Maester Jurne couldn't find rest anymore. He hadn't really slept since the first cracks in his worldview appeard eleven days ago.
He remembered how he had been in the Ravenry to send the yearly letter from Edric Storm to the King, the letter that the boy was allowed to send to thank the King for his namedays gift.
While the Maester had fitted the Raven to the Red Keep with its little package, the Tower had suddenly felt like it shook slightly. Maester Jurne had stopped tying the package around the Ravens leg for a moment, leaned down, then leaned out of the Ravenrys window and looked down, saw nothing and then had raised his eyebrows for a moment. He had then finished tying the package laces around the birds leg and send the Raven off to the Red Keep. At that night, during the evening meal he only drank water, for he had then believed that the shaking of the Tower he had felt earlier was because he had indulged too much in the alcoholic beverages. Nobody else had mentioned anything about feeling that the Tower shook, so he must be the only one and that could only be because he had drunk too much before.
The next morning though, ten days ago could not be excused with an after effect of drunkenness . The Maester had been in the Round Hall, with the Castellan of Storm's End, Ser Cortnay Penrose and a couple of other high standing servants of House Baratheon. They were waiting for their Lord to finally arrive in the Hall, so that the first petitioners could be brought into the Round Hall and before the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. It was as always a long waiting for the young Lord Renly was a charming but not hard working man.
So, the Hall was then occupied by around twenty men, none of them in any way especially superstitious but instead calm and efficient men. That changed at that morning, for in the Round Hall stood the Old Throne of the Storm Kings that still was used the Lord Paramounts when they felt so inclined.
The moment that young Lord Renly finally had arrived into the Hall and then stepped towards the Throne and touched it on the armrest, the unbelievable had happened.
The Grand old throne had broken apart in front of their eyes and under the elaborately carved old grey Stone Throne there was a sleeker one, black and wet looking, a black oily Stone Throne, that looked like nothing anyone had ever seen before. The young Lord Paramount had been flung backwards to the far away walls of the Hall when the Grey Throne broke apart and had been unconscious since then.
Everyone of the twenty rational and calm men left the Round Hall that morning with a feeling of dread while they carried their Lord out and brought him then to the Maester's Room.
For ten days now, Lord Renly was still unconscious, no matter what Maester Jurne tried, for ten days now more and more things happened in Storm's End, that nobody could understand or find a reason for.
Nine days ago, the first carved signs appeared in the Stones of the outer Walls, eight days ago the carvings doubled on the outer Walls and the first also appeared on the inner Walls. Seven days ago, first old carvings appeard on the outside and the inside of the Tower. Six days ago, Edric Storm had run screaming outside at night and had to be put to sleep by a triple as normal amount of Sleepwine. Five Days ago the first carvings started to glow at night. Four days ago all carvings started to glow at night. Three days ago, the carvings wouldn't stop glowing even during the day. Two days ago, the mysterious black Stone Throne had started to ...vibrate.
One day ago, the drumming in the deep had begun.
Maester Jurne hadn't found much of a sleep during these last ten days, others at least tried to but after the drumming had begun nobody even tried anymore to sleep not even with Sleepwine.
The Maester of Storm's End had tried to send Ravens to the King, the Citadel or other Keeps but none of the Ravens left the Ravenry. They only looked at the helpless Maester but none of them even spread their wings, no matter what he tried.
The Castellan had tried to send Outriders but none of the horses could be saddled without great problems and if finally one was ready, the Horse would not step outside of the Gate of Storm's End. The Riders whipped their horses bloody, they tugged and shoved but the horses could not be forced to put even one hoof outside of the Gate for ten days.
Other animals from outside of the Keep didn't enter. No matter what the people tried, the animals could not be forced to change their way.
Then all changed at this morning. The Maester didn't understand what happened but after ten days now, all the Ravens left the Ravenry at once, all flew in the same direction though, to King's Landing. The Horses would start neighing and tried to leave their stables and birds that had stayed outside for ten days, now flew again over the Walls of Storm's End and sang wonderfully.
The carvings were now glowing brightly though, day and night and the drumming felt like a heartbeat, so it vibrated in the hearts and heads of the people of Storm's End.
Lord Renly was still unconscious though, his squire the young Loras Tyrell sat by his one side and Lord Renly's ward, the Kings bastard Edric Storm sat by his other side.
Maester Jurne looked outside of the Ravenry, his eyes were tired and deep-seated and he had black rings around them for his lack of sleep but for the first time in ten days he found himself a bit hopeful. At least the Ravens had left the Keep with his messages, maybe there was a Solution and Explanation to be found in the Capital City.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
In his and everyone else's head, the drumming from below felt and sounded like a heartbeat. Their own heartbeats were starting to follow the rythym and the carvings and signs on the Walls glew even brighter.