It was a normal day for those who lived along the bay, fisherfolk plied their trade in their small boats near the real deal covered bay. Black brothers of the steward order cleared snow from pathways or tended to wide-hoofed mules.
Meanwhile brothers of the builder order maintained the planks at the port, repaired the crumbling infrastructure or the sea vessels in service to the night's watch. The harmonious day would've continued without issues until a peculiar vessel was spotted in the distance by a few fishermen.
It was shaped like a ship but then they saw no sails at all. As the vessel approached, they could see black smoke sputtering into the sky from a singular pillar which definitely wasn't a mast.
The first to see this strange vessel quickly rushed to report the sightings to those ashore and in no time at all word spread until Commander Urrigon, who sat pouring over reports was disturbed from his task.
"Commander! Commander!" A black brother pounded his fist on the wooden doors causing the commander and the accompanying maester to jump a little.
"What is it!" He shouted back only to hear muffled shouting from behind the door.
"Open the bloody door fool!"
"A strange ship was sighted out at sea. It could be the burning men from Skagos!" The brother gasped out.
'They're here then....' If these Foreigners were as strange as he knew them to be, they needed to be ready for anything.
Thankfully, the Yitish men told them they would come so he made preparations should any violence happen.
Urrigon rose from his seat and began barking orders at the man. "Send for the first steward and first ranger!"
"Maester Holt! Send word to castle black now!" The grey wrapped man nodded and stalked off, his chains jingling as he went.
Urrigon walked over to the window and fought against the wind to open it before taking a look outside, only to notice the strange ship smoothly pulling into the bay and nearing the port!
'Damn it! How can a damned sail-less stone ship move so quickly!' He thew on his thick, black coat and briskly ran out the door and down the steps.
Outside, the men of the nights watch looked on in wonder, fear and surprise as the vessel cruised into the bay. They could see it clearly now; a gargantuan slab of grey stone which was impossibly shaped like a sea vessel. No men were manning the sails as there were no sails to be manned, instead there was but a the single, bulky, spire-like tower, vomiting black smog skywards.
'How can this... thing move?' Some thought.
'Could there be men rowing beneath the deck?' A few dullards wondered.
The smarter black brothers knew that couldn't be the case. There were no holes for the oars.
'How could a boat of stone be made? How could it float and sail even if one could be made?!'
The impossible ship aligned itself near the port and docked in record time. This allowed the gathered brothers to see men staring back at them from the ship's deck; all cloaked in crimson.
Soon, a gangplank was lowered and the foreigners began to descend the ship. At the sight of this, many of the rattled stewards and builders didn't know what to do and just eyed the strangers.
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The more martially inclined rangers drew their weapons but didn't rush forward. The men from the impossible vessel gathered into a defensive array but didn't advance. The fellows of eastwatch eyed the men who stood at the front of the formation. These soldiers were clad in black, scale armour lined with red and black fur. Their faces were hidden behind helms shaped in the visage of a skull helms.
Silence ensued with only the howling wind and crashing seas prevailing. Soon enough, the sound of charging steeds broke the silence and caused the crowd to look behind them to see a robust contingent of armed rangers barreling towards the shore; First ranger Cotter Pyke leading the charge.
The rangers rode through the parted crowd and dismounted their steeds. Slowly, they marched up to the foreigners at the docks with the black banners of the watch fluttering in the salty air and their hands on their pommels.
As a response to this the scale armoured men separated and a less armoured group stepped forwards carrying their own banners of a black, tri-tongued flame on a field of red. At the front was a short man cloaked in crimson and orange garb. His orange eyes looked at the brothers of the night's watch from behind thick rimmed glasses. Just behind him stood a massive man cloaked in brown, well put together furs and thick leather.
The towering man in the brown was a 'Skag' to any who saw him. Possessing a large with heavy jaw bones, sloping brows and covered in hair.
"These men are from the Fire kingdom! They come'n peace ta treat with the brothers o' the night's watch!" The skagosi shouted; his voice loud and tinged with the unique accent of the Stoneborn.
The small first ranger eyed the group briefly, his ugly, pockmarked face set in a stoic expression, "The Commander's been expecting you."
"We'll guide you to him." He nodded to the foreigners.
(-)
The journey to the castle was a strange affair, the rangers led the foreigners hailing from a supposed 'Fire kingdom', while the Fire Nationals and Sakgosi alike tried and failed not to gawk at the sights. The seals, the people, the strange steeds and greatest of them all the giant icy structure rising to the heavens.
Even the stoic guards couldn't help but look up at the structure.
'This must be the wall...' They thought collectively.
In preparation of this very visit, all of them were briefed on what little the natives knew about the mainland, this order of night's watch and the towering wall of ice they guarded.
Skagosi natives claimed the massive wall was built by the progenitor of the clan who conquered them. Apparently, the wall was erected as a bulwark against a great evil.
The men of the Night's Watch spent their lives manning this great wall and ensuring the horrors on the other side stayed there.
It must be said the Fire Nationals at the time weren't impressed. Walls and their defenders were a sore spot for them and none believed the mainlanders- advanced or not- could build great enough to impress them without Earth or Waterbenders.
The natives were backwards and frightful folk susceptible to mystical lore and fantasy. They were certain of this when the natives claimed this first 'Wolf lord' was aided by giants and wood spirits of all things in the construction of the wall.
However, even the most skeptical amongst them had to concede as wall's shadow covered them completely as they approached the foot of the icy-blue structure. They eyed the wooden and stone buildings built atop the snowy, blue-tinted cuts of icy slabs.
'It truly looks as if giants cut and placed these stones.'
Soon enough they, were led into the stone fort's courtyard that also served as a training yard by the training tools scattered about. At the foot of the fort's entrance stood a group of black cloaked individuals.
The remnant fleet's delegation was escorted up to them. The more observative bunch among the delegation noted the features of the mainlanders. They were indeed similar to the Stone Island natives in some places but differed in others.
They seemed much more... human as their facial features- though foreign- were much more refined in comparison. A few of them were an inch or so taller than average but nothing compared to the towering Stone Islanders.
The fire national delegates stopped a few paces away as a few men came forward holding trays of bread and salt. Already well acquainted with the practice, they nodded to the mainlanders and took part in the ceremony. In a way it seemed as if a lot of the tension dissolved at that moment on both sides.
A burly man with a deep voice spoke up, "Welcome to Eastwatch strangers. I am the Commander Urrigon."
The shorter Fire National spoke up in response. "Greetings commander. My name is Aoza Lee, come in the name of our leader, Prince Iroh of the Fire kingdom. It is his wish to meet and establish trade and good relations with you." The Yitish-looking man was barely understandable as he spoke with a thick accent and pronounced a few words incorrectly.
Fortunately, Urrigon was a former smuggler who encountered quite a few foreigners in his time so he faired a bit better than others who listened in.
"Well then, come in, it seems we have lots to discuss." The Commander led the way inside, under the gaze of the still gawking brothers.
(-)
"So, your people were caught in a storm? Where were you sailing from?" Urrigon questioned the man seated across from him.
"We... sailing from the capital of our... burning islands before the storm took we on the Mo Ce waters. After we come upon the Stone Island and had no choice but to land to make repair..." The yitish foreigner replied in a tedious manner of someone wholly unfamiliar with common tongue.
Aside from the confusing manner of speech, the commander was baffled by the locations named by the man.
'Mo Ce waters? Burning islands?' He wondered if these foreigners were truthful or just poor at lying. Not storm could fling Yitish sailors from the Summer or Jade seas this far north.
He wished to consult Maester Holt but the old man was off fetching a map.
"Do you know you are living in the lands of House Stark? I don't think Lord Stark would take lightly to unknown trespassers even if you're stranded as you claim."
The man nodded and replied, "In time our... leader will send men to... treat with the wolf lords as we do you. Will take some time, we do not wish... to upset any other and we do not even know how to get there." The man adjusted the framed, polished clear-glass on his face.
Just in time the maester rushed in with a wrapped scroll which he hung up and unfurled to reveal world map.
Commander Urrigon closely observed the face of the claimed 'burning islander' only to see what seemed to be genuine bewilderment on the man's face. Unless the man was a convincing mummer, he was rather astounded and it took some time for him to recollect himself.
"Afraid we not see land masses like this before." The stranger said, still eying the map as a bit of sweat trickling down his brow despite his face being red from the cold.