GoT game IC beyond the wall beside a flickering flame

[drack]

A large man approached your campsite, taking a seat heftily beside your fire. "I am Joggle Timberwake, you are the young stark king?" Joggle paused to make sure before cutting straight to the point. "The watch has caught young Fearn Stark and old man Eddie, if they didn't know before they sure do now."

[Magni's Hammer]

The young king leans across the fire, grey eyes fixed upon the stranger. He motions wordlessly for someone to bring drink for the guest, then poses his question firmly: "You have the edge here, stranger. I don't recognize you, and you name men whose names I have never heard. But any news of crows is bad news here, as sure you know. Are the free-folk in danger? Be quick, and tell me what you have to say."

[drack]

"You have never heard of Joggle Timberwake!? Slayer of three crows, conquer of the raggedy pines, raider of the far south?! Surely you jest with old Joggle."
Leaning back the big man laughs, loudly, as if to embellish how clueless you must be to not know of one of the thousands of wildlings that had probably accomplished those same feats.

[Magni's Hammer]

The king smiles earnestly from across the firepit. "One can never tire of brave tales. Please, begin the story you are clear bursting to tell. But please, keep to the parts that concern my kin. I know these names as poorly as yours, but if the black crows have laid a hand on any sister-son of mine, I must have word of it."

[drack]

"Well, There Joggle stood upon the hill, his hands soaked with blood from his freshly-killed dinner when he saw some crows descend from the north. So Joggle thinks to himself, 'What be crows doing in the north, and why has they a boy and an old man of the free peoples with them?' So Joggle follows and finds himself a black-tip arrowhead with a note. Now, Joggle's smart, but Joggle no read so he finds old woods-witch who tells him to warn young Stark king. She tells joggle that the old man knows of you and that the old man requests your aid for the boy, but she also says you shouldn't go." Calmly the man scratches his belly looking about for food.

[Magni's Hammer]

The young king broods silently, forehead creased, over this tale. The prospect of kin in danger stirs his heart as it would any wildling, but he is loathe to fly into danger unprepared. His friends have warned him many times that their folk are not yet ready to take the fight to the crows upon their wall. Noting his guest's obvious hunger, he offers a few short words concerning supper to one of the women. Returning to the old man, he begins a sudden flurry of questions:

"Have you this message in your possession? And the black arrow? I should very much like to show them to my southern friend, who has a knowledge of letters. Did you see where the crows took the two? Hear any of their words as they passed through the forest toward one of their towers? Was this many nights passed; how many days?

"And what of the woods-witch? I would go to take her council in person, and hear what she knows of my kin."

Privately, the young king steels himself. He has rarely thought of his family, a mother and father lost in the snow. This man's tale has stirred old feelings, and he prays wordlessly to the old gods that the tale is true.

[drack]

Joggle Timberwake, Slayer of three crows, conquer of the raggedy pines, raider of the far south, and now too a ponderer of times not-so-long-past considered it. Looking up at the quarter moon above them inspiration struck him. "The moon bent the other way that night." He concludes triumphantly. "...and..." Once more he launched into silent thought, the gears in his head slowly turning. "Yes, back to their wall, that's where they went. Somethin' 'bout having to go scrape and bow to some lordly commander."

[drack]

(double post for subscribers)
Appearing content that he'd answered your questions, or at least all the ones he could remember, Joggle looks about for the free folk who were sent for food.