【1996 Archives】

996 Archivessneak peek at episode 6 of Game of Thronesgave us the chills -- and not just because it looks like a zombie horde is going to be chewing up our favorite characters.

Most of us were too busy trying to keep track of who might die next among the Magnificent Seven of Westeros. But an eagle-eyed Redditors caught a connection that hints at a huge, much more mysterious reveal from the White Walkers next episode.

In the trailer, we see our Band of Westerosi Brothers get swarmed near a mountain range Beyond the Wall. RKRagan thought the mountain looked familiar, and lo and behold, he found a match. It's the same one from the scene in Season 6 when Bran witnesses the creation of the White Walkers eons ago by the Children of the Forest.

The poster also explained that:

This is the mountain the Hound saw in his vision and that they see next week. It's the other side of the same mountain where the White Walkers were first created by the Children of the Forest.

CARD ID: 250826, CARD TYPE: Imgur

You might not fully remember the Children of the Forest, and why their history will be vital in the war against the dead. The TL;DR is that, several thousands of years ago, the Children of the Forest worked alongside the First Men to fight the White Walkers back to the North -- and they won.

No one knows exactly how they pulled this off, and recorded history seems to have forgotten the details. But, boy, if the Night King is congregating around the ancient site of his birth, all those symbols we keep seeing must have some serious significance in the episodes to come.

And don't forget, last time the Night's Watch battled the White Walkers on ancient, sacred ground, Sam also discovered the dragonglass that has saved many people since. So we're gearing up for another helpful (or terrifying) reveal that provides a fuller picture of the undead threat facing Westeros.

Since Leaf blew herself up to save Bran last season, it's presumed that the Children of the Forest are truly extinct now. But the dragonglass cave paintings from a few episodes ago indicate that their weapons and magic will still have a big part to play.

You might also notice the stark contrast in climates between the two images. Again, this is the same mountain range, only several centuries apart, when the weather was less wack in Westeros.

It's also a pretty cool (pun intended) indication of a long-running fan theory about the White Walkers.

The ice zombies share a deep connection with winter that we don't fully understand yet. But many fans theorize that the White Walkers actually broughtwinter to Westeros in the first place, and that their activities Beyond the Wall have caused the unpredictable weather patterns.

Just look at the shot above of a White Walker making literal flames go out with his mere presence during the Hardhome battle. So it looks like winter isn't just passively coming. It's seeking revenge.

Basically, someone needs to teach Drogon a new trick other than "Dracarys."