Sensing that something major was about to happen in King's Landing, Lynd had no intention of staying to watch it unfold. As planned, he left the city and returned to Summerhall.
He knew very well that Varys had sought him out before leaving mainly to test his stance.
Just as he had told Eddard Stark, he wouldn't get involved in the struggle—unless it interfered with his plans regarding the White Walkers.
To most of the noble elite in King's Landing, Lynd's departure felt like a restraint had been lifted. The once calm and stable situation began to stir with undercurrents, and hidden schemes started to surface.
After nightfall, Littlefinger led Catelyn and Ser Rodrik through the back alleys of King's Landing, carefully avoiding the main roads and the patrolling Gold Cloaks. Eventually, he bribed their way past the guards at the city gates and brought them to the docks.
There, the ship Littlefinger had arranged was already waiting. In addition to sailors, several mercenaries were also aboard.
"You've come a long way, and I'm worried the Lannisters might send men after you, so I hired a few mercenaries," Littlefinger explained without waiting for Catelyn to ask. Then he waved over one of the mercenaries, a rough-looking man, and called out, "Bronn!"
The sellsword came over, boldly eyeing Catelyn up and down before giving her a clumsy bow.
Littlefinger introduced him. "He's the best fighter-for-hire in the city. I've paid him enough—he and his men will protect you on your journey to Winterfell."
Catelyn frowned. "I don't need extra protection. Ser Rodrik is more than enough."
Littlefinger's expression turned serious. "Cat, don't be stubborn. If your identity hadn't been exposed, maybe Ser Rodrik could've protected you. But things are different now. Don't forget—your safety affects more than just you. It concerns your husband and your children, too."
"Ser Petyr is right, my lady," even the usually confident Ser Rodrik added. "My strength alone may not be enough to keep you safe. We should have more hands."
Catelyn had no choice but to nod in agreement.
With everything arranged, Littlefinger didn't linger. He turned and hurried away from the dock.
As Catelyn was about to board the ship, the captain stopped her.
"Please wait, my lady. Your cabin hasn't been tidied yet. Better to hold off going in for a moment, or your clothes might get dirty."
Catelyn paused, said nothing, and waited near the ship.
While she waited, someone emerged from a pile of cargo not far from the pier and stumbled toward them. At first glance, the figure's size made it look like a child, but as he came closer, it became clear he was a dwarf.
Clutching the back of his head as if he'd just been clubbed, he walked with an unsteady gait, clearly not in good shape.
"Damn it! Has the security in King's Landing gotten so bad even dwarfs get mugged now?" the dwarf muttered as he walked toward the only patch of light on the dock—right where Catelyn's ship was moored. When he saw who was standing there, his eyes widened in surprise. "Lady Catelyn? What are you doing in King's Landing?"
Hearing this, Catelyn turned and cried out, "Tyrion the Imp!" Without hesitation, she ordered, "Seize him!"
Ser Rodrik reacted instantly, lunging forward to grab Tyrion. Tyrion had no idea what was happening, but he instinctively tried to call for help. Bronn, however, moved faster, raising a club and knocking him out with a quick blow. Then, with practiced efficiency, he tied him up and brought him aboard.
Catelyn, sensing it wasn't safe to linger any longer, stepped onto the ship and told the captain not to bother cleaning the cabin. She ordered them to set sail at once.
As the cargo ship slowly pulled away from King's Landing, a vast web of war was quietly spreading outward, with the city at its center.
...
At the same time, Lynd had entered the Kingswood and was resting at a roadside inn that Robert had once restored for his hunting trips.
While they were setting up tents, a fawn suddenly emerged from the forest. It seemed completely unafraid of people, wandering into their midst and slowly walking up to Lynd, giving him a little nod.
Everyone found the sight unusual, but Lynd had an idea of why the fawn had appeared. He told his subordinates to remain at the inn and followed the fawn into the forest.
They moved through the dense woods for a few minutes until they reached a shallow pool of water. There, Spark was already seated by the water's edge. Her appearance hadn't changed, but Lynd sensed something was off. The magical aura she once carried was now barely perceptible, yet there was a new, strange energy around her—one that even Lynd found oppressive.
"It's been years, and you've changed a lot," Lynd said quietly as he approached her.
"So have you," Spark replied, turning to look at him. "I never thought you'd catch up so quickly. If I hadn't gotten lucky and found a relic left by our Forest Child ancestors, I might've been overtaken by now."
Lynd's expression darkened. He had a bad feeling. "Are you about to..."
"I am." Spark nodded. "My journey has reached its end. I'm about to begin the next one." She glanced at him and added, "Don't be sad. This is a good thing for me—something I've been waiting for my whole life."
Lynd sighed. "Then congratulations."
"Yes, I deserve congratulations," Spark smiled. "But even though I'm leaving, there are still some things I can't let go of."
"The Children of the Forest?" Lynd guessed.
"You're easy to talk to. I don't even have to say it, and you already know," Spark said with a gentle smile. "I've visited the Stone Giants under your protection. They're doing well—there's even a newborn among them. If the Children of the Forest can come under your protection too, I believe they'll be just fine."
As she spoke, she waved toward a nearby patch of forest. A figure emerged from the underbrush—a Child of the Forest, even smaller and slighter than Spark—who walked over to stand beside her.
"She's called Greystone, from the Marshes," Spark said, introducing the newcomer.
Lynd nodded politely at her.
Greystone gave Lynd a once-over and said, "I've heard Howland Reed mention you. You're taller than she described."
Lynd frowned slightly, puzzled. "You were living well in the Neck. Why do you suddenly want to leave?"
Greystone didn't answer right away. She glanced at Spark, and only after seeing her nod did she speak. "Because followers of the ancient foreign gods have corrupted the Neck. It's no longer a place we can live."
"Ancient foreign gods?" Lynd paused, his voice low. "You mean the White Walkers?"
"Yes," Spark answered, picking up the explanation. "Half a month ago, when I inherited the Ancients' secret treasure, the White Walkers' followers ambushed the Children of the Forest's camp in the Neck. They destroyed the Balance Stones there. Without them, the camp can no longer receive the Neck's protection and will soon be exposed. I had planned to relocate them to the Isle of Faces, but the Balance Stones there were destroyed too. They've lost protection as well and must also migrate."
"What exactly are Balance Stones?" Lynd asked.
Spark took out a stone that looked like a piece of milky white jade and handed it to Lynd. "Balance Stones are ancient treasures created by Greenseers of the Children of the Forest. They stabilize natural forces. The Children used them to create illusions that shielded them from human eyes. Most Balance Stones were destroyed when the Arm of Dorne was shattered—only a few pieces remain."
Lynd examined the stone. Cracks ran across its surface, and inside them seeped a black, oily substance with a stone-like texture.
The moment he saw the black residue, Lynd immediately recalled the black stone he'd seen before. He asked, "Is this black substance the same as the stone at the base of the High Tower?"
Spark nodded. "Yes, it's the same material—originating from the alien gods beyond the skies. But the black stone under the High Tower has long since lost its power."
"Can you make new Balance Stones?" Lynd asked.
Spark shook her head. "I'm not a Greenseer. I can't create them. And it's been many years since a Greenseer appeared among the Children of the Forest. That's part of our punishment—retribution for those ancient Greenseers who used Balance Stones to disrupt the natural balance and destroy the Arm of Dorne."
Lynd asked again, "Do you know why the White Walkers' followers want to destroy your Balance Stones?"
"To break the natural nodes across Westeros," Spark explained. "There are several key natural nodes across the continent: the Wall, the Neck, the Isle of Faces, the Mountains of Grace, and the Arm of Dorne—now the Stepstones. If all these nodes are destroyed, Westeros' natural balance will collapse, and the extreme cold of the North will pour southward, unchecked, covering the entire continent."
Lynd's expression darkened. "So if you're right, then the Wall is the only natural node left intact?"
"Yes." Spark nodded, then added, "But don't worry too much. The natural node at the Wall is very difficult to destroy. It's split into nineteen separate points. Only if all nineteen are broken will the node fall. Plus, a few years ago, that little one from the South went to the Wall and fused herself into it through a ritual sacrifice, creating a new node and reinforcing the existing nineteen. That made it even harder to destroy."
"What if the White Walkers have the Horn of Winter?" Lynd asked gravely.
Spark fell silent for a long moment before finally replying, "I don't know. I've never seen the Horn of Winter used, and I don't know if it's truly as powerful as the legends claim. If it was really forged to destroy the Wall, then… maybe it could."
Lynd's expression grew grim at her words.
But he quickly composed himself and turned to Greystone. "How many Children of the Forest are relocating?"
Greystone did a quick calculation. "Over a hundred from our tribe, and another hundred from the Isle of Faces. Around three hundred in total."
"That many?" Lynd was surprised. He'd assumed that, south of the Wall, the Children of the Forest were just as scarce as beyond it—maybe twenty or thirty at most. He hadn't expected there to be hundreds.
He asked again, "Do you have any special requirements for where you live?"
"We just need somewhere safe, where we won't be disturbed," Greystone replied quickly. "I visited the place you arranged for the Stone Giants—it's good. We can live somewhere like that. And like them, we're willing to work for you, as long as you guarantee our safety from humans."
"Work for me?" Lynd studied Greystone. He could tell she was a reformer among the Children of the Forest. She must have realized that unless they adapted, they'd vanish like so many ancient races before them. That's why she was offering to work with humans—to integrate. The Stone Giants, who had already begun to thrive again, were a clear example.
As for why she didn't turn to Howland Reed of Greywater Watch, despite their frequent contact, it was likely because Reed lacked the strength to protect them. But Lynd—renowned and powerful—could. He was their best chance.
"You don't have to work for me..." Lynd was just about to politely decline and offer them protection, but after looking at the small, child-sized Children of the Forest, a bold idea came to him. He turned to Greystone and asked, "Are your people good at throwing stones?"
"Of course we are," Greystone said proudly, puffing out her chest. "We Children of the Forest are the best stone-throwers in the world. I can hit the wing of a butterfly with a stone without even scratching its body."
Worried that Lynd might not believe her, she picked up a small rock from the ground, pointed at a tiny fruit hanging from a treetop in the distance, and threw the stone. It passed cleanly through the gaps between branches and struck the fruit dead-on, knocking it loose.
Lynd smiled at the display, then asked, "Do your people like small animals? Flying ones?"
"Of course we do," Greystone replied at once.
Lynd followed up, "Even if they're a bit large?"
"A bit large?" Greystone blinked in confusion and looked at him.
But Spark, standing beside them, caught on immediately. Her eyes widened in surprise. "You want them to become wyvern riders?"