“Kneel or die, both mean the same as long as you can promise fertile lands and food and safe homes.”

Jorah looked straight into the man’s eyes and raised his sword before cutting his hand slightly and dropping a handful of blood on the snow below him.

“I, Jorah Mormont, the Lord of Bear Island and the rightful ruler, will provide land fertile enough for your people to farm and food enough to keep the bellies warm in the winter.

They will enjoy the same rights as everyone else and they will not be mistreated or treated unjustly.

I will fight for them in the same way, I fight for my people.”

After taking the blood oath, Jorah watched as the tall man, took a step forward, got down on his one knee and offered his bone spear to Jorah. It was the act of bending the knee that is the most dishonourable act for the free folk of wildings.

Jorah accepted the spear and allowed the man to get up.

“Tell me, the Great Walrus, why? There has to be something forcing you for this.”

“Aye! A baby!

My wife is with the baby and while others live and die in these ice grounds, I want my baby to live and breathe the fresh air in a forest. Farm a land, grow his own food.

It's the same with my people. I fought to win the chief of my tribe but I cannot see a path forward. I want that path, the hope for my people and do something to make sure my kids and their kids don't grow up in the same frozen lands as their father.

It’s a responsibility I have, that scares me. A new goal for my child and my people. Before you came here, I was already ready to fight my way to some southern land but the Island is still better.

Closer to our old homes and allowing us to live a new life without giving up the old one altogether.”

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Jorah had a booming smile on his face listening to the rough man. The wonders of the world are many but a child will always be the first one that terrifies a grown man inside his own home. Plus, a chief of a wilding tribe who doesn't want to be a wilding forever.

Fertile lands in reality are more precious than freedom. Pity, not all wildings understand this simple truth.

“Don’t worry. You can take my men and prepare to migrate to the Island. I will prepare the boats accordingly.”

“Ten days. I need ten days to bring everyone on the shore.”

“Ten days it is. I shall be waiting.”

Jorah patted the man’s shoulder before leaving with his men and The Great Walrus was still standing there. After a while, he took a deep breath and walked back to his two men who were confused and still not ready to accept everything that just happened.

“What the fuck happened Great Walrus?”

“Yea, since when did you become such a pussy?”

The men asked loudly only for The Great Walrus to smack the head of the darker wilding man, Kelly, with enough force to put him in the snow and other to shut up.

“A Lord, young and full of hot blood with a powerful army, wants to capture our lands. Do you think you can fight him or his army? Do you think he will ever stop or be defeated?

These people of the south take honour as everything and if we ever had a battle where we somehow win against him, our lands will be attacked by more than just one lord. That battle won't be over until we all are dead and they have won their honour back.

Plus, he can keep sending his men to fight us but how long can we fighting until they kill all our men and children and take away all our wives.”

The Great Walrus spoke with a voice filled with bitterness and resignation.

“It’s either our knees or the heads.” He added at the end before walking back to his sledge.

“But are we going to be slaves now?” Netta, the other wilding man asked.

“No. Our elders taught us that these southerners take their oath very seriously. Their words are credible enough and they will not lose their honour over it. However, if they ever did, I promise to cut the head of this Lord and every man in his castle before they attack our people.”

The Great Walrus spoke and the trio started moving back to their tribe.

Yes, Great Walrus took an oath to fight for Jorah but if this young lord thought that it was blind obedience, then the Great Walrus will teach him that he is not a dog but a walrus.

They might look soft and clumsy, but they have teeth sharp enough to kill the biggest predators inside the sea.

On the other hand, Jorah and his man after a long and slow walk, finally managed to reach the shore, where Jorah ordered Stephone to bring more boats from Island to take the woman and kids back.

Plus informed him about the other tribe and their migration. The news that Jorah captured another tribe and even managed to get them to bend their knee was enough to send shockwaves to the heart of these soldiers.

“Long live Lord Jorah!”

“Long live Bear Islands!”