George R. R. Martin (who is very likely about to be referred to as GRRM) does not pull his punches. The prologue already introduces some serious what-the-hellishness. It also instantly makes me feel slightly bad for wishing death on a character.
The prologue starts off with two riders and their "commander", a young asshole by name of Ser Waymar Royce. They are, apparently, going out to the North, beyond the wall, to track some...wildlings. I'm guessing some wild men? A tribe of sorts? Look, I don't know yet. Anyway. The eighteen-year-old, grew-up-rich, only-been-out-there-a-few-months commander displays some stupid bravado by ignoring the input of his fellow riders (like Gared, who is over fifty and has been on the wall for forty years, but, you know, what does he know) and mocking them.
Now, granted, I know that in many cases it is a terrible idea to give an entitled young person any sort of authority. It makes them feel all uppity even if they don't really know what they are doing. Maybe that's what happened to this kid. However, he is acting like a prick and I pretty much instantly thought "well, I hope something awful happens to him. He would deserve it."
You knew I would think that, GRRM. And you punished me for it.
Anyway, Will had previously found the wildlings and noticed that NONE OF THEM MOVED so, logically, assumed they were dead and did not want to approach them. Young one ignores Gared's very eloquent description of how the cold can kill people easily up there because it sneaks up on them. O, and he closed this little exposition on the dangers of the cold with this gem:
"I've had the cold in me too, lordling." Gared pulled back his hood, giving Ser Waymar a good long look at the stumps where his ears had been. "Two ears, three toes, and the little finger off my left hand. I got off light. We found my brother frozen at his watch, with a smile on his face."
There is no way I am finding a picture to illustrate that. Guh.
Now, you would think a sight like that would chasten the newbie who has been ignoring everything he says. Instead, we are treated to this reaction:
Ser Waymar shrugged. "You ought dress more warmly, Gared."
Seriously, screw you.
So Waymar want to see the bodies himself and they go forward. As they approach the camp, after more dickery, they find the campsite and...
the bodies are gone.
Now, I feel like this is eerie. And freaky. Add to that the feeling that the two seasoned rangers have had of something watching them and terrifying them the whole time, and I am decidedly nervous. Will goes up a tree at the lordling's order and as he is up there, he hears the lord ask "Who goes there?"
"The Others made no sound."
Seriously, GRRM. This is terrifying. He is so damn matter-of-fact about these truly creepy things that are happening, that it makes me even more nervous about what's to come.
When the terrifying snow-warrior-thing approaches the kid, he acts like a man and tries to fight the thing. He does ok until HIS SWORD SHATTERS. Now, I would call that an unfair advantage for the ice-guys, but I'm guessing they don't care. Fine. Then he gets killed by the ice-guys. "Butchered" is the term GRRM uses.
Thanks for that image, GRRM.
After it's over and they are gone, Will climbs down from the tree where he witnessed this entire thing. He walks past the kid's corpse to pick up the end of the shattered sword as proof of what happened and stands up to THE KID'S REANIMATED CORPSE STANDING OVER HIM WITH ONE BRIGHT BLUE EYE.
And the prologue ends with Will closing his eyes as ice-cold hands tighten around his throat.
Sleep well, kids!
So excited to keep going.
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