Samwell:
It had been running throughout the city of Braavos since they had arrived the day before. A dragon was in the city, but not a fire breathing beast like Sam had first thought when they had arrived, but a King. Sam had tried to learn what the dockworker had meant, but the language barrier was too much. Sam did know that without a healer, maester Aemon would die, and that he needed to find one. After getting Gilly, the baby, Aemon, and Dareon who was sent as a recruiter by the new Lord Commander Denys Mallister who he himself was chosen by Stannis; after he deemed the elections were going nowhere. Many argued that he couldn't do that, but Stannis reminded them that if he didn't break the wildlings then they would all be dead. Some such as Cotter Pyke and Janos Slynt weren't dissuaded and continued until Stannis threatened to give them to the fire. That quieted them, that would quiet anyone. Sam thought.
"What do they mean by a dragon? Aren't they big and dangerous?" Gilly whispered to Sam as they made their way through the densely packed crowd in the Ragman's Harbor.
Sam simply shot her a look to silence her and after gaining some distance from Dareon and Aemon, he told her. "They don't mean a real dragon, they mean that there is a Targaryen in the city." Her look of confusion didn't waver. "And Targaryen's are called dragons."
"Isn't Master Aemon's family name Targaryen?" She asked.
Sam ignored her insistence on calling Aemon a master instead of a maester and nodded. Falling back in line with Dareon and Aemon, they spotted an empty and rough looking Inn with a basilisk sign shuttering in the wind above the door. After entering the establishment and paying for two rooms, at a price Sam thought was more than exorbitant for what shape they were in, he left Aemon and Gilly together while himself and Dareon went looking for a healer and for information. "We'll have no coin left to get to Oldtown," Dareon had complained.
So after a long and arduous argument with the former minstrel from the Reach, Sam suggested he go sing for coin in one of the many inns. But after he had left, Sam regretted sending him away as now he was in the middle of a foreign city and he had no idea of where to go. After unsuccessfully communicating with several merchants and one dangerous looking bravo, Sam felt at a loss as he traveled past what looked to be a festival, where many children wore clay dragon masks and a performer blew fireballs high into the air. In desperation he began to simply ask every person he came across, and after asking nearly thirty more people by his count, he found a petite girl pushing a barrow towards the Purple Harbor and finally got his answer.
"House of the Red Hands." Was her response, and Sam was intrigued to find she had no Braavosi accent. But paying it no heed, he gave her his thanks and ran as fast as his legs would allow him towards where she had pointed him.
After he had found a man who claimed to be a healer, Sam parted with the last of his coin and then the man followed after him to the inn. After struggling through the dense crowd near the festival, Sam was horrified as he arrived back at the Inn and saw Gilly struggling to hold back maester Aemon, who was trying to force her out of his way to the street. "What's going on?" Sam asked in a panic.
"I must meet him." Muttered Aemon over and over, as he kept trying to force his way past Gilly and Sam. "I must learn if the boy truly lived." Sam easily held back the old man and begged him to return inside as the healer was here. "I don't care, I will hear his voice. Now let me go Samwell." Aemon demanded.
"I promise." Sam lied. "Now please let us go back inside and after we will go and find him." The tenseness from Aemon seemed to fade as he allowed Gilly and Sam to help him back back into the Inn and to his room, followed behind by the healer.
As they entered the room and forced Aemon to sit, Sam noticed the look of loss in the healer's eyes as he examined Aemon. Finding a seat near the open window of the room, Sam watched and listened to the festival until the sun began to set. As Sam felt his eyes starting to go heavy with exhaust, the healer returned to Sam and told him that their was nothing wrong with Aemon besides age, and that their was nothing anyone could do for him now. Sam went to Aemon's side and was relieved to see the old man asleep. After he covered the old maester with the nearest furs, Sam went to Gilly's room. After politely knocking and being allowed inside, he saw Gilly nursing the baby and informed her of what the healer had said.
"What are you going to do?" She asked.
Sam truly didn't know, he had spent all of the coin they were given on their rooms and on the healer for Aemon. "I sent Dareon to play for coin, and I suppose I could sell some of the books maester Aemon brought if we have to." Sam didn't want to do that, but he knew he would have to unless Dareon succeeded.
"And what will you do about the dragon?" Gilly asked.
Sam was at a loss for what she meant and replied. "What do you mean about the dragon? I told you it's not a real monster, It's just a man."
Gilly looked slightly irritated then. "I remember that, I'm not stupid. You promised him that you would bring him to that dragon King." She reminded him.
Sam sighed at Gilly's naivete and responded. "It's not how things are done Gilly, I can't just walk up to ... to wherever he is staying and ask to talk to him. If he is a King like everyone is saying out there, then I would need to schedule an appointment and I don't even know If I could do that."
"But you promised. You can't break your promise to him if he's dying."
Those words echoed through Sam's mind all night as he struggled to find some rest, as the city continued to echo all night with the sounds of celebration. He'd wanted to stay with Gilly that night, but he couldn't allow himself to be selfish as Aemon's life hung in uncertainty. As the morning sun rose and Sam awoke to the sound of the baby crying next door, he looked over to Aemon and was relieved to see Aemon still breathing, but was dismayed that Dareon had never returned. After breaking his fast with hard bread and fish stew supplied by the inn, he asked Gilly to keep watch on Aemon while he was gone.
After loading as many of the books as he could into a pale sack made of hessian, he found in the room, Sam set off to the merchant district hoping to sell the supposed rare books for coin. As he attempted to entice potential buyers, Sam felt at a loss trying to speak over the roar of celebrations and other merchants plying their goods. Although some did stop and study the books all turned their noses up at his asking price. With one rather mean Bravos threatening to geld Sam for inflating his prices and claimed they were cheaper the day before. Sam tried to explain that the man was mistaken, but he wouldn't be dissuaded and reached for his blade and then demanded that Sam hand over his copy of 'The Last of the Giants'. Reluctantly Sam was forced to part with the book, rather than attempt to fight the man.
"Why did you just let him take it?" Asked a voice from behind Sam.
Turning to the source of the voice, Sam saw the same dowdy dressed girl who gave him directions yesterday. "Excuse me?" Sam asked her. She then repeated herself this time sounding annoyed. "He had a sword." Sam explained.
The girl made a point of looking at Sam's sword and said back. "And so do you. Why did you let him take it?"
What does she want me to say? Sam touched the handle of his blade and felt her stares borrowing into his soul. "I couldn't just fight him. Do I really look like I could've beaten him?" Sam asked in joking manner, trying to dampen the girl's fierce stare.
It did not and now she seemed angry as she repeated. "Why did you just give up? Is something wrong with you?"
I don't have time to be talked down to by this little girl. Sam thought and then accidentally locked his eyes with her own judging gray eyes. Not that I think I could do stop her if I wanted. Sam swallowed down his pride like he has so many times before and admitted. "I'm a craven alright. Now please I need to focus on selling the rest of these books, so unless you have coin please leave me be."
"There is no place for a coward in this world. And especially not in this city." She said with noticeable anger. As her hands went behind her back, Sam felt fear rise in his gut as he thought she was going for a weapon. "Don't lose this again, because next time I won't be here to get it back." Sam was shocked to see the book in her hands, but before he could thank her, she roughly shoved it in his hands and ran off into a nearby alleyway.
As the day went on Sam had managed to sell three of the books and had nearly half of the coin he would need for everyone to make the trip to Oldtown. I still need to find Dareon, Gods do I hope he has the rest. Sam was relieved however that the festival was finally starting to die down, but he had managed to make out from another merchant that it would pick up even louder tomorrow. As most of the merchants were closing up their shops and rolling their carts away, Sam saw two hooded figures and one that looked the height of a child in rough spun fabrics and was sure he heard one speak in the common tongue. "Can I interest any of you with books from the Westeros?" He asked and was relieved when the biggest of the group stopped and turned to him.
But that soon turned to fear as the man sauntered over to Sam and he realized just how intimidating this man truly was. "Books from Westeros you say." As he spoke Sam took note of the man's broken nose and wine stained teeth.
"Yes, many of these are rare and very old." Sam squeaked.
As the man's hands traveled over the covers of the books, he looked them over closely. "Aye, I've never seen many of these before. Where did you get them?"
Sam peered over the ox like man's shoulders and saw that his companions had taken notice and were coming this way as well, and to Sam's dismay the larger of the two had a sword at his hip. "They were brought from the Wall." Sam explained as he still kept a careful eye on the sword wielding man.
"Is something the matter." Asked the taller man in a melodious voice from under his tightly drawn hood.
The larger man shook his head and removed his hood, revealing a balding head and big ears with white hair poking out of them. "No." He answered to his companion and looked back at Sam, forcing the craven boy to shrink in his stare. "How did you come across them?"
"I was supposed to take them with me to the Citadel, but I needed coin to make it there."
"What are you a deserter, boy?" Asked the shortest man in a voice that betrayed Sam's initial thought of him being a child.
Sam quickly shook his head. "No I'm not a deserter I swear. I've been released from my oaths to study to be a maester my Lord."
The taller man chuckled and nudged the dwarf on the shoulder. "My Lord is it? This one is highborn."
The dwarfish man who was still obscured by his heavy hood, asked. "What is your name?"
"Samwell Tarly." Responded Sam, and he cursed himself as he did.
The ox of a man retrieved a purse from his belt. "Who released you from your vows Samwell Tarly?"
Sam paled under their questioning and as he looked at the taller man's sword, he couldn't force himself to stand up to them. "King Stannis Baratheon."
The dwarf laughed and then it was his turn to nudge the taller man in jest. "Did you hear him? King Stannis Baratheon?" The dwarf made sure to roll his tongue as he said the King's name and then said to Sam. "Unless you're soft in the head, and if you are then I don't think the Citadel is the right place for you. Then you must know that King Aegon Targaryen is in this city, and when he reclaims the Seven Kingdoms, all of Stannis' proclamations will be moot and invalid. And that means you're still a brother in black."
Sam doesn't fail to hear the venom in the dwarf's words, but ignores it as he has his entire life. "Forgive me my Lords, but if you aren't interested in purchasing any of these then I must be going."
"Hold on." Demanded the ox of a man. "I'm interested in them and have plenty of coin to pay you. But you said you came from the Wall, correct?" Sam nodded and noticed a flicker of excitement in the man's eyes. "Then you know the truth of what really has went on there." He tossed the purse to Samwell and informed him. "I could pay you for all these books and for your voyage to Oldtown if you would indulge me."
Sam weighed the heavy purse in his hand and after opening it and seeing the distinct gleam of gold he agreed. "But I don't even know your name."
The bald man laughed and introduced himself. "I'm Marwyn an archmaester at the Citadel." He pointed to the taller man and introduced him. "This is Maric Storm." He then pointed lower at the dwarf and addressed him. "And this is Hugo Hill."
"Pleasure." Was Maric's curt response and after that he turned to leave.
The dwarf Hugo snickered at Maric and bowed his head to Sam. "Forgive if I'm mistaken, but you wouldn't happen to be Randyll Tarly's son would you?" Sam nodded and Hugo added. "I didn't know he had a son other than his heir Dickon?"
As Marwyn begun to load his newly purchased books into the rough sack Sam had brought with him, Sam explained. "Dickon is my younger brother ... my father disinherited and sent me to the Wall. He always wanted a warrior son who would take up his mantle, and I was never that sort of person."
Sam then noticed a new softness in Hugo's voice as the dwarf responded. "You're not the first to call that tale your own."
Marwyn then smacked a heavy hand on Samwell's back. "We're off to the Happy Port for women and wine. And I do believe you owe me information Samwell."
In front of them Samwell got a glimpse at Hugo's horribly scarred face and missing nose when he japed. "And you needn't worry about your vows with us when you're there, if anybody asks you're just some poor Lord from the Reach."
Maric had a sizable distance away and called out to Sam. "And from the rumors we've heard, your black brother is there playing for coin."
Sam looked to Marwyn for clarification and the supposed archmaester reiterated. "I don't suppose you know of a singer who came from the Wall do you?"
"I do ... I sent him to play for coin to help us pay for the rest of the voyage." Sam explained.
"Well, I don't suppose you instructed him to marry and bed the Sailor's Wife did you?" Hugo chuckled out.
Dareon what did you do. Sam remembered how dismissive Dareon was yesterday, but he didn't think he would so readily break his vows. "And he's laid claim to being the greatest singer in Braavos. Maric over there took offence when he heard." Marwyn told Sam in a whisper.
Sam stopped in his stride, then both Hugo and Marwyn turned to see what was wrong. "I wish I could join you, but I really must return to my room. I need to be sure my group is alright."
As he said that he instantly wished he had explained himself better, as Marwyn's eyes squinted in suspicion. "You don't mean to cheat me of what I'm owed, do you Tarly?"
"No, of course not. But I must make sure they are fed, as soon as I'm sure of their health I will meet you there, I swear my Lords."
Marwyn put his hands together and cracked them together, making Sam turn pale. But with a smirk he informed him. "Fine, I trust you. And please don't make me come looking for you, I promise that you won't like me If I have to." He then turned after Maric who was beginning to disappear in the night fog.
Hugo threw Samwell another smile and look at his ghastly face. "I'll be sure to save you a cup Samwell, but don't make us wait too long." Sam nodded and quickly turned around and paced towards his Inn, but not before he heard Hugo add. "And get rid of that sword, unless you plan to fight every Bravo you come across."
Upon entering the Inn, Sam heard screaming and rushed to Gilly's room and found no one. He called out for her frantically and heard her call out to him from his own room. Knocking open the door he saw Gilly along with the babe leaning over Aemon who was maintaining his shallow breaths. "Why did you scream?" Sam asked. "I thought something had happened to you."
Gilly stood up from her seat and pointed down rudely at Aemon. "He stopped breathing and then suddenly he grabbed my hand and demanded I take him to some Aegon. He scared me so much I thought it was like when we were Beyond the Wall."
Sam let out a sigh in relief and embraced Gilly. "It's alright." Sam exclaimed. "You worried me was all." After reluctantly breaking his embrace with Gilly, he leaned down over Aemon and asked the maester if he was alright. Aemon weakly clutched at the furs and asked Sam if they were going to meet Aegon. "You need to get your strength back first, and then we will."
Aemon let out a hoarse cough and told Sam. "I don't have much time Samwell, please I must hear his voice just once before I die. I will know the truth If I can just hear his voice once."
Sam felt Aemon pulling at his heartstrings and although he knew the old maester was blind, he still felt as if he could see him. "I'll do everything I can maester Aemon, I promise." He reached over to a flagon of water, he guessed Gilly must have gotten. After retrieving a cloth Sam soaked it and washed the sweat from Aemon's head, trying to calm the old man. "But I found the coin we need to book a ship. Everything's not lost yet I promise."
Aemon's eyes began to grow heavy and close, but before sleep overtook him he muttered. "As long as I meet Rhaegar's son once before I die." And those were the last words Sam ever heard Aemon say as he faded into his last slumber.
"Go to sleep and we'll see him tomorrow." Sam promised for the final time.