Chapter 13 3 страница

Luwin's eyes widened. " From Storm's End, it should only take them a scant few weeks to arrive back in White Harbor. "

" Aye, " Ned nodded. " Have horses and carriages prepared. We're heading to White Harbor to welcome them home and to see what they've obtained from the Dragon Lords. "

" Yes, my Lord, " Luwin bowed. " What of your son Rickon, my lord? His sickness may have passed, but he is still weak in the lungs. "

" He will remain as the Stark in Winterfell, along with my Lady wife, " Ned decided almost immediately. " I'll inform my family myself, Maester Luwin. See to it that everything is ready for our trip to White Harbor. And make sure precautions are taken for Lady Nyra. Last thing I need is to alienate one of my closest allies should something ill befall her. "

Whistling a merry tune as he marched his short legs through the corridors of the Rock, Tyrion Lannister; the Imp, the Halfman, overall lecher, and unofficial heir to the Rock despite what his father would claim, kept his gaze upwards as he made his way into his father's wing of the great keep. He'd just received word from his ears in Winterfell, and there were several things of import that he needed to discuss with his father and the Lord of the Westerlands. It'd taken more time than he cared to admit getting his eyes and ears in place in the North and even longer to get a timely communication set up with the two of them. But now that it was in place, he could get regular updates with each trade convoy that went North. Which, in no thanks to his brilliance, was now set to once every other month.

For nearly two years after setting his eyes and ears in place, there was very little information of import that the two would send him. What little information his spies were able to send him primarily consisted of the sorcerer's advancements in the fields of craftsmanship, the building of glass gardens, the growing of new exotic fruits, and his forming of a 'college' in Winterfell to train both men and women the sorcerer picked as if they were going to be Maesters. He urged his spy to try and get closer, but that had failed quite spectacularly. But despite the failure, it had led to and interesting discovery as it'd given credence to Nox's relationship with the former serving girl, Nyra, a woman with no family nor social standing. Still, though, he did find a small amount of amusement in hearing how his spy had tried to sneak into the Sorcerer's private quarters to seduce him, only to find the former serving girl already there and taking a bath while waiting for her lover to return.

His father though had not found any amusement in the story. Ever since he met the sorcerer, he'd been trying to plan a way to lure the sorcerer from the North and into House Lannister's service. Marriage, lands, and titles were of course the easiest course of action to take. But over the years, each of those had been slowly taken away from them. The Sorcerer, from everything he'd heard, was quite enamored with the former serving girl. And while his father normally would have no problems with simply 'removing' such an obstacle, he was hesitant in this instance as there was always a chance that such an action could lead back to them. Which spoke volumes as to how much his father respected and feared the sorcerer, though he would never publicly admit to the latter. So, while marriage was not apparently an option, lands and titles still were. But then that option was taken from them as well once Robert declared him a 'Lord', though without granting him any lands of his own.

There'd been a brief hope that the action would've driven a wedge between the sorcerer and Lord Stark, but that did not seem to be the cause. In fact, the sorcerer didn't even seem to care that he was even given the title in the first place! The man was nothing if not utterly confusing.

Thankfully, for both Tyrion, his spies, and the girls' families, the whore he'd sent to Winter Town just happened to catch the eye of the young Greyjoy lad two years ago once he came of age to start visiting the brothel. While she was able to get some decent information by carefully plying her trade to the guardsmen, the Greyjoy lad was a wealth of information. It was from the Greyjoy's mouth that Tyrion was able to learn of Nox's training of the Stark children well before it became general knowledge. And it was also through him that she was able to learn of the sorcerer's expedition to Valyria months before they set sail. Apparently, the boy had been quite vocal about the expedition. Mostly over the fact that his sister, Asha, had been allowed to take part and he'd been forced to stay behind. And now, his spies had relayed two other bits of information. One of which was only mildly interesting. While the other one was very, very interesting.

Arriving at his father's solar, Tyrion gaze the two guardsmen a passing nod before waltzing directly into the room without knocking. The only occupant in the room was his father, sitting behind his desk with a Northern glass pitcher of Arbor gold on his desk. " Need I educate you on the purpose of knocking? " his father said levelly as Tyrion shut the door behind him.

" Oh, I knock on closed doors, but only in a brothel, father. Nothing worse than walking into a room only to see a man you know getting his cocked sucked dry by a pair of wonderfully painted whore's lips. "

Reaching out for the pitcher he cursed his luck as his father without even bothering to look up from what he was working on, blindly reached out and snatched the pitcher away from him before Tyrion could get ahold of it. " I care not to hear of your constant shaming of our House, Tyrion, " his father growled, refreshing his own glass before setting the pitcher back down, well out of Tyrion's reach unless he walked around the desk. " The trade vessel from the North has returned. What news do you have of the Stark children's progress and what news of the sorcerer? "

'Of course he would want to start with Stark's children. Ever since he's learned of them having the same power as the sorcerer, he has almost completely shifted his focus from the sorcerer to the children. Afterall, it is far easier to claim a child through marriage rather than a full-grown man. '

" Without the presence of the Sorcerer or the bastard, their training in the mystic arts have ground to a halt, " Tyrion informed his father while pushing himself up into a cushioned chair. Honestly, if his father wasn't about to give him wine, he might as well make himself comfortable. " Though from what our ears have heard, Stark's heir as well as his second daughter are both quite powerful, even if we don't have a reference for what that might mean. If the eldest daughter has the same powers as her siblings and the sorcerer, she is denying them and not participating in any training. The second eldest son just began training before the sorcerer left, so his skills are minimal at best. And the youngest is still shitting himself and struggling to walk straight. So, I doubt if we will be hearing any tales of him toppling towers any time soon. "

" And what abilities are Stark's heir and his second daughter showing? "

" Outside of Robb moving stones larger than a man with his mind and showing the strength and skill of a man ten years his senior in the training yard, nothing much, " he replied, scratching the back of his head. " Not sure if they're hiding their true abilities, or if that's the extent of them. Our eyes have noted, however, that the young Stark girl seems to almost disappear at will. Not sure what to make of that, however. "

" Has there been word of the sorcerer and whether or not he and the bastard were successful on their expedition to Valyria? "

Tyrion knew that his father was extremely interested in this, as was most of the realm for that matter. But his father especially was, though not necessarily for the reason many may think. It was well known that his Uncle Gerion had taken a good number of Lannister men and one of their better galleons and had made off to explore the cursed land years ago and had not been heard of since. While Tyrion, and a few others in his family, were curious as to whether the sorcerer would return with knowledge of his uncle's fate, his father was concerned for another reason. If there were any who could potentially succeed in venturing into the depths of Valyria and return, it was the sorcerer. And once he did, gods only knew what he could come back with. As none had managed to make the trip successfully since the Doom, no one truly knew what he'd find. Valyrian steel, perhaps even the method to make the steel, gold, lost knowledge? If he came back with even one of those things, he could propel the North into a true power in Westeros capable of toppling any of the other Great Houses. After all, there was a reason the Valyrian Empire's rule was unquestioned until the Doom.

" There has been no word yet. But it has only been six months since he departed. "

Dusting the piece of paper he'd finished writing on, his father set the parchment aside and pulled out another sheet. " And what new information do your whores have for us? "

" Apparently, the Stark heir has been working to prove himself since the sorcerer and his bastard brother left Westeros, " Tyrion started, eyeing the wine pitcher and glasses longingly. " He's organized what is being called an 'inventors fair'. He's inviting Lords and Ladies and smallfolk from all over the North to visit Winterfell for the week surrounding his name day. During this time, any who have inventions, new processes, or new products can present them before the Warden of the North. Should he find them worthwhile, he will reward the one who brought it forth with coins, titles, or support to expand. And word is that the 'students' at the Winterfell College will also be displaying some of what they've been working on to garner more support from the local Lords. There are also going to be a few competitions as well. Though, no jousting nor a melee. "

In truth, the moment Tyrion heard of the fair he'd wanted to take the first ship North and put his name into whatever lists were available. Given his nature as the halfman, he would never be able to enter a tourney, and if he did it would only be as a joke. But this fair in the North was a tourney that emphasized the strength of the mind over the strength or skill of one's body. And that was a competition that he could not only get behind, but that he was pretty sure he could easily win!

" I see, " his father stated simply, seemingly not caring about the event in the slightest. " And what else have you heard? "

His father might not have been interested in the first piece of news, but Tyrion knew that he would be interested in the next bit. " Well, there has been a rather interesting development in Winterfell lately. They've kept it quiet for the most part, but the Greyjoy lad seems to like to run his mouth when he's in the throes of pleasure. And this development just happens to revolve around the former serving girl turned Lady, Nyra. "

His father's quill stopped mid move. " Tell me everything. "

" Please, brother, s-"

" I am not your brother! I am your king! I am the dragon! And you, dear sweet idiot sister, have woken the dragon! And now, now you must suffer the consequences for your insolence! "

Violet eyes on a young girl's face turned towards him, pleading for him to do something – anything – to help as the man that had a tight hold on the girl's arm raised his hand high in the air before bringing it down harshly onto her cheek.

Letting out a pained yell, Jon sat bolt upright, smacking his head against the low hanging ceiling that was above his bunk. Rubbing his forehead and doing his best to block out the pain, Jon swung his feet over the side of his bunk in his small cabin onboard the Sea Wolf and rested his head in his hands with his elbows against his knees. The dream he'd just experienced was, well, strange to say the least. If it was the first time he'd had such a dream, he would have just ignored it. But this wasn't the first time he'd had such a dream. In fact, it wasn't the first time he'd had a dream about her, even if he didn't know just who she was. He'd seen her more than once in his dreams since they'd left Valyria. Well, three times now. But this is was the first time that she looked at him during the dream.

'Once is mere chance. Twice is coincidence. Thrice is a pattern. ' Jon remembered Lord Nox telling him during their training. 'Let's just hope that Master Nox can provide some answers to these strange dreams. '

Getting up from his bunk and throwing on a shirt and pants, Jon left his cabin and made the short journey up the nearby flight of stairs and to the main deck of the Sea Wolf. On the main deck, life was pretty much proceeding like normal for the crew. The sailors worked the riggings while the various nobles went around the ship offering a helping hand wherever they could. The only real noticeable difference was the slight decrease in the number of sailors on board. But that was explained by the captured galleon that was sailing a fair distance behind them while being captained, at least temporarily, by Asha Greyjoy.

Giving a few polite nods to those he'd gotten to know extremely well over the past near seven months, Jon made his way towards the rear of the ship and Lord Nox's cabin. Giving a few light knocks on the wood, Jon waited until he heard Nox call for him to enter before walking in. It was never smart, nor healthy for that matter, to walk in on Lord Nox uninvited.

The interior of Nox's cabin was, as to be expected, almost immaculately clean. All save for the table of course, which throughout the entire voyage had been constantly filled with books, scrolls, and, as of late, crystals from Valyria. Much like the one that Lord Nox had standing on end before him as he leant over the table. And, it might have been a trick of the sun, but Jon could've sworn he saw the crystal glowing and some sort of mist hovering above the crystal when he first walked in.

" Trouble sleeping, Jon? "

" Aye, " Jon nodded, deciding not to press on the crystal and instead focus on the reason he'd come to his Master in the first place. " I've been having strange dreams for some time now. Dreams of a young woman. "

Nox's face lifted from the crystal and a grin spread across his face. " Dreaming of Princess Arianne already Jon? Tsk, Tsk. It isn't proper to have such dreams about a Lady, let alone a Princess of the Dorne. Though, if she takes after her uncle in any regard, I'm sure she'd not only encourage such dreams, she'd also gave you ample material to dream over. "

For not the first time, Jon was glad for his Master's lack of sight as he felt his face heat upon the mention of the Dornish Princess. The embarrassing fact was his Master wasn't wrong. Jon had had more than a few dreams of the Dornish beauty since they'd left Sunspear. Just thinking about how she bared herself to him after the feast was enough to give rise to a problem that he'd had to 'take in hand' more than a few times. But it wasn't just her beauty, or the fact that she was the first woman that he saw bare. She'd also taken a firm hold of his thoughts because of just who she was. The two had spent almost the entire day together in her chambers, with her cousins present of course, just talking. Honestly, Jon couldn't think of another time he ever said so much than those few hours he'd spent in her company. They talked about everything from family to politics to Jon's training and potential futures. And while nothing had been set between the two of them, her offer of making him her Consort in ruling Dorne had given him a potential future he'd never dared imagining before. Though a large part of him doubted such a future would ever come to pass, she was a Princess after all and of age to marry. The thought was still a pleasant one.

" No. I mean I have, well I've dreamed of Arianne and – no, no. This isn't about her. " Jon said desperately trying to keep the thoughts of the Princess bare before him – her perk breasts, and pointed ni – No! He needed to put thoughts of her aside for now. " This is about another girl. A – A girl with violet eyes. I – I think it's the same girl I ran into in Volantis. The one you asked me about before we met with Prince Oberyn. "

The change was subtle, but after years of studying under Lord Nox, Jon had a feeling that he at least could spot when his Master was interested in something. The fact he stopped working on anything else and leaned forward a touch screamed to Jon that he had indeed peaked his Master's interest. " And what do these dreams of yours entail? "

" Well, not much, " he replied awkwardly. " All I can see is darkness and her. And whatever she's touching or whatever or whoever is touching her. The dream I had just now. She was with that same man as she was back in Volantis and…he was yelling at her and saying something about 'waking the dragon' or some such nonsense. Then…Then he raised his hand to strike her and – and she looked right at me. It was like she could see me and was pleading for my help. And then the dream ended, and I awoke. I've dreamed of her before but…but this was the first time she ever looked at me and saw me. "

" Interesting, " Lord Nox replied, leaning back and rubbing at his chin. " And you say this is not the first time you've had such a dream since running into the young girl in Volantis, hmm? Very interesting. "

Tapping his foot impatiently, Jon wished that his Master would just tell him what it was he was experiencing with these strange dreams. " Um, Master? Do you know what is happening? "

" Perhaps. " His Master answered cryptically, making Jon's shoulders sag in defeat. " I can think of a few phenomena that could cause such an occurrence. Each one more unlikely than the last due to sheer rarity of the phenomenon occurring. But, in my experience in such matters, it is best not to rule out anything until you are completely sure it is not the case. Next time you have one of these dreams, and I can guarantee that you will, try and talk to this young girl if you can. Or, if by the off chance you happen to see her when you are awake, try and get her attention. If you can, it will help me narrow down the list of possibilities of what might be happening. "

" I will try, Master, " Jon bowed. Though with that now resolved, he wasn't quite sure just what to do next. " Um, Master. If you don't mind me asking, what is it with those crystals you were so intent on bringing back with us from Valyria? I mean, they don't seem valuable, not like the other gems. But, just now, I thought I saw a glow from that gem and some sort of mist forming above it. "

Picking up the crystal, his Master turned it around as if to inspect if before his sightless eyes before motioning towards the empty folding chair next to him. " Take a seat, Jon. I suppose that now that you are my official Apprentice, I best begin delving deeper into the mysteries of the Force with you than I have in the past. "

Quickly taking the seat, Jon tried not to let too much of his excitement show on his face at the prospect of learning more about the Force. " So, what are these crystals? " he asked, picking one up in his hand and peering into its depths. He could almost sense…something from within. But he had no clue as to just what that might be.

" If my hunch is correct, and after weeks of studying them I am fairly certain it is, then these are primitive versions of what my people called 'holocrons'. " Nox explained, picking up another crystal, this one a pinkish color and the size of his fist. " Think of them as repositories of knowledge accessible only to those who are Force sensitive. "

Blinking, Jon turned the crystal over in his hand. " So, these are basically books that only those like us can read? Why would they do that? Wouldn't it be easier to just write it down on paper instead of using these things? "

" Easier, yes. More secure, no. "

" Secure? " Jon asked.

" Yes, " Nox nodded. " The Valyrians were smart, Jon, very smart. They managed to conqueror Essos because of their dragons, which also served as a deterrent for any planning rebellion against them. But once they had control of Essos, they kept control through economics. Do you remember my lessons on what drives the price in the market? "

" Supply and demand? "

" Aye. The cost of something can be partially determined by these two factors. If you have something that everyone wants but is in low supply, then you can charge extra for it. But at the same time if you have something everyone desires but there is a surplus, then the cost will drop because people will know they can go elsewhere to acquire it. It is why the North is trying to keep a firm hold on the creation of glass. If everyone can make it, then the price of it will drop significantly. The same principle was used by the Valyrians, albeit with a different product. Can you take a guess as to what it was that the Valyrians had that everyone else wanted and were willing to pay a high price to obtain? "

" Their dragons, " Jon answered immediately before thinking a bit harder. " But it takes a dragon lord to tame one, so not that. Valyrian steel? "

" Very good. " Nox praised him. " The Valyrians controlled the economics of Essos through two factors: the slave trades and the trading of Valyrian steel. The slave trade controlled the people. And the trade of Valyrian steel controlled the coins. Now, using our theory of supply and demand, how would Valyrians keep a firm hold on the trade of Valyrian steel? "

Frowning, Jon stared down into the crystal. " By making sure that they were the only ones who knew how to make the steel, " Jon stated, before his eyes widened in realization. " So, to keep the process secure, they developed a means of writing down the process of its creation in a manner that could only be read by those who had magic. The dragon lords. "

" Very good, Jon, " Nox praised him once again, making Jon sit up straighter.

" So, how do we read these crystals? " Jon asked, excitement racing through him at the prospect of learning an ancient Valyrian secret.

His hopes were quickly dashed though as Lord Nox set the crystal he was holding back down onto the table. " Well, that's the problem. These crystals, while similar to the holocrons of my home, are still different than what I'm used to. And while I've been able to ascertain that each crystal holds a wealth of knowledge within, I haven't been able to figure out just how to access it. The past few weeks have been quite frustrating. "

The admission surprised Jon. He'd never known anything that his Master hadn't been able to do, know, or figure out in a relatively short period of time. To hear him admit that he didn't know how to accomplish something, it was something he never thought he'd ever hear from Lord Nox. Turning the crystal repeatedly in his hands, Jon tried to find something – anything – that might give him a clue as to how to open it. 'If only this was like a book and I could just simply open it. But I suppose that's the point. If it was easy to do, then the Valyrians wouldn't have felt the need to go this far. ' " How do you usually open them, Master? "

" Picture your body as a bucket, and the Force within you as the water within, " Nox explained, picking up one of the crystals again and causing a light glow to appear within. " The crystal in your hand is a second bucket. You want to pour the Force out of you and into the crystal. At least, that's how it's supposed to work in the simplest of terms. But, apparently, these have something else that triggers them. It's just a matter of discovering what that trigger is. "

Narrowing his eyes in concentration, Jon tried to copy his Master's instructions exactly. " Gods! " he exclaimed, nearly dropping the crystal as it lit up like a torch in his hand while a ghostly image of a lightly armored man appeared above his hand.

" Well, isn't that something, " his Master mumbled as the two watched the ghostly figure speak in what Jon could only assume to be High Valyrian while seeming to demonstrate movements with a sword. " Turn it off by cutting off the Force you're allowing to flow into the crystal. Then repeat the process once more. "

Closing off his connection with the crystal, Jon let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding as the light in the crystal died and the figure faded from view. Breathing again, Jon repeated exactly what he'd done before. And just like the time before, the crystal immediately came to life in his hand as the ghostly figure appeared above the surface of the crystal once more and began instructing once more. " So, that is how you did it. Figures it would've been something so simple. " His Master muttered as he picked up the pink crystal once more.

The pink crystal immediately started glowing. Only instead of an armored man appearing, a scantily clad and very well blessed woman hovered over the surface of the crystal. And just like the man that appeared from his crystal, the woman started talking in High Valyrian the moment she appeared. " What are they saying, Master? "

Tilting his head to the side, his Master listened to the two voices for some time before answering him. " My High Valyrian isn't all that good right now. We'll need Talisa's help in translating them further or get her to up her lessons in the language. But from what I can tell, the man in your crystal is describing basic sword techniques that are best suited for use when riding a dragon. As for the woman… Well, she seems to be describing a sex ritual to ensure proper procreation. And I must say, she is quite vivid in her details. I think she could make even Oberyn blush like a virgin maid. "

Losing his connection to the crystal, the ghostly figure died out in his hand. " Um, that…"

" We're going to need to do something about the innocent nature of yours, Jon, " his Master sighed, setting the crystal aside. " It wouldn't do for you to freeze up from the first sight of a pair of tits or from someone using crude language. And before you say that it won't happen, don't. I knew a woman who flashed a man during their fight. It distracted him enough to allow her to kill him. And I've invested far too much time and energy into you to let you die that easily. Honestly, I thought seeing Princess Arianne in her name-day suit would be enough to not make you blush at just the thought of sex but, apparently, I was wrong. Perhaps I need to lock you in a brothel all day so you can watch the whores apply their trade. That should knock some of those preconceived notions of modesty out of your head. "

'Gods damn it! How does he always…?! Wait…What is that? '

Placing his hand against his head and squeezing his eyes shut, Jon fought against a sudden pain in his head that came upon him with no notice. But as strange as the sudden pain was, what was even stranger was how fast it left. Leaving not even a dull ache behind as a reminder of its brief presence. " Gods, " he breathed, placing a hand to his head and surprised to find sweat forming on his brow. " Wh – What was that? "

" That, Jon, was a disturbance in the Force generated by a single individual that is not only fairly powerful in the Force, but also currently in excruciating pain. "

Turning to his Master, Jon went to ask him what he meant, but Nox was already out of his seat and across the room. A chart of Westeros out in front of him and his fingers running along the coast. " With the speed we have been traveling, we should be passing by Blackwater Bay soon. Given the strength of the disturbance, the source must be nearby… Jon, inform Ser Manderly that we are to change course immediately. We're making a detour to Dragonstone. "

" Yes, Master, " Jon nodded, the crystals momentarily forgotten as he quickly got to his feet and all but ran out of the room to deliver Lord Nox's new orders to the crew.

The castle of Dragonstone was certainly an imposing sight, one that Nox knew more than one Sith Lord or even Dark Council Member would gladly take for his or her own Keep. Hells, he was even tempted himself the moment he laid eyes upon it. And it wasn't just because of its near impenetrableness due to the natural defenses of the island provided nor it's walls. Nor was it the fact that the keep was made entirely of black stone that almost seemed to shine slightly in the light of the sun. No, what truly drew Nox's attention was the fact that the keep almost seemed to be radiating the Force, much in the same manner as the Sith and Jedi Temples on Korriban and Tython respectively. Had they not just been to Valyria, he would've questioned as to just how such a primitive world was able to create such a strong Force construct like this. But now he didn't question it. He knew. This place, even while still a fair distance from the harbor and the keep itself, felt almost identical to the Lost City of Valyria. Only more, well, alive.

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