than ever. This bastard would have his due, that Raymond swore.
Seemingly disappointed by his opponent's calm appearance, the White Walker sneered at him, spouting something he could not make sense of. Though one didn't need to know what he was saying to understand the intent behind it.
'Coward'
Unfortunately for the Walker, Raymond remained unresponsive to his taunts. More focused on searching for any other hidden Walkers or even an ambush from wights.
He wouldn't put it past them to overwhelm them with hordes of wights. That was a favored tactic of these bastards after all.
He could only hope that reinforcements would arrive as soon as possible. Whatever this was, to his gut it reeked of looming disaster.
As if the heavens themselves were agreeing with his thoughts, more giant spiders arrived shortly after. At their head was someone Raymond had not expected to see.
His King had made sure that all Commanders and Officers were aware of his appearance after all.
A being of cold and icy blue eyes and pale skin rode atop a painfully larger ice spider, likely the largest one he'd seen so far. He was different, that was most apparent to the Lord Commander.
The crown atop his head gleamed in the sunlight.
Though it was his very presence that made him stand out from the rest of the Walkers, it felt inherently wrong, as if he were a blight upon the lands they called home.
To Raymond, this unnatural being could be none other than the mythical horror that mothers warned their children about. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that he and his men had the luck to be graced with his presence.
'I hope that lad managed to call for aid, because we're certainly going to need it.'
======
Note: So we get a Night King POV and even one of the Feld brothers, how interesting! I'm trying to wrap this up nicely, thus the added POV's, though it will end with Erlend's of course.