CHAPTER 11

She said seriously, "I don't mean to threaten you, Lord Varys, but we are coming into frightening times. I just need you to know how very critical and detrimental it could be in one mistake with me. It's not the rantings of an unstable mind or an idle threat." Ivy snapped her fingers and lit the candle with the flame from her hand.

He said watching her light the candle, "No, I do understand what you're saying. Your saying is that you're not consumed by greed or entitlement. I just don't know what could kill everything?"

She said, "I can show you, but I don't want you to be scared of me after."

He said slowly, "Ok… show me."

She reached out with both hands on each side of his head and pushed into his mind showing her visions of the White Walkers, the Night King and the Army Of The Dead. The last part was when she killed the White Walker at Craster's with the arrow to save the baby. Ivy took her hands away from his mind and head slowly.

When he opened his eyes, he looked scared to death. He said, "Y…You saw all of this coming in 304AC?" Ivy nodded. He got up pacing nervously.

She said, "That is what I am trying to prepare for. If a war breaks out now, like it was going to, there may not be enough people to fight it. I am changing the outcome to have more people living to fight it."

Varys said distractedly, "That's an enormous responsibility for one person to accomplish."

She said dead seriously, "I know that. That's why it is so important what I am doing and to not tell anyone. If I die in the final battle, it wouldn't matter anyway. But if anyone knows before, it could stop me from getting everything done that needs to be done in time. I will be in the battle because I will fight with all my skills for the living. The harbinger told me that I was more than a Targaryen of Valyria only with stronger magical abilities and knowledge. They said I will rule sometime after because I am the true heir to the throne. I'm not sure how that will happen yet."

Varys realized she was right. He wondered if she really was Maegor Brightflame's daughter because being Maegor was skipped from being an infant in 232AC in the line of succession, it passed back to the Targaryens. He also hopes she will survive to be ruler after because she was just and an honorable person trying to save not just lives, but all life. Would the others who would fight over the throne sacrifice so much? No because they are ambitious and greedy vying for control of Westeros. Varys decided she would be who he would give his loyalty to because she would be a fair ruler. Varys got down on his knees and said, "I swear my allegiance to you, Ivy Brightflame. I will keep your identity a secret until you say it's ok. I promise as I serve in the capital in Westeros for others, my loyalty will always be yours. I hope you survive the Army Of The Dead when the time comes." Ivy walked over to him and put her hand to his face gently cupping his jaw.

She said sincerely, "During all of this, be very careful, dear Spider in your game of thrones and play it safely. It can be very dangerous for those of us who walk in the shades of gray in the middle, because the center line is forever shifting. I will keep in touch with you after my ship arrives from time to time." He looked up at her in her kind eyes looking down at him. It made him smile, because he believed he could finally serve a worthy person if she did claim the throne at the right time. He got up and bowed leaving out the door.

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Her ship finally came into the docks and she was glad to see them all. Ivy walked up the gangway and said hello to everyone. Until she noticed that Jorah was missing.

She asked Dunstan, "Dunstan, where is Ser Jorah Mormont?"

Dunstan put his head down and said shamefully, "When we stopped at Lys, he got off the ship for a while and came back the next day saying that he was staying there. He said to tell you he was sorry, but he had a chance to fix his marriage." She put her hand on his forearm stunned because Jorah was such a damned fool.

Dunstan said, "Some of the other guards said they saw him with a pretty blonde woman in the marketplace buying her things and kissing her." Ivy knew he went back to his wife that ruined him. She must have talked him into breaking his oath to her.

Dunstan said slightly angry, "Boyce said that the woman was trying to talk Ser Jorah into letting her live on your ship with him and collect his wages. He said Ser Jorah told her she couldn't do that without permission from the owner." She thought at least he didn't inflict them with her on her ship. Ivy would bet she would probably sleep with the crew for their money too. She wondered why she left the merchant. She knew Jorah was a fool for going back to being used by her. Ivy wanted him to tell her to her face instead of hear' say.

She said, "Let's go get my horses and baggage." He and two others went with her to collect everything and get it on the ship.

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Once they were on the ship, Ivy told the captain to get everything stocked back up and they were going back to Lys.

The captain said, "I be hoping ye go bash his head in fer leaving a good job an a nice employer like ye be. He weren't even here but a few moon turns." She smiled at him and patted his arm as the captain laughed. Ivy went into her cabin and got to unpacking with her servants. She was glad to see everyone.

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It took fourteen days to get to Lys, and when they docked she sent her men out to track down Jorah. It made her mad that this happened and she didn't see it coming in a vision.

When her men came back they reported that Jorah's wife was still there in Lys, but Jorah left for Pentos. His wife was ranting about how he ran out of money, was a useless man and she threw him out. Ivy was fed up and was so angry that he would go back to the place where it was all going to start him on the wrong path again in Pentos. If he won't explain himself to her when she gets to Pentos, she will have to just leave him to his fate.

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Fourteen days later, she was docked in Pentos. Ivy sent her men out to find Jorah. They came back and said they found him at a brothel. She was dressed as a man in her brown leather outfit with all her weapons and her gauze cowl hooded cloak. She went out to the brothel with a man's face on. Ivy glamoured herself and was in complete disguise.

She entered the brothel and looked around after ordering an ale. She walked around until she saw him in a corner by himself. Ivy observed girl's come up to him and he would turn them down. He seemed upset. She sat down at the table right next to him.

Jorah said growling, "I don't want any company or conversation. Move along."

She leaned back in the chair and said, "Not until you explain to me why you left my ship after only serving less than four moon turns. Your oath to me isn't worth much to you or me if you can't even face your employer to say why you had to leave. It needed to be for a damn good reason to make me lose faith in you. My men said it was your ex-wife. She is not a good reason."

He looked at her, took a long drink from his ale and said, "Ivy?" Ivy nodded, looking like a man looking hard at him.

He said, "It's hard to get used to you in disguises."

He said sadly, "You're right. I let you down and broke my oath to you. I thought I could get her back, but she only cared about my money again. She was vicious, hateful, selfish and cruel this time. Last time, she just left with no explanation. I guess the merchant's wife tried to have her killed is why she left him. I know now I can never go back to her. I came here because it's where I could always find jobs."

She said, sighing and rubbing head, "I can't believe you came back here where your problems would begin like I warned you. I'm going to give you a second chance, Jorah. If you can't stick with me or my crew again, abandon your duty and oath again, I'll have to let you go for good. I was completely upset not finding you there when the ship docked. It made me so mad that you didn't face me and disappointed that you would desert me so quickly for that spoiled child of a woman. I hope you have had enough of her abuse now."

Jorah said sadly but resolute, "I have, Ivy. I'm done with her for good."

She said, warning, "You better be. I won't go after you again. Come back to the ship. We will get your gear now." He stood up, followed her out and took her to get his belongings. They went back to the ship.

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When they got to Braavos, they went to the smelters and Ivy had filled bag after bag of gold and silver nuggets from the cave above the Wall to get it out of her pendant. Jorah and the guards filled three wagons full of 157 bags of gold and 76 bags of silver. Ivy went with them and took it all to the smelter. The smelter would test them for purity. She then sold all of the cut and uncut gemstones. She had vouchers for 6,332,521 gold dragons. All together she had 25,200,000 gold dragons and 9,000,000 gold honors in the Iron Bank. Ivy had 139,506 gold dragons and 86,845 gold honors in the pendant. She was going after the treasure in the one map in Braavos.

She had Jorah prepared ahead of time. Ivy got a horse, packhorse and complete camping supplies like she had. She stocked up on food, water and supplies needed for the treasure hunt.

She had dinner with Jorah in her cabin and said, "You, Nicodemus and I are leaving in two days from now on a treasure hunt."

He stopped eating and looked at her in surprise. He said, "We are? Where too?" Ivy reached into her pocket and pulled out a leather map, placing it on the table in front of him. He looked at it. The map looked like it was in the mountains to the southeast of the eastern branch of the Sweetwater River that runs into Braavos.

He said studying the map, "It looks like it is in the mountains or at least next to them. We could follow the river to the area and have plenty of water to drink coming from the mountains."

She said, nodding her head, "That's what I thought too. It will be easier to camp on the riverbanks." He nodded.

Jorah asked curiously, "Where did you find this map?"

She said sipping her wine, "I found it in a treasure cave outside of Myr when I escaped the pirates at eight name days old. There were five skeletons in the cave. I think they killed each other. One had two maps in a little wooden box. This is just the one. The other is far outside of Pentos in the Velvet Hills." He ate a bite of food while nodding his head. He was thinking, 'She must be very lucky to find a treasure that leads her to two more. This will be an interesting side trip to the mountains.'

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The next day, Ivy was out in the market looking at what was offered. Ivy was approached by a man in a cowl hooded priest's robe. She told Jorah and her guards to give her a moment. She walked a ways over to an arch between buildings with the man. Jorah was watching her from a distance as she talked to the man.

Ivy said, smiling and holding Jaqen H'ghar's hand, "Hello, Jaqen. How have you been?"

He reached up and caressed her face, making her blush. He loved affecting her with just a touch. He said, "A man has been fine. This man saw a girl, Ivy, in the crowd. A man has missed a girl." He kissed her deeply and passionately as his hand caressed her face. She cupped the back of his head and was stroking his cheek with her thumb. Jorah was watching wondering who this man was that was so familiar with her.

She said after breaking the kiss, "I missed you too. I'm leaving tomorrow to go into the mountains for twenty days or a moon's turn then I will be back."

He said looking at her with his gray eyes, "A girl will come visit a man in The House Of Black And White?"

Ivy smiled and said, "Of course I will." He looked around, kissed her again, smiled and walked away. She stood there smiling and went back to the guards.

Jorah asked, "Who was that?"

She looked at him and said, "My mentor and teacher."

He asked frowning, "Isn't it inappropriate for a teacher to kiss his student?"

Ivy could almost swear he was a bit jealous. She shrugged and said, "I was already released from service when we kissed. He was an amazing mentor and very proper the whole time I was there. I started at approximately eight name days old." She wondered why she explained herself. Ivy headed back to the ship.

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The next morning, they ate breakfast and headed out south southeast following the river. They talked and told stories to pass time, laughed and the day moved on. They stopped to go to the bathroom, eat lunch, fed the animals and exercised Nicodemus.

When it became time to camp for the night, they were near the grass and water. Jorah and Ivy caught four fish. She gave Nicodemus a whole fish and he started eating it raw. She filetted them and discarded the debris in the river that flowed north back to Braavos. Ivy seasoned the fish in a skillet with garlic oil, dill, salt and pepper. She cooked a barley vegetable medley with herbs in the pot and had tea in another pot. They were eating well tonight. They had set up the tents comfortably and had plenty of wood for the night by the river. That night they slept in their tents with a dagger by their heads because they both felt eyes on them from time to time while traveling.

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They rode down the road across some beautiful countryside. She spotted a couple rabbits in the brush, and got off her horse. Ivy dismounted, took aim and shot them with her bow. She gutted and skinned the rabbits quickly leaving skin, entrails, feet and the head for local wildlife. She hung them from the end of a thin leather rope she had in her kit to let it drain. He was watching her being self-sufficient and he was amazed when she would find caches of edible wild food.

When they stopped to go to the bathroom, she was out foraging and found an abundance of wild raspberries, elderberries and wild strawberries. There were plants that were edible like fat hen, plantain, white clover, chanterelle mushrooms and dandelions. Ivy took a bag, collected them and put them in her kit. She walked up to Jorah smiling and with a filled small bag of berries.

She said softly to him, "So you have a snack while riding." He smiled, thanking her and mounted up as she did. Jorah liked her little considerate gestures that she would do along the way.