Chapter 3
The next day they started travelling towards the nearest settlement that Erik knew of.
As his animal companions scouted his surrounding his mind wandered.
'I know from Eric Rider's memories that it's somewhere around 200 BC or Before conquest of the Targaryens because to all the Riverland rebels that the Durandon Storm king keeps sending to the Wall as he crushes the rebellions in the occupied Riverlands. That means the Targaryens have not yet migrated to Dragonstone yet and it's roughly a hundred years before the doom of Valyria' he thought ss Littlefinger's words drifted up unbidden: chaos is a ladder. The dates, names and rebellions snapped into place beneath his enhanced mind, a lattice of possibilities stretching ahead.
'So many opportunities' he thought 'The doom , the riverlands being crushed by Stormlands and the Iron Isles and lastly the Targaryens'
For a fleeting moment he thought about chaos theory and the butterfly effect of his meddling with the timeline.
Then he dismissed it as his existence already altered the future; pretending otherwise was cowardice.
'I can't simply vanish into hermitage hoping not to alter the timeline. Instead, I will use my foreknowledge to the utmost extent possible and simply become strong enough to deal with the consequences myself' he thought nodding to himself as he came to a conclusion.
Hours passed as they traveled down the road, his mind churning up ideas while his animals scouted. It was almost noon when his raven spotted something in a clearing not too far away.
Focusing on the raven's senses he saw a young woman with a crude spear, sanding protectively before two children. A pack of wolves surrounded them growling and circling. There lay a dead man nearby, with his throat ripped out and a few of the wolves were feasting on the fresh corpse.
'I have to save them' he though sharply
He mentally ordered the fox to jump onto the saddle and mentally ordered his horse to run as fast as possible while he also used the raven's sharp senses to count the wolves
'At least it's a small pack of 8 wolves only. Manageable' he thought as his brilliant mind quickly came up with multiple strategies before settling on one. 'I will try shooting arrows at them, hopefully killing a few and scaring the rest away. If that doesn't work, I'll have to take a risk of attempting to tame the alpha wolf and see if that works'
Stopping some distance from the wolves he took out his bow and notched an arrow towards a wolf. Commanding his horse mentally to stand firm, he mentally calculated the arrows trajectory precisely and let loose three arrows in quick succession.
The first arrow followed its predicted path and pierced one of the wolves in the stomach leaving it howling and thrashing on the ground. The second arrow also struck true in another wolf's shoulder putting another wolf down. The last arrow missed as the targeted wolf had moved erratically in alarm due to its pack mates howling.
'Distract and harass them' he commanded his fox and the raven as he notched another arrow and fired at a wolf. It missed its target by an inch as the wolf had started to turn towards him.
His fox jumped out of the saddle and started running towards them all the while making noises, Midway the fox bolted towards some nearby bushes successfully baiting two wolves to follow it while the raven flew closer to dive and distract the wolves.
By now the four remaining wolves had started running towards him sensing him to be the major threat.
'They will attempt to surround me If I give them the chance' he thought
He commanded his horse to start running around the edge of the clearing at full gallop as he aimed at the closest wolf but waited for the raven to dive and successfully distract it before shooting it in the neck, surprising himself.
'It feels so amazing! Instant horse archer mastery! I love my powers! Take that Mongols and Dothraki's! "He thought excitedly. "This level of efficient multi-tasking is such a cheat!"
He controlled the raven to harass them while the fox successfully baited two of the wolves to follow it away from them. While they were distracting the wolves, he along with his horse were working in perfect symphony as he shot near accurate shots.
'That's five left' he thought as he waited between the horse's gallops and shot another arrow landing a hit on a wolf's hind leg leaving it howling and thrashing on the ground, howling in agony and biting at the arrow
'Th's Four down' he thought happily as his fox skillfully avoided a wolf's jaws 'only four left now'
Seeing as his fox was about to be cornered, he mentally commanded the fox to lead his pursuers towards him as he tried shooting one of the two chasing him but only nicked it.
Commanding his horse to charge, he quickly replaced his bow with a spear and used it to skewer a wolf. Unfortunately, the spear got stuck in its target so he dropped it and took out his sword.
'Only three left' He thought as he commanded his horse to run for the biggest wolf guesstimating it to be the alpha 'Now's my chance to tame the alpha'
Seeing as the wolves were also running towards him, he got ready and at the right moment ordered his horse to veer left while he leaped out of the saddle and while he was midair swung his sword's flat side like a baseball bat and hit the alpha wolf square in the face knocking him down and stunning him.
Meanwhile he ordered Luna, his horse to defend him while the raven and the fox helped keep the other wolves at bay.
Quickly scrambling towards the stunned alpha, he used his sword to pin him down and touched it and started dominating it via his potent combination of warging and manipulating his brain chemistry simultaneously. The alpha wolf stunned and pinned down didn't stand a chance and as soon it was his to control, he quickly had it stop and other wolves. The alpha ran towards his remaining pack and communicated that that they were part of the pack. The wolves although confused obeyed the alpha none the less for now
"Come let's heal you pack mates" he ordered the alpha wolf who was clearly worried for them "You calm them down and I'll heal them"
'I'll also make them more docile towards me and my companions' he thought 'I don't want to warg with so many wolves'
Running from one injured wolf to the other, he quickly healed them and retrieved his arrows while the alpha growled menacingly at them and together they succeeded in healing them all although the one he pierced with his spear would need rest and would take longer to heal so he simply put it to sleep. He didn't warg/dominate any of them except the alpha as he feared he might have an upper limit to his warging but he did used his healing powers to manipulate their brains enough that they would consider him part of the pack and second only to the alpha wolf. In addition, he also had the alpha convince the others not to harm them.
'Let this one sleep here and recover. Take your pack out to hunt again' He mentally commanded his alpha wolf 'I'll lead you to prey animals with the help of my raven. Serve me well and I'll keep you well fed and relatively safe'
The alpha stared at him conveying feelings of loyalty, gratitude and obedience before he barked and yipped at his pack to follow him. The six wolves silently followed their eyes and body language conveying their confusion at the whole situation.
"Now to deal with the humans I just saved" he muttered as he turned towards the wildling woman and her two children. Surprisingly they had not moved and were staring at him in shock and awe.
'I must have looked like a superhero to them. Blitzing in and saving them single handedly' he thought amusedly
Looking at them properly he saw they were in bad shape. The two malnourished boys with slightly sunken cheeks were aged around nine or ten years and that they resembled the woman greatly. Surprisingly their hands were tied to a rope that led to the dead man. The thin woman while young looked older and haggard clearly indicating she had been through a lot. There were also bruises on her face that were clearly made by human fists.
'Children were captive of dead guy. Woman abused but not captive. Children are either sons or brothers to the woman.' He thought as he pieced together the clues 'Children used as leverage to control the woman. All three were prisoners of dead guy. Not fed properly for over a week at least. Captives for that long'
"Hello there" he addressed them in the old tongue that he knew from Erik's childhood memories
"Do any of you need healing? As you saw earlier, I can mend wounds" he asked politely not stepping closer.
He kept his distance. When they didn't respond - still staring at him as though at a ghost — he smiled softly and waited.
Seeing they were not coming out of their shocked state on their own, he decided to act normally and summoned Luna close to him. He started unpacking to set up camp "I will set up camp and get some food ready. You all look like you could use a hearty meal or two' He added calmly hoping the offer of food would bring them out of their shock and be less wary of him.
As expected, the mention of food brought them out of their shock with the children's eyes lit up at the mention of food while the woman's expression wavered between hunger and suspicion.
"Here's my dagger" He said as he tossed took out one of the daggers and tossed it close to her "Why don't you cut those ropes and free the kids and help me with the cooking and find some firewood" he said soothingly trying to soothe her fears by arming her and giving her an opportunity to run away as well all the while enticing her with food and his non-threatening posture and words.
'I know arming her might seem dangerous, but it's the fastest way to earn trust — or at least to show that they shouldn't be afraid' he thought to himself
The woman's eyes locked on to the dagger. She hesitatingly stepped forward while keeping a wary eye on me looking very much like a terrified but hungry deer. She grabbed the dagger tightly and walked backwards towards the kids still keeping an eye on him
Then Erik remembered the Guest Right — a sacred custom of this world. He took out a piece of bread and a pinch of salt, placing them on his wooden plate to present to the woman.
"Bread and salt" he said softly gesturing towards the food in his hands as he slowly yet casually walked towards them "Come eat. I swear by the old gods that I mean you no harm"
The woman's wary eyes darted between the bread, the salt, and Erik's calm face. For a moment, the only sounds were the whisper of the wind and the crackle of the dying campfire. Then, slowly, she took a cautious step forward, dagger clutched firmly.
"I am Gertrude," she said finally, her voice hoarse and cracking. "And these are my sons… Sven and Dan."
Her hands trembled slightly as she took the bread and salt. She broke off a small piece, tasted it, then fed a bit to each boy. Only when all three had eaten did she allow her shoulders to ease, if only slightly.
Erik smiled faintly. "It's an honor to meet you, Gertrude, Sven and Dan. You're safe now."
She looked at him—still wary, but curiosity had begun to overcome fear. "Safe," she repeated softly, glancing toward the treeline where the wolves had disappeared. "You tamed them. No warg can tame so many beasts."
"I'm not quite a normal man," Erik said with a small shrug. "Just someone trying to do some good."
Sven tugged on his mother's sleeve. "Mama, he made the wolves listen. Like papa."
"Yes, I did" Erik admitted with a grin. "Now, how about we get a fire going and something warm to eat?"
With cautious cooperation, Gertrude and her sons began gathering dry wood. Erik prepared a small pot and some dried meat and herbs from his pack. The scent soon filled the clearing, mingling with the earthy air of the forest. Bit by bit, tension drained from the small family's faces, replaced by exhaustion and the faintest spark of comfort.
When the stew was simmering, Erik slowly crouched near Gertrude again. "You're hurt," he said quietly. "Let me help before those bruises turn worse."
She stiffened and gripped the dagger tigther, but then — remembering the way he had mended the wolves after saving her and the children — she nodded hesitantly.
Erik reached out, his hand hovering near her temple. "You'll feel warmth. Nothing more."
Beneath his hand, the ugly purple bruises on her face lightened, then vanished entirely. Her breath caught. "It doesn't hurt anymore…" she whispered in disbelief.
Sven's wide eyes glimmered. "Can you fix Dan's leg too? He fell when we ran."
"Of course."
Erik placed his hand on the boy's thin shin. The swelling faded, leaving only smooth, unbroken skin. Dan giggled in wonder and swung his leg in joy.
"Better?" Erik asked with a smile.
Dan nodded vigorously. "It feels like… summer inside my leg!"
Gertrude stared at him for a long time, the mix of shock, gratitude, and disbelief clear in her eyes. Finally, she spoke in a small voice. "Why would you help us? You owe us nothing."
Erik looked at her quietly for a moment before answering. "Because I can. And because no one else could have. There is a famous saying that the only thing necessary for the triump of evil is for good men to do nothing"
That simple honesty seemed to reach her. She felt he was being honest. The hardness in her expression softened, and she lowered her gaze. "Then… thank you, Erik. From all of us."
He inclined his head slightly. "You're welcome."
They ate together as twilight deepened, the fire painting their faces in gold and amber. The boys laughed weakly for the first time in what felt like forever. Gertrude smiled faintly, though her eyes still held the haunted look of someone who had suffered too much for too long.
Erik leaned back, watching them quietly, a sense of quiet satisfaction blooming within him.
Maybe this is what I'm meant to do, he thought. Not just survive—but heal, rebuild, protect. So, this is what being a hero feels like, I like it. I shall be pragmatic but I'll also help whenever I can. Afterall good deeds don't always go unrewarded.
For the first time since his strange rebirth, the world didn't feel entirely hostile.