Castle Black

[Sam]

"Half a fortnight, I expect. Are you expecting war before then?" he asked politely, but with undisguised interest

[The Flint]

Halgar looked at Robb Burley, who grinned back at his father, "no," Halgar said, "I wouldn't be expecting nothing like that. How about you, wildlings quiet lately?"

[Sam]

"Aye, haven't heard much from them, not in a few years at least. Ol' Stark smashed then on the Milkwater nigh on twenty years ago, but they've not yet truly recovered. I imagine we'll have to deal with their like soon enough, but we'll throw them back just like we always do."

[The Flint]

Halgar nodded, "If you say so." He turned for a moment, and backed off several paces to speak with his son. they whispered quietly.

"Alright, we'll take it," Halgar finally said, "Can we stay here till the supplies are ready?"

[Sam]

"Aye, there's plenty of space and more here, but don't expect much in the way of comfort. The Watch isn't as strong as it once was," he said a little wistfully. The First Steward cringed as another scream rang out from the castle behind him, echoing in the cold air.

[The Flint]

"Looks nice." Halgar said undeterred, "I ain't never slept in no bed, even a lumpy one."

[Horas]

Sentries from the castle spot a small, ragged-looking figure approaching from the southwest. As they watch, the figure collapses to the earth and does not rise again.

[Sam]

Riders are sent out to retrieve the figure, and his inert body is taken back to Castle Black where the castle's maester tends to him in whatever way he can.

[Horas]

The figure is a woman, commonborn from the looks of her, her clothing dirty and torn. Her eyes are red and raw from tears.

"They killed my boys," she cries, "They killed both of my boys!" She devolves into another fit of sobbing.

[Sam]

Several of the black brothers gape at the sight of a woman, many of them having not seen one in several years, but a few of the smarter Night's Watchmen think to alert the Lord Commander, who arrives at the Maester's tower, to find the woman in hysterics.

"Who killed your boys?" he asked softly, in a gentle voice that was clearly very businesslike.

[Horas]

The woman hugs herself and rocks back and forth. "The wildlings... they burned everything, they killed my boys!"

[Sam]

Farman snapped upright like he'd been burned. "Where? How many?" He asked the woman hurriedly, ignoring her sobs. He turned to one of the other sworn brothers and snapped, "Why are you still here? Find me Cracker!"

The man fled from the room, searching for the First Ranger.

[Horas]

The woman collapses into incomprehensible sobs as the Lord Commander begins to yell.

One of the black brothers runs off to fetch Cracker. The First Ranger arrives shortly after. He looks at the crying woman in confusion. "You called, boss?"

[Sam]

The Lord Commander ignores the First Ranger momentarily, and speaks through tightly clenched teeth at the sobbing woman. "If there are wildlings south of the Wall, we have to know where."

[Horas]

"Everywhere!" she cries, "They killed my boys! They killed my boys!"