The heavy wooden door of the secluded hut slammed shut with a definitive thud, immediately cutting off the howling wind and the metallic stench of blood that hung in the freezing air outside.
Inside, the atmosphere was entirely different. A small, sturdy hearth fire popped and crackled merrily, casting long, warm shadows across the thick furs that lined the walls.
Gared stumbled inside, shivering violently, his breath coming in ragged, terrified gasps. He didn't make it past the entryway. As soon as he crossed the threshold, Serena raised her boot and kicked the back of his good knee with precise, practiced force.
Gared let out a pathetic squeak and collapsed like a sacked tent, hitting the floorboards with a heavy thud. He didn't try to get up. He simply curled into a ball, nursing his throbbing legs, his eyes darting frantically around the small, immaculately kept room.
Serena ignored him for a moment. The adrenaline was fading, replaced by a dull, throbbing pain in her upper arm. She walked over to one of the wooden chairs near the table and sat down heavily, letting her broken, bloodied spear clatter to the floor.
Yoriichi was there instantly. He moved with silent, efficient purpose, pulling a small wooden box of medical supplies from beneath a shelf.
"Mother, hold still," Yoriichi commanded softly.
He carefully peeled back the torn, blood-soaked wool of her sleeve. His Transparent World vision analyzed the wound in seconds. It was a clean slice, biting into the muscle of her upper arm, but it had narrowly missed the major arteries and the bone.
Using a clean cloth dipped in strong, biting alcohol, Yoriichi began to clean the wound. Serena hissed, her teeth clenching tightly, but she didn't pull away. With practiced hands, the six-year-old applied a thick layer of crushed yarrow root to stop the bleeding, followed by a tight binding of clean linen.
From the corner of the room, Lyra stood perfectly still, her blind eyes wide, her hands clasped tightly together. She could smell the blood. She had heard the clash of steel.
"Is everyone dead outside, Mother?" Lyra asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"They are, sweet wolf," Serena replied, her voice softening as she looked at her daughter. "We are safe."
Once the bandage was secure, Serena rolled her shoulder gently, testing the mobility. It burned, but it would hold. She took a deep breath, letting the steady rhythm of Total Concentration settle her racing heart, and then turned her piercing green eyes down to the fat man cowering on her floor.
"Now, Lord Gared," Serena said, her voice dropping the maternal warmth and replacing it with the cold, unforgiving edge of a northern winter. "Tell me everything. What was your motive tonight? Why did those assassins get into a frenzy? And do not skip a single detail."
Gared shuddered, pulling his knees closer to his chest. He looked at the slender woman sitting before him, then at the shattered, bloody spear on the floor. He knew he was utterly defeated. His grand ambitions, his wealth, his power in Mole's Town—all of it had shattered tonight in the snow.
He sighed in defeat, a wet, rattling sound in his chest. But the words seemed stuck in his throat. He was so used to lying, his brain automatically scrambled to form a half-truth.
"It... it started because of the gold," Gared stammered, his eyes darting nervously to the fire. "You were getting too popular. My trade was booming, and I... I just wanted to secure my margins—"
"Do not lie to me," Serena interrupted, her voice slicing through the room like Valyrian steel.
Gared flinched. He looked up, trying to gauge her anger, but instead, his eyes met the gaze of the boy standing just behind her chair.
Yoriichi was staring at him. Those bottomless, crimson eyes didn't hold anger or judgment; they held an absolute, chilling emptiness that seemed to strip away every defense Gared had. The boy looked at him the way a man looks at an insect right before stepping on it. Yoriichi slowly rested his small hand on the hilt of his wooden practice sword.
Gared felt a sudden, humiliating urge to piss himself. The lies died in his throat completely. The panic took over, and the ugly truth tumbled out of him in a desperate, fragmented rush.
"I made a mistake!" Gared whimpered, tears mixing with the freezing sweat on his face. "A massive mistake! The iron swap... I got greedy. I swapped too much pig iron for the true steel. From reports, the Night's Watch Rangers went out, and their swords shattered against the wildlings! Dead crows. Too many dead crows. The Lord Steward, Bowen Marsh... he found out. He is coming here to investigate!"
Serena's eyes narrowed. So Silas had been right. The breaking point had finally arrived, and the Crows were descending.
"And the assassins in the black leather?" Serena pressed relentlessly. "The ones who killed your hired men?"
"Glendon!" Gared sobbed, burying his face in his fat hands. "Most likely! He is an officer at Eastwatch. My partner. The one who let the smuggler ships dock. As he hears Bowen Marsh started investigating, he dared to silence me! He sent those professional killers to burn my brothel, steal the gold, and cut my throat so I couldn't testify against him!"
As Gared spoke, Serena felt a cold, furious anger building in her chest.
This fat, greedy pig had brought a war to her doorstep. His own treasonous incompetence had drawn highly trained assassins into the mix, nearly getting her children killed. She clenched her uninjured hand into a fist, staring at the skinning knife resting on the table. It would be so easy. A single throw, a severed artery, and this miserable creature would be gone forever.
But with a sheer, iron will, she pushed the violent urge down.
No, Serena thought, taking a slow, measured breath. Death and blood inside this home disgusts me. This is my sanctuary. I will not stain it with the blood of a pig.
She glanced at her children. They were listening intently to every word. She allowed it. They needed to understand the harsh realities of the world they lived in. They needed to understand the consequences of greed, betrayal, and power. It was the only way they would survive in the future, and she knew she couldn't protect them forever on her own. They needed to grow up.
Silence descended upon the hut. Only the crackling of the fire and the howling of the wind outside filled the void.
Minutes passed. The tension stretched until Gared felt he was suffocating under it.
Finally, Serena opened her mouth. Her voice was perfectly calm, analytical, and completely devoid of emotion.
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well since there are positive responses, I am continuing. Hope u support it😁 ... Also, the time skip will be after 3-4 chs and the pace... well like it😄