Chapter 242

He didn't know the crows over the sea, but he knew the Night King, he knew the Cold God, and Brandon had once heard his story.

Just as he was wondering who was telling the story, he already felt the temperature dropping again, felt the campfire dying out, felt the cooking smoke disappearing.

Without a blizzard, the weather remained clear, even beginning to radiate light… ice crystals floated in the air, sparkling.

"We should go." the boy shouted, "Toward the south."

He heard the girl picking up her weapon, heard her panting heavily. He heard a burly man shouting "Ado Ado" in panic.

"Ado will carry me, sister, you go ahead. Don't worry, today will be a good day, I can feel it."

They were coming toward him. He had to go deeper into the forest.

He felt a power colder than the Others gathering in the north; it was still daytime, but if it were night…

The ice plain wolf didn't need to think so much, nor would it care about these.

He wanted to give summer an answer; he felt he really didn't need to keep going north, because seeing those three people, he felt he had already recognized them.

When he was still the Prince of Winterfell, he had once entertained this brother and sister. When he was still a lame boy, that strongman had been his legs.

He couldn't recall the names of that brother and sister. He only remembered that he was called Brandon Stark, and this wolf was called Summer.

They were facing danger.

He had already smelled the stench of the Others; they were pursuing him from behind.

He didn't understand why this brother and sister were lighting a fire; if they had already come this far north, they should have learned this truth: fire never belongs to this forest.

From the other side of the forest he watched them flee southward, and he heard a sound unlike that of the wights.

Human wights shuffle along; if their heads are undamaged, they emit a squeaky, yapping cry from their mouths; animal wights produce the roars they used when fighting foes, the sounds of desperate struggle and intimidation, not too different from when they were alive; most easily distinguished is the bellow of the woolly mammoth, a sound that can pierce the depths of the soul, making his whole body tremble, and his favorite is the angry hiss of such a creature—unfortunately, throughout the entire northward journey, he had only witnessed it twice.

This sound was not from wights, nor had he heard the Others' low hissing like a snake's tongue; the sound resembled ducks sprinting swiftly across snow, he pricked up his ears to listen closely, feeling every hair on his back begin to stir slightly.

Oh, that was a giant ice spider.

He immediately turned direction and sprinted south, feeling his four hooves already flying over the snow.

His speed was slightly greater than that of the ice spider.

How could that be?

On the northward journey, he had never seen anything like this, nor had he ever seen any spider, dead or alive, large or small; and the other wight monsters were… he could not categorize them, but a wight spider? He simply could not comprehend it.

Would an ice plain wolf eat spiders? That is food for the gray wolves of the jungle…

"Ah…" he heard the girl shouting in terror.

He stopped, looked at the ice spider chasing him, hesitating whether to go to the rescue.

The spider was practically the same color as its surroundings; just staring at it intently made him feel dizzy…

He moved toward the direction of that brother and sister.

The ice spider changed direction but still maintained its speed as it lunged at him.

He heard the sounds of blows and combat, heard the burly man swinging steel to shatter bones.

He could no longer flee. He turned his head, bared his teeth, and fixed his gaze on the oncoming giant spider.

Its legs were very long, each like an icicle, each joint like a blade, and its abdomen was etched with a blood-red vortex.

He could find no wound on it… he was unsure whether he could defeat such a huge spider. He had never fought a spider before, and he didn't know how a spider would attack.

"It feeds on fear." he thought.

The spider swiftly approached him; when they were close enough, he had already seen the spider open its huge mouth, its interior also a dark red.

Danger!

He summoned all his strength and leapt from directly in front of its mouth, just barely jumping out of the spider's expelled web.

He saw the spider's thin red neck; somehow he just knew that was its weak point.

The spider's long legs were like swords, firmly planted in the snow, turning with agility; to him they seemed almost as capable as a living lynx.

Its claws were longer than a lynx's, but it had no tearing mouth.

The most important technique in fighting a lynx is not to be bitten by it; the best method is to match endurance with it, waiting until it is exhausted, then using speed and a huge mouth to kill it in a moment of laxity.

Could he match endurance with this spider? He didn't know. If it were summer, he felt he would surely choose to flee desperately southward—that would be the true skill.

No, now he is truly the ice plain wolf, and he will not retreat, nor will he fear.

Fear is his food; moreover, he has already discovered its weak point?

At least it won't learn to jump like a lynx.

He again dodged the spider's spewed ice web… the oak-colored hue ensnared by the ice web was slowly changing… he absolutely must not be hit.

The jungle grew somewhat dark, ice crystals scattering and dancing in the forest.

Dark clouds came from the north, a storm swept up from the south.

"Croak…" he heard the crow's startled cry. The spider was drawn by the sound and turned its body.

Good opportunity.

He exerted force with his legs, thrust forward with his paws, and in one leap sprang onto the spider's body… he opened his huge mouth and bit down hard on the red connection between the spider's head and abdomen.

Dark-colored fluid flowed from its neck, splashing all over him. The icy chill almost made his entire body stiffen.

He weakly slid off the spider's body. The fluid ran along his fur into the snow, everywhere it passed freezing solid.

However, the spider did not die.

He saw a long, blade-like branch about to thrust at him.

He was unable to dodge.

At that moment, crows fell from the branches, thick and numerous, obscuring the spider's vision. The blade-like branch plunged into the snow at one side of his body.

The spider then spat another mouthful of ice web at the crows; those black crows instantly turned into frozen ice lumps that fell from the sky.

When he forced himself to rise from the ground, he saw a giant elk sprinting across the snow, charging straight at that spider.

The spider's head hit the ground, its body came to a halt in the snow, unmoving, and then before his eyes it turned into a pile of ice and snow.

"Hurry up!" he said, seeing the masked man in the Night Watch's black clothing speaking to him.

Translation: "Run!" he saw the man in black Night Watch clothing with a masked face say to him.

But we need to translate faithfully, preserving meaning. Let's produce English.

We need to decide on the term: "Night Watch" is a known term from A Song of Ice and Fire. Should we translate it? It's a proper noun? In context, it's likely the Night's Watch (organization). According to the rules, official and sect ranks/titles should be translated by meaning. So "Night Watch" becomes "Night Watch". It's a title/role, so we translate it.

"Masked man" translates to "masked man"; it's not a name.

He knew I could understand what he was saying.

He knew I could understand his words.

He could feel that beneath this person's body there was only icy cold, with no warmth at all; even the person wasn't breathing.

He could feel that beneath this person's body there was only icy cold, no warmth at all. Even he had no breath.

He forced himself to control Summer's body, then shook himself to throw off the ice in his hair, but the ice clung to him as if it had grown there.

He forced himself to control summer's body, then shook his body to shake off the ice on his hair, but it was as if the ice had grown onto him.

He stopped worrying about those things and followed the man riding the great elk, taking small steps.

He no longer bothered with these, and followed the man riding a giant elk with small steps.

As he approached the sister and brother and the strong man, the wights had nearly surrounded the three of them, but the strong man's iron sword cut any approaching wight in half with a single blow; yet he was alone and had to protect almost two people.

When he approached the sister-brother pair and the strong man, the corpses had almost surrounded the three of them. But that strong man's iron sword cut any approaching corpse in half with a single stroke, yet he was alone and had to almost protect two.

The crows rose up, continually harassing the wights advancing from behind.

Crows rose up, continually harassing the advancing corpses behind.

When he drew near the sister and brother, this was what he saw.

When he approached this sister-brother pair, what he saw was this scene.

At that moment, a mountain lion suddenly sprang from the crowd of wights and lunged at the boy.

A mountain cat suddenly sprang from the corpse crowd and lunged at the boy.

He felt provoked by the mountain lion, so he charged at it with greater speed, knocked it flying in an instant, then rushed in and snapped its neck with a bite.

He felt provoked by this mountain cat, so he charged at it with greater speed, instantly knocking it flying, then swiftly approached and bit off its neck in one bite.

Unfortunately, the mountain lion's belly was empty, leaving him no useful organs.

Unfortunately, the mountain cat's belly was empty, leaving him no useful organs.

"Summer!" the boy shouted, "watch your back!"

"Summer!" he heard the boy shout, "Watch your back!"

He turned his head to dodge the incoming iron sword, leapt again, and cut the throat of the sneaking wight.

He turned his head to dodge the incoming iron sword, then leapt again, cutting the throat of the ambushing corpse.

He knew his name!

He knew his name!

"They're here!" the boy shouted at him.

"They're coming!" the boy shouted at him.

He didn't understand whom the boy was shouting at.

He didn't understand whom the boy was shouting at.

At that moment the wights halted their steps and cleared a path; more ice‑holding Others moved to the front, then spread out left and right again.

At this moment the corpses stopped, cleared the path. More ice-wielding white walkers advanced to the front, then again spread left and right.

The snow grew heavier.

The snow grew heavier.

He felt the earth trembling and sensed a massive creature approaching them.

He felt the earth trembling, felt a colossal beast approaching them.

A white ice‑crystal dragon slowly walked toward them; wherever it passed, the giant trees on both sides froze and shattered, turning into ice‑crystal dust that the wind lifted and dispersed through the forest, then fell again with the heavy snow.

A white ice-crystal giant dragon slowly walked toward them; wherever it passed, the giant trees on both sides were frozen and shattered, then turned into ice-crystal dust, drifting and spreading with the wind in the forest, then falling together with the heavy snow.

Is it a dragon? An ice dragon?

Is this a dragon? An ice dragon?

"What monster is this?" the sister shouted in anguish, already struggling to breathe.

"What monster is this?" the sister shouted angrily, suffering, she already had difficulty breathing.

"Don't stare at it for too long… this is what the prophesied son must overcome, sister."

"Do not stare at it for too long... this is what the prophesied child needs to overcome, sister."

"You said today would be a good day," she said sorrowfully.

"You said today is a good day," she said sorrowfully.

"We've seen an old friend today— isn't that a good day?" the boy glanced at him gently and said, "I told you he'd come."

"We saw an old friend today, isn't that a good day?" the boy glanced at him gently, "I said he would come."

His eyes were the same color as a summer forest.

His eyes are the same color as summer forest.

"He shouldn't have come here," the sister said sadly.

"He shouldn't have come here," the sister said sadly.

"No, he had to come here." His gaze fixed on the mighty ice dragon's body, he added, "He knows I can help him, and I can only live until this point."

"No, he must come here." His gaze fixed on the mighty ice dragon's body. "He knows I can help him, and I can only live until here."

He also looked at the dragon, but the dragon didn't turn its eyes toward them.

He also looked at the dragon, but the dragon did not turn its eyes toward them.

He really wanted to know what kind of eyes those were that one must not stare at for too long.

He really wanted to know what kind of eyes those were that one must not stare at for too long.

He had never seen such a towering creature; even a mammoth before it looked like a toy. It appeared taller than the highest tower of Winterfell, its whole body shining with pure white and translucence, like the finest icicle formed beneath Winterfell in winter. It bore mysterious wings, but fused with ice he could not tell them apart.

He had never seen such a towering creature; even a mammoth before it looked like a toy. It appeared taller than the highest tower of Winterfell, its whole body radiating pure white and transparency, like the most beautiful icicle formed beneath Winterfell in winter. It had mysterious wings, but together with the ice he could not distinguish them.

The ice dragon's feet were completely sunk in the snow, surrounded by freezing mist and blowing snow; he could not see the dragon's face, which was shrouded in dark‑gray snow swirling in vortices.

The ice dragon's feet were completely sunk into ice and snow, surrounded by freezing mist and flying snow; he could not see the dragon's face, above which gray-dark snow formed a vortex.

The dragon stared straight at the distant sky, giving none of its gaze to them.

The dragon stared straight at the distant sky, not giving even a glance toward them.

"What does it want?" the sister asked.

"What does it want?" the sister asked.

"Caw!" came a huge crow's cry, followed by laughter: "Ha ha ha, it wants to ask the boy for the gift the green seer gave him, it wants to turn the Seven Kingdoms into its playground and make the world an eternal realm of ice and snow."

"Caw!" a huge crow's cry, "Hahaha, it wants to ask the boy for something the Green Seer gave him, it wants to turn the Seven Kingdoms into its playground, making the world an eternal ice-snow realm."

At that moment the dragon also turned its gaze toward the nearby crow.

At this moment the dragon also turned its gaze toward the crow beside it.

One of the crow's eyes was blood‑red, the other the same shade as the Others. The crow was far larger than any bird he had ever seen; its talons clutched a crown of many colors he could not distinguish, but it looked exquisitely crafted.

One of the crow's eyes was blood-red, the other the same color as the white walkers. The crow was far larger than any bird he had seen. Its talons clutched a crown, many colors together, he could not distinguish, but it looked exquisitely crafted.

However, the speaker was not the crow itself, but a face growing on the crown.

However, the speaker was not the crow, but a face growing on the crown.

"Who are you?" the sister asked, slightly frightened.

"Who are you?" the sister asked, slightly frightened.

"I am the prophesied son you speak of!" the crow turned its head and fixed its gaze on the boy.

"I am the prophesied child you speak of!" the crow turned its head, staring at the boy.

The ice dragon gave them no chance, opening its massive maw—he saw thick ice and cold condensing inside its mouth, then it exhaled the freezing blast toward them.

The ice dragon gave them no chance, opening its massive maw—he saw thick ice and cold condense in the dragon's mouth, then it exhaled upon them.

Yet the sky‑filled crow feathers blocked the extreme cold, instantly forming a black, half‑arc icicle.

However, the sky-full of crow feathers blocked the extreme cold, instantly turning into a semi-arc-shaped black icicle.

Bran felt angry, feeling slighted—by both the great dragon and the salty, sea‑tanged crow before him—and he roared, baring his fangs at all this evil.

Bran felt anger, felt being slighted, stemming both from that giant dragon and from the crow before him reeking of salt and tide, so he roared, baring his fangs at all this evil.

"Don't." The boy's hand touched his hair, "take Melisandre and leave."

"Don't." the boy's hand touched his hair, "Take Melara away."

"If you don't hand over the green seer's gift, nothing can leave," the face on the crown laughed madly.

"If you don't hand over the Green Seer to you, nothing can leave," the face on the crown laughed madly.

"This is yours," the boy said, producing a green bead.

"This is yours." the boy produced a green bead.

"No!" the Night Watch cavalry shouted. Yet the crow leapt and swallowed the bead, then another eye sprouted on top of its head—this new eye should be green.

"Impossible!" the Night Watch cavalry shouted. However the crow leapt and swallowed the bead, then another eye grew on the crow's head. The newly grown eye should be green.

"Hurry up!" the boy said, "Bran, take my sister and get out of here!"

"Run!" the boy said, "Bran, take my sister and run!"

At that moment the Night Watch drew his long sword and thrust it into the crow's belly, piercing it in one blow.

At this moment the Night Watch drew his long sword and stabbed into the crow's belly, piercing it in one blow.

The crow let out a huge cry of pain and then kept twitching.

The crow emitted a great cry of pain, then kept twitching.

At that moment the ice dragon again breathed its freezing blast upon them all.

At this time the ice dragon again exhaled icy breath upon them all.

Light flickered in the crow's eye sockets; a massive bolt of lightning fell from the sky to the ground, blocking the dragon's icy breath, after which the crow grew weaker.

Light flickered in the crow's eye sockets. A huge lightning bolt fell from the sky to the ground, intercepting the dragon's icy breath, after which the crow began to grow weaker.

"Hurry up!" the boy shouted.

"Run!" the boy shouted.

The crown fell from the crow's talons, but the strong man caught it with one hand.

The crown in the crow's talons fell, but was caught in one hand by the strong man.

The strong man's gaze changed completely; he placed the crown upon his head with one hand.

The strong man's gaze began to change completely. He single-handedly placed the crown upon his head.

"Ha ha ha…" he heard the strong man laugh, "I, Urien, am the true savior! I, Greyjoy, am the rebirth of Aeson…"

"Hahaha..." he heard the strong man laugh, "I, Youlun, am the true savior! I, Greyjoy, am the reincarnation of Aegon!"

The Night Watch drew his sword, ready to strike the strong man again, but in an instant the strong man seized his hand.

The Night Watch drew his treasure sword, preparing to strike the strong man again, but in an instant the strong man seized his hand.

"Ha ha ha…" the strong man laughed, "fire…"

"Hahaha..." the strong man laughed, "Fire..."

As soon as his voice rang out, fire instantly engulfed the Night Watch.

As soon as his voice sounded, fire instantly engulfed the Night Watch.

"Hurry up!" the boy shouted.

The Ice Dragon breathed upon them again.

"Fire..." More violent flames surged toward the Ice Dragon, completely blocking its breath.

He felt the whole forest start to heat up.

"From now on, I control the seasons! Hahaha!" The burly man laughed, then suddenly grew larger before them, then lifted the frail boy up.

"What should I do with you, kid?" His voice grew wild again.

"Hehehe..." The boy laughed, "As you wish, do you like this crown? It's really not easy to give you this crown."

"Do you think I'll fear your little schemes?"

"Who cares if you're scared or not." The boy, held in his hand, laughed, "You can't get out; this body is a prison made for you. Aduo, close the door!"

The burly man's grip grew tighter and tighter.

"Summer, we need to hurry..." Mei La shouted at the ice plain wolf.

He didn't know what had happened. It felt like all this was a story from a dream, yet the girl beside him also wasn't prepared to say anything to him.

In the hurried journey southward, he felt the ground beneath his feet constantly trembling.

That was two monsters fighting. He felt the extreme cold winter and the scorching summer alternating as they fled southward.

When the moose had become too exhausted to walk, they felt the ice and snow beneath their feet beginning to melt.