The Bells began to ring in the City of King's Landing, when the sun was already high in the sky and the morning already hot.

King Aerys was dead, everyone talked about it, the Silver Prince is now King. From the wealthiest and fattest noble Lord to the well off merchants and the normal smallfolk down to the dirtiest hungry little Street urchin, everybody was happy.
Their Silver Prince was King.
Now the people that had disappeared during the last ten days would come home again and nobody who was a decent person would have to fear the City Guards anymore.

Their Silver Prince was King.
Half a moon ago he had been sitting there on the Stones of the big Well and had played his harp and had sung for them till Maidens and Women and also most Men had cried because of the beauty of his Voice. He showed that he loved them and they promised themselves to cheer far louder than the Bells when he will be crowned.

Hother frowned about the happiness of the singing people while he walked through the ever increasing crowds that were celebrating in the streets. A few Gold Cloaks and Ser Gerold accompanied him though most people were non aware of that fact for the Guards and the White Bull were all wearing Brown cloaks over the civilian shirts and jerkins. Even their feet were clad in brown leather and they carried their weapons under their cloaks.

Ser Gerold looked angry. This brought a smirk to Hothers face. He could definitely understand that everybody was happy that Aerys was dead, in contrast to the Kingsguard at least, Hother himself just did not agree with the celebrating mass that now everything would be good because Rhaegar was now the new King.

The group of eight arrived at the Maesters abode and Hother opened his door. He stepped inside and was followed by the Lord Commander and two Guards.

"I have to feed my Ravens first, Lord Commander and then i will pack the medicines and what else i need."

Ser Gerold followed him upstairs to where the ten Cages were. All the Ravens to rent were there. The Lord Commander looked critically at them.

"There has sadly been developed a shortage of them right now. It seemed there is a new illness among them that causes the Ravens to fall from the Sky. Some of them were tried to be smuggled out underneath clothing by badmeaning people but since everyone going out or coming into the City was searched through, the sick beasts were found too and freed from their illness. Your Ravens here might the last ones of King's Landing. They will be safer in the Red Keep."

Ser Gerold's words sounded deliberate but Hother knew that it was spoken as a command. He nodded. It was agreeing to this or seeing his own Ravens submit to the same... Illness. Hother had heard from others that Ravens were missing, before he was brought into the damned Kings Keep a day ago. He would bet that the mysterious illness involved many archers watching the Sky.

The three that he had sent nearly eleven days ago, they surely would be back now. Or would they have already died because of the same ...illness?

The other three that were still in the hidden room above this one, how should he care for them now with this damn Kingsguard on his heels?

It couldn't be helped, he had to hope for the best now. While one Cage filled with a Raven after another was handed down the stairs to the waiting Guards, Hother went to the windows and closed the shutters under the observing eyes of the White Bull. When the last shutters were locked, the Maester used the sudden darkness in the room to tear down the hidden Bolt that hold shut the single small window of the room above.
Now the three Ravens there would have at least the Chance to leave the room and maybe to fly away. Hopefully!

Hother then went to the stairs from which now light could be seen and directed the Lord Commander how to put his feet so that he would not fall down.

Downstairs, the room was filled with Cages and Men. Two of the Guards had managed to get a wagon and they then all worked to load up the Ravencages on it. Hother then bundled up a couple of his blankets and a couple robes and smallclothes.

He then went to his medicine storage and carefully packed bottle for bottle in boxes with straw filling. Ten of these boxes were in his storage, to be a secure place for his more hard to get stuff, if the need to place them so ever occurred as he now explained to the observing Ser Gerold.

That each of the boxes had a double bottom hiding, filled with Hothers best selection of poisons and medicines and some other nifty surprises, was something that the Maester of course didn't explain to the White Bull. There was no reason to not keep some secrets for himself, at least not in Hothers opinion.

After the boxes were filled with what Ser Gerold allowed and also the instruments, five big bags full of wound dressings and a few more utensils were packed upon the Cages, the wagon was brought back to the Red Keep with Hother and his watchdogs following it.

Let the fools here all celebrate this day away. The Maester looked around himself, the air already smelt like trouble was brewing.