Chapter 11 4 страница

" A tempting offer, " Nox smiled. It was indeed a tempting offer. The woman was beautiful in the Force. But she didn't hold a candle to Nyra or Ashara. " But I'm afraid that I have a paramour of my own waiting for me back in the North. And should I make such an indulgence without her presence or consent, I fear I will be eligible to join the Unsullied. "

" Well, we can't have such a fine man like yourself fall to such a fate, " Oberyn laughed. " So, perhaps Ellaria and I will have to venture North one of these days and see if we can tempt you and your paramour into a night of debauchery unlike any the North has ever seen. "

" Perhaps, one day, " Nox chuckled. " But let us leave such talks for a later time. Or else I fear my innocent acolyte here will die from embarrassment. "

" Very well, " Prince Oberyn agreed, taking one of the couches across from Nox and pulling his paramour into his lap. " Dare I ask why you have called me out? Outside of the obvious, of course. "

Taking his seat, he motioned for Jon to sit down as well. Holding out his hand, he used the Force to float two more cups from the rack near the wall towards him before filling both glasses with the sweet wine and floating both over to Oberyn and Ellaria. " Well, I was curious as to how your search for information on me has been going so far. Call it…professional curiosity if you will. And please, there is no need to go for that poisoned dagger on the small of Ellaria's back. Before it could even leave your fingers, I would have it buried in your throat. "

Oberyn's amusement jumped even as the woman on his lap froze with a spike of fear. " Well, you can hardly blame a man for being careful, can you? " Pulling his hand out from behind Ellaria's back, Oberyn produced a small finger length blade and tossed it off to the side. " Doubt it would even be of any use against you. "

" One never knows, " Nox shrugged. " But, as I've learned throughout my life, it is better to err of the side of caution. You tend to live longer. "

" Wise words, " Oberyn nodded. " So, tell me sorcerer, what brings one such as you all the way out to Volantis. As flattered as I am that you called on me, I don't think you made the trip all the way around the Free Cities just looking for me. And I doubt you are here simply for pleasure, nor are you here to negotiate some sort of trade deal with the Triarchs given how far Volantis is from the North, which means… Ah! Interesting. You're here to mount an expedition to Valyria. Bold of you, sorcerer. "

" I see your time in the Citadel was time well spent, " Nox nodded, motioning for Jon to remain still as he sensed the spike of surprise and fear emanating from his acolyte. 'He needs to control his emotions more. Fuck, I'm sounding like a Force-damned Jedi. ' " You are correct, Prince Oberyn. The Sea Wolf will be here for three days only to resupply. And then I, along with a coalition of Northern volunteers, will enter Valyria with the purpose of discovering some of the lost secrets of the Valyrian Empire. "

" Well, that is quite the ambitious adventure you have set your sights on, sorcerer, " Oberyn smirked, his hands idly running up and down the sides of his paramour, who'd gained a worried feel to her. And it was the feeling coming off her and Oberyn that left no doubt in Nox's mind what the wayward prince was about to ask for.

" Before you ask, Prince Oberyn, " Nox said, raising his hand and catching the prince just before he could ask his question. " There is still room on the Sea Wolf for yourself, your paramour, and yes, even your daughter. You will all have to share a single cabin of course. But if you wish to join the expedition, then as Lord Stark's appointed representative, I hereby welcome you aboard. "

Oberyn seemed to be simultaneously caught off guard and pleased with his offer. " And what is your price for allowing me and mine to accompany you, sorcerer? "

" Obedience, " Nox answered back immediately, holding up his hand to forestall the Prince's kneejerk reply. " Not indefinitely. Just for the duration of your time onboard the Sea Wolf. I say jump, you jump. Second, we will not be returning to Volantis. So whatever vessel that brought you here will need to return without you, hopefully to your brother with an explanation as to your absence. Third, while you will be allowed to keep some of what is taken from Valyria, I must approve of you taking it before you do so, if only for your own safety. If you can agree to all of that, then you will be a welcome addition to the crew. "

To his credit, Oberyn appeared to be considering the offer for all of a few seconds. " For the chance to explore Valyria…those terms are acceptable, sorcerer. You have my spear until you bring myself, my daughter, and my love here back to Dorne. "

" Excellent, " Nox said, rising to his feet and motioning for Jon to follow suit. " We cast off in three days, Prince Oberyn. I trust you will be able to find ways to amuse yourself before we leave. "

" Oh, I'm sure that I can find a way, sorcerer, " Oberyn called out to the two of them laughingly as they left the Prince of Dorne in the sitting room.

" Master, " Jon said lowly as the two of them made their way out of the brothel, pausing only to thank the madam who nearly curtsied to the floor. " What was the purpose of all of that? "

" Partially, to gain the alliance of a strong fighter, Jon, " Nox answered as the two weaved their way through the packed streets back towards the harbor. " Prince Oberyn's skill on the field is known throughout the realm. He is considered on the same level as the former Sword of the Morning as well as Ser Barristan the Bold. Such a man will be useful if we run into any problems. And besides his skill with a blade, the man's mind is incredibly keen when not clouded with emotion. And it never hurts to have an outsider's view on something. This will also serve to strengthen Northern ties to the Dornish, who have quickly become one of our premiere trading partners for raw materials. Lastly, we will be here for three days, acolyte. There is no doubt in my mind that the Prince would've learned of our presence in such time and come to us. If he had, he would've been ready for us and we would've been on the backfoot. But by coming to him in such a way…"

" We put him on the backfoot, " Jon finished the thought. " And with your quick offer before he could ask, you surprised him enough that he would agree to your terms before fully thinking them over. "

" Very good, " Nox congratulated his acolyte. " Perhaps you are truly listening to my lessons, after all. Now, Jon, tell me about this young woman and the man that you ran into in the street. The blond one that is currently dominating almost all of your thoughts. "

Chapter 10

Taking a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow, Jon Snow took a deep breath. He was desperately trying to get enough air back into his lungs as he bent down at the knees and slid his fingers underneath a large crate. In fact, by all rights, it should have been carried by no less than two grown men. Slowly starting to lift it alone, he leaned back to try and balance the heavy crate full of only gods knew what. But, no, his Master did not see it that way. In his own words, 'I've been neglecting your training, acolyte'. His master had stated this morning, 'So, now we will rectify that. You will help with preparations for the Sea Wolf's departure. And you shall do so on your own, with no help from the rest of the crew. '

Managing only a few dozen steps, Jon stopped just short of the gangplank, nearly dropping the crate in the process at the edge of the dock. Gasping desperately, Jon stared up the length of the gangplank, dreading the march before him. It was the fourth such trip he'd be making with the same sized crate this morning. And the trips were not getting any easier with each successive time.

Resting his hands on the crate, Jon took a quick look around the dock, taking note of the sailors and slave dock workers that were helping to load the last of the supplies Nox and Ser Manderly had ordered before they set out of what was without a doubt, the longest and most daunting part of the expedition. Watching the men work, Jon took note of those who were not present to help with the last loading of the ship, which were quite a few. Most namely Asha, Dacey, Small Jon, Eddard Karstark, and, most importantly, his own Master Nox.

The fact that Master Nox was not around was not necessarily surprising. The Northern Sorcerer had been rather, well, absent ever since they arrived in Volantis two days ago. For the past two mornings he would leave the Sea Wolf early in the morning before the sun rose and would not return till after the sun had set in the evening. No one, not even Jon, knew where he was constantly disappearing too. Though, truth be told, no one wanted to find out either. Nox, while a good man and one to be admired and idolized, was not one to go easy on anyone who tried to get in his way. The only time Jon had seen him in the city over the past two days was when he returned to the brothel housing Prince Oberyn at Ser Manderyl's request to deliver a message to the Prince of Dorne about their departure. Jon was sure that the knight of House Manderly had done this on purpose just to get a response out of Jon, which he succeeded in as Jon could hardly keep his the flush from his face for the rest of the day after several whores who'd seen him with Nox offered him some…varied services. But it was on this trip that Jon had spotted Nox in the city, sitting at an outdoor eating area and talking to a…Septa for some strange reason. But before Jon could meet up with his Master, Nox was gone and so too was the woman he was talking with. Strange.

The fact the others, a good portion of the crew, were missing this morning was not really a mystery either. When Nox wasn't in the city, he was in his quarters with Jon, Asha and Ser Manderly going over their approach to Valyria with the new information his Master had apparently acquired from one of the Triarchs of the city. The night before they'd finally settled on a course of action and this morning Nox had called the entire crew out onto the deck while the sun was still below the horizon.

When the entire crew had gathered Lord Nox had not minced words with them. He told the crew that they would be sailing around the southern tip of the Valyria peninsula and approaching the ruined city using a river that should lead directly to the heart of Valyria. However, they would not be able to take the Sea Wolf down the river due to the ship's sheer size and fear of running aground and being stranded. So, they would be taking the six lifeboats up the river, and that he needed volunteers who were willing to brave the dangers and potentially give their very lives to reach Valyria. At first, no one moved. But then Asha stepped forward, followed by Dacey, Small Jon and Eddard. With the nobles setting the example, it was a relatively short time before enough volunteers had stepped forward. Once he'd had enough volunteers, Ser Manderly being the only noble who had not volunteered due to him needing to captain the return voyage should anything go wrong, Nox dismissed the rest of the crew that had not volunteered.

The sorcerer had then walked up to the forty or so men and women who had volunteered to put their very lives on the line and handed each two gold dragons. 'This might be the very last time any of you see civilization again. ' Lord Nox had explained to them all. 'No one knows what awaits us in Valyria. But be sure that everything that walks, swims, crawls and shits in Valyria will want to kill you in the most painful way possible. And know that should you fall behind; you will be left behind. And should you become a liability and put the rest at risk, I will kill you myself. Those of you willing to accept this, take two steps forward. '

The volunteers all stepped forward twice without hesitation. 'Good. Then take those gold dragons in your hand and live your lives tonight as if they might be your last. Because they very well might. '

Jon had wanted to head off into the city with the rest of the men and women, but Lord Nox had held him back, saying that he was still a bit too young for what the rest of them would be getting up to this night. And had instead assigned Jon with the daunting task of helping to load the Sea Wolf…without help.

Shaking his head, Jon squatted down and moved his fingers underneath the edge of the crate once more, ready to make yet another trek up the gangplank. " Excuse me, are you a cabin boy for this vessel? "

Jon nearly dropped the crate on his toes. Biting back the curse that was threatening to leave his lips at having nearly broken something, Jon turned around and – froze. Standing just behind him, her eyes wide was an incredibly beautiful girl with the sun-kissed skin that was so common here in Volantis. Shaking his head to clear it, Jon stood up fully and face the girl who couldn't have been more than a year or two older than himself. The first thing he noticed, besides her beauty, was that she was free of any marks – tattoos – on her face, which meant she wasn't a slave. And given her dress and the way she held herself, Jon was willing to bet that she was of noble birth. And with the large rucksack slung across her back that was nearly as big as her upper half, she was looking to get away from this city for some time.

" Aye, " Jon nodded. " Not a cabin boy, though. But I came on the Sea Wolf. "

The woman nodded. " Sea Wolf. This is a Westeros vessel, is it not? "

" Aye. "

The woman seemed to sag with relief. " Tell me, does the Northern Sorcerer ride this vessel? And if so, would it be possible to meet with himself or the captain? I wish to barter passage to Westeros. "

Jon blinked. Then blinked again. Then had to keep himself from laughing outright. 'How Master Nox can predict these things… By the gods. One day, I can only hope to be half as smart as him. Either that, or he has some…what did he call it? Inside information? ' It'd been just this morning, after dismissing those who'd be accompanying them into Valyria, that Nox pulled Ser Manderly and himself aside and informed them that a young woman would be coming to them today seeking passage to Westeros. And that she was to be given it.

" Of course, my lady, " Jon said as politely as he could through his exhaustion. " If you'll follow me, I'll bring you to Lord Nox. "

The young woman seemed surprised that her request had been granted so quickly. And the relief she felt was so thick and obvious that Jon could sense it easily through the Force. Taking her hand and leading her up the gangplank, Jon brought the young woman to Nox's cabin and, after knocking twice and waiting for his command to enter, brought her before his Master. Within his cabin, Nox was where he usually was. Sitting at one end of his table with a book in one hand and the fingers of the other gliding along the written words on the pages. How he managed to read without the use of his eyes was a skill Jon knew he would never be able to figure out. But Nox could read faster than any man he'd ever known. He swore his Master could go through a book a day, and that was a low estimate.

" Master Nox, " Jon said, drawing a sharp look and spike of disapproval from the young woman. " This is, um…gods…I apologize. I never even asked for your name, my lady. "

" Talisa, " the newly named Talisa said simply, providing no family name, while glaring at Nox. " And I thought Westeros had laws against slavery? "

" It does, " Lord Nox responded. " Quite harsh laws, in fact. And before this misunderstanding can continue, Jon is not my slave. He is my acolyte. My student. I am the Master and he is the learner. "

Talisa seemed taken aback as she looked back and forth between Nox and Jon. " I apologize, my Lord. I did not mean to give offense. "

" Yes, you did, " Nox cut back, setting the book down. " And it's understandable. But rest assured, young lady. I know what it means to be under the whip. And I can guarantee you, I gladly follow the Westeros law on the matter. But that is neither here nor there, which is why I have taken no action during our stay here. Now, perhaps we could come to the matter of why the daughter of the Tiger Triarch Maegyr has come to a Westeros vessel with what looks like as many possessions as she could safely pilfer from her family home. "

Shock ran through Jon as his head whipped around to Talisa. He knew of the Triarchs, the rulers of the City of Volantis. And this young woman was the daughter of one of them?! Why would she want to leave? And why was Master Nox dragging this out? He already informed Jon and Ser Manderly that he intended for her to come along with them.

As for herself, Talisa seemed to be on the backfoot as her face had gone slightly pale. " I – I have had disagreements with my father as of late and I…I wish to leave Volantis behind and start a new life for myself. Free of slavery. I can promise you that my father will not send men after me! And—And I have not 'pilfered' anything from my family's home that was not mine! You need not fear any retribution for taking me along. "

" I see, " Nox nodded, his fingers drumming against the tabletop. " So, say we take you with us. How do you intend to pay for passage? And what do you intend to do once we arrive at Westeros? Bringing the daughter of a Triach across the Narrow Sea is one thing. Leaving her to fend for herself and possibly get brutalized is quite another. "

" I have coin to barter passage, " Talisa quickly responded. " Enough to afford passage onboard any vessel and then some. I am also willing to offer my services as a healer in training to the men aboard the ship during your voyage. And…I know you are heading to Valyria, my Lord. And while I may not know a lot about the home of the lost Dragon Lords, I believe I can potentially offer some insight. "

As Talisa made her offer, his Master just continued to stare off into the distance with his unseeing eyes. " Very well. "

" I can also provide my services in translating an – wait…Did you say—? "

" I said that you can join us, Lady Talisa Maegyr. " Master Nox repeated. " Though you will be sharing a cabin with two other ladies during the voyage. I hope that is not an issue as our space, despite the size of the Sea Wolf, is limited. "

" Of course not, my Lord, " Talisa smiled, a spark of hope swelling within her like a warm sunrise. " Thank you, my Lord. I promise you won't regret this. "

" I'm sure I won't, " Master Nox responded, a cryptic smile on his face. " Now, if you please, I have a feeling that my acolyte would like a word with me in private. "

" Of course, my Lord, " Talisa bowed before turning to him. " Thank you, Acolyte Jon. I look forward to speaking with you more once we are on the open water and Volantis is to our backs. "

After she left, Jon turned to his Master. " Can you see it, Jon? " His Master asked before he could say anything. " Put the pieces together. All the clues are there. "

Frowning, Jon thought deeply on everything that had happened since they'd arrived in Volantis. Nox's disappearances. Being pulled away from the ship by the Tiger Guards the moment they made port. The information he suddenly got regarding Valyria. And then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit him. " The Triarch. " Jon stated, glancing up at his Master. " It was the Triarch who gave you all the information about Valyria. And—And the price of the information was that we have to give his daughter passage to Westeros. "

Leaning back in his seat, Nox slowly and lightly began to clap his hands together. " Not bad, acolyte. You arrived at that conclusion quicker than I thought. Perhaps you have been paying more attention to my lessons, outside of combat, than I originally thought. "

Jon felt both delighted at the praise and insulted at the backhanded compliment. But that was just Master Nox. " But why would he want to let his daughter go? Even going so far as to pay for her passage away from her home? "

" When you figure that out, acolyte, I will be truly impressed, " Nox commented as he picked up his book once more. " Now, don't you have more crates to load up? I believe you are on your fourth crate. "

Jon's mood immediately dropped. " Yes Master. "

" Best get back to it then, " Nox said, flipping open his book. " But why you are simply using brute strength instead of the Force is just plain stupid, if you ask me. "

Jon had taken a single step towards the door before his master's words reached him. " What? " He asked, turning back around. " Use the Force, but—but you said that I wasn't allowed to! "

" Did I? " Master Nox asked, not turning from the book. " When did I do that? "

" When you told me to help load the supplies! " Jon all but yelled back, his frustration mounting at his master going back on what he told him.

" Really? Tell me, what were the words I used when I gave you your instructions this morning to help load the ship? "

Jon opened his mouth to spit the words back at his master, but then stopped. 'What were his exact words? ' " You told me I had to help load the ship. And that I had to do the work of two or more men alone. "

" Yes, I did, " Nox nodded, flipping a page. " And where, in those instructions, did I say that you were not allowed to use the Force to help in your task? Hm? Wording is very important, Jon. Perhaps, next time, you won't let your frustration at being denied something cloud your thoughts when someone tells you something. Back to work now. But, first, show Talisa to her quarters. Shoo. "

It took the Sea Wolf almost two weeks to navigate around the southern edge of the Valyrian Peninsula and arrive near the opening to the river that Nox hoped would lead them right to the heart of Valyria. 'This is the right course, ' Nox thought to himself, feeling once again the familiar thrill of entering the unknown, staring death in the face and spitting on it. 'The Force will guide us. Even the dark side of the Force seems to want this…anomaly gone. '

It was a strange sensation indeed. This land was saturated in the dark side of the Force in such a way that Nox felt a wave of nostalgia for Korriban. But despite the dark side having such a strong hold, there was something…off about it. A strange hunger. Something strange was giving birth to this abnormal dark side. And while many aspects of the dark side could be considered 'unnatural' to most, whatever was causing this sensation was abnormal and wrong even by dark side standards.

Breathing deep, he let himself slowly sink into the cold of the dark side as he reached out through the Force and began following the path of the river. He could sense…pain. Suffering. Fear. Hunger. Twisted life forms struggling to survive as their bodies were forcibly adapting to the malevolent dark side energies that saturated this land they called home. 'Never thought I would find a Korriban so far away from, well, Korriban. '

" So, this is the river that will bring us to the home of the dragon lords of old, hm? Guess I was expecting something more…grand. Maybe some dragon statues on the sides of the river or at the very least sphinxes. Apparently, the old dragon lords loved those creatures almost as much as dragons. "

" The Valyrians of old were indeed ostentatious, Prince Oberyn, " Nox countered, not bothering to turn towards the Dornish Prince that'd saddled up next to him beside the railing of the Sea Wolf while the crew worked on lowering the half dozen lifeboats down into the water. " But, in the end, time is the master of all. No empire, nor structure, lasts forever. The flux and change of life will not allow it to be so. "

Beside him, the cocky Prince scoffed good naturedly. " It is far too early in the morning for philosophy, sorcerer. "

" Perhaps if your paramour hadn't kept yourself, and over half of ship for that matter, awake last night, it wouldn't be too early for philosophy, Prince Oberyn, " Nox shot back, his concentration still mostly on the river leading inland.

" Ah, but what a night it was, " Oberyn chuckled. " So, tell me, true sorcerer. Do you really think we will make it to Valyria and back with so few? Thousands have tried for hundreds of years. And none have succeeded. The only one that is known to have made it to Valyria and back was Princess Aerea Targaryen. And the only reasons she succeeded was because she rode abreast Balerion. Though, given her fate upon returning to Westeros, saying she succeeded in finding Valyria was not a cause for joy. "

" We will, " Nox stated, pushing away from the railing. " Thousands have tried for hundreds of years to discover the lost knowledge and riches of Valyria. And all have failed. But we will succeed because we have something those in the past didn't: Jon and I. Gather what supplies you need, Prince Oberyn. We leave as soon as the boats are loaded. "

Leaving the Prince at the railing, Nox made his way across the deck, taking careful note of all of those on the main deck that were either joining him to Valyria or that were just helping in the preparation. The Small Jon was excited. The giant of the man was nearly bouncing on his feet as he kept his eyes training on the land laid out before them. Yet, at the same time, there was a definite fear that was laying under the surface. A fear born of knowing just enough about the land they were about to venture into to fear it. A feeling that was being echoed in Eddard Karstark and the rest of the crew of the Sea Wolf that would be joining them.

The three women that would be joining them however were completely different from each other and the rest of the crew. Asha was staring at the land not necessarily in fear, but more as if it were an obstacle to be conquered. Dacey meanwhile was just barely managing to hold herself together. But her desire to bring honor and aid to her House far outweighed any fear she was feeling. Obara, on the other hand, didn't even seem to care. To her, they may as well have been going for walk down the street. And then there was Jon. His acolyte was much like the Small Jon and the others. But unlike the others onboard that had fought in skirmishes or had been in several life or death situations, Jon had only really experienced true fear once.

Sensing their only non-native Westerosi passenger approaching, Nox turned away from those who would be joining them and faced the young daughter of Triarch Maegyr. He would freely admit that before they left Volantis, he had been worried about the deal he'd struck with the Triarch. After observing the nobility in the city for a few days, he was half expecting the Triarch's daughter to be some head-in-the-clouds naï ve simpleton who didn't know up from down and expected everything she said to happen while she lazed about. But he'd been wrong, very wrong. The young woman was anything but a naive simpleton. She possessed an intelligence he'd only noticed in a few since arriving on this world, though not necessarily in the form of politics. But she was intelligent, particularly in the areas of medicine. Even though she was but a year or two at older than Jon and Robb, he would feel fully confident putting her knowledge against any of the 'learned' Maesters of the Citadel who'd forged their chains in the field of medicine. It was a refreshing change of pace to speak without having to use the simplest terms he could think of.

And she was anything but lazy. Within her first day on the sea, she had all but taken charge of the small infirmary on the Sea Wolf. And after setting a sailor's broken arm that most would've amputated, she'd earned the respect of the crew. Within the next few days just about everyone onboard was coming to her for any and all aliments they suffered, which was a relief for Nox as he no longer had to deal with each sailor who got a rope burn or sun burn. Figuratively speaking, of course, since he tried to enforce a strong standard of restraint and with high qualifications of what was needed to warrant his attention.

" Lord Sorcerer, the masks are ready, " Talisa announced, holding out a leather mask for his inspection.

Taking the offered mask, Nox brought it up to his face and put it on. The leather formed well over the bridge of his nose and tucked itself under his chin towards his neck and was able to be tied tightly to his face so that it wouldn't move when he moved his head. But, most importantly, he could still breathe easily through the cloth covered breathing holes that were punctured into the face of the leather. Ideally, he would've preferred his own mask for himself and something comparable for the everyone else, but neither were an option at this point and time. Revan's mask had been left with Nyra as a keepsake and a promise, saying that he would return for her and the mask. And as for everyone else, well, the technology simply wasn't there to create proper air filtering masks. So, these would have to do. And they were better than nothing.

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