Chapter 93: The Golden Compass
Daenerys was on her way to tell Slow Sheep she was leaving when she passed a group of sheep villagers arguing about the final exam.
"Happy Sheep is a beast… ninety-nine points!"
"Yeah, but Lazy Sheep got a hundred. That can't be right!"
"Because the test was 'pick the best cookie out of a hundred.' Lazy Sheep tasted every single one and decided grass cookies win."
The sheep burst out laughing. Daenerys shook her head. A hundred cookies? Even Drogo couldn't choke that down. Still, the little guy had guts.
She knocked on the village chief's door and stepped inside. Slow Sheep was prepping lessons, a test tube of bright blue liquid in his hand.
"Daenerys! What can I do for you?"
"Chief, I'm ready to leave. I need to find my husband, Khal Drogo."
Slow Sheep stroked his beard. "He's pretty far out right now. I'll send Happy Sheep and Boiling Sheep with you. Plus your own guards, you'll make it safe."
"Thank you. With two of your warriors along, nothing will stop us."
Just as she turned to go, Ser Jorah rushed in with bad news.
"Khaleesi, half the horse lords still haven't woken up. The sheep people are all fine. Could they have—"
Daenerys cut him off. "The sheep aren't the enemy. Their wool is white for a reason. Their hearts are pure. Fetch the chief."
Slow Sheep arrived with a full medical kit and checked the unconscious Dothraki.
"They ate sleeping fruit. Easy fix, but we need awakening grass from the sea floor. It grows on geothermal vents. Rare as hell."
The Dothraki backed away fast. They hated deep water. Jorah stepped forward.
"I'll go. Bear Island kid. I can swim."
Daenerys shook her head. "Too dangerous alone. Chief, send a couple of your best with him."
"Happy Sheep, Boiling Sheep—go with Ser Jorah. Quick and quiet."
The two sheep saluted and took off south with the knight.
On the slopes of Lonely Mountain, steel rang in the snow. Little White Wolf and Geralt of Graystark had traded blows for fifty rounds and still stood even.
Banana Wolf watched from the pack and nudged Gray Wolf.
"Uncle, if this drags on they'll both drop from exhaustion. Let them go. They're heading to the Wall to fight the dead anyway."
Gray Wolf peeled a banana and took a slow bite.
"Stop."
Both fighters stepped back, blades still raised.
"Humans. Lonely Mountain is ours now. Stay out of it and we let you walk. Hunt outside our land, kill anyone, and we hunt you instead."
Ramsay weighed the deal fast. His father wanted the wolves gone. This solved the problem without more blood.
"Fine. The mountain's yours. But we're not leaving the area to hunt, and nobody dies."
Gray Wolf's yellow eyes glinted cold.
"Run while I'm still feeling generous, little human."
Ramsay and his men backed off, Geralt with them. Once they were gone, Gray Wolf stared after the white-haired Witcher.
"Witchers in this world too? Things just keep getting stranger. I'll get home someday. Green Grassland… Red… Little Grey… wait for me."
Bran sat bolt upright in his chair.
"Run! Wildlings are coming! They're right behind us!"
Hodor just blinked. Osha's blood ran cold. If the wildlings caught her they'd skin her for a traitor.
"Hodor, move!" she snapped, scooping Bran up and sprinting. Hodor thundered after them, leaving the wheelchair behind.
They hadn't gone far when wildlings burst from the trees.
"Shit! They're already running! Traps didn't even trigger. Chase them! Don't let them reach Winterfell!"
The wildlings poured after them. Bran, Osha, and Hodor fled deeper into the wolfswood.
On Bear Island, Lyanna had ducked into the old cave. Guards flooded in after her, torches high. Lyra stayed outside, pulling the golden compass from her belt.
She spun the dials once, twice. The needle locked.
"Found you, Lyanna. The golden compass never lies."
Lyra wasn't born on Bear Island. She'd washed up here by accident and somehow bonded with an armored bear. Now she moved through the tunnels like she owned them.
She found Lyanna crouched in a narrow crevice, her own bear nowhere in sight.
"Got you."
"Damn it, how do you always find me?" Lyanna growled.
Lyra grinned. "Because I can find anyone. Want proof? Where's that corpse right now?"
She worked the compass again. The needle settled.
"Down in the sewers. He's heading straight for Lady Maege. Plans to kill her the second he sees her."
Lyanna's face went white.
"We have to go back!"
"Relax. Gordon's going to swat him like a bug the moment he crawls out. We'll be there in time to watch."
Lyanna stared at her. "How the hell do you know all this?"
Lyra tapped the glowing golden compass.
"Because this thing tells the truth. Every single time."