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  Robb, Jon, and the others were shocked to learn that elia was about to go to the Wall, or perhaps even to the Land of Eternal Wio the north of the Wall.

  In particur, Robb, Jon, and Arya wao go together. Of course, this idea was quickly dismissed by their father and mother. Bran, who was only seven years old, didn’t even have the time to express what he wanted.

  Jon was the most disappointed. Since he was a child, he khat Lady Catelyn didn’t like him. He had always had a deep desire to join the glorious Night's Watch. He often dreamed of the day when he would leave for the Wall, swearing the oath to protect its borders. That’s why he wanted so much to apany elia and the others there, but in the end, he couldn’t.

  Sansa, oher hand, had no iion of going to the Wall. She only expressed her and affe for elia. As for Ri, who was only three years old, he was still in a state of plete innoce, just hiding in his mother’s arms and watg his siblings cause a otion.

  elia had to admit that, among the seven Stark children, probably only Sansa and Ri were the most obedient and disciplined. Of course, the child who most ed the parents robably herself, so she knew very well that she didn’t have much to say.

  More than ten days quickly passed. Uncle Benjen had finished anizing his responsibilities and finally po pack up and head north to the Wall. This time, besides her father, Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik would also apany him on this journey, but her would go beyond the Wall.

  During these days, Catelyn helped elia pack her things, advid care day and night. Still, wheime came to leave, she was filled with worry aance.

  Anyway, this trip to the north of the Wall was iable. During the day, at the gate of Winterfell, elia followed her father and said goodbye to her relut mother and siblings.

  She then pulled the reins and guided her horse, following her father and Uncle Beoward the Wall. Her horse, personally trained by Ser Rodrik to meet her needs, was given to her as a birthday present wheurned seven. elia called him Shils.

  Shils was a very smart horse. Since she was seven, elia had learo cooperate with him. Thanks to her special sense of perception, even though she couldn’t see, she could keep up with the pace of her father and Benjen. She was able to feel their breathing and their position, as well as that of their horses.

  In fact, this was the first time in many years that elia had traveled so far, since she came to Westeros. The farthest journey she had taken before was a hunt with Robb and her father st year. So, besides the nervousness, this journey was iably apanied by y and expectation.

  The Wall isn’t very far from Winterfell. Even with the reduced pace to aodate elia and Maester Luwin, they only took five days on horseback to reach the foot of the Wall.

  When they arrived, it was just after su o day of the journey, and elia was fortunate enough to witness for the first time the impressive ae sight of the Wall.

  The imposing structure was covered iretg infinitely from east to west, with no end in sight. The icy wind, mixed with snowfkes, blurred the sky, making the se even darker. The Wall stood there with solemn grandeur. One could not help but feel a deep sense of awe.

  The Wall separated all the nd of eternal winter. Just su imposing struade people realize that the world beyond it was definitely not a pce for humans.

  This reminded elia of her previous life, where there had also been a pce called the Great Wall, built to defend against fn invaders. It was a grand structure that impressed and shocked everyone.

  But the enemy ahead was not an ordinary one.

  These mysterious races, born from death, were hidden in pces inaccessible to humans. But undoubtedly, one day, they would return.

  And the crisis was already near!

  "Let’s go! Let’s head to Castle Bck to rest for a bit. When we’re ready, we’ll head beyond the Wall."

  The jourhey were about to uake was dangerous and full of uainties, and they o be fully prepared. When Benjen said this, he turo look at elia, who was still gazing at the imposing Wall. He couldn’t help but notice the fine dress and light cloak she was wearing, more symbolic than practical.

  "I still wonder: don’t you feel cold?"

  Ned, hearing Benjen’s words, looked at his daughter on horseback. elia had never feared the cold, ever since she was born. Even that night, five years ago, she had slept in the snow wearing only a light skirt, showing no sign of disfort.

  In fact, one could say that elia seemed more at home in the world of id snow, as if she were the very embodiment of the cold. This was one of the reasons Ned allowed her to e to the Wall — perhaps because of this strange e, the frozen north would not be a dangerous pce for her.

  But regardless of any theory, it was something that o be discovered up close.

  "I don’t feel cold, I’m very fortable!" elia replied.

  elia averted her gaze and raised her hand to catch the snowfkes falling from the sky. She felt that the closer she got to the North, the more fortable she became. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something ullioward this pce, despite the panid fear it would normally cause.

  Of course, when she arrived ieros and learned where this pce was, elia couldn’t avoid the fear of the White Walkers. But now... why did it feel so different?

  "Well, at least you’ll never freeze to death like the Rangers!" Benjen raised an eyebrow, pulled the reins, and rode toward Castle Bck.

  "Lia, let’s go too!"

  Ned called elia back to reality. She blinked, rec from her daydream, and o her father. Together, they followed Beoward Castle Bck, while Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik rht behind them.

  They soon arrived at Castle Bck, guarded by the Night’s Watder the prote of the imposing Wall. As they passed through the gate, they noticed several men of the Watch dressed in their bck attire, busy with training. Their curious gazes followed the group strangely.

  This made elia feel a little unfortable, but as she thought of the once-glorious Night’s Watow reduced to this state, an inexplicable sadook over her. Currently, only three fortresses remained guarded uhe Great Wall.

  Ned dismounted and walked to elia’s horse. He helped her off Shils and took the blind stick tied to the saddle, handing it to her. Although it was already night, elia o tihe pretense of blindness, something she had bee quite skilled at over the years.

  If she wanted, no one would notiything wrong with her.

  "Lord Stark, what brings you to the Wall? And why did y your daughter with you?"

  At that moment, Ser Jeor Mormont stepped out of one of the nearby buildings. His gaze fell oen-year-old girl o ark. She appeared to be blind, which caused him some perplexity.

  elia, with her empty eyes, stared silently at Ser Jeor Mormont. At first gnce, he seemed like a kind old man, but the fact that he ahe Night’s Watch, posed of many criminals, showed that he certainly was not someone easy to deal with.

  "Lia has been b me about the Night's Watch since she was little. She insisted on ing this time," Benjen said with a casual smile. "Sined was ing to the Wall on business, he took the opportunity t her with him. We'll stay for a few days. Who knows, if she gets scared this time, maybe she’ll never want to e back here!"

  Benjen smiled, a carefree excuse, which made Mormont frown. Did they really think the Wall ce to casually bring a ten-year-old girl?

  But it was ark, the Lord of Winterfell, who could say little. Although the Night's Watch maintained a ral position within the Seven Kingdoms and was not subject to the ws of local lords, its existeed back thousands of years. The Night's Watch had been founded by Brandon Stark of House Stark and remained active to this day, receiving great support from the Stark family, both in terms of manpower and material resources.

  So, Jeor simply furrowed his brow without saying anything further, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Did he really bring a ten-year-old girl to the Wall just out of curiosity?

  "I’ll be b you for a few days. We've traveled a long road. Do you have any wine?"

  Ned noticed Jeor Mormont's doubts and iigative look. Without paying too much attentioepped forward and began talking to the Lord ander, subtly blog elia behind him.

  After they finally fiheir greetings, Ser Mormohem to the hall where the Night's Watch members usually ate, and elia was finally able to escape the peing and unfortable gazes of the sentinels. Those looks were truly unpleasant.

  They had arrived a little te, and the dining hall was already empty. The sentinels had finished dihey chose a table at random to sit at. elia ate in silenot participating in the versatioween her father, Uncle Benjen, and Ser Mormont.

  This time, wheraveled to the Great Wall, her father had found a pretext to justify the trip. After all, he couldn’t attrauch attention. Even their expedition beyond the Wall would have to begin at night, and only three people would be part of it: Uncle Benjen, her father, and her.

  As for how they would leave discreetly without drawing attention, Uncle Benjen assured her he would take care of everything but didn’t give her any further details. No matter how much elia asked, she couldn’t get any more information out of him and had to give up.

  She silently prayed that everything would go smoothly.

  "Miss, have you gotteo the food here?"

  Ser Mormont observed elia, who was eating quietly without saying anything, and suddenly asked her this question. Ned and Benjen exged silent gnces upon hearing his words.

  elia had always been different from other people since she was a child. These differences had brought both advantages and disadvantages, but her greatest secret couldn’t be discovered by anyone. If that happened, it would be more of a disaster than a blessing. As long as she wasn’t strong enough to protect herself, the best thing for elia was to avoid drawing attention.

  "It’s not bad, Ser Mormont, but to be ho, it’s worse than the food at Winterfell. You Night’s Wat have really worked hard for so many years!"

  After saying this, elia pced her utensils down, l her gaze at a discreet ahen, she slightly turned her head toward Ser Mormont and responded with a restrained smile, typical of a dy of noble birth. Over all these years, elia might not have dared to say much, but when it came to pretending to be blind, no one surpassed her.

  "This is our duty. We swore to protect the Great Wall, and we will never break our word!"

  Mormont observed elia for a long time, but found nothing unusual about her. The young woman in front of him seemed like just a typioble dy. The only evident peculiarity was her blindness.

  However, it was undeniable that few people in the Seven Kingdoms could match her refined behavior. Her manners were fwless in every gesture, which wasly surprising. After all, her mother had been the eldest daughter of House Tully, from the Rivernds.

  "Now that we’re at the Great Wall, Miss, would you like to take a walk along it? If you want, ask Lord Stark to take you. It’s worth feeling the wind from the north side of the Wall. Just be careful, as you ’t see, you’ll o be cautious of the strong wind up there."

  The imposing Wall wasn’t just windy. To him, it was hard to uand what about the Great Wall could i a young woman from House Stark. Children raised in protected castles had no idea what kind of pce the Great Wall of Despair really was. This was definitely not a fun pce.

  But, sihis young dy was curious about the Great Wall, there was no harm in takihere. Anyway, ark wouldn’t allow his daughter to fall off the Wall. Mormont only hoped the young dy could spend a few quiet days at Castle Bck without causing trouble. And if that happened, he would thank both the old gods and the new.

  Of course, it would be eveer if they could leave quickly!

  "Lia, do you want to go?" Ned asked, taking a sip of wihey wouldn’t leave that night anyway, so it would be a good opportunity to take her there. He could even tell her stories he’d known since his youth, stories about the Wall and the Night's Watch.

  "If Ser Mormont would allow me, I’d be hoo walk on the Wall. Thank you very much!"

  elia’s smile became more sincere. Despite her fear of the White Walkers, her curiosity about the Great Wall was eveer. Being in front of it was already an impressive experience.

  She imagined Jon would be jealous of her!

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