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CHAPTER 167

291 AC

POV MC

The piercing screams emanated from one of the servant women. She had been a witness to Rickon's daring venture, sticking his head inside Sith's massive maw. Overwhelmed by terror, she had begun sprinting away, her frantic cries declaring that the monstrous creature was in the process of devouring Rickon. This was undoubtedly going to be a headache.

"Rickon, come here," I called out, my voice carrying a tone of both concern and authority.

Rickon, though familiar with the direwolves and the imposing shadowcat, remained somewhat unaccustomed to other people's presence. The boy exhibited a peculiar fear around people that contradicted his fearlessness when dealing with the formidable creatures.

"You shouldn't act like that around wild beasts," I gently admonished him.

"But... But Sith doesn't mind it," Rickon responded, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"It's not about whether she minds it or not," I explained patiently. "She allows you two near her because she sees you as pups. Even though your antics might annoy her, she tolerates it. In the wild, you often see pups climbing on top of adult beasts, playing with them. Because she sees you as a pup, she allows you to play with her, but this doesn't mean she is not annoyed. Your direwolves and Sith are different. If you ever encounter a wild beast, you should never engage in such behavior."

While I imparted this lesson to the youngsters, the servant woman returned with guards and Ser Rodrik, their expressions a mixture of confusion and concern.

"For the Old Gods' sake, what in the hell is happening here?" Ser Rodrik demanded.

The woman, still in a state of panic, recounted her version of events, vividly describing how Sith had supposedly been feasting on young Lord Rickon.

"But... But I saw it. This beast was devouring young Lord Rickon," she insisted, her fear-stricken eyes fixated on me.

In defense of Sith, Rickon stepped forward, unharmed and undeterred by the woman's unfounded accusations.

"Sith wouldn't even hurt a fly; why would she hurt me?" he questioned, his trust in the massive shadowcat unwavering.

Indeed, Sith wouldn't harm a fly, but the grim reality was that she had killed thousands of men and occasionally indulged in feasting upon them as a leisurely activity. It was evident that this young child was oblivious to the concept of danger and viewed the world through a lens untainted by fear or suspicion.

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I pondered how Rickon would manage to survive in this unforgiving world. With his current mindset, he wouldn't make it to his 12th name-day. If he ventured beyond the castle walls harboring this notion, it was highly likely that a boar or a wolf would make quick work of him. Kneeling beside Rickon, I gently grasped his shoulders.

"Rickon! She is not a pet; your direwolf is not a pet. They are wild animals. If we corner them, they will lash out."

Rickon looked puzzled, and his shadowcat, Sith, interjected with curiosity.

-Master, you are really being hurtful; how am I a wild animal?-

-Sith, you know I am not referring directly to you, but, in essence, you are a wild animal. If any of the guards here were to attempt even a fraction of what the boys did, how would you react?-

Her response was swift and unapologetic. -Of course, I would rip their head off. How could those weaklings think of getting on top of me?-

-And you would likely eat them afterward, correct?-

Her realization came with a hint of embarrassment.

-Yes... Ohh, you mean like that... Ohh... Yes, I am a wild animal in that sense.- Aermir could sense the arrogance and feeling of pridefulness in her voice as she spoke.

Dismissive, Sith turned her back to us as if the entire conversation had nothing to do with her, and she simply fell asleep. The commotion had drawn even Lord Stark to the scene, and Ser Rodrik explained the situation to him. Infuriated, he directed his anger at Rickon and Bran, having witnessed firsthand the devastation that Sith could unleash.

"My lord, if it pleases you, I would like to demonstrate to the children that Sith is not a pet, though it may be a bit frightening for them."

Lord Stark contemplated this for a moment before giving his consent. "It's better for them to be safe than sorry. Show them."

"Very well, we should head to the barns then. Sith, follow us."

...

I went inside and returned with a sheep. While the children had seen their direwolves eat meat pieces, they had never witnessed an actual hunt. Upon releasing the sheep, it immediately spotted Sith and fled in terror.

"Kill!" I commanded.

Sith sprang into action, capturing the sheep in a single swift move. Rickon and Bran watched in horror as the sheep was torn apart while still alive. I had specifically instructed Sith not to target the throat, ensuring that the sheep would scream as it was consumed.

Both children averted their faces, unable to bear witness to the gruesome sight. It took Sith less than two minutes to devour the entire sheep, leaving behind only wool and blood. I crouched before the now-traumatized Rickon and spoke gently.

"This is the behavior of a wild beast, Rickon. They hunt and feed in this manner. Sith won't harm you due to my orders, and Shaggydog won't harm you because... Well, he likes you. However, other beasts won't show the same restraint. Do you understand?"

Rickon nodded slowly, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear, understanding, and tears. It was customary in these lands to impart important lessons to children, often through experiences that could be traumatic. When we were of similar age, Lord Stark had taken us to witness a beheading, an experience not dissimilar to this one.

As a teacher and a modern man, I couldn't help but feel ashamed. There wasn't a safe environment here in the North for children to remain naive for long. After everyone had left, I tended to the bruises and contusions covering Sith's body before heading to Lord Stark's solar.

The solar, as usual, was in a state of disarray. By messiness, I didn't mean dirt; the room was immaculately clean. However, it was strewn with documents everywhere. Papers covered nearly every surface except the floor.

The midday sun poured in through the window, casting a warm glow over everything. Despite it being summer, a cool breeze still wafted through the room. While Lord Stark wrestled with the documents, my attention was drawn to the tapestry behind him, as it always was. It never failed to captivate me, both in its beauty and its strangeness.

The tapestry depicted a dire wolf, much like the one in the Stark crest, but this wolf's fur resembled fish scales. It appeared as though the wolf wore armor made of fish scales. Despite potentially being hundreds of years old, it looked remarkably new and well-preserved. Lord Stark lifted his head and remarked, "Now that you are a noble, I believe we should find a crest for your house, don't you agree?"

His intentions were quite evident, but I had little patience for such matters at the moment, not after learning about the existence of ice zombies. Right now, I was filled with a mixture of anger and fear, and I had no desire to prolong the conversation; I wanted to address the issue at hand immediately. As I thought of what had happened, my rage was rising.

"I think we have more pressing matters at hand, and you know it perfectly well, my lord."

As I said this, it was like the temperature of the room had fallen to minus degrees.