Chapter 9: The Dark Continent
The voyage through the Straits was very quiet. Marwin confirmed that they had in fact reached the opposite side of the world. Arya asked him, "Based on where?"
"The Citadel of Oldtown, of course."
"Of course."
Nobody really cared. All that mattered to most of them was that every day's travel would bring them closer to home.
After leaving Janga they didn't encounter many settlements. Occasional fishing villages appeared to the south of them, but these became more dispersed as the days passed. On the northern side of the Straits it appeared that more civilized people lived. They were hesitant to visit them however, for many of these people appeared to be embroiled in their own conflict and they all remembered Arya's policy of not getting involved. Also, the northern shore increasingly showed signs of ghost grass and oily black stone, burned and cracked, and for once Marwin showed no eagerness to investigate it further.
Many ships passed them, going both east and west. All of them were smaller and none posed any threat. Nor did any try to communicate. Instead, they kept their distance, often sailing as close to the shore as possible so as to avoid any contact. Most of the flags they saw, when they saw any at all, reminded them of what they had heard about the two kingdoms east of them. Nobody in the fleet felt any particular desire to interfere with the travelers.
One day as they were near where Marwin thought was the midway point of the Straits Arya decided she wanted to investigate one of the villages they were passing. Nearly all of these were invariably empty when they approached and those that weren't usually became that way as soon as the natives spotted them. None of them knew the reason why, but they all could guess. Slavers.
This particular village was the largest they had seen so far. It wasn't possible for any of the ships to reach the shore, for the water became shallow fairly far out. So the long boat was lowered and a dozen Ironmen rowed her, her Queensguards, Marwin, Jake, Asha, and Crackjaw ashore.
The village was wide, but not very deep. Most of the people here appeared to live in longhouses set atop stilts. They were of very primitive construction, lacking even doors. Yet Arya could see the practicality of them. Their wide, open windows and many entrances allowed breezes to flow through them. The plants were thick beyond them with only a few trails leading further inland.
They stepped ashore to a cold reception. There was no sign of life. Yet they sensed eyes upon them.
"Hello!" Arya called out. "Hello!"
"It's no use." Marwin shook his head. "These people are too scared."
"I would be too," Brienne said. "Imagine what we look like to them."
Crackjaw had no interest in pacifying fearful natives. "Fine. Let's take what we want and leave."
Arya made a face. "I thought you Ironborn had changed."
Asha shrugged. "Depends on what you want." The heat was intense and Asha's own patience was limited. "The sooner we get going the better."
Arya wasn't willing to let it go. "Send the long boat back. Have them pick up some of the weapons we've collected."
"By the Storm God's soggy balls, what on earth for?"
"If slavers are plaguing these people, perhaps they will be amenable to a different kind of trade."
Asha didn't see how, but didn't argue. All of them knew that steel weapons wouldn't last long in this wet climate. But mayhaps the natives wouldn't care.
After several minutes the long boat returned bringing with it a host of spears, swords, and axes. The fleet had been collecting them since wiping out Yo Sha's stronghold. Arya picked up the sword on top of the pile and walked toward the jungle edge.
"Hello," she called again, presenting the sword to anyone who might be watching.
For a long moment nothing happened. Then there was a rattling in the bushes. Slowly and cautiously an old man slipped from the trees. He had very dark skin, like the people of the Summer Islands. He wore no clothes besides a loincloth. He wore several necklaces made of sea shells. His hair was thick and matted. A dirty grey color.
He hestitantly reached for the sword. Arya, smiling, presented him with the hilt. The Old Man smiled in return as he took it. He hefted the blade, clearly understanding what it was and how to use it. They laughed together. The Old Man spoke in a strange language, but it was unlike any they had heard.
Marwin stepped forward. He tried Yitish first, but there was no response. So he tried Ashai'i. This time the Old Man did respond, and not fondly either. Obviously, the Old Man didn't like people who spoke Ashai'i, but he was willing to use it. Though he knew very few words.
After several minutes they were able to effectively communicate even though it involved a great deal of pointing and gesturing. Arya pointed to the sword and used the Ashai'i word for trade, sagosh. She pointed to some melons hanging from one of the huts and repeated the word sagosh.
The Old Man nodded and smiled. He called out to his people, still hiding in the jungle. A much younger woman with a baby clinging to her came out. She took a melon from one of the huts and brought it to the Old Man. Instead of handing it to Arya, he placed it on the ground. He then proceeded to slice it in half with the sword. He picked up half the melon and gave it to Arya.
Arya had never seen it's like before. The rind was thick and white. The flesh was green and soft and the whole thing was almost as big as her head. She took the half he gave her and scooped out a handful of the flesh with her fingers. The melon was full of water and tasted sweet as honey.
Arya grinned with delight. "This is the best fruit I've ever tasted."
Marwin shrugged. "Don't know what kind it is. I don't imagine anyone's ever tried to trade with the native peoples before."
"Good. More for us."
They brought the weapons from the long boat and carried them up the beach. By this time the natives got gotten over their fear and come out of hiding. Like the Old Man, they dressed in little more than loincloths and had no shoes. Oddly, though they had dark skin like Summer Islanders, all their hair was bone white. Even the children. All the men were clean shaven save the Old Man.
In a remarkable scene, natives and Ironborn mixed and laughed, talking together as if old friends. The Ironborn took the weapons and set them point first into the sand. They allowed the natives to examine them, even heft them, while they sampled the food the natives brought. Crabs, fish, more kinds of melons than even Marwin had heard of, fruits of the most unusual variety. And also the biggest nut any of them had ever seen. Marwin called it a coconut. Its shell was thick and hairy. But once cut open it yielded the most extraordinarily tasting flesh and milk they had ever had.
In the end they were able to trade their boat's full of weapons for a near ton of fresh food. Asha griped that it wasn't a fair trade. The steel alone was worth three times as much. But nobody else felt aggrieved. Steel wasn't worth as much in this climate and everybody was desperate for a change of diet. Arya also wanted to get rid of the junk they had been collecting anyway.
Long Dick took it upon himself to teach the natives. He took one of the swords they had traded and wiped fish oil on it. Marwin had to explain how the oil protects the metal from moisture. Unfortunately, the natives couldn't grasp his explanation, likely because they just didn't have enough words in common.
Arya asked through Marwin if there were any other villages they could trade with. The Old Man said there were other villages along the coast, but most did not keep large stockpiles of food. The only place to find abundant trade goods was to the east. Needless to say, neither Westerosi expressed any desire to follow that course.
The atmosphere became so relaxed that the Ironborn stripped off their clothes and began frolicking in the water. After some slight hesitation, Marwin and Jake joined them. The Queensguards wanted to follow suit. Even Maud was willing to shed her garments. But Brienne, who had no trust for the natives and even less for the Ironborn, wouldn't allow it. Asha felt no such reluctance.
The native men dug a fire pit in the beach. They brought out several animals they had hunted, including a small crocodile, and prepared them for cooking. To all intents, it looks as if they were going to have a big party.
But others had different ideas. Arya wandered over to near the jungle edge. Nothing in particular brought her there. Just a feeling.
Brienne saw her standing stiffly, as if waiting. "Something wrong?"
Arya didn't answer. But Brienne noticed that her hand had gone to her sword hilt, almost unconsciously. Looking at the trees Brienne didn't see anything. Yet she drew Oathkeeper just the same.
Her action drew the attention of everyone else. After a moment's hesitation, the other Queensguards drew their own weapons and moved to flank their queen. Moving fast, the Ironborn exited the water and re-donned their armor. The native men, asking no questions, grabbed up their new weapons. As if by instinct, the natives and the Ironborn interspersed themselves. The better protected Westerosi moving to the front.
The native women and their children ran off down the beach, a few men following. They vanished into the jungle at the far end of the village. Marwin and Jake did not go with them, though Jake looked like he wanted to. Instead, the two of them stayed far back behind the warriors.
The silence was deafening. Even the insects were quiet. Arya took a moment to slip on her gauntlets. A wise precaution it turned out. There was a movement in the trees. Everyone was tense. Then another. The waiting defenders imagined seeing eyes peeking out at them.
The tension built to almost the breaking point. Crackjaw muttered, "Come on! Show yourselves."
One of his men, Jack Mullet, said, "Maybe they're too scared."
None of them believed that.
The Old Man ordered a few of his men to look into the jungle. Three of the biggest men ran forward. They peered in, much like someone looking down the length of a tunnel. With a cry they came running back to rejoin the comrades.
A javelin flying near as fast as an arrow shot straight at Arya. Instinctively she blocked it with her hand. The stone point shattered against the Valyrian Steel of her gauntlet, but it stung like hell.
"SHIT!"
From out of the jungle charged… men? They walked on two legs like men. They wore loincloths over their loins like men. But their skin was green and scaled. And their heads were the heads of lizards, forked tongues hanging from gaping jaws. They were lean and tall, towering over those they faced save the Hound. And they moved fast. No sound came from them save hisses. Armed with stone-headed spears and axes, they charged fearlessly at those waiting for them.
The bows of Yimi and Joella sang. Steel tipped arrows downed foe after foe. The natives had missiles too. They threw javelins remarkably similar to the lizards. But more interestingly, they had long, hollow tubes made of bamboo through which they blew poisoned darts made from the thorns of trees. The lizards responded in kind. Arya noticed that the lizardmen flung their javelins using sticks that added greatly to their speed and accuracy. The Ironborn with shields had moved to the fore and were able to intercept most of them.
Arya wasn't able to keep track what else was happening. She was at the forefront of the defense. The first creature swung its ax hard down toward her head. She blocked it with Dark Sister, but the beast's strength made her arms go numb. Her riposte gutted it. After that was a string of foes. One after the other fell before her flashing blades. They knew not how to deal with an opponent who moved so fast. One thing for sure, she could not fault their courage. No matter how many they killed more came forth to take their place. The lizards' stone axes and spear points were no match even for the boiled leather jerkins of the Ironborn. Yet they came on relentlessly.
Who knows how long the battle would have lasted. But it had only been minutes before a great bellow rent the air. Everyone froze. All eyes gazed up at the sky. Arya alone knew what was coming. Snowflake roared as she flew past. She flew low and circled over the village, just above the tree tops. The lizards fled. The natives dropped to their knees and hid their faces. They begged whatever gods they believed in for mercy. The Westerosi were more relieved. Though a few did mutter about having their fun interrupted.
About twenty of the lizards had been left behind when the others fled. A couple of the natives had died too, both from javelins. Many more had wounds. Marwin and Jake moved to treat them.
Snowflake settled at the edge of the village, well away from the natives. Arya walked over to caress her dragon. Brienne asked her, "What do we do?"
The Hound answered, "What do you mean, do? We didn't come here to fight lizard monsters."
With Brienne's attention elsewhere, the other Queensguards shed their armor.
"We can't just leave these people."
"Why not? They're not our problem."
"Regardless," Arya said. "I want our people to maintain contact here. This place could be quite profitable for trade. I like these people and I don't want them to come to harm."
"You can't guard them forever."
"No. But maybe trading with us will give them the ability to defend themselves. Besides, these lizards are unknown to us. It's best we find out more about them."
They turned to call the Old Man. He and his people still had their faces in the sand praying to their gods. They also noticed the Queensguards had stripped down to their small clothes, but none of them felt inclined to call them on it. Arya called the Old Man, but he didn't respond. Marwin now tried. He even went over and knelt down next to him. The Old Man was too consumed by the understandable belief in his own approaching demise.
Marwin looked for help to the Ironborn. Asha, who was almost laughing, waved her men over. Two of them grabbed the Old Man's arms and dragged him to Arya. The Old Man screamed in panic.
Arya held up her hands, making soothing motions. "Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh." It didn't help. She grabbed his head with her hands. The Old Man froze. "It's okay. It's okay."
She reached back and petted Snowflakes muzzle. With a great deal of coxing, and sternly admonishing her dragon to behave, she got him to touch Snowflake himself. When the great monster failed to immediately consume him, the Old Man gained confidence. Having finally calmed him down, she asked Marwin to ask him some questions.
The Old Man told them that the lizards lived deep in the jungle. They hunted men and were cannibals. The Old Man didn't know where they lived. There were many groups of them, just as there was among men. His people would have sought aid against them before. Unfortunately, they also have to worry about slavers. Their people lived in constant fear whenever ships appeared. Some came as friends. But most would attack them, rape their women, and carry off their children.
Aside from knowing to avoid them nobody knew anything of the lizards. Not even the wise men from the east had any idea of how to communicate with them. None had ever heard them speak any language of men. They didn't work metal, but they would use any they could get their hands on. Most tribes kept to themselves, but the Old Man had heard stories of different tribes banding together.
"He thought that's why we came," Marwin explained.
"Why we came?" Arya was dumbstruck. "We never knew they existed before we came here."
"I explained that to him. He doesn't understand just how big the world is."
"No doubt. Why did he think we were here for the lizards?"
Marwin talked to the Old Man for a few minutes before he was able to give an answer. "Eh, from what I understand…" He looked at Snowflake nervously. "He thought that your winged creature was… related to them."
Arya's expression was dead. Snowflake herself grunted out a sound that might easily have been a belch. The listeners couldn't decide if she were expressing outrage or laughing.
After blinking several times Arya finally said, "I'll try not to be insulted."
Laughter followed.
Brienne repeated her question. "What do we do?"
"We need to know more about these lizards."
"You mean to pursue them?" Brienne did not express her misgivings. But then she didn't need to.
"Not forever. I want us to get some idea as to what they are. If our people are to have more contact here, knowing what they will encounter is necessary."
"I agree," Marwin interjected. Not that anyone expected him to say anything else. "Knowledge is vital if future travelers are to avoid danger. Dealing with these lizardmen could be a serious matter for future kings."
"That could be centuries from now," Lyanna pointed out.
Arya waved that aside. "Years or centuries. We need to know more about Ulthos. These creatures are clearly a serious threat to be dealt with. We must not neglect our responsibilities."
And so it was decided. Arya chose to take only her Queensguards and Marwin. She ordered Asha to prepare to leave, giving the natives such help as they needed first. The Old Man offered to send his scouts with them, but Arya assured him that they were not needed.
They took with them only some food and as much fresh water as they could carry. Snowflake could carry a great deal, but the dragon didn't appreciate being treated like a mule and let her rider know it.
The dragon could smell better than any dog and had no trouble backtracking the lizards. Much to her annoyance, Arya forbade her flying over the trees. As a result, Snowflake smashed a wide path through the jungle. This had the advantage of driving off all the native life. Arya felt no need for stealth and was more than willing to allow everything along their journey to get away from them. Except for insect bites, their only torment was the endless heat. Much to the humans' irritation Snowflake was never bothered by bugs.
As they followed Snowflake's destructive progress Arya and Marwin examined the jungle they were passing through. Marwin pulled several leaves off a particularly dark tree. The leaves were blue, the color of deep water.
"My sister told me the Warlocks drink a blue potion made from leaves," Arya said.
"Yes, Shade of the Evening. These are the same leaves."
"I thought the Shade trees only grew near Qarth? These trees are everywhere."
"It appears the assumption is wrong."
"The wood of this tree. It's black as night. It reminds me of the ebon doors at the House of Black and White."
Marwin's curiosity was aroused. "The House has Ironwood doors?"
"Ebon and weirwood both. Do you think that means they are magic?"
Marwin shrugged. He took the leaves for examination later.
It took them two days to find the lizards. They discovered a tall stockade in the depths of the jungle. It was a primitive stockade, a single wall of rough cut logs tied together. It surrounded a village of huts. Snowflake tore it apart.
Arya and the Queensguards rushed in. What they found inside was not what they expected. The lizards were all on their knees, their faces in the dirt. They were hissing and spitting. Arya guessed this was their language.
"Can you speak to them?" she asked Marwin.
"What? Do I look like a snake? I don't speak reptile."
"How do we talk to them?"
"How should I know?"
She slapped him. The Hound said, "Let's just kill them."
She could understand his feelings. Scattered about the village were totems made of both human and animal bones. Some of those bones were too small to have come from adults.
"This is only one small village. We don't know how many more there are and we can't go around destroying them all."
"Then what are we doing here?"
The largest of the lizards looked up at them. He, she assumed it was a he, had a multitude of beaded necklaces around his neck. She guessed that he was their leader. He spat a whole string of hisses and barks at her. To her surprise Snowflake answered. Sort of. She coughed a roar back and the leader once again buried his face in the sand.
"What'd she say to it?" Brienne asked.
Arya was curious about the answer to that herself. She touched Snowflake and reached out to the dragon's mind. From what she could gather through the confusing images which composed the dragon's thoughts the lizards didn't 'speak' in the sense that men did. They communicated mostly by scent. The humans could not detect the different smells, but Snowflake could. More than that, the dragon could interpret them as well.
At least Arya hoped so. "Tell it to leave the men alone."
Snowflake's ability to make the lizardmen understand her was more questionable. Arya could swear her dragon gave her a look. Snowflake barked a roar. The lizards quailed, but their leader protested. Snowflake repeated her command. The lizard squealed in reply. The dragon gave off a long, low rumble. The lizard creatures all chirped, sounding almost like birds. Snowflake gave off one last bellow. The lizardmen, shrieking in terror, fled for the back of the stockade. There was a back gate, still bared when the dragon broke in. Taking everything they could carry, the lizard fled through the back gate and never returned.
"Did they really understand?" Brienne asked.
"I have no idea."
"Do you think they will really stay away?"
"Mayhaps, but we can't stay to find out."
They Westerosi searched the village, but there was very little of interest. They did find cisterns filled with water, which they gratefully made use of. They had emptied all the containers they had brought with them. Snowflake emptied the cistern after the Queensguards had refilled their water skins. Dragons were creatures of fire, but they still had to drink.
There was nothing of value otherwise. But Arya insisted they take the human skulls with them. No doubt the natives would want the bones of their relatives returned to them.
Travelling back the way they came, it took them less than a day to return to the coastal village. As predicted, the villagers were gleeful at the return of their ancestors. They held another celebration upon the Westerosi delivering the grisly gifts.
Snowflake took wing and left her rider to eat the feast the natives prepared for them. The Westerosi were not entirely happy with the meat the natives fed them, but they made no complaints. It was when the feast had ended, as dusk filled the sky, that the Old Man gave them their greatest gift. He brought out from hiding a headdress of feathers. Yet these were feathers like no other. Most were from the native birds, which many of the native men wore. A status symbol no doubt.
Mixed in with these more normal feathers were those whose nature was unlike any they had ever seen. They were as metal and shined like burnished copper. They were red and blue, hard as steel one moment, soft as down the next.
"What are these?"
Marwin stood in awe. "The Old Man says they come from the Vergäsh Tosh, the fire-bird. The Ashai'i call them phoenix. They are said to be born of fire. The Old Man says they live in the southern mountains. Sorcerers use them in some of their spells."
"They must be worth more than a dragon egg."
"The native men must go far inland in order to find them. Bringing back a feather is considered a great act. Just surviving the jungle is a feat. The birds themselves are lethal to any who disturb them."
"No doubt. Do they breathe fire like dragons?" He shrugged
She knelt down and allowed the Old Man to put the headdress upon her. Everyone gave a cheer.
As the fleet went on its way, Arya found Marwin writing in his journal. "How successful were you?" he asked her.
She shrugged. "I got the impression those lizards looked upon Snowflake as a god."
"Hardly surprising."
"One would assume they would take a god's command very seriously."
"One could assume that, yes."
"Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing. Maybe someday someone will learn how to communicate with them, but it will not be me."
"Nor I."
"What are you writing?"
"I'm explaining where the phoenix comes from. It is a question those who research the higher mysteries have long contemplated."
"Is that really such a good idea?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what will happen when word of this gets out."
He saw no problem. "Trying to get one is too dangerous. Most treasure seekers will discover very quickly that they aren't to be messed with."
Arya's voice was sharp. "Yes! So where do you think they will look for them when they know they can't go inland to get them?"
Marwin was silent for some time. He then took his pen and scratched through everything he had just written.
END CHAPTER 9