[He listens to her protestations; he watches the weight of the truth begin to fall on her. It could be simple, if people believed him, if he could easily unite the kingdoms to face the threat. Instead, because it’s hard to believe, everything is triply complicated.
And her question shows that she truly knows nothing of the Dead.]
Not much will kill a wight, or a White Walker. There is fire, but in melee combat, we can only try to use it on their back ranks. What kills them doesn’t do any good if it kills as many of us.
[There, she might understand the use of a dragon: to hit them from the rear, from above.]
There is dragonglass. The legends say that the Children of the Forest used to give it to the Night’s Watch, but that was thousands of years ago. Now there are a few daggers here and there, some arrowheads, but we don’t have much. I know it will kill a wight, or a White Walker. I know a man who’s done it.
The last thing is Valyrian steel, but if dragonglass is rare… [He trails off there, letting the implication hang before he speaks again. Dragonglass can be mined, if a deposit is found, but the secret of making Valyrian steel is lost forever, and most of the swords in the Seven Kingdoms are in the hands of southron houses.] I have killed a White Walker with Longclaw [(he pats the pommel and handle at his side)]. I can’t imagine we’ll be able to get more than a few men with such weapons to take part in the fight, not with things going as they have been.
no subject
And her question shows that she truly knows nothing of the Dead.]
Not much will kill a wight, or a White Walker. There is fire, but in melee combat, we can only try to use it on their back ranks. What kills them doesn’t do any good if it kills as many of us.
[There, she might understand the use of a dragon: to hit them from the rear, from above.]
There is dragonglass. The legends say that the Children of the Forest used to give it to the Night’s Watch, but that was thousands of years ago. Now there are a few daggers here and there, some arrowheads, but we don’t have much. I know it will kill a wight, or a White Walker. I know a man who’s done it.
The last thing is Valyrian steel, but if dragonglass is rare… [He trails off there, letting the implication hang before he speaks again. Dragonglass can be mined, if a deposit is found, but the secret of making Valyrian steel is lost forever, and most of the swords in the Seven Kingdoms are in the hands of southron houses.] I have killed a White Walker with Longclaw [(he pats the pommel and handle at his side)]. I can’t imagine we’ll be able to get more than a few men with such weapons to take part in the fight, not with things going as they have been.