I went to bed when I started to hear the loud voices of the brothel and knew it was passed my bedtime. The necklace laid tuck under my shirt and out of mind, hopefully I would manage to hid it from Petyr Baelish. Placing the dragon bone dagger on my bedstand I went to sleep thinking on what the crow was trying to accomplish. In my dreams I was walking around my basement throwing knives pretending to hit every shot without looking when the image began to burn as if the dream were made of paper. The dream burned away and I was in dark room of stone with a veiled figure in front of me that only covered her face, sadly not the one from before. She had long sliver hair and held the bone dagger in her hands. She stepped foward and a pit of fire rose in front of her from the ground. With the dagger she cut her hand and let the blood drip into the fire causing it to turn red of blood. I blinked and noticed the dagger was now in my hand with the woman standing next to me.
She pointed to the fire wanting me to repeat her, a part of me wanted to stab her knowing that this was some short of blood magic and that she could want ill to befall me. As I thought of it she spoke one word "power", I raised my head to see her blood filled eyes behind the veil and spoke "for what, whats the price for it?" She dropped her hand that was pointing to the fire and instead walked to it letting the flames burn around her. "We payed the price so the prince that was promised will be protected, you must protect them for the night is long and full of terrors." The burning lady stretched out her hand for me to grasp and instinctively I did letting the flames consume me. My brain was burning as if the fire only affected it and awoke me from the dream.
I was drenced in sweat when I awoke and held the dagger within my hands so tightly that they were bleeding. I got up and hurried to grab cloth to stop the bleeding. As I wrapped my hand I felt my mind burning and a feeling or knowledge was carved onto it. Blood magic from Valyria was scarred into my brain, at least fragments of it. I felt inherently that something in my blood had awaken, magic?
As if answered a thought invaded my head and I cut my hand with the dagger and threw it without looking. When I turned around I saw it embedded in the head of the training dummy perfectly in the middle. I went up to it and removed it from the dummy. Inspecting it I could see that the blood I spilled had been dried out or consumed, perhaps through the spell.
I wanted to try again when I heard the screeching of a familiar friend. The three eyed raven had entered the room followed by two other individuals. When they appeared in the light of the torches that lined my home I knew exactly who they were and it caused a sense of unease to creep up my shoulders. Meera Reed and Jojen Reed, the siblings who took Bran stark to see the three eyed raven. Oh god please don't tell me I'm going to end up as a tree or have my soul taken over or worse.
Jojen Reed walked up to me and extended his hand which had a scroll, "he sent it for you. Your eyes only. Take your time, little finger has much to do rather then worry for you right now."
I took it and sat on my bed while lighting a candle on my bedside to see properly. The raven landed at my feet to gage my reaction as I read. Thankfully Petry Baelish had the decency to teach me to read and write in High Valyrian as he put in his words, "you never know when your last name might change with a pair of wings at your side." But that was the only language he thought me to read, I bet he didn't want me to know what letters he received in the common tongue either if I ever snooped around. The scroll thankfully was written completely in High Valyrian, something few could read in the entirety of Westeros.
"Dear friend and ally,
Now is the time to depart from the cave they held you in for the winds are changing and the fire of war is in the horizon.
I have kept many secrets from thee, you may never know them as you were not part of my plan. Despite knowing this I have come to terms with thee and sincerely disire your part to have a place closer to us.
Your calling is to be a dancer in this play that will take part. The king is murdered by his kin. The blacks will run to their home, the greens have their city, but now we watch for those that have yet to dance. The Blackfyre will rebel or will they succeed, for they are ever lusting for more power from their father. The unseen contenders are to be feared as well, insanity may surge among them.
And yet the game, the game is still to be played. Keep yourself steady old friend, I warn you not to take the throne. You and I are the wildcards that they are blind to see.
Dragonstone, take your claim of the bronze fury before the dragonseeds take root for their are more tails than there are wings accounted for. Maketh a man of yourself, take a place at the table but not before breaking bread with the owner. Be weary of the night and keep your head up high for the fire may not rule the skies alone.
The Bloody Raven."
I looked through it once more treating it as gold that I had not earned. Still something came to mind, the three eyed raven may not know that this is an alternate universe. His part could play out different and what's the meaning of the bloody raven? The raven flew over to the nightstand and crowed looking at the candle. It wanted me to burn the paper. Placing the paper on fire I held it as it burned until I could no longer stand the heat and watched it burn to ash on the floor. Perhaps in the future there could be a magic that I could learn to avoid being burnt to dust.
Turning to the Reeds I asked, "are you ready for the journey." Trying to see if their trip still had something sinister planned.
Jojen Reed was the only one who understood what I meant out of the two and offered a smile, a weak one. "Winter is coming."
His sister gave me a cloak to cover myself with as we left the brothel once I gathered what little I had to my name. For being the first time on the streets in nine years I wanted to leave the city as quick as possible. Mud, piss and shit mixed into what they called the streets of the red keep. It was easy leaving the city. The guard let everyone in or out. They were lazy in times of peace and with no one to lead them. At least Daemon made then work, although with controversial methods.
We walked to the out skirts of the territory in the middle of the night. Far enough to reach the point where the golden cloaks could no longer be seen patrolling. The raven guided us for the better part of an hour until three horses appeared tied to a tree.
I looked around to find their owner only to find an old man dead in a bush a few feet away. Old age perhaps? It was the first time I saw a dead man. Do I bury him or say a few words at least? Call for someone in case of disease or family?
Jojen called to me, "if we could, I'd burn his body for what's to come. But time is not on our side. May his gods take him in their embrace." He said atop one of the horses.
"I don't know how to ride one." I said
"Just hop on, we'll hold the reigns. Besides, the raven is here." Said Meera Reed.
We rode at a steady pace of six hours until we grew tired and slept while trusting the raven to keep watch. When we woke it was midday and continued on our way without stopping until we reached Blackwater Bay, the closest port to Dragonstone.
I spoke little with the siblings mainly due to being introverted and that I felt uneased with knowing their fates if it still came to pass. Honestly it was a miracle I got a girlfriend in a past life and now have to worry about a dragon. Both could end in my death.
At the port the Reeds negotiated for a ship to take me to the island of Dragonstone. They probably knew my lack for common knowledge of the affairs of little day things but I wonder how much they knew about the story that will unfold.
After inquiring to various captains they landed me a spot on a not so shabby ferry that could carry around forty man at max. They packed me a bag of a days worth of rations and handed it me.
"Erm don't you need the food for the long journey to the north?" I asked feeling awful about their ordeal and not wanting them to starve on the way there.
"No it's fine, we had to sell the spare horse mi lord and have a couple spare coins from the deal. Apologies but I couldn't bargain for a cabin. The food is the least we can do as you'll probably not rest well on the ship. May the old gods guide your hand for the task ahead." Said Jojen.
"Good luck on your journey." Was all I could say as they guided me to said ship. The sailors paid no attention to me and all the captain said was to keep to the upper deck, for he wouldn't tolerate beggars messing with his clients down below. While the crew prepared for departure to Dragonstone I watched the back of the Reeds as they left once seeing me abroad the ship.
It feels odd seeing dead men walking, a part of me wanted to help or convince them to abandon the road and enjoy life before what would come. But I know with the raven watching me still as he flew over the ship that I would be a fool to betray a man with more cards to play than I.