Epilogue

Year 320 after Aegon's Conquest

The Snow crunched under the hooves of the horse. The snow was light but still deep enough for the horse to have trouble if it needed to run fast. That is why the young man on top of the horse was careful to keep to the road and slowly moved forward, observing his surroundings. By his calculations, they should reach the Crossroad Inn before sunset.

Behind the horse, there was a sled that was dragged along them. On the sled, there was a woman in her thirties. She was quite tall and muscular. The danger was evident in her eyes. But she was tied up tightly on the sled, with no way to escape. Even her mouth was gagged, and she couldn't let out any sound. And so, slowly, the young man and woman moved towards the Crossroad Inn.

The Long winter has done its damage to the Riverlands. Even if it wasn't as bad as in the North nor the Vale, the Riverlands still awaited the spring eagerly. Even the false spring that would come once in a while was quite a relief for people after the harsh winter. The cold and the snow came with their challenges to people, but the short days and the long nights were the harshest things everyone experienced.

But to the young man on the horse, it didn't matter much. He would frequently ride from Casterly Rock to King's Landing to Riverrun. It didn't matter if it was an unforgiving blizzard or unbelievable cold that stood in his way. His family called him stubborn and foolish, but the young man didn't give it too much thought. He did what he wanted.

"Ser, please let me help," As the young man arrived at the inn, a stable boy came to him almost immediately, but he stopped when he noticed the women in the sled. "Is that? It can't be?"

The boy quickly backed away from them; fear filled his eyes as his legs were trembling. The young man dismounted from the horse. He removed the fur cloak that covered him, revealing his auburn hair and blue eyes. Behind the warm fur cloak was a set of plate armor protecting the young man's body. It was worn, with dents and scratches all over the place, but was still intact and functional.

"Take Spotty to the stables and give her water and hay," The young man said to the stable boy, pointing at his mare and throwing him a silver coin. "And secure the sled."

The young man picked up the tied-up woman and holstered her over his shoulder as he entered the inn. The doors creaked loudly, getting everyone's attention as he walked in. The inn was almost full. There wasn't a table that wasn't taken. There was no free chair to rest on either, as many just leaned by the walls. All of them looked at the young man with a tied-up woman on his shoulder.

Yet, none of them said anything as they also saw two swords on the young man's sword belt. One on each side. Everyone could tell that he wasn't a simple man. He was a knight. But that got even more curiosity from the others as knights don't usually travel alone and capture women. Just as someone was about to ask who they were, the knight dropped the tied-up woman, making everyone stop and stare at the woman in recognition and fear.

"It's the corpse queen," One of the people said with a trembling voice. "Hey, Innkeeper! I am getting out, prepare my things."

"Five thousand gold dragons," The knight suddenly said as the people were getting ready to leave. "That is the bounty on his woman. I will share it equally with everyone that stays."

"Nay," One burly man with thick furs covering him and a giant axe resting near him said with a laugh. "I will not get involved with these cannibals no matter how much it pays. There only a few things worse than getting eaten alive."

Like him, the others, too, chose to leave. Giving out copper or silver coins to the innkeeper, they quickly packed up their stuff and left. It didn't matter that night was already falling. Everyone knew what awaited them if they stayed. No one wanted to see the outcome that this night would bring, as they already knew their fate.

But there were always a few desperate ones or honorable ones. A hunter with a bow raised his tankard of ale to get the knight's attention. A woman in her thirties showed her thin sword. An old knight and his squire showed the sigil of their armor, indicating they served a local lord. And a man threw a coin at the knight. The coin had a symbol of a sword and a bow, symbolizing someone who served as a ranger.

"Five, huh," The knight commented as he looked at each of them. "More than expected."

"Eight, my foolish brother," A man with the same auburn hair and blue eyes walked down from the second floor with two knights following behind him. "You late. I have been waiting for you for a few days now."

"Take the women to the cellar and hide yourself and everyone that doesn't want to get involved," The knight ignored the new arrival and kicked the woman toward the innkeeper. "Do not remove the gag from her mouth, and do not untighten the ropes. She will kill you."

"Aye, you don't need to say it twice," The innkeeper replied and took the woman with few stable boys and servants to the cellar.

"Seriously? You going to ignore me after so long time has passed?" The man with two knights following behind him asked, looking hurt.

"Brother," The knight said and took the leftover food that was hastily left behind and started eating.

The soup was thin and barely warm, but it was better than his frozen bread and jerky. He was on the road for a long time. Ever since he heard a word of the corpse queen and her group, the knight sprung into action and tracked them down. They were infamous in the Riverlands and the Crownlands. The corpse queen's wanted poster was in every inn from Sunspear to the Wall.

Nobody knew clearly where they came from. A popular theory was that they were part of the clan in the Vale mountains. But it didn't matter where they came from. They were the worst kind of people. Not only did they pillage, rape, and kill, but they also ate humans. It didn't matter if they were children, women, or old. As long as they had bones and flesh, these bastards would eat them.

Many times, the lords tried to capture them. But these monsters weren't fools. They moved in groups, separate from each other. And they seemed to be unusually adept in the worst weather conditions. Even if they were caught, there was never an easy fight with them. Nobody knew the numbers, so knights would always get caught in surprise while facing them.

"I don't see you for a year, and then you get in so much trouble," The brother of the young knight said with a laugh. "But I guess the name of the Twin Sword isn't wasted on you. Only someone like you could catch that woman."

Twin Sword was a name given to the young knight, as he was able to wield two swords at the same time. It was said that ever since King Jaehaerys knighted him, he has not faced a defeat. No matter who he faced or how many, no one was able to defeat him. Even the Kingsguard are said to be inferior to him. Only a few men, like the Redfish, are equal to Twin Sword in swordplay.

"Did Father send you?" The young knight asked as he continued to eat and rest, as he knew what the night would bring.

"Nah," The brother replied, tasting the bitter ale. "He wanted to go himself to get you. But before he got ready, I took Henry and Miles with me and left. I knew you would come here, so I waited."

"Father will be furious."

"You telling me that?" The brother replied with a grimace as he knew what his father would do to him once he returned. "He is more furious with you, though. You should be in Casterly Rock overseeing Lannisport and the lands. And what does the famous Knight Geralt Tully do? He goes out to hunt some bandits. Oh, Father will beat you to a pulp once you return to Riverrun. You will be lucky if he isn't going to be sending you to the Wall."

"Like you don't sneak out of Riverrun every time you have a chance, Axel," Geralt replied as he finished his food. "Anyway, we should start preparing for the night."

Geralt was lucky to encounter a group of dozen of them wreaking wreckage on a farmstead. When he was tracking them down, he didn't expect to meet the Corpse Queen herself. She was the leader of the cannibals. Or at least considered to be the one. She was seen multiple times leading the groups of cannibals, and she was the most infamous of them.

"How many will come?" Axel got serious, as he knew what was coming for them.

"I left plenty of tracks for them to follow," Geralt said loud enough for the rest to hear, too. "At least three groups will come, about forty of them, maybe fifty."

"And what? Did you think you could do it alone?"

"Yes," Geralt replied without hesitation. "The inn will provide perfect cover from their vicious archers, and the only more crude thing than their weapons is their skills. They might be strong, but that's all they are. Brawn without a brain. I don't think there will be more than a few that could match the Corpse Queen's skills."

"Only someone like you would say something like that," Axel sighed in defeat as he knew he couldn't say anything to his little brother. "Well, you have Henry and Miles and the former ranger with you now. So, you don't need to worry about your back. I and the rest will support you as we can."

"Don't look down on yourself, my lord," Henry said. "There aren't many your age that could best you."

"Leave the bootlicking to the other lords; I know my capabilities," Axel replied, taking another sip of the bitter ale. "Just look after my idiot of a brother. And don't let him die. I don't want Father to vent his anger only on me."

"As you say, my lord," Miles responded with an understanding smile.

"It seems those fools ran too fast," The former ranger said after overhearing the brothers. "With the Twin Sword and the Silver Fish knights, there is nothing to worry about. And I thought I could finally die."

"All of you rangers are so damn down all the time," The woman with a slender sword said. "Can't you live a peaceful life with all the gold Lord Tully gave you?"

"What can a man do with the gold when he doesn't have any friends or family to share it with?" The ranger asked, taking another long sip of his ale.

"Give it to me, old man," The hunter replied. "My parents won't need to starve in this frigid winter with that gold."

"Gold this, gold that," The knight who stayed silent with his squire said. "All that should matter to a man is honor and valor."

"You can't feed a family with honor, and valor only gets you killed," The hunter replied, seemingly insulted by the knight's words. "I will not let my parents leave our home so my siblings can eat. Not this winter, nor the next one."

"Alright, that's enough," The woman stood before the knight and the hunter, so they don't get into a fight. "Let's save some energy for these damn cannibals."

"Well said, lady Mormont," Axel said, shocking everyone by revealing the woman's identity.

"Lyanna Mormont," The knight and the squire quickly bowed their head in greeting. "I never thought I would see the She-Bear of the North. After this, I would like to invite you to my household. My daughter has so much admiration for you. It would mean a world if she could meet one of her heroes."

"Axel, you dunce, couldn't you keep your shitting mouth shut," Lyanna threw a chair at Axel. "And why are you getting impressed by me when the son of the Redfish, the Twin Sword, Geralt Tully, is sitting here."

"Aye, we are impressed by him," The squire said, with sparkling eyes as he glanced at Geralt. "But there is only you and Lady Arya Stark, that has such a fearsome reputation and beauty, among the woman in all of the Seven Kingdoms. The songs of the She-Wolf and the She-Bear of the North are sung in every establishment in the Known World. The story of defeating the devil knights on your own is something that comes only from fairy tales. And yet I see a living proof of that tale."

"Ugh, annoying idiots," Lyanna replied with a frustrated grunt and sat back down.

Geralt didn't listen to the banter. After having his meal, he was in his little world, planning how he should defend the inn. He rode slow and left plenty of tracks to be followed by. He was sure that they would attack tonight. It was one of the reasons why they gathered such a fearsome reputation among the small folk.

They retaliated instantly against those who hindered them in any way. If anyone fought one group of them, they would gather as much as they could and get their revenge. And Geralt caught their leader. So, there was no way they wouldn't come after him. That is why Geralt chose the Crossroad Inn as the battlefield. It was a place he was familiar with, and he knew he would find some people who were willing to join him.

"I need two archers," Geralt said, getting everyone's attention.

"I am confident with my archery," The hunter replied.

"My squire is handy with a crossbow," The knight said, slapping his hand on his squire's back.

"That be good enough," Geralt said. "Get to the second floor. I need you two to watch the south. Barricade your room; we won't be able to respond immediately if some get past us. I also need someone to hide in the stables."

"To strike them from behind," The old ranger replied. "I will do it. I know how to keep myself hidden and move in silence."

"Good," Geralt stood up and nodded to the rest. "They will try to save their leader, so they won't use fire to burn the inn down. But cover the windows. Their archers are vicious and extremely accurate. We will form two defensive lines and hold until the morning no matter how many of them come."

The cannibals only had this night to strike. By the morning, reinforcements will move in to secure the Corpse Queen. And even if they don't come, the cannibals will not risk it and leave before sunrise. They might be fearsome and brutal, but everyone knew that lord Edmure Tully doesn't tolerate people like them and hunts them every time when the opportunity presents itself.

The cannibals weren't the first to wreak havoc in the Riverlands, nor they will be the last ones. The harsh winter affected people differently. Some couldn't take it and were forced to take actions into their own hands to survive, even if those actions were unsavory and unspeakable. Still, there were only a few times when a group as terrible as these cannibals emerged in the Riverlands. And each time, they were hung in gallows for people to see.

…

Geralt looked out to the outside as midnight came. He could feel the cold in his bones, even when the hearth next to him burned fiercely. He wasn't one to dismiss his gut feelings. They were coming, and his body was already reacting appropriately. He focused on every shadow he might see in the night, looking through the gap in the window.

Geralt looked at the two entrances to the inn. The main doors and the kitchen doors. Axel, Lyanna Mormont, and the knight were guarding that door. Since the kitchen doors were narrower, they should be easier to protect. While Geralt, Henry and Miles were focusing on the main entrance, where they expected the main forces to barge in.

The arrival of the cannibals was not silent. To put fear into their opponents, they would tie bones on their bodies and their horses. Then, they would ride around their targeted places. The bones clacked, creating unnatural and disturbing sounds. They were twisted in all the wrong places. And Geralt, didn't plan to leave even one of them alive.

Since they were foolish enough to show off, they were paid off by arrows and bolts coming from the second floor. Knowing they couldn't stay outside, they started to break the doors. Geralt took a deep breath and put on his helmet before preparing to meet his foes. With a sword in each of his hands and Henry and Miles by his side, Geralt didn't fear anything.

The doors broke inwards under a hammer's weight. However, the wielder of the hammer didn't have a chance to celebrate his victory against a door as Geralt's blade entered his neck. With a kick, Geralt pushed his foe outside while he stepped back. Two more came, rushing into the inn with manic smiles and mad eyes.

They were killed instantly, too, as Henry and Miles cut their heads off with a quick swing of their swords. But it didn't matter as the rest of the cannibals quickly went inside, stepping over the bodies of their comrades. Geralt let few get inside before he once again stepped in and started a killing spree. His swords never stopped moving, and with years of training by his father and the best knights in the Seven Kingdoms, Geralt had a wealth of experience.

He used his swords very effectively. If he felt pressure from the right side, he would stab someone and push their body to block the right side and vice versa. Geralt was as good with his left hand as he was with his right, so he never had trouble using both swords simultaneously. And since his swords were of the highest quality. He could use them to block blows, too, without worrying that they would break easily.

"Come here!" The cannibals weren't intimidated by Geralt's swordplay as they pushed deeper into the inn. "Give the Queen back!"

But it didn't matter much for Geralt as he would kick a chair at them, knocking them back, or push a table between them, blocking their path, before stabbing them into the neck, the softest part of their body. The worst that could happen in a fight was getting your sword stuck. Even though the bones on their bodies have many gaps, one could use them, but it still made it difficult to pull the sword out of their body.

Geralt was used to be outnumbered, as he fought bandits numerous times. Most of the time rushing into the middle of the battle on his own. His Father's berating for reckless behavior never managed to stop Geralt. And since he never had lost, he never learned. His swords flew through the air, stabbing one, cutting another one. Geralt's hands never stopped moving.

Soon enough, the Inn was filled with the corpses of the cannibals. Geralt, Henry, and Miles were covered in blood from head to toe. And even though Geralt could feel his hands go numb after killing dozens of them, he continued to fight. He heard fighting from the kitchen and knew that his back was safe, and if he pushed himself a bit more, he would thin out their numbers enough for the old ranger to make his move.

And sure enough, he heard horses from outside scream and wrecking around. It was time to finish this off. With newfound strength, Geralt propelled himself forward, dancing around the cannibals, cutting their hands and chests, and leaving for Henry and Miles to finish them off. While Geralt rushed outside breaking through the ones standing in his way.

The old ranger moved within shadows, barely seen, his throwing daggers hitting the neck or the eyes of the cannibals. The horses trampled a few of them, too, as they were running amok. Arrows and bolts covered him. Probably drunk on their power and feeling invincible, they never expected to be so thoroughly defeated.

After all, they only possessed the numbers and unpredictability to put fear on others. But once they are faced with an obstacle like Geralt, they can only flee or break. And since they chose to come here, they can only break. With one sword in the neck of the cannibal and another sword in the other's chest, the fight soon came to an end.

…

Edmure POV

I was getting too old for this. But not old enough to have grey hair sticking out. It is all because of those unruly children of mine. Making me worried all the time and not listening to me. If not for them, I would probably be resting for the rest of my days. Now, I have to follow their every movement and fix all the trouble they cause.

"My lord, Lord Axel, and Lord Geralt have returned," A guard informed me.

Putting on a fur cloak, I quickly left my solar and walked to the courtyard. Maybe because they heard my furious steps echo through the halls or they already knew what was going to happen, the guards opened the doors for me before I even reached them. When I entered the courtyard, people were celebrating as my sons walked in front with a captured and bound woman following behind them.

"My lord, please calm down first," Ser Desmond Grell, the old master at arms, tried to stop me, but I didn't listen.

"Father," Both Axel and Geralt knelt before me.

"My lord," Their companions did the same, leaving only the woman standing and staring at me with venom in her eyes.

"Henry, Miles, you two will take the night guard for the rest of the year," I looked disappointingly at the knights I raised over the years. "Axel, you shall guard the next caravan to the Wall. And you."

I was lost for words as I started at my second son. If not for everyone looking at us, I would beat the shit out of this reckless shithead. How many times had I told him not to rush into battle? His skill with a sword was a blessing and a curse, as he got too overconfident in himself and never thought that he would be defeated. It was because of him that my hair was turning grey.

"Go home," I said through gritted teeth. "How much can you worry your wife? You will go back to Casterly Rock, and you won't leave it until I have half a dozen grandchildren, or I will break your legs and tie you to your bed."

"My lord, please calm down," Desmond once again rushed to my side and tried to calm me down as my words didn't match my status. "Surely all of that could wait. Ser Geralt once again showed his bravery and caught the Corpse Queen. It is a feat worthy of celebrating."

"You both are lucky that your mother and sister are in Dorne, or they would have skinned you two alive," I let out the last words of anger before calming down and looking at the infamous Corpse Queen. "I guess I can disregard my plans on cornering these cannibals and culling them all simultaneously. But since I have you, I will know everything I need to about them."

These cannibals have been causing too much trouble around the Riverlands and the Crownlands in the past few months. It was hard to predict their wild nature, and they were scattered all around, so it was hard to capture them all. Taking the gag from the woman, she tried to bite my fingers off, but one slap to the face and she fell to the ground.

"I will say nothing to the likes of you," The woman's voice was disturbing, reminding me of a snake's hissing. "The dead rise. The living have no place in this world. You should be honored to be part of a greater will. Soon, you see, you will fear, you will despair, and you shall give up and surrender to the greater will."

"Take her to the dungeon," I kicked her head to silence her nonsense.

"The rest of you, who helped my foolish sons, are welcome here as long as you want, and you shall be compensated for your troubles."

"Father, I…."

"Save it," I interrupted Axel, trying to control my temper. "Go clean yourself and join me at my solar. The same goes for you, too, Geralt."

I swear these kids will bring me to an early grave. I understood that they wanted to prove themselves. I wasn't deaf to people comparing them to me. And even though Axel was more mature and didn't care much about it, it still must have bothered him. Geralt, on the other always wanted the greatest knight in history, a hero that songs would sung about.

At least I had my second daughter, Tris, named after Tristifer Mudd a king of Riverlands in the age of first man. And my third son and youngest child, Vesemir. Hopefully, they will grow to be more similar to Elia than to these two idiots. But soon, I saw two mops of black hair or my youngest children celebrating Geralt's feats with the rest. And I was starting to lose hope.

…

The long years of the winter were harsh but also quite peaceful. Ever since the war ended, there haven't been any remarkable skirmishes among the lords of the Seven Kingdoms, only a few loud disagreements among them. The King's peace pact seemed to work somehow, as no one dared to be the first to initiate a conflict.

Aside from the bad weather that created a logistic mess on most lords' hands, the years were calm. Still, within that calm, fear was festering. It has already been fifteen years since the public found out about the Others. In a couple more years, it was common knowledge. But since the Wall stood tall and the lords were united, panic was avoided.

The question was for how long it would last. The winter didn't seem to have any wish to leave the Seven Kingdoms. Even with few false springs, it was starting to be harder and harder for people to live. Hopefully, another spring, false or not, will come soon to alleviate people's minds. I could only imagine how bad the situation would be once the people started to starve.

I can deal with bandits who think they deserve more without working harder or Mountain Clans coming down to wreak havoc. These cannibals weren't the first, nor would they be last, even if they were one of the most vicious groups that came to the Riverlands. At least I will be able to finally deal with them once I get information from that bitch called the Corpse Queen.

"Father, you wished to see me," Geralt entered my solar as I finished with work for the day.

"I wish you would stay in your home," I said. "I won't bother lecturing you again since I know you won't be listening. But Janei is worried sick because of you. And it would be best if you oversaw Casterly Rock. You can't just dump your responsibilities and duties to others and chase after every bandit you hear about."

"My apologizes," Geralt was a man of few words.

"At least give me a grandchild before you get yourself killed," I hoped that a child would make him settle down. Otherwise, I didn't know what to do. "Janei is a good woman who had all the right to hate us. Please take care of her, son."

"I will," At least Geralt held his words in high regard and wouldn't break them easily. It was probably the most I would get from his stubborn fool. So, I let him go this time.

Watching him leave, I could only feel pity for Janei. Kevan Lannister's daughter. Since she was too young to remember the war, she didn't hold any grudge against others. She grew up in a good household and was cared for as much as possible. She fell in love with Geralt at first glance. It was good since I planned to marry them, but now I see her as my daughter, and Geralt doesn't understand how much he is hurting that girl with his actions.

Now, I only need to force Axel to marry. I wanted one of the Houses of the North to marry their daughter to Axel. But Axel was stubborn and didn't want to get married yet. I would have thrown him to the Wall so he could fuck off from my sight for his foolish stubbornness. But he was smart and talented, and most importantly, my heir.

"I need a vacation," I muttered under my breath.

I should go to Dorne and enjoy the warmer climate and see Arianne with Elia. Ever since Doran died, Arianne was forced to make long trips to Sunspear and oversee her duties. Elia would follow her most of the time, as she was to inherit Dorne from Arianne. But then again, Daenerys was coming to King's Landing to meet Jaehaerys again, so I should probably come too.

And then there is the birthday of Bran's and Shireen's son. And I wanted to visit old Mallister since he got sick. And then, I promised Robb to take one of his sons to ward in Riverrun. And Willas Tyrell wrote me wanting to visit me with Sansa. With how slow travel was when the snow covered all the roads, I don't think I will ever finish anything.

A.N. I will be ending this story here. I just don't have much to add to it, and it would only drag on if I forced something. I hoped that the next book would have come out by this point, giving me more material about the Others to work on. But it is how it is. I am satisfied with this story and ready to focus on other works. I might return with a few more chapters if the next book is released. I hope you enjoyed it, and thank you for reading and supporting me. Hopefully, I see you in my other work.