The name of the series: Chronicles of Madness. The story starts in 911 AC.
Chapter 1: The Loony
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He was trembling and groaning.
Something calls him. The call must be answered. It is sort of a summoning. It lures and tempts, like the glowing of gems. It is shining, it hurts the eyes more, than the reflection of the sun on the calm water during clear sky. It blinds and warms. It gives the false feeling of being relaxed yet it worries. White glare. It is talking. It is asking for help. It is giving advice. The call must be answered.
He woke up soaked in sweat, again. He felt a bit dizzy. He sighed. Again. This dream, again. He took on his shoulders the ragged wolf cape, grabbed his axe and went out of the hovel.
Enough of this. I need help. Right after sunrise, he set out to the northeast mountains.
There was no road to there. He had to manage it in the thick bushes. The ground was full of gravel and stone. The weather was a bit windy and quite chilly. Though these circumstances caused him no trouble at all. After several miles, he came across a familiar face.
- Where are you going, Ulfric? Kingshouse is in the other way. Good time to trade our trophies from hunts, I'd say. Have you ever seen a walrus tusk like this? Almost two feet long. I'm sure, I'll get a good axe and some new ropes for this.
- Nice one, I give you that. I might visit Kingshouse myself, once. But now, I'm going into the Dark Mountains. I shall visit the hag.
- Have you gone mad? Why would you do such thing?
- My dreams. They are haunting me for months.
- And you expect help from that woman? She is lunatic. She eats poisonous shrooms, that causes her daydreaming. She is talking crazy and is dancing all day. Folks are saying, she tortured to death, then ate her own cat years ago.
- I need answers and no one could help me, yet. These dreams are tormenting me. It drives me crazy.
- Everyone has heard about your dreams, Ulfric. You are obsessed with them. The people are calling you loony behind your back. Watch out or Skagos will have another nitwit. There is no need for a pair for the hag. You know, dreams are meaningless sometimes.
- Yes, I know. I've had several dreams in my life. But these... these are different. These are no ordinary dreams. I must find a way to find out their meaning. I must.
- Seems I can't talk you down. Then, may the Gods protect you, Ulfric.
- May the Gods protect you, too, Arnolf.
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He didn't really know, where the hut actually was. He knew the direction, but that was all. After a day of walking among high grass and spiky shrub in the valleys, he noticed an old hut near a mountaintop. In front of the shack, there was a small forecourt with a lot of plants. A wide variety of flowers in color and size. There were many herbs that Ulfric had never seen before. Some of them smelled sweet, but others were terribly stinky. Before he could reach the hut, the door was opening.
- I've been waiting for you. Please, come in.
The hag didn't really seemed like a hag. She was more like a common, old woman. Her clothes was worn, but clean. The only interesting about her appearance were the painted red lines on her cheeks. Ulfric wanted to be polite, so he didn't ask about them.
- I'm Ulfric and ...
- Haven't I said, that I've been waiting for you? Do you really think, that I don't know your name? Not that I care about it, anyway. It is not your name, what is important, though you feel shame about it. You are here because of your dreams. I've dreamed about you and your coming. It is good that you are here, safe and sound. No trouble with wolfs or bears? It can be dangerous hereabouts. So, will you be so kind to tell me about your dreams? I'm eager to hear them.
The woman offered him a seat at the table in her hut. She placed dark bread and ale in front of him. After his first surprise and incomprehension, Ulfric recovered his composure and told everything about his recent dreams, while eating and drinking like he couldn't have done it for years. The woman shook her head.
- You are dreaming the very same every time. Maybe it looks like to you that they are different, but they are part of one whole story, that's for sure. The 'white glare' is always present in them and it tries to speak to you. And here comes the problem, you can't understand its talk. However, I'd say that you aren't trying enough to understand it. You focus on what this 'white glare' is, but not on its message. You must be conscious in your next dream, you have to listen to it, you should let it attract you close. – She stood up from the table, went over to the kitchen and picked up a dried herb from a shelf. – Here, take this. Ravenmoss. Boil up water, put this in it, then drink it before sunset. It will strengthen your mind during sleeping. It will help you to pay attention to the 'white glare'. Oh, I almost forgot. You may piss yourself at night. A known side effect.
- Thank you, really. You aren't what you're told to be. People are saying ... stupid things.
- Oh, yes. I've heard some of them. The cat story. Sometimes I wonder about how can they figure out such things. People surely have a lot of imagination.
- Why do they rumor about you?
- People like to rumor. I'm living here, isolated from everyone, I never go down from the mountains. I'm a good target. But it doesn't bother me.
- Why are you living here, anyway? Tough place to survive.
- Cold, wild animals, simple foods. I can live with that. Long time ago, I lived among the people, on the Continent. But I got tired of them. Their schemings and intrigues because of lust for power, their cheatings because of thirst of bodily pleasures, their slaughters and massacres because of land borders, their lies and errors because of idiotism and narrowness. People live their whole lifes being driven by false intentions. Our world is insane, I tell you that, I couldn't find peace and order in it. But I've found it here, in the nature.
- Hm. I see it. Excuse me. I haven't even asked your name.
- Names aren't important. Call me as you wish. Truth be told, I couldn't even remember my name. I haven't had it for decades. Maybe it started with M or L, I don't know.
- Thank you for your help, Mysterious Lady. If you need anything, just let me know. I shall pay back your kindness.
- Sharp mind and good manners you have. I like you. It's long after sunset, you should stay here for the night. The way back would be risky. Who knows, maybe you will dream again tonight.
- Thank you, again.
- I must ask you not to use the ravenmoss I gave you in my hut. I don't want to change the bedding tomorrow.
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Since weeks, this was the first time that Ulfric didn't dream at all. He woke up feeling refreshed. The scent of the herbs? Or is it really relaxing to be here, far from everything? He didn't know. The Mysterious Lady gave him some fruits and seeds for the way home. He breathed in the fresh air, as he stepped out from the hut. He felt that he regained his lost strength. From his hovel the Dark Mountains seemed to be foggy, but only from here could he realize that the mist didn't climb the mountaintops.
Going back to his home was much easier, than the way up had been. Fortunately, he met no wolfs neither bears along the way. He got back slightly after midday. He was a bit nervous about the upcoming night. He was impatient this time, though he had always been patient. He felt that this time he will understand the meaning of his dream or at least the talks of the 'white glare'. He stared at the excellent view from his site. His hovel was on one of the surrounding, grass covered hills. At the foothills he could see the stone lodges of Kingshouse. The noise of the town couldn't reach his hideout. Far behind the town lied the dark, always furious Bay of Seals, the sea to the Continent. The folk in Skagos referred to Westeros as the 'Continent'. But Ulfric knew about the existance of other continents. He read about them in his books. He had a lot of books and he liked to read. After every arrival of merchants from Westeros, he traded for books. Always. This was immensely weird for the locals, it was unimaginable for the most that written symbols on papers can be useful. They started to call him Ulfric, the Loony way before his dreaming misery.
- A beautiful day – he sighed.
He went into his hovel and picked up a book. Combat techniques in Essos. Ulfric found the book quite interesting and readable, because it was written from the view of a Westerosi. He sat on the bench outside, near the door and started to read. He tried to imagine the Braavosi, so called water dance. Fighting without armor, importance on speed and finesse, not on raw strength. Truly another world. Wish I'll see it once.
Before sundown, he went into his shack and started to boil up water. I've read about ravenmoss. It's a psychedelic. But during sleep it might have another effect. Maybe I will be able to concentrate and control my dream. He put the dried plant in the boiling water and waited. The taste was bitter and grass-like. He lied down on his bed and closed his eyes. He was full of hope.