Chapter 10: Bad Air
On the horizon, as the fleet made its way west, they spotted a large island, the largest in the Saffron Straits.
"That Ulos all right," Marwin pronounced.
"How can you be sure?" Brienne asked.
"Based on where we are, as best as I can figure it. We are back in known territory. Or at least what was known before we left."
"What's there?" Lyanna asked.
He shrugged. "Nobody knows. There's supposed to be a city on the northern tip, but that's all."
"That's hardly enough," Arya said. She turned to Asha. "Sail to the northern tip of the island. We'll go ashore there."
"You want to see this city?" Brienne asked.
"We're here. We might as well look around."
It was a sentiment she would come to regret.
It was surprisingly easy to land there. The beach was beautiful, all white sand and fruit trees. Arya took her Queensguards and Marwin. The Ironborn stayed with the boat as they moved inland. Ulos too was covered by jungle and just as on Ulthos there were a lot of Ironwood trees.
"What are you hoping to find?" Alys spit out a cobweb a branch deposited in her mouth. She definitely wasn't enjoying herself. "This place smells like shit."
Arya was walking behind the Hound, who was using Heartsbane to clear a path. "We won't know until we look."
"I don't want to look."
"Alys…" Brienne gave her a stern look. Alys made a sour expression.
"Not sure we can find anything here," Maud said. She stubbed her toe on a rock. "Oww! What is this thing?"
"What thing?"
They all stopped and gathered around her. Maud stooped and pulled vegetation away from the rock. It turned out it was a lot more than that.
Marwin bent down to examine it. "It looks like a building stone." It had been extensively carved. It was also bigger than his head. Some of the images were of animals or beasts. Others looked like a face. But most were of some kind of writing.
"Do you recognize it?" Arya asked him.
He shook his head. "Doesn't look like any writing I've ever seen."
He took out a sheaf of parchments and a writing stick. While he was busy copying the carvings the Queensguards became bored. They looked around at the jungle.
"I don't like this place." Yimi slapped her neck. "By the Seven, these bugs are spawned in the Seven Hells."
"It's the heat that gets me." Lyanna pulled at the neck of her armor. She looked at Brienne, but that noble lady stared her down. She straightened her armor.
Unlike the others, Arya poked at the jungle with her sword. "What are you looking for?" the Hound muttered.
Arya stopped and gave him one of her stares. "One building stone is not dropped alone. There has to be more."
The others got the hint. They probed the vegetation aimlessly and not with any real conviction. In spite of this they did indeed discover more stones, most larger than the one Marwin was drawing. The stones were composed of a kind of rock even Marwin didn't recognize. It was white and gritty, much like sandstone. Yet it was hard and brittle.
"How could they possibly have cut this?" Arya asked.
Marwin shrugged. "I imagine with some kind of saw. Not all stone needs picks and shovels."
"It doesn't look natural. Where did they get it?"
He shrugged again. "I have not heard of anything like this anywhere. It must come from somewhere in the heart of the island."
"Can't imagine why they would use it," Brienne muttered.
"Oh, I imagine it would work very well." He tapped it with his writing stick. "It looks as if it would hold a great weight. Rocks are like metal. Different kinds have different strengths."
The others felt like he was telling them that the sun rose in the east. "Meaning?" Lyanna's tone showed a disinterest in his answer.
"Some rock shows surprising strength depending on how its cut. Some rock is strong as steel when flat and thin. Others, like this stuff, when cut into blocks. This stone makes me think it could hold up an elephant if cut right."
"Fascinating." Brienne's voice betrayed a lack of curiosity.
They found other things too. Yimi cut away a branch with her dagger and came face-to-face, figuratively speaking, with a giant spider. The thing was black and yellow and bigger than a cat. She screamed.
Obella put her spear through it. "And you're a Queensguard?"
"Leave me alone!" She turned red as the others laughed.
Lyanna slapped her forehead. "Ahh! Yimi's right. To the hells with these bugs!"
"Not bothering me." Marwin gave a hideous smile with his discolored teeth.
"You're too filthy," Maud shot back. She also slapped her neck. "I'm being eaten alive!"
Joella was sweating profusely. "It's too hot." She didn't look good.
Something in her voice made Marwin freeze. He looked up.
Arya noticed Brienne blinking furiously. "Are you all right?"
Everyone looked at her. "No, I'm…" Brienne began shaking. The Hound grabbed her as she toppled over.
Forgetting the rock entirely, Marwin rushed to her side. He felt her forehead. "She burning. Get her back to the boat!"
Yimi suddenly said, "I don't feel too good."
Arya didn't need to ask. "Back! Get back!"
The women tried to run, but it quickly became obvious that none of them were well. The Hound had to practically carry Brienne and Joella. Arya had to support Maud. Despite the sweat pouring off her own face, Obella helped Alys along. Lyanna and Yimi were both staggering before they reached the beach. Marwin had to pick up Alys' spear.
As they exited the jungle the Ironborn saw them. Their first instinct was to rush to the women's assistance. "Stay back!" roared Marwin. The Ironmen recognized what was wrong and to their credit they didn't immediately abandon them. It was hard for them to stay still, however.
Lyanna was on her knees by the time she reached the boat. She was dragged the last few feet. Ignoring Marwin, a couple Ironborn ran up to Yimi who had collapsed. As everyone was loaded on board the boat, Arya swayed. She would have fallen if Marwin had not caught her. The women were laid in the bottom of the boat as it was pushed off the beach.
The Ironborn rowed for all they were worth. The Hound was bathed in sweat by the time they reached Summer. The Queensguards had to be lifted up onto the ship.
"What happened?!" Asha demanded.
"The air here is bad," Marwin answered. "There is a miasma over the island. Move away from the coast."
"Oh, aye. We'll move all right."
"No!"
"This place is plagued!"
"I don't know yet what disease this is. I may have to go ashore to find what I need."
"Then you'll be going ashore alone. I'll not risk my men in that place."
Marwin wanted to argue, but he couldn't blame her. "They need to be put to bed. We need cool water and fresh fruit."
"Anything else I should know?"
"I'll tell when I find out."
They were lucky. It didn't take long for Marwin to recognize the symptoms and apply the treatment. The women weren't the only victims. All the Ironborn who had landed with them came down with the sickness. But none of them, nor the Hound, became as sick as the women. Marwin didn't get sick at all.
"Like I said, too filthy," was Maud's comment. She was housed with the rest of the Queensguards in this situation. The Ironmen nursed them quite willingly. Contrary to Brienne's fears, the men did not take advantage of them. The Queensguards had earned the Ironborn's respect.
Obella said to Long Dick teasingly, "You going to ravish me?" He was applying damp cloths to her face.
"You think I want to get sick like you?" he shot back. They all shared a laugh. Even Brienne.
Though Marwin knew the proper treatment, there was no cure. All they could do was nurse the women until they could recover. They all did. Thanks to the speed of Marwin's treatment none of the victims died. But it did take several days for them to over it. What the treatment required was fresh fruit and lots of it. Particularly the juices. Asha had to send ships back to the coastal villages to trade for more.
Asha nursed Arya herself with Jake's help. Not entirely happily either. Marwin checked on her from time to time. "Why were the women hit worse?"
Marwin, who wasn't known for being tactful, nevertheless looked uncomfortable. "Humph! – I feel sure it has to do with having a womb."
"The poison in the air affected us worse because of our lady parts?"
"Umm… based on my previous experience with the disease, yes. Women do seem more susceptible to it."
"What causes it? Surely it can't just be the air."
"Bad air is the cause of so many diseases. Miasmas are persistent. The insect life might also be connected. I have read Maester Dalwin's treatise on plagues and maladies. It was his contention that insects carry bad blood and they inject this in their victims when they feast on them."
"They inject blood when they suck blood?" Arya found this impossible to credit.
"Yes. Maester Ray made extensive examination of insects of all kinds…"
"Archmaester," Asha interrupted. "This is not the time."
Marwin and Jake left as Asha tried to make Arya more comfortable. Even the lightest blanket made her sweat uncontrollably.
"I'm bored." Arya's voice trailed off. She was struggling to stay awake.
"You need sleep. Rest is the best cure for you."
Arya was in no condition to argue.
Daenerys was near her limit. Annis was once again haranguing her about the children and she wanted to scream.
"The girl will not stop touching herself!" Annis was almost yelling. "I caught her at it again this morning. She is defiling her own body. You must put a stop to it!"
Dany had to wonder if this woman had ever had a childhood. "She is a child," she said in her most patronizing tone. "Children are curious. Haven't you ever been curious? It is natural that she would want to know more about her body."
Annis was hardly persuaded. "You should never have talked with her about such things. Now she will not be satisfied until she loses her maidenhead."
Dany was well aware of the problem, which only made her more annoyed that Annis kept bringing it up. "I am keeping my eye on her!" She was yelling now too. "She is not being allowed to be alone with her brothers or any other man."
"That is hardly good enough." Annis was almost in her face.
This woman is getting too much above herself. "You dare to lecture me?!"
Annis maybe grasped that she might have pushed too far. "I answer to the Seven."
"Not here. Here you answer to me!"
Annis stormed off.
"I am through with that woman!" Dany later screamed in Jon's study. He was working as usual and not really paying attention. She didn't notice. "I want her gone."
"Then send her away," he mumbled, not really understanding her problem.
"The High Septon will complain."
"So? She is here at our sufferance. You can change her whenever you please."
She pulled the pen from his hand. "You just dump the problem in my lap."
"More or less." He had a smile on his face.
She swung her fist at him, but not very hard. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap. He groped her and she struggled, but not with any determination. When he started nibbling on her neck she surrendered completely.
"Why can I never resist you?"
He laughed. "You can never have enough."
"So it seems. I don't want to be Alysanne."
"Just keep telling yourself that." His hands were exploring parts of her that she kept hidden from the public.
"This always happens. How can I get you to stop?"
He pretended to think about the question seriously. "You could drown yourself?"
She shoved his face. "I'll drown you in my cunt!"
He laughed.
She sent for a new septa the next day. They were forced to wait for it would take many days before a new one could arrive. Much to Dany's relief, the High Septon didn't make any fuss about the change. Until the new one got there she made a point of being with the children whenever Annis was teaching them.
Even so, she could not be with them all the time. And it was during one of these periods that tragedy would strike.
Dany was wearily leaving a meeting with the castle castellan. As she walked toward the royal apartments she heard a loud slap. A girl's scream of agony follow. She started running, but she didn't get very far before Catelyn came running from the apartment. She was crying uncontrollably.
And with good reason. Dany halted in her tracks. She stared in horror as Cat threw herself against Dany's legs.
Cat's hand was black and swelling. Two of her fingers were bent in unnatural angles.
Annis came out in pursuit, a stick in her hands.
"What have you done?!" Dany screamed.
"Vile sin!" Annis screamed right back. "Defiler! The child corrupts her own flesh! She is an abomination!"
Of all the things she could have said, nothing outraged Dany more than that word – abomination.
Lilian Corbray, the captain of Dany's Queensguards had arrived along with her two bastard sisters, Estel Stone and Marianne Waters. Lilian's skill with the sword was such that her uncle Lyn had gifted her the family's Valyrian steel sword, Lady Forlorn, instead of giving it to her father, his younger brother Lucas. Much to Lucas' displeasure.
"Seize her!"
Her guards obeyed at once. Estel and Marianne wrestled Annis to her knees. None of the Queensguards had to ask why. Lilian's fury was almost as great as that of the queen herself, for Catelyn was well loved. The septa fought like a wild animal. She even tried to bite them. Much to the surprise of the Queensguards, it took all the effort of both to hold the woman in place. Annis' screams were almost inhuman. Lilian drew forth Lady Forlorn and waited for the queen's command. Annis stared back in defiance.
Dany wanted to. She really, really wanted to. But her own words filled her brain. The rule for one is the rule for all. Not even royals were excepted. Tears were in her eyes. She wanted so, so much to give the command. Lilian looked at her in bewilderment, not understanding her hesitation. Blinking away her tears, Dany looked deep into the eyes of her nemesis. What she saw was madness.
"Take her to the cells! She will be questioned later."
The Queensguards did not understand, but they obeyed. Estel and Marianne dragged Annis away kicking and screaming.
Dany turned to Lilian, "Fetch the Grand Maester."
This turned out to be unnecessary, for one of the castle maids had already done so.
Catelyn slept with help from milk of the poppy. Her fingers had been put back in place. A thick bandage covered her hand. Her brothers sat to either side of her. Rhaegar clung to her good hand, unable to staunch his tears. Ned didn't understand. He stared at her face without knowing what was happening. Rhaella remained in her crib, her wet-nurse and another Queensguard, Maurice Piper, the daughter of Lord Piper, stood sentinel.
Dany couldn't stop shaking. Jon had his arms around her. "Her hand will heal," Grand Maester Ebrose reassured them. "But it is likely she won't have as much use of her fingers as she once did. It will look normal."
"Will she be able to use a weapon?" It was what Cat herself would be most concerned with. And Arya.
Ebrose didn't approve of women using weapons, but this wasn't the time to say so. "I will give her a ball to exercise her fingers with. With time and effort she might… reacquire some dexterity."
"Thank you Grand Maester." Jon had something else on his mind. "Did you examine the septa?"
Ebrose hesitated. A long time. "I… did… examine her." It was plain he didn't like the result. "Her mind… she is quite mad."
The three of them said nothing for what seemed an eternity. "Thank you Grand Maester. We appreciate your help."
Ebrose turned to leave, but then turned back. "It is possible the faith might… be able to do something."
Jon didn't bother to say he didn't care. "Thank you Grand Maester."
Ebrose nodded and left.
"All he cares about is her." Her bitterness was thick in her voice.
"He is doing his duty." Jon was calm. It always took Dany by surprise by what made him calm. He always had such a quick temper. At least that's what Maester Samwell told her. Being king really mellowed him out. He led her out of the room and shut the door.
"This is one occasion I'm glad Arya isn't here." She had never imagined herself saying that. Arya wasn't the forgiving kind.
"It isn't your fault. Nothing you said caused this." She started crying. He took her in her arms. "You can't be everywhere."
Annis was questioned, by the Grand Maester, three other maesters, and seven septons and septas. Maester Samwell was one of them. She was judged hopelessly mad. She was sent to the Quiet Isle for whatever treatment they could provide.
"But I doubt she'll ever be lucid again," Sam told them.
Septa Reggia arrived a fortnight later.
Arya spent a great deal of time in bed. She wanted to move around, but she didn't have the strength of a cat. She tried reading, but even that was beyond her. Jake read to her instead. When she was able to stay awake.
Most of the time she let her mind wander. And did it wander. Thanks to her skinchanging ability she could place herself in the mind of her dragon. Snowflake wasn't always happy about it, so Arya did her best not to 'elbow her way in' as it were. She did not challenge her dragon's mind. She was as much a passenger as when she rode upon her back.
Snowflake did a lot of ranging. Ever since they had left Dragonstone the dragon had never felt the need to stay close to the fleet. Most of the time this did not bother Arya. Snowflake was always there when she was needed most.
On this occasion Snowflake was flying where Arya wanted. The dragon had no interest in miasmas or curses. Insects did not bother her. Not only was her body covered in scales harder than steel, but her blood boiled, death for any bloodsucker who tried to taste it.
She sailed over the northern coast of Ulos. Its sandy beaches and dark colored trees featured a sharp contrast of color and vibrance. Nowhere that Arya had ever seen or heard of was so covered in growth. It's was like the entire island was one huge jungle. There was no break to be found anywhere save one small space. And though the animal life was plentiful, there was no trace of any human habitation. Except for the same aforementioned space.
We were probably the first people to set foot there in a thousand years, she thought. Snowflake grumbled, but Arya couldn't tell if it was in agreement or a complaint. What sort of place was this?
It was difficult to tell at first. The blanket covering of trees hid many secrets and enlightenment. But after urging her dragon to fly higher, much to Snowflake's annoyance, Arya finally saw the pattern. And it was indeed a pattern. A pattern of streets and buildings, thoroughfares and alleys. The entire island was one big city. Or at least the northern end of it. It was impossible to see the southern side for a high mountain range subdivided the island in two. Of the part she could see all of it showed the signs of prior civilization.
She quickly recognized that what had at first looked to be hills were in fact buildings or temples, some as high as any building in Kings Landing. She did not see any that could compare to the height of the Hightower, or even the Wall, but there were many that would have towered over the Red Keep.
The most impressive feature of all was the aqueduct. Arya had seen aqueducts of course. But they were small, used only to bring water from mountain lakes or streams to nearby holdfasts. Nothing she had seen or heard of could compare to what see was seeing now. Covered in vines and growth, it looked more like a giant green wall. It snaked from the central mountains all the way to the heart of the city proper. And it was tall. At least two hundred feet high in places. It emptied into a man-made lake, perfectly circular and a thousand feet across.
What people could have made such wonders? And where did they go?
Snowflake sent thoughts into her mind. At least that was the closest description Arya could give them. Dragons did not think like men and you could not categorize their thought processes as words or reason. It was more like the blending of memories and images together. The best interpretation she could give her dragon's thoughts now was 'shut up.'
Snowflake focused on the one clear spot on the entire island. It was a white splotch in a sea of purplish-green. The dragon flew low over it, looking it over.
In size it was slightly larger than Winterfell. No doubt this was the 'city' mentioned in the maesters' records. The buildings were indistinct, though streets cut through them straight as arrows. The one identifiable structure looked like a large pyramid. It was made up of a series of progressively smaller steps stacked on top of one another. But the steps were not of uniform size. The largest, the bottom, was easily as tall as all the other steps put together. One side of it was a giant door, the biggest the other voice had ever seen. Big enough even for the male to pass through without having to squeeze his body. Basically a big box open on one side.
*Shut Up!* Snowflake snapped. The other voice could be so annoying, constantly trying to push its thoughts into her own. Love her as she did, there were times when Snowflake couldn't stand her rider.
The dragon landed in the middle of the square. It was right at the center of the clearing and very near the pyramid. Most of the buildings and streets, even the plaza she stood in, was made entirely of a milky white stone. The other voice identified it as being like marble, yet not marble.
But what the other voice found most fascinating was the other stone. The non-white stone. Some of it was greasy black, akin to what they had seen elsewhere. Others were of jade green. Most fascinating of all was the stone that blended all three together. Some was clearly manufactured, bricks of each kind intermixed together. But some, by some mysterious power, was actually molded. It was as if they had each been turned into a batter and mixed and swirled in a bowl.
'What agency could have done such a thing?' asked the other voice. Snowflake neither knew nor cared.
What Snowflake did care about was the place stank of some beast. The smell was unfamiliar to her. She growled as she heard movement in the jungles around her.
They came at her from three sides. They were like dragons, but not dragons. Each was a sickly green color, with bird-like beaks and snake-like scales. All were smaller than Snowflake, yet they attacked without fear.
The dragon roared as she twisted to meet each attack. Her tail flung one backward. It was back to the attack in moments. Snowflake managed to head-butt another. The third leapt and came down on her side. She heard more than felt it rip a large gash in her wing membrane. Her roar was more fury than pain. She got her jaws on the neck of the one that wounded her. She was unable to turn this to her advantage however as the other two renewed their attack and she was forced to let it go.
With three of them hemming her in, Snowflake leapt up to get clear of them. They similarly jumped. Their jumps were to make space as she tried to come down on one. They were back at her as soon as she hit the ground. One got its beak around her neck. Another one the end of her tail. The third tried to claw at her belly. She kicked that one halfway across the plaza. Then whipped her tail out of the grip of the one there and promptly whipped it back, which sent that one staggering.
The real pest was the one on her neck. She spun around to get it off. This sent the thing onto its back. Snowflake took advantage, diving down to lock her own jaws around its neck. Her jaws were considerably bigger. There was a loud crunch as she snapped its bones. As the other two charged her again, she swung their companion at them like a club. One hard swing ripped the head clean off and the body went sailing into the trees.
Being driven to uttermost fury, Snowflake dropped the head and belched out a long tongue of flame. Squealing, he enemies fled into the jungle. She roared in triumph.
The other voice told her to stop gloating. Snowflake told it to shut up, not bothering to tell it that she had no idea what gloating meant. She sniffed around the area and discovered that the creatures' stench was concentrated in the pyramid.
'No surprise,' the other voice thought.
*Shut up.*
She stuck her nose inside the door. Within she found a large nest of vegetation. In the nest were several mottled colored eggs. Snowflake inhaled.
'No!'
*Why?*
'No! They are only animals. They are reacting as animals. We entered their territory.'
*I know!*
Snowflake grumbled, but obeyed. The other voice wondered which of them had been the male, for they all had looked the same. Snowflake didn't care. She hadn't smelled any difference between them and wasn't interested in examining them further.
Not wishing to find any other dangerous fauna, Snowflake took wing and returned to the fleet. Her damaged wing hurt, but was no impediment. The smelly one with the bad teeth had once aided a dragon heal its wounds. Snowflake knew he would do something. And so he did. Her wounds worried the stick legs on their floating islands, but the smelly one had no trouble stitching her wing back together.
Though the Ironborn were eager to leave the cursed island, it wasn't until Arya was once again on her feet that they continued their journey. For their next destination was well known to all – Asshai.
END CHAPTER 8