Disclaimer: I do not own Elder Scrolls or A Song of Ice and Fire. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 27
Volantis 297 A.C
The clear sky allowed the sun to scorch the city of Volantis, known as the «First Daughter». The sweltering heat made many drown in sweat. Once a proud colony of the Freehold of Valyria, it was now one of the largest free cities. However, the wars of the past had left scars: depopulated areas with abandoned buildings, pools, and fountains filled with foul-smelling water. Despite this, the active part of the city kept an imposing beauty, worthy of its Valyrian heritage.
In the vast port of Volantis, so colossal that the locals claimed all one hundred islands of Braavos could dock there with room to spare, the «StarWolf» was moored. The vessel had arrived after a long journey across the Summer Sea from Sunspear.
"Ahhh... I hate this heat…" Jon complained, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"We understand, Jon..." his friends responded in unison, who, except for Daenerys, were equally suffering aboard the ship. Even Ghost, the faithful direwolf, seemed dejected. His thick fur condemned him to suffer in this sweltering climate.
"We haven't even been in this city for a day, and I already want to go somewhere cooler." Grenn commented, wishing to return to the Riverlands, where the warm weather was not as oppressive.
"Yes, we should go back to the ship and set sail immediately." Pyp added, nodding energetically at his friend's suggestion.
The rest of the group, including Ghost, shared his opinion and began to turn towards the ship, but a voice stopped them.
"But it's not that hot." Daenerys commented, the only one in the group who seemed completely immune to the weather. Her skin remained dry, and, in fact, she seemed to be enjoying the warm environment. For her, it was neither too hot nor too cold.
"Not that hot? Dany, look at us. It looks like we just took a dip in the sea." Sam replied, pointing to himself and the rest of the group.
Daenerys saw her companions, all drenched and exhausted, and acknowledged that they were right. However, she didn't want to leave Volantis yet. For the first time in her life, she was in a city deeply marked by Valyrian culture. She wanted to explore it, admire its architecture, and soak in the history of her lineage. She took a deep breath, then adopted a sad expression and looked at her friends, knowing they couldn't resist.
"Can we stay a little longer in Volantis, please?" she asked with a melancholic tone, designed to evoke compassion.
The five men, along with Ghost, remained silent. A strange feeling of guilt began to invade them, even though they knew they had done nothing wrong.
"Guys..." Grenn murmured, leaning towards Daenerys' request. His tone made it clear that he was losing the will to resist.
"Yes..." Pyp, Edd, and Sam said in unison, completely surrendering to the princess's pleading look. Now only Jon and Ghost remained as the last bastions of opposition.
The wolf and his owner remained firm. Although Daenerys' sad expression made them somewhat uncomfortable, they both knew they were not to blame for the situation. However, in the end, they couldn't resist the majority.
"Alright... we can stay a few more days." Jon conceded with a resigned sigh.
"Yes!" Daenerys exclaimed, giving a small jump of joy before throwing herself at Jon to hug him.
Daenerys' action generated an immediate reaction from the crew members of the «StarWolf», who looked on in total astonishment at what had happened, but they were not the only ones, as both Jon and Daenerys also had their own reactions. Daenerys' reaction was to blush, as she didn't know what had motivated her to do what she had just done, so she didn't hesitate for a second to let go of Jon and take a step back, while trying to hide her face in her hair.
"J-Jon... I-I..." The young Targaryen stammered, trying to apologize for what she had done, but Jon's voice interrupted her.
"It's okay, nothing happened." Jon said, causing Daenerys to look up and see Jon looking away, while a small blush appeared on his face.
Everyone's eyes, including Ghost's, looked on in total astonishment at Jon's reaction, as it was the first time they had seen him act that way.
"Jon... is he... embarrassed?" Pyp asked in surprise as he looked at Jon.
"I-it seems so..." Grenn responded, also looking at Jon in surprise.
"This only means the world is about to end, I must fulfill all my desires so I don't die with regrets." Edd commented, who after those words began to muse about the things he wanted to do before the world ended, as for him there was no other logical explanation for Jon being embarrassed.
Despite being just as astonished as his friends, Sam did not react the same way they did, as he saw that Jon's reaction was mostly caused by the surprise of being hugged by Daenerys rather than anything else. So, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, he decided to say nothing.
While his friends were looking at him in astonishment, Jon was lost in his thoughts, trying to figure out why he was feeling this way, as when Daenerys hugged him, he felt his heart race for a second, something he had only experienced once before in his life, when he was still beyond the Wall.
'What is this...? Why did my heart race for a second...? I can't have started to fall in love with Daenerys... right?' Jon thought as he tried to discern the reason why his heart had raced. In his mind, the young apprentice of the last Dovahkiin hoped it was for another reason and not love, as he couldn't understand how he could fall in love with the descendant of one of the families that had betrayed the person who made him the man he was now.
"Jon, a-are you okay?" Daenerys asked, causing Jon to snap out of his thoughts.
His friend's question brought Jon back to reality, and he looked at her. Seeing the violet eyes of the young Targaryen looking at him with concern, Jon smiled, which, unbeknownst to him, was kinder than expected, causing the young man to blush slightly.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought about something."
"I-I see." Daenerys replied, smiling as she continued to look at Jon.
Without them knowing, the atmosphere they were creating made the rest of their friends roll their eyes, as to them, the two were flirting, which caused some irritation in Grenn, but especially in Pyp, who, having had enough of what he was seeing, approached them and gave them two gentle taps on their shoulders, bringing them back to reality.
"Sorry to interrupt your courting moment, but I think if we're staying in this city for a couple of days, we should look for points of interest to see what we can learn about the city." Pyp said with rolled eyes and a somewhat flat voice, which surprised the two young people, who didn't speak for a few seconds, processing the former mime's words.
"We weren't courting!" Jon and Daenerys shouted in unison, blushing a few seconds after hearing the former mime's words, as they understood what he was insinuating.
"Yeah, I know, but it really looked like you were courting there." Pyp said as he began to walk away from the two towards the rest of the group.
Both Jon and Daenerys watched as their friend rejoined the rest, and after each letting out a sigh, they began to walk towards them, so they could decide which places to visit in the city.
Jon's group watched in awe at the imposing structure known as the Black Walls. The colossal ovoid edifice rose about sixty-four meters high, with a width that Jon deduced could easily accommodate ten riders side by side.
"Incredible…" murmured Pyp, impressed by the size of the construction.
"Yes, I understand… we've seen enormous structures, but not even the lighthouse of Oldtown, though taller, has the same presence as this wall." commented Grenn, unable to take his eyes off the wall.
"Great, another giant wall... Sometimes I think the gods are mocking me, reminding me of that time I considered going to an ice wall." Edd said with a defeated sigh.
Edd's words snapped Pyp and Grenn out of their amazement, making them turn towards him.
"We understand you, Edd, but this life is different. We won't follow the same paths as our counterparts from that other world. I don't think we'll die here." Grenn said with a smile on his face.
Edd looked at him, and his friend's logic brought a slight smile to his face.
"This structure is one of the few that demonstrate the Valyrians' skill in construction." commented Sam, attracting the attention of his friends and even some curious passersby. "It's made of the fused black stone they used in their buildings, stacked without visible joints. Also, there are no chisel marks or mortar on the blocks."
Sam spoke with the certainty given by his studies at the Citadel and the information gathered during his time at Horn Hill.
"Incredible…" exclaimed Daenerys enthusiastically, fascinated by the structure, a tangible reminder of the greatness of the Freehold of Valyria.
"Yes, it is, but it's not the only place built this way." added Sam, capturing Daenerys' attention. Noticing her interest, Randyll Tarly's son smiled before continuing. "Another site with this technique is the castle of Dragonstone, the fortress that was the residence of the heir to the Iron Throne during the rule of House Targaryen in Westeros."
The mention of Dragonstone slightly darkened Daenerys' eyes. The place where she was born and where her mother died was not an easy memory to face. Those words made her recall the proposition Jon had made to her before leaving Dorne.
On that occasion, Jon had taken her to the navigation room and asked her: Do you want to visit the place where you were born? The question took her by surprise; she didn't expect him to make such an offer. When she asked for an explanation, Jon replied that it was a way to repay her for reuniting him with his family. He wanted her to have the opportunity to connect with her origins as well.
The proposition had bewildered her. She couldn't respond immediately and asked for time to think. Jon agreed, understanding.
That night, Daenerys couldn't sleep, carefully weighing the pros and cons of both options. At dawn, during breakfast, she gave her answer: a sad but well-considered no.
Jon's reaction and that of the rest of the group, who were aware of the proposal, was one of surprise. They didn't expect that response. When they asked her why she rejected the idea, Daenerys was honest: she didn't feel ready, neither mentally nor emotionally, to face the place where she was born and where her mother had lost her life.
'I remember Jon just looked at me for a few seconds and then nodded, but he didn't say anything. I suppose he felt somewhat relieved, as I don't think it would have been easy to keep me unnoticed in a place where people have known my family…' Daenerys thought, while still observing the Black Walls. A few seconds passed, and she finally said a few words.
"I wonder if we can enter that part of the city."
"I don't think so." Sam quickly replied, drawing his friends' attention.
"What?" Grenn asked, looking at Jon skeptically. "I don't think they'll prevent us from entering. I mean, what could be there that's so valuable to keep people out?"
"The so-called 'Old Blood'." Samwell replied without much thought.
"'Old Blood'?" Pyp asked, confused by the term his friend had used.
"Descendants of the Dragonlords of the Freehold of Valyria." Samwell explained, only to cover his mouth a second later, cursing himself mentally. He had let slip something he didn't want to say since he knew they were going to Volantis.
'Damn it, I'm an idiot. Why did I have to mention the one thing I had planned not to say while I was here?' thought Samwell, looking to his side, where he saw Jon clenching his teeth as he watched the black walls.
Jon had been calm, seeing the walls without feeling particularly affected by what might be behind them. However, his state changed radically when he heard what Samwell mentioned. Although Jon and Daenerys got along well, that did not mean he had forgiven the scum who betrayed his master. No, he would not forgive them. Although he had made an exception for the last two Targaryens, he would not allow the rest of the descendants of the other families to stay alive.
As the anger began to grow inside him, Jon, almost unconsciously, started to move his hands. One went to the hilt of «Gandravar», while the other went to his magic bag, taking something out of it.
However, whatever he was planning to do vanished at once when his arms were stopped. Jon blinked, realizing that his friends had stopped him. Grenn and Pyp were holding his right arm, while Sam and Edd were holding his left, showing clear signs of effort, although they knew that despite their strength, they could not prevent Jon from moving his arms; they only managed to delay him slightly.
"Jon, calm down. I don't know what you plan to do, but I don't think you want to use magic indiscriminately with so many people around." whispered Edd, in a serious voice, leaving aside his typical pessimistic phrases. He was more than aware of what could happen if Jon lost control.
Hearing his friend's words, Jon looked around and realized they were attracting the attention of many passersby. Quickly, he looked at the bag on his belt and saw what he had taken out. Realizing what it was, his face paled considerably, as that object was not only extremely rare but also of unimaginable power. Feeling a wave of guilt for what he could have unleashed, Jon let out several sighs, hoping to calm down. Fortunately, he succeeded. He quickly returned the object to his bag.
"Are you calmer now?" asked Edd, seeing Jon put away what he had taken out.
"Yes, calm. Don't worry." Jon replied.
Hearing his words, the rest of the group let go of Jon, who, relieved, began to move his shoulders and talk about trivial things, even mentioning a dizziness he had felt, intending to distract the crowd and give them the impression that everything that had happened was related to his health.
Jon's group members let out a collective sigh of relief as they saw their tactic working and the crowd dispersing, finally leaving them in peace.
"In the name of the gods, what the hell were you thinking of doing?" asked Edd, after letting go of his friend.
"I don't know... I just... I just saw red when I knew their descendants were here." Jon confessed, looking at his friends. As he did, he noticed Daenerys avoiding his gaze. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for causing such a scene."
"It's okay, Jon. It's nothing, just don't do something like that outside of combat, okay?"
"Okay." Jon replied with a smile.
"Well, then... Shall we go see the great bridge of Volantis?" asked Samwell, smiling, which made everyone else nod.
With that, the group began to head west, towards the legendary bridge of the city. As they walked, they were unaware of what had happened in that place: the object Jon had taken out had released such an amount of magic that several people slightly sensitive to it had felt the power, wondering where that intense energy came from.
King's Landing 297 A.C
The sky covering the capital city of Westeros was cloudy, with very dark gray clouds showing that it would soon begin to rain. While many people walked the streets of King's Landing, in a refined-looking building, a man was absorbed in his thoughts about the daily happenings at court.
In the middle of a beautifully designed and luxuriously decorated room, there was a desk over which Petyr Baelish, also known as "Littlefinger." reviewed the various daily operations of the royal treasury, as well as the activities of the institutions that made up the kingdom's monetary system.
"Ahhh... everything is as it should be, at least for now." murmured the Master of Coin of King Robert Baratheon, as he let the papers he had been reading fall. His mind began to wander as the soft melody played by the bards in the hall of his business, the largest and most popular of the brothels he ran, reached his ears. This place, the most luxurious and exclusive of all he owned in the city, was intended only for wealthy nobles, rich merchants, and not for the common folk. It was a market of flesh and pleasure, designed to satisfy all the appetites of his clients, offering not only pleasurable moments but also high-quality food and drink.
'From being just, a minor Lord of the Vale to becoming one of the king's most powerful and important servants, controlling some of the best brothels in the city.' thought Petyr with some enjoyment, as he took a sip of Gold Arbor he had previously poured.
Littlefinger's story was, according to him, a story of overcoming. Originally, he was the Lord of one of the poorest regions of the Fingers, a region of the Vale shaped like a hand, which gave him his nickname. He did not have wealth like other nobles, so to get to where he was now, he had to use his skills. First as head of customs in Gulltown, where he multiplied the city's revenues tenfold, and after that feat, he was called to King's Landing by the king's own hand to be the new Master of Coin. A position that allowed him to quickly amass a respectable fortune, as the king was not a frugal person but a spendthrift. This made it easy for Petyr to inflate the prices of some products and make phantom purchases, obtaining all the money possible without attracting attention.
Putting aside his wine glass, Petyr got up from his chair and began to walk around his solar, reflecting on current events. Despite the king's poor economic management, the kingdom remained at peace and prospering, in part thanks to the excellent administration of Lord Jon Arryn, the king's hand. The elderly Lord had managed to keep the kingdom united with his political skills, but age was taking its toll. He could no longer see some things happening under his nose, such as the romance he had with his wife, Lysa Arryn, sister of Catelyn Stark.
The mere mention of the name of Hoster Tully's eldest daughter was enough for the Master of Coin to think of the woman he loved madly, feeling a fleeting pain in his chest, where Brandon Stark, Eddard Stark's older brother, had wounded him during the duel for the hand of the now Lady of Winterfell. That duel marked a before and after in his life, as he not only lost the love of his life but was also humiliated by a northern barbarian, which unleashed a constant anger towards all the Starks. He smiled when he learned that the Mad King had killed Brandon Stark, rejoicing in the northerner's death. He thought the gods wanted him and Catelyn to be together, but Lord Hoster married her to Eddard Stark, something he never forgave.
'Ahhh... my dear Cat, how I wish I could see you now. But the gods do not want us together at the moment. Don't worry, that won't be for long.' thought Petyr as he recalled the news one of his prostitutes had brought him. According to the merchant, there had been a tournament in Dorne, in which Eddard Stark's bastard son had taken part, and not only that, but he had won it, proving great martial skill. However, that was not what really interested Petyr. What intrigued him was the woman who traveled with him. According to the merchant, the girl was of obvious Valyrian descent, something not so rare in Essos, but unusual in Westeros. Although that information meant nothing by itself, the merchant mentioned that, although the girl had black hair, there was a certain resemblance to the late Queen Rhaella. That piece of information confused him, as he thought there were no living children of the former monarch, something he had taken care of long ago. Therefore, that information could only be a drunkard's fantasy, but it gave him an opportunity to poison the relations between the king and the ruling house of the north a little.
Although it was well known that the king and Eddard Stark were very good friends, if Petyr managed to convince the king that this girl was the Mad King's daughter, that could make the king furious and send assassins after the girl, who would obviously be protected by the bastard of Winterfell. This act could break the relationship between the crown and the Starks.
'But I can't play this hand yet. The girl doesn't match the princess because of her hair color, although that can be fixed by saying she dyed it. I also have against me the king's recent affection for the boy, and there is no way to create a credible story for now... no, I must wait a little longer to use this plan. The game of Thrones is a game played with patience, and for now, I have time. I will use the peace to position my pieces and place them in places that favor me when chaos erupts, because chaos is the best ladder to climb to the top.'
With these thoughts, Petyr decided he would go to court, as it was likely that a small council meeting would soon be held.
Winterfell 297 A.C
The cold winds of the North blew fiercely, carrying with them the scent of pines and wet earth from the Wolfwood to the fortress of Winterfell. The inhabitants of the great northern fortress continued with their daily tasks. Miken, the blacksmith, forged weapons and armor while teaching his apprentices the secrets of his trade. Meanwhile, Sir Rodrik trained the future guards of the castle, making them practice with blunted weapons. However, the old knight not only trained the new recruits but also taught Robb Stark, who was practicing with his new sword, a gift from his brother.
The heir of Winterfell moved his sword skillfully, performing horizontal and vertical cuts, interspersed with some diagonal ones. Robb's footwork was light but firm, with solid steps going with each movement of the sword, as he sought the perfect balance to use Frost, a lighter sword than the one he had used in his earlier training, which made his movements a bit difficult. Therefore, to adapt to it, he had started training almost from scratch, at least with this sword, although he continued his training with other weapons.
"It seems Robb is improving his technique, don't you think, Ned?" asked Catelyn, smiling as she watched her eldest son train from one of the balconies near the practice area.
"Yes, compared to when he started training with Frost, his technique has improved a lot." replied Ned, also smiling as he saw his son's progress with the Valyrian sword he had received. 'Valyrian swords are very special weapons. Many think that just by having one, they will know how to use it, but the reality is far from that assumption. The difference in weight and the strength needed to make the cuts are so different from normal swords that they tend to confuse those who wield them for the first time, making it difficult to coordinate the blows. Therefore, it is necessary to learn to use them almost from scratch. Moreover, this allows the warrior to see the flaws in their training and refine their combat technique.'
"Yes, but that was to be expected. He has been training every day, almost to exhaustion, just to improve with that sword." commented Catelyn, frowning slightly, as her son had focused so much on using his sword that he had neglected some lessons with Maester Luwin.
Hearing his wife's words, Ned nodded. He had also received some complaints from the maester, who said that Robb seemed distracted in his history and mathematics lessons, matters that would need to be addressed. He could not allow his son to neglect such important aspects of his education. However, he also understood why Robb was so absorbed in his sword training: his younger brother was now a recognized knight, famous for his participation in battle.
'The rumors about what happened in the purge of the Stepstones are confusing, but they all seem to indicate that Jon has become a formidable warrior, one that many might compare to Arthur...' thought Ned, as his mind wandered for a moment, thinking about his prodigal son. 'I would be lying if I said I am not proud of what the rumors say about Jon. Moreover, no news has come suggesting he has become a wrongdoer. That shows to me that, despite being raised away from me, he stays a just and honorable person.'
'I wonder where you are now.' Ned's thoughts turned to Jon's whereabouts, which always seemed to change. Something he had already gotten used to, although the question of how he did it still lingered in his mind. His first assumption was that his son might have his own ship, as otherwise, he could not have reached the Thousand Isles. That, however, only raised more questions. The main one being: what did his son do when he was not adventuring or in combat? That question caused him concern, but he knew his son was not involved in anything illegal, as no rumors had suggested otherwise.
"Will you talk to Robb about his other lessons, Ned?" asked Catelyn, pulling her husband out of his thoughts about Jon.
Hearing the question, Ned blinked, surprised, as he did not expect his wife to interrupt his concentration. This did not go unnoticed by Catelyn, who frowned slightly.
"Yes, I will talk to him later. As much as he wants to improve his martial skills, he cannot neglect his other lessons."
After those words, the couple fell into a comfortable silence that was soon interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. They both looked in that direction and saw that the owner of those footsteps was Maester Luwin, who arrived somewhat agitated from the walk from his tower.
"Maester Luwin. What has happened for you to come in such a hurry?" asked Eddard Stark as he approached the old maester.
"A raven, my Lord... from Starfall." replied Luwin, handing a rolled parchment to Eddard Stark, which had a seal with the heraldry of House Dayne imprinted in purple wax.
The mention of Jon's mother's house provoked two different reactions in the Starks. Ned's was one of surprises, as he did not expect to receive another raven from House Dayne. His mind quickly thought that they already knew Jon was alive, and he realized he had forgotten to mention it to Ashara's brother. For her part, Catelyn's face showed not only surprise but also annoyance and discomfort. It was her usual reaction whenever a message from Starfall arrived. During their years of marriage, letters sent from Dorne were always a cause for discussion, as Catelyn did not like Ned to keep in touch with the family of his bastard's mother. However, in the end, he always read and responded to them, ignoring her complaints.
"I see..." said Ned, taking the parchment. The texture of the parchment in his hand made his heart beat faster, as he began to feel some anxiety. He did not know what that message had, so after a sigh, he broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. He fixed his eyes on the content and began to read it mentally.
«Lord Stark, I hope this letter finds you in good health. The first thing I have to tell you is that the day I see you again, I will give you a good punch in the face for not telling me that Jon was still alive and had contacted you. The second is that I met Jon here in Dorne, not long ago, at the tournament organized by Prince Doran Martell. Meeting him allowed me to learn some things that he may not have told you, so I will reveal them to you. First... You may have wondered how he travels the world, right?... Well, the answer is simple: he has a ship called «StarWolf», on which he travels with his small crew of five people, whose names are: Grenn, Pyp, Eddison Tollet, Samwell Flowers, and a girl from Lys named Dany. »
Upon reading these words, the Lord of Winterfell felt one of the many doubts about his son begin to clear, but at the same time, other questions arose. How had he obtained that ship? Who had taught him to sail? Blinking, he continued reading the letter, hoping to find more answers.
«They all seem to get along very well, but I don't understand much about the girl's relationship with Jon. They are close to the point that he crowned her as the queen of love and beauty after winning the tournament as a mystery knight, but when I confronted them about their relationship, they both said they were just friends. Now, they make a living as merchants, so it is possible they will end up coming north at some point... Maybe then you can talk to him. For now, the last thing he told me is that they were heading east, to Essos, and his plan was to travel further, perhaps to Yi Ti. It seems he wants to somehow recreate the journey that Lord Corlys Velaryon made when he returned and made his house the richest in Westeros after his last great voyages. If so, it seems the Starks will become one of the richest houses on the continent. But well, I digress for a moment. I just wanted to inform you about this, but not only that, I fear that Jon has caught the attention of the Princess of Dorne, Arianne Martell... I can't tell you much, but it is possible that you will receive a parchment from her. Be careful with what she writes to you. I fear that is all I can tell you for now. If you receive the princess's parchment, please send me a response about what she has sent you; I fear she wants to use it for political purposes. I bid you farewell, hoping for a response soon. »
After reading those last words, Ned remained motionless, something that did not go unnoticed by his wife and Maester Luwin, who asked him what was happening, seeing his strange behavior. Ned, instead of responding, handed them the letter, for although it was private correspondence from the Daynes, he trusted them both enough to ask for their advice on what actions to take. He had no qualms about letting them read it.
Catelyn and Luwin took the letter and read it carefully, surprised by the revelations from the Lord of Starfall. However, it was the final request that left them confused and, above all, thoughtful, as they did not expect Jon to be used as a political pawn, especially due to his origin as a bastard.
"Ned... What have you decided to do?" asked Catelyn, looking at her husband with some concern.
The Lady of Winterfell hoped that he could block any attempt to use his bastard in southern politics, as that could open the doors to a future rebellion or succession problems in generations to come.
Catelyn's heart was pounding. She feared that her concerns about Jon would come true and that there would be some way in which her children's inheritance could be challenged. Just thinking about it brought up old feelings, those she thought she had buried after Jon's "death", feelings of jealousy towards Jon's mother, for she did not hate the boy, but she could not help but see him as the living proof that she had only been an obligation to her husband at first.
"I don't know... First, I need to know what the Princess of Dorne wants, and then I will decide. But before acting, I will talk to you both. Does that sound good?"
"Yes, my lord." replied Luwin, bowing before beginning to walk towards his tower, immersed in the thoughts provoked by Ulrick's letter, pondering everything he had learned from it.
"Alright, Ned." replied Catelyn in a tense voice. She did not want to talk about this topic, but it seemed there was no other choice.
Hearing their confirmation, Ned nodded and turned his gaze to his son, who was no longer training but talking with Theon and Bran, who had approached him. As he watched his sons and his ward chat, Ned began to ponder what Ulrick's letter said, preparing for whatever might come.
The Wall 297 A.C
The cold air of the Wall filled the quarters of the brothers of the Night's Watch, making them icy. In one of the rooms was Kenneth, who was about to put on his black brother's attire again. So far, he was only wearing pants and boots, being naked from the waist up.
Kenneth's semi-naked state allowed his body to be visible, showing a muscular and lean figure, with no visible scars. However, that did not mean his skin was completely intact. On the right side of his torso, from the hip to the middle of his chest, his skin had a black and unpleasant coloration.
'Ummm... it doesn't seem to be spreading very quickly, but I don't think I have much time.' Kenneth thought as he saw his body, lightly touching that area. Despite the contact, he felt no pain in that area, showing that the skin was dying.
After touching that part, he sighed and walked to a cabinet where he took out some linen bandages. With the bandages in hand, he took another object: a bottle with a green liquid that he poured over the bandages, soaking them completely. With the wet bandages, he quickly wrapped them around his chest, covering the entire area affected by the dead skin. Then, he took a black tunic and put it on. After that, he put on a doublet and left the room, as he had to go to the armory to pick up a chainmail from the blacksmith. In a few hours, he would go on an expedition with Benjen Stark beyond the Wall to investigate why the Wildlings were abandoning their villages.
Author's Note:
To those who have made it this far, thank you for reading. To be honest, my English writing skills are not strong, and I'm relying on Google Translate and the dictionaries that come with Office 2019.
And we officially end the Dorne arc. As we see, Jon and company have arrived in Volantis, and we have seen that Jon can't control himself much when it comes to the descendants of the forty families of Valyria. Regarding Daenerys, it seems he holds her in some esteem, but it can't be called romance. I'm still not sure about the romance; I'll see how it develops along the storyline.
Now, if you're wondering about the object Jon was about to retrieve, let's say it's something seen in the game Elder Scrolls Online and used to gain skill points. I'll just mention that it's a very powerful object and that Jon only has three of them; he doesn't have more, and it's impossible to get more. So, start getting an idea of the power those things have... and that's all XD
I apologize for any spelling errors. Please don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or if there's something that needs improvement, or if you have any questions about the story. Any constructive advice is welcome. With nothing more to say, see you in the next chapter.