For the people of Redemption Town, the daily patrols of the Stone Giants were nothing unusual anymore. Aside from newcomers who still gawked and exclaimed in wonder as the massive beings passed by, the residents of Redemption Town—and even those from other cities across Summerhall—had long since grown used to their presence.
However, the Stone Giants that had appeared over the past two days still drew considerable attention. This time, they weren't patrolling alone. Perched on their shoulders were small figures with three fingers, golden eyes, large ears, and statures no taller than a dwarf. Many of the more learned among the crowd recognized these small beings as the long-lost and once-legendary Children of the Forest.
Though there were some old tales about Stone Giants scattered throughout Westeros, they were usually depicted as clumsy beasts hunted by knights. Their reputation was never as awe-inspiring as their towering frames suggested.
The Children of the Forest, on the other hand, held a far deeper presence in Westerosi folklore. Their stories had endured for generations, outnumbering and outlasting even those of the Stone Giants and other mysterious creatures. Countless folk tales revolved around them.
One of the most popular stories told across Westeros was about a woodcutter who ventured into the forest to chop firewood. Just as he was about to strike a weirwood tree, a Child of the Forest appeared and offered him endless wealth in exchange for a promise to never harm a weirwood again. The woodcutter, greedy for more, broke his vow. When he raised his axe against another weirwood, the wound inflicted on the tree also appeared on his own body. He died beneath its branches.
There were countless tales like this. Some even tied ancient heroes to the Children of the Forest. According to legend, the founder of House Lannister—Lann the Clever—passed the Children's trials, receiving their blessings in the form of extraordinary intelligence, a silver tongue, and a long life.
In the past decade, the most talked-about legend involving the Children of the Forest was the story of Lynd. In that tale, he encountered a Child of the Forest in the Kingswood, passed her trial, and was granted great power, along with a mutated shadowcat.
What made this story even more intriguing was that Lynd himself never denied it. On the contrary, when asked about it at feasts or gatherings, he would casually admit that the tale was true.
Most people, of course, thought he was just joking. But now, with the Children of the Forest appearing in Summerhall and joining Lynd's armed forces, many were beginning to reconsider the old legend.
In every account, the Children of the Forest were depicted as mysterious beings with powerful magical abilities. One of the most enduring legends claimed that it was they who destroyed the Arm of Dorne with their magic.
For thousands of years, the Citadel had insisted that the Children of the Forest never existed, and that the Arm of Dorne was swallowed by the sea due to natural causes—warming climates, melting ice in the North, and rising sea levels that flooded the lowlands.
But no matter how convincing the Maesters' theories were, they never explained why the drowned region of the Arm of Dorne hadn't reemerged during the Long Winter, even as the seas in the North froze over.
Now, with the Children of the Forest—long dismissed as myth—appearing openly in Summerhall, many people began to believe that the old stories were true after all, including those about them destroying the Arm of Dorne with magic.
In fact, some even began following the Stone Giant patrols around town, making strange noises to get the Children's attention, hoping they too might undergo a trial like in the legends and receive powerful gifts or treasure.
...
"Lynd, you really need to do something about the people in your lands—they've gone too far." On the sixth day after the Children of the Forest settled in Summerhall, their leader, Greystone, stormed into the castle, visibly frustrated.
"It was bad enough when they were shouting and making weird noises during patrols with the Stone Giants. But now they're trying to steal our clothes—saying the leaves we wear are magical! Lynd, are your people all mad?"
As a Child of the Forest from the Neck, Greystone wasn't entirely unfamiliar with humans. She'd had brief encounters before and knew what to expect, generally speaking. But the people of Redemption Town were so wildly different from what she'd imagined that she was starting to regret ever implementing her integration plan.
"They're just seeing a Child of the Forest for the first time," Lynd said calmly. "The old stories have made them act out. I'll issue an official decree—anyone who harms a Child of the Forest or tries to steal from them will be severely punished."
He handed a signed document to his attendant, stretched his arms, and added reassuringly, "Don't worry too much. When the Stone Giants first arrived, the uproar was even worse than this. Give it time—once the novelty wears off, they'll stop acting so erratically."
"I hope so," Greystone muttered, nodding.
Lynd then asked, "How have your people been getting along with the wyvern hatchlings?"
"Really well. The wyverns are a bit temperamental, but a little discipline sorts that out," Greystone replied, clearly excited. "Once they're grown, we'll have the world's first Children of the Forest wyvern riders."
It wasn't hard to understand her excitement. With the knowledge to tame and breed wyverns, they were gaining a powerful means of protection.
Even if they couldn't defeat an enemy, they could at least escape danger swiftly with the help of the wyverns.
"I'm looking forward to it," Lynd said with a smile.
He wasn't worried about the Children of the Forest wielding the power of wyverns. As a species on the brink of extinction, even with such a force, they couldn't possibly pose any threat to human society—just like the Stone Giants, who had mastered smithing armor and weapons but had never used it against others.
Lynd then asked, "By the way, have the people chosen for the migration to the Kingdom of Lorne been decided yet?"
"Not yet," Greystone shook her head. "It'll still take a few more days. This isn't the kind of decision we can make lightly."
After bringing the Children of the Forest back to Summerhall, Lynd had settled them in the woods near the Black Pit. The area was patrolled by Chosen Ones and surrounded by restricted zones, so it was safe from outside threats.
But that was only a temporary relocation. Lynd had identified two other locations as long-term options. One was the Rainwood in the Stormlands, a vast primeval forest with an environment well-suited for the Children of the Forest. However, relocation there would have to wait until Lynd took control of the Stormlands.
The other option was the Great Forest of Qohor, now part of the Kingdom of Lorne. Since Qohor had joined the Kingdom of Lorne, the Great Forest had been incorporated along with it. The forest there was even larger than the Rainwood, and because people on the Essos continent were generally more tolerant of mysterious beings like the Children of the Forest, life in Qohor would likely be far easier for them than in Westeros.
More importantly, it was said that a tribe of Children of the Forest already lived in the Great Forest of Qohor.
The Children were still debating where to go. Both options had their pros and cons. The overall environment in Qohor would probably be more favorable, but if danger struck, Lynd would have a hard time coming to their aid. Their decision to join Summerhall in the first place had been largely because of the protection Lynd could offer.
Staying in Westeros and moving into the Rainwood, however, came with its own problems. The Rainwood already had Stormlands lords who controlled it. The Children of the Forest wouldn't enjoy the same freedom there as in Qohor, and their unfamiliar customs might lead to clashes with the local lords. Conflicts like that had occurred before, even during the time of the First Men.
After much discussion, the Children decided to split into two groups—those too old or weak to travel would remain in Summerhall's territory, while the stronger among them would head to the Great Forest of Qohor to establish a new home.
However, difficulties arose in selecting who would go. Several days had passed with no final list. It was clear some internal disagreement had emerged. Since it was an internal matter, Lynd didn't interfere. He simply urged them to make their choices soon so he could coordinate with Nymeria.
...
Not long after the Children of the Forest left, Balin came rushing in. As he set the latest intelligence on the table, he quickly reported, "My lord, something's happened in King's Landing!"
Lynd picked up the documents and flipped through them quickly. A look of confusion crossed his face—things in King's Landing were not unfolding as he had expected.
King Robert had been attacked in a brothel by a prostitute from Myr. Thanks to the protection of Barristan the Bold, Robert escaped with only a wounded wrist. It didn't seem serious at first, but the day after he returned to the Red Keep, he was bedridden and delirious. The blade used in the attack had been laced with an unknown poison.
Before slipping into unconsciousness, Robert named Eddard Stark as Regent of the Kingdom and Warden of the Realm. He was to hold those titles until Robert recovered—or, if he died, until Joffrey came of age.
Shortly after Eddard assumed these duties, he clashed with Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer and member of the Kingsguard. The cause: Catelyn Stark had secretly entered King's Landing and kidnapped Tyrion Lannister, the Imp.
Tyrion's disappearance had already stirred up chaos in the city ten days earlier. Jaime had mobilized all the Gold Cloaks, scouring Silk Street, where Tyrion was a regular. He arrested many people and even shut down the Black Cat brothel where Tyrion was last seen, imprisoning the madam and everyone else there.
Only after receiving a direct order from King Robert did Jaime finally stop the manhunt.
But despite the extensive search, Tyrion remained missing. Many believed he was already dead—captured and dumped into Blackwater Bay.
Then, just as Eddard officially became Regent, word arrived from Gulltown in the Vale. A ship carrying Lady Catelyn Tully and Tyrion had been forced to dock due to a storm. Tyrion appeared to be her prisoner.
No one in King's Landing could agree on why Lady Catelyn had kidnapped the Imp. Theories abounded, and many wondered whether Eddard had known about it in advance.
Despite his reputation, Tyrion was still a Lannister. He was the legal heir to House Lannister and, unless something happened to him, the future Lord of Casterly Rock.
So when the Lady of the North seized the heir of the Westerlands, it looked to many like a direct provocation—maybe even a declaration of war. As news spread through King's Landing, it reached Casterly Rock as well. Tywin Lannister, the old lion, immediately began raising his forces to demand justice from the North.
In King's Landing, Jaime Lannister took even more drastic action. He tried to seize Eddard Stark and use him to bargain for Tyrion. But Barristan intervened, preventing him from succeeding. Jaime only managed to wound Eddard and kill his captain of guards before fleeing the city under Queen Cersei's protection. Cersei and the rest of the royal family, including Joffrey, were placed under house arrest in the Red Keep.
With King Robert unconscious and Eddard Stark in charge, many in the city began to suspect that the Lord of Winterfell intended to claim the Iron Throne for himself. Northerners had never been popular in King's Landing—they were seen as crude, uncultured, even barbaric. The idea of a Northman as Hand of the King was already hard enough to accept. Now, with everything happening, Eddard's actions only seemed to confirm their fears, and resentment toward him deepened.
Rumors about House Stark began to spread like wildfire.
Among them, the most outrageous was the one involving Lady Catelyn and Tyrion.
According to the gossip, Lady Catelyn had kidnapped Tyrion not because of politics—but because they were having an affair.
The story claimed that Tyrion, a seasoned brothel-goer, had seduced Catelyn during his visit to Winterfell. She had fallen for him and, unable to resist her longing, snuck into King's Landing to bring him back to Winterfell as her secret lover.
Once this rumor began circulating, it spread rapidly through the taverns and brothels. There were already more than ten different versions, all told with such vivid detail it sounded like the storytellers had witnessed everything firsthand. Some versions had even been turned into bawdy songs.
When Eddard Stark heard these stories, he immediately punished several of the worst offenders. But the move backfired. Instead of silencing the rumors, it made them spread even faster. People assumed there must be some truth to them, and public opinion in King's Landing turned even more sharply against Eddard—among both the common folk and the city's powerful elite.