CHAPTER 5

She and her guards walked to the back to pay for the kitten. They went to the table with the kitten. She paid the man in her voucher and took the kitten with them. It needed care. It looked sickly with crusty eyes. Ivy cuddled the kitten while feeding it goat milk from the bottle the vendor gave her. The kitten acted like it was starving.

They passed by a tent of a group of shadowbinders healing clients with magical procedures. Another woman in a metal plaque mask that you could only see her dark eyes said low in a whisper to Ivy, "Come, I have been waiting for you, also." She looked surprised that the woman knew her.

They followed the woman into her tent with her guards outside and she put down the flap. The woman said, "You are not from this world and were brought here by the gods. You need to stop people from causing the first war of men on the other side of the Narrow Sea. These people will have a red aura around them. The most dangerous war is the second to come there, if not defeated they will migrate to Essos and kill all living things. You must make sure to stop them over there first so there are enough people to fight. You must seek the man of the Bear who has been with the Dothraki but now is in Pentos before the wedding comes 298AC. You will find the man of the Bear as a sellsword on the streets of Pentos. You must acquire his services before the Targaryen Prince can. You must lead the man of the Bear away from them in order to spare him the path he would have followed. You will have three men that will be competing for your whole heart. One is ten years older and dedicated to his work and lonely. One is eighteen years older, lost and lonely. One is thirty four years older, driven by his family and lonely. You will have to decide which man you will stay with in the end. Go north first and seek The Great Seer and The Children Of The Forest. Get the information first and your first task to complete. Then find the Bear man." She smiled and left the woman's tent.

Ivy's one guard said as they went to the ship with the sick little kitten, "Two shadowbinders in one day with messages is very rare, Mistress." She smiled that they came up with the word 'Mistress' as a substitute for Lady being she wasn't not titled. It showed they respected her.

She said, "Thank you, Dunstan. It was very surprising to me also."

Ivy got in the cabin, she made the kitten go to the bathroom which was a terrible thing because he was sick and his bowels were a mess. She got up and took a rope bucket to fetch water and clean him up and flush the bucket out through the window to get rid of it quickly.

She bathed the little kitten, cleaned his butt up and cleaned his eyes. Ivy wrapped him in a towel. Ivy felt sorry for the poor little skinny creature, showered affection on him by talking softly and caressing him. She conjured a quart bottle of female shadowcat milk with a stasis spell on the contents so it wouldn't spoil or run out. She started feeding the two week old kitten the proper milk. It took a few days to get his bowels straightened out. Ivy slept with the kitten under her neck and made a fur lined pouch that hung around her neck for when she would be riding or walking around.

The next morning, she had the captain stock up the ship with water and provisions. She told him they were going to need to account for winterizing because they were going to drop her off north of Eastwatch out of sight with her horses and provisions. Ivy told them she wants them to go to Karhold and stay there until she joins them. She would pay them a month's wages.

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When they arrived at a place north of Eastwatch, Ivy calmed the sea around them while transporting them to land. She was in a cowl hooded fluffy white fur long coat with lined leather black gloves. She and her two horses left after everyone was back on her ship safely. Ivy was feeling the magic in the air. There was a lot but the one big magic pulsed like a heartbeat was drawing her in that direction.

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She traveled for four days and was getting closer to the pulsing of magic. When she arrived at the weirwood tree, it was massive. It was the biggest tree she had ever seen. It was so stark white and the leaves so blood red even in the snow. She could feel the energy and magic rippling away from the tree. There was a face carved into the tree. Ivy dismounted her horse and led both horses to a tree branch, so she could tie them to it. She walked up to the tree, closing her eyes, leaning her forehead against the tree and placed her hands on the carved face. Instantly, she went into a state of visions.

A voice of a man said, "Why have you come here child from another world? What do you seek from this place?"

In her mind she answered, "I am here for a respectful purpose. I was sent by two people who appeared as shadowbinders in Braavos, but one was definitely a harbinger of the gods when the woman disappeared into pure light afterwards. The message was that I was to seek the Great Seer across the Narrow Sea beyond the Great Wall in Westeros. The messenger said you will enhance my sight to a strong greenseer and The Children Of The Forest will give me the knowledge of their healing, then I will find a new path here and a new task to fulfill through you."

The voice said, "You impress us with your clear communication to us in your mind. Your magic is strong and disciplined within your being. We have not sensed a child of man with so many abilities and with this strength of magic in a very long time. You are stronger than the Targaryen from Valyria, but enhanced in abilities from another world. The path will be difficult and complicated to carry out. All of your abilities and magics will be needed and required. Stopping the war now is a priority and the war after this will become your biggest concern. Beware the deceptive Red Priestess of R'hllor when she comes because she is very old, very bold and overconfident. The older brother, Stannis, of the southern king can be a danger as a usurper for the throne. You should be the rightful queen with the knowledge and abilities that you hold. You are in the body of Maegor Brightflame's daughter's body the true heir to the throne. You are the Azor Ahai as predicted. You are reborn by Dragonstone on a falling red star. You will bring forth a dragon from the stone egg. You will find the Lightbringer sword and fight in the second war. Melisandre is wrong in her interpretation and Stannis Baratheon is a fool filled with ambition to believe her."

She said, "They can both be dangerous?"

He said, "Yes, mostly to the people of Westeros."

Ivy saw a vision in her mind of a man walking through the forest with a crying bundle in his hands. He approaches a raised berm of pine boughs and abandons the crying baby in the Haunted Forest. No sooner did he leave, a White Walker comes and takes the baby with him to the lair of White Walkers, deep in the Land of Always Winter. The White Walker places the baby on an icy altar, the Night King takes the boy and puts a finger to his face. The baby's eyes quickly turn the glowing vivid blue color of those of the White Walkers. There were White Walkers and thousands upon thousands of walking dead people and animals in decay. She knew it was Craster. The vision ended but she was still standing with her eyes closed touching the tree.

The voice said, "That is how the Night King creates them to serve and control the Army Of The Dead through this child's brothers."

She said in her mind urgently, "This has to stop. I can stop it. I will take this task."

The voice said, "If you stop it, it will decrease his White Walkers by 30% when the war comes and the undead too. Craster has been delivering his sons to them for twenty years now ever increasing and will be delivering another child in two days from now. Be watchful."

Ivy received a vision of a detailed map. It showed where she was and where Craster's Keep was located due south of her position. It was also across a river that branched next to it. The map disappeared.

She saw a scene in her mind of a little girl being burned at the stake. The child's screaming for her father and mother was heart wrenching. The red priestess was holding a torch and both of her parents stood there doing nothing. The vision faded.

The voice said, "You may head south on the Kingsroad or from White Harbor. You will encounter the child, Shireen Baratheon, to help her and save her life to be the last Baratheon, when the time comes. The vision will resurface."

She said in her mind urgently, "Ok. I will seek her out."

The voice said, "Everything will lead you from this point."

The voice said, "I give you the visions with clarity for taking the task of Craster and all tasks that are ahead of you. You must terminate those who are the cause of the first war along with the evil people you will encounter in visions. They will have a red aura. The timeline is changing but you entering this world caused the death of Petyr Baelish to happen earlier. The next change will be Tywin Lannister's death will not occur as before either from your changes. The Children will give you the plant and healing knowledge you seek. Awaken and turn around child."

Ivy opened her eyes blinking several times, leaning into the tree to steady herself and turned to see a greenish gray being standing in front of her in the snow. A few others were slowly approaching. She cocked her head to the side and smiled at the petite creatures with such unusual size golden cat's eyes.

She said, still smiling, "Hello. I am very pleased to meet you." The being smiled back and put out its hand that only had three fingers and a thumb. Ivy took it and the creature touched her forehead with their other hand. Her mind exploded with information racing through her thoughts. It was overwhelming and it took her to her knees, but she kept the connection. When the information was done passing through her, she opened her eyes and looked up into its eyes. One of the others handed her a bow and quiver of dragonglass arrows she looped around her arm.

She took her other hand putting it on top of the being's hand and said, "Thank you, my friends." The Children of the Forest were standing around her all smiling at how the woman was so respectful to them. The creature let go of her hand and nodded, turning away to leave into the cave opening under the tree. Ivy did not notice it was there before. She sat there on her knees for a little while to get her mind organized before starting to stand up again.

She looked at the tree and said, "Thank you so much. Blessed be to you all." Ivy went to her horses and left.

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A couple days later, a figure all in solid white fur from head to toe with a large cowl fur hood was on the back of a white horse leading a gray dapple horse. They were traveling in the snow north of the Wall. The rider blended into the all white terrain and was in the Haunted Forest crossing over an ice bridge near Craster's Keep. The bridge collapsed once the rider and two horses crossed.

Ivy was standing on top of a hill with pine trees bowing full of snow overlooking Craster's Keep. She had dismounted and was in position and had a clear shot with her bow at the place where the exchange would happen.

At dusk, Craster, himself, walked out of his keep and walked with a bundle of a baby crying into the forest putting down the bundle eventually on a small berm of pine boughs. No sooner had he left to go back into the keep, a White Walker entered the area to pick up the bundle. She shot an arrow and the White Walker shattered into a million shards of ice before getting to the bundle.

Ivy rode down to the berm through the deep snow on the slope, dismounted and picked up the arrow to put it back in the quiver. She picked up the child and put the crying baby inside a hammock sling made of a long wide piece of cloth tied in a knot on her shoulder. He was under the fur coat to warm him up with her baby shadowcat. She mounted the white horse and rode, leading her pack horse to the keep while wrapping the child in furs from a saddlebag. The baby quieted as it got warm. Ivy approached the keep and saw the women outside working. When they saw the rider coming, they scattered like rabbits and fled into the keep.

Craster came out and said angrily, "Who are you and what do you want?"

She sat on the horse and said, "Guest rights."

He said nastily, "Why should I?"

She put down her fur hood and said, "Because I am asking for me and my child."

He was staring at her intently. The woman was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen with dark hair and cerulean blue colored eyes lined in black kohl that stood out mesmerizing him. He asked surprised, "Where are you from?"

Ivy said, shrugging, "Everywhere."

Craster said creepily, smiling, "Come in and warm yourself by the fire and have a hot meal." He changed his demeanor lusting for her. She dismounted the horse taking her saddlebags and belongings with her. She thanked a woman who took her horses into the stables.

Ivy went into the keep and looked around. She took off her large white fur coat being in a warmer area. She was dressed in solid men's black leather pants, a leather vest with a heavy white cotton shirt and a black leather waistcoat with her black leather gloves. The baby was wrapped in furs and started to whimper. Ivy went to her baggage and conjured a bottle of women's breast milk and started feeding the baby while swiping his head to glamor change his hair and eye color to her own.

She went back to the table where Craster sat. He watched the woman feed her baby. He thought she possessed the perfect figure, long thick dark braid down her back past her behind and incredibly beautiful face. A woman from the keep came up to the table and laid down food in front of them both in bowls with bread and salt. Craster asked, trying to talk nicely to her, "What is your name, my sweetling?" She took a bite of stew while feeding the baby.

Ivy said emotionlessly, "I am called Harbinger." She took a drink of her wine.

He smiled and said to coax, "Just Harbinger, nothing else?"

She said stoically, "Just Harbinger." She took a mouth full of stew.

He said puzzled, "That is an unusual name for a woman." Craster began eating.

Ivy smiled at him and said, "Yes, it is. Harbinger means 'Messenger'." His eyes got big and paused while chewing his food. He hurried and swallowed.

Craster asked confused, "Why would anyone name their child Messenger?"

She said dryly, "Nobody did. A messenger is just a messenger. Harbingers come for everyone, like messages from the gods and ravens. They tell of things to come in the near future." She took a drink of wine and took another bite of stew and bread. The baby was done eating and she held him burping him. Ivy saw a chair with closed arms,she got up and pulled it up to the table next to her to lay the baby down safely on the seat. She began eating quickly.