ii | video

[onblackwings]

[ This lady's looking a little different, for anyone that's spoken with her before. Not any older, but there's a sort of crooked quality to her nose, like it'd been broken and healed some time ago. She's lounging in the Initiative apartments, looking like she's recently made friends with a superiority complex. ]

I want to speak to those of you who have seen a war before. Not the skirmishes that the Initiative sends us on here, but actual war.

And failing that, I'll take anyone that knows magic — and can teach it. That part is important. Don't waste my time if all you can do is cast it.

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video;

[freewoman]

I've known war m'whole life. What d'you want to know?

[onblackwings]

I have no particulars. I just want to hear a good story.

[freewoman]

Where I'm from there's a giant wall. It divides those in the north from the south. Thousands o' years ago, the First Children lived in the woods. Back then, there were giants, too. But the Andals came and they made the First Men cross into the lands o' winter. They had different gods and had their titles. They used their magic to build that Wall, ans we've been fightin'em ever since. See, they put these men up, all in black. They watch the Wall for us... And the Others.

We've got no titles, but we chose Mance Raydar. He was a Crow once, one o' those men who watched the Wall. He ran though, came back to his land. He started buildin' an army. See, those Others are comin' when the long night comes. They're made o' death and ice, and they take whoever they kill t'be one o' them.

We thought it time to attack the Wall.

[onblackwings]

[ not quite the tales of glory and battle she's looking for, but it's a good start. she cocks her head, interested. ]

You're on the same side of this Wall that the Others are? Have you seen any?

[freewoman]

They don't let y'live. We've scouts tracking their movement. There's an army o' them as well.

[onblackwings]

Is it... [ what's that word again ] ...Necromancy?

[freewoman]

I don't know what that is.

[onblackwings]

Magic that allows the user to raise and command the dead, from what I can tell. I don't know any, but I'm looking into it.

[freewoman]

The dead command themselves.

[onblackwings]

Maybe you should look into it. It would probably be easier to command them than defeat them. [ a beat, and she smiles. ] Not that it matters here.

[freewoman]

Fire kills'em. [Besides her learning it is useless.] We burn our dead.

[onblackwings]

Why, do they all turn into that?

[freewoman]

Better safe than sorry.

[onblackwings]

Well, I suppose they aren't complaining.

What battles have you seen, then?

[freewoman]

My people finally attacked the Wall. [It's really the biggest thing she had been a part of.]

[onblackwings]

You say the Wall, but you do mean you attacked those holding it. Don't you? There's not much glory in attacking an object.

[freewoman]

It means the same thing. We attacked the Crows.

[onblackwings]

What was the strategy? What role did you play?

[freewoman]

We were t'over take'em, by surprise. They found out though, knew we were comin'.

[onblackwings]

You appear to have won anyway. How?

[freewoman]

I never said we won.

[onblackwings]

That's a pity. I hope you at least got a few kills out of it.

[freewoman]

O' course I did. [What kind of spearwife would she be if she didn't?]

[onblackwings]

Tell me about them.

[freewoman]

They were quick deaths, bloody though. Men, coughin' up blood. I didn't feel anythin'. I thought I would, seein' battle. Maybe I should have been fearful. I saw them, and I knew if I didn't kill'em, they would have killed me. There weren't many women, but it was still bloody. And cold. We tried t'fight'em, but it wasn't long before more of my men were on the ground. You could smell the death and fear then.