Hi there, time for a new chapter and Dorea's first steps in this new world.
Dorea has arrived in the Vale, the kingdom ruled by House Arryn or more precisely, Lord Jon Arryn, who should be in his fifties at this time in history. Remember, Dorea has arrived in the year 271 AC, the year Ned and Robert came to the Vale for fostering.
It's an era of peace, in between the last war against the Blackfyre pretenders and the Defiance of Duskendale. The majority of Aerys's time on the throne was actually a time of peace and prosperity until the rot of madness slowly turned a promising king into a mad monster. But this time isn't without troubles...
Peace and quiet. Dorea couldn't even remember the last time she had had so many uninterrupted hours of peace and quiet. She had only been in this mountainous land for a few days, but she already felt years of tire and stress melt away.
Even sleeping outdoors was much more fun this time around. Without a whole nation of idiots hunting her for one reason or another, she quickly came to appreciate this way of life. She knew she would grow tired of it eventually, but she would savor every moment until then.
A steady water supply wasn't much of an issue, with the numerous clear streams that originated in the snow-capped mountains. But food would become an issue sooner rather than later. She had enough food packed in the kitchenette of her magical tent, but even that would last her for one, maybe two weeks. Three if she only eats enough to satisfy her hunger without overindulging.
There were animals all around her. She had seen deer and hares. There were fish in the bigger streams and some of the small lakes she had seen. But the idea of killing and butchering an animal did make her feel queasy. It wasn't the blood or the hard work that she abhorred, but rather the killing and butchering necessary to get food.
It was at this time, away from civilization, with no idea where she is or when she will see another human being, that she realized how much she had taken certain comforts for granted. Food had always been provided for her. The Dursleys had made her cook, but they bought everything necessary. In Hogwarts, the food was prepared by the House Elves and it appeared on the tables without any work on her part. And even after the war, she had Kreacher who had always taken good care of her. Now that he was gone, too, she realized how spoiled she had become. Providing for herself in this new world would be a tough challenge.
She would cross that bridge once she had to.
What she missed the most, however, was her broom. How grand it would have been to soar through the sky and see this beautiful land from the sky. But much to her own annoyance, she had forgotten it at Grimmauld Place. In her hasty escape, she had packed so much stuff, much of it useless trinkets in this world, but the one thing that would have made her time in this new world easier was missing... She had her doubts that she would come across another shop for racing brooms any time soon...
Around midday on her sixth day wandering through the long mountain valleys, she finally saw the first sign of other humans. Sadly though, it was not some quaint little village, she saw, but thick black smoke, rising over some nearby hills. Something was burning and she had a bad feeling that it wasn't just a meal forgotten on the stove.
Her initial trepidation was quickly overcome by the urge to find out more about the origin of the smoke.
"I should have known," Dorea mutter, as she saw what awaited her beyond the next hill.
There was a small village, nestled next to the forest. Most of the buildings were burning, some had already collapsed. There was an attack ongoing. A small band of men, dressed in shabby armor were attacking this settlement of woodcutters. It was utter madness. Like a Death Eater raid, only with a lord more blood...
When she saw the entire scene, Dorea said the first thing that sprung to her mind, "Why am I not surprised, those white-robed idiots have dropped me in some medieval fun time land... And look, it's just as violent and archaic as one can imagine..."
Either the portal she had been pushed through had taken her to a different time in history, or she had been brought to a world that was centuries behind... Neither choice sounded particularly thrilling, but she had no choice but to accept it now.
"I'm so done with other witches and wizards," she grumbled, as she continued her way towards the village.
But what was she supposed to do here? She could intervene. Her magic would surely either defeat her enemies or scare them away. But then what? Was there some sort of Statute of Secrecy she had to obey here? Magic in front of Muggles was a big no-no in Britain. As far she knew other countries had the same or even harsher laws in place to hide their presence from the mundane world. Would she be punished for using her magic too? That would be extremely bothersome... but doing nothing was even worse.
"Help, please!"
More pleas and desperate cries for help followed. Dorea knew that she couldn't just stay away. Hermione had once told her that she had an almost compulsive need to help others, no matter the cost. Maybe she had been right. But what mattered the most to Dorea was her oath as a healer, never to abandon a person in need and help however possible. To wizards, this usually meant only to help their own kind, but Dorea had never been bothered by her people's prejudice, so even a muggle in need would receive aid...
Not that there was much of a choice left, two of the warriors attacking the village had already seen her and came running her way. Their lecherous laughter made their intentions clear.
She pulled her wand out of her sleeve and quickly went to work. She stunned the one closest to her, while the other was blown away by a well-aimed Bombarda spell. They didn't even know what hit them. Luckily, they had been the only ones who had seen her approach to the village.
As she finally reached the village itself, most of the remaining warriors had already left with whatever plunder they had managed to get their hands on. What they left behind was a mess of blood and fire.
Most of the villagers lay dead before their houses, cut open or dismembered by the brutal assault. A sickening sight for sure. She could see a few children, hiding in fear for their lives and a few scattered survivors, slowly coming out of their hideouts now that the attack was over.
There were less than a dozen living souls, but at least four times as many dead...
Another warrior suddenly appeared between the crumbling remains of two houses. He was dressed in an armor made of badly curated animal skins, with rusty chain mail underneath. In his hand, he had a crude ax, with a shaft nearly as long as Dorea was tall.
He ran towards her with a fierce scream, obviously trying to snatch her for himself. His attack, though, ended in the burning ruin of a house, after he had been hit by one of the witch's spells. It was unlikely that he would survive the flames, but any feeling of guilt for his death was quickly overcome by hatred and rage, whenever Dorea looked at the massacre his group had caused.
"Well, three spells and no Ministry spooks. Looks like I'm a long way from home," Dorea said to herself.
If she had been anywhere near a civilized magical society, someone would have already reacted to the first few spells. All magical governments are quick to react to breaches of the Statute of Secrecy, always afraid of being exposed to a world that would swallow them whole and leave nothing behind. That absolutely no one has shown up within minutes of her first spell could only mean one thing. She either was at the arse end of the world... or this wasn't her world at all.
That certainly wouldn't even be the weirdest thing that has ever happened to her since a half-giant had come to her home to take her away to a school for witches and wizards...
"But at least they seem to speak the same language here." The many calls for help and desperate pleas to inattentive gods were proof enough for that. Dorea had no idea how, but these people seemed to speak English, which was quite fortunate for her.
She also knew that she couldn't dwell on all those conundrums for too long. There might still be more enemies around. And even if not, there were wounded in need of her. Those who had survived looked more dead than alive, something that she couldn't ignore.
Behind a fallen cart, that had previously been loaded with heavy logs, lay a man. His leg had been crushed underneath the cart, leaving him in agony. Death was a certainty unless he got help.
"Alys... is that you? Have you escaped them? NO! No, get away from me. Run for the forest. Run and hide. They mustn't... get... you, too," the man mumbled, as he looked at Dorea with clouded eyes.
The shock and the pain had obviously addled his mind. Blood loss was aggravating his condition even further, as the red liquid stained the earth beneath him.
"Hush now, I will help you. Just be calm and take a deep breath," she advised.
She tried to have a closer look at his wounded leg, but the cart was still in the way. The man was too far gone to react to anything she would do, so she whipped out her wand and levitated the cart off his leg.
With the cart gone, the whole bloody mess was revealed to her. The leg had been crushed, just beneath the knee. She could stop the bleeding and reduce the swelling. Knitting skin back together was one of the easiest things for a healer to do. But restoring the bones, now that was a horrid task. Well, for the one who is getting healed that is. She was sure that she had a flask of Skelegro somewhere in her second satchel, the one she had begun to use for herbs and potions when she saw the many familiar herbs growing in this land.
"Now where is that awful liquor," she muttered, as her arm disappeared inside the bottomless satchel. "Aha, there you are hiding." A triumphant grin appeared on her lips as she pulled the heavy flask out.
Adorned with bone-like decorations it certainly looked very grim and intimidating to those who are unfamiliar with it. Luckily the bottle was still completely filled. She had never been forced to use it before, so the bottle had only gathered dusk on a shelf so far. It had been a gift from her mentor at St. Mungos, who had spent so many hours trying to teach her how to brew this vile concoction. Without success, she had to add. Master-Potioneers could brew this stuff with ease, but sadly she wasn't one and the most difficult potions had always eluded her level of proficiency. So when he gave up teaching her, Dorea's mentor just gifted her one of his own bottles with the sage advice to avoid breaking her bones as much as possible. One of the wiser pieces of advice she had been given by her teachers.
Now she was about to give the Skelegro to a random stranger in need. Certainly, her mentor would have found this use just as appropriate.
Once she had treated most of the wounds, she vanished the shattered bones in his leg and coaxed the vile potion into the man. He coughed and nearly spat it out but luckily swallowed after some more coaxing.
"Now I only need to..."
Her thoughts came to an abrupt end when a young boy suddenly appeared with a woodcutter's ax in hand. At first, she had thought it was another one of those strange warriors. She had nearly blasted the boy away, the spell already on her lips. But they both got lucky.
"Get away from my pa!" the boy demanded, his voice shaking even more than his frail body.
"Calm down, kid," she tried to sound soothing. But it didn't reassure the boy, "I'm a healer. I am helping your father."
"A healer?" the boy had a confused look on his face. "Like a Maester?"
Dorea had no idea what a Maester is, but if it is someone who helps the sick and wounded, it might just be the local name for a healer.
"Something similar," she conceded.
The boy did take a step closer, the ax now hanging limply in his hand. He wouldn't attack her. But his eyes were wide when he saw his father's leg. "The cart is gone."
"I had someone help me move it," she lied. Her breath hitched for a moment when she realized why this boy had this ax with him. It wasn't meant for self-defense. "Why did you bring this ax?" She knew the answer, but she needed to hear it from the boy himself...
"Pa said to get his ax. His leg is gone, so we needed to cut it off he said."
What a gruesome thing to ask of a child. She couldn't fault the man, but the idea that a child had to cripple his own father was almost unbearable. Luckily this was no longer necessary.
"Your pa will be alright," she assured the boy. "I treated his wounds. All I need now are two pieces of wood to splint his legs. Can you bring me some?" The boy quickly nodded, "They need to as long as your pa's lower leg and as straight as possible."
The ax dropped to the ground, as the boy rushed away to find the wood needed. His father had finally lost consciousness. The pain of regrowing bones will be easier to bear while asleep.
The ground suddenly shook underneath Dorea, as more than two dozen riders rushed into the village. Unlike the strange warriors, these riders looked much more civilized. Soldiers and militia. Curiously enough, they were lead by several men in heavy armor. Knights. Real, living knights. Now Dorea had seen it all.
One of the knights spotted her and steered his horse in her direction. But the last thing she needed now was more people witnessing her work. Not when more magic might be needed. So she raised her arm and pointed in the direction where the warriors had disappeared. The knight nodded in response, understanding the meaning of her gesture. Then he and his companions rushed out of the village in pursuit of those who had caused the carnage in this village.
She resumed her work on the man before her, making sure that he would not die under her watch. Luckily his situation had stabilized and now he was only slumbering peacefully. As soon as he would wake up, though, he would in a world of pain, until all the bones in his leg have fully regrown. A day, maybe two, and he would be well enough to continue his life unimpeded by his grievous wound.
The man's son returned soon enough with two wooden planks. The boy looked unsure and as unsettled and disturbed as any child would look after such a disturbing experience. He did look relieved, though, when she told him that he had done well and that he had helped his father. Little praise, but in this situation it made all the difference. She sent him to get her the leather straps from the leather harness of the dead horse that had pulled the cart. Once she had everything, she made the makeshift cast, to stabilize the man's boneless leg.
She had never done this before. As a healer at St. Mungos, her patients had always been confined to a bed, allowing the bones to regrow unimpeded by sudden movement. This man did not have that kind of luxury. The village was nothing more than a smoking pile of rubble, so he and his son would have to move somewhere safe. Dorea could only hope that the cast would stabilize his leg enough.
"Stay with your father. Give him some water when he wakes up and when he moves, make sure that he does not try to put weight on the wounded leg," she instructed the boy. He nodded eagerly.
"Thank you," the boy said feebly, as she finally turned away from her first patient to look for others in need of her help. There were many more to find...
It was hours later when Dorea had just finished treating the burn wounds of a small girl with a salve when the knights returned. The men looked weary and bloodied. Some of them were missing. But they had also been triumphant. They brought a number of young girls and women with them. Hostages freed from their barbaric tormentors.
The girl she had treated rushed off towards one of these women, crying elated tears as she reunited with her mother. It was a bittersweet moment. One child reunited with her mother. Many others had not been so lucky.
She spotted the knight she had seen before. Or rather, he had spotted her and approached her again. Dorea took this moment to study him closer. A real knight, in a real armor. She was used to moving armors thanks to Hogwarts and the Weasley twins' liberal use of the many suits of armor in the castle for their elaborate pranks. But this was the first time she had actually seen someone wear such a heavy suit.
The polished silvery plate she had seen earlier was now dulled and muddied from the fight. The blue surcoat was cut and dirty as well. But the sigil could still be seen. A blue bird, soaring upwards on a circular white background. As he removed his helmet, the handsome face of a young was revealed, with cropped blond hair and brilliant blue eyes.
"Greetings, my lady," he began, as he got closer.
He stopped a good two steps away from her, careful to maintain a proper distance. Dorea had seen this kind of behavior from some of the more traditional students at Hogwarts. They would never get too close to any girl they were not related to. They always said it was improper. Seeing this kind of behavior from a knight in this medieval world was not at all surprising.
She merely inclined her head in greeting but refrained from saying anything until she knew why exactly this knight found her more interesting than any of the other people in the village.
He gave her a once over, as a look of concern grew on his face. "Are you alright. The blood..."
"None of it is mine. I'm perfectly healthy," Dorea assured him quickly, "I just soiled my cloak when I had to carry a young girl away from her burning house so I could treat her wounds."
"So you know your way around medicine?" he asked, his voice betraying his surprise and disbelief.
Dorea only chuckled weakly in response to being underestimated like this. "Well yes. I am a fully trained healer, after all. Dressing wound and treating them with herbal remedies is no magic."
The irony behind her statement actually made her smile. She had used plenty of magic over the past few hours. All to save as many lives as possible. But she had been careful enough not to let anyone see her do it. The survivors only ever saw her use salves, potions, and bandages.
If this world was anything like her own, it would be much safer to keep her magic hidden from the public eye. Who knows what kind of religion these people follow and how bad they might react to a real witch in their midst. The last thing she wanted was a witch hunt with her as the main attraction...
"It's true!"
"She saved us!"
"Leave her alone!"
Several of the children she had helped came running and crowded around Dorea. They positioned themselves between her and the knight, almost as if they tried to protect her from him. It was quite endearing.
"How unusual," the knight commented, "Forgive my rudeness, my lady. I am Ser Elbert Arryn. May I know the name of this outstanding woman?"
"Dorea..." she hesitated for a moment. Even if there was no one around monitoring magic in front of muggles, there was still the possibility that the Unspeakables or other unsavory people might have followed her to this world. Going by her real name might not be the wisest thing to do. "Flamel..."
Perenelle Flamel and her insipid followers had gotten her into this mess, so it only seemed right to use her name during her stay. Even if she did slip up and cause trouble, it would be Perenelle who would have to live with the consequences. And it might help the Flamels and their servants to find her quicker. As far as Dorea could tell, she wouldn't be going home without them.
Elbert studied her once more, with a keen gaze and undisguised interest. Had she slipped up already? Was the name Flamel well known in this world? Good or bad?
She needed to steer the conversation away from her name and whereabouts. A different topic was easy enough to find. Even in such a situation, her sense of duty as a healer wouldn't leave her alone and her eyes quickly found several cuts on the knight's face. She had also noticed a slight limp when he had walked towards her as well.
"If you would allow me to treat those cuts... They shouldn't be allowed to get infected or else the scarring might become permanent," she told him, as she closed the distance between them.
Elbert looked startled at first, but after another look at the children near Dorea and the dressed wounds they had, he did give her words some thought. He was more cautious than the children, though, as one would have expected of a knight meeting a strange woman that asks to have a look at bleeding gashes on his face.
"I have to decline," he said, before he hastily added, "for now, at least. We are pressed for time. The Moon Brothers are just one of many tribes in this region. If one of these tribes has the audacity to raid a village down in the valley, others might follow soon. We need to move the survivors to Ironoaks."
"Such stubbornness," Dorea muttered. Treating his wounds would have been a work of minutes, by if he insists on enduring the pain, she would let him be stubborn about it. "I shall take my leave then."
She began to walk away when Elbert caught her shoulder and held her back.
"It is not safe for you to travel anywhere alone when those mongrels are still around, my lady. Are your traveling companions nearby?" he asked, obviously concerned for safety. It was almost endearing.
It had been a long time since anyone had worried about her safety. To everyone else, including her friends, she was the woman who had defeated the greatest dark lord of all time, so no one doubted that she was able to defend herself. Everyone always expected her to be the strong one, so no one ever worried about her. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be the target of such attention.
Finding a suitable answer to the knight's question, though, was not so easy. A young woman traveling alone... it must sound like a death wish to the people here.
"The people I have traveled with... they got scared and ran off... merchants rather run than fight, you know..."
Elbert's expression darkened, as he thought about the cowards who would abandon a woman to fend for herself against the aggressive monsters of the Mountain Clans.
"Such cowardice, I will have them whipped when we find them!" he vowed.
"No need," Dorea quickly interjected. The last thing she wanted was someone getting punished because of her lie. "Fear makes all of us do things we would never consider otherwise."
"No matter, it is dishonorable," Elbert insisted. "You should come with us to Ironoaks. Maybe your cowardly companions are already there."
"I doubt it," she muttered. Elbert gave her a questioning look, which prompted her to expand her lie once again, "They ran in the opposite direction." She had no idea where Ironoaks was, so she kept herself from pointing anywhere.
Be vague, be evasive, don't give definitive answers. Dorea had never been a good liar, but what choice did she have now? She had already gone this far, she couldn't afford to admit her lies to this man. She would lose all of his trust and likely get into a lot of trouble down the line.
"Ah, you must have been on your way to Gulltown then," Elbert deduced.
Again Dorea had no idea how to answer, as she didn't know that place either. With every passing moment, the need to lie grew greater and her discomfort grew with it. She had to put an end to this conversation.
"I should leave now. Maybe I can still catch up to the others if I hurry," she said, as she removed Elbert's hand from her arm and moved away from him. She really needed to get away and find out more about the land and the people, before she would be able to interact with men like Elbert. Otherwise, her lack of knowledge would blow her cover. But the knight had obviously misunderstood the reasons for her reluctance.
Their conversation had already become the center of all the attention. The knights and the villagers all watched with undisguised curiosity. Some of them were whispering conspiratorially, while others adopted concerned looks.
Was this such a big deal to them? Was her attempt to get away from Ser Elbert something to frown upon? She had no knowledge of this world and its customs. She could only deduce that it was somewhat similar to her own world's medieval era and that women did not enjoy much influence and power. Maybe they just expected her to shut up and do as she was told. But they had no idea who she is and that she wouldn't follow any such demands.
"If you wish for it, I will organize an escort to bring you to Gulltown. Once we have reached Ironoaks, that is. Right now I cannot spare a single man," Elbert replied, still insisting on taking her along.
"Why are you so stubborn?" Dorea muttered angrily.
"No man of honor should allow a woman to endanger herself. Least of all a noblewoman."
Noblewoman? How the hell did he come up with that? She would have to check his head once she gets the chance for a full examination.
"This is getting nowhere," Dorea sighed, "Let's pretend that I am willing to go with you, what exactly do you want me to do at Ironoaks?"
"All I want is to ensure that the survivors of this attack reach a place where they can be safe while my men and I hunt those Mountain Clans down until they can never threaten my people ever again," Elbert declared loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Dorea could see how his mere words seemed to lift the spirits of the people around him. They looked at him with hope and a great deal with reverence. At this moment it was obvious that Elbert was no mere knight. He was either a known hero or someone of great importance to these people. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to follow him for a while. The things she might learn about the land and the people... it might even be worth the hassle to maintain her lie. Not to mention that she really didn't want to get into trouble within her first week in this new world. She might have to live with these people for a long time, so a more subtle approach would be the better choice.
"Fine, I will come with you to Ironoaks. I won't make any promises about staying for long, but if it eases your mind, I will not travel alone for now."
He seemed elated to hear this, as he gave her a small smile. It would have been even more charming, had it not been for his split lip and the small cuts on his cheek.
However, Elbert wasted no time in guiding Dorea to the group of survivors who had gathered near the soldiers. The men had restored some of the wagons that had previously been used for the felled trees to transport the children and the wounded.
The children she had healed still crowded around her, even as she climbed onto one of the carriages. The realization came quickly and the bitter truth was near unbearable. The reason why these children suddenly clung to her was simple and tragic. They no longer had any parents or family to go to, so they stuck with the one person who had shown them kindness...
With a sudden jolt, the carriage began moving. Men followed on foot, as the knights and men at arms took positions all around their makeshift convoy. To Dorea this day had been her first real introduction to the people of this new world... and it had been devastating enough to leave a lasting impression. There were many people in this world that might need her help... and Dorea would help them whenever she could. Some things would never change and just as Ron had put it all those years ago, saving people was kind of her thing...
"Have you found her yet?" Nicholas Flamel asked.
The old alchemist sat on his cushioned chair, out on a terrace overlooking the lavish garden of his manor. A book lay on his lap, but it was still closed and unread as his busy mind wouldn't allow him the peace needed to dedicate himself to his studies. On the table next to him stood a flask of wine and several glasses. His own had been refiled thrice already.
"I am terribly sorry, master, but Miss Potter remains as elusive as ever."
Nicholas shook his head in disappointment. This was certainly not what they had planned. The events of these past few weeks had spiraled out of control and now he had to pay the price for that. Oh well, at least they knew that the girl was still alive. Albus' little tools to monitor his heroine were quite handy for him now.
But Perenelle would never let him hear the end of it. His wife had warned him. She had insisted that her way of doing things was better. But it was also slower. Too slow. Every moment is precious and Iolanthe's plan demanded absolute surety and preparation.
"Which portals have you searched thus far?" Nicholas demanded to know from his servants.
"Lorath, Ny Sar and Volantis, master. But we have already sent men to Elyria and Essaria as well," the servant answered.
Elyria and Essaria, both portals there were less than stable and shouldn't be usable. Just like the connections on the western continent, those two portals had been hit hard when the magic in this world began to decay and die.
Yet there were three more. Three that not even he himself was keen on checking. Stygai, Yeen, and the Five Forts. None of these places were easy to check up on... in fact, except for the Forts, visiting the other two places was suicide. If Dorea had ended up there, she would be dead already...
"Send a team to the ruins of Sallosh as well. There is still much wisdom to be found in the underground vaults of the ruined libraries. But don't let the Dothraki see you. The last thing we need is those horse mongers searching for more things to steal," Nicholas commanded. "And..."
"Nichols, dear, don't be so hard on our servants. They are doing their best."
Perenelle finally joined him outside. Her favorite pet, that red woman from Volantis, was following her like an obedient dog. Nichols wouldn't dispute that woman's worth, but her near-constant presence still irked him at times. She didn't like him much either.
"Our servants have caused this trouble, Perenelle. Now that Dorea is in this world, we need to find her before she gets into trouble," Nicholas insisted.
"Still, our servants are doing all they can," Perenelle gazed benevolently at the man who stood near her husband. He had proven himself again and again, ever since they had granted him a second chance to redeem himself. "Go now and find Dorea for me. She is Iolanthe's legacy and our best chance to win our fight."
The red woman moved towards the table and poured her mistress a glass of wine, which Perenelle took from her and rewarded her with a kind smile.
"We will not fail you, mistress."
Dutiful as always, Nicholas thought. Of all the servants his wife had brought from their original world to Lys, he was the most valuable.
"I know you won't, Regulus. It's why we brought you back, after all."
A/N: Sadly that's all for today.
So Dorea's first introduction to the people of this land wasn't exactly... peaceful. The Mountain Clans are always a threat to small villages and farms, though they haven't posed a serious threat to the Vale in quite a long time. But they are still a menace.
And the first important character she meets in this new land is Ser Elbert Arryn. He is the son of Ronnel Arryn, Jon Arryn's brother. Seeing as Jon Arryn did not have any children until he married Lysa Tully, Elbert is still the heir of the Vale. In the books, Elbert had been one of the unfortunate people who had followed Brandon Stark to King's Landing, an adventure he did not survive. Sadly we don't know much about his age. His father was the youngest of three children, so he was younger than Alys Arryn. But Alys had been born sometime between 218 and 248 AC. So let's pretend that Ronnel Arryn had been born in the 230s and Elbert in the early 250s AC. For the sake of the story, I will pretend that he is 19 in 271 AC. Fun fact about Elbert, his mother was a Belmore. The Belmores are one of the few noble families in the Vale that had not been of Andal origin. They are First Men, like the Starks.
Next chapter Dorea will see Ironoaks, a place not shown in the books or the show. But we have seen the Lady of Ironoaks in both. Lady Anya Waynwood, a very influential noblewoman in the Vale and a staunch Arryn loyalist. Lady Anya's uncle had been married to Alys Arryn, Jon Arryn's sister and Elbert's aunt. So Dorea will meet a woman who has managed to stay on top in a world dominated by men, though in her case the reason is simply that in her generation all Waynwood children had been girls and she had simply been the oldest.
And we have seen the Flamels again. Nicholas and Perenelle are up to something and their servants are searching all over the world for Dorea. Some have already guessed the identity of Perenelle's servants. And now you know the reason how she has recruited them.
Alright, I'm done for now. Ironoaks next chapter and maybe a short glimpse at how Dorea's friends are reacting to her sudden disappearance. Until the ciao ciao...