Chapter 1

(Notes for those unfamiliar with Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire are at the end of the chapter.)

The damp, vast plains were covered with copper-colored grass, and under the whipping of the high wind, it surged like a furious sea, rolling toward the farthest horizon. Several almond-eyed men wearing colorful leather vests waved weapons that looked half like swords and half like sickles. They rode tall horses and broke through small patches of grass waves, surrounding a lone white-maned male lion so tightly that there was no escape. They let out wolf-like howls, proudly flaunting their strength.

Their robust bodies were like cast bronze. Their long beards were connected with silver rings, and their black hair was braided into thick plaits, radiating an aura of fearlessness and savagery.