The night was coming quickly, quicker than Cregan expected when he set off with his men from Castle Black. He had hoped that the search for the missing men would be easy, but he supposed it never was this far past The Wall.

The group had begrudgingly agreed to set up camp for the night amongst the trees, the men busy making a campfire. There had been some odd noises here and there in the darkness but Cregan knew that wildlife around these parts was common — despite that, he still held caution.

The heavy sniffs of an animal sounded close by the camp, far too close for his comfort. A grumble followed, and Cregan picked up a nearby flame torch and held it up towards the trees. The light illuminated the body of a giant, black bear; that had its teeth bared into a snarl. Unbeknownst to the group, the bear had been tracking them for miles.

The beast stood on his back legs, raising its paw in the air as if it were to strike. His men had all froze in shock at the sight of the bear, and Cregan dropped the torch in shock. “M-My Lord- Watch out!” One of his men tried to warn him, as the bear went to strike.

But the sound of footsteps broke the bear’s concentration, and the torch was swiftly picked up and waved in its face. The bear let out a roar, before quickly turning and retreating back into the forest. Cregan blinked in shock, looking towards the person who had saved him. Much to his surprise, it was a lone wildling; and he watched as you turned towards him, still holding the torch.