CHAPTER 15
She said, sighing, "To answer your main question, there is nothing in this for me but the treasures I have found and the money I have in the Iron Bank. I don't need any money, power, title or position. I just want to save lives right now so they will be alive for later." He nodded his head.
Ivy said seriously, "Now you know more about me than almost anyone else. I do have my secrets I keep locked up. I pray you keep this big secret of what I have told you as dear as Lyanna's. Because mine concerns the lives of every living thing in this world."
He said smirking, "I see that. Can you do some magic for me?" She laughed and giggled. She opened her one hand with a flame in it, then raised her other hand in the air, swirling it around like a tiny tornado. She conjured up a controlled wind to take all of the books from his shelves, circle the room and put them all back the way they were. Ivy closed her hands, put them in her lap, turned and smiled at him as he laughed.
Ned said, smiling at her chuckling, "That is amazing!"
She said blushing, "I know I was amazed at myself the first time that it worked. I made sure to thank the gods and every teacher for those abilities. I only use them responsibly and not on everything only when necessary."
He said looking at her earnestly, "I can't see the gods giving you power like that if you squandered it. You must be a uniquely responsible person."
She sighed and said, "I just want us to get through the next seven to eight years and survive now that I know what is going to happen. It is an overwhelming responsibility."
He said seriously, "I'll start negotiating for dragonglass with Stannis. It should be no burden if my people do the work."
Ivy took out a voucher signed stamped with her seal and fingerprint. She handed it to Ned Stark. Ned read it blinking and looked at her stunned.
She said looking in his eyes seriously, "It is for two million gold dragons in the Iron Bank. It will help you get ships, supplies and whatever else you need to help you do this while keeping your storage granaries full every year so the people eat. Remember always from this day forward, I am always on your side, Lord Eddard Stark. The side for the living no matter where or with whom I am fraternizing with there will be a reason I'm with them. If you ever doubt me, remember that I mean what I say above all else. My word is my bond. I will be here beside you when you need me most. I promise. I will send a raven from time to time and ask how you are doing, your progress and where I will be for a response."
He said, getting a bit emotional with respect for this woman, "I want you to call me Ned. I want to thank you for answering my questions and telling me what's to come. I wasn't sure what your motives were until this moment. You giving me your own money in trust of me to follow through with your instructions and take care of my people during it has proved your sincerity. I promise to follow through, Ivy." Ivy stood up and genuinely hugged Ned. Ned hugged her back.
She stepped back and said, "Thank you, Ned, for your time, patience and understanding. It can be hard to explain so much, about so much." He smiled at her and nodded.
He asked her, "Will you stay the next five days? We are having a feast in celebration of The First Men in four days. Many lords will be coming in from the North over the next couple days."
She said smiling, "That is very generous of you. I would like that very much as long as Jorah can participate with me here. He is my shield but also my friend. He has made terrible mistakes in his life and has been trying so very hard to prove himself to be a good man." Ned smiled and agreed, offering herself and Jorah guest rooms in the Guest House.
Ivy walked out the door with Nicodemus walking next to her and Jorah following her. They walked out of the Great Hall through the East Gate.
Jorah asked curiously, "Where are you going?"
She said smiling at him, "We are both staying in the Guest House and both for the feast of The First Men in four days. I asked Lord Stark if you could stay with me as my shield and as my friend." Jorah was surprised that Ned Stark allowed him to stay with her in Winterfell. He figured that she must have completely impressed him.
She was walking through town to go to where her guards were camped. Theon came running after her, she saw he came from the brothel, out of her peripheral vision.
Theon said panting from running to catch up to her, "Where are you going, Ivy?" Jorah eyed the boy.
Ivy said seriously, "To my guards camp. I'm letting them know we are staying for five more days at Winterfell." Theon smiled at the idea of her being here longer..
Theon asked curiously, "For the feast?"
She said somberly, "Yes." They got to the camp.
She said kindly and friendly to her employees, "Hello, everyone, how have you all been doing out here?" The men smiled up at her from around the campfire and one had a girl in his lap.
Dunstan said, smiling at her, "We have been doing just fine. What can we do for you, Mistress Ivy?"
Ivy said smiling, "I am staying with Ser Jorah in rooms in the Guest House of Winterfell for five days. The Feast of The First Men is in four days. I just want to be sure you knew where I was and how to find me." All the men nodded.
Dunstan said seriously, "Ok, Mistress Ivy. We will be here when you're ready to go. Thank you for letting us know."
She smiled and said, "You're all my best men. I'll see you soon. You can come to me if you need anything at all, ok?" The men smiled at her and said thank you. She waved goodbye to them and was walking back.
Theon asked questionably, "Do you always treat all of your guards and crew on your ship like that?" He knew his family never treated their men like that ever. They used iron fists in treating each other.
Ivy said seriously, "Yes, I pay them double wages too. They work very hard for me and I make sure they are healthy and eat well too. I have a wonderful cook that feeds them the same food I eat and only a few ex-slave servants. I am good to all of them, treat them with respect and value them for what they do for me and my ship. They return everything in kind with respect and loyalty." Jorah was listening to how she prized her employees and was proud to be one even more. He almost screwed up everything. She was such a good woman.
Theon asked curiously, "Have you ever had a relationship with any of them?" Jorah looked hard at the boy wondering what he was getting at.
She said, turning her head to look at Theon in the eyes, "No I haven't, they are my employees and friends. I try not to make my home too complicated. They can stay or go if they like. I stay in ports long enough for them to fraternize in brothels, taverns and go wherever they want. They do it in shifts. All I do with them is spar, throw knives, practice fighting and talk with them respectfully all the time. I haven't had a relationship with any of them because it's never come up."
Theon said nervously, "It's just you're so very pretty and it would be hard to be around you without… you know."
She said a bit condescendingly, "When you grow older, Theon and have been at sea more often, you'll learn to take out your desires in ports and be in better control of your body. I have to go, Theon, take care." Ivy and Jorah went to their rooms in the inn to pack up. She wasn't comfortable with the direction Theon's questions were going.
Jorah knocked on her door at the inn when he was ready and both of them took their belongings to Winterfell after turning in their keys to the innkeeper. As they were walking, Jorah said stoically, "The boy is attracted to you and desires you."
She said, sighing, "That boy is six to seven years younger than me. I'm not interested in children."
He said flatly, "I don't think it matters to him. He goes to the brothel and the women are older there too."
Ivy said, shrugging, "Then that's where he should go because I am not interested. I like much older, more mature men anyway."
He said matter of factly, "That may be, Ivy, but I'll keep an eye on him anyway. Boys like him, get notions in their heads when their bodies overcome their brains." Ivy giggled, making him smile at her. They got two rooms next to one another in Winterfell's Guest House.
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After dinner, Ivy went with Jorah to the Common Room and with the few lords and the Stark's with their children sitting around the fire. Theon was gone and Ivy figured he was at the brothel again.
Nicodemus plopped down in front of the fire and groaned. She sat down next to him on the floor by the fire. She began rubbing his tummy as he rolled over grunting and purring. The younger children all got down on the floor watching her gathered around. Then some of the older two, Robb and Jon, followed.
Sansa, who was twelve name days old, asked, "Can I pet him?"
Ivy smiled at the pretty redheaded girl and said, "Of course you can. He is a belly kitten. I rubbed his belly when I fed him a bottle of milk each time as a baby. Now, he just likes it." Sansa scooted closer on the floor, so did ten year old Arya, nine year old Bran and five year old Rickon followed. They started petting Nicodemus' belly. Ned Stark, Catelyn and Jorah were all watching her and the children.
She said softly, smiling, "Nicodemus is my big baby boy." She smiled at the children. Ivy started rubbing circles around his umbilical cord area and the cat looked up at her and low meowed looking at her. She leaned down and kissed him on the nose. Arya laughed at her. The big cat was purring like crazy.
Jon, who was sixteen name days old, asked, "Why do you rub his stomach up there?"
She answered him smiling, "Because when a mother animal feeds her babies, she would be licking their stomach to help their food go down, but it heals the cord that connects the baby inside the mother right there and it also gives them a mother's comfort, like affection."
Robb, who was also sixteen, asked, "How did you learn this about animals, especially shadowcats?"
She smiled at him and said, "I have traveled all over the world to many places in Essos. In the city of Qohor, there are wolves, hrakkar white lions and more in the vast forest that extends to the Dothraki Sea. I met people there living in the Qohor Forest that I learned a lot from. As I traveled from place to place, I was taught that you try to learn something of value from the people and places you travel. It is amazing the things you can learn from the simplest place and people to the most complicated big cities and their people. If I never met the forest people of Qohor, I would not know how to save this little shadowcat's life or how to communicate with him when he is older. Did you know an adult shadowcat can leap straight up in the air twenty five feet? I taught him how to behave, how to hunt, fish, fight, and be silent when necessary." When she asked the question, the children had all shook their heads no. They were paying attention.
Lord Stark asked her, "You learned all this from forest people traveling? You make me wonder what more you have learned from all your travels." Ivy smiled at Ned. Jorah smiled and he wondered what she would say. Jorah loved learning more interesting things about her.
She said to Lord Stark, "Let's see, I know how to mine for treasure, use various weapons proficiently, how to dive in the sea for oysters to get pearls, how to harvest and preserve wild and farmed food, how to find wild plants that are medicinal, treat or cure many illnesses. I know how to build a raft, boat or shelter, how to help birth children and animals. I even learned how to remove them from the stomach without killing the child or mother. I know how to survive in all season weather from the desert finding water to the heavy snow, and many other things I can't think of off the top of my head." Lord Stark and the rest of the room were stunned if that was true. Jorah knew she was a very capable woman.
Cateyn said, "Did your parents teach you some of this too? I ask because you're still so young."
She said earnestly, "I don't know, I have no memory from eight name days old and back. I was found floating in the Narrow Sea by some pirates I ended up running away from. I learned some of it as I grew up, but as I met more and more people, I learned a great deal more expanding it by reading everything I can get my hands on. I believe we are not what we know, but what we are willing to learn. The people who give what they cannot keep, will gain that which he cannot lose. It means gaining knowledge and teaching others, while earning respect for yourself and from others. An old man who was a healer in Asshai taught me that. He left me everything he had. I studied with him and took care of him for a year until he passed away. He wanted me to teach my children that wisdom one day."
The other Lord's were mummering to each other. One said out loud, "Mistress Brightflame, I am Ser Geremy Frey, representative of House Frey from the Crossing. My wife Carolie will be giving birth soon and her last birth was very difficult and she almost died. Could you come be there to help us in case she needs your kind of help? You said you can birth children through the stomach if necessary." Ivy was pinching the bridge of her nose with her eyes shut getting a vision.
Jorah could tell she was having a vision and said to Ser Geremy as a distraction, "Your wife is due, why are you here and not with her now?"
Ser Geremy said, sighing, "My late father had made me the family representative because my brother Ser Stevron, who is now Lord of the Crossing, was sent out to King's Landing to bring back my half bastard brother Black Walder back to the Twins. I told him how close she was to giving birth, but if you knew how he was you would understand. He died right after I left for here in a fire accident." She finished her vision of Ser Geremy's wife. Carolie will die in childbirth with her baby's cord wrapped around its neck and it couldn't come out. Ivy really could save her life and her baby's by cutting her stomach, but before she would try to get the cord off.
Ivy said, "I can help you, Ser Geremy and your wife, but your maester must not be able to stop or interfere with me. You know how fussy they are thinking they know everything when they could shut up and just pay attention to learn something new." Geremy smiled relieved.
Geremy said nodding, "I'll sit on him myself if you're sure you can do this?" Everyone chuckled.
She chuckled and said, "I am going to hold you to that as a promise and yes I can." Geremy looked relieved.