CHAPTER 14

The next day, Ivy, Nicodemus and Jorah went to Winterfell. They walked through the East Gate and were escorted to the Great Hall. Ivy was dressed in her brown leather men's outfit with a matching waistcoat. She had her hair loosely braided and down her left shoulder.

When she walked into the hall, she heard a gasp of children and young people. Jorah stood at attention at the entry. She looked at the faces of everyone. Ivy said smiling, "He won't hurt anyone. Nicodemus is still a kitten at almost ten moon turns old. I got him at half a moon's turn. He should never have been away from his mother and would have died had I not bought him in Braavos. He's been and is being trained."

Lord Stark got up and walked up to her, he said, "Come meet my lady, Lady Catelyn Stark. Catelyn, this is Ivy Brightflame from the merchant ship 'The Flaming Star' in White Harbor."

Catelyn said, holding out her hand, "Nice to meet you, Ivy Brightflame. I've never met a woman with her own merchant ship and a shadowcat before."

She smiled and said, "I suppose not. I was taught everything in fighting, weapons, wilderness survival and strategy to protect myself. I taught myself many more things like being a merchant, different languages and higher learning. I've been fortunate as an independent woman." Catelyn was surprised that such a lovely woman was so very worldly, educated and friendly.

Catelyn said graciously, "Welcome to our home, please sit down and have a meal with us." She nodded and was shown a seat by Ned.

Ned asked her, "What does your shadowcat eat?

Ivy said, "Half a raw chicken or a couple pounds of meat. I like to feed him green vegetables and hard boiled eggs too. He will eat cooked meat too." Ned told the maester to let the cook know. Nicodemus sat on the floor and put his paw in her lap. He looked over at all seven of the children ranging from 5-18 years of age and grunted. She smiled, patted his head and chuckled at him. She kissed his nose.

Ivy said to him, "You're such a big baby. You have to wait until after your meal." Ned looked at her funny. She looked at Ned and laughed.

She said smiling, "Nicodemus said that he wants to meet and play with your children. He wouldn't do much but knock them down chasing them." Catelyn looked nervous about that idea. Ned smiled at her.

The servers came in and started setting food before everyone. One came with a two pound roast and a bowl of vegetables. The server handed her the platter and asked for a bowl of water. The server nodded and went to fetch it. Ivy sat down Nicodemus' food on the floor and patted him on his head. He started eating his roast. She smiled and started eating. They all ate and talked.

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After eating Lord Stark asked her to come into his study. Ned closed the door and they sat down. Nicodemus laid down by her on the floor by her chair.

He looked at Ivy and asked, "So, what is it you wanted to see me about?"

She said seriously, "I am a greenseer with complete accuracy. I can prove it to you." His eyebrow went up.

He said smiling, "Really? How can you prove it?"

Ivy put her crooked finger to her lip and said, "I don't want to scare you when I tell you what I know because, frankly I would never cause harm to any of you or your family. I want to prevent harm is my task to accomplish."

Ned inhaled and exhaled deeply and said, "Go ahead."

She recalled one of her visions she had been given by the Great Seer beyond the Wall. She said seriously, "I know who Jon's parents are. I know what Lyanna said to you on her deathbed. She said that she did not want to die. She said, 'Listen to me, Ned. If Robert finds out, he'll kill him. You know he will. You have to protect him. Promise me, Ned. Promise me.' You said, 'I will guard him as if he were my own. I promise.' I swear on my life, Lord Stark, I will never repeat these words to anyone ever again. I had to prove my worth to you in the only way I knew how. I'm trying to save this world from two wars, one I am preventing and one that is inevitable." He was shook to his core that this woman knew his deepest secret. He was thinking.

Ned asked, "Tell me."

Ivy explained, "If you are asked to be King Robert's 'Hand of the King' you must refuse the position and stay in the North to rule like you are. If you accept and go, many bad things could happen to you and any of your kin to go to King's Landing at this time. You must stay here. I am stopping many things to prevent the Starks and Lannisters going to war because it will be more involved than just the evil people trying to start it. The things that occur by evil peoples deeds are all based on lies to make both families try to destroy one another for no reason. These things begin in the next year. If Jon Arryn steps down to return to the Vale, you will be asked to serve."

He asked, "If you're preventing one war, why not the second?"

She looked him in the eyes and said, "Do you remember the old tale about the Night King, the White Walkers and the Army of the Dead?" He nodded, not breaking eye contact.

She said seriously, "What if I told you it is real and passed down from one generation to the next through stories over the last ten thousand years? What if I told you that the Night King is in the Land of Always Winter amassing an army of 100,000 or more? In the year 304AC, he will come to the Wall destroying it and kill every man, woman, child and animal in his path as he marches to the south. He will resurrect the dead as he goes to add to his numbers and eventually cross over from Dorne to Essos killing everyone in his path? This is the full and real truth. You will have only a few years to wait and see. Winter will come for everyone in the world, not just the North or Westeros."

Ned was in shock at what she said. He said, "Surely not. Is that why you are trying to stop the first war?"

Ivy said nodding her head, "Yes, so there will be more numbers to fight still alive. I can tell you that you need to prepare the North first because Winterfell will be the first stronghold against them when the Wall falls."

She sat up, put her fist on his desk and said, "The only thing that can kill them is valyrian steel and dragonglass. The dead are also vulnerable to fire. Dragonstone is sitting on a complete mountain of nothing but dragonglass. I assure you that the most important thing to do is collect as much of it as you can in the meantime. Stannis Baratheon will find it peculiar for a request for such a nonconsequential item. He may not care. You fill as many carts and wagons as you can or ships to get it here. You must amass weapons made from it until the time comes in 304AC. You will then be ahead of the war of the Second Long Night in weapons. Promise me you will do this and not take the Hand position. It is critical that you lead the North."

He rubbed his face and asked, "What will happen if I do?"

She sat down and exhaled loudly. Ivy said, "If you take the Hand, you will discover something that Jon Arryn already suspected. It will get you killed when you tell the wrong people about it. Any of your children you take with you will become political prisoners causing the war to start between the North and King's Landing. When you are killed, your wife and children will die that you left behind in the North to rule. They will be attacked and Winterfell will fall into other hands, your children will be manipulated like prisoners and forced to marry evil people who may harm them."

Ned stood up and asked, "How can you be sure it will happen this way? Do you know how hard it is to say no to Robert?"

Ivy said, "I know he'll probably offer up one of his remaining children to betroth yours. Don't do that either. It is detrimental to your future and your children's futures. When the second war comes there will be enough death to go around. I can make no promises on that war and who lives or dies, other than to make damn sure they are defeated by any means necessary. I will be here when that time comes. I will fight with you, right beside you, and cover your back. I swear to give you council if I can. Until then you must do as I have told you and stick with it. I know I am asking you to have faith in me. I just don't want to see your family torn apart in a war that should never happen. I am trying to prevent it by doing these things."

He asked, "What am I to do in the meantime?"

She said seriously, "Let your daughter Arya be trained to fight proficiently. Let Jon go take the Black. Let Bran go to the Wall when he says that he needs too. These three children are critical to do these things."

He stared at her, "Why?"

She said, "Your son Jon will bring the wildlings together to fight against the Night King. Bran will go north to become a great seer as his destiny to help you upon his return. Arya will be the one to kill the Night King. You must not tell them of their fates at all. Only prepare them in the right direction when you see the signs. Jon will want to go to Castle Black to be in the Night Watch like your brother Benjen, let him. Bran will be driven to go to the Wall when his time comes, let him. Arya already wants to learn weapons, teach her. Watch them for the right time for Jon and Bran." Ned kept looking at her leaned back in his chair with his finger crooked on his lip thinking.

Ivy said seriously, "I need to let you think and absorb what has been said so far. Don't say anything to anyone but think about everything I have said and commit it to memory. I will be here so come find me when you have more questions. I will do my best to answer them."

He said pensively, "I will send you a message." She smiled and curtseys while leaving with her cloak on her arm and Nicodemus following.

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Two days later, Ivy got another summons to come to meet with Lord Stark. She was dressed in her all black leather men's outfit with her black cloak on. Ivy had her weapons on and her long braid over her shoulder.

The guard led her up to Ned's study, he knocked and opened the door. She walked in and the door closed behind her. She walked around the chair and sat down as Ned watched her silently.

Ned asked skeptically, "I need to know what is in this for you and where did you come from?"

Ivy studied him and thought her answer through. She smiled and said, "I can speak in many languages, I can perform many kinds of magic, I can fight in a very deadly skilled way and I can do damn near anything I need to do to accomplish these tasks. How do you think I have these abilities? I know many many things and have been given this most important of all tasks. I wasn't born with magic to possess it, I wasn't given this task by some monarch somewhere or by some magical person with an agenda. Tell me Lord Ned Stark deep down inside your gut, where do you think all of my abilities, knowledge, foresight came from and don't say it is me because it isn't?" She cocked her head sideways looking in his eyes. He was staring at her.

Ivy continued, "I will tell you that where I came from started by me being an approximate eight name day old floating in the middle of the Narrow Sea about sixteen years ago. I was picked up by an Ironborn pirate ship that belonged to Euron Greyjoy. I had no memories even though my name was forgotten too. I escaped them in Myr before I was molested by Euron. I stumbled into a sandstone cave out in the desert and found an iron coin on the body of a skeleton in his rotted clothes. I went to Braavos from a vision I had to return the coin to The House of Black And White. I was owed a favor for that, was accepted and trained as a Faceless Men assassin for eight years. I left amicably before taking the oath, I sought out magic and healing in the Shadowlands." He was staring at her.

She still continues, "I talked to a shadowbinder in Braavos one day, who said they were a harbinger of the gods. The person told me where to go and that a second messenger would tell me more details. She then turned into a bright light and disappeared before my eyes. The second shadowbinder approached me on the same day, she told me the details of where to go. My first task was shown to me by a very great and powerful being when I followed those instructions and found him. My task was to kill a man above the Wall to stop him from giving his infant sons of nineteen wives to the Night King that turned them into White Walkers. I also killed a White Walker myself saving the baby. In completing that one task, I decreased the population of the Army of the Dead by twenty percent when the time will come for the Wall to be destroyed. They do exist and I have seen them myself." Ned's eyes got big.

He asked curiously, "How did you kill it?"

She replied, "A dragonglass tipped arrow. It shattered into a million shards of ice."

He asked curiously, "What kinds of magic can you perform?"

Ivy said seriously, "Many just know I will never harm you or your family. You are a just and fair man. You need never fear anything from me. I know your heart and your family's hearts. I saw the horrific futures your family would suffer because of the first war if I did nothing. I have been changing a lot by ridding Westeros of the few evil people in key positions who caused so much harm to others for selfish purposes to start a war that kills thousands. Things will not happen the same way now that I am changing the future, but I have to stay diligent. Beware of Stannis and Renly Baratheon because if anything happens to Robert they will rally to take the Iron Throne against one another because what one lacks the other has and they will try to kill each other over it. Neither men are truly worthy to sit there."

Ned said, "But Robert still has two children."

She said matter of factly, "The Baratheon brothers' greed exceeds their needs and Renly is an opportunist. You know the sort. Stannis becomes a fanatic of the Red God R'hllor's red priestess using sex magic and blood magic on him. Stannis has this Asshai priestess performing blood magic to kill his enemies beginning next year. She tells him he is the true king, Azor Ahai, in his ear, but he is not. I am and she will mistake others as she goes after him. She will have killed many when he dies anyway. Some things will play out differently as I remove key people from doing their hateful deeds to tear Westeros apart. I pray it will be enough but there is more for me to do to ensure certain things don't come to pass. I was warned of the Red witch and the two Baratheon brothers when I spoke with the powerful being I went to find to seek guidance from. I warn you also because Stannis will be desperately rallying to get your bannermen for support against King's Landing. He will require you to bend the knee to him being king. No matter what he tells you, you must try to stay out of it even if he comes against you. If he does you must notify me. More than likely I will see it in a vision before. Perhaps, I can tell you when, where or how he is coming by then."